astronomically speaking...

During its 221st meeting, the American Astronomical Society announced the identification of 17,000,000,000 Earth-sized planets in our galaxy. That means that 17% of the stars in our galaxy have a planet up to 1.25 times the size of Earth in an orbit lasting 85 days or less. Ours, of course is not the only galaxy. Since even the most powerful of our instruments can view only a fraction of the universe, no one knows how many galaxies exist. Astronomers and cosmologists estimate that there are 100 to 200 billion galaxies, but a German supercomputer simulation recently posited the existence of 500 billion. There may be a galaxy out there for every star in the Milky Way, and each galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars.

In other words, we're just a speck of dust in our 13.8 billion years old universe. Yet, what a wonderful speck we are and how precious is the glimmering blue orb we inhabit.  Nothing could be rarer than our planetary home, and each one of its inhabitants is unique. Do we need more motivation to receive the gift of life with gratitude and pursue it with courage? On the worst of days, despite the odds, we exist. None of us knows how long we will live, but whether for a moment or a century, life is miraculous. How can we know that and not feel grateful and not want to revere, protect, sustain, and preserve the miracle that we are and have?

Add this to the pondering. On April 18, NASA announced that its Kepler space telescope had discovered three exoplanets (An exoplanet is a planet outside our solar system.) that may have the capacity to support life. One of them, Kepler-62f, is 1.4 times bigger than Earth and circles a star smaller and dimmer than our sun. The neighboring Kepler-62e is 1.6 times larger than Earth. Both of them orbit their star in the "habitable zone," the appropriate range of distances where liquid water can exist on an exo/planet's surface. William Borucki, Principal Investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center, declared that these orbs "look very good as possibilities for looking for life."

We may never have the ability to meet them face-to-face, but we may have kissing-cousin creatures somewhere in the vastness of all that is. Only 4.9% of all that is consists of ordinary matter. The rest is dark matter and dark energy. Yet, that 4.9% suffices for our extraordinary world and lives and possibly other worlds and lives as well. Far from making us less unique, that makes us more extraordinary and deepens my sense of awe. Despite the odds, life finds a way. Not everyone calls the reason for that God, but we do. God's reach extends far beyond us. As a part of God, our capacity for relationships exceeds our imaginations.

There may be a galaxy out there for every star in the Milky Way, and each galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars. We inhabit a planet just the right distance from one of those hundreds of billions of stars to make life possible. That ought to make us feel profoundly grateful for our lives and fill us with desire to do something worthwhile with our lives. In Paul's words, "Rejoice always." In the words of our baptismal liturgy, "Obey Jesus' word and show his love."

            Easter Blessings,

            LP