What is sacred Space? What does it mean to enter sacred space? How is it different from ordinary space?

Sacred space is not created by human beings, or identified by human beings. Sacred (holy) space is due to God’s work, God’s self-revelation. God is everywhere and so this does not mean that God is “more” present in one place than another, but that God can and will choose specific places (and times) to reveal Himself, His will, and His Grace. God was not more present in the burning bush than on the other side of the world, God was present in that place to invite Moses into a divine revelation.

A sacred place can be understood as any place God chooses to reveal Himself and give grace to His people. It is the place to which people go knowing that God is self-revealing and self-giving.

We may not remove the shoes from our feet as we enter, but we do seek to remove that which prevents us from the holy experiece of God's revelation and call.

Throughout the generations God’s people have set apart places of divine revelation as sacred. The word “sacred” (holy) means to set something apart from all other “like” things for a divine purpose. A place is set apart from other places for prayer and Sacraments.

Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush? As Moses approaches the bush that is not consumed by fire, God tells Moses to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground. Sacred place (holy ground) is a place of meeting – God and humanity.
Holy Ground is where God makes himself manifest in a most intense and specific way. The Tabernacle in the wilderness, the Temple in Jerusalem, the synagogues where Jesus taught… these are examples of sacred space.

As Christians, we understand our worship space as sacred space. We see it as space set apart from all other space for an encounter with the divine – an Easter encounter with Christ. We have set our space apart so God’s self-revelation can occur, not because He will not or cannot do so in other places (God does) but so we “give” space to God as His alone, not used for other human activities. We pray believing that the Holy Spirit’s presence and action in that space reveals the Grace of Salvation, renewal, and God’s will and purpose for His Church. This is why we treat our worship space differently from the other space we have. It is a place set aside, dedicated to a very specific reality – the Word made flesh, who dwells within us.

If sacred space is where we encounter God’s self revelation (and it is), then what is the nature of this revelation?

We see God’s self-revealing love in the sacrament of baptism. We see God’s self-revealing love and grace as He feeds us with the spiritual food of Christ’s Presence in the Bread and Wine. God is revealed to us as we encounter the absolution given at the confession of our sins. It is sacred space for we gather to hear and understand the will and purpose of God in our lives and in the life of the Church.

When two people make their marriage vows seeking the Sacramental blessing, we do so in our sacred space – reminding us of the sacredness of marriage. As we grieve the death of a loved one and still rejoice in the Easter promise singing “Alleluia”, it is done in sacred space.

Our worship space (Nave, sanctuary…) is sacred because thousands of souls have knelt in prayer, seeking an encounter with God. It is sacred because Christ is revealed, souls find peace, and souls have been brought into the mystical Body of Christ. It is in the prayers of all the saints that have gone before us that enable us to recognize that as we gather in our worship space, we are truly standing on “holy ground”.

Sacred space is where God and humanity meet for revelation, redemption, and a call to serve in Christ’s name. Any place can be a sacred space as we allow God to reveal Himself. Having dedicated sacred space does not exclude other spaces from being sacred; in fact; it affirms the possibility. Sacred space is anywhere God acts. It is where we renew our sacred covenant, and learn to see God in all places and in all times.
Sacred space does not limit where God is. It helps us to encounter God in all places.