Creation is the ecstasy of God, the ecstasy of this communion of love, and human relationships are the essential means of realising this state of wholeness, which is God. Our human relationships are the sacraments, the affective signs. In traditional theological language, a sacrament is an affective sign. It’s a sign of what is going on inside of you. It’s the outward sign of an inward reality, but it’s also called an effective sign. That means it actually brings about what is going on. It’s not just a photograph, it’s like those identity cards that get you in through the security. It’s an affective sign, an affective image or symbol. That is why we cannot love God without loving each other, and we cannot love each other without loving God: “Whoever loves knows God.” (1 John 4:7)
(Aspects of Love 2 by Laurence Freeman OSB )
