Season of Creation Daily Day 28: Whole earth as altar

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Photo used with permission | BCain

by Peter McLoughlin

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Take a moment to reflect on the photo.


Since once again, Lord, I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar to say Mass, 
I will make the whole earth my altar 
and on it will offer you all the labors and all the sufferings of the world.

Instead of bread, I will offer the harvest to be won by today’s labors. Lord, say again the words: This is my Body over every living thing which will spring up, grow, flower, ripen during this day. 

Instead of wine, I will offer every activity and force that withers, corrodes, fails, and dies; into my chalice I shall pour all the sap to be pressed from the earth’s fruits. Lord, say again the words: This is my Blood 

All the things which today will increase; 
all those that will diminish or die: 
all of them, Lord, I try to gather into my arms, holding them out to you.
 We believe you are present in them.
This is the Mystery of Faith.  
— Adapted from Mass on the World by Jesuit Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin


The challenge of the saints of the twenty-first century is to begin again to comprehend the sacred in the ten thousand things of our world; to reverence what we have come to view as ordinary and devoid of spirit.
                                                 — Edward Hays in Secular Sanctity


A moment of silence.


Special thanks for the everyday sacred


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Editor's note: Season of Creation Daily is inspired by the Care for Our Common Home Ministry, Paulist Center Boston. To receive daily reflections by email, sign up here.

This story appears in the Season of Creation Daily feature series. View the full series.

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