PCS 402: Eucharist: Embracing an Open Table

Welcome, beloved companions on the journey.

At the heart of this course is the table hospitality of Jesus.

Again and again in the Gospels, Jesus gathered people around open tables where barriers dissolved and human dignity was restored. He shared meals with those considered outsiders, sinners, women, the poor, the sick, and those rejected by religious authority. Around the table, people encountered compassion instead of condemnation, belonging instead of exclusion, and love instead of fear.

In inclusive Catholic communities today, we are reclaiming this original spirit of Eucharist as the prayer of the People of God. We are rediscovering worship rooted in shared participation, baptismal equality, mutual blessing, and radical hospitality. We are remembering that Christ is fully present not only in bread and wine, but in the gathered community itself.

Together, may we continue building communities where all are welcomed, all are valued, and all are invited to the table of Christ.

Course Description

This course explores the theology, spirituality, history, and practice of Eucharist within inclusive Catholic communities that embrace an open table rooted in the radical hospitality of Jesus. Students will examine how Eucharist evolved in the early Christian communities and how contemporary inclusive communities are reclaiming participatory, justice-centered, and Spirit-led models of worship grounded in baptismal equality and shared discipleship.

Through Scripture, theological reflection, feminist and liberation theology, historical study, liturgical practice, and communal dialogue, participants will deepen their understanding of Eucharist as the sacred meal of the People of God rather than a sacrament controlled by clerical hierarchy or institutional exclusion.

Special attention will be given to:

• Jesus’ table hospitality with those marginalized by society
• Early Christian Eucharistic practices
• Vatican II’s vision of active participation
• Feminist and liberation theology
• Inclusive Eucharistic language and liturgy
• Shared leadership in worship
• Eucharist as healing, justice, and transformation
• Open table theology within inclusive Catholic communities
• Eucharistic celebrations in online and hybrid communities

Students will engage in practical liturgical development, Eucharistic prayer writing, interactive reflection, and the creation of inclusive worship experiences that embody compassion, equality, healing, and Gospel justice.

This course is designed for ministers, spiritual leaders, liturgy planners, seekers, and all who desire to explore Eucharist as a living celebration of Divine Love that welcomes everyone to the table.