Today, I want to tell you about a magnificent basilica called Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. I was blessed to see this glorious structure last month. The picture you see below shows the remarkable colors that come through stained glass windows that are set at just the right angles to focus the light. When I first saw it I thought the walls were painted in those beautiful colors. It is absolutely breathtaking.

Sagrada Familia (“Holy Family”) was designed by the famous architect Antoni Gaudi and begun in 1882. Gaudi worked on it from 1883 until his death in 1926, at which point it was less than 25% complete. The building is still not finished. Currently, it is expected that construction will be complete in 2026, nearly a hundred and fifty years after it was begun.

Even though Gaudi only got to see a fraction of the church completed, the work is still guided by his vision. Gaudi planned for the church to have three great façades: one dedicated to the Nativity, which we entered, one dedicated to the Passion, which we exited, and one dedicated to Christ’s Glory. Gaudi only worked directly on the Nativity façade; work on the Passion and Glory façades have followed his plans. To say that this place is magnificent is inadequate.

Gaudi was a master architect. Nearly a century after his death, his plans and vision continue to guide the construction. The foundation he laid, literally and artistically, shapes the whole church.

You, too, are an unfinished dwelling of the Lord. You were laid on the foundation of God with Jesus Christ as your cornerstone. You, too, are the light reflecting Christ through your own life. You are God’s temple and God’s spirit dwells in you. Do people see his light in your actions, your words, and your deeds?  

And if not, what needs to change?

Matthew 5:16 (New International Version)

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Shine On Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain