A Masterpiece in the Making: Lessons from Barcelona

Mark Kalpakgian • February 23, 2026

With the first week of Lent now in our rearview mirror, the "desert" doesn’t always feel like a spiritual journey; it often just feels like a long, exhausting week. Between the school runs, the sports schedules, and the Lenten sacrifices that seemed much easier to keep early on, we can all feel a bit "under construction."

That’s why a huge milestone happening in Barcelona this week, is so perfectly timed for us. The Sagrada Família—a church that has been a "work in progress" for over 140 years—has finally reached its full height. A massive, glowing white cross was just placed atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, making it the tallest church in the world.

Why this matters for us:

Antoni Gaudí, the architect, knew he would never see the finished product. He spent his life designing "twisting stone branches" and "organic flowers" made of rock, trusting that future generations would finish what he started. As parents, we are in the exact same position. We are building masterpieces every day, but we rarely see the "finished tower" in real-time.


The "Slow Build": The new cross is made of 15,000 individual ceramic pieces. Think of those as the tiny, often invisible things you do: the late-night comfort, the math help, the 500th reminder to say "thank you." They don't look like much on their own, but they are the literal stones of your child’s growth and character.

  • Verso l’Alto (To the Heights): Our school theme isn’t about being perfect right now; it’s about the climb. Like the proposed grand staircase at the basilica, our kids (and we!) grow step by patient step.
  • The Beauty in the Unfinished: Gaudí is currently a "Servant of God" on the path to sainthood. He didn’t become holy because he finished the building; he became holy through the mission of building it.



Lifting Our Eyes
In these desert-like days between Lent and Easter, when motivation wanes and the finish line feels distant, let the Sagrada Família remind us: greatness is built slowly, joyfully, toward the heavens. It took over a century of "showing up" to reach the sky. Whether it’s a difficult math concept, a struggle in friendship, or a Lenten sacrifice, every small effort is a "porcelain piece" in the larger masterpiece of your child’s life.

The heights await—keep climbing!