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The word Eucharist means “to give thanks.” And so as we in the United States of Americapause to celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving, Catholic ecologists can also reflect on and give thanks for how their vocation is informed by their Eucharistic faith.

We turn especially to Pope Benedict XVI’s Sacramentum Caritatis. As posted earlier, this “apostolic exhortation” explores a great many facets of the Catholic Eucharistic faith—including ecology.

This one passage strikes me as especially important on Thanksgiving 2012: 

The Eucharist itself powerfully illuminates human history and the whole cosmos. In this sacramental perspective we learn, day by day, that every ecclesial event is a kind of sign by which God makes himself known and challenges us. The eucharistic form of life can thus help foster a real change in the way we approach history and the world. The liturgy itself teaches us this, when, during the presentation of the gifts, the priest raises to God a prayer of blessing and petition over the bread and wine, "fruit of the earth," "fruit of the vine"...

Kudos to the bishops of the United States.

They’ve just sponsored a two-day symposium in Washington D.C. on the Holy Father’s ecological thoughts. It was a much needed gathering to exchange insights on an under-appreciated but vital topic.

The symposium, “A Catholic Consultation on Environmental Justice and Climate Change: Assessing Pope Benedict XVI's Ecological Vision for the Catholic Church in the United States" was also sponsored by the Catholic University of America’s Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies and the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.

Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, California, chairman of the United State’sConference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and HumanDevelopment says that "we have seen the destructive impact of climate change and environmental degradation both around the world and at home. These impacts often multiply the hardship experienced by the most vulnerable people in the world. Pope Benedict has consistently drawn attention to these issues and urges all to take moral responsibility to reduce our environmental impact and our carbon footprint. This symposium is an important...