There are great cathedrals that glorify the majesty of God through breathtaking architecture. Places like Notre Dame in Paris that lift your heart just with a glance.
Then, there are places like Corpus Christi near St. Augustine in Florida. This little church is a spiritual cathedral. The feelings when one enters is powerful. The people in the pews and the priest just add to the spiritual power within the walls. The power of the Holy Spirit and presence of the Lord permeate everything and emanate from within its heart.
Located outside of St. Augustine and just north of the space coast, the church had ‘emblems’ on the rear walls reminding of the space program in a deeply spiritual way.
The iconography is beautiful. The crucifix hanging over the altar depicted the Blessed Mother and St. John. The whole of the altar simply lifted one’s soul to the Eucharist being celebrated upon the altar.
The Blessed Mother and Sacred Heart of Jesus stand watch on either side as Mass is reverently celebrated by Father Ed, the pastor. He’s gotta be a great guy with a name like that.
His homily was powerful and uplifting. One line he spoke stands out in these times. He was talking about expanding options with the return of so many to church each Sunday. He said that the stimulus checks and vaccine were simply worldly and fleeting, our true stimulus and vaccination comes in the form of the Holy Sacraments. Such truth in that simple statement.
I know many bishops have permitted souls to not attend Mass. So many watch on TV or simply don’t attend. Watching a broadcast is great for those at health risk, but, for the rest of us, there is nothing that can ever replace receiving the Eucharist fully in the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Host. A Spiritual Communion doesn’t come close to actually receiving the Lord of all.
We visited this church for Mass on a whim instead of the Basilica in the old town. But, obviously, not a whim, this was truly Holy Spirit guided.
As Jesus told the woman at the well, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24.
Come to the well that is Corpus Christi church in St. Augustine and find yourself truly satisfied. “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
