"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father." (John 1:14)
"Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name" (Matthew 6:9-13)
Sunday September 8 was the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God celebrated with much veneration in the Eastern Byzantine parishes. In the Troparion of the feast, the choir sang in the Divine Liturgy: "Your nativity, O Mother of God, heralded joy to the whole universe, for from you rose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. Taking away the curse, he imparted blessings. And by abolishing death, he gave us everlasting life." The choir also chanted the hymn "Mothers cannot be virgins, nor virgins mothers and yet in you, O Theotokos, both virginity and motherhood were planned and fulfilled. Wherefore all the peoples of the earth unceasingly extol you. Amen." My twin brother, together with my second brother and his wife attended the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at St. Simeon Melkite Catholic parish in Windsor headed by Fr. Gerard Abi Saab where "The inexhaustible Chalice Icon" has continuously exuded oil since August 6, 2019. The church has since been visited by many of the faithful from different cities in Ontario, Canada. In his homily in the 11 am Sunday Divine Liturgy, Fr. Gerard Abi Saab commented on the Gospel's reading "God so loved the world that he gave His only-begotten Son, that those who believe in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.” (John 3:16). The young charismatic pastor indicated that we often forget our commitment to Christ and spend much of our time busy with much worldly concerns; yet we want to be in heaven as soon as our spirits leave this world. The feast became widely celebrated in both East and West after the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD officially proclaimed the Virgin Mary mother of Jesus "Theotokos" i.e. Mother of God (for more on the feast, see The Catholic Encyclopedia here). At Holy Rosary Roman Catholic parish in Toronto, the priest celebrating the 10 a.m. Mass prayed with the faithful "Hail Mary Full of Grace..." before giving the blessing at the end of the Mass. In his homily, Msgr. Robert Nusca, a well-known Biblical scholar, commented on the "wisdom" of the world compared to the wisdom proposed by Christ and followed by the saints according to Jesus words "anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” Biblical scholars agree that the author of the Book of Wisdom presents his version of Solomon’s prayer (1 Kgs 3:6–9; 2 Chr 1:8–10). The author identifies Wisdom with the word of God just as he again identifies Wisdom with the spirit of God in v. 17. All three are alternate ways of expressing God’s activity in relationship with the world and its inhabitants. Although the expressions draw on the language of Plato concerning the human condition, the conclusion is very biblical: God remains a mystery (Jb 38–39; Eccl 8:17; Is 40:12–14; Rom 11:33–34). The plight of humankind is clearly one of ignorance, unless the “holy spirit” is sent from God (Cf. USCCB Biblical Commentary on "Wisdom" here).
On the same Sunday, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad commented on the theme of "wisdom" (in French "La philosophie, chemin de sagesse ..." here). Fr. Boulad first asked the question "Does the Holy Spirit breathe outside of the Church?" to which the answer is "Yes". However, what makes this answer reasonable? Fr. Boulad responds that about 100 years before Christ, the "Book of Wisdom" was written by an author that follows Solomon's prayer and is inspired by the Greek philosophy of Plato. In fact, Plato's philosophy was the tool used by Christian apologists, scholars, and philosophers for many centuries after the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus Christ. The original meaning of the word philosophy comes from the Greek roots philo- meaning "love" and sophia, or "wisdom." ... In other words, they want to know the meaning of life. Human wisdom is sometimes considered wisdom opposed to the Divine...But a profound look shows that the Divine is the crowning of the human wisdom that searches for the truth. St. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Romans "We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:22-25). If we open up to the reality of the one God, we will experience and taste the Lord - "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8). In receiving the Eucharist, the faithful, in the state of grace, tastes the Lord Jesus Christ and eats him; for "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." (John 6:54-56).
You may wish to share a few developments that may help us open our eyes to the wisdom of God; for God works through everyone and everything according to his providential care...
First, In a series of mind-bending demos, inventor Mary Lou Jepsen shows how we can use red light to see and potentially stimulate what's inside our bodies and brains. Taking us to the edge of optical physics, Jepsen unveils new technologies that utilize light and sound to track tumors, measure neural activity and could possibly replace the MRI machine with a cheaper, more efficient and wearable system (Watch it here in this fascinating TED Talk in April 2018)...This is certainly a source of hope for patients with cancer and other types of tumor...
Second, you may wish to share this report here titled "Can computers have a soul ?" about artificial intelligence from Magis Center founded by the Jesuit scholar Fr. Robert Spitzer. This year, in the same vein, Quanta Magazine published a report here titled "Curious About Consciousness? Ask the Self-Aware Machines".
Third, NASA scientists continue their research for future landing by humans on Mars - See this report "NASA Tests Space Concrete for Future Mars Habitats" here published by Extreme Tech...
And in early September Quanta Magazine published a report titled "Are We All Wrong About Black Holes?" (see it here).
Indeed, in conceiving the Word of God in her womb, the Virgin Mary heralded joy to the whole universe...
And finally, Bishop Robert Barron asked today "Have you read this literary masterpiece?". It is a book titled "Life of Christ" by Venerable Fulton Sheen - A PDF formatted file of this great book can be found here:https://www.sacredheartshrine.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Life-of-Christ-Fulton-J.-Sheen.pdf
In the introduction to the book, these words are found
"Widely proclaimed a classic work of Christian faith, Life of Christ has been hailed as the most eloquent of Fulton J. Sheen's many books. The fruit of many years of reflection, prayer, and research, it is a dramatic and moving recounting of the birth, life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ, and a passionate portrait of the God-Man, the teacher, the healer, and, most of all, the Savior, whose promise has sustained humanity for two millenia.
With his customary insight and reverence, Sheen interprets the Scripture and describes Christ not only in historical perspective but also in exciting and contemporary terms -- seeing in Christ's life both modern parallels and timeless lessons. His thoughtful, probing analysis provides new insight into well-known Gospel events.
An appealing blend of philosophy, history, and biblical exegesis, from the best-known and most-loved American Catholic leader of the twentieth century, Life of Christ has long been a source of inspiration and guidance. For those seeking to better understand the message of Jesus Christ, this vivid retelling of the greatest story ever lived is a must-read."
