Later, while attending a retreat at the Il Ritiro retreat center, I had the pleasure of getting to know a Franciscan nun from Oldenburg, Indiana, named Sister Alacoque.
As we were walking together toward the cafeteria for lunch, she stopped, looked right in my eyes and said, "You have a true Franciscan heart."
Our brief but powerful encounter left a true impression on me and I began a journey into Franciscan spirituality as well as the mission of the Militia Immaculata, which is a journey it turns out I share with Fr. Gerard, whom you remember from a couple of our Masses in Rome.
We talk a lot about living a life from the perspective of the sacramental worldview. In a way, Franciscan spirituality is the epitome of this perspective. What did that mean?
The book of Genesis tells us that we are created in the image and likeness of God. That means we are intended to be sacraments of the living God. Just as Jesus is the sacrament of the living God.
This is why the Church embraces a sacramental view of life and creation. All creation is meant to point towards God. All creation is meant to help us encounter God.
The natural world is meant to be signs of God and ways to experience God’s presence and love in a more tangible way.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate Sacrament of God in the world. He is the Word of God made flesh, revealing the will of God in everything He says and does. The Catholic Church is called to be the Sacrament of Jesus Christ, the ‘Body of Christ’. The Church continues His mission to bring God’s reign into the world and acts as His authority in a broken world.
This sacramental worldview is reality. We live in a broken world precisely because it is detached from the reality of the sacramental worldview.
Our politics are broken. Our governments are broken. Our society and culture are broken. Perhaps even some of our families are broken.
The Catholic Church has the answer: just look at life, interpret life, and act upon life through the lens of the sacramental worldview.
Unfortunately, we often take what the world, the flesh, and the devil tell us and treat that as reality. We forget that only God is the author of reality. It is only through the lens of the sacramental worldview that we can truly see this reality. If everyone embraced the sacramental worldview, and truly lived the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, our world would be a much better place.
It is up to each of us to develop within us that deep interior disposition to embrace the sacramental worldview in all aspects of our life.
In many ways, that is a life-long journey. However, we can start with the seven Sacraments that Jesus instituted in the Catholic Church. The seven Sacraments, which are visible signs, instituted by Christ, to give grace. Visible signs of an invisible reality.
This is why we have focused on the Sacraments throughout this pilgrimage as a way to open ourselves to hope and healing.
Through the Sacraments, we can start diligently living the sacramental life of the Church and allowing the rest of the aspects of our lives to flow out from that sacramentalworldview.
The sacramental worldview allows us to live life with more compassion, more joy, and more humility, particularly by caring for the poor and marginalized, cherishing all of creation as interconnected and beloved by God, and seeking God's presence in everything.
The sacramental worldview allows us to live a life of commitment to simplicity, commitment to service, and commitment to seeing everyone and everything through eyes of love and solidarity.
The sacramental life is a lamp on the lamp stand. We must live it boldly and courageously, for the world to see it. We must be conduits of grace that others may see and follow the true light Jesus offers through His Holy Catholic Church.
Through the sacramental life and Franciscan spirituality, God does marvels for us.
Thanks be to God!
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