The three spires of St Joseph Church should remind us of Mount Calvary on that Good Friday as Jesus was crucified with the two thieves, each one to the other side and Jesus in the middle. But instead of on Mount Calvary, St Joseph is on Piety Hill.
The white of the church is the symbol of purity. How every time when we enter this church for Mass or confession, Jesus purifies us of our sins. It is a place where His mercy is found without failure. Even when we come to adoration or any other event, we are raised up to Him who saves us and we are made whole once again. Somehow, when He lifts us up, we are purified and all the evils of this world no longer matter; we are with our God. How good it is to be raised up to His heart!
When we enter the building from the street entrance we feel drawn forward and up. This is actually done on purpose. It is meant to draw us closer to His sacrifice on the altar where He raises us up to His very self. You can almost feel your heart being pulled up into heaven. It is meant to give you an experience of heaven while here on earth. It helps us to have hope for the better hope, not just in a new land where we work and toil. It gives us hope for the new homeland of heaven, where peace lives and trials have come to an end. Hope. It gives us strength to walk our pilgrimage of life.
Then we notice the ceiling with its gold and beautiful decorations. The shape of the ceiling looks like the bottom of a boat. To us, it might seem like the boat is upside-down. This is to protect us from the onslaught of spiritual storms that may come our way. But from heaven’s view, it is right-side up. Since the Church is where heaven meets earth, where all in heaven comes to us and aides us in our plight, it seems right that it would be the church that would hold them in one barc. They are in the barc, we are under that same barc. It is a place where the family of God truly become One. The church triumphant and the church militant who prays for the Church suffering. The angels of God with the saints come down to us with their heavenly aid and our Lord Jesus. The saints of God too raise us up. They give us that example of love for their neighbors here below. Our minds and hearts are raised that we, too, may help each other up as the true community of believers.
Where is our leader in this barc? Jesus is found where he ought to be, at the head; on the altar.