The Sacramental Worldview: The Third Pillar of Catholic Education
Discover the Sacramental Worldview, the third pillar of Catholic education, and how symbols and beauty shape faith.
Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco, in a published talk at Ave Maria University, emphasized "The Three Pillars of Catholic Education". While the first two pillars—Faith & Reason and Virtue—are frequently discussed, the third pillar, The Sacramental Worldview, is often overlooked by Catholic educators.
What is The Sacramental Worldview?
At its core, the Sacramental Worldview is grounded in the Incarnation—the belief that the physical world and natural order can become vehicles for grace. It is the idea that visible things convey the invisible, a truth central to Catholic faith. Signs and symbols, therefore, hold profound power in shaping human understanding and spirituality.
Archbishop Cordileone explains:
"This sacramental principle, which can be defined as 'the invisible made visible through the physical,' imbues the entire way in which we, as Catholics, view our world, which is why we have always understood that symbols teach more powerfully than words."
The Importance of Symbols and Beauty
For a Catholic school, this worldview requires surrounding the community with Catholic signs and symbols, as well as things of Beauty, since Beauty communicates Truth and Goodness. However, there’s a balance to be maintained. While symbols and aesthetics are important, they must avoid excess. As Cordileone notes, what is gaudy can communicate excess and pretentiousness, detracting from the spiritual message.
Applying the Sacramental Worldview to Our Homes
This sacramental approach isn’t limited to educational settings; it extends into our homes. In a culture filled with symbols of lust, greed, and materialism, there is a pressing need to counterbalance these with signs and symbols of Faith, Beauty, and Craftsmanship. As human beings, we have a deep, intuitive longing for the spiritual, and symbols help meet this craving.
"The human person craves the deep intuitive longing for the spiritual that is communicated in symbols. And nowhere does this longing meet its intended more than in the treasures of our Catholic Church."
In both our schools and homes, it is through these symbols that we connect to the divine, constantly reminded of the invisible reality made visible through the physical world.
