The Eucharist teaches us many things. Among its most profound lessons is that knowledge of God is not finally a matter of good catechesis or head knowledge (though those things are good!), but is finally a matter of active participation in the very life of the Godhead, through which we come to know God in a supreme intimacy that encompasses body, mind, and heart. Perhaps this reveals the wisdom in welcoming young children to the Eucharist who, although they have a great deal of “learning about God” left, are sometimes more willing to open heart, mind, and body to the Mystery of Christ than many adults. The proposition is remarkably simple: God has offered an invitation to partake of his own nature (see 2 Pt 1:4), and the only truly worthy response to such an invitation is head first, nothing held back. Children often demonstrate a great ability to grasp and preserve this simplicity.
 Especially for those of us who have a few more years of worldly experience, contemplative practices like Centering Prayer are a way to attempt to bring this childlike simplicity to our own faith and accept God’s invitation to partake fully of the Divine Mystery, manifested in the Eucharist, and also throughout the whole sphere of existence. In detaching from thoughts and expectations and unabashedly welcoming whatever God has for us, we embrace our own plunge into the Divine, and Eucharist becomes a port of entry to a universe arising out of and drenched in Divine Love!