The Un-Official 8th Sacrament...
The Sacrament of the Present Moment.
As a Catholic, my spiritual mindset has been shaped by a sacramental way of looking at the world. Sacraments are simple things or actions that reveal God's presence and work in the world; they are tangible reminders of God's work in our lives. Sacraments are ways God draws near and gives us grace. Bread, wine, oil, water, words, and the laying on of hands are the simple, yet powerful ways God reveals Himself, reminds us we are never alone.
A sacramental worldview is one of the things I have love most about being a Catholic Christian. It is a constant reminder that all the moments and actions of my daily life can be (are) sacred. All of it: the mundane, bitter, and sweet moments are all places where I can experience the presence of God, where I can find Him in the midst of daily living.
I have found this concept so be so meaningful in my life from reading this book.
Yes God can be found in ancient cathedrals and conferences with hundreds of people, but He is also hidden, wrapped up in the small little moments and actions of our daily life. God is constantly speaking to us every day, but often times we are not listening.
Even more in my life right now, I find myself constantly looking for where I can discover and find God in the present moment: Where is He hiding in the mundane or painful? Where can I find Him and draw near to his presence? How can I experience His presence as I go about my day?
More than any other time in my life, I am relying on the Lord in new, radical ways. I am seeing (perhaps really for the first time ever) how MUCH I need His grace, how I can do truly nothing without Him.
Living the Christian life is like being a detective. We are searching for clues, looking for answers in this life. We are all searching for meaning and lasting happiness (whether or not you're a believer). We take notes, listen, learn, ask questions, and follow the clues that ultimately point us to true peace and lasting joy. And like a detective, when the answer is found there is such excitement and peace. But it is a different type of peace.
The final, most important clue I think is learning to live, savor, and find joy in the sacrament of the present moment. If we can find peace in the beautifully mundane, even bitter or painful moments, that will be one of the richest, most important lessons we could ever learn while on earth. And it is a lesson I am so grateful to be learning right now in my own life.
So no, I am not suggesting a re-ordering of the sacramental perspective, but I do think the idea of the present moment being sacred, sacramental is something we all can learn and reap benefits from.
May all the moments of your daily life be ways to experience the sacred presence of a mysterious, good God...
How do you find and experience God in the present moments of your own life?
Do you see normal daily living as something sacred that God can use to change you?
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Your perspectives and world view always inspire me ♡
ReplyDeleteYour perspectives and world view always inspire me ♡
ReplyDeleteI love this! That book looks awesome; I've never heard of it, but now I want to read it! I first really began to have the "lightbulb" go off about the Present Moment when I read a compilation of Mother Angelica's words of wisdom (she's the EWTN nun). She has spoken a lot about the Present Moment, and it made so much sense to me-there have been many moments in my life where I'll live with regrets or not forgive myself for things, but eventually I came to see that God isn't living in the past, He's right here in the present-so I should be right here, too.
ReplyDeleteAlso, random cool story about the Present Moment: So in my first high school restaurant job, there was this middle-aged man who regularly came in. I saw my job as a ministry I got paid for (I love interacting with people over the cash register), and found a lot of joy in glorifying God in the little moments each day at the job. Anyways, this man finally asked me how I could be so joyful all the time, and how I could be so bright in the midst of craziness. I explained the Present Moment to him, and how freeing it is to live in the present. After he ate his meal, he left...and then returned about an hour later. He gave me a watch that he and a friend from his church had designed and made. Instead of numbers, the watchface had the words "Now is the Time." It was really exciting, and I still have and wear the watch regularly, several years later :)