The Blessings of the Coronavirus Pandemic !

It is a blessing that the coronavirus pandemic brought so many people to feel that we need God and his mercy. In his Epistle to the Galatians, St. Paul wrote "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). If the Son of God loves us so  much, he will certainly be with us...We are challenged to really look to the other and empty the self. I think that every act involves some risk. God the Father risks his divinity, and as far as I can understand in my little mind, he empties himself to cross himself to his image, the Son. The Son is the image of the Father from eternity. He too empties himself to give it back completely to the Father bound by love which is the Spirit of God. In a certain way the coronavirus pandemic gives people the courage to risk a bit of their comfort to serve older persons who cannot leave home. 
Earlier today March 27, 2020 the Holy Father Pope Francis presided over a celebration in which he prayed to the Crucified in order that He may save the world from the affliction brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede with the angels and saints for this cause, and gave a rare "Urbi et Orbi" blessing. The entire celebration including the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament can be seen  here - The Holy Father interpreted a reading from the Gospel in which Jesus went in a boat with his apostles [And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"] (Matthew 8:23-27). The coronavirus outbreak has left countless people all over the world asking themselves: Why is God allowing this to happen? How do we respond? And where can we find hope? Listen to Bishop Robert Barron here.
In spite of fear, let us only think of the good that Our Father brings us. He already sent his Son to save the world. On this joy the reader may wish to read what Fr. Georges Farah said in Christmas 2014 here.
Let us now widen our understanding and perception of the Truth of Christ with the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad in his homily on Sunday March 22, 2020 "Rien ne comblera le vide qui m'habite" in  which he penetrates thirst as a human need and gives an example of a young boy who courageously decided to fast (here in French). It is possible to reflect upon the homily with a few points:

1. In “Banished from Eden: Original Sin and Evolutionary Theory in the Drama of Salvation” the late Raymond Schwager, S.J. traces the origin and development of humans along the evolutionary paradigm using new findings in genetics, biology, Girard’s Mimetic Theory, the listening Audio-Psycho-Phenology Theory by Dr. Alfred Tomatis, and the work and thought of Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.  Against these findings, he explores the Biblical narrative of the Fall. 

2. Imitation (Mimesis) by René Girard has been discussed by Bishop Robert Barron (here). 

But imitation can also go in the other direction if we are careful! Many saints did imitate their models and through this imitation built bigger monasteries, schools, and spent their lives learning and teaching. For example, St. Pachomius imitated St. Anthony of Egypt and built the first community of monks. St. Athanasius wrote the biography of his model St. Anthony and got it translated when he went to Rome so that in the end St. Benedict benefited from it in founding his order. The second Christian book, after the Bible, read by generations of Christians is “The Imitation of Christ.” 

3. Dr. Tomatis’s theory that "the voice does not produce what the ear does not hear", is the hallmark of his research and his method. In his research and subsequent confirmation by colleagues, Dr. Alfred Tomatis found that the earliest communication in humans takes place in the womb of the mother. The fetus at the age of 4 months listens to his mother’s feelings and is disturbed if she is having an argument with the husband. In his book “Neuf mois au Paradis” Tomatis shows that the child is secure in his 9 months in the womb of his mother and that there is memory of the child from the moment that there is a cell (i.e. from conception). Accordingly begetting or conceiving of children is much more than a mere biological process; for it is a communicative process that includes the whole human person with an intensive imaging (‘in his image’). Thus Schwager writes “Because inter-human communication is disrupted through sin and procreation belongs to this communication, we would rather listen to the procreative communication(For more info on Alfred Tomatis work see his website here).

4. Advances in technology can help scientists and healthcare professionals in helping sick persons with the coronavirus pandemic. These include nano-technology, artificial intelligence, quantum computers... 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 Electronic 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. 

 

A Day of Joy

Today March 25 is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. It is a day of joy, for Christians recall today the announcement of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you... Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son  of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end...The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Luke 1:28-35).

The world is troubled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pope Francis prayed "As trustful children we turn to the Father. We do it every day, several times a day; but right now we wish to beg mercy for mankind, so sorely tried by the coronavirus pandemic. And we do this together, Christians of every Church and Community, of every age, language, and nation. We pray for the sick and their families; for health care workers and those who help them; for the authorities, law enforcement agencies and volunteers; for the ministers of our communities.Today many of us celebrate the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of the Virgin Mary, when her humble and total “here I am” reflected the “here I am” of the Son of God. We too entrust ourselves, with full confidence, to the hands of God, and with one heart and one soul we pray "Our Father"...Pope Francis recalled how the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette at the grotto in Lourdes identifying herself as "The Immaculate Conception" on March 25, 1858 (for more about the apparitions of the Mother of God to St.  Bernadette see this web page). He was moved to tears as he recalled how the Immaculate Virgin Mary received the message that she would become the mother of the Saviour of the world. He has also invited the world to join him this Friday for Liturgy of the Word and Benediction, and the Vicar of Christ will impart the special blessing urbi et orbi: to the City of Rome, and the world. You can join in with that prayer beginning at 6 pm Rome time, 1 pm EST.

Today too Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto celebrated a Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica - See it here.

As the world is suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Jesuit scholar Henri Boulad in Cairo encouraged me to publish a post written in 2008 on the "Mystery of Suffering" that embodies hope in the victory of God over evil - This is also a reason for joy...I also received a message today from another Jesuit scholar in the United States, Fr. Robert Spitzer, with an encouragement to view or read the learning courses here. 

You may wish to read my post here.
Here is the text:
The Mystery of Suffering

The problem of suffering is a mystery. Logically speaking, suffering seems to be incomprehensible in human terms. However, Christian witness draws on Biblical and tradition experience, particularly the life of Christ, to affirm the ultimate victory of God’s love in spite of evil. 

God never causes evil, but only permits it, whether it comes in the form of natural disaster or through the actions of people who wish to inflict harm on others. God has built laws into nature and freedom into people, and God respects that freedom. Often we may be tempted to ask “Why didn’t God stop that person from sinning, from hurting others?” 

If God did such a thing, we would all live a “programmed” life..as robots. God gave us free will so that we could choose to love and do good. Evil is the misuse of this gift. On the other hand, even when evil is pervasive, God’s patient providence permits it only within limits, always seeking the ultimate salvation of his children who are open to his invitation of love. Christ said of the last days “If God did not shorten these days, no one would be saved”. Refer also to Job whose suffering, although great, was limited by God’s mercy. We are assured that, even when evil comes our way, God will not permit a trial greater than what we can withstand. Even when evil or suffering comes our way, God draws good out of it. 

Oftentimes when there is a tragedy in a community or a crisis in a family, we see people come together to support, to care for, to reach out to others in a way previously not thought possible. This is God’s grace prompting people to choose good over evil, life over death, giving over taking. The death and Resurrection of Christ is our great example of how God draws good from evil. By his death, Christ redeemed us, and by his Resurrection, he was glorified. Tragedy can help us clearly understand what is of greatest value in life: love. We put love in action by caring for people, and by responding in love to God’s love. 

Suffering is not a punishment from God. Our God is rich in mercy! He loves us and longs for us. He even suffers when we suffer because we are his children. We must always remind ourselves of this. It is true that our sinful actions have consequences that make us suffer, but we can’t regard these consequences as being willed by God. The father of the prodigal son knew that his son would suffer if he left home, even when the son would attempt to fulfill himself with external pleasures. His father still let him go out of respect for his freedom. The suffering of the son - his hunger - was a result of his action. Yet this father was also suffering, longing to see his son, and always on the lookout for him. And when he saw his son, the old man ran to receive him, embraced him and celebrated his return! God, our loving father, runs to meet us like the father of the prodigal son, even when we are still tainted with sin. Seen from another angel, suffering and trials can be considered eye-opening experiences and opportunities for us to purify our hearts, grow in wisdom, and realize how vulnerable we can be and how much we need our Father. If the prodigal son did not suffer, he would not have probably realised the need to return home, and he would be lost! Now let’s put together the above points: God never causes evil. Even when evil is pervasive, God’s providence permits it only within limits, always seeking our ultimate salvation. Even when evil or suffering comes our way, God can and does draw good out of it. Suffering is not a punishment from God. Our God loves us - He even suffers when we suffer because we are his children. Suffering can be an opportunity for us to purify our hearts and realize our need for God our Father. How love endures in suffering. Love itself involves suffering in this imperfect world. Growth and maturity, whether physically or spiritually, involve suffering and sacrifice. 

God’s grace prompts us to open ourselves to his love. As we grow in love towards the ‘other,’ we experience a longing to the beloved and this involves suffering. As we grow in love, we sacrifice of what we have for the good of the beloved, and this involves suffering. The more I love, the more I trust and become unselfish, and the more I die to myself in order to give more space for the beloved. We see this love perfectly in the life, suffering and death of Jesus Christ. His life was full of love. This is why he endured a lot of suffering and rejection and still accepted it. He went around healing people - even the enemies and the wrongdoers. He was misunderstood by his own disciples but he chose to love them further. He even called Judas, who betrayed him, a “friend”! Yet, he was rejected: his miracle that cured the lepers was not acknowledged, his listeners - amazed at his wisdom - still questioned his authority, his disciples whom he chose were more interested in their seats in the kingdom rather than in his mission. His healing of people was not always welcome as when they wanted to throw him off the cliff. He suffered humiliation by Pilate, and was considered a criminal by the Jewish authorities who conspired against him to put him to death. He was even mocked by the Roman soldiers and tempted by the Devil. At the end even his supporters fled away. Despite all his suffering culminating on the cross, he still loved his people and asked his Father to forgive them! Jesus’ love for his Father is yet another eloquent example of love that endures suffering for the sake of the beloved. Jesus’ long dialogue with his Father expresses his love and trust of his Father to the point of death and beyond death. He is alone in prayer and all his friends are already asleep! But here, in the depth of his loneliness, he utters the word “not my will, but your will.” We hear Jesus to the last moment, even in his agony and anguish on the cross, calling upon his Father and talking to his Father with complete trust. In the end, he says “In your hands, I lay down my soul.” This is Christ’s redemptive love. His love does not allow him, on this earth, but to suffer, and his suffering redeems man. 

How do we share in the redemptive suffering of Christ? St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is the Church.” Pope John Paul II commented on it: Just what is the discovery that Paul has made? And from where does his joy come? The Passion is complete, infinite in its satisfactory power, for with the Lord there is plenteous redemption. So neither Paul nor anyone else could add to that. The secret of Paul’s joy is that he now understands the salvific power of his own suffering. The cross has a meaning. He knows that Christ suffered in order to establish the reign of God. He knows, too, that Christ in His incarnate divine Person has in some way united Himself to every man. Therefore, would not every man be offered the possibility of becoming a “partner” in the Paschal Mystery? Would it not follow that the sufferings in his own flesh would serve to help bring “completeness” to Christ’s Passion by “conveying” the salvific power of the Redeemer’s suffering to that little Christian community there at Colossae? In this way he would more fully become Christ’s felllow-worker for the Kingdom. So Paul rejoices in this discovery and shares it with others so that they, too, will come to understand the salvific meaning of suffering. Accordingly, through their suffering Christians can become “collaborators” in the divine plan of Redemption and thus help to bring “completeness” to the sufferings of Christ. 

At one level, when we see our beloved suffer, we suffer with them. We are in solidarity with them. And that brings us closer to each other with more consolation and bonding. At a deeper level, responding to our own suffering without bitterness helps not only our inner healing but also makes us partners in the redemptive act of Christ that brings out the resurrection from death. At a deep level, we were all partners in solidarity with Adam in the original sin of disobedience. We become partners in solidarity with Christ in his act of obedience and self-emptying love. For example, those that are terminally ill, can be partners in the redemption of people if they choose to find the meaning of their suffering and death and accept it with the same spirit of trust that Christ gave. Not only they reflect and convey their radiant peace to their relatives and friends, but they also conquer that fear of absurdity with their trust in the loving God. The mystery of suffering of the innocent begs many questions. However, in Job we find that even though God does not give an intellectual answer, he justifies Job and blesses him multiple times after his sufferings. 

The Taizé Community comments in one of its articles on the website: The last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, shows in chapter 6, a great vision of human history seen in terms of a book sealed with seven seals. The first four seals depict humankind left to itself—a downward movement heading inexorably towards death. With the fifth seal we enter into the opposite movement, that of God’s coming to save. And it begins with the cry of "the souls of all the people who had been killed…" (Revelation 6:9-11). We should not limit this group to Christian martyrs; it evokes rather "the blood of every innocent person that has been shed on earth, from the blood of Abel the just" (Matthew 23:35; see Revelation 18:24). In God, the blood of the innocent receives an effective power that counteracts the destructive effects of violence. Their apparent defeat inaugurates a movement of liberation that culminates in the cross of Christ. This is what is shown in the opening of the next seal, which leads to "the great Day of the wrath of the Lamb" (Revelation 6:17). In the Bible, God’s "wrath" or "anger" is a technical term that describes the divine response to sin in order to restore justice that has been flouted. Here, it refers to the act by which Jesus takes all human sinfulness upon himself by undergoing its consequences to the very end, in his own body (see 1 Peter 2:21-24). By giving his life to the end, then, Jesus shares the fate of all the innocent victims of inhumanity and in this way ensures that their torment has not been in vain. He carries their suffering within his own relationship with the One he calls Abba and, since the Father always hears him (see John 11:42), we have the guarantee that this suffering is not wasted. It brings about the disappearance of the old world order marked by injustice, and the appearance of "new heavens and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). This is the definitive response, because it is a lived one, to Job. Far from tolerating even for a single moment the suffering of the innocent, in his beloved Son, God drinks to the dregs that bitter cup with them and, in so doing, transforms it into a cup of blessing for all.

Challenges for Joy in spite of Fear

Yes. We are all afraid that we could suffer and lose lives or lives of beloved ones in the corona virus pandemic. Political leaders in most countries have assured their citizens that they will protect them as much as possible. See a report on these efforts in several countries here.
However, we thank our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said "A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10).
If the above is interpreted literally, I would say that it applies to my life here and today since memory of thanksgiving helps us - (If interested in mine, see my posts here, and here). 
Instead of being absorbed in fear, we can spend some time on comedy and jokes. See here a a few jokes for the family from BabaMail.com  
We continue to pray to God for all the living and the dead. See this Sunday prayer.
Why the beloved is beautiful. Is not the child beautiful in the eyes of his mother regardless of his intelligence ? This is how we are in God's eyes. See my post here.

In his homily on the father of the faithful Abraham this past Sunday March 15, 2020, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad, in Cairo, spoke about some fundamental scientific findings in a metaphoric language. He mentioned how Abraham is the father of a multitude (monotheistic religions: Jews, Christians, and Muslims). Abraham was, so to speak, the rock that was thrown in the lake and caused concentric circles that grow from the center. This is very much the picture of the cosmos with the great galaxies it contains.  Abraham's children are the Jews who manage today the banks, complex management centers, research in America and Europe. He also touched on Chaos Theory which is a field of study of dynamic systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. It has applications in meteorology, physics, engineering, and economics. The so-called butterfly effect shows how a butterfly flapping its wings in China can cause a storm in America. Although these systems are called deterministic, they nevertheless exhibit unpredictability akin to the probabilistic nature in quantum physics. I wrote extensively about the quantum universe which is the fruit of God's creation - see here, and here...
May the Lord through whom everything has been created bless all and give comfort to all.

A Prayer on a Sunday

O Lord God, everyone who is in need prays to you even if they do not pray...In this coronavirus pandemic that has taken away so many victims, caused much suffering, and caused separation or isolation of so many communities, cities, and countries, there is only YOU to whom we can go. In the Gospel according to St. John it is written "Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also wish to go away?'
Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'" (John 6:67-69). Consider us like the "Prodigal Son" whose father, upon finding him, opened his arms and embraced him who had squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation (Luke 15: 11-32). Consider us like the leper who asked you to heal him and you "moved with pity" touched him and made him clean (Mark 1:40-42). Heal all the sick, O Lord, regardless of which religion or atheistic fellowship they follow - Have mercy on all through the intercession  of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the most pure of all creation who delivered the Saviour of the world.

Amen...

Challenges

Today we are faced with many challenges...For a coverage of those challenges, this post is divided:
1. Coronavirus has been declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). On Friday March 13, BBC published a report by WHO showing Europe has become the epicenter of the pandemic (see it here). More on this is found in the closure of schools and universities in most of the  Western countries. On March 13 too, Pope Francis prayed for the persons and families afflicted by the coronavirus pandemic and for pastors of the Church to accompany the people of God in this crisis asking the Holy Spirit to show them how to discern proper ways that they do not leave the people of God alone (see it here.) Elise Ann Allen reported from Rome for Crux here (In a March 13 letter, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Vicar of Rome, said he had a meeting with the pontiff Friday morning, and that during the conversation, Francis urged him to look beyond the immediate healthcare precautions. “He prompted us to consider another need: That with the closure of our churches, other ‘little ones’, this time of a different type, will not find a reason for confusion and disorientation,” De Donatis said, adding that the risk of closing churches is “for people is to feel even more isolated.”). On March 13, the American President Trump spoke about his approach to contain the pandemic. He indicated that in order to protect people against the virus, he ordered separation of America from citizens in China and almost all of the European countries - He praised Google for creating a large website to help the Administration, while American top health officials spoke about research in major American universities and labs...(Listen to Fox News here). 
In the Archdiocese of Toronto, Thomas Cardinal Collins issued a statement in which he asked the faithful to stay home in the weekend in order to help contain the pandemic coronavirus. This would be a sharing in Christ's cross on the part of the faithful that for the sake of the community they would not receive the Eucharist. In his Epistle to Galatians, St. Paul wrote "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). 
Although his wife tested positive with the coronavirus, Canadian Prime Minister Justin  Trudeau said that according to health experts he does not need to be tested for Covid-19 (National Post here). CBC reported that the Canadian government will be announcing financial measures to help Canadians with the economic fallout (here).
2. We are challenged to really look to the other and empty the self. I think that every act involves some risk. God the Father risks his divinity, and as far as I can understand in my little mind, he empties himself to cross himself to his image, the Son. The Son is the image of the Father from eternity. He too empties himself to give it back completely to the Father bound by love which is the Spirit of God.
On Sunday March 8, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad spoke about the sin of Adam and Eve.  It is not a scientific account in Genesis but it is in the heart of history. It is the drama that we live. He said that after their temptation to be like God, they felt their nakedness and so they had to cover themselves. On the contrary, when Jesus was tempted by the Devil after his fasting for 40 days, he always answered that in God alone there is survival and eternal kingdom (here "Vérité du mythe ..." in French). Jesus said to his Apostles "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." (Matthew 20:18-19). Fr. Georges Farah commented on the decision by Pilate to crucify Jesus "He questioned Christ at length, prompted by his wife’s request to release him. But Christ remained silent! He then asked him 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered,'You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.' Pilate said to him, sarcastically, 'What is truth?' as if saying to him: You have nothing. You are going to be killed for saying things. Be wise. Forget about truth-Just worry about your life and survival here.  I can release you and you can go to Rome. Live your life there as a free man…Pilate could have said that to any other person but the answer of Christ is the same. The Truth is a big thing in Christ’s way of thought and life. He must defend the Truth to the end. He is not politically correct. And he cares for everyone even when everyone is against him.'Behold the Man' Pilate tells the Jews when he is surrendering Christ to them. Christ is said to have been crucified on the place called Golgotha i.e. The Skull, the skull of Adam- the skull of humanity. His blood went into the skull of humanity and he went to Hades so that he could save by his death the dead humanity. Christ’s Cross is tied to his Resurrection. No life without death. Now look at Pilate and think of us: Do what you want – Just be silent in matters of truth. Is not this how we think today? Do not we crucify Christ everyday?". 

Islam is another challenge to Christians since both preach their own beliefs in  Jesus Christ. This is evident in most Western countries of Europe and Canada. 

Christ in Islam A summary of video lecture by the Biblical scholar, Rev. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., S.T.B., PhD. and, Daniel Ali, founder of the Christian-Islamic Forum and author of “Inside Islam.” (See more on the presenters at the end of this text).
In the dialogue between Catholics and Muslims, we need to communicate with our Muslim brothers in a respectful and truthful way. We cannot evangelize them like in the past. The past relationship had indeed much animosity, even wars, between people of both religions. Since Muslims believe that the Christian Scriptures have been tampered with, we rely in this lecture on Islamic sources. Islam means submission to God to do his will and get to paradise. Muslims believe, however, that Christianity is a religion of the past and Islam is the religion of the future. In their view, the current Bible is corrupted and Christians misrepresent the real Christ in their current Scripture. Hillary Bulloc commented that Islam’s big attraction is its simplicity.
In this lecture we will look at Christ as pictured in Islamic scripture (the Qur’an) and Mohammed’s tradition (Hadith…etc).

Christ’s titles in Islam
There are 12 main titles for Christ in the Qur’an but most repeated ones are:
1. Slave (or Servant) of God: The newborn Jesus spoke and said “I am indeed a servant (or slave) of God” “He (God) has given Me a revelation and made Me a prophet” (19: 30)
2. The Word of God: The word is a command of God rather than St. John’s understanding in the first chapter of his Gospel (John 1:1). It is more like God’s word to create every creature in Genesis: “Let there be light…”
3. The Spirit of God: Christ is the Spirit of God but not in the sense of the Holy Spirit. The Angel Gabriel is also the spirit of God. Mohammed is the Paraclete or Spirit of God.
4. Sinless: Jesus is one of 2 sinless persons. His mother Mary is the second sinless person.
In Christian categories, the meanings of the above titles are very different than in the Qur’an: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.” (Isa 42: 1-4), “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa 53: 3-6)
This language is foreign to the Qur’an. In no way can a prophet suffer in Islam. Messiah is a passive description in the Old Testament that describes the Anointed. In the Qur’an he is depicted as the Anointing. In Arabic he is described in a positive way as one whom anoints.

Original Sin
Muslims believe that after Adam sinned he asked God for forgiveness, and God forgave him. Therefore, humans do not share in the sin of Adam. And they do not need a redeemer from Adam’s sin. The crucifixion of Christ is attested to in non-Christian sources such as Josephus the Jewish historian of the 1st century. But the Qur’an says in 4:157-157 “They said ‘we killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah,’ but they killed Him not, nor crucified Him. Only a likeness of Him was shown to them. And those who differ on this are full of doubts, with no knowledge but only a conjecture to follow. Because of a certainty they did not kill Him. No, God raised Him up unto Himself, and Allah is exalted in power, wise”

If we look at the history of the first years of Islam, we notice that Mohammed failed in his first year in Mecca. At Medina, he became a success, a religious success and a political success. So he encouraged his disciples to wage raids and wars against his enemies. God would not allow a prophet to suffer. All the prophets according to the Qur’an were persecuted and not treated fairly, yet only Jesus was assumed to heaven alive.

Assumption Theory in Islam Jesus was taken up to heaven alive and a man who looked like him was crucified. Some Muslims say Jesus is still alive in heaven. Other Muslims say Jesus died – though not on a cross – but in a way unknown to anyone. The Qur’an in 19:33 says that when Jesus was born, he said “And peace is on Me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life” In Mohammed’s tradition, one sign of the Last Judgment is the second coming of Christ, but why:
1. Kill the anti-Christ
2. Destroy all crosses on earth
3. Kill all pigs
4. Marry
5. Live for 40 years
6. Die and then be resurrected again

Theological Problems If we assume that Jesus is still alive in heaven, Jesus is said to die after the Judgment Day. But the Judgment Day is already the day for the resurrection of the dead and the determination of eternal fate in Paradise or Hell. The problem with the Muslim who claims that Jesus is already dead is this: Jesus must come on Judgment Day, where he will be resurrected, but then, Mohammed’s tradition claims that Jesus will live forty more years, then die and be raised again. This results in one birth, two deaths, and two resurrections. Muslims also believe that Jesus is a priest. Mary is considered of the family Amran. The name of Amran’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi who was born to Levi in Egypt, and she bore to Amran: Aaron, Moses (the prophet), and Miriam. The Qur’an thus makes Mary part of the priestly tribe of Levi rather than from Judah and therefore Jesus her son was also from the tribe of Levi, contrary to the Old Testament that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, and the family of David.

At the end of the world, Jesus has to come back to Jerusalem through the Temple Mount (Al Aqsa Mosque). Since Jewish priests are not permitted to enter a cemetery, a Muslim cemetery was made in front of the Beautiful Gate on the eastern side of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. That’s their way of stopping Jesus from coming back at the end of the world. In one way, God is absolutely almighty but in another way they are able to stop Jesus from the second coming. In Mohammed’s tradition, Jesus was taken up to heaven without dying – Assumption Not Ascension.

Al-Razi (9th century Persian Muslim) lists 6 ambiguities (The video lecture allowed only 5)
First: If we allow the likeness of one person to be cast on another, that would entail sophistry. For if I see my son (the first time) then I see him again, it becomes possible that the one I see for the second time is not my son but just an impersonation. That will eliminate the trust in the perceptible concrete things. What I see is not what it is but a mirage. Muslim theologians in the Abbasid period of the Caliph Al Maamoun, were influenced by the Greek philosophy of Plato. Anyone who believes in the only Omnipotent, admits that God is able to create, for instance, another person in the image of Zayd. Such similarity does not necessitate the above uncertainty.
Second: God the Most High ordered Gabriel, peace be upon him, to accompany (Jesus) most of the time. This is what the expositors indicated as they interpreted his saying “As I upheld Thee with the holy Spirit” Al-Razi responds: If Gabriel, peace be upon him, defended (Jesus) or if God enabled Jesus, peace be upon him, to repel his enemies, his miracle would have been achieved by force of constraint. This is not admissible.
Third: God the Most High could have saved (Jesus) from his enemies by lifting him up to heaven. What then is the use of casting his likeness on somebody else. Would not this cause an unfortunate person to suffer death for no reason? Foe Muslims, God’s omnipotence does not allow him to suffer. God cannot possibly suffer.
Fourth: If he caste his likeness on another person and then was lifted up to heaven, people would think that the ‘Shabih’ (the one who resembles Jesus) is Jesus when, in fact, he was not. That would make him then a subject of deception, and this is incompatible with God’s wisdom. Al-Razi’s response: Jesus’ disciples were present and they were aware of the circumstances which surrounded the event. Thus they would remove that ambiguity. (But the Gospel knows that Jesus died on the cross. They preferred to be killed rather than deny it. Thomas doubted and the Apostles thought he was a ghost until they ate with him).
Fifth: Multitudes of Christians in both East and West, despite their extreme love of Christ, peace be upon him, and their excessive exaltation of him, reported that they saw him slain and crucified. If we deny this, that would be a discrediting of what was verified by oral transmission.

Concept of martyrdom: In Christianity, martyrdom is a total self-giving. If you die to yourself you shall live-If you live for yourself you shall die. In Islam, it is the opposite. A Muslim told me in Jerusalem: Jesus is not the son of God- He did not die on the cross. I said to him: Who knows you better than any other person in the world? Your mother! Here is the problem: Do I believe Mary who said she saw Jesus naked and dead or Mohammed who, 6 centuries later, said that he did not? I think I found the solution! When you talk to our Muslim brothers, tell them the truth.
End of Video
George Farahat’s own comment: We have a lot in common with Muslims: We believe in the same God. Muslims venerate Jesus as a prophet and a messenger from God. They venerate his mother as a sinless creature along with her son, and they consider Mary to be the highest creature of God. Muslims also pray and fast like we do. They give from their possessions to the needy (Zakat), and those who can are obliged to go on a pilgrimage at least once to their sacred places (Mecca and the Holy Land). However it seems that their difficulty lies in the cross. The cross is the single thing that Christians are known by. It is their blessing every time they pray. St. Paul says of the cross “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14) And also “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 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: 5-11). In our faith, the cross is present in the Triune God from eternity (metaphorically speaking); The Father empties himself in love for his only begotten Son and the Son receives that self emptying love and returns it to the Father – That binding self-emptying love between the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. This is the centre of our faith. I dare to speculate that the death of Christ on the cross is a re-presentation in time of the eternal self-emptying cross in God. And the Eucharist the Church offers so often in thanksgiving is a re-presentation of the self-emptying love and death of Christ on the cross. The agent of the Eucharist is the same agent of the eternal self-emptying love in God: The Holy Spirit. Glory be to Him with the Father and the Son for ever. Amen. George Farahat

About the Video Presenters: The video presented is the 4th in a series on “Christianity and Islam” by Ignatius Production, 2003, and has been edited in writing to the best of our ability.
Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., S.T.B., PhD. is the Founder and President of Ignatius Productions, a Catholic media production apostolate whose mission is to teach people the scriptures, educate Catholics about their faith, and promote unity and understanding within the Mystical Body of Christ. He has taught in a number of universities, and has lectured at hundreds of conferences around the world as a well-known Biblical scholar since 1976. He has also appeared in and hosted international radio and television programs and is well known through his program on EWTN. Rev. Pacwa is fluent in 12 languages including ancient languages: Aramaic, Greek, Latin, Arabic and Ugaritic.

Daniel Ali is founder of the Christian-Islamic Forum, established in 2001 to promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims. His extensive studies of Muslim and Christian scholars brought him to the Catholic faith in 1995. He wrote “Inside Islam” published by Ascension Press in 2003 and has spoken in many universities, conferences and churches around the world.