Behind the Scenes: X-Ray Vision and the Sacraments

I'm an adult, so I have very serious, adult-y conversations. One conversation I had recently was about the very important question of what superpower I would want if I were a superhero. I know. How could I possibly decide on only one? Well, I'll tell you one thing, X-Ray vision has never been on the top of my list. I mean, why would I choose that over super strength, or the ability to fly? However, one of my heroes (even though he had no superpowers) wrote something that made me give this superpower a second look.

Fulton Sheen was an archbishop in New York in the 1950’s and 60’s. He was an incredibly popular preacher, an intelligent teacher, and he hosted radio and TV shows that totaled 30 million viewers and listeners every week. He even won an Emmy! He once wrote that, “One can never understand the sacraments unless he has what might be called a “divine sense of humor."

What's a Divine Sense of Humor?

Well, I think we can all agree that people take life too seriously sometimes. We get so busy and so wrapped up in our own drama and to-do lists that we fail to see anything other than what's right in front of us. But Sheen reminds us that a Christian can't be so narrow-minded. He wrote, “a person is said to have a sense of humor if he can "see through" things.” So basically, we’re supposed to have X-Ray vision! We’re not talking about the ability to invade someone's privacy though, ok? Let’s not make this weird. What he’s saying is that Catholics have the power to see through what’s on the surface to the meaning and purpose behind it.

He gives the example of a joke. We hear words, but what makes them funny is the meaning behind the words. Puns are a great example. For instance, I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down. (Ba-dum-ch!) See, that was only funny if you pick up on the double meaning...or if you’re like me, and laugh at literally everything.

So why can’t we understand the Sacraments without a Divine Sense of Humor?

The Sacraments have a double meaning also. With every Sacrament: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Reconciliation, Marriage, and Holy Orders, we see material things used and material beings involved.

If you are someone that only sees what’s on the surface, a baptism is just the moment when water is ceremoniously poured over someone’s head three times. But if you can see through things, you see a person becoming an adopted son or daughter of God the Father, right before your eyes. You see all their sin being washed away. You see them becoming a new creation. That’s why I cry at every baptism I go to!

If you are someone that only sees what’s on the surface, a Confirmation is just an event where some really nice smelling oil is slapped on someone's forehead. But if you can see through things, you see, and sometimes even feel, the Holy Spirit descending upon that person, instilling and stirring up in them the gifts they need to live out Christ’s mission. You see them becoming a soldier of Christ (with non-violent weapons, of course).

So basically, there are two kinds of people: people that see only what’s on the surface, and people with X-Ray vision. Perhaps this superpower isn’t so bad. Being able to see through things makes life interesting, meaningful, and beautiful, and it makes it possible for me to recognize how Jesus Christ is truly present in the Sacraments. Fulton Sheen says that to the first type of person, “A mountain is just a mountain, a sunset just a sunset; but to poets, artists, and saints, the world is transparent like a window pane--it tells of something beyond; for example, a mountain tells of the Power of God, the sunset of His Beauty, and the snowflake of His Purity.”

Be the poet. Be the artist. Be the saint.

This is a re-cap of what we talked about on January 31st at GS24. If you are in high school, join us for the next night of our semester on The Sacraments: Sunday, February 21st! Check out the GS24 Spring Calendar for more info.

About the AuthoR

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Lita Arroyo

I love all things true, good, and beautiful. I never walk by roses without smelling them and I always stop to watch the sunset. I love the Lord with all my heart, and I find Him in the most ordinary of places. If you can’t find me, I’m probably in a chapel or a coffee shop. Follow me on Instagram @litasnotintotemptation or Twitter @FollowinTheLita

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