Almost 30 years ago I visited the famed Chartres Cathedral in France. The stained glass windows are one of the best-preserved and most complete set of medieval stained glass. As I approached from the outside, I remember the sense of it being like other cathedrals we visited during this Vincentian Heritage tour of France.
That feeling vanished once I stepped inside and experienced the awe-inspiring beauty of the almost 200 windows. It was a bright day. That only heightened the effect as I looked up at the stories illuminated in the windows.
The Church is like the stained glass windows of a cathedral
I could definitely relate to the words of the Papal preacher in the presence of the Pope and his household.
If you look at the windows from the outside, from the street, all you see are pieces of dark glass held together by dark strips of lead. But if you go inside and look at those same windows with the light pouring in, what a splendid array of colors, stories, and meanings unfolds before your eyes! I am suggesting that we look at the Church from the inside, in the deepest meaning of the word, to see it in light of the mystery that it bears.
From faith to amazement
Cardinal Cantalamessa then challenged all to pass from faith to amazement… and even to unbelief!
When we first learn there is no Santa Claus, we feel deceived. Cardinal Catalamessa, however, speaks of a different kind of unbelief.
“I speak of a very special type of unbelief: that of those who believe without being able to grasp what they believe because it is so immense and unthinkable.”
He speaks of the wide-eyed Wow! The wonder of realizing the gift is far greater than you thought possible.
“In the Hebrew Scriptures, God is seen as a father. The novelty here is that now God is seen not so much as the “father of his people Israel” in a collective sense, so to speak, but as the father of each human being in an individual and personal sense, of both the righteous and the sinner.
God cares about each one as if that person were the only one; God knows the needs, the thoughts and counts the number of hairs on the head of each one.
Viewing Christmas and baptism from the outside or the inside
“Baptism is like a very precious gift package that remains unopened, like a Christmas gift, misplaced somewhere and forgotten about, even before it was opened.” It is too big for my imagination.
Baptism changes everything! But we need to enter inside to really see.
You become more aware of the dignity of other people who are also sons and daughters of God. For us Christians, human solidarity as brothers and sisters is ultimately rooted in the fact that God is the father of us all, and since we are all sons and daughters of God, we are all brothers and sisters to each other. There is no bond stronger than this.
You cannot claim God as your father without owning your neighbor as your brother or sister.
Back to Christmas. As adults, we know better! We view Santa Claus from the outside.
As “Christians” we need to see Baptism from the inside, accept we are really God’s sons and daughters.
We still struggle to experience the “Wow of Baptism from the inside rather than outside.
Ask yourself
- Is Baptism too big for me to wrap my mind and heart around?
- Is Baptism something that changes everything?
- How can I keep my Christ-awareness in Christmas?
Click below for an audio version of this Vincentian Mindwalk
Beautiful imagery, Father. I guess I spent a lot more time “outside” of churches with stained glass windows than “inside.” When inside, the brightness of the sun certainly illumines with greater clarity the images shown. But, the pictures presented on the other sides of the church show a more diffused light, without as much luster, but still recognizable.
At night, the opposite is true. I used to marvel at the churches with stained glass windows as you’d drive or walk past them at night when there was a service going on. The splendor of all the windows was then equally visible to the observer have a “drawing me in” power also.
But, back to your point, the “insider” view brings new life to most experiences, Baptism and Christmas included. All of the Sacraments reflect an even more “visible sign” when a participant and not just an observer. When I’m at Mass and I find myself as cantor, the Liturgy takes on so many more dimensions (including paying attention so as not to miss the next cue to bring the congregation in).
Thanks. Interesting walk down the memory lane of the many places where I discovered God inside (and outside).