In our Capuchin houses, you can see a blue and white poster which lists some of the virtues or qualities that we hope are characteristic of our lives and ministry. At the top of the poster it reads, “Transforming the world through reverence.” One hopes our reverent behavior is transforming the world, at least a little at a time. That is a tall order, along with living by all the other qualities listed.

The world could use a lot more reverence and respect for people as well as for things. For more than a year we have lived with the awareness of the war in Ukraine and Russia, with all its destruction and displacement and death of many people. It seems sheer madness. Then this past autumn saw more fighting between Israel and Hamas, an endless story of revenge that seems unsolvable.

Along with the big stories of war and mayhem come the regular reports of tragedy and violence, the terrible things that people still do to each other.

The world indeed needs more reverence and first of all more respect for human life and then for other living things and for the whole planet. Of course, as always, we need to be aware of and grateful for all the good people who do show reverence and respect for their sisters and brothers on the earth.

Sometimes when people talk of reverence, they refer to formal prayers and worship. And that is where it starts. But one hopes that reverence at prayer, reverence toward God, would flow beyond formal worship to all aspects of life.

Some commentators believe that, at the time of Jesus’ death, the tearing of the Temple curtain signified that now there would be no “Holy of Holies”, but that, because of Jesus’ Incarnation and Paschal Mystery, all things, all aspects of the material world, were now to be considered holy, as it states in the Third Eucharistic Prayer of the Catholic liturgy.

I have often felt a great reverence for works of art and for artists and authors and composers. It is easy to consider people like Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Mary Oliver to be among the “saints,” at least with a small “s.” It could be a long list. The sacred and the holy may be found in places we might not at first expect.

As we move through another Christmas time, one would hope that the celebration again of Jesus’ birth and all its accompanying thoughts, music, and imagery would stir more thoughts of reverence, respect, and appreciation for the goodness to be found in people and in our world.

Perhaps we all could practice a bit more reverence and help to transform our world in some small way. A Blessed New Year to all!

-Fr. Tom Zelinski OFM Cap.