Day 14: Sacredness

What does it mean for something to be sacred? According to the Latin roots of the word, for something to be sacred it has to be removed from everyday life, specifically associated with holy things, juxtaposed with what is “profane,” or “common.” We use the word in this way when we talk about sacred vessels for the celebration of the Eucharist, since ideally (though not always practically in many places and contexts) these vessels should only serve that one sacramental purpose, but a broader definition of sacredness helps us sanctify every aspect of our lives. 

After all, what do we reply if asked what we hold to be sacred? As we celebrate the season of Christmas and turn our thoughts to a new year, a few obvious answers might pop up. We might look at our families, our religious practices, or our personal values like generosity, compassion, or integrity. We say that these things are sacred because we instinctively recognize that they are, in their own special ways, little slivers of divinity in our world, small opportunities to see and touch God in our lives. That is a great place to start recognizing sacredness in a profane world, but it’s only the beginning. 

St. Francis teaches us to recognize the divine and the sacredness, in even the most unlikely or hard to recognize places, like during his conversion, his experience with the leper, and his eventual embrace and kiss of the man was a recognition of the sacred in the outcast. Like Francis, we are called to seek out, celebrate, and make more visible the sacredness in those who are marginalized, those who are suffering, and those who have no voice by living in solidarity with them. 

Question for Reflection: Who am I called to see the sacredness of God in during this Christmas season?