Member Log InFrom the Merriam Webster dictionary:
Reverence (noun)
- honor or respect felt or shown: especially profound adoring awed respect
- a gesture of respect (such as a bow)
As Catholic Christians, having received the vocational call to holiness through baptism, it seems incumbent upon us to give the world a good dose of reverence. In a society where floods a cacophony of complaint, criticism, bullying, screaming, character assassination, humiliation, and general irreverence, the bar has been set rather low for anyone wanting to be an example of reverence.
Serrans can make a difference. Said otherwise, in quoting a popular phrase of the '70s: "Bloom where you are planted."
Interestingly, the earliest mention of this phrase is credited to The Bishop of Geneva, St. Francis de Sales, who lived from 1567 to 1622. He is to have said, "Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured inot our hearts by His Spirit dwelling each one o fus, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of his Providence."
So, how do we change our culture from one of general irreverence and disrespect to one of reverence?
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the only setting where all are called to share in the accomplishment of the mystery of salvation. In response to our vocational call to holiness, our example of reverence ought to begin at Mass. Genuflections; a bow at the name of Jesus; joining in the prayers of the liturgy, the psalms, and the hymns; quiet attention at the Consecration – these are acts of reverence. When spiritually prepared, receiving Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, while the greatest gift for which we can hope, demands the summit of our reverence. At the conclusion of the liturgy, we the faithful are sent forth (“Go, the Mass is ended!”) equipped to fulfill God’s will in our daily lives, taking that sense of reverence and awe into our routines. How we have treated Jesus in Mass will dictate how we treat others in our world. The world does not know reverence because it does not know the love of God.
The vocation of marriage calls for reverence, one spouse for the other. The covenant is much more than a mere promise. Consider the richness of a marriage relationship where spouses find themselves awed by and in awe of one another! This is the holiness to which God calls married couples. Make reverence part of your marriage. Your kids will notice. Your friends and neighbors will notice.
Priestly and religious vocations demand reverence. A reverent priest at the altar knows the Eucharistic celebration is not about him, but entirely about his Creator. Acting in persona Christi and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the priest is tasked with the awesome responsibility of making sacramentally present Christ’s body and blood, under the species of bread and wine, Jesus’ sacrifice offered on the cross once and for all. And Jesus gives Himself directly to us, the Holy Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity we receive in Holy Communion!
Reverence is not so much a behavior, as it is an attitude. It is a product of humility – knowing one’s place before God. He is the Creator, to be revered. We are His beloved, upon whom He bestows countless blessings, not the least of which is His infinite mercy.
With a profound sense of gratitude, let us temper the noisy world with quiet reverence – for God’s grace is abundant upon us. He deserves what little we can give in return, beginning with reverence.
