Overview

In this interview, Catholic theologian and philosopher Dr. Raphael Gonzalez speaks with CE author Gregory Schlueter about the importance of reverence in Catholic life and worship. Greg, a husband and father of seven, explains that reverence is more than formality—it is the right ordering of our minds, bodies, and souls toward God. Drawing on Scripture, Augustine, John Paul II, and theologians like von Hildebrand, he stresses that human beings naturally long for transcendence, and even our strongest urges ultimately point to God. Reverence, therefore, is our response to God as the Supreme Being and is central to authentic worship.

The conversation highlights how modern culture often replaces reverence with casualness, both in moral life and in worship. Greg argues that this casualness is destructive because it reduces religion to feelings and personal preferences, leaving people unfulfilled. He contrasts this with the liturgy, especially the Mass, which forms believers for eternal life and invites them to bow in humility before God. Reverence, he adds, is not only interior but must be expressed outwardly through posture, decorum, and ritual—acts that shape the heart and train future generations in holiness.

Greg also frames reverence as both attractive and countercultural. In a society built on individualism and relativism, reverence resists the culture of casualness, offering clarity, joy, and truth. Ultimately, he concludes that reverence is God’s way of preparing His people for eternal intimacy with Him, beginning in this life and fulfilled in the next.