Cosmic Eucharist

I see a picture of our blue planet with a large bread and a chalice of wine poised above it and the Risen Christ offering Himself as spiritual food and drink for all the people. Then I see Christ as Lord of all creation lifting His eyes to include all the stars, all the galaxies, all the black holes, all that as yet undiscovered material, all the 'dark matter' of the cosmos. Indeed, the Eucharist has a cosmic character. Yes, cosmic!

I really like this image that theologian Richard Rohr, OFM, offers as a description of the cosmic dimension of the Eucharist. He was reflectin on one of the most theologically interesting sections of the encyclical Laudato Si', when Pope Francis wrote: "In the Eucharist, fullness is already achieved; it is the living centre of the universe ... In the Eucharist, the whole cosmos gives thanks to God. Indeed, the Eucharist is itself an act of cosmic love."

Centre of the universe! The whole cosmos! Cosmic love! Although these words formed only a small part of the encyclical, I have found them most inspiring. I knew they were saying something really profound, way beyond anything I had ever been taught in the seminary or read about it in subsequent years. But I was unclear as to what they meant.

How did those words apply to peoples' attendance at the Eucharist on a Sunday, for example? Did they mean that the moon and the stars, Planet Earth itself indeed the whole ever-expanding universe, is somehow present in our Church whenever we celebrate the Mass? That as people we are especially connected to them through the Eucharist?

Pope Francis then goes on to quote John Paul II from his encyclical, when John Paul embraced a panoramic vision of the Eucharist, calling it cosmic. In recalling the many different venues where he had celebrated the Mass, he wrote: "This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and Earth. It embraces and permeates all creation." (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 8).

This teaching of John Paul II and his own personal reflections on Teilhard De Chardin's writings on the Cosmic Christ helped Francis conclude that "The Eucharist it is the center of the universe." A cosmic event. Maybe we can only attempt to grasp such mysteries through metaphors. We know there are theological experts who have written extensively on this topic. But we have not seen many expand this wonderful vision into plain language. How does it expand our vision as to what is actually happening at Mass? What is our response to this expanded vision? Where does this interconnectedness leave us in terms of our love of neighbor? Relationship to the environment? The rest of creation? The other planets? In particular, where does it connect with our relationship with Jesus? An adequate response to these questions demands the answer to an even more fundamental one. How do we grapple with a creator responsible for hundreds of billions of galaxies, with possibly billions more to come in an ever expanding universe? The teaching is that each particle of these galaxies contains the creative presence of God? And how does all this link to the Eucharist?

The questions are mind boggling. I suggest the answers are partly found in faith partly in science. To begin with, we need to recognize that the living Christ is present in both. The Church teaches that the whole of creation has been redeemed by His death and resurrection. "The whole of Creation will come together under Christ" (Ephesians 3: 1 - 10). This means that everything ever created, each atom, each molecule, each being (inculding humans), contains the divine within. Each has been "divinized," as Pope Francis teaches. Each is sacred and reflects the presence of Christ.

As Richard Rohr points out, St. Paul links the Christ, formed by the gathering of people around the table when we remember Jesus who died and rose again. "The Christ who becomes present to us in that gathering is the Lord of the extraordinary universe in which we live."

There is a lot more that requires exploration as to how Christ is present in all dimensions of our universe. In the meantime, Rohr's image of bread and chalice hovering over our blue planet with Christ offering Himself as spiritual food and drink for all people and reaching out into every comer of the cosmos, gives us a glimpse of what the Church, through Francis and John Paul II, is teaching about the Eucharist "being an act of cosmic love." And "the living centre of the universe." What an awesome vision!

In this evolving process, the creative power of the universe is manifested in certain ways. This different manifestations of Seamlessness are called the powers of the universe.

Seamlessness: The source of all powers, the ground of being, pure generativity.
Centration: The power of concentration and exhilaration, how the Universe centers on itself. Allurement: The power of attraction, how things hold together.
Emergence: The power of creativity, how the Universe transcends itself.
Homeostasis: The power of maintaining achievement, what the Universe values.
Cataclysm: The power of destruction, living in a Universe where things break down.
Synergy: The power of working together, mutually enhancing relationships.
Transmutation: The power to change the self, disciplines and constraints.
Transformation: The power to change the whole, communion and intimacy.
Interralatedness: The power of care, how the Universe responds to the other.
Radiance: The power of magnificence, how the Universe communicates.

Humanity and the Powers of the Unuverse

The Powers of the Universe operate everywhere in the Universe. We humans are a mode of the Universe: Therefore, the Powers of the Universe operate in us. In each one of us, the Seamlessness of the Universe has found a unique creative expression. Through the human, the Universe itself has become consciously self-aware. Jesus being fully human was a unique expression of Divine Seamlessness. Eucharist means embracing difference, respecting the integrity of every living been and rejoicing in communion. "Every living things breathes. All of us share the originating and loving Spirit-Breath of life from bacteria to the whale, to the trees and green plants which supply us with the oxygen we need to live... From such communion, compassion grows. From such compassion, communion grows."

Centration and Eucharist

Centration is the concentration of presence. In the Eucharist, what we have is the sacramental presence of the Cosmic Christ. Eucharistic Centration calls us to focus our attention on the Omni-Presence of Divine Wonder in all of creation. Everything we can see in touch and taste and smell is a sacrament of the seamless presence of the Divine.

Eucharist and Allurement

The Eucharist can be understood as an invitation to enter in to the mystery of Divine Allurement. Entering in to Divine Allurement means opening our minds and hearts to the attraction of the God who permeates all of creation. It is an invitation to be expectant of Divine presence in every sight and taste and touch and smell that evokes in us wonder and awe. It is allowing ourselves to be surprised by the thinness of the vell that hides Divine Presence all around us. The Eucharist as the Sacrament of Allurement invites us to explore our own allurements. Some of our allurement can bring out the ery best in us. Some of our allurements can lead us astray. Some of our allurement are rooted in our mammalian past. Jesus challenged the Pharisees about their allurement to prestige and power. Eucharist invites us to shine the light of the gospel on the power of allurement at work in us. Do our allurements draw towards, or away from our ultimate destiny?