Why Are Cathedrals Extravagant?
Why are cathedrals so extravagant? A question that is often asked with curiousity, and other times, with disapproval. Catholic churches are some of the most breath taking works of architecture in the world. From the most introcately crafted pillars and beams, to the stained glass windows each revealing their own story, every square inch of ancient cathedrals have one fixed purpose: to glorify God. Cathedrals are an act of worship, and are designed and crafted to be fit for a king, our Lord Jesus Christ, because He is truly present in the Catholic Church.
"It became obvious why Catholics had built such beautiful cathedrals and churches throughout the world. Not as gathering or meeting places for Christians. But as a home for Jesus Himself in the Blessed Sacrament. Cathedrals house Jesus. Christians merely come and visit Him. The cathedrals and churches architecturally prepare our souls for the beauty of the Eucharist.” ― Allen R. Hunt, (Confessions of a Mega Church Pastor: How I Discovered the Hidden Treasures of the Catholic Church)
Jesus is truly dwelling within our Church, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist; His Flesh and Blood poured out for us. He is present with us (Emmanuel, God with Us). His dwelling space should reflect His glory, beauty, and divinity. He is a king who was humbly born in a stable. He died on the cross for the sins of mankind, gave us the path to salvation by becoming the Lamb of God, the perfect Sacrifice, and He gave us His Flesh and His Blood in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 5:56). Eucharist means, “Thanksgiving” and Christians ought to try to reflect how grateful they are that God is with them!
From the stable, to Calvary, to the grave, to the throne; our Lord deserves a Church that does its best to magnify His splendor because He is among us: “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Cathedrals are a sacred place of worship where the Body of Christ lives and dwells, and where the body gathers in Him. Cathedrals often took centuries to build, so making the claim that it was meant to glorify the priests cannot be true. Priests did not own these buildings, or live in them. They often did not live to see them finished.
Throughout the past few centuries, cathedrals have often been met with much scorn. One of the most common forms of criticism is, "Why waste all of this money on a building when we could be feeding the poor?" Let us look at this incident in Sacred Scripture with Judas Iscariot:
"Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the purse, carried the things that were put therein. Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial. For the poor you have always with you; but me you have not always." (John 12:3-8)
We see in 1 Kings 7 that it depicts the vastly detailed craftmanship of a golden altar and cherubim for the temple of the God. God dwelt there, and did not repremand them, but instead saw it as a pleasing offering of worship. "And looking on, he saw the rich men cast their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in two brass mites. And he said: Verily I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God: but she of her want, hath cast in all the living that she had." (Luke 21:1-4) We see that Jesus does not repremand this poor widow, who donated all she had, but is pleased with her. Those temples were also crafted with great detail and work in those days.
In the early centuries, people were illiterate. They could not read or write, and this was left to the scholars of those generations, as the working class at the time did not learn to read. This is the reason behind the beauty and detail within stained glass windows. Each window depicted the stories of Jesus's birth, life, death, and resurrection. Even children could more simply understand this way, and the Gospel could be illustrated effectively. The beauty of these cathedrals is also meant to elevate our hearts to the beauty of Heaven, and of God.
When I first began to attend Mass in 2021, and was deciding whether I wanted to be Catholic or Protestant, the thing that kept me attending Mass with my mother was the beauty of the churches she took me to. I was in awe.
The Church was taught not only through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, but also through the stained glass, the paintings, the statues, and sculptures. It is similar to the modern day power point presentation you'd see within a Protestant sect, except the beauty and reverence remains, since the Catholic Church is a sacred space of reverence designed for worship.
The Catholic Church houses God. While many Protestants criticize the beauty of Catholic cathedrals, their own sect buildings are bare and void. Sometimes, even their homes own homes are lavish, but where they gather on Sunday’s to worship, the buildings are cold, sterile, and do not reflect a place fit for God. This is not the case for everyone, but certainly for many who have criticized Catholic Churches. They do not have the Eucharist, so He is not among them in those buildings. Their lack of proper belief shows in their architecture. I love my Protestant friends, but Protestantism differs from Christianity, and so my criticism is not against the Protestant who may not know, but against Protestantism.
Their buildings now often look like concert halls with shiplap stages, lights, and sometimes fog machines. The original Protestant “churches” were often just stolen Catholic Churches. The worship of the creature has replaced the worship of God. If we want to worship God truly and acceptably, we would celebrate the Holy Mass, in the unity of the one body: the Catholic Church.
* Hebrews 12:28-29: "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God *acceptable worship,* with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Ephesians 3:21 “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Sacred Scripture told us He would be with us in every generation. Jesus promised He would not leave us as orphans: John 14:18 - “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” He is with His Church till the end of the age: Matthew 28:20
“teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”
He gave Himself as a Sacrifice in the Eucharist which is His flesh and is His blood. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me." (John 6:53-57)
Even Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant religion, believed in the true presence of the Eucharist. It goes to show how far from truth we fall the further we get from the pillar and foundation of truth, the Catholic Church (1 Timothy 3:15). “Who, but the devil, has granted such license of wresting the words of the holy Scripture? Who ever read in the Scriptures, that my body is the same as the sign of my body? or, that is is the same as it signifies? What language in the world ever spoke so? It is only then the devil, that imposes upon us by these fanatical men. Not one of the Fathers of the Church, though so numerous, ever spoke as the Sacramentarians: not one of them ever said, It is only bread and wine; or, the body and blood of Christ is not there present. Surely, it is not credible, nor possible, since they often speak, and repeat their sentiments, that they should never (if they thought so) not so much as once, say, or let slip these words: It is bread only; or the body of Christ is not there, especially it being of great importance, that men should not be deceived. Certainly, in so many Fathers, and in so many writings, the negative might at least be found in one of them, had they thought the body and blood of Christ were not really present: but they are all of them unanimous.”
—Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation—Luther’s Collected Works, Wittenburg Edition, no. 7 p, 391
If the kings of the earth are adorned in beautiful palaces, then the King of Kings and Lord of Lords deserves a dwelling place fit for Him. The most beautiful buildings in history are a home for the Holy Trinity, and a beacon of light in a dark world. For where the Body and Blood of Jesus dwell, there is eternal life.
