What makes places sacred

Even if one is not traditional, one thinks of churches as holy. Even a non-churchgoer expects to walk into a church and feel something different, even if he or she has never been there before. And they are. Churches are holy.

Our Cathedral of St. Philip is sacred. But our building, our sacred space, is not holy only because of expectation or architecture or silence or time apart. Our cathedral is holy because holy things have happened there. And the buildings know it. Those events and experiences are real; they make a difference. At the Cathedral, people's births have been celebrated, and their deaths have been mourned.

At the Cathedral, we have rejoiced in good and boisterous times; and we have been disappointed with pain and betrayal. In churches, prayers have been offered. Weddings and meals have been offered. Even bitterness and anger have been offered. All those offerings make the actual, physical place holy.

The actual physical place has provided the space for our human struggle to meet divine grace. Leaders of the church became rich and powerful. Every year, Catholics around the world donate tens of millions of dollars to the pope. The Vatican has big investments in banking, insurance, chemicals, steel, construction, real estate. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is arguable the most wealthy religious organization in the world, unless you count the various Catholic organizations as one Church.

In that case, the Catholic Church would by far be the most wealthy. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home What makes a place sacred? Ben Davis May 14, What makes a place sacred? What makes a place sacred quizlet? How do you describe your sacred space? There is no one definition of a sacred place. The fluidity of the word is why so many places can be considered sacred and for different reasons.

With that said, I feel sacred spaces are the one common element amongst all people. In the article we read for class about sacred spaces, it demonstrates how all religions connect to this idea and even those who are not apart of a specific religion are still longing to creating these holy spaces.

It is a way to connect, to find common ground and understanding amongst the most unique and diverse religions. Whether we think of a sacred space as a room with walls, or a river running free, or even perhaps a routine, sacred spaces are every where and across cultures we can use this universal concept to form understanding and respect.

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