By Angela M. Johnson, Ed.D.
Sacred. Silence. Summit. Salvation. These words resonated and resounded throughout the Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit, hosted by His Excellency, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka, the founding director of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music and sponsored by the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship. The Summit was held from July 1 through 4 at the stunning St. Patrick’s Seminary & University with sold-out registration. Solemn Pontifical Masses, glorious sounds of sacred music, the exquisite beauty of the ornate vestments, and of course, the awe-inspiring presentations and sermons of some of the holiest prelates in the world, including but not limited to, our own phenomenal shepherd, His Excellency Salvatore J. Cordileone, His Eminence Robert Cardinal Sarah, His Eminence Seán Cardinal O’Malley, and His Excellency Earl K. Fernandes.
It may be relatively easy to attend a liturgical conference and feel overwhelmed with joy, gratitude, wonder, awe, and all that is sacred. Yet, one could also feel completely overwhelmed with the abundance of new and enlightening information, perhaps even calling into question the depth and vibrancy of one’s own faith, as I encountered. There were numerous life-changing lessons to embrace the Lord’s physical presence in our lives, which I found so timely, as the National Eucharistic Revival came to a close only days prior to the Liturgy Summit. Having attended the National Eucharistic Congress last summer in Indianapolis, I was in search of avenues to maintain the momentum of one of the most personal experiences I have had with the physical presence of our Lord. The Liturgy Summit more than delivered, and the innumerable instances to unite with the Divine transcended every possible desire.
Nearly every speaker addressed the importance of silence in the formation of the interior life. In a world, where we are consumed with headsets and the race to drown out the silence, which is even commonly referred to as “awkward silence”, fortunately, I felt re-affirmed by the various presenters, to embrace every rare moment of silence that everyday life typically consumes. With this new charge, I sought out each second of possible silence at the Liturgy Summit. Consequently, perhaps one of the most memorable moments for me was at the Solemn Pontifical Mass celebrated by His Eminence Seán Cardinal O’Malley. After his homily that emphasized care of the vulnerable and marginalized, I wanted, so immensely, to adore the physical presence of the Lord, during the consecration, unlike any other instance before. In following, I sought to receive Him and savor the Corpus Christi, to take in the extraordinary moment of when the Divine enters my unworthy dwelling. While I have received the Body and Blood of our Lord throughout my life, it was during that Solemn Pontifical Mass that I understood and intimately experienced that moment when an unworthy handmaid welcomes the physical presence of her Creator, her Savior, her Sanctifier. As I received our Lord from His Eminence Robert Cardinal Sarah, I could feel His precious Body and Blood permeate through every fiber in my being, every cell in my body. My life was forever changed in that moment, in the very manner in which I received the Holy Eucharist, as I sought to cherish the supernatural experience.
It was truly an unforgettable summit, in a highly personal and intimate invitation with our Lord, that prompted and intensified my desire for salvation, including for my family, my friends and acquaintances, and for every soul. Prior to the attending the Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit, I was keenly aware that fons et culmen meant “source and summit”, of which reminds us of the teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’” After attending the four-day Sacred Liturgy Summit, it was there that I was blessed to, not simply intellectually understand but, have intimately experienced fons et culmen in a profoundly personal and supernatural way, for which I will be eternally grateful.
Angela M. Johnson, Ed.D. is the associate superintendent for elementary schools for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Photos: Angela Johnson, Ed.D. and Francisco Valdez
