One day last week, I found myself sitting amidst the towering walls and echoing marble floors of Saint Ignatius Church. For most of my BC career, I have frequented the chapels and churches in the area surrounding Chestnut Hill but have never spent much time in the hallowed halls of the magnificent Church on Lower Campus. In many ways, I must thank God for His Providence in steering me away from it all these years, otherwise, I believe that this particular circumstance that has granted me a level of insight into the human heart on the journey of faith may have simply passed me by.
There are many eye-catching elements in the architecture of Saint Ignatius Church from its beautiful rendition of the crucifix fixed above the altar to the towering arches and stained glass bedecked walls, yet there is one element that is slightly more hidden, tucked in a small apse off to the right side of the Church’s center aisle. It’s the Tabernacle that contains the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist which is denoted by the red sanctuary candle that stands lit outside the iron gate surrounding the sanctuary. If you have had the opportunity to attend a celebration of the Mass in Saint Ignatius you may have noticed that this tabernacle, while the most splendid and magnificent, is not the only one that Saint Ignatius is home to. In fact, if I am not mistaken there are four tabernacles; one located in the very center of the altar beneath the crucifix, two in the transept beneath the carved images of our Lady and Saint Joseph, and finally the one that is tucked behind the iron gate in the right wall of the Church.
At first glance, the oddity of this arrangement neither struck me nor really seemed to bother me, but, after a few days of attending evening Mass, it prompted a rather revealing and uncomfortable reflection. The little niche where the Eucharist was tucked away and could easily be passed by without little notice seemed to present me with a mirror regarding my own spiritual disposition. How often do I make God a sideshow rather than the main event of my heart, my day, my life? Honestly, I’m not sure I would like my answer because it would seem to shed light on the reality that far more often than not I am more than willing to take charge and seek to control or command the events of my life rather than to simply receive with a grateful heart the good that God desires to share with me.
Tucked behind iron bars, placed within a beautiful sanctuary, or placed in the tabernacle at the end of the center aisle of a Church may seem to be a somewhat small or insignificant detail to the ordinary passerby, however, to the man or woman who knows in their heart the value of the True Presence of Christ it is a serious shift. It is this simple detail that called me to examine my own heart and mind asking, how often do I bring my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of my life to God? Is He simply a backup when I don’t feel that I can do it on my own anymore? Is He JUST a sideshow in my life or is HE the life, breath, and beating heart of each second that I am given the gift of living on this Earth?
It is not an easy question to answer honestly, but my friends if there is anything I have learned on this journey of faith so far it is that at first, we may not necessarily like to dive into the dark recesses of our souls that seem unchangeable or too wounded to heal but please give yourself the opportunity to believe in Christ’s ability to heal you and shape you for the better! So ask to seek that you may find the space to place God at the heart of your Church, the heart of your soul.
Julia Danehy is a Sophomore in the William F. Connell School of Nursing a hop, skip, and a jump away from her home town of Fort Myers, FL. With the variety of her interests spanning about a million miles long, in her spare time she can be found exploring history, painting, spending time outdoors, whipping up some form of baked good, or reading anything to do with The Theology of the Body/philosophy in general.
- A Love Letter - April 22, 2024
- DON’T FORGET TO SAY THANK YOU - November 29, 2023
- COOKIE CUTTER - October 30, 2023