A few years ago I visited Gaudí’s masterpiece the Basilica De La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It was so awe inspiring to see the beauty of this unique Basilica. Its stained glass windows are magnificent. I was marveled by seeing the light coming through these windows and not only was I completely awed by their beauty but it also gave me an “illumination” inviting me to enter into a profound inner reflection about my spiritual life. It was an unforgettable experience.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
~ Desmond Tutu

Here are a few photos I took during my visit to La Sagrada Familia

“But man does not create…he discovers.” ~ Antoni Gaudí

“The amount of light should be just right, not too much, not too little, since having too much or too little light can both cause blindness.”
~ Antoni Gaudí 

Gaudí was a devout man. He went to church twice a day. He believed with conviction his architectural ability was a gift from God.

Gaudí famously insisted: “My client is not in a hurry”. His client, of course, was God.

A Meditation

The human being is like a field. In this field a treasure is hidden (Mt 13:44). Deep within you, you carry enormous riches, you carry divine life. Before you can get to the treasure, you must work your way through many layers where you are confronted with many different things which may appear to be completely different than the treasure you are seeking. You may be surprised that so much disorder and impurity exist within you.

It is important that you understand what it is you seek, so that you don’t lose courage in face of what you must confront. You are seeking the light within you, but you can’t avoid meeting your darkness as well. It is through allowing some of the light to enter you that you become conscious of your darkness.

When you seriously strive to be good and loving, then it will be revealed how much evil and lovelessness there is within you. The more you take pains to be true, the more your untruthfulness shows.

You don’t have to focus on your mistakes. If you seek God with your whole heart, the mistakes will show themselves. Then it is important not to close your eyes to them, but rather observe them in all their misery.

It is not particularly encouraging to be face to face with all the impurity we carry within. it can be heartbreaking. But it is in a broken heart that we find the way to the treasure. But don’t get stuck in your misery, keep your eyes on God. He is your treasure.

~ By Wilfrid Stinissen, O.C.D.