 Our parish is in the process of building a church, much needed because we have a fast-growing congregation. It is exciting to watch the construction process reveal the building as a true work of art. While observing the progress recently, a Scripture verse came into my head, and although the context of Jesus saying it was different than how it was inspiring me, the phrase spoke to my heart nonetheless: “the stones would cry out.” When Jesus said it, He had just ridden into Jerusalem and the Pharisees were telling Him to silence His disciples who were crying out Hosanna. “He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”” (Luke 19:40) Admittedly, taking a Scripture verse or phrase out of context is not always the best idea, but in this case, I think I can justify doing so.* Therefore, if the stones could ‘cry out’ to ask for help, certainly they can cry out in joy. It is natural that in watching the building rise up from what used to be grass and dirt and seeing it take form, one could realistically sense the very stones ‘shouting’ praise to the Lord. All church buildings are meant for worship and praise to take place within, but the building itself can do the same. The truth is that (all) beauty cries out for a response. Beauty uplifts the heart with joy and so, too, our church building can elicit a similar response. The very stones are, in fact, crying out.  The imagery of stones crying out is found in various passages in the Old Testament and in the Gospels. Sometimes the symbolism was about justice and pleas for help, but it also included expressions of the heart such as those in which beauty is celebrated by making a joyful noise of some sort in praise of God. For example, David danced and sang before the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:14) and others, such as the prophet Isaiah, used wonderful imagery of mountains and hills bursting into song and trees clapping their hands. (Isaiah 55:12) The Psalms contain verses which make similar references, such as mountains leaping like rams. (Psalm 114:6)** In these we can see how being in the presence of God (reflected in His handiwork) evokes a response of praise: these writers were so obviously filled with joy and gratitude that they could use the images of the hills bursting into song, etc., as a way of expressing that what springs from love and worship of God cannot be contained even by something as solid and deeply rooted as a mountain or a tree. And there lies the point: if we are deeply rooted in God, everything in us will at some point be moved at the beauty of His love which is reflected in nature but can also be found in constructs of stone, glass, and wood. As in all things that concern God, seeing beauty and being in the presence of God reflected in this way always evokes a movement outward, that is, a response.  Just as a house is meant for families as a domestic church, a place where love and mercy are shared and fostered, a parish church building is meant for the same: a place of community worship and praise, yes, but in doing so, it also becomes a place where love and mercy are shared and fostered. Therefore, it is good to remember that the Church building is our communal, faith-home and what takes place there in prayer and Sacrament is the source and foundation of all that takes place within our family homes. This is why we should not attempt to contain the joy that arises in our hearts nor be embarrassed to give our joy a voice. It is our joyful response which invites others to come to know Jesus as well and it is the very reason for having a church building in the first place: what we receive there, we give as a gift through our works of mercy and love. (paraphrase of Matthew 10:8) We are meant to be evangelists in what we do and say, and we are meant to share God’s healing mercy and love with everyone. If we cannot take outside what happens within our church building, then we have somewhat missed the point of worship and are not really listening to the Lord nor receiving the graces He has given as gifts to be shared.  Indeed, we cannot sustain joyful feelings for more than a little while, and actually, we are not meant to. But we can share the grace that flows from that initial joy as it deepens and takes root like the trees and the mountains which do not speak in words, yet convey much if we stop for a while and immerse in their beauty. In truth, it is not the size of the building that determines the size of the response of mercy and love; both are beautiful because the presence of God is there. Just as the Church began with a dozen ragtag apostles and the others who were in the humble hiding place of the Upper Room at Pentecost, it is not the place so much as what it represents, what takes place there, and the response worship evokes in those who go forth to carry the message of the Gospel out to the world. And though that is the main point, we can still be inspired by the exterior beauty of a building which glorifies God as the very stones cry out in praise.  May we recognize and respond to beauty both in nature and in stone and glass! May we express our joy and gratitude at the gifts we have been given by reaching out in mercy and love to one another! And may we, living temples of the Holy Spirit, give glory to God through our word and deed! Let us meet at the altar of the Lord! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * The intent of this entry is not Biblical theology or exegesis, but rather, it is a spiritual reflection. I have studied and taught Scripture my entire adult life and I know well that taking verses out of context can be very misleading. But when a verse aids in prayer and reflection, that is, when it moves one to praise and becoming closer to the Lord, then we are not in the realm of the intellect, but in the realm of the heart. That is where this entry was formulated and it is where I am hoping you will go. That said, in context, when the people cried “Hosanna” – (which by the way is a plea that means ‘please save us’) – one can take the extra step to realize that the stones can also represent something beautiful. The phrase “Hosanna in the highest” had the intent of praise directed toward Jesus. In other words, putting “Hosanna,” the plea for help, with the words “in the highest” was a display of the clear recognition by the people that Jesus is Lord because only God can save.  ** The verse from Luke’s Gospel is reminiscent of a verse in the Old Testament from the prophet Habakkuk. The prophet was writing about the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem which had been destroyed during the Babylonian conquest and subsequent exile of the Jewish people. King Cyrus of Persia, the king who freed Israel after Exile, allowed them to rebuild it. While the situation was complex, basically the context was a rebuke of the people who were building for their own gain (unjustly) and not the good of the nation. Habakkuk prophesied, “The stones of the wall will cry out and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.” (Habakkuk 2:11) The stones crying out represents a warning and is a prayer for God’s justice. But once again, if the stones can symbolically cry out for justice, they can also praise.
-- I also suggest looking to the Books of Ezra and of Nehemiah for the full context of how the Temple was rebuilt. These things are also spoken of by the prophets who wrote after the Exile, (Haggai, Habakkuk, Malachi, Joel, Zechariah, and don’t forget the last chapters of Isaiah) as well as the historical accounts found in one brief paragraph at the end of 2 Chronicles and at the beginning of 1 Maccabees. Images: 1. My photo; Matera, Basilicata, Italy. That stone structure is a church that was built into the rock. This is across the canyon from the old town of Matera. 2. My photo; stones in the water near the shore of a lake in Colorado near Silverthorne. 3. Icon; St. Mark the Evangelist by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in purchasing a copy in one of many mediums, it can be found at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-mark-the-evangelist-332-william-hart-mcnichols.html 4. My photo; the original chapel of St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada. 5. Oil painting; Venice Twilight by Claude Monet. 6. My photo; taken on Copper Mountain in Colorado. Look very closely and you can see something beautiful almost hidden in the rocks.
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