Day Seventeen: Covenant, Part One

                “What kind of signs do people use to show they have made a promise?” This bellowork, in case it wasn’t obvious, will set up a conversation about “Covenant”. I have gone back and forth over the years on how deep I get into the concept of Covenant. Usually I lean more towards focusing on the image and likeness of God and our Catholic Anthropology. The details of Covenant and Salvation History sometimes get lost. But Covenant and Catholic Anthropology are not mutually exclusive. Salvation History, after all, is the story of how God is constantly trying to guide us back to our True image and likeness. But what does that story look like? How does God help us to grow closer in relationship with Him so we can know our Authentic Self? This is the story of Covenant and the signs God gives us to remind us of our Salvation History.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, Ireland. The Altar is a sign of relationship or Covenant, not simply because of the sacrifice involved, but also because the Altar is a table where people gather to dine. The double-nature of the Altar in Catholic belief and practice is typical in a Sacramental Vision of Creation. (photo P. Smith).

                Like all bellwork, they have a few moments to respond. I expect a wide variety of examples. “Handshake”. “Contract”. “A Ring”. These are the most common. Sometimes their responses are different, to say the least. “A puppy”. “Cash”. “A Car”. I wonder if they are thinking of bribes! Either way, when a deal or a promise is made between two or more people, there is usually some sort of physical sign that reminds one or both of the individuals of that promise. Maybe it is purely a psychological ploy so we do not fail our part of the contract. Maybe it is a sign, itself, of the sacramental nature of Creation (this is much more complicated and requires deeper meta-analysis and contemplation). Maybe we just like material stuff and it is a good way of “communicating” a new relationship to each other. Maybe it is all of the above. But when we start talking about Covenant in the Scriptural and Sacred sense, this conversation will serve us because God’s Covenant with us is also marked with tactile and material signs. In fact, if we get to the root of it all, God’s Covenant of Love with us is marked, very simply, by the Truths of Creation and that we exist and have the Freedom to experience His Love. I mention this to my students as we start to pray and think of Creation as a sign that we are Loved.