Reflection by: Bernard Francis
Finding God beyond grandeur – Day 13 – SALZBURG/VIENNA
#sequelachristi2025
Today we left Salzburg, and on our way to Vienna we stopped at Melk Abbey. Melk Abbey is a Baroque Benedictine monastery overlooking the Danube in Austria, founded in 1089 by Leopold II, Margrave of Austria, and later rebuilt in its grand Baroque form in the early 18th century. It can be described as monumentally grand, a vast Baroque masterpiece with soaring halls and lavish frescoes that project both imperial power and spiritual magnificence.
Mass was celebrated in a lavishly decorated chapel inside the abbey, filled with golden ornamentation and intricate paintings. In fact, the main church itself looked as grand as St. Peter’s Basilica, which we had seen earlier. While we were in this extravagant place, the homily spoke about learning to recognize God not in grandeur but in fidelity, recognizing Christ who remains faithful to us even when life does not turn out the way we wish.
This led me to reflect on the contrast between how saints often encountered God in simple and humble places, rather than in the grandeur of the majestic churches that were built. For example, St. Francis frequently sought caves for meditation and prayer, and his entire life was marked by humility. These places were uncomfortable, and his life was far from easy, yet he continually sought to imitate Christ as literally as possible, embracing radical poverty, humility, love for the marginalized, and even sharing in Christ’s suffering through the stigmata.
Perhaps this is an invitation for us to seek Christ in the simple things of our lives, in quiet moments and daily tasks. Father JP also mentioned following the example of St. Francis and creating caves in our own lives, such as setting aside time for weekly prayer, serving the Church, and dedicating moments of silence to focus on God. Let us not be distracted by the triumphs and failures of our lives in ways that cause us to lose sight of God. Our encounters with God may not always come through significant or major events, but through little moments.
