PM: November 18, 2019
Today in history: in the year 1626 in Rome, Italy, one of the most famous churches in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica, was consecrated, which means they have a ceremony to dedicate the church to the worship of God, making it sacred. St. Peter’s is sometimes called the Vatican, because it’s where the Pope lives and it’s the center of the Catholic church. Fun facts–rumor is it’s built where Peter the apostle is buried, the parts on the ceiling that look like painting are made of tiny tiles, and the baldacchino (the big bronze canopy in the middle) is 96 feet tall–almost 10 stories, but it looks teeny because of how big the actual building and dome are. It’s still the biggest Christian church (it could hold 60,000 people), the top of the dome is 448 feet high and is 136 feet wide, and the church is almost 700 feet long.
Being consecrated is something that refers to Christians too. There’s an old hymn that says “Take my life and let it be/Consecrated Lord to Thee”. Another definition of consecrated means “to devote to a purpose with deep solemnity(seriousness) or dedication”. So as Christians, we consecrate our lives to God, or we devote our lives to his purpose. We surrender our lives to God. It may sound a bit scary, but as we give our lives to God it’s beautiful. He uses us for his plan, and we know we are on God’s path.
Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”
Joshua 3:5 (ESV)
Dear Lord, Thank you for making me. Take my life. Use me. Amen.
AM: November 18, 2019
