No, I didn’t title this piece to thumb my nose at the Vatican Observatory’s blog. The title stems from a project I’ve been working on that has drawn me to one of the more impactful books I read in Seminary. We’ll get to that book in a bit. To start, let me share my project with you.
Last year, Our Sunday Visitor reached out to Sacred Space Astronomy wanting to develop a book project. The book would be based on our workshops in Arizona – Astronomy for Catholics in Ministry and Education (ACME). It was determined that I should write that book. I’m happy to report that the writing process has been going well and the book is on track to be published in the fall of 2025.
The book will be a series of spiritual meditations based on the workshop. Therefore, the book will not be a simple explanation of the presentations and the field trips we do at ACME. Instead, the book will be a bit more subjective, sharing theological insights I’ve come to based on those presentations. In many ways, the book will reflect the goal of ACME – The Vatican Observatory puts you in the world of professional astronomy and the participants bring their faith to those experiences. I can’t wait to share the finished product with you!
Now, back to my provocative title. As I’ve been writing my book, there’s a text has been jumping into my reflections from time to time: Louis Bouyer’s text Rite and Man. Bouyer’s text reflects on the relationship between between Natural Religion and Christian Worship or as Bouyer references them “Saced and Profane Worship.”
The interpretive frame is to place the word “profane” into its proper theological context. What is that context? The “profane world” should not be over moralized. Instead, sacred and profane simply identifies the relationship between Christian and non-Christian worship. Bouyer doesn’t create a polemic of “sacred/good – profane/bad.” Instead, he reflects on the importance of profane worship and how we can find connections between it and sacred worship. This approach makes theological sense – If God created all things then all things carry a fundamental goodness that cannot be removed or ignored. Therefore, sacred and profane simply identifies that which is set apart both by and for God vs. that which is not set apart – Sacred and Profane.
The reason I mention this text is that the method of Bouyer has been inspirational in my book for Our Sunday Visitor. As someone trained in Sacramental and Liturgical Theology, I can’t help but see the night sky as a natural or “profane liturgy” in the best sense of the phrase.
As I’ve reflected on in the past, the movements of the night sky present a rhythm and structure the lend itself to ordinary experience and extraordinary experience. In Catholic Liturgy, we speak of the two senses of time: The common passing of time and significant moments of timelessness. Not only do I see this interplay in the Church’s prayer, but during my prayer under that stars.
I’ve shared with you powerful moments in my relationship with the night sky like this year’s total solar eclipse and the northern lights. These “timeless moments” of awe and wonder are in contrast with and born from the common movements of heavenly bodies that have been observed for centuries. The experience of liturgy and the movements of the night sky can evoke a timeless character if we allow our hearts to be open to them.
This past week, I was blessed with a clear, moonless night. The day was very humid, making it hard to find motivation to do daytime activities. The coolness of the night was a welcome change, even though I could see the impact of high humidity with dew on the grass around me and a gentle haze to the night sky that amplified the “twinkling” of the stars. After setting up my small astro camera and let it start an hour long capture of the North American Nebula, I was blessed with an hour of prayer, sitting on the back of my car to stay out of the dew and thanked God for the night, my priesthood and all the good things I’ve received. When I got home, I decided to edit the North American Nebula to reflect what I experienced that evening. Here’s my attempt.
Is what you see in this image Sacred Space or Profane Space? If understood properly, you see both. No, the North American Nebula is not part of a structure that has been set aside for public worship. However, the point of Bouyer’s book is to remind us to not limit God’s presence to intentional sacred spaces of worship. If God created all things then all things contain the sacred character of the Creator.
In this spirit, welcome to Profane Space Astronomy! And in this blog that explores the natural liturgy of the night sky, may you find a Sacred Space not only under the stars above, but with the God we love and who loves us.
