christianity | Think About It

September 20, 2024

“I am one of the ways, and the truth, and the life?”

Some time ago in the very distant past, one of our ancestors was lying on a grassy hill looking up at the stars spanning across the night sky and asked him or herself, “Where did all this come from? Where did I come from? Why am I here?” And from that day on, that need to know has been embedded in our DNA.

Okay, it did not actually happen that way, but you get the picture. The need to know, our desire for an understanding of our origins and place in creation is an innate component of our human nature. It is the thirst for the divine, or the pursuit of God.

Now, most people associate the pursuit of God with religion, but that is not necessarily the case. While religion relies upon revelation and sacred scripture in its pursuit of God, philosophy relies solely upon the intellect and reason, and there are numerous philosophical proofs of the existence of God.

Aristotle and Plotinus successfully argued for the existence of a prime mover and first cause. Augustin and Aquinas reasoned for the existence of a divine mind and a subsistent existence. And the Islamic philosopher Avicenna and German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz proved the existence of a necessary and non-contingent being. Although these proofs are strictly products of the human intellect, they prove the existence of an infinite, immutable, self-sufficient, omnipotent, omnipresent, non-material, and perfect being that we refer to as God.

These philosophical proofs may appear to be just academic exercises that have no real impact on the real world. However, in reality their influence on humanity cannot be overstated because they are embedded in the theologies, doctrines, and traditions of the world’s great religions.

While there are thousands of religions, the five great religions of the world are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism because eighty percent of the world’s population belong to one of these faiths. Hinduism is the oldest of these religions and Islam is the youngest. Christianity is the most populous with 2.3 billion members and Judaism is the least populus with only 15.7 million Jews in the world. Hinduism and Buddhism are the most geographically concentrated with the majority of Hindus living in India and most of the Buddhist living in Indonesia and China. Christianity is the most geographically disbursed having a presence on the six inhabited continents. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are related in that they are Abrahamic religions, that is, they are the descendants of the Abraham found in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles as well as in the Quran, and Buddhism because of the proximity of geography has a common origin with Hinduism.

Other than age and membership what makes these religions great? What has enabled these faiths to thrive while others have faded away? What is the appeal that makes so many people willing to subscribe to one of these religions?

Well, if you think about it, religion must help people navigate the pilgrimage of life. What benefit can people derive from belonging to one of these faiths? Pragmatically, all of the great religions have a moral code that helps bring order and structure to the societies that embrace them. There are the Ten Commandments of the Abrahamic religions, the Rgveda or Five Commandments of Hinduism, and the Ten Grand Precepts of Buddhism that all basically say the same thing; do not kill, do not commit adultery, and do not lie, cheat, or steal. Basic common-sense rules that help people coexist and societies thrive.

However, beyond social harmony and coexistence religion needs to offer something more. There needs to be something that helps people find purpose and meaning in their existence, and the ritualistic practices of these religions along with the act of gathering to worship with others who share a common belief can help do that. The understanding that you are not alone, and the belief that you are a part of something eternal can add a level of consolation and comfort to a life that faces the certitude of death.

Finally, there needs to be a spiritual component of religion that assists the individual in their quest for the divine. All of the great religions, with the exception of Hinduism, have founders, spiritual guides and teachers that help people along their path to God. Judaism has Abraham and Moses, Christianity Jesus, Islam Muhammad, and Buddhism Siddhartha Gutama (the “Buddha”). Of course, there have been many other Spiritual Masters throughout the ages, Confucius for example, and what they all have in common is that they were real people, not myths or fictions, but actual human beings. Extraordinary people certainly, but regular people, who made no claim of divinity, but taught truths that directed people toward the divine. All of them, except Jesus.

Jesus is the exception. He did not proclaim himself to be just another spiritual master among many. Jesus claimed that he was divine, the Word made flesh, the Second Person of the Trinity. He proclaimed, “I and the Father are One,” and professed himself to be God. In fact, that is why he was tried for heresy and crucified. None of the other founders claimed divinity, only Jesus. So, how are we to take this?

Well, we cannot dismiss his claim as a misinterpretation of his teachings because he repeatedly professed his divinity, “I am the bread of life” “I am the light of the world” and “I am the resurrection and the life.” As C.S. Lewis observed, Jesus does not give us the option of accepting him as anything less than what he claims to be, and he did not intend to. He is either who he says he is, or he is a lunatic, or something worse, he is evil itself.

What proof is there that Jesus is who he claims to be? The proof is the resurrection. Now, scholars and theologians far more capable than me have argued, debated, and presented proof of the resurrection, so that is beyond the scope of this narrative. The point is that Jesus was either crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead or he did not. If he did not, he would be the ultimate conman. If he did, he is exactly who he says he is and who Peter said he was, “The Christ, the Son of the living God.”

If all that is true, where does that put Christianity relative to the other religions? Well, if religion is the search for God, then Christianity is the fulfillment of that search, and if religion is man reaching out to God, then Christianity is God reaching out to man. There is no other alternative.

Recently, Pope Francis was in Singapore at an interfaith meeting of young people and remarked that “All religions are paths to God.” Now, given the context of where he was and who he was talking to, he is not necessarily wrong. However, the Holy Father knows that Jesus did not say I am one of the ways, and the truth, and the life. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; and no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)

July 26, 2024

The Bread of Life

The ministry of Jesus lasted only three years, but it has been analyzed, studied, and written about more than anything else in human history. The first year of his ministry is referred to as the Year of Obscurity. It is the period in which Jesus began his public teaching but was still relatively unknown. It lasted from his baptism to his second Passover and arrival in Galilee. The second year of his ministry is the Year of Popularity. It is the period in which Jesus’ reputation spread across Judea, with his Sermon on the Mount, miracles and healings, and the resurrection of Jarius’ daughter. The third and final year of his ministry is the Year of Opposition, or Year of Rejection. It started with the feeding of the five thousand and lasted until Palm Sunday and his entrance into Jerusalem. It was a period were many of his followers abandoned him and the religious authorities started to conspire against him. But what happened? What caused the crowd to turn on Jesus? It was his Bread of Life Discourse.

After Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish and fed the five thousand, he returned to Capernaum. The crowd followed him there wanting to see more signs and wonders and hoping for more miracle bread to eat. However, when Jesus told them that he was the bread that comes down from heaven, and that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood to inherit eternal life, they were shocked; “How can he give us his flesh to eat?” “This sort of talk is hard to endure.” And as John tells us, many of his followers left and would no longer remain in his company. Even the twelve were confused. So much so, that Jesus asked them directly, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” To which Peter replied, with some timidity but resolutely, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Despite the crowd’s reaction, Jesus did not retract what he said. He did not try to regain the favor of the crowd by apologizing or trying to explain himself more fully. In fact, he guaranteed that this doctrine would become a focal point of his Church when he instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist about a year later.

The doctrine of transubstantiation, the belief that Jesus is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist, confused and bewildered people in Christ’s time and continues to do so today. It has always been difficult for people to comprehend, and through the centuries, has been constantly challenged and criticized by theologians, reformers, and non-believers. However, like Christ, the Catholic Church has remained steadfast in its teaching. Ecumenical Council after Council, and Papal Encyclical after Encyclical, the Church has reaffirmed that Jesus Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist.

Regardless, people still struggle with the doctrine. How can bread and wine be transformed into the body and blood of Jesus? This is not something that anyone can fully comprehend. However, it is something that we can begin to grasp when we remember who Jesus is, and where, for lack of a better word, he resides.

Jesus is God, the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, both fully man and fully God. As a man, he resided in time and history, in Palestine two thousand years ago. As God, he resides outside of time in eternity. There is no past or future for God. Everything for God resides in his ever present now. When Jesus broke the bread, blessed it, and gave it to his disciples to eat, he did that as a man in the upper room the night before his crucifixion and death. As God, he does it in eternity, in his ever present now.

But how is it done? How is the essence, the substance of the bread and wine changed? It is done by the word, the same word that continually speaks creation into existence. Creation exists because God wills it. If God stopped willing it, it would cease to be. We exist because God loves us. If God stopped loving us, we would cease to be. But that cannot happen because God is love and his will is love. God continually loves and wills us into existence. The same word that creates and sustains the universe transforms the substance of the bread and wine used in communion into its own body and blood. It is the word of God, that makes it happen in eternity and in his ever present now.

When the Priest is on the alter consecrating the Eucharist he is doing it “In persona Christi,” in the person of Christ. It is not Father Mike or Father Marcos saying the words, it is Christ himself consecrating the bread and wine we consume at Mass, joining it with the bread and wine he consecrated in eternity at the Last Supper. The Priest is speaking in the first person as Christ, using Christ’s words when he says,

“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you. Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of a new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.”

The bread and wine transforms into the body and blood of Jesus because Jesus commands it. The same word that speaks creation into existence, speaks itself into the substance of the Eucharist.

There are seven sacraments but only the Eucharist is referred to as the Most Blessed Sacrament. This is because while the power of Christ is present in the other sacraments, Christ himself is present body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the Bread of Eternal Life and the Sacrament of Our Salvation.

When we consume the Eucharist, Christ consumes us and more fully and completely incorporates us into his Mystical Body.

If it is difficult for those of us, who have the benefit of hindsight to comprehend, imagine how bewildering it must have been for the Apostles. Although Jesus told them why they were going to Jerusalem, they could not possibly have known what was going to unfold.

“You know that in two days’ time it will be Passover, and that the Son of Man is to be handed over to be crucified.”

Imagine what was going through the minds of the Apostles when at the Passover meal Jesus took the bread and wine, blessed it, told them that it was his body and blood, and that they were to not only eat it, but do it again in again in perpetuity in remembrance of his sacrifice. What sacrifice? None of them could have foreseen what was about to happen, that in a few short hours Jesus was going to be betrayed, tortured, and crucified. Then three days later he was going to rise from the dead, appear to them in the upper room, show them his wounds, and share a meal with them. It probably was not until Pentecost, until the Holy Spirit descended upon them and enlightened their minds, that they even began to start to comprehend the events that had transpired.

It is not surprising that people have difficulty understanding the Eucharist because it is the mystery of our faith. However, like the Apostles, we can rely upon the Holy Spirit for understanding because that is what Jesus promised.

“But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.”

And again, like the Apostles, we must have faith and trust Jesus, even if we do not completely understand what he is telling us.

So, how should we approach the Eucharist? Well, we need to look internally, examine our conscience, and think about the outpouring of grace and love it offers us, and the opportunity it provides us to partake in the sacrifice of Christ and share in his resurrection.

We need to approach the Most Blessed Sacrament with reverence. A profound sense of awe, respect, and love needs to overwhelm us. We need to stay in the moment and focus on what we are doing. We are entering into communion with our Lord and Savior, the one who by his death and resurrection has set us free. We are receiving The Bread of Eternal Life and sharing in the divinity of Christ.

We need to be humble because there is nothing, we can do to merit the sacrifice that Jesus makes for us. We have to understand that none of us are worthy of receiving the gift that is being offered. Not even the Saints are worthy, and they understand this better than the rest of us, which is the primary reason they are Saints, and we are not.

Finally, we need to be grateful and show our gratitude by allowing Christ to enter into our hearts and change us. If we are willingly being incorporated into the Mystical Body, we need to allow ourselves to diminish so Christ can emerge in everything we think, say, and do.

The truth that Jesus is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist is difficult to fully comprehend. However, occasionally, God gives us a gentle reminder.

On August 18, 1996, after Sunday Mass concluded in the quaint Parish of Saint Mary’s Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of the parishioners noticed a host left on the base of a candlestick and brought it to the celebrant Fr. Pezet. Normally, Fr. Pezet would have consumed the consecrated host, but because he did not know if the it had been desecrated or tampered with, he put it in a container of water and locked it in the tabernacle. The protocol is to wait until the host dissolves and pour it out onto the ground. However, after a couple of days, they noticed that the host was transforming and growing into a “jelly-like” substance that was red in color. About a month later, it was sealed in a jar of distilled water and remained there for three years.

Eventually, a sample of the substance was given to Professor Fredrick Zugibe, the chief medical examiner for Rockland County, New York. Professor Zugibe was a cardiologist with decades of experience. He was not told where the sample came from, only asked to identify what it was.

Professor Zugibe studied the sample and concluded that it was heart muscle tissue, coming from the left ventricle. He noted that the cardiac muscle was inflamed and came from a person who had suffered trauma to the chest. He concluded that because of the abundant presence of white blood cells, the sample was alive when it was taken. When Professor Zugibe was finally told of the sample’s origin, he was astounded and replied, “Absolutely incredible! Inexplicable by science!”

June 20, 2024

The True Presence

The doctrine of transubstantiation is central to the Catholic faith. It is the belief that during the consecration at Mass, the whole substance of the bread and wine used for Communion changes into the substance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Presently, only about thirty percent of Catholics believe this doctrine is true. Most are either unfamiliar with it or reject it outright, believing instead that the Eucharist is merely a symbol that represents the body and blood of Jesus.

Why is there such a big disconnect between what the Catholic Church teaches and what its members believe?

Many of those that reject the doctrine have difficulty reconciling it with science. The bread and wine do not change shape. If you put them under a microscope their molecular structure does not change. It is an irrational belief that violates the laws of science.

Ah, the never-ending battle between science and religion. A battle, which we all know, must always be won by science. Well, maybe not.

Science and religion look at creation and try to explain it but from different perspectives and with different vocabularies. They both pursue the truth, and ultimately, if they are honest and sincere in their pursuit, they might just arrive at the same place.

The conflict between science and religion has been historically rooted in the way they each view creation. The Church contends that the universe was created, and that God is the causeless first cause, which brought it into existence. Science, on the other hand, has contended that the universe itself has always existed. Certainly, things within the universe change, stars explode, and new planets form, but the universe itself has always existed. Subsequently, science had no need for a creator, and that was their position for over a thousand years. That was, until the twentieth century.

In 1915, Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity and set off a revolution in science that eventually produced the Standard Model of Cosmology, which states that the universe exploded into existence about 13.75 billion years ago with the Big Bang. There are theoretical physicists who continue to develop theories that eliminate the need for a beginning, but so far, they have all fallen apart because the math does not work. Science is running out of theories. We are rapidly approaching the point where it is almost impossible to explain the existence of the universe without a beginning and without a first cause.

But you cannot get something from nothing. Where did it come from? What was the first cause that ignited the Big Bang? That unfortunately, is a question that science may never be able to answer because science can only explain the things it can observe, measure, and test. The first cause that ignited the Big Bang, whatever it is, exists outside of space and time, which makes it unobservable, and therefore for science, unknowable. However, religion has an answer. The spark that ignited the Big Bang is the word of God (the Logos). God said, “Let there be light” and the universe exploded into existence. God brings forth and sustains creation with his word and will.

We use the present tense “wills” creation into existence because God is not confined by the flow of time. For us, there is always a past, a present, and a future. For God, there is only his ever-present now. This is impossible for the human mind to comprehend because we are limited by the constraints of our space and time, but God is not. All that ever was, is, and ever will be, is known by God in his ever-present now.

If we live in a universe that is continually willed into existence by God, wouldn’t the universe have to exist within the mind of God? Well, some scientific theories indicate that possibility.

Quantum physics studies energy and matter at the most fundamental level of creation trying to understand how the basic building blocks of reality fit together. Its goal is to develop one elegant equation that explains how everything in the universe works. A daunting task made even more difficult by paradoxes and phenomenon that seemingly defy reality. Paradoxes and phenomenon that can only be reconciled by the existence of a universal consciousness that some scientists theorize emerged during the first moments of creation in a Big Wow.

If God is the metaphysical consciousness that wills the physical universe into existence, wouldn’t there have to be an intersection, a point where the metaphysical and physical meet? And wouldn’t that intersection be at the very fundamental level of reality? So, is quantum physics looking at the mind of God willing creation into existence? Could be!

It is interesting that a 2009 Pew Center Study on Science and Religion found that sixty-six percent of young scientists believe in God or a higher spiritual reality. Think about that, two-thirds of the young people who study this stuff for a living believe that there is indeed “a man behind the curtain.” It is quite possible that science has finally arrived at the point that Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow wrote about.

“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance, he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

It appears that we now live in a world where science is moving towards religion while the rest of the population is moving away from it. Talk about your paradoxes.

So, science is evolving, and an ever-increasing number of scientists are willing to concede that the universe had a beginning and possibly a creator, but what does that have to do with the doctrine of transubstantiation?

Science may change but the doctrines of the Church do not because they remain fixed upon the divine truth. The Church has never wavered from its teachings on transubstantiation. Century after century, council after council, and encyclical after encyclical, the Church has reaffirmed that Jesus Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the Eucharist.

But how? How is the substance of bread and wine transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ?

We need to remember that Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, both fully Man and fully God. When he consecrated the bread and wine at the last supper, he did that at a specific moment in history as a man. However, as God he consecrates the Eucharist outside of time in perpetuity. When a Priest initiates the consecration, he is not simply a man reciting the Eucharistic Prayer. He is acting “In persona Christi,” in the person of Christ. It is Jesus who consecrates the bread and wine, joining it to his eternal consecration by his word and will. The same word (Logos) that speaks creation into existence changes the substance of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Think about it. Is it reasonable to dismiss the doctrine of transubstantiation because it violates the laws of science while science is still trying to figure out what those laws are and how they work? But it is unreasonable to believe that the God who wills creation into existence also wills himself into the substance of the bread and wine used for Communion?

But transubstantiation cannot be true because it would require a miracle – Right?

Exactly, a miracle that occurs at each and every Mass with the Consecration of the Eucharist.

Creation is a miracle because it does not have to be here, but it is. And life is a miracle because it does not have to exist, but it does. It is like Einstein said.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.