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“Pentecost” by Titian (1490-1576)
Family,
In the famous exchange between Jesus and the woman at the Samaritan well, who Jesus told that He gives Living Water—water that quenches our human thirst—there is a detail worth our consideration: the woman starts to share her understanding of the Jewish faith, that worship of God takes place in the Jerusalem temple, but Jesus refutes her, telling her that a time of worship via “Spirit and truth” is coming, a time undoubtedly of life in the Holy Spirit (Gospel of John chapter 4).
This time of the Holy Spirit was brought about on the first Pentecost, days after Jesus Ascends into heaven, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on humanity (Acts chapter 2); God made it possible for the Holy Spirit to dwell in all of us. Before this it was known that certain chosen figures had God’s very spirit dwelling in them—Simeon who was present at the Presentation of the baby Jesus in the Temple, St. John the Baptist, his father Zechariah, his mother Elizabeth, etc.—but now all of humanity could drink of this water, of God himself.
“Pentecost” by Titian (1490-1576)
What a dignity!
St. Paul reminds us to consider always that we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthian chapter 6). The Spirit of God—God Himself—dwells in each of us.
Of course, at Baptism we receive the Holy Spirit and at Confirmation we receive it in its fullness.
Yet, the world in its practice does not honor this supreme dignity of being vessels of God. At least in the US, economically many are struggling: foreclosures are up 21% compared to last year (Yahoo Finance), and most appalling of all—I didn’t know this was a thing—Americans are self-reporting shoplifting, and 30% more are doing so compared to 2024 (CBS News).
Miami also has gained fame, but not in a good way—it is now the most expensive place to live in of the 10 largest metros in the US, even surpassing New York City (Miami Herald). 6 out of 10 renters cannot afford their rents according to federal government housing standards (HUD standards of not spending more than 30% of income on rent). This is a scandal! Think of the young people in Miami who will not be able to build a life here!
And of course, in everyone’s favorite topic, politics, when asked about the financial impacts the Iran war is having on Americans—gas prices are up about 38% since the war began (NBC news, August 21 snapshot)—President Trump said “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation” (ABC News).
The Church ought to consider increasing its aid of its parishioners, and can do so with a moratorium on building new structures or investing in Sacred Art—the human temples of God are struggling and should be helped. We don’t need more buildings—including elaborate and luxuriously ornate Churches—or Sacred Art; we need to invest in our people, in the body of Christ, who will be the future of the Church. This also makes demographic sense.
I aspire to go on pilgrimage often and I’ve been blessed recently—and especially during my time of vocational discernment, where I was helped by so many including and especially my parents—to visit some of the most beautiful places in the US and some international sites: Baltimore, the first Diocese of the US, with the first Cathedral of the US, the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption; Washington, D.C, where the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is located; New York City, and it’s famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral; Newark, a very successful Diocese with the incredible Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart; Fatima.
Yet, it sometimes pains me to think of the more ornate structures we’ve built. While moving indeed, and glorious, and glorious temples of God, I can’t help but think of all those needing financial assistance. Besides the cost of building new structures, the cost of insurance to preserve these buildings and that of future maintenance are daunting.
Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Personal photograph from 2026
Surely, the Church is impelled by the Theology of Beauty; beauty attracts, and will attract new disciples, and beauty is one of the transcendentals, one of the features of God Himself, but this practice is incomplete. The other two transcendentals must also be considered: truth, and goodness. The Church, the Body of Christ—basically, her members—must not only be beautiful, but true and good. But how can we become true, good, and beautiful if many parishioners—temples of God—are disfigured by marginalization and consumed by work and its demands, with no time to pray, study, educate our children, or worship?
The solution: investment in the church and her structures, including financial assistance.
The church ought to reappropriate funds from new buildings to institutional investment: fully and lavishly funding Catechesis and Youth ministry, not relying on volunteers. The Church must also consider having ample priests so that they are available for spiritual direction, the Sacraments, and participation in Parish life and the everyday lives of the families of the parish. The Church must also set the example in providing for the necessities of its employees and their families: health care, a living wage to cover food, housing, and healthy leisure. No longer should Church employees and volunteers—the engine of the Church—have to sacrifice and carry the Cross of economic difficulty to serve God.
These reforms also make demographic sense: as populations are shifting, and as each city has its own demographic features, no investment is better than the Church forming Christians through institutional investment. The Church herself can have a huge say in the future of the Church. Yes, parents and families are the main catechizers and formators of their children, but the Church in these extraordinary times should seek to help them in ways they never have to form the next generation of disciples that will run the church. To be a disciple—one who knows, loves and serves Jesus Christ—requires much: of course Sacramental grace, but also a solid formation and environment to know, love, and serve Christ, and this requires professionals that aren’t stretched thin due to lack of resources, because they have to work another job, or because they are suffocated by their finances: teachers, catechists, youth ministers, administrative professionals, priests. While catechizing themselves, beautiful buildings and art aren’t enough. We need environments soaked in truth and goodness, and generous compensations and competent people will help build this and communicate the faith, aiding parents and families to form the next generation of Christians who will sustain the church for decades to come.
Works of mercy are also important. While the burden of helping its members shouldn’t fall only on the institutional church, if charity is lacking—which is a tragedy—the institutional church should lead by example. Short-term (over a few months), significant (including hundreds of dollars a month) financial subsidies for those displaced by the economy shouldn’t be off the table. Longer term subsidies should also be considered as families look to make ends meet in a challenging economy: food assistance, housing assistance, discounted house/car maintenance services, job training, scholarships should also be considered to help the Body of Christ get ahead.
Lay people should also feel encouraged to fight for a better world: for higher wages, even through regulation—praise God that a minimum wage law in Florida in 2020 was passed to over many years raise the wage to $15 per hour. We should also reflect deeply on classical economics, which is pushing human dignity aside in the pursuit of profit. Some will argue against higher minimum wages, that it stunts economic growth. It does. But economic growth isolated to investors does not serve the common good—it doesn’t “trickle down”: Pew Research shared in 2020 that from 1983 to 2016, Upper income families (those with an income over about $200K per year) increased their share of total US wealth from 60% to 79%, while the share of Middle income families (those at about $85K per year) fell from 32% to 17%. Lower income families’ (those at about $30K per year) share fell from 7% to 4%.
We should also push for more and better economic opportunity for Church members and surrounding communities by offering financial incentives to companies interested in shared growth, not only those focused on building shareholder value; for the protection of the elderly and retirees, who should not have to worry about exorbitant property insurance rates or high property taxes; for more housing to help reduce the cost of housing, including via public/private partnerships; for only necessary tax increases on families so as to avoid burdening those charged with supporting their families; for regulation where it is needed—especially in any forces that threaten families and their stability, like innovations threatening mass economic/job changes with no concern for job displacement assistance or local investment. We must be very careful in an age of economic difficulty where investors have a dominating financial hand: they are able to more and more demand inhumane work conditions where for example spouses are separated from each other for longer and longer shifts/time periods with lower and lower wages, threatening the stability of our families, our future. I recently saw a job posting (and for privacy reasons I will not share the name of the company) advising not to apply if you were interested in a steady, 9AM-5PM schedule, as if this is a request from those lazy people who don’t want to work! Some—and saintly people—out of need will indeed accept work conditions imposed by employers and never complain for their sake and that of their families.
Parishioners with means should also feel tied to the fates of the youth and young among them; why not invest in these young people, the future of our parishes, communities and world? Rather than seeking to use them and their circumstances for cheap labor, why not help them to develop and realize themselves through scholarships, education, and dignified jobs so they can be strong, holy members of society? The youth and young must be protected and nurtured so they can live the call to holiness and their vocations with dignity and balance; those with means shouldn’t push the poor and uneducated—also temples of God—to the margins and away from the fount of life: dignified work, economic opportunity, joyful, fruitful, and prosperous family life, and most importantly, access to God through a work-life balance that permits time especially for God, prayer, study, the education of children, and devotion.
Family, we can no longer ignore the challenges the modern economy has on our people, especially the Church and its members. It’s a sad reality that by working more than one job to make ends meet, some parishioners are driven away from God and the Church due to time constraints. Let’s change this by changing our focus from building huge, beautifully ornate buildings to investing in our people, the temples of God, temples of the Holy Spirit: through solid faith formation by fully funding Church ministries and operations, providing financial assistance to those in need, and declaring a moratorium on new church structures and Sacred Art. Our people—true, good, and beautiful people—will be the new evangelizing temples of God and lead to real growth in the church for decades and generations to come.
May God bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life,
Juan B
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Citations:
ABC News, “Trump says ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation’ in Iran negotiations”, https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-americans-financial-situation-iran-negotiations/story?id=132891356, Accessed 21 August
CBS News, “More Americans report shoplifting as inflation climbs, survey finds”, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shoplifting-inflation-walmart-lendingtree-study/, Accessed 28 July
Miami Herald, “Miami metro area now more expensive than New York”, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article316627070.html, Accessed 21 August
NBC News, “Tracking U.S., state and county gas prices, in maps and charts. Updated daily.”, https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/gas-prices-iran-war-state-national-cost-trump-rcna265835, Accessed 21 August
Pew Research, “Trends in income and wealth inequality”, https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/, Accessed 21 August
Yahoo Finance, “Foreclosures surged 21% in the first half of 2026, new data shows”, https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/articles/foreclosures-surged-21-first-half-144212568.html, Accessed 28 July
Image credits:
1 – Public domain
2 – Personal photograph
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