The PCUSA Pilgrim Pastor

Ever since I first saw the Sagrada Familia in 1992 when I was in a college Study Abroad program, I fell in love with this church. After Taize and Iona, this was the next place I absolutely had to put on the itinerary. I’ve been back a few times since that first encounter and each time I experience the same sense of awe and divine presence as in my college days.

Let’s begin at the beginning. Antonio Gaudi started with the birth facade depicting the nativity. It’s the only facade he ever saw completed of the four. In the very center at the bottom is the birth of Jesus. To the left bottom are the three kings. On the right bottom are the shepherds. Angels are surrounding the holy family beside and above on both sides.

The left “panel” shows Jesus as a carpenter on the right.

The left hand side is Mary and Elizabeth sharing pregnancy stories. And what are those folks looking at above them?

It’s the dedication of Jesus at the temple with Simeon, Anna, Joseph, and Mary.

The right “panel” shows the holy family fleeing Bethlehem to go to Egypt protected by an angel on the left. In the middle is 12 year old Jesus teaching in the temple. To the right is the Romans following Herod’s orders to kill all male children under 2.

There is so much detail here that even the gutters are iguanas

And the base of the columns are turtles, but not just any turtles. One is a sea turtle with flippers because Barcelona is on the sea. And the other is a land turtle. Can you tell which is which? I just marvel at the thought that went into just this one facade. Oh and one more thing. It is positioned so that the morning light first hits the holy family, the beginning of a new day highlighting the most significant birth in history.

Then you go in and it just takes your breath away.

The light is dazzling through the stained glass that dances across the walls as the sun journeys across the sky.

Gaudi was hugely into nature. What do these columns remind you of? Trees! See the base and then the branches. But it isn’t just decorative. These columns have to hold up the Christ Tower, the tallest and highest of the five. The engineering expertise of these branches allows one column to hold more weight and be better distributed through the branches. Brilliant.

The stained glass was not in the last time I was here. The side facing the rising sun is mostly cool colors: blues and greens. Those were the colors of nature, life, hope, new life.

The stained glass on the other side where the sun sets is full of warm colors of yellow, orange, and red for the sunset and end of life.

The length of the sanctuary is huge and the ceiling is gorgeous. Once again you can see the trees holding up the five towers.

The “front door” that was only used once when it was dedicated, is special in itself. Any idea what these letters say? I’ll give you a hint: It starts with “Pare Nostre.” Otherwise known as “Our Father.” So one cool thing I learned was about the door handles. Do you see them in gold? Not only are they part of the Lord’s Prayer, they also are the initials A/G. Yep, Antonio Gaudi.

Above the altar is the crucified Christ looking up. He is surrounded by 50 lanterns. Why 50? The 50 days between Easter and Pentecost, of course.

The entrance of the nativity is Joseph’s side where his statue stands over the doors.

The other side of the church is Mary’s side but she doesn’t get a statue. This exit leads to the crucifixion facade that we will get to later.

So I took a million pictures (ok, just a little over 100) of this church. Here’s just one more before we move on to the towers.

I mentioned there are five towers: the 4 gospel books and Jesus in the center. An animal represents each of the four books.

I actually was able to get a ticket to go up one of the towers. We took an elevator up and walked down the stairs.

From here you can get a great view of the “fruits” at the top. Anyone want to guess what they represent? You got it, the fruits of the Spirit.

From here you can see the construction that is ongoing. That’s what I love about this church. It started in 1880 and is an ongoing work of art that continues to this day.

At the top is an amazing view of the city.

Remember I am at the top of this huge sanctuary. Look at the details on this facade. Now who is going to see that detail? Yet they did it anyway.

And look high up it is!

The artwork even for the outside decorations is incredible.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the tower.

Speaking of detail, the doors to the side entrance where people enter now are full of nature’s inspiration. Not only are there flowers, but there are bugs on them! Do you see the beetles?

Before you get to the side with the crucifixion faced, you first have to literally walk through the waving of palm branches and Jesus on a donkey etched into the floor.

Then we get to the crucifixion facade. It is so drastically different from the nativity. And you can clearly see the four towers from here. Just wow!

There is the Last Supper with Judas getting ready to leave the table.

The Romans soldiers at the top are rolling dice for Jesus’ tunic.

Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss.

Jesus being flogged.

Peter’s denial with the accusing women in the background.

Jesus arrested. Do you see the scripture underneath? Matthew 27:19.

Jesus falling under the weight of the cross and above is the corpse of Jesus being laid in the tomb.

The main focus of the facade is this image. Underneath Jesus carries the cross. The face of Christ remains on the cloth that wiped his face. Above are his followers at the cross weeping with a skull, the meaning of Golgotha.

Then there is Jesus on the cross.

I wanted to capture a glimpse of the splendor of this place so I took a video. Enjoy.

Gaudi was a genius. Everything has significance. He drew up the plans for this cathedral but also knew he would never see it completed. His plans are being followed to this day. These are some of his quotes about his outlook on his work.

The Christ Tower is scheduled to be completed in 2026. The entire cathedral is set to be completed around 2035. After over 100 pictures and spending 5 hours there and then returning to celebrate mass that night, I am more in love with this place than ever. My hope is that I will one day be able to to see it fully completed. Until then, I am grateful to have the time and leisure to explore this entire cathedral. God’s Spirit fills this place. It is truly magnificent!