August 11, 2008

Sacraments

I've been thinking, reading, and writing a great deal about sacraments lately, the idea of consecrating even ordinary things and moments and relationships, making them holy. In the process, I came across this in the OED (emphasis added):

"d. sacrament of the present moment, any and every moment regarded as an opportunity for the reception of divine grace. 1921 E. J. STRICKLAND tr. de Caussade's Abandonment to Divine Providence I. i. 3 What treasures of grace lie concealed in these moments filled, apparently, by the most ordinary events... O Bread of Angels! heavenly manna!.. Sacrament of the present moment! 1930 J. CHAPMAN Spiritual Lett. (1935) 83 The whole point of the 'Sacrament of the present moment' is that it is a..sacrament; it is God's action, God's will. 1943 O. WYON School of Prayer iii. 38 God makes His will known to us through the things that happen every day... Once we see it, our whole life is lifted on to a higher plane. This way of living has been described as The Sacrament of the Present Moment. 1967 J. N. WARD Use of Praying iii. 36 There is the use of the 'Jesus Prayer'... There is the cultivation of the 'sacrament of the present moment'. 1979 Tablet 22/29 Dec. 1251/2 We miss the many-splendoured thing in the goings-on of daily life, but it is there, totally transforming it and bestowing the sacrament of the present moment on those who are willing to accept it."

1 comment:

Unknown said...

i love this so much and i am so excited to see what you write about it!!!