2018: A Year in Review

I thank God for the way he blessed me and extended my life through the work of giant physicians since May 1986 (over 32 years ago). I thank God for my wife and children who generously care for me as well as my brothers, sisters-in-law and their children and those who call me almost daily to ask about my health (If interested see the post in October 2018 here and this one ten years earlier in July 2008 here). I would like to mention my devoted students at Jesus the King Melkite Catholic parish whom I taught "Christian Questions Today" for 7 years.
Yesterday December 30, 2018 was the memorial of the Holy Family. At Holy Rosary parish in Toronto, Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB, PhD. gave a homily on marriage in Canada and the West in general where same-sex marriage is legal. He compared it to the sacramental marriage in the Church between a man and a woman that is permanent and open to procreation while love between husband and wife constitutes the way children are raised at home before they are in school. The reader may wish to read it here. Fr. Callam holds a doctorate in theology from Oxford University. Quite active, he often lectures at St. Thomas University in  Houston, Texas. A few days ago I found the conversion story of R.R. Reno (who is now the Editor of First Things) to the Catholic Church (here). The Pastor, Msgr. Robert Nusca - a renowned Biblical scholar, who earned his doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and is quite active, commented on it that it was a good story for the faithful to hold on to the faith.
Yesterday too Jesus the King Council of the Knights of Columbus released its December newsletter - I contributed an article titled "The Gospel of Life" based on the teachings of Pope Saint John Paul II  and so did the Grand Knight, the Ontario State Deputy and the Chaplain (attached).
On Christmas Day I wrote a post commenting on the homily at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration by Fr. Ibrahim El-Haddad, BSO and showing the beauty of the renowned Homsy choir, the Eastern Byzantine Church and its tradition - It shows also how an Eastern Christian Saint John of Damascus has influenced Christianity in the West in Medieval times - He spoke Arabic and learned Greek and wrote "The Fount of Wisdom" which is a collection of the Fathers and Church teachings  -  John of Damascus fought with his pen the Iconoclast heresy started by the Byzantine emperor Leo the Isorian as the emperor forbade Christians to venerate the icons of Christ and the saints (see it here).
My beloved mentor and Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad continues his active missionary work in Egypt, Europe (particularly in France and Hungary) and in Canada where he gave a retreat in Montreal in October. His latest homilies include this one on Sunday December 23 ("Marie, qui prépare la venue de Jésus ..." here). In his words, Fr. Boulad said that the Holy Spirit drove Mary (already pregnant in Jesus) out of herself as she was able to travel 200 kms on foot to go help her aged cousin Elizabeth.
It is important to recall and relive Christianity based on a good understanding of its history (a slightly long post written here in March 2018).
The Lord' Prayer is an integral prayer that Christians know by heart. It is important to note that "Give us this day our daily bread" is an invitation of Christ to be in us through the reception of his body and blood in the Mystery of the Eucharist (see this essay written in August 2018 here).
Building human civilization in a world that keeps changing with technology is not an easy task, but still an important one. 
If we go back to January 2018, we find "The Axis of History" here based on works by Fr. Henri Boulad, Bishop Robert Barron, and Sir John Polkinghorne. 
With regard to cosmic physics see also my post in June 2018 on Black Holes here.
Recent scientific findings in CERN were announced a few days ago where it published an article titled "The future of particle physics in Europe is taking shape" here. This does not mean that America, Russia, or China is behind in any way. On December 28, 2018, The Washington Post published an article claiming that Russia's military intelligence using advanced computer technology is active in Europe and other parts of the world. Read it here. China's XiPing too is working to assimilate the power of the United States and Russia. MIT Technology Review published recently an  article claiming that the U.S. attempt to keep Artificial Intelligence out of China could actually help China (read it here).
As the business corporate leaders rethink implementations of digital technology, TechRepublic wrote that technologies are driving business in 2019: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, 5G and edge computing. I had written on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data as well as other information here and here.
I am reading two books that I received a couple of days ago. 
1) The 500-pages "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by Professor David Griffiths (He earned his PhD. from Harvard and taught modern physics at 5 universities including University of Massachusetts and Stanford University). It is a text book taught to university students
2) "Principles of Catholic Theology: Building Stones for a Fundamental Theology" by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI). In this voluminous book, Ratzinger show the anthropology and development of philosophical thought including the 20th century "Philosophy of History". His theological insight is decidedly "deep in the water", a reference to Christology. 
We have great hopes that in God's merciful love the new year will be a blessing to all of humanity.