Pilgrimlog

SAGRADA FAMILIA:  PASSION FACADE

On the final day of our novena to St. Joseph, I reflected on the Basilica and Expiation Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia) in Barcelona.  I can honestly say with out hyperbole that it is one of the few places that literally took my breath away.  I also talked about its holy architect, Servant of God Antoni Gaudí. 

During his Apostolic Visit to Spain in which he consecrated La Sagrada Familia and raised it to the status of a minor basilica, Pope Benedict called this extraordinary sanctuary, “a hymn of praise to God carved in stone.”  He also noted that “Gaudí, through his work, sought to bring the Gospel to everyone.  For this reason he conceived of the three porticos of the exterior of the church as a catechesis on the life of Jesus Christ, a great Rosary, which is the prayer of ordinary people, a prayer in which are contemplated the joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries of the Lord.”

Recently, I’ve been talking about signs and liturgy.  Here Pope Benedict and Antoni Gaudí present us with another aspect of our sacramental and liturgical, the church building itself which is discussed at length in the document, Built of Living Stones, by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  A church’s architecture, construction, and design play a significant role in the life of a Catholic because, it has the power to enhance the liturgy and inspire devotion to God and commitment to the Christian life.

Here is some pics that I took of one of those porticos, the Passion Façade which appears on the outside of the Basilica’s west transept.  Now, I wouldn’t say my personal aesthetic is modern, per se, but, Gaudí’s Passion Façade much like his entire Sagrada Familia, while although contemporary and groundbreaking, employs very traditional elements that are truly timeless.

I hope that these poor photos can do justice to the fruit of Gaudí’s prayer and skill, and that on this Good Friday, they fulfill the designs of this saintly architect:  to help people to meditate on the Passion of Our Lord and inspire greater appreciation for the sacrifice by which our ransom was paid and won for us eternal life.

Countdown to St. Joseph’s Day:  1 day!

It’s Josephmas Eve!

As part of my pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Madrid last summer, I was blessed to visit the Basilica Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Family (Sagrada Familia) in Barcelona, Spain.

It is a magnificent church, and one of the few places in the world that literally took my breath away.  I remember standing completely speechless as I gazed up at a forest of stone columns rising to the heavens like the biblical cedars of Lebanon.  I can honestly say without hyperbole that it is nearly impossible to accurately describe the experience of being in a church that is both of this world and of another world altogether.

After we had left, I remarked to one of the pilgrims in my group, “Sagrada Familia is an example of man at his best.”  What I meant was that all those who participated in raising this monumental temple to Christ and His Holy Family were truly fulfilling what they were created to do.  And should not that also be our desire?  To be, to do, to say what the Creator of the universe had made us to be, to do, to say from the very first moment of our lives in our mothers’ wombs. 

On many occasions, we do not live up to this potential.  Pride and sin lead us to act in ways that are contrary to God’s will for us.  When we act in ways that make us less than the person we ought to be, we become, in a sense, less alive.  And as St. Irenaeus famously said, “The Glory of God is man fully alive.”

An example of man fully alive, glorifying God by conforming his will to that of his Creator, being the person he was meant to be and doing great things, is the humble and faithful architect of Sagrada Familia, who may one day be a canonized saint, Servant of God Antoni Gaudí.

Besides being a visionary designer and unparalleled archetypical, Gaudí was first a man of faith, a man of prayer whose primary goal was to be holy.  Through prayer,  reflecting on Sacred Scripture, and reception of the Sacraments, Gaudí became the person he was created to be:  a man fully alive for the glory of God.  In his remarkable design of Sagrada Familia, Gaudí put into stone and glass the mysteries of the faith and made a fitting place for the Word Incarnate to be adored, worshiped, and received.

We are called to serve and glorify God in many ways.  Some are called to be teachers, attorneys, nurses, and accountants.  Some are called to be fathers, mothers, priests, and sisters.  But, what Gaudí and St. Joseph teach us is that we must be attentive to God’s voice, desire to do His will, and live in conformity to His will with great love.  As an architect who was not ashamed to incorporate his faith into his professional life, Gaudí created an earthly temple, a tangible image of the mystical body of Christ.  And because he did everything with great love, Gaudí himself—like all parents who created new life—reflected the almighty Creator who made the stars with His hands and who knows them each by name (cf. Psalm 147:4).

Antoni Gaudí also had a deep devotion to our beloved St. Joseph.  In undertaking this monumental project, this holy Servant of God knew that he would not live to see its completion.  Yet, he still was faithful in doing what he could, what he was called to do. 

From the book, Faces of Holiness II:  Modern Saints in Photos and Words by by Ann Ball, when people questioned about the amount of planning, labor, and money needed to complete this grand temple, Gaudí would reply, “Don’t worry—St. Joseph is a saint with many resources.”  And, another occasion when asked about the time that it would take to complete, again Gaudí turned with confidence to the Guardian of the Sagrada Familia, “He who asked me to do it is not in a hurry.”

Also, it is interesting to note that Sagrada Familia was first envisioned and funded by a group of Spanish Catholics called The Spiritual Association of Devotees of St. Joseph.  The cornerstone of the future basilica was placed on the Solemnity of St. Joseph in 1882.  Gaudí first constructed the crypt church which is the chapel of St. Joseph.  And the first Mass ever said in the yet unfinished temple was in that chapel on the Solemnity of St. Joseph in 1885.

St. Joseph, however, did not construct a magnificent and glorious house for the Son of God and Our Lady.  Yet, he was the man who best served God by continuously conforming his will to the divine Will; Joseph was indeed a man fully alive.

Surely, St. Joseph gave much aid and assistance to Servant of God Antoni Gaudí particularly in building the Sagrada Familia.  And, where he alive, would almost certainly been chipping at stone blocks or hoisting up buckets of mortar.  Sawing, hammering, carving, this is how St. Joseph worked and this is how he glorified God.

He also glorified God in fulfilling his vocation as spouse to the Queen of Heaven and foster-father of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Thus, who else on earth loved Mary and Jesus more than Joseph?  Who then can we turn to for help in loving them more but our faithful patron?  What must our Joseph have felt to hear the Son of God call him “father”, and what unworthiness he must have felt to call him “Son”!

Recall, my previous post about the Life of Saint Joseph written by Sr. Maria Cecilia Baij, O.S.B. and our discussion about public revelation and private revelation.

Sr. Maria Cecilia writes,

After the Divine Child rendered His acts of oblation and homage [to the Father] and gave Himself into the arms of His holy Mother, Joseph went off to his work.  While engaged in his labors he suddenly found himself again in ecstasy, in virtue of his meditations upon the actions of his beloved Jesus.  Drawn by the forces of love, he longed to go and give himself the satisfaction of contemplating Him directly.  Fearing to be a nuisance to Jesus, the Saint suppressed this urge.

Whenever the Divine Child wished to console His faithful servant, however, He would lovingly invite him by means of an interior locution.  This invitation Joseph was unable to resist, and so he would hasten to go to Him, impelled as he was by the exceedingly powerful force of his love.  Usually, Joseph would also find Jesus already on His way to meet him.  The first time Jesus came to meet him, He was being led by His most beloved Mother.  Upon seeing Joseph, He called out to him:  “Father!” and then flung Himself into his arms and caressed him with His tiny hands.

The joy of hearing himself be called “father” for the first time moved Joseph to tears.  He considered himself to be wholly unworthy of it, and he made it very evident how grateful he was for the honor that the Child Jesus was giving him by doing so.  He ardently thanked the holy Child, and besought his most holy spouse also to give thanks in his behalf to God and to His Son.  This Mary gladly did for him.  She rejoiced with Joseph over the great blessing that was his, and they gave joint thanks to the Heavenly Father for the graces He had given to both of them, and especially for the dignity He had conferred upon His servant, in permitting him to be His representative on earth.

….

Joseph did not venture to address Jesus as his Son, though his paternal love made him feel most desirous of doing so.  He asked Mary if it would be proper for him to address Jesus in this manner.  Mary ascertained from Jesus that, inasmuch as He Himself deigned to call Joseph, “father,” and also assigned him to his paternal position here upon earth, He thereby granted him the privilege of calling Him, “Son.”  He furthermore declared that it was the will of the Heavenly Father that He, Jesus, should make Himself subject in this manner to Joseph, just as if He were truly his own offspring, and that consequently, Joseph should freely address Him as “Son,” and deal with Him as if he were His real father.

Joseph’s heart was jubilant as Mary transmitted these things to him, and he shed copious tears as a result of the consolations that he experienced.  At the same time, he gave thanks to God, in union with Mary.  To himself he remarked:  “I am indeed blessed in being the possessor of this delightful privilege which allows me to address the Divine Incarnate Word, the Son of the Eternal Father, as ‘my Son.’”

Finally, he exclaimed aloud:  “Oh Jesus, my Son.  Oh my Son, my Jesus!”

We know St. Joseph as a carpenter from the scriptures.  However, the original Greek word that is found in the gospels is tekton, a laborer who works with his hands.  It is this trade of tekton that our Joseph taught the Son of God, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, created the stars in the heavens and the atoms in every grain of sand.  In the company of Jesus, to honor the Blessed Virgin, and give glory to God, this is how St. Joseph sanctified all his labors.  So, too, can he make holy our everyday, mundane tasks:  taking out the garbage, studying diligently, watering the plants, driving your sibling to school, buying groceries at the store—these can be moments for the sanctification of yourself and others; such ordinary work can be altars where you offer love.

Just think of Joseph’s workbench and his little Jesus at his side.

As soon as the Divine Youth grew up sufficiently to be able to render some assistance to Joseph, He sought of His own accord to go and help him in his work and to console him by His presence.  The happy Joseph never considered that Jesus actually wanted to humble Himself to such an extent as to perform this menial work, and when Jesus offered His willing assistance, the Saint was deeply moved and declared he would never allow it unless the Heavenly Father Himself had actually ordained it.

Turning to Jesus he exclaimed:  “Oh, Eternal Wisdom, why do You wish to humiliate Yourself to such a degree?  How can I, Your servant, consent to see You devoting Yourself to such work as this, delicate as You are, and engaged as You are in continually treating with Your Heavenly Father concerning the vital business of man’s redemption?  How could I look and see You being thus humiliated?”

The holy Youth set his mind at rest by declaring that this was the will of His Heavenly Father, and that in reality He Himself had come into the world not to be ministered unto, but rather to minister, wherefore, it was necessary that He should give an example of disdain for all ostentation and worldly esteem.  Joseph submitted to the will of the Heavenly Father and no longer made any objection.  Instead, he pondered over the joy that would be his by having his beloved Jesus with him in the workshop.  He became exceedingly consoled, and proclaimed his unbounded happiness.  Turning to Mary, he expressed to Her his regret that She would, necessarily, be deprived of the loving presence of Jesus during those periods of time in which He would now be with him.  The Mother of God, being always conformed to the divine will and with a heart brimming with love, assured him that She was happy about the consolations that would be his, and that the divine will would be accomplished.

One can well image what spiritual joy the happy Joseph must have experienced, and how filled with consolation he must have been, as he took his beloved Jesus with him.  When he started to work it seemed to him as if he was in Paradise.  Was not the Son of God Himself there beside him, seeking to be of assistance to him?  Sometimes, the Boy Jesus would hand him tools, and other times pieces of lumber, even though He was only about five or six years old, He apparently wanted to carry on like a strong, grown-up man, as was indicated by the efforts he made to lift up the heavier boards.  The Saint was deeply touched by this and tried in every way possible to limit these exertions.  Besides all this, the Divine Youth was always so obliging that He even anticipated Joseph’s needs; and He performed everything in a gracious spirit.

Day 9 of our novena.  Ite ad Ioseph (“Go to Joseph”, Genesis 41:55)

Countdown to St. Joseph’s Day:  3 days

It has been said that the story of the magnificent basilica pictured above is a story of a man and a mountain.  The man is St. André Bessette and the mountain is Mont Royal in Montreal, Canada.  Yet, it is also the story of our glorious St. Joseph and the wonders God worked through his intercession and the faith of a simple French Canadian religious brother who would inspire the construction of the world renown pilgrimage site:  The Basilica of St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal.

St. André Bessette was born on August 9, 1845 in St.-Gregoire d’Iberville, Canada.  He grew up in a poor but loving family who faithfully handed on the deposit of faith to the little and sickly André.  From his father, Issac Bessette, a local carpenter, he learned to love and trust our blessed patron.  And when Issac was killed, crushed to death by a falling tree, the 9 year old André turned to St. Joseph—as did the Infant Jesus—to be his foster-father and protector.

As a young adult, André discerned a vocation to the religious life, and he ardently desired to join the Congregation of Holy Cross.  He was allowed to enter the seminary, but due to his poor health, the Congregaton’s superiors were hesitant to permit him to profess his final vows.

However, through the intercession of St. Joseph, André was finally allowed to make his final profession as a Brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross at the College of Notre Dame, the Congregation’s novitiate house and school for boys.  One of St. André’s strongest advocates was his Novice Master, Fr. Guy, who argued before his superiors, “If this young man becomes unable to work, he can at least pray.  Dear Confreres, we are all dedicated to teaching people to pray.  This man teaches mainly by his example.”

Our André would not go on to earn high academic degrees or even pursue ordination to the priesthood.  His job at Notre Dame College was that of factotum, an assistant who helps out with various jobs.  And whatever assignment this holy factotum was given, he performed his duty with kindness, generosity, and joy.  In doing these lowly, menial jobs, Br. André imitated the virtues of the poor carpenter of Nazareth; he became a living image of St. Joseph to whomever he encountered.  André did everything with great love, offering himself and his seemingly few talents to serve and glorify God—as did the tender Guardian of the Holy Family who unselfishly gave his all out of love for his Infant God and his most immaculate bride.

One of André’s tasks was that of porter; he had the responsibility of opening the door and greeting any visitor to the college.  He was given a little room by the front door with a narrow wooden couch on which to sleep.  The window of his room looked out on Mount Royal; at that time, it was only a tree covered hill rising above the College.  On the windowsill, he placed a small statue of St. Joseph turned so that the statue looking out.  When people asked why does St. Joseph have his back towards him, Br. André would reply, “Because some day St. Joseph is going to be honored in a special way on Mount Royal!”

Another of Br. André’s jobs was to assist with washing the students’ clothes and delivering their clean laundry to them.  While on his many trips through campus and the town, Br. André would hear that someone was ill.  As man with frail health himself, he empathized with the poor person’s condition and would often visit the homes of the sick to cheer them up and to pray with them. 

Br. André would carry with him some oil from the lamp that burned before the image of St. Joseph in the college’s chapel.  He would pray with the sick person, imploring the assistance of St. Joseph, and rub some of the oil on the patient’s body.

Soon, reports began to spread that people were being miraculously healed.  Br. André never took credit for these unexplained cures, but rather gave credit to St. Joseph for the healing. 

Br. Alderic, a fellow Holy Cross Brother, experienced first hand the power of St. Joseph’s intercession and Br. André’s prayers on his behalf.  Br. Alderic had a wound on his leg that refused to heal even after months of medical treatment.  Then, he decided to approach Br. André.  Br. Alderic late wrote of the incident,

On Sunday, March 31…I asked little Brother André to fetch me a bit of oil from the lamp of St. Joseph, the oil about which he had told me wonderful things.  The good Brother André did not believe he was authorized to grant me the object of my request and, to obtain it, I had to turn to Brother Ladislas who had greater authority as sacristan of Notre Dame.  That evening, I applied a few drops from my precious vial on my leg wound, praying to St. Joseph to cure me and promising him, if he answered my prayer, to receive Holy Communion the following day in thanksgiving.”

“I felt no pain.  At the end of two days, the wound had completely healed.”

“[If] I wanted to recount all the marvels wrought here by our good and powerful St. Joseph, I would not finish.”

Although Br. André’s fame soon spread, the little Holy Cross Brother maintained his Patron’s humility, insisting that people should “Go to Joseph” (Genesis 41:55) and give him thanks for the healing.  With each passing day more and more sick people began showing up at Notre Dame College asking to see Br. André.  This more than concerned his superiors, and at least on one occasion, he was told that he cannot visit with any more sick people.  Ever obedient, Br. André willingly complied.  But the sick kept coming.  Br. André was again permitted to pray with the sick and rub St. Joseph’s oil on them.  Now the question was “Where can all these sick people go that is away from the students?”

Again, Br. André looked to the forested hill of Mount Royal.  In fact, the Congregation wished to purchase that property for some time, but the agreement always feel through.  Then, in 1896, the owners sold the property on Mount Royal to the Congregation.  At first Br. André set out to construct a small chapel building that only enclosed the altar, but this left the sick people out in the cold or wet weather.  Then, a fully covered shrine was built, but soon this space could no longer accommodate the masses of people who wanted to see Br. André.

So, the decision was finally made to construct the grand oratory you see in the photo.  In these construction projects, Br. André always turned with great trust to his father and benefactor, the mighty St. Joseph whose own hands, sweat, and labor provided food to the Bread of Life and shelter for the Creator of the universe.

One day, a mason visited Br. André who had been diagnosed with a stomach tumor.  The poor man was very weak and frail because the tumor made eating difficult, so he had lost much weight.  Br. André turned to this stone worker and asked,

“If St. Joseph cured you, would you come and work with me on the mountain?”

The man, emaciated by his illness, did not place much faith in André’s words.

“If you are willing,” Brother Andre continued, “I shall count on you tomorrow morning.”

At exactly 6:15 the next morning the man arrived and ate a hearty breakfast with Brother Andre.  Andre advised him that St. Joseph had cured him and that he was to fulfill his part of the bargain.

“To work, to work,” Andre cheerfully cried.

The mason obeyed, and for the first time in months put in a full day’s work.

As you can imagine, building a monumental oratory is quite a monumental undertaking.  Br. André did his best to fundraise to make his Josephine dream a reality, but the Great Depression of the 1930s was affecting donations, and when there wasn’t enough money, the work completely stopped. 

The project was stalled for several years when in 1936 Holy Cross authorities called a meeting to decide whether to complete it or abandon it.  The provincial summed Andre to the meeting.  Andre, genuinely surprised that the authorities had doubts about the future completion, advised them once more.

“It’s not my work; it’s St. Joseph’s.”

Then the old man continued:

“Put a statue of St. Joseph in the middle of the building.  If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll get it.”

Perhaps in desperation, that very afternoon the Holy Cross authorities did exactly as Andre suggested.  Two months later they had enough money to resume construction.

In 2002, while as a pilgrim to Toronto for the last World Youth Day with our beloved Bl. John Paul the Great, I had the privilege of visiting this beautiful oratory, a grand edifice where Christ is adored, where the Word of God shines forth like a “city on a hill” (Mt 5:14), and where our holy patron and father is honored.  This magnificent basilica is also where St. André was laid to rest; you can pray at his tomb, just as Bl. John Paul did, and venerate his heart which is displayed in a separate reliquary.

Then, in 2008, I went back with my family as part of a tour group en route to Quebec.  In the bottom right-hand corner is a photo of my grandmother praying in St. André’s private oratory were he daily served at Mass and received Our Eucharistic Lord.  He also had a tiny room built in his private oratory; he slept in a tiny loft literally above the altar.

If you want to learn more about St. André, whom many call the Apostle of St. Joseph, you can read Brother Andre:  All He could do was Pray by Boniface Hanley, O.F.M. where I got all the information and quotes in this post.

Lord our God, friend of the lowly, you gave your servant, St. André Bessette, a great devotion to St. Joseph and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted.  Through his intercession help us to follow his example of prayer and love and so come to share with him in your glory.  We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.  Amen.

St. André Bessette, Apostle of St. Joseph, pray for us!

(Side note:  I just wanted to tell you the story of how I took the above picture of the Basilica.  As I said, I visited the Basilica Oratory in 2008 with my family as part of a tour group that went from Toronto to Quebec.  We had finished praying in the oratory and touring the grounds, and I was already sitting comfortably inside the bus—which was parked near the main doors—waiting for the rest of the group to return from the bathrooms or gift shop.  I looked at my watch and saw that there was 10 minutes left before the bus was scheduled to depart.  At that moment, I made a decision.  I grabbed my camera and sprinted down what I’m sure was hundreds of steps to take a few pictures of St. Joseph with his basilica in the background.  Then I ran back to the bus, fearing that it would depart without me.  Now, if running down hundreds of steps was a piece of cake, running up hundreds of steps was a piece of….ummm, welll….something else.  Even if I had been in shape [which I definitely was not], it would have been quite difficult and extremely painful—which it was!  Thanks to the assistance of St. Joseph, I staggered my way back to the bus, though I nearly passed out, and made it to my seat just as the doors closed.)  

Day 7 of our novena. 

And notice the inscription on the base of St. Joseph’s pedestal:  Ite ad Ioseph (“Go to Joseph”, Genesis 41:55)