Present with God: How ACT Grounds Us in the Sacramental Nature of the Moment

“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

Matthew 6:34 (NABRE)

In our fast-paced world, including in our spiritual lives, it’s easy to live anywhere but the present. We ruminate on the past. We worry about the future. Even our prayer time can become more about our thoughts and worries (or that horrible moment at work) than about a personal encounter with Jesus. But both modern psychology and Catholic spirituality agree on something powerful: the present moment is important.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a contemporary psychological approach, teaches that being grounded in the here and now is a foundational skill for emotional and mental health. As Catholics, we can go further still: the present is not just a place of grounding. It is the place of grace.

The Present Moment in ACT

ACT doesn’t help us pursue well-being by escaping our emotions. Instead, it invites us to notice them, name them, and return to where we are, in the here and now. This moment, this breath, this heartbeat. Why? Because life only happens in the present. Every choice, every act of love or courage, every opportunity to move toward what matters only happens in the now.

When we become entangled in our minds (what ACT calls cognitive fusion), we lose connection to this moment. The “now” disappears under a fog of worry, judgment, or distraction.

The Present Moment in Catholic Tradition

This importance of the present moment is something Catholic saints and mystics have long recognized as important for a specific reason: the present moment is where we meet God. In Catholic thought, we often speak of grace for the moment. God doesn’t give us grace for tomorrow’s fears or regrets about yesterday. He gives us Himself, here and now. Learning to be present is not just a psychological strategy; it is an act of faith and trust.

“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

It is also where God speaks to us, in the interior movements of our hearts and the voice of our consciences. While secular mindfulness practice encourages living in the here-and-now in a way that benefits wellness, Catholics can bring an added dimension: presence to Presence.

Beyond Mindfulness: a Sacramental Reverence for the Present

The beauty of the Incarnation lies in its mystery: that the infinite God became finite, the Creator entered creation, and the Word became flesh. God entered the world at a particular time, and a particular place, and with a particular lived experience. And it is in a particular time and place, in our lived experience, in which we connect with God.

Catholic psychologist Greg Bottaro invites us to consider something beyond simple mindfulness and embrace what he calls the Sacramental Pause: moving the attention to the present, and focusing attention on what we are experiencing in our minds, bodies, and hearts. It expands it from an exercise in focused attention to an intentional recognition of the sacredness of each moment of our lives and each experience we have.

• When we pause and breathe, we remember that God is already here.

• When we notice what we feel, we bring our hearts honestly before the Lord.

• When we return to the present, we return to the place where prayer begins.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, with his Examen, teaches us to review our day not to judge it, but to see where God was present and how we responded. That reflective posture is deeply aligned with ACT’s call to notice without judgment and gently redirect.

A Simple Practice: “3 Breaths with God”

This 60-second pause is a way to ground yourself in God’s presence and able to be done anytime, anywhere.

1. Breathe In: Notice what your body feels. Are you tense? Restless? Numb? Just notice.

2. Breathe Out: Say slowly in your mind, “Here I am, Lord.”

3. Repeat Twice More: Let each breath be a gentle return. You don’t have to force anything. God is already here.

You might feel nothing. You might feel peace. You might feel resistance. All of it is okay. You’re not trying to “achieve” something. You’re returning to the truth that this moment is held by God. Regardless of what you did or didn't feel, God was there with you because you chose to be there with God.

Why This Matters

The present moment is not a hiding place from pain. In fact, it’s often where our pain becomes clearest. But it is also where Christ meets us. It is not in our ideal future selves, or in our troubled pasts, but here, today, as we are.

ACT helps us build the muscle of presence; Catholic spirituality gives us a reason for it. We don’t practice presence to escape life but to enter more fully into love, into truth, into God’s will.

So today, before rushing on, try this: Look up. Breathe in. Whisper: "I love you, too."

Because God is there listening.