The New Jerusalem

[Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!' And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, 'To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!] (Rev. 5:11-13).

On the Solemnity of the Assumption in 2009, these words from Revelation inspired the Archbishop of Toronto: [God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne.The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God....Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”] (Revelation 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a; 10 ab) This reading from Apocalypse is a reference to the sign of the woman whose son was destined to rule the nations. She, like any other human, had to escape into the desert in order to deliver her son. She has to suffer like the Israelites suffered in the desert before the glory of her Son should shine. This is Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, crowned with twelve stars referring to the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of her Son and God. She is clothed with the sun and the moon is under her feet. That is how the Second Eve brought us salvation after the First Eve brought us the curse. The dragon, that is Satan, lured the First Eve into disobedience, and wanted to lead the Second Eve into disobedience too. But Mary, reminds us Luke, said “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Mary, like her Son, was assumed to heaven because she surrendered all her life to the will of God. It is because she was willing to give her life to God that he was born of her. This is our mission too: To surrender ourselves, as Mary did, to God. Today, when we are faced with challenges to our faith, let us follow Mary in her path for we want to hear the angel in our midst “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”

[1 Then I saw a new heaven, and a new earth. The old heaven, the old earth had vanished, and there was no more sea. 2 And I, John, saw in my vision that holy city which is the new Jerusalem, being sent down by God from heaven, all clothed in readiness, like a bride who has adorned herself to meet her husband. 3 I heard, too, a voice which cried aloud from the throne, Here is God’s tabernacle pitched among men; he will dwell with them, and they will be his own people, and he will be among them, their own God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, or mourning, or cries of distress, no more sorrow; those old things have passed away. 5 And he who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.] (Revelation 21:1-5).

Entry to the New Jerusalem is a matter of love. St. Bernard of Clairvaux a Doctor of the Church who was a mystic too in the 12th century, wrote about the four degrees of love:

"The First Degree of Love: Love of Self for Self's Sake
Love is a natural human affection. It comes from God. Hence the first and greatest commandment is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God." But human nature is weak and therefore compelled to love itself and serve itself first. In the human realm people love themselves for their own sake. This is planted within us for who ever hated his own self?
The Second Degree of Love: Love of God for Self's Sake 
God, therefore, who makes everything that is good, makes himself to be loved. He does it as follows: first, God blesses us with his protection. When we live free from trouble we are happy, but in our pride we may conclude that we are responsible for our security. Then, when we suffer some calamity, some storm in our lives, we turn to God and ask his help, calling upon him in times of trouble. This is how we who only love ourselves first begin to love God. We will begin to love God even if it is for our own sake. We love God because we have learned that we can do all things through him, and without him we can do nothing.
The Third Degree of Love: Love of God for God's Sake
In the first degree of love we love ourselves for our own sake. In the second degree of love we love God for our own sake, chiefly because he has provided for us and rescued us. But if trials and tribulations continue to come upon us, every time God brings us through, even if our hearts were made of stone, we will begin to be softened because of the grace of the Rescuer. Thus, we begin to love God not merely for our own sakes, but for himself.
The Fourth Degree of Love: Love of Self for God's Sake
Blessed are we who experience the fourth degree of love wherein we love ourselves for God's sake. Such experiences are rare and come only for a moment. In a manner of speaking, we lose ourselves as though we did not exist, utterly unconscious of ourselves and emptied of ourselves.If for even a moment we experience this kind of love, we will then know the pain of having to return to this world and its obligations as we are recalled from the state of contemplation. In turning back to ourselves we will feel as if we are suffering as we return into the mortal state in which we were called to live.
Can We Attain the Fourth Degree of Love?I am not certain that the fourth degree of love in which we love ourselves only for the sake of God may be perfectly attained in this life. But, when it does happen, we will experience the joy of the Lord and be forgetful of ourselves in a wonderful way. We are, for those moments, one mind and one spirit with God.I am of the opinion that this is what the prophet meant when he said: "I will enter into the power of the Lord: O Lord I will be mindful of Thy justice alone." He felt, certainly, that when he entered into the spiritual powers of the Lord he would have laid aside self and his whole being would, in the spirit, be mindful of the justice of the Lord alone."
The 20th century Jesuit scientist, Teilhard de Chardin has also contributed to the eschatological vision of creation submitted by Christ to the Father - Calling Christ the "Omega Point", Teilhard de Chardin cites Biblical references . For example, Christ is the Word of God through whom all things were made (John 1:3). In his Epistle to the Romans St. Paul wrote "Creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 8:18-23). When creation is submitted to God, then He will be "all in all"(1 Corinthians 15:28). In his poetic language, the visionary in the Book of Revelation described God with Greek philosophical words "The Alpha and Omega"(Rev. 1:8).

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI cited the cosmic vision of Teilhard de Chardin as a living host (here).

From "Mass of the Cosmos" by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. (borrowed from Teilhard.com)

“Since once again, Lord — though this time not in the forests of the Aisne but in the steppes of Asia — I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the real itself; I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it will offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world.

Over there, on the horizon, the sun has just touched with light the outermost fringe of the eastern sky. Once again, beneath this moving sheet of fire, the living surface of the earth wakes and trembles, and once again begins its fearful travail. I will place on my paten, O God, the harvest to be won by this renewal of labour. Into my chalice I shall pour all the sap which is to be pressed out this day from the earth’s fruits.

My paten and my chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day.

One by one, Lord, I see and I love all those whom you have given me to sustain and charm my life. One by one also I number all those who make up that other beloved family which has gradually surrounded me, its unity fashioned out of the most disparate elements, with affinities of the heart, of scientific research and of thought. And again one by one — more vaguely it is true, yet all-inclusively — I call before me the whole vast anonymous army of living humanity; those who surround me and support me though I do not know them; those who come, and those who go; above all, those who in office, laboratory and factory, through their vision of truth or despite their error, truly believe in the progress of earthly reality and who today will take up again their impassioned pursuit of the light.

This restless multitude, confused or orderly, the immensity of which terrifies us; this ocean of humanity whose slow, monotonous wave-flows trouble the hearts even of those whose faith is most firm: it is to this deep that I thus desire all the fibres of my being should respond. All the things in the world to which this day will bring increase; all those that will diminish; all those too that will die: all of them, Lord, I try to gather into my arms, so as to hold them out to you in offering. This is the material of my sacrifice; the only material you desire.

Once upon a time men took into your temple the first fruits of their harvests, the flower of their flocks. But the offering you really want, the offering you mysteriously need every day to appease your hunger, to slake your thirst is nothing less than the growth of the world borne ever onwards in the stream of universal becoming.

Receive, O Lord, this all-embracing host which your whole creation, moved by your magnetism, offers you at this dawn of a new day.

This bread, our toil, is of itself, I know, but an immense fragmentation; this wine, our pain, is no more, I know, than a draught that dissolves. Yet in the very depths of this formless mass you have implanted — and this I am sure of, for I sense it — a desire, irresistible, hallowing, which makes us cry out, believer and unbeliever alike:

‘Lord, make us one.’”

— Teilhard de Chardin

In closing, let us sing the hymn "Love Divine" with the choirs at St. Anne's, Belfast. The angelic choirs sing in heaven and we on earth sing to Jesus...here.

The Kingdom of God !

On July 26, 2020 a Mass was celebrated at Lourdes (here in French) where pilgrims from all over the world go for prayers and the possibility of cure through the intercession of the "Immaculate Conception"; the  means through which the Blessed Virgin Mary identified herself to Saint Bernadette Soubirous when the Mother of God appeared to her several times starting on February 11, 1858. The Virgin Mary asked Bernadette to drink water from a spring that gushed near "the grotto" where the apparitions took place. The Lourdes Commission that examined Bernadette after the visions ran an intensive analysis on the water and found that, while it had a high mineral content, it contained nothing out of the ordinary that would account for the cures attributed to it. Bernadette said that it was faith and prayer that cured the sick: "One must have faith and pray; the water will have no virtue without faith". Years after her death, medical doctors who examined Bernadette's body reported that it remains incorrupt (see this article dated February 2019 in the New Catholic Register here). Close to 5 million pilgrims from all over the world visit Lourdes (population of about 15,000) every year to pray and to drink the miraculous water, believing that they obtain from the Lord healing of the body and of the spirit. 

The above reminds me by Sister Bernadette (Mary) Reis who is a member of "The Daughters of St. Paul" order. She frequently translates the Mass of the Holy Father Pope Francis when she can in Rome. In interviews recorded in 2015, and 2020 she speaks how she felt the call of God as early as the age of 9; how she felt that she was assisting Jesus when she helped the weak; that God loves us - He asks us only to be patient to see his providence at work; and the gift she is given by the Lord in extending herself beyond herself (watch her here; here; and in 2020 here). 

In his homily on Sunday July 19, the Holy Father Pope Francis  commented on the Parable of the weeds (Mt 13:24-43) and reminded the faithful of the Master's patience - He does not pull the weeds lest the good wheat gets removed and burned, but awaits till the harvest when they will be separated for the weeds to be burned but the good wheat saved - He said that "the adversary that Jesus refers to has a name: it is the devil, God’s quintessential opponent. The devil’s intention is to hinder the work of salvation, to stonewall the Kingdom of God through wicked workers, sowers of scandal. In fact, the good seed and the weeds do not represent good and bad in the abstract, no; but we human beings, who can follow God or the devil. Many times we have heard that a peaceful family begins to be at war, or envious... a neighbourhood that was peaceful, then nasty things begin to happen... And we are used to saying: 'Eh, someone went and sowed weeds there', or 'that person in the family sowed weeds by gossiping'. Destruction always happens by sowing evil. It is always the devil who does this or our own temptations: when we fall into the temptation to gossip to destroy others.The servants’ intention is to eliminate evil immediately, that is, evil people. But the master is wiser, he sees farther. They must learn to wait because enduring persecution and hostility is part of the Christian vocation. Certainly, evil must be rejected, but those who do evil are people with whom it is necessary to be patient." The full homily can be read here.

On Sunday July 19, the 10 am Mass at Holy Rosary parish in Toronto was celebrated by Msgr. Robert Nusca, pastor and a renowned Biblical scholar. In his homily he compared the Parables of the Lord in Galilee to today's challenges in scientific advances from sub-atomic particles to nano-technology which tend to distract us from the purposes of the supernatural world and above all the purposes of God who is close to us. About the kingdom of God Jesus said "It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." (Luke 13:19). The natural world can lead us to contemplate the mystery of God - The kingdom of God. Msgr. Nusca said that commentators found in the parables a scathing critique of the social order of masters and slaves, rich and poor, and hard heartless of religious authorities...Today the new evangelization of the Gospel may seem insignificant in the powerful tree of life. Yet, amid the current uncertainties and militant atheism, God will bring forth glorious results...The Mass can be followed here.

On Sunday July 19, at the Byzantine Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Toronto, the 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Fr. Youhanna Hanna and served by the renowned Homsy choir and others too. In the homily, Fr. Youhanna Hanna commented on the Gospel reading (Mt. 5:14-19) in which Jesus teaches his disciples "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." The kingdom of God is found in doing God's good work to others on earth.

On Sunday July 19, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad uttered a homily in French (here) on the development of the human race which refers to St. Paul's notion that the entire creation is in travail; her infancy in development is a process in which God let it become.  In his Epistle to the Romans St. Paul wrote "Creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 8:18-23). When creation is submitted to God, then He will be "all in all"(1 Corinthians 15:28). In his poetic language, the visionary in the Book of Revelation described God with Greek philosophical words "The Alpha and Omega"(Rev. 1:8) - According to the Church Fathers, the inspired author is John the Apostle whose Gospel starts too with the words "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God"(John 1:1). Contemporary Biblical studies show that John wrote his inspired Biblical books near the end of the first century - Since Paul was martyred around 64 AD, his Epistle to the Romans would have been written earlier. It also confirms the belief since early Christian era that God is Trinity in One. 

In his Epistle to the Philipians, St. Paul writes "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:6-11).

However, how will creation "share in the glorious freedom of the children of God"? If baptized Christians are not committed to their baptismal promises, how will they be able to do justice to others ? In a large country such as the United States whose constitution is based on Christian values,  inequality based  on skin colour would be contrary to "the dream" of Martin Luther King, and, therefore, contrary too to man's responsibility for nature - the sower's "seed that fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up" and "his seed that fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots." But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty fold. 

The evolution of the entire cosmos is the story that ends with the "New Jerusalem" (Rev. 21:2). 

To get to the New Jerusalem, love is the key. "Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!' And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, 'To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!" (Rev. 5:11-13).

I wish to share what I know about a few saints who followed Christ with love...from my blog...

St. Bernard of Clairvaux on "The Four Loves": (here); The Third Teresa - A Woman for All Seasons (here); A Man for All Seasons - St. Thomas More (here); Maximilian Kolbe in imitation of Christ (here); What Made Rita of Cascia a Saint? (here).

I also received a message from Most Reverend Emeritus J. Jules Zerey. I am sure that all who know him will pray for his health.

:Let us end this little post on the Kingdom of God with St. John Chrysostom's homily at Easter here...

Meaning in Life and Death ?

Fr. Sherif Nashef was a beloved priest in the Greek Catholic community of Egypt. Aged 51, he died on July 15, 2020 from severe respiratory pneumonia caused by the highly mutative coronavirus leaving behind his family of a wife and 2 young children and a Church in shock and sadness. A few years ago, one of my brothers-in-law; a physician in France was diagnosed with cancer in the lungs and in less than 2 years it had spread to his brain. When he and his wife, my sister-in-law, visited us in Toronto in Summer 2017, there was hardly any meaningful conversation with him. Weeks after they departed to Paris, he fell in the street while going to his clinic and died shortly afterwards surrounded by his wife and children at home. He was only 65.

The meaning of life and death seems to have been ignored more recently especially where there is much suffering. One country that lives in debt and a high level of unemployment is Lebanon. A recent musical initiative of hope involves taking the Lebanese dance and music online so more people would contribute to the resurrection of Lebanon. See a little video named Baalbeck 2020 - Sound of Resilience here (in Arabic).

Even in the absence of reference to God, scientists and philosophers have continued their exploration.

In 1801, the well-known French mathematician-physicist Pierre-Simon marquis de Laplace told Napoleon "There is no need for God in [my] hypothesis" referring to his contribution to the nebular model, still accepted, that he developed.

Since the late 19th century, much scientific discoveries have changed the way the universe is understood.

In the early 20th century, Jean-Paul Sartre questioned the existence of being - For him, his freedom requires the non-existence of the Divine. In contradistinction to Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, Sartre maintained that existence precedes essence. His existentialist philosophy can be found here. Sartre was followed by the "Absurd" notion of Albert Camus in which suffering is absurd. More on his work can be found here.

Sigmund Freud was the first to describe the theory that "the mind is a complex energy-system, the structural investigation of which is the proper province of psychology. He articulated and refined the concepts of the unconscious, infantile sexuality and repression, and he proposed a tripartite account of the mind’s structure—all as part of a radically new conceptual and therapeutic frame of reference for the understanding of human psychological development and the treatment of abnormal mental conditions." See more here about his theories of psychological abnormal suffering.

Indeed, scientists no longer include reference to God in their research and exploration.

In 2015,  Leo Kouwenhoven at TU Delft in Amsterdam, the Netherlands gave a talk in which he showed how nature itself works through quantum processes. As an example, a plant leaf takes the light of the Sun and, through quantum processes, electrons find a way to efficiently bind to the oxygen molecule thus they together produce oxygen that is necessary for human life...Professor Kouwenhoven was speaking about building quantum computers already made in the lab (see here)...

And in the world of advanced technologies, much has been developed:

On February 27, 2020 a webinar showed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Powering the Fight Against Financial Crime (here). Earlier in February 2020 Rebecca Knill, a writer who was deaf, explained how digital implants in her brain enable her to hear (see TED here). In November 2019, amazing developments by two researchers Paul McEuen and Marc Miskin showed their exploration of new frontiers in nano technology that could turn smart iphones into artificial intelligence devices and, if successful, it could be planted in the brain or be used in other fields of communication (here) or as already used in medical sciences, it could be a new manufactured tool that helps physicians diagnose cancer early. Most interesting is the scale at which material can be bent without being broken - It is practically a quantum machine (see it here).

Google uses AI in bringing answers to queries of users. The algorithm used in machine learning mimics human behavior based on its large database from many sites on the Internet (Large Data). It is the same "Large Data" shown by NOVA in a documentary titled "Einstein's Quantum Riddle" and published in early 2019 here.  Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance,” but today quantum entanglement is poised to revolutionize technology from computers to cryptography. Physicists have gradually become convinced that the phenomenon—two subatomic particles that mirror changes in each other instantaneously over any distance—is real. But a few doubts remain. NOVA follows a ground-breaking experiment in the Canary Islands to use quasars at opposite ends of the universe to once and for all settle remaining questions. (Premiered January 9, 2019.)
I have already written about the "Quantum Universe" here and here...

Here are some newly found facts about the reality of quantum physics since the Big Bang (from the most recent to the older):
Physicists all over the world are looking for a theory that unifies all fields of inquiry (A Unified Grand Theory). Two theories are competing: String Theory (Point-like particles are replaced with one-dimensional objects called strings that propagate through space and interact with each other) and Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG).  LQG begins with Einstein's Theory of General Relativity (which predicts Gravitational Waves - See Nobel Prizes below) and attempts to add quantum features.
In October 2017, the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to Rainer Weiss (MIT), Barry Barish (Caltech), and Kip Thorne (Caltech) for their contributions in the LIGO detector that confirmed Einstein's Theory of General Relativity re space-time curvature and the existence of quantum gravitational waves that go back to the Big Bang (see here).

In 2017, Bishop Robert Barron spoke about communication and image making of everything which, if followed in reasoning, it leads us to The Trinity in God (here).

In July 2019, Maggie Ciskanik, senior consultant associated with Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer President of Gonzaga University from 1998 to 2009, and quite active on EWTN, contacted me in order to publish some material that I had posted on my blog about the cosmos. In early September 2019, I received this message from her - I am sending it with humble heart as, in my opinion after reading Sir John Polkinghorne,  it shows that the cosmos is stamped by the Trinity - The God of Christians:

Great resources for learning more about quantum theory (and its relationship to a Trinitarian God)

There is an enormous corpus of talks, articles, commentaries, and youtube presentations focusing on one of the strangest discoveries of the 20th century: quantum mechanics and its startling attendant features, the principles of uncertainty and superposition. When you consult the resources identified in this post by Mr. George Farahat, be prepared to increase your understanding of how quantum mechanics has changed our understanding of reality, and how it relates to theology.

Two phenomenal lectures by two outstanding professors in two countries have enlightened research about the vast cosmos we live in and its quantum fields that penetrate every creature on earth.

The first is a lecture given by Professor Leo Kowenhoven at Delft University in the Netherlands, 2015 (here). In his talk, Professor Kowenhoven shows how nature itself works through quantum processes. He uses the example of a plant leaf which takes the light of the Sun. Through quantum superposition, electrons find a way to efficiently bind to the oxygen molecule, a process essential for human life since we need oxygen to live. He goes on to explain how “qbits” are necessary in building quantum computers and reveals that he and his team have already made these “quantum bits” in the lab. Some of the most interesting ideas come near the end of the talk (starting around the 11th minute) when he lists the big challenges that super quantum computers can help solve, such as: more efficient energy use and storage, better airplane design, optimization for robotics, machine learning, and the use of nanotechnology in healthcare. 

The second lecture, “The Real Building Blocks of the Universe” was given by Professor David Tong at Cambridge University in 2017. In a brilliant summary of quantum theory, he reveals that there are 16 “fields” that interact in a “harmonious dance.” Along the way, Tong also discusses Einstein's Theory of General Relativity (space-time flow), J. J. Thomson's discovery of the electron, Ernest Rutherford's model of the atom (a nucleus made of protons and neutrons with the lighter electrons moving around it), Faraday's discovery of electromagnetism, James Clerk Maxwell's work, Schrodinger's Wave-Particle Equation, Heisenberg's Principle of Uncertainty, and the thought-experiments of Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen.

Black holes and quantum theory

A great explanation of black holes, by a panel of experts found in this 2015 World Science Festival presentation, was delivered in the presence of the late British physicist and black hole expert, Professor Stephen Hawking. The presentation also explains the relationship between black holes and quantum theory.

Astonishment at quantum behaviour

In 1982, Alain Aspect and his team were able to experimentally prove that two photons emitted from the same atom will still be in contact tens of miles away. The reader may wish to listen to his lecture here, animated by his love for and “astonishment at” quantum behaviour.

Quantum theory and its relationship to a Trinitarian God

In the printed word, much of the material written by Sir John Polkinghorne, retired professor of mathematical physics at Cambridge University, is very informative and insightful. In one of his latest books, “Quantum Physics and Theology” (2008), he comments on how “relationship” is being discovered even at the subnuclear level: 

“Quantum theory brought to light a remarkable form of entanglement between subatomic particles that have once interacted with each other (the so-called EPR effect), which implies that they remain effectively a single system however far they may subsequently separate spatially—a counterintuitive togetherness-in-separation that has been abundantly confirmed experimentally as a property of nature. The physical world looks more and more like a universe that would be the fitting creation of the trinitarian God, the One whose deepest reality is relational.” -Sir John Polkinghorne

Dr. Stephen Barr has written extensively on the relationship of quantum physics and theology as well. (See, for example, his article in First Things here).

What can we conclude?

The above resources reveal and help explain the 2 most important observations in quantum physics:

1. The probabilistic nature of particles which yields the Uncertainty Principle

2. The communication between particles at long distances (quantum entanglement)

From 2 above, we can say that everything must be in a relationship. In Christianity, the concept that God is relatedness or relational is found not only in Holy Scriptures (see for example 1 John 4:8; John 10:30; Col 1:15-19; Phil 2: 6-11; John 15), but also in doctors of the Church like St. Thomas Aquinas and, in our days, Bishop of Rome Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

If this is true, then we can say that the cosmos is signed by the stamp of the Triune God of Christians. 

George Farahat holds a Masters degree in Information Systems and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He is a retired systems analyst who now uses his time to pursue numerous interests which include Biblical theology, anthropology, history of civilizations, and information technology. He regularly shares his insights on his blogspot Today’s Questions. The original post can be found here. 

In his homily on Sunday July 12, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad spoke about life and suffering (here in French titled "Pourquoi le Mal; Pourquoi la Souffrance") where he referred to St. Paul's ""For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. 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 8:19-25) - Indeed, as Fr. Boulad said, the entire creation is in travail; her infancy in development is a process in which God let it become. This is evolution. At the same time, I read an article titled "Theories of Evolution before Darwin" written by Maggie Ciskanik, M.S. and published here on July 10 at the Magis Center

With all the difficulties in suffering, there are some states or countries in the West/North that have officially legalized the use of the so-called assisted-suicide allowing health-care professionals to administer ending the life of patients that request their assistance. The Catholic Church and other religious bodies have already made it clear that any health professional may not be forced to act against their well-developed conscience.  

Let us hope that after all the current doubts of the mercy of God, Christians will still have the hope that St. Paul expressed here "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;" (1 Tim 1:1).

Darkness !

In his homily last Sunday Fr. Henri Boulad spoke about being burning with the justice of God, a father who teaches his children through discipline and by purification as shown in the lives of the great figures in the Old Testament.

Indeed he touched upon the horrible acts of barbaric humanity that live with us and within us in spite of advances in studying human psychology... In such free societies today, it is heart-breaking to see the exploitation of children for sexual pleasure and the selling of their bodies by the "mafia" for cheap financial benefits. It is also slavery that continues in America with the supremacist mentality against black people. It is the denial of worshiping the real God who invites all to be his children since we are too busy in worshiping the self, fame, and self-gratification through sexual pleasure. The Internet is full of such videos that show nude young women and children whose dignity has been removed or suppressed. 

As the first World War was killing millions, the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima looked sad on the world that she loves and asked the children to pray more for the repentance of souls as she told them to send a message to the authorities: If souls do not repent, a larger war would engulf nations. 

In spite of all the terrible temptations by the evil one and souls, God still offers his unconditional love to everyone.

With the man-made coronavirus pandemic, people have the chance to pray for their beloved ones, and the sick. They have the chance to help their neighbours, the abandoned and the elderly, and in such acts of mercy they imitate Christ who gave up himself on the cross because to the end he loved his Father and everyone of his fellow men and women.

Emmaus - Walking with Jesus !

Based on the Gospel reading (Luke 24: 13-35), two of Jesus' disciples were going to Emmaus and were conversing about Jesus. Jesus was walking besides them but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. Seeing them in a state of despair, Jesus asked why? They answered that Jesus of Nazareth who "was a prophet mighty in deed and word" was crucified to death by their chief priests and rulers - but they "were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this it is now the third day since it took place". Some women of the group, however, astounded them that they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body."  Jesus replied "Oh, how foolish you are!... Was not it necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter in his glory." So, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. As the day was almost over, they invited him to stay with them.When he said the blessings, broke the bread, and gave it to them their eyes were opened and they recognized him but he vanished from their sight! It was a surprise which prompted them to quickly return to Jerusalem where they found the eleven saying the Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon...
The Pope pointed that the despairing disciples going to Emmaus were running away from Jerusalem where Israel expected the Messiah to rule and increase the power of Israel over all the nations, yet Jesus was crucified there by the chief authorities...Only when Jesus walked with them could they find in him their hopes by the One risen from the dead...

Today we live in fear as many people have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and some of them have really become victims and/or died in spite of advanced science. Despair reigns in hearts...Emmaus seems a new tyrant... We really need to pray more so as to feel the presence of God's love in the Risen Christ (Read Pope Benedict XVI here)...

Remarkable statements by Pope Francis
The two disciples are full of despair ...The Master is dead and thus it is pointless to hope...The cross of Christ was the cross of their own ideas about God; the death of Christ was the death of what they thought God to be. But in fact it was they who were dead buried in the tomb of their limited understanding."*
2. "Those who do not pass from the experience of the cross to the truth of the resurrection condemn themselves to despair! For we cannot encounter God without first crucifying our narrow notions of a god who reflects only our own understanding of omnipotence and power."**
3. "The Church needs to know and believe that Jesus lives within her and gives her life in the Eucharist, the scriptures, and the sacraments. The disciples on the way to Emmaus realized this and returned to Jerusalem in order to share their experience with the others. 'We have seen the Risen One...Yes, he is truly risen!' (Luke 24: 32)"***

Notes
* Fr.  Georges Farah commented on the tomb or rock in which Christ was buried. He called it "the cave of Plato" in the Greek philosopher's Republic. The inmate of the cave is imprisoned and is blind because he cannot see. According to Fr. Farah, we too are imprisoned in our own darkness and fantasies but Christ rose to give life to those who believe and act on their faith.

** Here Pope Francis probably refers to ideologies that do not recognize God's suffering love - These ideologies, such as Islamic Sharia, see in God an omnipotent One but also a God who can hate and deceive.  In Christianity, God is love.

*** Here Pope Francis boldly tells his listeners that the Church continues to be nourished by the Eucharist as a sign of full unity in Christ. The celebration of the Eucharist is a joy because of the Real Presence of Christ.

On Sunday July 5, 2020, I joined  online the 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy by the Greek Catholic community in Toronto celebrated at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration by Fr. Youhanna Hanna with hymns by the renowned Homsy choir among other servants. Quite a few people who physically attended it received the Eucharist by Fr. Youhanna Hanna and Fr. Michel Chalhoub. In his homily, Fr. Youhanna commented on Chapter 10 from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (here) and Jesus' healing of the Gadarene Demoniacs (Matthew chapter 8 here).

The reader may wish to read more about the Divine Liturgy in the Greek Catholic Church here.