Memorial of Pius X, pope

Son of man, this is where my throne shall be,
this is where I will set the soles of my feet;
here I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.

Imagine what would happen if the Lord were to send your whole church elsewhere. What difference would it make to your neighbors?

• Someone would surely complain about the loss of tax revenue. All those taxpaying citizens of your church will have left.
• Your patronage of local stores, gas stations, banks and other industries vanish, and with you the money you bring to your community.  
• You will also take your professional skills, lowering the “knowledge capital” in your economic region. It's a lot easier to replace money than it is to replace knowledge and experience. 
• The leaders your church gives to the local political scene will go with you. Many public officials in this country attend some church. They know that politics is often played like hard ball, but with their church’s support they practice the art of politics honorably.
• Your participation in volunteer organizations – schools, hospitals, church, parks, libraries and so forth – gone. No more programs for the elderly or children or people with disabilities.
• You're also taking artistic abilities with you – gardening, decorating, sculpting, painting, singing, dancing and so forth. The arts would survive without you, but what values would they celebrate? 
• Finally, your church will take your virtue with you, which we can suppose is higher than the median level of virtue in the community. The neighborhood’s standards of virtue must inevitably slip as there is less honesty, friendliness, helpfulness and security.

But in fact the Lord has sent you and your church from Jerusalem to live where you are, to be his sacred presence there. He has declared about your church:

Son of man, this is where my throne shall be,
this is where I will set the soles of my feet;
here I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.

Thank God you are there!