Joe Schurer

Ms. Finney

Honors Religion III

9/23/16

Sacramentality in The Naked Seed by C.S. Lewis

Although most Christians think of Mass as the primary place where they can encounter

God, the Church teaches us that we can encounter God all around us. The Catholic Church

emphasizes this connection between the divine and material aspects of our world. This idea is

described by the Catholic idea of sacramentality. The principle of sacramentality informs

Catholics that we can worship God in the everyday and ordinary things which surround us. These

same principles can be observed in literature. I chose The Naked Seed as an example of this

because I have previously read other works by this author. The poem by C.S. Lewis is an

example of the principle of sacramentality and it is a representation of Grace and viewing the

spiritual through material. The author also uses the poem to have us reflect on our relationship

with God.

The reason I selected this poem was primarily because I have already read other works by

C.S. Lewis. Of the works I have read by C.S. Lewis, the work that has stuck with me the most

was Mere Christianity. The book was based off a series of radio broadcasts Lewis gave in Britain

during WWII. I thought the novel was compelling because it was the arguments of someone who

for a long time identified himself as an atheist, and had only recently came back into Christianity.
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My experience in reading this book definitely pushed me towards researching other literature

that he wrote.

In the poem, C.S. Lewis uses the principle of sacramentality to make the message of his

poem more powerful. Through this principle he can represent the divine through material things

and the grace of God. In the first two lines of the poem he uses the image of fountains and water

to discuss longing for God. When he wrote, All the fountains that should run / with longing, are

in me / dried up, he uses this images to describe what he felt was a lack of longing for God, but

this is also powerful considering the uses of water in the Church. Water has been used as a sign

of Gods Grace and through baptism represents the formation and strengthening of a relationship

with God. On lines 3 and 4 he uses the image of a country with none of its water heading for the

seas to strengthen this further. Later on lines 16 through 18 he discusses the image of a buried

deep and forgotten seed, yet even though it is ignored it still lives and fights to grow. This image

of a neglected seed which still grows and is watered by rain from the skies is a representation of

God sending grace onto us to try to strengthen our relationship, even when we may be neglecting

it. By doing this C.S. Lewis is using the sacramental principle in literature. He is using everyday

ordinary things to give us a new way to see and understand God, like in his images of a tiny

neglected seed which struggles to break free. By using material images in this way, humans are

better able to understand what is being discussed and feel more personally engaged than we

otherwise would be.

In the poem C.S. Lewis is sharing his feelings and is trying to get us to think about the

same issues. In the beginning of the poem, he is acknowledging that he feels like he does not

have the proper longing for God in his heart and soul. As the poem progresses, it takes on a more

optimistic view. Lewis states that even when we may be neglecting our relationship with God, he
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never does. We can always turn back to God and find him waiting for us to return. So in the

poem, Lewis is challenging the reader to examine themselves and question whether they are

maintaining their relationship with God. He then tells the reader that even if they feel they have

been neglecting this relationship that they can still turn back to God, and that he has never given

up on building a relationship with you.

Through the sacramental principles we are able to better understand the divine nature of

God and worship him through the ordinary material things that are all around us. In the poem

The Naked Seed, C.S. Lewis uses this principle to talk about our relationship with God and his

Grace by relating it to material things. This system is profoundly well suited for humanity, as we

are composed of a material body and a soul. After all, it is almost impossible for someone to

fully grasp the divine nature of God, but though the material we can foster a better connection

and learn to better understand and worship Him.

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Works Cited

Lewis, Clive. The Naked Seed. The Poetry Foundation. n.d. Web.