The Sacrament of the Present Moment

For centuries, people seeking greater realization of love have first sought immediate, wakeful presence as the practical foundation of their purpose. Standing awake in the here and now, consecrating their desire in the sacrament of the present moment, they have claimed their yearning for love.

Awakening from his dream, Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.” “Take no thought of the morrow,” said Jesus, “Stay awake, praying constantly.” Jesus said this in the context of seeking God first, before all other concerns.

St. Augustine: “Too late I have loved Thee, O thou Beauty of ancient days, yet never knew! Too late I loved Thee! And behold, You were within, and I apart.”

Brother Lawrence: “…we need only to know God intimately present in us, to address ourselves to God at every moment.” We seek the present moment in order to “practice the presence of God.”

Jean-Pierre de Caussade: “...the sacrament of the present moment.” This sacrament manifests God’s will: “an immense ocean which the heart only fathoms In so far as it overflows with faith, trust, and love.” “There are no moments which are not filled with God’s infinite holiness so that there are none we should not honor.”

Thomas Kelly: “…the eternal now.” “Continually renewed immediacy, not receding memory of the Divine Touch, lies at the base of religious living.” Kelly said that this is the avenue toward world justice: “Social concern is the dynamic Life of God at work in the world, made special and emphatic and unique, particularized in each individual and group who is sensitive and tender in the leading-strings of love.”

Thich Nhat Hanh: “…the miracle of mindfulness.” “…present moment wonderful moment.” This mindfulness of the present moment is in the service of “being peace.”

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When I read these great quotes, and I feel for immediate awareness in the "present wonderful moment", it feels like a homecoming. This present moment is pure and perfect, right here, right now, with you.