Time Well Spent

Dear Friends, 

This morning as you’re opening this, we are in Barcelona, Spain. For most of you, you will know that this is where the famous architect Gaudi started building his famous basilica, "Sagrada Família" 144 years ago. If you’re like me and don’t know what a ‘basilica’ is, it’s kinda like a church building with no congregation. 

We went inside it a few years ago, and I have to say it’s probably the most beautiful place of (not) worship I’ve ever seen.

Unfortunately, we won’t be able to go inside today because Tony’s busy leading the worship service on board the ship! (in a room with no permanent congregation as well), but that’s another story, hopefully for next week!!  Please enjoy this following article I came across and remember that God is still honoured in the world: 

 …..Sagrada Família has almost touched the sky.

In Barcelona, something happened for which the world had been waiting for 144 years.!

The Basilica of the Sagrada Família — one of the most famous churches on Earth, Antoni Gaudí’s dream, a stone prayer built by generations — has reached its main height.

On June 10, 2026, exactly 100 years after Gaudí’s death, Pope Leo XIV blessed and inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, the central and tallest tower of the basilica.

Its height is 172.5 meters.

Sagrada Família has now become the tallest church in the world and the tallest structure in Barcelona.

But that is not even the most fascinating part.

Gaudí deliberately did not want the basilica to rise higher than Montjuïc hill. He believed that a human creation should not surpass God’s creation.

That was Gaudí.

Not just an architect.

Not just a genius of form.

But a man who tried to turn stone, light, columns, stained glass, and shadows into the language of faith.

Construction of Sagrada Família began back in 1882.

Just think about that: when the first stone was laid, there were no modern airplanes, no internet, no television, no smartphones, and many of today’s countries did not even exist in their current borders.

Empires changed.

Wars passed.

Entire generations were born and gone.

The world became unrecognizable.

And all this time, in Barcelona, they kept building the basilica.

Stone by stone.

Tower by tower.

Decade by decade.

Gaudí knew he would never see his work completed. He once expressed a thought that became the symbol of the entire project:

“My client is not in a hurry.”

His “client” was God.

And maybe that is exactly why Sagrada Família is so breathtaking.

In a world where everything is expected to be fast, cheap, and immediate, this basilica reminds us that some things cannot be created in a rush.

Greatness requires patience.

Beauty requires devotion.

A true work can be larger than one human lifetime.

The Tower of Jesus Christ is crowned with a monumental cross made of glass and ceramic. When it rose above Barcelona, it was more than an architectural milestone.

It was a moment in which the past seemed to meet the future.

The craftsmen who are no longer alive.

The architect who died a century ago.

The generations of builders who gave their hands, hearts, and faith.

The millions of people who lifted their eyes toward those towers.

All of them seemed to become part of one great “finally.”

Yes, Sagrada Família is still not fully finished in every detail. Work remains on certain parts of the basilica.

But the main vertical line of Gaudí’s dream has now reached its full height.

And that is an extraordinary symbol.

Because sometimes the greatest things in life take longer to build than we expect.

Dreams.

Families.

Countries.

Faith.

Character.

The soul.

Everything real takes time.

Sagrada Família reminds us that even if you do not live to see the completion of your work, it does not mean your work was in vain.

Maybe you are simply placing one stone in a temple that others will one day see.

And there is greatness in that too.

And I’ll close with a big “Amen”. If you have a chance, Google "Sagrada Família". It's beautiful.

See you next week!

Love,

Marsha