4/9/08:

Katie Trzaska

Sacramental moments are those in which we find ourselves in deeper connection with God through the simplest things.   I am a big fan of sacramental moments—they are one of the major ways I connect with God on a daily basis, between the meetings and classes and books that need to be read and written on.   They are the simple times when I stop in wonder at the gloriousness of the presence of God—a sunny day, a star-filled night, a gaze around the chapel at Burke Hall Mass, deep conversations over coffee at Luna with my best friends or new acquaintances. These are moments that happen every day, but that are filled with such goodness and holiness that I feel God reaching out to me and inviting me to a deeper relationship with him.

The thing is, most times we don’t recognize these moments because they occur during the happy times, the moments that are good and pleasant and don’t have a neon sign above them flashing “God is here” with a big arrow.   It is easy to see God when we need him at the worst times in our lives, and difficult to see him when everything is going well and we are in a good mood.   Over the last few years, though, I’ve gotten a lot better at seeing God in the mundane or happy moments, such as on airplanes.   A pretty weird place to see God, huh?   It is, I guess, especially since I hate to fly.   My ears always pop and I get motion sickness, especially on those small puddle jumpers I fly between Milwaukee and Green Bay.   However, I also find that the times I fly are the most God-filled.    It is a rare opportunity for quiet time, and a rare opportunity to see the world from a completely different perspective—above.   As I watch the earth below me out that tiny window, I am absolutely blown away by its beauty—the fields of Wisconsin, the Appalachian mountains, Lake Michigan.   It is a gift that is irreplaceable.   Even seeing the developed areas of subdivisions and baseball diamonds reminds me of the gifts of intelligence and skill that God has bestowed upon us.   This simple moment of awe in God’s creation is a moment when I feel closest to Him, and feel his presence in my life.   It is these basic reminders of the power and love of God, my sacramental moments, that bring me closer to God every day.