The Man Fully Alive: Alvaro de Vicente on our Vision

This week on HeightsCast, we feature a recording of the 2022 Headmaster's Lecture on the man fully alive. In this lecture, Mr. Alvaro de Vicente helps us understand what we mean when we use St. Irenaeus' oft-quoted though seldom understood words that gloria Dei est vivens homo: the glory of God is living man. Mr. de Vicente shares his thoughts on the destination and the road ahead, suggesting that to live fully on earth we must understand that the fullness of life is found only in heaven. And if we are to reach this destination which is our destiny, we should see this life as practice for the next. In particular, he offers three actions that are the best practice for heaven: To play To see To commit Taking us through each of these, Mr. de Vicente helps us to approach life in a playful way, taking ourselves lightly and others seriously; to discover the beauty of the world, contemplating with loving eyes and a grateful heart; and to commit fully, passionately persevering in our love for others. Our boys will not live these ideals perfectly—we will not live them perfectly—but if together we begin and begin again often, we will be well on the way; and that will be a taste of heaven. Chapters 2:43 Origins of the tagline "Men fully alive" 4:01 Man fully alive: what does this mean? 4:14 Common notions 5:18 Man as the masterpiece of God 7:56 What is man? 9:01 Crisis of masculinity: either brutes or wimps 9:45 Life on earth as a preparation for heaven 11:07 What is heaven? 12:36 Practice for heaven 13:16 A man with a mission 16:31 To play 16:33 Physical play 19:06 Approaching life in a playful way 22:31 A game with two halves 26:09 To see 27:56 Blindness as an illness of the soul 29:36 The Little Prince and our inability to see beauty 30:54 When the truth complicates my life 32:48 Who you are and what you are here for 33:32 On contemplation 34:36 Finding beauty 36:47 Life as a museum 37:21 Seeing with the mind's eye 39:41 Seeing with the heart 41:33 To commit 42:11 The man in a wheelchair 43:40 Closing doors 45:20 On the passions 48:01 Commitment is different from a self-help book 48:41 Screwtape on love and marriage 51:58 Faithfulness over time is the name of love (Benedict XVI) 52:41 The danger of overcommitting 54:26 Conclusion Also on The Forum Foundations of Hope: Raising Optimistic Men Fully Alive with Alvaro de Vicente The Education of "Men Fully Alive": The Mission and Vision of The Heights with Alvaro de Vicente Who Am I?: The Question of Persona with Alvaro de Vicente Our Little Protectors: How Do WE See Our Boys? with Alvaro de Vicente Forming Wise, Courageous Risk-Takers with Alvaro de Vicente In Defense of Victory by Kyle Blackmer Additional Resources Against Heresies by St. Irenaeus