Sacrum and Profanum
Lent, as a season of preparation for the Paschal Triduum and Easter, encourages us to slow down and reflect upon the
essential elements of our life. One of the essential aspects which easily could be forgotten in our busy life is sacrum, which is sacred reality. Sacrum is God but also times, places, values and objects that must be always special to us. Lent reminds us about healthy balance between sacrum and profanum. We need both sacrum and profanum (sacred and profane) in
harmony and respect to each other. We need the profane realities as much as we need the sacred, because the profane makes the sacred special. We must accept and respect both, and certainly do not confuse or mix it up in our life.
I spoke about the sacred and profane realities during my homily the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2023. Third Sunday of Lent reminds us about it. Lent is time to look it over again. In today’s gospel, Jesus cleansed the temple of Jerusalem by driving out those who disrespected the holy place. “He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace” (John 2:14-16). Jesus was angry and his action seems forceful. This is how Jesus cared for a sacred place and reality.
Jesus’ care and passion for the temple was at the same time his care for people who used that sacred space to worship and encounter God. In fact, sacred places, time and objects are given to us to encounter God. We need the sacred to protect us from the profane and bring us closer to God. Sacred places and objects are consecrated to God, which means they are removed from regular use and reserved for God. For example, the church, sanctuary, altar, chalice and many items are consecrated, thus they must be never used for anything other than worship and liturgy. There are also places, things and values in our family and personal life that are sacred and we must respect and never misuse them with the profane. We all need special times and places to reflect and pray to God. Otherwise, our busy schedule and daily activities will take over everything. We need to reserve and protect certain places, times and things to make it possible.
Let’s remember the sacred reality in our personal, as well as our family and community life during Lent. Let’s be more aware, and perhaps, redefine what sacrum means to me and to us.
Let’s pray for guidance and our perseverance during Lent.
Direct, O Lord, we pray, the hearts of your faithful,
and in your kindness grant us this grace,
that, abiding in love of you and our neighbor,
we may fulfill the whole of your commands.
Through Christ our Lord.
(Adapted from Roman Missal, Third Sunday of Lent)
Fr. Andrzej





