This month our conversation between Eucharist and Laudato Sí considers the importance of sacrament, the principle of sacramentality. (See last month's post.) We understand sacrament as a tangible, experience-able symbol of something sacred and hidden—even of the Divine. As we renew our appreciation of Eucharist this year we remember that it is in the most basic gifts of creation that we encounter God: oil, water, incense, bread, wine. Oil, source of healing. Water poured, sign of new life. Incense, offering a taste of “heaven on earth.” Bread and wine, “fruit of the earth and work of human hands.”
This year of renewal presents us with the opportunity to see links between the Mass and all creation, God’s gift to us. We are called to embrace this opportunity and face the challenges it offers. Consider:
- Is oil a source of healing or of dis-ease for the body?
- How pure is the water that is to offer life?
- Can we experience the pristine beauty of trees, source of incense?
- How fertile is the soil that feeds the grape and the wheat?
We read in Laudato Sí, the Eucharist is “a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be stewards for all creation.” #236 Surely, this would be a fitting addition to the commitment of the Eucharistic Renewal.
Suggestions for action:
- Follow current research about GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). Be attentive to both the pros and the cons.
- When caring for your lawn and garden use natural alternatives to the readily available herbicides and pesticides.
- Be aware of and research the evidence of micro plastic particles in our human bodies, particularly in fetuses.
