The Catechetical Review - Communicating Christ for a New Evangelization

Sacred Signs: Light and Heat

Authored by Romano Guardini in Issue #32.1 of The Sower
This liturgical meditation is take from Guardini's book, Sacred Signs. We long for union with God, and we must so long, for it is our inmost need. Our soul points out two ways of obtaining this: they are different ways, but both reach the same goal. The first way to union goes by knowledge and love. Knowledge is a union: by knowing things we penetrate them and draw them into ourselves; they become our own, a part of our life. So also all love is union – not a mere striving, but in itself a union. So far as a man loves something, so far doe it already belong to him. This union is, however, of a special kind: we express this by saying that it is ‘spiritual.’ Yet this word does not fully say all, for the other union, of which we shall speak later, is also spiritual. What we mean is that this union is one not of being, but of motion; of consciousness and frame of mind. Is there any outward form for this – a likeness? Certainly, and a very wonderful one – light and heat.

The rest of this online article is available for current subscribers.

Start your subscription today!


This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

Articles from the Most Recent Issue

Catholic School Administrators: Knowing the Way through Prayer
By Tom Reichenbacher
My daughters’ high school religion teacher was known to ask his students, “Do you know da Way?” Although this often led to fun banter between the students and their teacher, it also helped the students focus on their relationship with Jesus. Wise Catholic school administrators will ask themselves this question but move one step forward. To “know... Read more
A Painting and a Story 
By Sarah Hunter
“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing . . . to find the place where all the beauty came from.” ― C. S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold While pondering the canvas of the world, I dared to accept the challenge my faith had set before me. The Catholic Church claimed to hold the answers to my endless wonderings, and my... Read more
Inspired Through Art: The Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck, 1432
By Linus Meldrum
To view a digital version of the artwork click here . The Ghent Altarpiece, also known by the title The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb , is one of the most famous images in art history. The additional title is important as a signal to the viewer to pay close attention to where the image leads us through an evocation of the narrative of salvation.... Read more

Pages

Watch Tutorial Videos

We've put together several quick and easy tutorial videos to show you how to use this website.

Watch Now