Mask of the Holy from Lane- Amber Matkowski

Sacred place often acts as a mask of the holy. The job of a mask is to conceal ones face, and reveal a new one. Sacred place conceals the "face" of the holy because the holy can never actually be seen. Although one cannot see the face behind a mask, it does not mean that a connection cannot be felt. When at sacred place, one cannot see a higher power, but a connection with it is very often experienced. One does not need to see something just to believe that it is truly there, but rather it can be sensed through spiritual connection. Sacred place also acts as a mask of the holy by revealing a new face. When one is at sacred place they see the beauty and complexity of the place. This acts as the new face of the higher power. If one sees "the mask" they still remember and feel the connection made with what was hidden behind it. This implies that even if one does not have a spiritual experience every time they visit a holy place, they still know that there has been a connection there in the past. The presence of the higher power is always felt simply by seeing the mask that the person has learned to accept as the new face of the holy.