Page 5 - The Portal magazine - March 2025
P. 5

THE P    RTAL                              March 2025                                      Page 5
             Snapdragon
             Snapdragon
                       The “Sacrament of

                       the Present Moment”



                       by the 18th century



                       French Jesuit Jean


                       Pierre Caussade






                       An appreciation by Snapdragon



          N THE 1980s, romantic comedy film “Groundhog Day” Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) is a cynical,
       Iegotistical TV reporter who constantly has to live the same day over and over again. However after this
        one day (which is “Groundhog Day”) has been repeated over and over again and again, he slowly but surely
        changes, and realises just how unpleasant he is. He becomes a better person. He realises that each moment of
        each day is an opportunity to do good, to become a better and generally nicer person. (SPOILER ALERT!!!)
        He gets the girl Rita (Andi McDowell).


           Now this got me thinking about a book called the  about the future. We think about the future which is
        “Sacrament of the Present Moment” by an 18th century  also a fantasy world over which we have no control
        French Jesuit called Jean Pierre Caussade. He stressed  whatsoever (except insofar as our decisions made in
        certain key things in his book. One of them was the  the present moment will affect it).
        importance of living in the now. He maintained that
        it was essential to live in the present moment and that   Some people waste spiritual energies constantly
        we should let go of anxiety about the past or about the  thinking about the future and what’s going to happen
        future.                                               then. “If I only do this, this will happen” They spin a
                                                              fantasy of an idyllic future far removed from reality.
          We should spend our time focusing on the present,
        as the place where grace resides. Now this strikes me   And so the Devil moves us out of the present reality,
        as being so true. It is surely one of the Devil’s cleverest  the time of grace, into a total fantasy world which, of
        devices to take us out from the present moment  course, the Devil loves. The “sacrament of the present
        because by taking us out of the present moment the  moment” is absolutely essential to our spiritual well-
        Devil in fact takes us out of reality and moves us from  being. It is only in the present moment that we can
        reality into a world of fantasy.                      love and serve God and our neighbour. It is only in the
                                                              present moment that we can do His will.
          I say fantasy for this reason. If we start thinking and
        focusing our attention on the past, we are living in a   Of course, it’s obvious that Jean-Pierre is going to
        fantasy world that no longer exists. You know the kind  stress also the importance of daily holiness in finding
        of thing.                                             sanctity in ordinary tasks and moments transforming
                                                              them into acts of worship. As George Herbert writes in
          “Supposing I had said this at that particular time;  his poem ‘The Elixir’, Who sweeps the room, as for Thy
        or done that instead of what I actually did; imagine  laws, makes that and the action fine.” (There’s another
        if I’d married that person instead of the person I did  bit of Anglican Patrimony for you!)
        marry; supposing I got that job. My life would have
        been so different and so on.” We waste spiritual energy    Let us therefore practice our Lenten observances
        thinking about the  past, about which we can do  with all due diligence so that we may greet our Risen
        absolutely nothing at all.                            Lord at Easter in the greatest of all present moments -
                                                              meeting with him on that most holiest of all days, of all
          Or  then  again,  the  Devil  will  make  us  anxious  our present days, in the sacrifice of the mass.
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