Catholics: Why We Are a Sacramental People with Fr. Michael Himes
Summary
TLDRIn this opening event for the spring semester, Eric Gman introduces himself as the new director of Boston College's Church in the 21st Century Center. The Center, established in response to the sexual abuse crisis, focuses on renewing the Catholic Church through discussions on faith, Catholic intellectual tradition, and more. The event features Father Michael Heimes, who explores the concept of 'sacramental people,' suggesting that the universe is inherently sacramental because it exists out of God's love. Heimes emphasizes that everything exists due to God's love, making everything potentially sacramental, and encourages recognizing and celebrating God's love in all aspects of life.
Takeaways
- 😀 Eric Gman introduces himself as the new director of the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College.
- 🌟 The Center has been a catalyst for the renewal of the Catholic Church since 2002, focusing on four key issues: handing on the faith, Catholic intellectual tradition, relationships and sexuality, and the role of religious and ordained individuals.
- 📚 The semester's theme is 'Catholics sacramental people', which is explored in a magazine issue and an event, with Father John Baldan as the editor and David Turum as a contributor.
- 🎓 John Kelly, a senior at the Carol School of Management, introduces Father Michael Heimes, highlighting his academic and theological background.
- 🌌 Father Michael Heimes discusses the concept of a sacramental universe, suggesting that everything exists because God loves it, and that the universe is a self-gift from God.
- 💖 Heimes emphasizes that God's love is the reason for existence, not something the universe does for God, and that this love is the foundation of hope and the Christian tradition.
- 🌟 The sacramental principle is defined as the necessity to notice, accept, and celebrate what is always and everywhere true, such as God's love.
- 👫 Personal relationships, like marriage and family, are highlighted as examples of personal sacraments that embody God's love.
- 🏛️ The Church's liturgy is described as a comprehensive experience, engaging all senses to help individuals notice and appreciate the grace present in all things.
- 🌱 Spiritual discipline is equated with attentiveness to the world around us, rather than self-deprivation, as a means to recognize and celebrate God's love.
Q & A
Who is Eric Gman and what is his role at Boston College?
-Eric Gman is the new director of the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College.
What has been the focus of the c21 Center since its establishment in 2002?
-The c21 Center has been a catalyst and resource for the renewal of the Catholic Church since 2002, in response to the sexual abuse crisis.
What are the four focal issues that the c21 Center explores?
-The c21 Center explores topics related to handing on the faith, the Catholic intellectual tradition, relationships and sexuality in Catholic teachings, and the role and responsibilities of lay and ordained religious.
What is the theme for the semester as mentioned in the magazine issue?
-The semester's theme is 'Catholics sacramental people'.
Who is Father John Baldan and what is his contribution to the c21 Center?
-Father John Baldan is the editor of the magazine issue featuring the semester's theme and has been involved in organizing events for the c21 Center.
What is the topic of Father Baldan's talk scheduled for the next Thursday?
-Father Baldan's talk is entitled 'Why be baptized in the Catholic Church'.
Who is introduced as the speaker for the evening's event?
-Father Michael Heimes is introduced as the speaker for the evening's event.
What is Father Michael Heimes' background in theology and education?
-Father Michael Heimes was ordained a priest in Brooklyn New York in 1972, received a PhD from the University of Chicago, held the position of Dean of Studies at a seminary in Macon, New York, and has been a professor of theology at Notre Dame and currently at Boston College.
What is the main topic of Father Michael Heimes' talk?
-The main topic of Father Michael Heimes' talk is 'Why we are a sacramental people'.
According to Father Heimes, why does the universe exist?
-Father Heimes suggests that the universe exists because God loves it, and that everything exists because it is loved by God.
What is the sacramental principle as defined by Father Heimes?
-The sacramental principle, as defined by Father Heimes, holds that what is always and everywhere true must be noticed, accepted, and celebrated somewhere, sometime.
How does Father Heimes relate sacraments to the concept of grace?
-Father Heimes relates sacraments to the concept of grace by stating that sacraments effect what they signify, which is the self-gift of God outside the Trinity, and they bring us to recognize the presence of God's love.
Outlines
🎤 Introduction to the C21 Event and Speaker
Eric Gman, the new director of the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College, introduces himself and the center's mission to address the Catholic Church's renewal following the sexual abuse crisis. The center focuses on four key issues: handing on the faith, Catholic intellectual tradition, relationships and sexuality in Catholic teachings, and the roles of religious and ordained individuals. The semester's theme is 'Catholics sacramental people,' with Father John Baldan and David Turum contributing to a magazine on the topic. The event features a talk by a well-known and loved speaker, introduced by John Kelly, a student at the Carol School of Management.
🌌 The Universe as a Sacramental Reality
Father Michael Heims discusses the concept of the universe as a sacramental reality, suggesting that everything in existence is a result of God's love. He explores the theological implications of why there is something rather than nothing, proposing that the universe exists because God loves it. He explains that God's love, or Grace, is the reason for everything's existence, and that this love is the foundation of hope and the Christian tradition. Father Heims emphasizes that God's love is not just for humans but for all creation, and that sacraments are a way to notice, accept, and celebrate this love.
🎉 The Sacramental Principle and Its Application
Father Heims elaborates on the sacramental principle, which posits that what is always and everywhere true must be noticed, accepted, and celebrated somewhere and sometime. He uses the example of blinking and breathing to illustrate how easily we can ignore the constant presence of life's essentials. The sacramental principle encourages us to celebrate and acknowledge these truths, such as God's love, which is always present but often overlooked. He suggests that anything can be a sacrament if it helps us recognize and celebrate God's love.
🌟 The Breadth of Sacramental Experience
Father Heims discusses the broad nature of sacraments, not limited to the seven traditional sacraments of the Church but extending to personal and communal experiences that remind us of God's love. He suggests that personal relationships, like those with a spouse or children, can be deeply sacramental, embodying God's love in a tangible way. He also touches on the public sacraments and how they function to remind us of God's grace, using St. Augustine's and St. Thomas Aquinas's insights to explain how sacraments effect what they signify.
🍂 The Transformative Power of Attention
Father Heims reflects on the transformative power of attention, using the example of Gerard Manley Hopkins's poem about autumn to illustrate how noticing the beauty around us can change our perspective. He argues that sacraments work by pointing inward to their own reality, helping us to see the grace that is already present in everything. The spiritual life, he suggests, is about attending to the world around us, recognizing the love of God in all things, rather than focusing on self-denial or asceticism.
🌱 Spiritual Discipline and the Call to Notice
In his conclusion, Father Heims emphasizes the importance of spiritual discipline as a means of noticing the grace present in all things. He recounts a story about Charles Darwin to illustrate the idea that true spiritual discipline is about attentiveness to the world, not self-denial. He suggests that we should strive to see the world as it is, recognizing the love of God in every aspect of creation, and that this attentiveness is the heart of being a sacramental people.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sacramental
💡Grace
💡Catholic Church
💡Sexual Abuse Crisis
💡Focal Issues
💡Sacramental Principle
💡Self-Gift
💡Incipiently Sacramental
💡Liturgy
💡Asceticism
Highlights
Introduction of Eric Gman as the new director of the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College.
The c21 Center's role as a catalyst for the renewal of the Catholic Church since 2002, focusing on four key issues.
The semester's theme, 'Catholics sacramental people', is introduced along with the magazine issue on the same topic.
Father John baldan's role as the editor of the magazine and David Turum's contribution as a theology doctoral student.
Upcoming events for the semester, including a talk by Father baldan on 'Why be baptized in the Catholic Church'.
Introduction of Father Michael heims by John Kelly, highlighting his academic and theological contributions.
Father heims' discussion on the concept that the universe is a sacramental universe because God loves it.
The theological argument that everything exists because God loves it, and the implications of this belief.
The definition of Grace as God's Gift of God's self outside the Trinity, and its role in creation.
The sacramental principle that what is always and everywhere true must be noticed, accepted, and celebrated.
The idea that everything in the universe can be sacramental, not just the seven Great sacraments.
The personal and communal aspects of sacraments and how they serve as reminders of God's love.
The role of sacraments in effecting what they signify, according to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The importance of attending to the presence of Grace and the love of God in all things.
The sacramental principle in Gerard Manley Hopkins' poetry, emphasizing the beauty and grace in the natural world.
The comprehensive nature of Roman Catholic liturgy, incorporating all senses to notice and celebrate the graced universe.
The story of Friedrich Von hugle and Charles Darwin, illustrating the spiritual discipline of attentiveness to the world.
Father heims' conclusion that as a sacramental universe, we are called to notice and reverence it.
Transcripts
[Music]
good evening everyone evening Welcome to
our opening c21 event for the spring
semester I wanted to introduce myself my
name is Eric Gman I'm the new director
of the church in the 21st Century Center
and I'm really thrilled and excited to
be part of such a wonderful Endeavor
here at Boston
College um as many of you have known the
uh c21 Center has been a catalyst and
resource for the renewal of the Catholic
church since 2002 in response to the
sexual abuse crisis the c21 center
explores topics related to four focal
issues handing on the faith the Catholic
intellectual tradition relationships and
sexuality in the Catholic teachings and
the role and responsibilities lady
religious and the
ordained the semester's theme is
Catholics sacramental
people which you've seen as our magazine
issue it's also the topic for this
evening's event um Father John baldan is
the editor of this and and uh David
turum a theology doctoral student was a
wonderful help in putting together this
valuable resource we have extra copies
in the back if you have not received
one um you'll also see in the magazine
our list of events for the semester you
might notice that father baldan is
speaking next Thursday at 5:30 in the
Heights room uh his talk is entitled why
bapti why be baptized in the Catholic
Church tonight's speaker whom obviously
many of you know and
love um we'll talk for about 30 minutes
uh followed by brief questions and
answers um and I've asked we've asked
John Kelly to introduce father heims
this
evening and John Kelly is originally
from Atlanta Georgia he's a senior in
the Carol School of Management double
majoring in Theology and accounting John
has been serving the c21 student
Advisory Board since his freshman year
and he's also served as a student
representative on the c21 advisory
committee for the past two
years his contributions on campus as a
young Catholic leader are quite
impressive John took father heimes class
the belief in Mo and modernity last
semester and knowing that father
heims encourages us all to hand on the
faith um it's only fitting it's only
fitting that we ask a student of father
heims to introduce him this evening
please welcome John
[Applause]
Kelly hey everyone um thank you again
for coming out this afternoon it's my
pleasure to introduce uh to you all
Father Michael heims father heims was
ordained a priest in Brooklyn New York
in
1972 he receiv received a PhD from the
University of Chicago and held the
position of Dean of studies at the
seminary in Macklin New York he has been
a professor of the theology at Notre
Dame and is now a professor of theology
at Boston College last year I had the
great experience of taking a class with
father heims as many of you can attest
his lectures not only challenge your
faith but an inspiration to develop a
stronger relationship with God so now
would you all please join and welcoming
Father Michael
[Applause]
heims thank you so much for being here
this eve dick I'm honored by your
presence uh I I cannot resist remarking
that the eve dick is already a success
as far as I'm concerned because when I
arrived Eric reminded me that the last
time we were together we were sipping
wine in
Paris I could live off that memory for
the whole rest of the
evening uh my topic for this evening is
why we are a sacramental people and the
answer to it can be given very simply
because the whole universe is a
sacramental
universe now what does that mean that's
what we want to take
apart I'm going to suggest to you that
ultimately where we're going with this
is to say that Everything is incipiently
Everything is possibly
sacramental some things for example
seven key ceremonies seven key moments
of the life of the church are explicitly
sacramental but everything is implicitly
sacramental why well I'm going to ask
you to think with me about a question
first a huge question an immense
question a question that's been debated
for centuries and it's been waiting for
this evening to be resolved uh and I'm
going to do
it um and that question is why is there
something rather than
nothing why does the universe
exists why the big bang and not the
great
silence why is there anything and the
answer I suggest to you is because God
loves it you see there are many possible
ways you could answer it different
people have answered it some very
distinguished theologians have answered
it by saying ah it's to show the glory
of God it's to reveal the power and the
justice of God all of those are
wonderful things and I'm in favor of all
of them but they're not actually the
reason why there's something rather than
nothing because you see all of them
imply that God is getting something out
of
creating that God becomes glorified God
is seen to be just God is manifested in
his works but that all implies that the
universe is doing something for or to
God God and of course you can't do
something forward to God God doesn't
need the universe God you remember is
God God doesn't need anything god is
perfect complete full
absolute well if the universe doesn't
exist so that God gives something to it
is it possible that the Universe exists
so that God can give something to it
it's not that the Universe gives
something to God but that God gives
something to the universe
now what is it that God calls the whole
universe into being in order to give
well again there are two possibilities I
suggest to you the first is that the
universe is called into being so God can
give it something other than God
something very good something very
wonderful but not God self but the
problem with that is anything that
exists that isn't God is just more of
the universe so it doesn't really answer
the
question the only possibility I suggest
you that really holds up is God calls
everything into existence so God can
give God's self to it the universe
exists so that God can give God's self
to the universe the universe exists so
that God because God loves it now I want
you to think about that with me for a
moment because it's perfectly easy to
say yes to it nod our heads without
recognizing the immense implications of
that please notice I'm not saying
everyone I'm not saying that God loves
every human being I am saying that but
I'm saying a lot more than that I'm
saying God loves every single creature
you me the chair your city God your pet
cat your favorite red dendron a little
crustation scuttling across the marianus
trench at the in the Pacific at this
moment a pebble on the third Moon of the
planet Neptune every that exists exists
because God loves it everything is
resting out the love of
God is there a name for that love of God
God's self- Gift outside the Trinity
that which brings the universe into
existence there is there's a bit of
theological shorthand which has been
around for a very long time the
shorthand is Grace that's what we mean
by the word Grace Grace is simply
theological shorthand for God's Gift of
God's self outside the Trinity Beyond as
it were the
Trinity now if you think about that for
a moment what we're saying is everything
ex that exists absolutely everything
that exists exists because God loves it
that's an extraordinary claim but that's
absolutely at the center of the whole of
the Christian certainly of the whole
catholic christian tradition everything
that exists exists because God loves it
into being and holds it in love holds it
in being by his love at this very moment
I might point out just in passing that's
ultimately the ground of our
hope I sometimes think that we talk
about the possibility of being held at
existence of the immortality uh our
immortality as being the result of some
ingredient in us that we call the soul
and after this case decays away the soul
goes on ticking along un because it's
created to be
immortal I personally don't think that's
what Christianity is about at all I
think what Christianity is saying is yes
indeed we are held in being we don't die
but the reason we don't die is not
because there's something in me that
can't die that we call the soul it's
because God Is So wildly in love with
Michael heimes that God God won't face
eternity without
me that God loves all God's creatures so
totally that god holds those creatures
in being but it's God's active love that
holds Us in being that's some ingredient
in me it's not that I've got an immortal
Soul it's that God's got an immortal
love and that love is directed toward me
and you and everything that exists that
is absolutely fundamental to the whole
of the Christian tradition and it leads
me finally to what I want to say to you
about
sacraments this is what I like to refer
to as the sacramental principle it's
been defined in number in a number of
ways over the course of centuries this
is my handy dandy definition of the
sacramental principle for purposes of
deceiving we'll refer to it as the
truth
um the sacramental principle holds that
what is always and everywhere
true must be noticed accepted and
celebrated somewhere
sometime that's the sacramental
principle if something is always and
everywhere true if there's something
that's always the case it will be
ignored think of the things that are
most that are always present to us and
how easily we ignore them think of for
example your heartbeating you don't pay
attention to your heart beating most of
the time it's only if something goes
wrong and your heart starts beating
irregularly that you may notice it
otherwise we just take it for granted
think about blinking since I've started
talking you've all been sitting there
blinking I hope you haven't been
counting the blinks or this has been
pret naturally
dull um but you don't notice the blinks
unless something calls our attention to
it a few years ago number of years AG go
now I was struck by a bout of bells py
and everything on the left side of my
face froze including the ability to
Blink I had to tape my eyes shut at
night and in the course of the day I had
to remember periodically to reach up and
hold the lid down to keep the eye
eyeball
moist uh you don't a ter by the way it's
a terrible Affliction for theologians
who by definition speak out of both
sides of their mouths
uh it meant I could only speak out of
one
um you don't think about blinking until
something calls your attention to it you
don't pay any attention to the oxygen in
a room until the oxygen gets to be
stale that which is always and
everywhere present is easily
ignored if we're going to really attend
to something that is always at
everywhere present it needs to be
celebrated and noticed somewhere
sometime think for example of
celebrating someone's birthday I the mic
just went
on it's a shame because the first part
of the talk was the meaning of life and
you've all missed it in the second half
of the room
uh think of celebrating someone's
birthday we say to them on their
birthday that we love them that we care
about them that they mean a great deal
to us that's certainly not because the
other 364 days of the year we did
couldn't care less about them but on
this one day every year we really care
about them the point is it's because we
always care about you that sometime we
have to let you know that we have to
tell you it we have to pay attention to
the fact well that's that's the
principle of sacramentality what is
always and everywhere true must be
noticed accepted and celebrated
somewhere sometime and you notice what
I've suggested to you so far is that the
that that which is always and everywhere
true constantly what is always present
everywhere present what we never get
away from is the absolute self-gift of
God is God's love which means means that
God's love can easily be overlooked
unless somewhere sometime we notice it
accept it and celebrate it those
occasions that get us to notice accept
and celebrate the love of God which is
always present in our lives any person
place thing or event any sight sound
taste touch or smell that causes you to
notice say yes to accept embrace and
celebrate the love of God that's what we
mean by a
Sacrament how many sacraments are there
therefore how many things exist in the
universe anything and everything can be
a can be a
Sacrament there are the seven Great
communal sacraments to be sure but there
are only the great communal instances of
something much much more embracing
everything that we encounter can be a
Sacrament the the most obvious example
of that is think or those of you all of
you who are married I sincerely hope
that high on your list of sacraments is
your
spouse now your spouse is not someone I
know they may not be a Sacrament for me
at all but I trust they're an enormously
important Sacrament for you that they
are a constant reminder for you to you
of the reality of God's love in your
life think about your children or
grandchildren I don't know them and your
their Nextdoor neighbors May simply
think of them as those noisy kids next
door but to you they're profoundly
sacramental you can't see a picture you
can't hear the voice of your uh
grandchild or your child on the phone
without immediately in on Su Lev being
aware of this is a good
Universe this is this is the love of God
this is absolute love being experienced
here in the
concrete we all have our own personal
sacraments and then there are the great
public sacraments the communal
sacraments for example the great seven
but sacramentality is a much wider and
more important
principle if that's true then how does
sacraments remind us of the how did they
bring us to see the love of
God well that goes back to a statement
that comes from St Augustine which St
Thomas aquinus quotes endlessly every
time Thomas takes up sacraments he
quotes this line from Augustine every
time that I know of that he takes up
sacraments he always uses this line
Augustine had written 800 years before
Thomas that sacraments quote effect what
they
signify that is to say they effect they
cause something that they signify
something that they as well point at
well I want to take that very seriously
sacraments effect they they bring us to
recognize the presence of Grace by
pointing
what precisely did they point at well
this is the key they Point not out but
first of all
in you see the point about a Sacrament
is not that it's it's a sign that gets
us to think about something else like
for example we see a red octagon and we
think better put my foot on the on the
break there's no immediate or direct
connection between the red octagon and
my slowing the car that's a sign it's
pointing to something outside itself but
think what happens when you walk into a
room and there is someone who is a very
dear friend of yours who greets you with
a warm smile and an
Embrace is that a reminder of the fact
that they love you or is that the very
embodiment of the fact that they love
you it's not pointing outside to
something it's pointing inside itself to
what makes it to be real at all that's
how sacraments function they don't point
out they point in they bring us to
recognize what is always true in them
and because it is true of them we begin
to recognize it may be true of
anything the most beautiful statement of
this that I know of anywhere in the
English language is from Gerard Manley
Hopkins whenever I talk about sacraments
I quote this as for example I just said
uh Thomas always quotes Augustin well I
always quote Hopkins on this
it's in a poem that I I suspect almost
all of you have run across because it's
one of the most often
anthologized of um hopkinson's poems
it's entitled um the uh well it's
actually goes by its first line um and
what he says in the poem is
this he's what he's describing is
walking home I think it's walking home
to from the school where he was teaching
at the time to the J residence where he
was living and it's the fall of the year
and the fall of the year in the British
Isles as you know means that things are
even a little foggier a little wetter
and a little grayer than they were in
the spring of the
year um and so as Hopkins is walking
home he's lamenting the fact that the
Summer is gone winter is coming and he's
he's not looking forward to it at all
and suddenly he finds himself noticing
look at the foliage look at the way the
leaves are changing colors look at the
joy of people out in the fields bringing
at the Harvest look at the way the
clouds scud by at this time of year with
the wind off the
sea and he
realizes this didn't change at that
moment it wasn't something that happened
at as he stood there that had already
been there the leaves had already begun
changing colors the joy of the Harvest
was underway it's just that he hadn't
noticed it and when he notices it it
leads him to say why have I been
worrying about the summer that's gone
and the winter that isn't here and
ignoring the one thing that is here
namely the Autumn the fall the Harvest
Time Haring and harvest as the poem
begins as the title says saying harah in
half in this in the fall season and it
leads him in the next to the last line
of the poem to give what I think is the
most beautiful statement of the
sacramental principle in the English
language Hopkins says these things these
things were here and but the beholder
wanting the beauty of the foliage the
loveliness of the Fall it was already
here Hopkins hasn't brought it it's here
it was here all along what has changed
on his walk home Hopkins has changed not
the world around him it's not that now
the world is beautiful before it wasn't
it was always beautiful it's just that
Hopkins wasn't looking look at it what's
changed is
Hopkins that is the heart of the
sacramental principle Everything is
sacramental Everything is revealing in
its own depths if we could see
everything that exists if we could see
anything that exists in its deepest
depths we would see it as held in being
at that moment by God's love it's the
only reason there is something rather
than nothing it's an adoris explosion of
the love of God
and if we could see if we could really
attend to one thing clearly enough
closely enough that we see it for what
it is in its depths we would be seeing
Grace we would be seeing the love of God
which holds all things in
being it's we who have to change not the
world the world is already Eng graced we
just don't notice it we need to be more
attentive
sacramentally this is why in the
church's liturgy as I like to say often
about the Liturgy it's the the principle
of Roman Catholic liturgy is everything
in the kitchen
sink I mean what do you like do you are
you particularly sensitive to color good
we put paintings up mosaics we have
stained glass do you like music we've
got all kinds we've got or music and
orchestral music we've got folk music
and we've got Gregorian chant we've got
the great masses of heighten and uh
heighten and Mozart we've got all sorts
of wonderful music do you like something
a a strong sense of taste we give you
something to drink and we give you
something to eat we pour oil on you we
put you to bed when you get married we
impose hands on you we we appoint you to
office do you like incense do you like
strong sense of smell we'll wave incense
at you we wave banners we wear vestments
we change colors we parade in and out
everything is fair game because you see
the whole thing is Eng graced it isn't
that there is anything that you could
say oh no that can't work in the Liturgy
that's secular there's nothing that's
secular if by secular you mean unloved
UNG graced nonreligious the whole thing
is Eng graced it's Eng graced from
beginning to end from top to bottom it
just needs somebody to notice it and
sacraments are those occasions that get
us to notice what is always and
everywhere the case that's why we are a
sacramental people we're a sacramental
people because what else could you
possibly be if that's what the universe
is like then we are the people who are
called to notice it and we do it by
reverencing it everything deserves that
reverence the attention to what is to
jly see what is there to notice what's
important to see what is present to
actually see it for what it is is to see
it as in
graced a favorite story of
mine back in 19
191 all the way back the beginning of
the 20th century a very distinguished
Catholic lay scholar named Friedrich Von
hugle who despite the German name was in
fact an
Englishman uh was invited to give a talk
to a student group at
Oxford and in the course of his address
to them fugle raised a rhetorical
question he asked these presumably
rather serious young men and they would
have been young men at the time at
Oxford no young women sadly enough
Oxford has gotten a lot pleas in the
intervening 100
years um that he asked them the
rhetorical question who in their opinion
was the model of asceticism of
discipline self-discipline in the
spiritual life in the century that had
just ended the 19th century and they
undoubtedly thought of all sorts of
impressive religious figures but I think
they must have been shocked by the
answer that van hugle gave to his own
question van hugle said to them that he
thought the greatest example of
spiritual discipline in the 19th century
was Charles
Darwin because he said here was a man of
obviously extraordinary intelligence and
energy who put all that intelligence and
energy at he subordinated it
subordinated it all to the pains
takingly careful
examination of the varieties of
barnacles and the beaks of
pigeons the Darin insisted that you see
what's there to be seen and Van hugle
said that was the heart of spiritual
discipline I think that's true the real
heart of asceticism of of of of a
disciplined spiritual life is not
somehow knocking oneself around this is
rather important to say I think just
before the start of Lent next week it's
not about knocking ourselves around as
if God gets the light out of seeing his
creatures beat themselves up deprive
themselves of things they like to eat
refuse to do things that they find very
pleasant God is not that's not what God
is interested in that's not God that's
Caligula
um it turns God into some sort of
bizarre SED
masochist the real point of spiritual
discipline is that you stop looking in
the mirror long enough that you might
possibly start looking out the
window that instead of concentrating on
oneself all the time one look at others
one see what's there one attend to
what's there to be noticed that's the
heart of sacramentality and that's the
heart of the spiritual life I think
because if you see what's there to be
seen what you're also seeing is the
absolute love of God so as we continue
in this spring term with question why
are we a sacramental people there's a
very simple answer and I'm giving it to
you now before everyone else does this
term and the simple answer is what else
could we possibly be thank you very much
[Applause]
a
[Music]
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