Christ the King

On Friday November 29, I attended the Mass at Holy Rosary parish in Toronto celebrated by Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB. In his homily, Fr. Callam, a Biblical scholar and a Thomist, interprets the first reading from the Book of Daniel (Dn 7:2-14) in terms of Daniel's nightly vision of four several beasts coming out of the sea, and symbolical of the Gentile powers judged in due time by "the Ancient of days". Daniel sees a ram with two horns (the Medes and the Persians) pushing victoriously towards the west, north and south, until it is struck by a he-goat (the Greeks) with a great horn (Alexander) between its eyes. This great horn is soon broken in its turn, and gives place to four others (the Greek kingdoms of Egypt, Syria, Macedonia, and Thrace), from one of which grows out a "little horn", namely Antiochus Epiphanes. "As the visions during the night continued, I saw coming with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man. When he reached the Ancient of Days, and was presented before him, He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed." This is Christ the King of everlasting dominion which will be in splendor in the New Jerusalem. The Mighty One who is enthroned with the Lamb slain since the foundation of the world says "Behold I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5). It reminds us by René Girard, the late Christian philosopher who wrote the challenging books "Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World" and  "I See Satan Fall Like Lightening." Bishop Robert Barron found in him a new Church father for our times (here, and here) - Read Girard here too where he wrote an important article on the truth of the Gospels in First Things. In February 2019, Bishop Barron was interviewed about the scapegoating mechanism that is taking place in social media - He reminded everyone of René Girard and his work on the scapegoat (here). In an article published in the Huff Post, Girard defends Pope Benedict XVI and his stand for the superiority of Christianity over Islam especially that Islam was already making in-roads into Europe when Girard was interviewed in 2005 by Nathan Gardels. The article was updated in 2011 - Read it here. In discussing Pope Benedict XVI, I am reminded by this greatest contemporary theologian's book "Introduction to Christianity" first published in 1968 and republished in 2004. It is the book that influenced the Biblical scholar Dr. Scott Hahn to become Catholic. I notice in the book, of which I have a hard copy, that Pope Benedict XVI praises yet another great visionary, the Jesuit scientist Teilhard de Chadin, for his thought on Man in evolutionary ideas. In my post here, the reader finds a complete chapter about the Jesuit visionary by Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI commenting on the Truth of the Resurrection of Christ which is incidentally the most important celebration in the Eastern Churches. See too an excerpt from Teilhard's beautiful Mass to God here.

Christ is the definitive Priest, Prophet, and King according to Bishop Robert Barron based on the Biblical data. Readers may wish to watch and share this fascinating talk (here) titled ["Priest, Prophet, King" Sample - Lesson 1"] by Bishop Robert Barron about Christ "The Anointed One" as Priest, Prophet and King. Christianity is not an ideology or a set of rules but a relationship with the One Christ. . Before any word was written in the New Testament, the Apostles and their disciples witnessed to the Risen Christ Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospel writers saw him in the writings of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the "Anointed Ones" were priests, prophets, and kings. In Paris, Chartres Cathedral has two windows: One shows the "Christs" of the Old Testament; while the other has the focus on "Christ Jesus the King" - You interpret the second window in terms of the first window. It is in Biblical history, starting with the story of Adam walking with God in the garden of Eden - Bishop Barron continued that the office of  the priest is to unify earth with heaven. In the interpretation of the Fathers of the Church, Adam was acting as a priest  (Genesis 2), Bereshit, “in the beginning.” Adam was also The first Temple in Jerusalem was decorated by many precious things that it symbolized the sacred cosmos where the entire creation worship the Eternal God and reflected the beauty and harmony of all creatures together, thus it unifies the three characters of beauty. See too this exceptional lecture to LA Religious Congress in 2018 by Bishop Robert Barron on beauty and harmony based on great teachers such as St. John of Damascus; a man who lived during the Ommayad Caliphate who rose against the Iconoclastics that were influenced by Islam, the beauty found in the Sistine Chapel, and in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris prior to the fire that destroyed one of its towers, the works of Paul Claudel, Thomas Merton, Jean-Marie Lustiger, and Hans Urs von Balthasar, and finally based on von Balthasar voluminous writings on finding the beauty and splendor of God from inside. 

Since in the Roman Catholic Church, the celebration of Christ the King mostly refers to the cross on which Jesus was crucified "under Pontius Pilate" (Cf. the Apostles Creed). It read, “Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek." (John 19:19-20). In  a lecture by Fr. Georges Farah  given in Jesus the King parish at the "Elevation of the Holy Cross" in 2008, he commented on the way Pilate treated the silent Christ - He then challenged his audience "What do we do today? Are not we participants in this injustice for which Christ suffered death ? Are not we like Pilate when we do not care about the little brothers of Christ?" - My readers may wish to read the great lecture here.

In his homily on Sunday November 24, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad spoke about Christ the King (here in French Le Christ-Roi, Soleil au cœur de l’homme ...). Fr. Boulad said the reign of Christ comes at the end of history...But there is more to it if we look to Christ since his birth...For there, the Gospel tells us of the Magi who came from the East to worship him as his star pointed to the King in the manger of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12). Fr. Boulad continued, the star is not a sign of "the king of the Jews" but a universal sign of that king who reigns in the soul - He is "the true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world." (John 1:9)...It is "every person" and not only the Jews. Christ came to witness to the Truth, which set us free...It is not in the star but in the conscience of everyone who sincerely seeks the Truth. Who will be in the kingdom of Christ? Not the Jews, and not Muslims, and not Christians and not atheists nor agnostics but only those who witness to his Truth...It is not in kings nor emperors nor presidents; for they are all passing...but to Him who is the king of the heart...Everyone who searches for the truth is in the light of Christ, whether scientists, philosophers, or researchers that look for ways to help heal our wounds, bodies and souls whether physically, psychologically, or spiritually. In his encounter with the Samaritan woman, Jesus pointed to her that worship of the Father is not located in Jerusalem or any other place; for "God is Spirit and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

Since Fr. Boulad spoke about the need to search for the truth that scientist attempt to see, I wish to share a couple of posts here. In October 2017, I wrote about discoveries of the "Quantum Universe" -  I personally think that it is possible that the Father has been active in the entire cosmos through His Word and by the power of His Spirit. The Triune God of Christians created the entire existing cosmos or multiverses to reflect the eternal joy of self-giving from the Father to the Son and the Son to the Father bound by the love of the Holy Spirit. Thus the quantum effect in the cosmos continues to be explored in galaxies far away as much as in the sub-atomic particles. See it here...


With all humility I wish to share the following work...Since the end of July 2019, I had correspondence with Mrs. Maggie Ciskanik, the senior writer at the Magis Center (here), founded by Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. retired President of Gonzaga University, Washington. They have been interested in using some of the posts on quantum physics from my blog. On Monday September 3, I received from them a document  written by Mrs. Maggie Siskanik titled 

"Great resources for learning more about quantum theory"

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. 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. 

Of course, I can only thank God for having used my writings for the missionaries of Christ today...