Joy in the house of the Lord is always the joy of meeting Him, and so His Temple—the visible place where we can touch His invisible presence—cannot fail to be dear to us.

For the psalmist, however, not only the Temple but all Jerusalem is such a place: the holy city chosen so that, within its walls, prayers and sacred rites might unite heaven and earth.

Beginning at the altar and the Holy of Holies, prayer spreads throughout the world, and now, in every corner of the earth, those who pray become participants in the worship offered in the ancient Temple. It has long since been destroyed, yet the Lord lives, and everywhere other houses of prayer stand where unceasing service to Him continues.

Then, through the mist of the ages and by prophetic vision, we discern the outlines of the heavenly Jerusalem, which is destined to triumph at the end of time. Yet even now, its features show through the images of the earthly city.