The Debate of Christianity and Materialism

Why do Christians need to be concerned about materialism? The answer may lie in this excerpt published November 24, 2014 by CNS about the Ebola's panic spiritual roots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw3g7e5QMXw

As I was preparing this text, I realized that Sunday November 23, 2014, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe. On this day, which is also the celebration of Jesus the King Melkite Catholic Church in Toronto, the Biblical Gospel reading recounts Jesus words in the Last Judgment (Matt 24: 31-46). This Gospel has been traditionally the most powerful of all of Christ's pronouncements. In his homily on the same day Biblical readings, Fr. Henri Boulad, S.J. who helps children and families in Egypt, illuminates the picture of Christ the King, not a king of slaves as humanity has seen until today, but a king who looks after his people. Jesus brings us from our doubts and uncertainty into his heart, goes after the lost child, rescues the scattered sheep, does not send another to find it, but he himself rushes to bring the lost sheep. The Good Shepherd is the real king. The elect on the Day of the Last Judgment are those who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed strangers, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited prisoners because the good that they did to the little ones are, in Jesus eyes, done to him. Henri Boulad, in his amazing style, said "God is not interested in slaves to give him glory. He is interested in hearts that love. Christ said he is king, not when he was gloriously elevated by the crowds but when he was in great pain experiencing the wounds and insults inflicted upon him because he dared to say the truth" (John 18: 37) (The homily can be watched in French here). The question today is whether people materially comfortable at home do give to the needy facing untold uncertainty in the Middle East, Christian families who are persecuted whose men are killed and whose women  are violated, raped, and sold by terrorists such as ISIS and Boko Haram. One way to donate a bit from our comfort can be found in this website: Food for Syria here. Another is to help Jerusalem students get better education here.

Another deep  reflection was given by Fr. Georges Farah at Jesus the King parish in September 2008: The gospel of the Crucified shows the forces that stood against Christ on his way to save them: the high priests, the people, and Pilate. The crowds were singing to Jesus a week earlier and now they turned against him. The high priests thought they were not doing anything wrong. Their duty was to keep the Law and to make sure that no revolution will take place when they are occupied by a staunch enemy: the Roman empire. They thought it is better for one man to die than the whole nation to perish. Pilate was a foreign governor who had no interest in religious Jewish quarrels. His dialogue with Christ before ordering his crucifixion sheds light on us today as much as it did then. 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 surrenders 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?

If we look again in Apocalypse, written near the end of the first century, we find seven warnings to seven churches. The warning to the church in Laodicea is particularly relevant to Christians today.
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: `The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. "`I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" (Revelation 3: 14-22).

Laodicea is a city about 80 miles east of Ephesus in Asia Minor, a wealthy commercial center that exported fine woolen garments and was famous for its eye salves. So rich was it that it was rebuilt without external aid after the earthquake of 61 AD hit it.

Having introduced the Christian community in Laodicea near the end of the first century, let us briefly comment on the above message. The word 'the Amen' is a divine title found in Isaiah 65: 16 applied here to Christ who is also the beginning of creation or through whom creation is made (Cf. John 1:3). But the crux of the message is the contrast between a wealthy and blind church that says she needs nothing and her need to be clothed by Christ. Christ knows her works that she is neither cold nor hot and warns her that her commitment to faith and to helping the needy in faith is so low that she has become nauseating to him. This is the major obstacle to our lives in the Spirit. Materialism is globally widespread that the Church herself has grown childless in many places. The denial of the European Union of Europe's Christian roots is the result of atheist materialism which results in lives lived without hope of eternal joy. When nominally Christian young people feel that their lives are meaningless, they embrace other ideologies and religions. It is the reason that radical Islam is spreading in Europe and the reason why ISIS, as violent as it is, attracts them.

But it is strange that so many difficulties are put in the way of Christ the King even though the West recognizes today the human dignity of every person.  The contemporary scholar and Professor (now emeritus) of civilization at Stanford University René Girard spoke about the Last Judgment in an interview with him here. Watch it again to better understand the relationship of Christianity, violence, and Islam. But more than ever, according to Girard, the contemporary world is very much apocalyptic. An example he gave in the interview is the hurricane that destroys much life not caused by nature alone but by Man and nature combined. The fact that humanity is being conquered by advances in technology (talk about robots!) which could overpower the human rational thought not far from today is the result of materialism. This is the challenge of materialism. It is with this fear that we live today. If this sounds too complex, the reader may wish to read my lecture titled "Apocalypse Now" given in July 2009. We are now used to be consumers. We love to spend much time on entertainment and only little on learning.

In his 2007 encyclopedic book "A Secular Age", Charles Taylor critiques the secular influence that the liberal Western world has experienced since the 18th century revolutions and the Enlightenment. The Canadian Professor (now emeritus) of political science and philosophy at McGill University has become an icon in the debate over human values in societies that embrace human development yet ignore Christianity that has inspired human dignity. Charles Taylor makes the distinction between degrees of secularity in countries in terms of how much the public space has been emptied of God. In Europe, God is hardly recognized in the public space or institutions. In the United States, however, the secular state does not forbid worship of God. Although religion is separate from state. all religions are freely practiced by their followers in pubic institutions (except those that violate the freedom of religions as found in the American Constitution). A third category is found in states where religion is an influential identifier of the state such as Islamic countries and primitive societies in Africa and Asia.  It seems that the misuse of freedom in the West leads to slavery to the more politically -correct.
The author discusses our story as it seems to lie in the increasing interest in nature for its own sake, not simply as a manifestation of God. Atheism starts with doubts and evolves in the rejection of religion in the public sphere of social and institutional gatherings. But more on that later...

In the global societies we live in, it is understandable that kids and young adults may be hooked to materialistic attachments as is obvious in peer pressure.  Lack of proper education contributes to ignorance and immoral behaviour. There are many ways for the serious persons to educate themselves and their families. I had written on the power of education here. Ignorance and shallow knowledge make it easier for unscientific ideologies to penetrate the minds of people. The Gurus of Hindu mythology have been popular with the simplistic minds of many North Americans. Only check libraries that contain books written by the "New Age" guru Deepak Chopra. In 2008, I documented a video on how science discovered evidence for God presented in a summit that included the radical atheist Antony Flew here. Flew acknowledged his conversion to theism at the end of the summit. We watched the video and should get more people to watch it. In 2013, I wrote a brief article on quantum physics where we find evidence for the Trinity in the cosmos. The reader may wish to read it here.

Materialists are not content with their gains. In order to influence consumers into buying their own products rather than others, some businesses have already contracted neuromarketing scientists who research and analyze the brain's sensory centers in response to data that influence decision making.  I have listened to Thomas Zoega Ramsoy and Per Moller, both Associate Professors in marketing and neuroscience at the University of Copenhagen. A shoe store that sells expensive leather shoes may add a tiny small amount of smell-producing leather in the store only to get the visitor to smell it and think that the shoes are high-quality shoes.This marketing technique raises the probability of buying the shoes from the store.

As yet, the explorations in neuroscience are constrained to material stuff in the brain. Over the past 3 decades, philosophy of mind has become a field of research. In 2009, Oxford University published "Did my neurons make me do it? Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will" written by two leading scholars: Nancey Murphy and Warren S. Brown. Although the book contains certain errors, the authors nevertheless debunk Determinism of atheist philosophers such as Daniel Dennett based on evolutionary scientific findings.  The deterministic universe of Newton has already been discarded since the advent and explorations of quantum physics. It can only get more complex. One example the authors give is the behavioral pattern of the Sphex ichneumoneous, a type of wasp, that illustrates how it builds a burrow for the purpose of egg laying. The wasp stings a cricket in such a way as to paralyze it but not kill it. She drags the cricket inside the burrow, lays her eggs and closes the burrow. The same wasp goes back to inspect the cricket, now paralyzed, and see if it moved to bring it inside for the wasp grubs coming out of the hatched eggs in time. Although it is genetically predetermined, the behavioral pattern of moving the cricket closer several times and changing the strategy suggests goal-directedness. What is missing is memory which is obviously found in humans.

We cannot address here the harm that materialism is doing but hope that greed will give way to love and charity. We will have to come back to the Christian Spiritual Exercises proposed by St. Ignatius Loyola. It is essential that Christians and their leaders become more Christ-like. If we believe that the life-giver Holy Spirit of God guides the Church, we have hope and pray that we too will find our joy in God.

For further readings Cf. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy particularly its entries in Philosophy of History.

Why Christianity Will Not Die

Do ISIS extremists scare Christians?

On Friday November 14, 2014, Jesus the King Church hosted another video-event on the growth of the Church in the world from the early Biblical testimonies of the Apostles. The video featured the lives and struggles of St. Peter and St. Paul in a lively documentary recorded in old cities they preached in. It was narrated by Fr. Robert Barron in the extremely popular Series "Catholicism."

On Pentecost Peter spoke about the risen Christ to thousands gathered from many nations for the feast. When they heard him, Luke writes, "they were cut to the heart" (Acts 2: 37) and three thousand were baptized in one day!

Another great Christian witness is an ordinary man who, in his conversion, sought to find God in all things...

Ignatius Loyola was brought up in Spain. The founder of the order of the Society of Jesus in the 16th century was not born a monk. He was born to a Basque noble family, a man of pride ascending the ladder of fame in Spain, then manifested in the military honour and power of knights, and the dating of nice girls until he was seriously wounded in the battle of Pamplona in 1521. In Ignatius of Loyola we see again the power of the transformation God uses in us -weak humans - so that we can become one day united to him in Christ. God who is the eternal Mystery is also the approachable father who calls everyday his servants to become closer to his eternal Son.

While being hospitalized, Ignatius read De Vita Christi written by the influential theologian Ludolph of Saxony and there he contemplated in a vision the "discernment of spirits." From the hospital emerged the conversion to Christ when Ignatius experienced the joy of being with Christ and likewise the experience devoid of joy when he projected his glory without Christ. True joy is a fruit of the Spirit as written in the New Testament. And here Ignatius discerns the true joy which will carry him, with some friends, to Jerusalem and then to Rome. The Jesuits or Society of Jesus, approved by Pope Paul III in 1540, were active in the Counter Reformation preaching. They carried the missionary work to China in the Far East, to the Middle East, and the New World. Ignatius of Loyola was beatified and then canonized in 1622. In his active life as a disciple of Christ, Ignatius educated many followers in the Exercises. The Jesuits have been at the forefront of Catholic education. Not an easy task in an increasingly secular environment, they continue to teach and found universities and schools in the entire world. Among them you will recognize such giants as the twentieth/21st centuries Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner, John Courtney Murray, and Avery Dulles with their suffix S.J. or sj which means Society of Jesus.

And finally we move to today...

Let us only review the great testimony by Christian children who were killed recently by extremists before the eyes of their horrified parents in Iraq and Syria.Those kids could not betray their faith in the face of death. Or let us count the Christian girls raped by Boko Haram and other terrorists in Nigeria and beyond. In spite of human weakness, heroism is manifested everyday by ordinary persons who clothe the naked, and feed the hungry. What Mother Teresa sought is now being done on a larger scale. Heaven celebrates the little ones.

Is it possible that Christianity dies? Not really. The scores of missionaries come today from Asia and Africa. They are here to stay and move when needed and where needed. In America alone, in spite of evil, the academia and media dedicate new channels for Catholics because they know their global reach and their religious roots. In Europe, Catholic schools are filled with Muslim students.Their parents insist on giving them the good education found in Catholic schools and universities. It is quite possible that the new evangelization will be carried out by Muslims converted to Christianity. In a recent homily Fr. Henri Boulad, S.J. cites an Egyptian Muslim, Nahed Mahmoud Metwalli, who converted to Christianity and wrote a number of books: "Ma rencontre avec le Christ" and "Islam encounters Christ."

Why should Man be loved?

Why Man Should Be Loved - You ask me,  Why should Man be loved??
I answer: the reason for loving Man is Man himself. And why should Man be loved for his own sake? Simply because Man is created to reflect the majesty and love of God. 
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  Others for Self's Sake 
I cannot be happy alone, but in need for others for my own security. The first person that cares for me is my mother. I love her because she cares for me. Although I build my relationships around me, I learn that my parents love me unconditionally.  In life, I reflect what I learned  from them and/or sincere friends. Then, when I suffer some calamity, some storm in my life, I  turn to friends and ask their help. In my relationship with them, I discover the value of true love implanted in Man by God.
The Third Degree of Love: Love of Man for Man's Sake
In the first degree of love we love ourselves for our own sake. In the second degree of love we love others for our own sake, chiefly because they have provided for us. But if trials and tribulations continue to come upon us, God sends us other people to brings us through. Even if our hearts were made of stone, we will begin to be softened because of the rescuer. Thus, we begin to love others not merely for our own sakes, but for themselves.
However, the truth is in God....
Without God who grants love, there is no true love because in my self-idolatry  I die. This is why I hope that God will save me and save everyone else in his eternal love. Saints are examples that reflect God's love for us and everyone in Christ, because Christ willed and trusted his Father...(For more reflection see The Trinity here).

Bringing Joy to Man?

In a distressed, polarized, and often violent world, is it possible to live in joy? We are threatened by extremists forcing themselves on the rest and vowing to replace civilization with their own government and law of Sharia. We are bombarded by consumerist-based media, surrounded by the politically-correct minds, wounded by materialism in the soul like the man wounded by thieves on his way to Jericho (Luke 10). and challenged by the racing computer machines of all sizes whose builders increasingly control our lives as if we too are robots.

In this divided world, is it possible to bring joy to myself, my family, and my friends? Do I need you in the individualism I learn everyday as already taught to our kids in schools and universities?

Is it true that joy is a product of love? Here we show:
1. How to enjoy a relationship with God and with others based on the four loves of St. Bernard;
2. The courage to step out of the self in two real stories: Oscar Romero, and Mother Teresa;
3. The heroic love of a wife and mother: Rita of Cascia in 15th century Italy - The tenderness of a woman's heart brings joy to her children and family that exudes joy to generations of the community;
4. The hero of all who brought joy - eternal joy - to so many : Jesus Christ; and the wonder his mother experienced in everything related to him;
5. How I learned to look for joy and why - If a smile on your face, that reduces your stress, makes me happy, how much happier would we be if we strive to listen to each other;
6. How science confirms the necessity of upbringing kids in places of virtue and joy and emphasizes positive relations;
7. The courage to be possessed by God's love - The way of Christian mysticism: Contemplation of Love;
Conclusion from Apocalypse - Surprise!

First: In the 11th century, the great mystic St. Bernard, wrote on the four loves (Read him here) while in the twenty-first century, as I try to love others, I am still tied at the very first love but I have hope that God will secure me and mine eternally in his love (Read me here).  In this "hell" of passions and self-idolatry where I enclosed myself, do I have the inclination to bring joy to my fellow people? Do I have the courage to step up to the next level of love? Do I have the courage to step out of fear? Do I have the courage to remove my mask and live the life of true freedom?

Second: Heroism is not merely the share of military leaders but is a capacity found in ordinary persons who struggle with fear and insecurity but still make a difference in their own decisions. We have seen it in the life of Oscar Romero archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 to March 1980 when he was assassinated by pro-Government junta. Oscar Romero was embattled by two devils: the Church's hierarchy concerned for the support of a dictatorial regime, and a widespread assassination of his own people, friends and priests who sided with them. He found out that he could not tolerate the injustice against the many poor and soon organized large protests and prayers for their safety. His eloquence in defending human dignity was more than rhetoric speeches from his Cathedral but a deep reflection and continuous examination of conscience. His love of the people of El Salvador, with whom he shared his daily life, made him "ascend the mountain to meet God" as in Christ's transfiguration which transformed Romero's inner life as he sought to find God in everything...a renewal taken from St. Ignatius of Loyola. When Romero dared to rescue men he found Christ! (for more read his story here.)

A second hero is found in Mother Teresa. At the age of 18, she joined the sisters of Loreto as a missionary in India and became known as Mother Teresa. Like  St. Teresa of Avila who questioned God,  Mother Teresa was a woman of steel. She radiated joy and humility, but  experienced the seemingly absence of God in her prayer. This did not deter her from following her unique vocation that she experienced as a "call within the call." On the contrary she trusted in the outpouring love of God, not only to the chosen but to every single human being. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity with the Church's approval in 1950. The mission in her own words was "to care for the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone." When Teresa dared to care for the unwanted dying in the streets of India, she found Christ shining more in the needs of humanity.She died in 1997 and was beatified by St, John Paul II in 2003 (for more read her story here).

Third: Heroes are found everywhere and in all ages. St. Rita of Cascia was a wife and mother of twin boys in the 15th century.She also struggled but her struggle was to convert her unfaithful husband from his abusive behavior - a behavior we still see today in families that often ends in divorce, the compounded abuse of children or the insanity in murder and suicide. When her husband was murdered by another feuding family, Rita pleaded with her sons not to take revenge and asked God to spare them from committing such a crime. Her prayer was answered as both sons died a year later from dysentery. Her heroic prayer life culminated in accepting her request to become a nun in the convent of St.Mary Magdalene. As she asked the Crucified to share in his suffering, a miraculous thorn on her forehead was a sign found by her superiors. She was beatified in 1626 and canonized in 1900. Her incorrupt body is venerated today as millions of people visit it at the shrine that carries her name in Cascia (for more read her life here).

Fourth: The most heroic person was and remains Jesus Christ of selfless love. Out of love he healed the sick of his people and against the customs of Israel's teachers he healed the sick of the enemies of his people, visited the robbers, broke the Sabbath for the sake of Man, challenged the teachings of the masters of the Law, rejoiced with the outcast, forgave sinners and prostitutes, and while dying on the cross, instigated by the religious authorities and executed by the Romans, he forgave everyone entrusting himself to his Father and inaugurating by his death his own resurrection and victory over death, St Paul writes about Jesus being “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1, 15-20) and in the very nature of God “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness” (Ph 2:6-7).

Joy is at the center of the Gospel. In one night, the disciples were in their boat in a stormy sea. Having spent his night in prayer away from them, Jesus walked to them on the sea. "But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, 'Take heart, it is I; have no fear.' And Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.' He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.' Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, 'O man of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'" (Matthew 14: 25-33). Fr. Georges Farah says that the story has a deeper meaning for it reminds the listeners of Jesus' victory over the waters of the sea considered the abode of death. He is the One who takes Peter by the hand to deliver him from death. Jesus not only says the word "have no fear" he also removes fear from the hearts and delivers us from death! The message of joy is to everyone who listens and follows Jesus!

Luke writes that the Archangel Gabriel greeted the Blessed Virgin Mary with "Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you" and Mary greatly amazed and troubled "pondered in her heart" what she was to make of such greeting (Luke 1: 28-30). This translates into wonder, and amazement mixed with joy. Do we make it our own and greet each other with that blessing? Here with Mary we find the key to God in our midst as she already pointed us to him at the wedding of Cana “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5). In bringing him up, she pondered and knew the heart of her son Jesus, trusted what he would do for her and us. And today in our relationships, families, cultures, sciences, and nature we will find him if we seek his truth and train our consciences according to the teachings he gave the Church and still guides her through his Spirit to renew herself in him.

Fifth: In the 20th century, in reference to Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles on the night he was betrayed, Maurice Zundel wrote "God knelt before Man." That is one contemporary statement about God's love in Christ for his creation...Can we really betray the Triune God whose love created and redeemed us? If there is still love in the world can we find love? Can I find joy away from love? Can I find joy in my loneliness? Can I find joy in my selfishness? Can I find joy if the entire things around me do not fully satisfy my thirst for the infinite?

But I learned that joy is the product of love. In 1973, Fr. Henri Boulad, S.J. taught us in a retreat that, for lovers, time is a moment. The joy they have in their encounter makes time go fast. This is why children enjoy time with what they love and for them there is no time. Henri Boulad has been a missionary for over 50 years. He worked for many years as a missionary in the Sudan and Egypt, organized retreats and was invited to others in many countries around the world. A scholar he also authored some 30 books, some of them translated to 16 languages. In June, 2013 I wrote a little reflection on his thought here, and in 2014, I wrote a little hymn in gratitude to God for his birthday here. As far as I understand, he preaches and lives the joy found in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuits) articulated in his Spiritual Exercises for the discernment of spirits and thus finding God in everything around us.

I recall the days when my parents, of blessed memory, cared for everyone of us, I recall the days when my wife and I sacrificed many hours at work in order to raise our kids in good schools. I recall the night a few years ago when, in darkness, I did not see the side-walk, fell, and broke my eye-glasses but a woman I did not know hurried to lift me up and cared for me. All these events are still alive in my memory, and surely other events of care by relatives and strangers alike can be recalled by many more people. The world is full of goodness by ordinary people but we have to see it and thank God for it.

Sixth: What do scientists think? Contemporary psychology demands finding happiness through others in my life to love and be loved by. Positive psychology scientists, such as Professor Martin Seligman, emphasize the importance of values, virtues, and talents. Positive experience and relationships that provide a meaning and purpose in life greater than oneself are studied methodically. This is too the basis of today's social networks that attempt to create small talks between friends across geographic boundaries on the Internet such as Facebook. They do not satisfy the search for meaning but can be used by Churches to connect people virtually at a starting level then direct them to in-depth discussions and reflections. Since I do not exist by myself, it makes sense that I need the other to exist as a person. I am really only a potential person until I find and love God in the other.This is not only contemporary psychology but is also found in St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. My joy is in the other. Heaven is not an illusion, but, as is written in the Bible, it is where God lives. But God is not somewhere out there. The infinite love that is God is here, and wishes that we receive him. The Spirit of Christ thus says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne." (Revelation 3: 20-21). We do not pretend that any human person is God, but Christ is God who is also a human person that loves us to the end. In his judgment Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, grants eternal joy to the persons who find him in the needy and help them with the gifts that are always freely given to us (Matthew 25: 34-40).

On November 1st, 2014, The Economist published a report on genes and behavior that summarizes the latest scientific findings in genetics. An experimental study by Dr. Tiihonen and his team on violent persons shows the importance of interactions between someone's upbringing and his genes which, if not controlled, can trigger violence as manifested in high levels of alcohol drinking. You may be able to access the full report here. Although more study is needed for a useful medical conclusion, the results confirm what St. Augustine had already written in the 5th century: Be moderate in everything except in love.

Seventh: In Christian mysticism we find joy in  God. Here is a little text from the mystical theology of the 20th century evolutionary scientist Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. which fascinates our wonder: “Lord Christ, you who are divine energy and living irresistible might: since of the two of us it is you who are infinitely the stronger, it is you who must set me ablaze and transmute me into fire that we may be welded together and made one. Grant me, then, something even more precious than that grace for which all your faithful followers pray: to receive communion as I die is not sufficient: teach me to make a communion of death itself.” (Hymn of the Universe by Teilhard de Chardin, NY: Harper and Row, 1965.) 

Conclusion: In spite of continuing threats by materialism and extremism, the Church, following her founder Christ, continues to open herself and welcome humanity in her bosom. As the ages advance so does the kingdom of Christ spread in the entire human race.  The development of civilization itself is rooted in Christianity for eternal life starts on earth.

In spite of its many gloomy warnings, the Book of Apocalypse remains open to hope. The number of the eternally happy elect is so great that the visionary in Apocalypse could not count it. He had to give it a symbolic number of one hundred and forty four thousand (Revelation 4: 7) which reflects  12 (a symbol for the complete tribes of Israel) multiplied by 12 (the complete number of the Apostles) multiplied by one thousand (the perfect number 10 times ten times ten) indicating the New Israel of Christ.Why is 10 a perfect number as a symbol? In modern physics, 1 and zero are binary numbers in computer native language. They complement each other and together they become perfect. Thus 144,000 is a symbolic number of the outpouring love of God enjoyed by the multitudes.  This is the glory that St. Irenaeus referred to in his writing "The glory of God is man fully alive and the life of Man is the vision of God". (AH IV, 20, 7).

If the above interpretation is true, then we can hope against all hope that all nations may come to share in the joy and glory of Christ.

Halloween?

Why do Canadians celebrate Halloween? "Halloween" comes from the Scottish "Hallowed Evening" i.e. The eve of celebrating saints and remembering the dead in prayers.

The Lord's Prayer to the Father starts with "Our Father Who Art in heaven - Hallowed be Thy Name..." The Father is the Father of all of us who gives life to every person and loves all humans...

On this day, we ask the saints to intercede for every person on earth, and ask God to forgive all, and have his abundant mercy on all the departed souls.

However, Halloween is important to Christians, not only to remember the dead but also to live with the joy that God brought to humanity in his abundant love fully manifested in the incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ and present in the Church through the sacraments by the power of the Holy Spirit. Why would we care about this festival of Dracula and "evil spirits"?  Let us think a bit of history.

The Church does not live a separate life from humanity. She is the seed of the kingdom of God on earth and must always strive to reflect in her members the eternal love that is the Triune God. The act of creation is an act of love in which God wishes to reflect the joy and love of Father and Son in the Holy Spirit by abundantly bringing life and letting the entire creation develop from nothing. The start of the Big Bang is what scientists today call a singularity. In the 2nd century AD, St. Irenaeus of Lyon wrote "For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom - the Son and the Spirit...to whom also He speaks saying 'Let Us make Man after Our image and likeness' (Genesis 1: 26)," (Adversus Haereses - Cf. also Ecclesiastical History, Book V by Eusabius of  of Caesarea (260-340)). This is the eternal Trinity outpouring love brought to our attention in the earliest canonical Biblical book. It was manifested in Christ's life on earth, his humanity that he shared with all is fully united to his divinity.  St. Irenaeus wrote too against Gnostics who denied the intrinsic value of Man. He wrote "The glory of God is man fully alive and the life of Man is the vision of God". (AH IV, 20, 7)  The more we become human the more we become one with God. According to the Eastern Fathers of the Church, God became man so as to restore us to him. This love of God endures and continues to expand in the entire world thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit in Christian missions.

It is in that vision that St. Pope John Paul II teaches the Church based on Christian personalism. Since its beginning and throughout its history, the Catholic Church has always penetrated and renewed the lives and civilizations of humanity sometimes with suffering but always with the hope that as many souls as possible will find the joy of living eternally in Christ and with him. This is found in the humanism of St. Francis of Assisi who not only had the first Stigmata recorded in history, but also spoke to birds and animals, called the Sun a sister and the Moon a brother, wrote hymns to celebrate the peace of Christ (Listen to Make Me a Channel of Your Peace here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcxg4XQgaGg)
This is also found in St. Thomas Aquinas whose spiritual insight and philosophical inquiry opened the way for humanity to explore nature on its own. The same openness is found in St. Teresa of Avila among many mystics whose dialogue with God inspired untold number of faithful. The retrieval of classics from the ancient Roman and Greek literature found expression in the Renaissance which started with Pepin and Charlemagne and flourished in the 15th century and beyond and in the polyphony in sacred music by the 15th century which added to the majestic expressions of faith in the music of Mozart, Bach, Handel and others in the so-called Baroque Age. From the 16th century on, the Counter-Reformation insisted on reforming the Catholic Church. St. Thomas More, a great humanist, encouraged generations to follow his example. St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus whose champions made great inroads in all the way to the Far East, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. In the 20th century, St. Pope John XXIII convoked the Second Vatican Council which sought Christian unity and made it possible for the Church to have dialogues with other religions and ideologies. On this basis, the Christian-inspired human dignity is the at the center of the Western civilization even when materialism claims new powers. Humanity is looking to the Church for guidance. In a recent homily, Fr. Henri Boulad, S.J., described the situation in the West. It is true that radical Islam is increasing in Europe, but, he said, Catholic schools in Europe are full of Muslim students.The evangelization of the world may well be carried out by Muslims converted to Christianity...

If the above is of any significance to us, it is that Christ penetrates, through his Spirit, the entire globe and is the only answer to today's mixed and polarizing ideologies.

Here is again today's celebration of Halloween. What good is there in it? May be we can learn from the past.
An example may be sufficient. The early Church used to celebrate Christmas or the Nativity of Jesus Christ on the 6th of January, a custom still followed by a few Eastern Churches while other Eastern Christians celebrate it on January 7th. However, the date to celebrate Christmas was moved to December 25 as early as the year 336 AD by St. Pope Julius I. The reason for this decision was to attract as many people as possible in the Roman empire and beyond to the Christian faith since pagans (Polytheists) used to celebrate, on the same day or close to it, the feast of the unconquered Sun in Mithraism (a god of the military widely worshiped at the time in the empire), December 22 or 25 was found to be the day where there is the shortest time between Sunset and Sunrise.  the ancient pagans celebrated in it the end of Winter and the coming of Spring which brings flowering to sleepy nature. Christ is the unconquered Sun. It was therefore found fitting to move Christmas to December 25.

Let us now consider celebrating Halloween. How can we transform a day of fun for children into a holy day for them and us? First, it is not about us versus them. It is about the entire Church. They are the future. How can we attract them? They do not listen to boring lectures. They love to share an innocent toy or get a treat. This is why parents love to go trick or treat with their kids. They simply want them to have innocent joy by knocking on doors in the neighborhood.  Other parents or grandparents who open the door to them play with them and give them anyway a little treat - chocolate or candy. Everyone is aware of a few mentally-ill persons who in the past gave them poisonous treats. If parents are careful they will bring joy to their kids.

Second, click this link and watch the meaning beyond Dracula and Halloween:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRbubeF8w7M

Have you listened to the video?  The presenter Dr. Taylor Marshall speaks of the historical events that made this festival popular in the West. Pope Pius II (1405-1464) subsidized a Romanian prince by the name of Vlad III or Vlad Dracula. In 1453 the Turkish Muslims conquered Constantinople. This opened the gateway for the Muslims to begin to move west, invade Europe and take over St. Peter's. This alarmed Pope Pius II who sent funds to Prince Vlad Dracula in order to defend Europe against Muslim conquest. Now a myth developed around the personality of Dracula that made him sell his soul to the Devil in order to get superpowers to fight and defeat the Turks. The myth of Dracula the vampire is born. He is the person who bites human flesh and drinks human blood. In the Gospel Jesus said "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." (John 6:53-56). This is why the Eucharist or the Blessed Sacrament is central to Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Now note how Christ in the Eucharist is at the center of this liberal custom. While Dracula and the Vampire bite human flesh and drink human blood and mock the resurrection by going down in the coffin and faking the resurrection, Christ offers his flesh and blood to Christians for their resurrection and eternal life. Jesus in the Eucharist repels Dracula who is possessed by the Devil. Christ and the saints conquer the Devil who "possessed Dracula".


We could find the good things that God implants in everything in the world and carry them as insufficient as they are, to Christ'grace, for in Christ everything can be redeemed. More to come on this.

Third, we need to learn and help others to become like saints. The meaning of Halloween is to become hallowed like saints. In the recent wars of the Middle East, let us remember how many Christians chose to be killed rather than renounce their faith. The Church is strong because of the martyrs whose blood was shed following Jesus in spite of threats by ISIS and other Islamic extremists. This is a celebration in heaven.