Catholics: Why We Are a Sacramental People with Fr. Michael Himes

Summary

In 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

00:00

🎤 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.

05:02

🌌 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.

10:04

🎉 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.

15:06

🌟 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.

20:07

🍂 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.

25:08

🌱 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.

Keywords

💡Sacramental

The term 'sacramental' refers to the concept that the material world and its elements are capable of revealing the divine presence and grace. In the video, Father Michael Heimes discusses how everything in the universe is sacramental, meaning that all things are imbued with God's love and can serve as a means to experience and recognize this love. The video's theme revolves around the idea that the universe itself is a sacrament, existing because God loves it, and that sacraments are the means by which we notice, accept, and celebrate this divine love.

💡Grace

Grace, in the context of the video, is defined as God's self-gift outside the Trinity, the divine love that brings the universe into existence and sustains it. Father Heimes explains that everything exists because of God's grace, which is the reason behind creation. Grace is the theological term used to describe God's love and presence in all things, and it is the fundamental principle that underlies the Christian understanding of reality as presented in the video.

💡Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is the religious institution that the video discusses in the context of its teachings and practices. The video is part of an event by the 'Church in the 21st Century Center' at Boston College, indicating a focus on contemporary issues within the Catholic Church. The Church's sacraments and teachings are central to the discussion, highlighting the Catholic tradition's emphasis on the sacramental nature of reality.

💡Sexual Abuse Crisis

The sexual abuse crisis refers to the widespread issue of sexual abuse by clergy within the Catholic Church, which has had significant impacts on the institution's credibility and the faith of its followers. The video mentions that the c21 Center was established in response to this crisis, indicating a commitment to addressing and renewing the Church in the face of such challenges.

💡Focal Issues

The focal issues mentioned in the video are the key topics that the c21 Center explores, including handing on the faith, the Catholic intellectual tradition, relationships and sexuality in Catholic teachings, and the role and responsibilities of the ordained and religious. These issues are central to the Center's mission to renew the Catholic Church and are discussed in the context of the video's theme of being a sacramental people.

💡Sacramental Principle

The sacramental principle is a concept discussed by Father Heimes, which posits that what is always and everywhere true must be noticed, accepted, and celebrated somewhere, sometime. This principle is used to explain why sacraments exist and how they function, as they draw attention to and celebrate the constant presence of God's love in the world.

💡Self-Gift

Self-gift, as used in the video, refers to the idea that God's creation of the universe is an act of giving, where God gives of God's self out of love. This concept is central to understanding why the universe exists, according to Father Heimes, and it is the basis for the video's exploration of the sacramental nature of all things.

💡Incipiently Sacramental

The term 'incipiently sacramental' is used by Father Heimes to suggest that everything has the potential to be sacramental, to reveal God's love and presence. This idea expands the concept of sacraments beyond the seven traditional sacraments of the Catholic Church to include all aspects of creation, emphasizing the universality of the sacramental principle.

💡Liturgy

Liturgy, in the context of the video, refers to the public worship service of the Church, which includes rituals, prayers, and other practices that are meant to engage the senses and draw attention to the divine. Father Heimes discusses how the liturgy is an example of the sacramental principle in action, using various elements to help participants notice and celebrate God's presence.

💡Asceticism

Asceticism is mentioned in the video as a form of spiritual discipline, but Father Heimes challenges the common understanding of it as self-denial or self-punishment. Instead, he suggests that true asceticism is about attending to the world and its beauty, which reflects God's love, rather than focusing on oneself. This concept is illustrated through the story of Charles Darwin's meticulous study of nature.

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]