[aposiopetic]

I doubt if Christ ever saw a piece of silk in his entire life — or drank from a golden cup.

I'm not Orthodox, but I share their belief that Christ is risen from the dead, and very much alive. Through Him all things were made, including gold and silk. My limited understanding is that these costly things are offered back to God by being used in connection with the Church's life of public prayer, the liturgy.

[aposiopetic]

I won’t be offended if my account of why vestments and the chalice are made of good materials needs to be corrected. I am figuring Eastern Rite Catholics and Orthodox may view this similarly. Thanks in advance.

[Onelifetogive]

Through Him all things were made, including gold and silk. My limited understanding is that these costly things are offered back to God by being used in connection with the Church's life of public prayer, the liturgy.

Through Him all things were made, including gold, silk, cocaine and prostitutes. My limited understanding is that these costly things are offered back to God by being used in connection with the Church's life of public prayer, the liturgy.

The sentence doesn't work nearly as well when a couple of other things are added...

[RosieCotton]

As you said, using precious metals and jewels in liturgical garments and vessels is meant for the glory of God. For one thing, both Orthodox and Catholics believe that the Blessed Sacrament *is* Christ, and the church building is a house of God, and He deserves the best we can offer. Not to mention that many (most?) of the more precious items would have been donated by wealthy parishioners. It’s not as though the churches are rolling in money, which they blow on baubles, though that seems to be the view of some. :-\

[informavoracious]

Agreed. We offer up the best to God, including our most beautiful handiwork for His greater glory. Magnificent church architecture, artwork, vestments, etc. are uplifting and give the merest hint of the glory of heaven that puny human minds might grasp. Though these treasures be worldly, still they last far longer than one man’s lifetime and hint at the permanence of eternity. Christ said the poor will be with us always. Yes, we should help the needy, but there is nothing wrong with using God-given talents and materials to His glory. They are not mutually exclusive. You would wear your best to a job interview, I don’t understand why people would present less than the best for God.