In my post-secondary studies, I once took a class that was entitled “The Way of Beauty.” The focus of the course was to learn how to see the natural beauty of the world as a way of connecting with God. We were told again and again by the instructor to let ourselves “be pierced by beauty.” 

You may have had this type of experience before. Sometimes a vibrant sunset, a quiet walk in the forest or even a good meal can move us deeply and draw us to see God’s beauty. Prior to taking this class, I mostly thought that those moments were spontaneous and there was no way to actually cultivate a lifestyle of connecting with God through beauty. 

However, one of our assignments was to keep what was called a “beauty journal,” where we had to record, daily, things that drew our attention to God. I really struggled with this at first. 

It didn’t feel natural for me to stop and look at a rosebush and see God’s grace through it. 

But over time, I realized that it was my own inner disposition that was the cause of this. I needed to have new eyes, so that I could actually see the visible ways God was trying to get my attention.

The Church gives us a solid foundation for understanding God's grace. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a sacrament as a physical sign of an unseen grace (1131). We can receive the sacraments, and thus God’s grace, in communion, and confession over and over again throughout our lives. But going beyond this to having a sacramental worldview is not something that can just be turned on with one simple step. What can we do to learn to see and appreciate God’s grace in our daily lives? 

It takes time, as it requires us to see the world through a lens of wonder, trusting that God is always trying to speak to us and show us His love through our circumstances and environment. We can cultivate this worldview by standing on the foundation that God, as a loving creator, made the world and all that is in it to bless us and draw us closer to him. 

We live such fast-paced lives in this day and age, rarely taking time to stop and reflect on the little beauties around us. Having a sacramental worldview requires that we slow down and take time to actually be curious about how God is trying to show us his grace. It is a discipline that requires work - noticing the good that surrounds us, whether that is in nature, in our family and friends, art and music- the list could go on. For me, this meant putting in the work of keeping a beauty journal and intentionally meditating on the things that caught my attention and pointed me towards God. Over time, I found myself more naturally connecting the beautiful and good moments with God’s grace working in my life. 

This openness can start with a simple prayer from the Psalms: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things.” (Psalm 119:18) 

From there, we need to actively cultivate awareness of the present moment, since it is only in the present that we can hear God’s voice. There are so many things that keep us distracted, so this process of cultivating a sacramental worldview can start with us identifying what those things are for us. It could be our over-usage of technology, or the constant replaying of mental to-do lists in our head. Once we know what those things are, we can be intentional about cultivating distraction free space in our lives. Maybe that means going on a walk sans headphones and stopping to look at the natural world around us. Maybe that means cooking a meal from scratch and eating it slowly. Or if you like journaling, maybe a beauty or gratitude journal is the way to go. 

It might be slow, but all of these disciplines will help us be present, and from there, have the eyes to see the signs of God’s grace that surround us. 

Having a sacramental worldview has not only brought me into greater awareness of God’s constant and faithful friendship, but it has also helped me to live a life that is grounded in the here and now. Instead of also trying to look forward to the next fun or exciting thing, I have confidence that grace is meeting me exactly where I am. In my day to day life, being able to see the simple tasks like cooking or reading books to my son as gifts from God gives me great purpose and meaning.