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Prepare for peace

Just one week left… until it’s Christmas. One of the titles of Jesus is Prince of Peace. In these last days, let our final preparations make us ready to receive peace.

Christmas can be a very hectic time of year, especially for parents with young children. Peace may seem like a far away dream. Yet even a solo person can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of decorating, baking, visiting, and just trying to make the most of the events during this season. It may be early mornings or late nights as we try and squeeze in as much holiday fun as we can. As wonder-filled as these activities are, they can also leave us drained and lower our ability to find peace. 

What is peace? One of the five definitions, according to Merriam-Webster, is freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. While there were others that referred to societal or relational states, I thought that definition was the best one to fit what Jesus brings to us. Out of our personal peace can we then have relationships and a society that can be at peace. Perhaps the best definition is the one we heard in last Sunday’s second reading from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians, “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7)

How can we prepare for peace? One of the best methods is reconciliation, not just the sacrament, but also to apologize to those whom we have wronged. Seeking forgiveness from others requires us to be humble, to be vulnerable to another while admitting our mistake. We can also choose to forgive those that we may be harboring hurt feelings against. Whether it’s an old hurt or a new, raw one, when we let go of the pain we are carrying, we can be open to the peace of God. We can’t seek or grant forgiveness completely by ourselves as it’s often a burden that is too hard for us to lift and we need to seek God’s assistance for the strength to do so. Passing judgements and holding grudges are both oppressive thoughts and disquieting emotions. Every time we think of whatever the wrong that was done is an opportunity to feed the negativity that builds up the burden and makes it harder to forgive or find forgiveness. 

Just like joy and needing a savior, peace is also something that we need to be open to receiving. We can say we want it, but if we build walls of resentment  towards others, peace is not something that can find a home in us. Taking time for quiet contemplation and prayer can help us identify where we need to address the hurt that we caused or that was directed towards us. In the quiet silence, yet another definition of peace, we can encounter the mercy of Jesus, allowing it to be both a balm for our hurts and the strength to seek forgiveness from others. 

Peace is not something we can take, rather it is something we receive. If we can receive it, does that mean we can give it? Only when we are at peace ourselves can we share it with those around us and in turn welcome their peace into ourselves. Thus we can only welcome Jesus as Prince of Peace when we have prepared ourselves to receive and share peace. May we all be able to find a moment each day to prepare to receive the peace that only God can give us at Christmas. 

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Prepare for joy

As we approach the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, we are reminded that we are to rejoice, the translation of gaudete. How can we prepare to be full of joy?

There can be many reasons why it can be hard to be joyful, even during the Christmas season. Perhaps it’s the recent loss of a loved one or the anniversary of their passing. Perhaps it’s physical ailment that’s hampering your preparation. Sometimes it’s circumstances that we find ourselves in that make stress and worry seem to be more plentiful than joy. God knows all that we are going through, but He does not want us dwelling in what is holding us back from experiencing His love, peace, and joy. He knows that we each need a little joy in our life, not just at Christmas, but every day. At Christmas, however, we are called to be joyful through the hope-filled faith in the Baby Jesus. 

One breath. One heartbeat. Sometimes in order to find joy, we need to look at the smallest things. As overwhelming as life can get, we can find joy in the moment when we take in a deep breath, or listen to our heart beating. I may not be able to thank God for the struggle, but I can thank God for allowing me another second, another minute, another hour, or another day. Perhaps joy can be found in the presence of a loved one, in a smile on a child’s face, or just the beauty of nature in your community. If we look for things to rejoice about, we will find them. Instead of focusing our attention on what ails us, this season we are called to focus on the joy God has given us in this world. We can choose to be joyful, even if it is for a fleeting moment of the day. 

The Gospel reading for the third Sunday of Advent gives insight to ways that can lead us to be joyful (Lk 3:10-18). John the Baptist counsels the people to share the food and clothing they have, thinking of others’ needs rather than themselves. If we are having trouble finding joy in our lives, sometimes helping others, donating our time or money, can give us a boost to find joy this season. While John the Baptist tells the tax collectors not to take more than prescribed and the soldiers to be satisfied with their wages, we can interpret that for our age of being satisfied with what we have, rather than being jealous of others. This is a great reminder that when we receive a gift this season, that we appreciate whatever the giver has gifted us, rather than complaining or rejecting the gift. When we rejoice over what we have, and share with others who are in need — and share the joy of our plenty — we will find the peace of the Spirit in ourselves.

If we want to rejoice this Christmas season, we do need to prepare ourselves to receive the gift of joy that God wants to bestow on us. We need to be open to whatever manner that joy will come into our lives. Let us use this third week of Advent to pray each day to be a willing recipient to the joy of Christmas.  

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Preparing for a Savior

In our fallen world, we all need a savior, and that’s what Jesus is. But how do we prepare for being saved?

Before all the holiday festivities start, we take the time of Advent to prepare. As we approach the second Sunday in Advent, we are reminded of Jesus’ immediate forerunner, John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who called people to repentance through baptism. John was not baptizing to forgive the people’s sins, only a sacrament instituted by Jesus would be able to do that. The baptism John provided was a sign, a symbol, an acknowledgement that a person was taking accountability for the sins they committed. They were being baptized to turn a page in their book of life not to fall back into the same sins they had been committing. The waters of baptism were like a rebirth, a new starting point, and a new way to live. 

Like the people in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, we too are especially called in Advent to acknowledge our sins. Only instead of being submerged in water, we humbly seek God’s forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. In order to be saved, we need to identify what is keeping us from a close relationship with God. While God loves us at every moment of our lives, that does not mean He wants us to continue our sinful ways. When we choose our will over God’s will, we turn away from Him and prohibit His grace from having its fullest effect. When we see another, do we see the reflection of the Divine Image within or do we pass judgment based on looks and actions? Having a relationship with God is not only about loving Him and His will for us, but also those who He has placed in our path each day. 

I don’t want to be saved, I need to be saved. We may be able to bumble our way through life with a mediocre relationship with God, and if that’s all there was, that may be acceptable. But our lives do not end with the completion of our earthly life, our souls live on. If we want to be in the presence of God for all eternity, just wanting to be saved is not enough. We should consider our savior as  equivalent to air to those choking or nourishment to those starving. We raise our hands and cry out from the depth of our souls to be rescued. Advent preparation is our time to stop what we are doing, turn to God, and seek His forgiveness and assistance. Like a person who needs to be rescued, we don’t continue in our daily routine, but interrupt it and focus on who and where our help is coming from. 

In order for Jesus to be our Savior, we need to desire to change our sinful habits, take responsibility for our sins, and sincerely commit to improve our behavior. While celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation is an important part of our preparation, equally important is taking extra time for God; by praying, reading the scriptures, and meditating on His words and blessings. By seeing Jesus in all the people we meet and offering to God all that we do each day, we will spread God’s love throughout the Advent season.

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Saving Promise

The season of Advent begins on Sunday, and it is synonymous with waiting. Yet it is also a time of fulfillment. Can both be possible at the same time?

God’s promise of a savior was made to Adam and Eve at their fall. They had disrupted their relationship with God, contaminating it for all their offspring. God then spends the generations documented in the Old Testament as preparation for the Savior, His Son. While some may view this time as God withholding His promise, He wasn’t causing the delay for no reason. The people needed to learn how to be a people of God, albeit very imperfectly. This is the first sense of Advent, waiting for a promise, yet being prepared for the same. It is an active waiting, and to some degree, it is the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise.

Many people may equate Advent with the gestation of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Thankfully we only have to wait for four Sundays and a few days rather than the normal nine months that Mary did. Yet here again is both waiting and fulfillment. No longer was there preparation of the Israelites, the Savior was conceived and growing in Mary. The angel’s announcement and Mary’s consent put the promise into action. But there was still waiting needed: waiting for a child to be born and waiting for a child to grow to maturity. 

When Jesus started his mission work, it too was both a time of waiting and a time of fulfillment. People were being healed, their souls were being saved one by one. Yet the Savior would need to die for all, and not just die, but resurrect as well. That would be the complete fulfillment and that would be after three years of traveling around the Judean countryside preaching and teaching. 

The Advent season commemorates the seasons of waiting and fulfillment in the past, as well as preparing for the current Christmas season, and the return of Jesus at the end of time. Our activities should be a healthy mix of pondering and preparing for all three. It is comforting to consider that God does not leave us up to our own devices during our waiting. As God gave the most excellent Gift of His only Son in order that we can have a relationship with Him, we are called to put into practice the love God has for all His children, by sacrificing a bit of our time, talent, or treasure with those in need of our help. We don’t just stand idly by waiting for December 25, instead we seek to grow our relationship with God by seeking out quiet time with Him, celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation, and correcting bad habits that continue to keep us from doing God’s will.

As we focus our attention on the single, purple candle lit in the Advent wreath this weekend, let us open our hearts to both patience in waiting, and a quick response to the opportunities that will prepare our souls for Jesus’ coming.

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Heavenly mansion

We have just over a week left of this liturgical year and the readings are focused on the end of time. While the physical world may be tethered to time and space, our soul will continue to live in eternity. How we see eternal life in heaven may be more strongly influenced but what we rank as important.

In John’s Gospel during the Last Supper, Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” (Jn 14:1-3) At one point, instead of using the word dwelling place, it was translated as mansion. In the English language, there are so many different words one could use when describing a place where one lives, but a dwelling place does not ring very cozy vibes or a sense of belonging. Why isn’t the word home used in the translation? A quick look in Merriam-Webster for the definition of dwell and the definitions solidify the use of this word: 1 – to remain, 2 – to live/exist, 3 – to keep the attention directed. 

Heaven is a place where, provided that we cooperated with God’s will for our life, we will remain forever with God. It is also a place where our immortal souls will continue living until the end of time when they will be reunited with our bodies, so that both soul and body will be living in heaven. And most fundamentally, heaven is the place where we will be in the presence of God, with all our attention on Him. Heaven is, literally, a place to dwell with God, in the fullest possible meaning of the word. 

After this exploration, why does seeing, and perhaps thinking about a heavenly mansion give a little thrill of wonder and excitement at the possibility, unlike the reference of a dwelling place? Is it in the preparation; that God is making it special just for us? Is it about being rewarded for the hardships we endure? If we just suffer through whatever issue is plaguing us, that will make our place in heaven bigger or grander? Or do we think that everyone will receive their own 5 million square foot mini palace? If God sits on a throne, why can’t we have a mini palace? 

As I was thinking about this post, instead of countless sprawling mansions, I pictured something that would have been used in monasteries and abbeys, where you would have a central church and communal gathering space, encircled by a small courtyard that itself would be surrounded by the individual cells of the religious community members living there. As God is infinite, those cells or rooms can be stacked vertically into infinity and everyone has a front-row seat to God’s presence, each from the place that is their own. We will never truly know until we get there, but I like the image. 

Perhaps as we close out the liturgical year and prepare to enter the Advent season, we think of our current home as a dwelling place, where God remains, lives with us each day, and is our primary focus for all that we do. If we begin to live this heavenly attitude now, it won’t matter if it is a shack or a castle, but as long as we belong in God’s presence, it will be all that we need for eternity.

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Known and named

A name is more than just a label or an identifier. Not only is it necessary in the secular world, but also in the spiritual realm.

Awhile ago, I was watching an old episode of Cesar Millan’s The Dog Whisperer in which he made a comment to the person he was assisting something to the effect of: dogs do not have names in the pack, they use the energy they present to identify themself to the pack members. While I’m not sure if that’s true across all other species outside of humans, it is certainly true that humans do have some sort of naming mechanism, which differs by culture, region, and time period. We learn to respond to our name at a very young age and it is reinforced as people repeatedly address us using that name. A name is also how we catalog what we know about a particular person, as we associate the information we know either first hand or have gathered from other sources. If we don’t know someone, it’s because we’ve either never met them or have never learned about them. Our name serves as our label when others are using us as a reference point. While the name Jesus may be spelled or pronounced differently in other languages, using that name in English, especially if we use one of His titles with it, like Christ or Messiah, we all know about whom is being spoken.

Most children are given a name either at their birth or shortly thereafter which becomes their identity on earth. While we are all members of God’s family since He created us, it is through the sacrament of baptism that we are called, by name, to have a special relationship with God. We are claimed to be members that will participate as the body of Jesus on earth, seeking to do His will. Through baptism, the doors of grace are opened wider and are more accessible to us. Most times our legal name we are given at birth is also the name given at baptism. While it is no longer a requirement that a child/person being baptized have the name of a saint or virtue, naming a child after a saint is a way not only to honor the work God has done through that saint, but also to have that saint be an intercessor for that person throughout their life. The same holds true for those who take a different name for the sacrament of confirmation.

Just like in the first book of Samuel, the Lord calls out to us by name (1 Sam 3:10). It may not be audibly heard as in Samuel’s case, but He is always seeking a closer relationship with us. In the book of Revelations, it says that those faithful to God, will receive a new name known only between the person and God. (Rev 2:17) This practice of receiving a new name is found throughout the Bible: Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, and Simon became Peter. It continues for those in religious life who may take or augment their name to include a saint or a title or attribute of Mary or Jesus. The first thing upon being chosen as pope is the question of how they will be addressed. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “To live in heaven is ‘to be with Christ.’ The elect live ‘in Christ,’ but they retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own name.” (CCC 1025) This statement from the CCC has plenty to ponder. Our infinite God will name us and provide us a truly unique identity. For those of us who have met other people with our same name, the thought of God creating a name just for us for all eternity is a rather thrilling prospect. God is so creative, and my brain is so limited, I can’t really fathom what kind of a name God would use for me. He’s not limited to naming me for my physical characteristics like being short or having a loud voice. Since He can see my soul and my true intentions for every action I take, would He use a name to describe me from that perspective? Or are there other spiritual characteristics that I may not be tuned into, since I’m still living in a physical world? It’s yet another reason to seek a relationship with God now, in order to rejoice in the name He bestows upon our arrival in heaven.

Names matter. They are the way we interact within our world and with each other. They are also how we interact with God and those who have preceded us and how we will interact with those who come after us.   

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Saints and miracles

With the start of November, the Church focuses on the end of the liturgical year and the fulfillment of a life lived in a relationship with God. A hallmark of “making” a saint is two confirmed miracles. But what are miracles and why are they so important?

In a secular world the prevailing attitude is that Church and State (or even the everyday public life) must remain completely separate; a miracle crashes right through that thinking. Merriam-Webster’s first definition for the word miracle is “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.“ While there will always be people who scoff and disbelieve in a miraculous event, insisting that there must be a plausible explanation for it, the Catholic Church does thoroughly investigate any miraculous claims, especially when they are being attributed to a particular person whose cause for canonization is underway. The easiest way to prove a miracle, at least in this age, is that of a medical nature. For example, the first miracle attributed to Blessed Carlos Acutis is that of a Brazilian boy who was born with a defect of the pancreas that would not allow him to eat solid foods and kept him vomiting most days. After touching a relic provided by the mother of Carlos Acutis, the boy was healed and able to not only eat the food, but also not vomit. The boy’s healing is so incredible because even the physiology of the problematic organ changed, mystifying the physicians who examined the boy afterwards.

Another example is the miracle attributed to then Sr. Faustina that led to her beatification. According to The Divine Mercy website, a woman suffering from lymphedema as evidenced by a swollen leg, which was due to be amputated, had it return to its normal size after visiting Sr. Faustina’s resting place. The woman was examined by five independent doctors who came to the conclusion that she was completely healed. They had no medical explanation for the sudden healing of this incurable disease. This evidence was examined in consultation by five doctors appointed by the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Having passed this test, it was examined by a team of theologians, and finally by a team of cardinals and bishops. The cure was accepted by all as a miracle brought about by Sr. Faustina’s intercession.

Do we need to pray through a saint in order to receive a miracle? No, we can pray directly to God Himself for a miracle, especially since He is the source of every miraculous event. For those uncomfortable or unsure if God hears our prayers, praying through the saints can feel like a much more realistic option, since they were people just like us. There may be aspects of their upbringing, their personality, or their livelihoods that we can find a connection— a common bond — that develops into a relationship. Having a relationship with a saint can feel like a person has an extended family member, who just so happens to be recognized as being in heaven.

Catholics (myself included!) can be rather sloppy in our language when we talk about the intercession of saints. We say that we are praying “to” a particular blessed or saint for “their” help. In reality, the prayer is asking that person to intercede for us with God and for God to grant the miracle. God is the creator of the universe and everything in it. If He wants to modify some small detail within it, He is the only one that has full ability to do so no matter how impossible it may seem. As the universe does not need to exist, one can look at all of creation, from the mightiest mountain to the smallest of insects, and from the power of the oceans to a singular heart beat, and see it is all a continuous miracle for us to enjoy. 

In a fallen world, our ability to appreciate all God gives us is often veiled by our short-sightedness. We turn away from God to see ourselves in control of our surroundings. Miracles, medical or otherwise, give us the opportunity to recognize God’s sovereignty and give us hope that we can turn away from being prideful in our work and seek to do God’s work.

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Community of faith

This past weekend my parish, Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrated its 80th anniversary. And this occasion reminded me of the importance of a faith community and participating within it. Each month this year we have been provided an opportunity to partly prepare for and partly to celebrate this magnificent achievement.  

The parish has sponsored monthly spiritual and social outreach options. Whether it was supporting the food pantry by bringing the ingredients for a spaghetti dinner for those less fortunate or consecrating ourselves to Eucharistic Adoration, each one focused our attention on the role the parish plays in the lives of both the parishioners as well as the surrounding community. 

Even though Adoration is usually offered weekly, by taking the time to study it and make a commitment to participating, it elevated it from just another item on the calendar to a joy-filled need. Adoration is a time of peace in a chaotic world. It’s a time when we can turn our troubles over to Jesus and be filled with His presence. It’s a time when the only thing required of me is just me — not what I can do for another, not my intellect, not my compassion — just the person God created me to be at that moment. It was weekly adoration that drew me to this parish, and one that continues to keep my faith grounded in the roller coaster of challenges that life tosses my way.

While the heart of any parish is the spiritual nurturing it provides, the soul of the parish is its ability to bring the light of Christ to all members of the community. Supporting others through the various organizations of the parish allows us to mirror the generosity of God’s blessings upon us. Blood drives, the food pantry, and the clothing closet are just a few ways that we help individuals with the basic necessities for life. From the beginning with the Apostles and throughout the two millennium the Church has been in existence, each family in each parish, in each diocese, contributes to the neighbors that surround them. The parable of the Good Samaritan is illustrated daily in many different ways in locations all over the world.

During the main celebration, this combination of spiritual and social was also key. A solemn Mass was not only the spiritual ingredient, but the reminder of why the parish started in the first place: to meet the needs of the then rural community that had sprung up in the outskirts of Richmond. After the Mass, the social reception included opportunities to walk down memory lane of various historic documents, and to reach out to the homebound parishioners by writing notecards to extend them into the celebration. Being relatively new to the parish, it reminded me of the various parishes that I participated in and how, in another 50 years, my picture in a parish directory may be viewed as the typical style of that decade. I didn’t know most of the people in the photos that I saw, but there was still a sense of family when I viewed them. Their participation in the parish at that moment allowed it to live and flourish so that I can be a member now. And my participation in both the spiritual and social events continues the parish’s, and the Church’s, mission to spread the Gospel, both in Word and worship.

If we love God and want a relationship with Him, then we must also love our neighbor and share the blessings God has given us to them. Each parish provides unique opportunities to work both within, as well as, outside of our comfort zone to strengthen our relationship with God and lend our hand to others in friendship and service. If we want to be a part of a strong and vibrant parish, it is up to us to participate and to seek God’s guidance in how we can best contribute to our spiritual family and the surrounding neighborhood family.

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The need for laws

Why do we need laws? It’s a simple question, but until recently, I never really gave a thought as to  why. Last week one of the daily Mass readings was from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The scripture that has stuck in my head is: “Against such there is no law.” (Gal 5:23)’

The thought as to what laws are needed can only be seen in contrast to what does not need a law. Paul’s comment regards the fruit of the Spirit. You don’t need to set a limit to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, or generosity. You can’t have too much faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control. If one’s perspective of law is a guideline, then something like “Love your neighbor” may sound like a law. However, you also may end up asking the same question as the law scholar in Luke’s Gospel who posed to Jesus this question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Lk 10:29) If we look to the law as defining what actions we can and cannot do, we will also look for ways to bend the restrictions to our benefit and desire. But if we appreciate that God loves us despite our flaws and generously loves all others in the same way, then there are no limits as to who we love and everyone is our neighbor — even the crankiest, grumpiest, angriest person who crosses our path.

Eighty percent of the Ten Commandments contain “you shall not…” in the English translation. This indicates that while we have the ability to do these things, we need to refrain from them, thus limiting our capabilities. This is what the law does, it identifies a limit or line that should not be crossed in word or action. While there are numerous laws to govern all different aspects of life, let’s focus on just the Ten Commandments, since they were the first given by God to man. 

A major theme of these commands is that they affect relationships: both with God as well as with other people. God imposes relationship limits, not because He is a narcissist, but because He wants us to have the most fruitful relationship with Him. By setting our sights on God as the only god, by being respectful of Him and His creation, and by giving Him proper worship, we not only receive blessings in this life, but will be able to spend eternity with Him. These laws were given when the Israelites could trace their lineage to one of Jaob’s sons. A neighbor was a fellow kinsman as well. However, if we take our Baptism seriously, we recognize that everyone is a child of God, created in His likeness and image. We are all family and everyone is a neighbor. The second portion of the commands, fourth through tenth identify how we should act within these familial ties. 

Another aspect of the commands is the understated damage the actions would cause if a person would break the law. Killing another would be to assume God’s power to end another’s life — the life given to the person by God. While stealing may not immediately end a person’s life, it could hinder their ability to live or make a living, depending on what was stolen. Coveting another’s goods is like mentally stealing from that person; while it may not physically injure the other, it disrupts the relationship you have with that person. Likewise to either commit adultery or to covet another’s spouse is to damage the relationship between all families involved, including all persons within the families.  

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Law is a rule of conduct enacted by competent authority for the sake of the common good.” (CCC 1951) God is very much a competent authority and He blessed us with the Ten Commandments that allows us to understand the consequences of our actions in the relationship we have with Him as well as others. If we live our lives by reflecting the example of God, not only will we reap the fruits of the Spirit, but we will not need to focus on the law, since the limits imposed will never be anything we could entertain. With God as our role model, our lives will naturally obey the Commandments, allowing us to enjoy our family and neighbors here on earth, and our heavenly family when we pass onwards. 

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Blessings in science

One of the biggest myths of the modern era is that religion is contrary to science. I, however, think that God has allowed man to peek inside the design of the universe in small snippets. This has resulted in gifts  that have become commonplace to the point that we take them for granted.

For those who believe in a God who created the universe, the study of the natural world is made possible by a good God who has brought order to chaos. A scientific theory is a proposal of an observed pattern within the natural world that can be measured with consistency and accuracy. Throughout the centuries there have been numerous people whose faith in God did not hinder their work in the sciences. My knowledge of the intersection of science and religion include such figures as: 

  • Copernicus, a Polish canon and astronomer, who was the first to propose the planets revolved around the sun.
  • Fr. Lemaître, a Belgian priest, astronomer, and cosmologist, who formulated the modern big-bang theory.
  • Mendel, an Austrian monk whose study of plants became the basis of genes and the study of genetics.

While these three in particular had occupations within the Church, there are many others of the laity who have also participated in the various sciences. For the month of October, the Magnificat is featuring saints who were involved in the sciences and have included St. Anthony Zaccaria, St. Gianna Molla, St. Hildegard of Bingen, and St. Eligius, just to name a few. 

In almost a parallel way to spiritual truths, the study of the various sciences has slowly revealed the truth of the world we live in. The history of salvation began with creation itself, and while the fruition of our spiritual relationship with God was completed with Jesus’ work, we are still discovering aspects of His life and work that were not previously considered. While there was some basic understanding in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine in the ancient world, it was with the founding of the university system, often through the sponsorship of the church, that the sciences really made great strides in discoveries. Just like in the spiritual life, knowledge in the sciences can only be understood and furthered when you have solid building blocks in place. The first microscope that documented scientific findings was back in the early 1600s. However amazing those were to their time, they could never have imagined that the cells they were seeing were made up of even tinier, individual units that are known as atoms. And perhaps in another century or so, there will be a discovery of even tinier units that make up the parts of the atom. 

With the current negative buzz around processed food, plastics, and other manufacturing processes that could place the planet in jeopardy, it can be hard to appreciate the gifts that science has enabled in the world. Last week, however, I had the time to ponder the marvels of science and technological advancement as I sat in a chair with eyes tightly closed and started to pray Hail Marys to calm myself during the first of two root canals. Just mentioning the word root canal brings a shutter to most, even to those who have never experienced it! Perhaps I was lucky to get a good endodontist. Maybe it was the anatomy of that tooth. And maybe it was all just a blessing from God. The end result was a painless procedure that allows me to keep my tooth. And the technology of today allows the precise diagnosis of which teeth needed it. I went into the consultation thinking it was going to be a certain tooth; in reality I needed the ones on either side of that one! A century ago I probably would have had my teeth pulled, perhaps even all of them. Maybe I wouldn’t have survived as long as I have because of the various dental procedures I’ve had throughout my life. That sobering thought prompts me to put the results of the second one in the hands of God to be as equally successful as the first.

The various fields of science can save, extend, and enhance our lives when ethically pursued. While various names are credited with the discovery, it is ultimately God who deserves the praise and glory, as He created it all. And like in the spiritual realm, God enjoys working with the various scientists to bring His light to life.