The Bread of Life (December 2004)

J.M.J. + O.B.T.

The Bread of Life:

E=mc² and the Rainbow Bridge

by Michael Rizzio, S.O.L.T.

December 2004

I. Background

God said, "Let there be light." Genesis 1:3

E=mc² the key formula relating energy to mass and light is the capstone of Albert Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. Published in 1905, the "conversions" made possible by this expression of scientific "truth" have revolutionized the way in which man views the created universe. More importantly, they have deeply affected man’s relationship to both God and neighbor. The "Roaring Twenties" might never have occurred had it not been for the euphoria and free thinking that was generated by this scientific breakthrough that received worldwide attention in the wake of the First World War. So easily memorized, so powerful, so quickly over-looked, this equation has been the Holy Grail for those whose ambition it is to control man’s destiny here on earth. It is a razor sharp two-edged sword that cuts both ways. Miracles of modern nuclear medicine, show us its promise for health and healing. The atomic bombs that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 bear witness to its potential for mass destruction.

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing.
Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

Deuteronomy 30:19

Although modern man still intuitively knows God, the Father of Lights, one wonders if he is willing and/or able to take the time to appreciate the interconnectedness, the unity that is God’s essence and His bond to all of good creation. This unity is critical, for it is precisely in a lack of effort to understand this relationship, a lukewarmness, that man fails to recognize his God-given responsibility as steward of the created world. This failure harkens back to our fallen human nature and it leads to a gradual recoloring of both faith and created matter using halftones, shadows of gray—relativity evolving into relativism. Man is blinded by the alluring lights of science, technology and the subconscious light bulb that fuels his imagination. Today more than ever, he needs to be open to the rays of True Light emanating from the Sun of Man, for only in this Light is there Truth and the promise of eternal life.

This past Advent as our ecclesial community relaxed to watch the movie Fiddler on the Roof, I visualized what was at stake in Europe during Einstein’s coming of age. In 1905 tradition was under attack by a very powerful force, the heresy of modernism. While pondering what l-o-v-e was and whether it existed in a marriage that had lasted all of twenty-five years, Tevya and Golda stood by helpless as their family was destroyed. Under the stress of new scientific ideas the traditions of man and family fell by the wayside, and after the initial breach was made and the guard was let down it was only a matter of time before God too would seemingly disappear. The hollow lifeless shell that remained was filled with materialist and humanist ideals. This sad reality is ever present today as we Catholics fail to recognize, appreciate and radiate the truth of the "capital T" Tradition, the Holy Eucharist. Don’t we see that in doing this, we are condemning ourselves? The old military expression "use it or lose it" seems to apply here; it is our soul.

The modern world is infused with mass media, a pop culture that bombards us with information that tends to distort, distract and confuse, if not outright lie to us. Signs and choices are everywhere and each competes for our time, attention and allegiance. While the shear volume of messages is staggering, their effect is even worse. They serve to render us incapable of the faith-based mass action that is so necessary if we are to witness the truth that is Christ’s Gospel message of love, even unto death, to a desperately needy world. We are living in an Age that compartmentalizes, controls, and blindly leads us to accept the faux gospel, the erroneous evolution-based scientific/humanist belief that in diversity and choice we celebrate human freedom, and that this is the greatest good, "the greatest love of all." In this Christmas season of a Eucharistic Year—when Sacred Scripture bursts forth with universal images of longing and mortification, of light, life, death and rebirth, and most of all love of a mother and father for their Child—shouldn’t we make time to review just how far we have drifted, isn’t it time for an absolute reality check?

There might never be a more pregnant moment. As the world approaches the 100th Anniversary of Albert Einstein’s miracle year of 1905, it is poised to spare no expense to canonize this secular saint. He was already beatified as TIME Magazine’s Man of the Century. He has been called the Father of the Atomic Age, but he might just as well be known as the humanist to whom we can trace the relativism of today’s global culture. Is it not appropriate that we reconsider his life and legacy now, before the media blitz is underway?

Take a moment and consider...It is possible we might have missed something the first time around? Is it possible that truths concerning key aspects of objective reality might have eluded us, or been purposely kept from us? There is an old military maxim that the first casualty of war is truth—and if you haven’t noticed, we are at war, and it is global.

I know how often I must do a double take to more fully process what I first perceived only dimly with my senses. Our culture needs to do the same, by taking a long hard look at the absolutes that determine the basis for our individual and collective experience on earth. The rods and cones of our retina process information concerning light, darkness and millions of different colors. These God given receptors were made to work in tandem in much the same way as faith and science. We must be careful not to lose our night vision, because when it fails us and we are in the dark, we lose our depth perception, and without depth perception we might quite literally walk straight off a cliff without knowing it. I’m speaking from experience here.

In this year dedicated to Light and Life we have been called to perceive and receive the True Light and to seek it on the high ground of a life lived through, with and in Christ. Our shepherd, the Vicar of Christ has pleaded with us to "cast out into the deep" and to "be not afraid." We Christians are loosely arrayed against what appears to be an armada; the forces of counterfeit light have launched a full-scale frontal assault. If we do not have a lively faith in the sacramental Christ, we are inviting piecemeal destruction. Our ship seems to be busting apart as it is battered from all sides. Faith tells us that this appearance is merely an illusion; however, we must seize the moment to fix our sights on the Beacon of Truth that shines out to guide us in the dark of night. The Church is navigating treacherous waters, but it has the assurance of returning safely to port with Our Lord and His Eucharistic Light permanently on deck. How many souls will be lost if we fail to prepare the crew and passengers for spiritual hand-to-hand combat? I think we all know the answer. And we must never forget that each and every human soul is precious to our Father in Heaven. Our Lady of Guadalupe was visibly at the helm at Lepanto in 1571, I sense her glowing motherly presence on the bow of the flagship today.

In the twilight of Pope John Paul II’s pontificate, can we Catholic Christians who have been gifted with the full deposit of faith discuss the possibility that a bridge has existed since the beginning of time? This bridge has been both really present, and yet hidden from our sight. The Old Testament’s Ark of the Covenant demonstrated this mysterious, awesome power, but it disappeared at the time of the Babylonian Captivity. Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of this sacred promise—the New and Everlasting Covenant—will abide with us always for His Real Presence is guaranteed by His Word, which is Truth.

So, what is missing, and why is an enlightened humanity sinking into the pit of deprivation? We have Jesus and His Mother! We have the victory! Something has to be missing.

In this day and age what is there that has the potential to reunite the domains of faith and science for the true enlightenment of all mankind, and for our very salvation? The Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus have always been mystically bridged, so too have the Jewish and Christian faiths. The bridge is the key and the bridge is the Eucharist, for Christ’s Eucharist is the spiritual energy for the conversion of the world.

Do we have the courage
to acknowledge the Fullness of this Truth?

II. Concept

It’s all about Relationships: absolute and relative

The E=mc² hypothesis came to light in April 2004 while I was busy researching a book project, Reflecting Pool. It was my first ever sustained New Year’s resolution (all previous attempts didn’t last to February). In this my 45th year, I have somehow been receiving grace to persevere in the fight. Trust me, this West Point graduate, retired Army Infantry officer never accepted a tougher mission. I found help along the way from many sources not the least being my loving wife, Jen and my two young boys, John Michael and Joseph, as well as my sister Debbie. My brothers and sisters, the priests, religious and laity of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity have also provided support by surrounding me in prayer and by offering sage advice. Finally, complete strangers have gifted me with angel aid through the many providential moments that added color to the play-by-play of everyday life. I thank God for all these blessings, and especially for the gift of daily Holy Communion and the loving mantle of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

E=mc²...the mysterious attraction of these five characters still has me baffled. When I first saw the connection to the Holy Eucharist I should have rushed straight to Jesus reposed in our chapel and prayerfully posed the question, Why me? Today I still don’t have an answer, although I keep praying. I fully expected to find it discussed and/or rejected somewhere in print or on the web. I surveyed over 200 books and at least as many articles in my search for the truth. Many notable people ventured so very close. On occasion it has even been partially revealed, much like the alleged sightings of Noah’s Ark on Mt. Ararat in Turkey. But like the first Ark, the idea seemed to disappear in a moment’s time—apparently an impenetrable mystery ordained for all time to remain that way.

Strangely, as I continued research on the book Reflecting Pool it dawned on me that I may have come across the key to this riddle:

We Catholics have not had
the wherewithal to claim it as our own.

Unlike Christopher Columbus, we seem to waiver in the face of our detractors. We quickly step back and then quietly slip away. We have learned to "turn the other cheek" with a false humility. We are then cursed with the experience of "feeling guilty over everything." Many Jewish people have the profound gift of chutzpah—we Catholics evidently don’t. I believe this reality keeps us from first perceiving and then grasping the fullness of truth that in a certain sense is under our very noses.

"We thank you Lord Jesus
for having gifted us with the Fullness of Truth."

We need to send this little prayer heavenward each and every day, and mean it! Our failure to acknowledge this gift has led many to drift away from the Church for significant portions of their lives. For those of us fortunate enough to be offered a second chance, we return home and grow to appreciate spiritual depth. We know from experience that if we don’t go deep in prayer and service to the Gift of Truth, we might again fall prey to the lies of the evil one, and be slaves to sin and death. So, here’s to taking the plunge:

E=mc²

is an expression that truly describes
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass here on earth.

This bridge is clearly visible in relation to the Lord’s
Last Supper and absolute sacrifice of Calvary
and the Eternal Mass, the Lamb’s Supper in Heaven.

In pondering this, it really should come as no surprise...

"God from God, Light from Light, True God, from True God"

The Nicene Creed is both pure simplicity and daunting complexity.

"It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun
than to do so without the Holy Mass. " – St. Padre Pio

So simple and so true...but did St. Pio mean it literally? I believe he did.

Energy = mass x celeritas x celeritas

Both spiritually and temporally!

EMMANUEL = MASS (At the birth of the Christ Child) (Virgin birth as revealed in the True Light
that glowed from the manger and the guiding Light of the Star of Bethlehem)
(Is. 7:14, 8:8, Mt. 1:23, 2:2,7,9-10)

EUCHARIST = MASS x Consecration of the Body x Consecration of the Blood (Corpus Christi)
(Mt. 26:16-46)

ETERNITY = MASS (In the radiance of the Son of man and the Lamb that is the lamp
in the Heavenly Jerusalem)
(Rev. 1:13-16, 14:14, 21:23)

III. Breaking It Down

A puzzle with each piece reflecting Radiant Truth

Energy

Many holy people provide support for this primary connection; they come from all faiths and walks of life. Among modern Catholics the list includes: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Fr. John Hardon, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Thomas Dubay, John Haffert, Dietrich von Hildebrand and Dr. Scott Hahn. Our Holy Father is fond of speaking of Christ as "spiritual energy" and this alone should spur discussion on the matter. As a Catholic whose spirituality is Marian-Trinitarian, I found that the deeper I journeyed into the energy realm, the more I grew in profound love for the Eucharist.

In research I found that the overtly Trinitarian properties of solar energy (nuclear core, radiation zone, and convection zone) and the clear symbolic language describing the transmission of electro-magnetic energy (cloud-to-ground lightning) serve to deepen one’s appreciation of both Sacred Scripture and the Eucharistic Sacrifice in Holy Mass. The analogy is "striking," for each is life giving, life sustaining and life renewing. And there is much more, so much depth to support this. The July 2004 issue of National Geographic is dedicated to the mystery of the Sun, its radiance and its power. This magazine renders a great service by describing in words, photos and diagrams God’s creative genius, His handiwork. The unsuspecting reader is escorted up the onramp of the rainbow bridge that leads to the Catholic Church. Viewing a computer animation of lightning has a similar effect, for the blueprint of the Creator is powerful, attractive, and very catholic.

Fifteen of the twenty Mysteries the Rosary relate directly to Light energy, and the Sorrowful mysteries shed a different light by showing the darkness that is the negation of unity, truth, goodness and beauty. The film, The Passion of the Christ is a fine example of this, for it provides an opportunity to visually discern the Light through and in the darkness of sin. Meditating on light during the praying of the Rosary opens one’s eyes to God’s awesome power and the mystery that is manifest both spiritually and temporally in His loving, sacrificial relationship with mankind. Christ’s Proclamation of the Kingdom through sublime parables and signs and wonders in nature is another fruitful tree for contemplation. It really is an inexhaustible supply. So too are the apparitions of Our Lady, all of which manifest Light energy, her reflected glory—the privilege of radiating heavenly grace to her children and to creation.

Mass

At first the obvious Mass–mass connection is startling, even blinding. But, we must not rest on the surface. We have to understand the deeper reality of the missa–mass linguistic procession and how, when and why it occurred. In this capacity, I soon discovered that in Einstein’s native German language, Messe and masse weren’t even homophones. This caused me to take a big breath and hold it. It was during this short time out in September, that I was moved to focus on context, both cultural and historical, i.e., true relativity in Christ. This new compass direction was a bearing due East.

Latin was the chosen language for the evangelization of the New World. English is the most likely candidate for the re-evangelization of the Old. And why not? If God desired the Gospel to be communicated to the world in this Third Millennium would He choose, Arabic, Russian, or even Chinese?

I have come to believe that we Catholic Christians who communicate with the near universal use of the English language in today’s global culture and who celebrate Mass as part of the American cultural experience have been passed a golden baton. It is a tremendous responsibility, but we have help. E=mc² might be engraved in the gold casing as a symbolic representation of the lost Ark of the Covenant, but it is Our Lady of Guadalupe who holds this scepter. The Queen of Heaven and Earth, the Ark of the New Covenant derives her power from her Son for she is clothed with the Light of her Sun.

As much as any previous gift from God to the U.S.A., I believe this baton represents the fullness of truth as it relates to America’s concept of Manifest Destiny. The Latin Missa was made or converted to Mass in a very Catholic old England, circa 1500, just prior to the Protestant Reformation. But England was already well on the way to losing her birthright as Our Lady’s Dowry at that time. It may be that the baton was spiritually transferred to America via Columbus’s flagship, the Santa Maria, which incidentally never returned to Europe for it was shipwrecked off the coast of Cuba on Christmas Day of 1492. It may have been passed at the Thanksgiving Mass that was celebrated at St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. A case might even be made for the celebrated Mayflower; after all, this vessel was a wine carrying cargo ship that serviced Europe prior to the Pilgrim’s historic voyage and time-honored Thanksgiving to God in 1620.

It is curious how we American Catholics appreciate Mass both as a gathering (ref. The Gather Hymnal) and a sending out, "The Mass is ended, go now in peace to love and serve the Lord." This duality in Mass reflects the dual nature of the High Priest: the Priest and Victim, the Good Shepherd and the Just Judge, the Alpha and the Omega, the God-Man, the ultimate Sign of Contradiction. A continuous gathering and sending out, breathing in and out, this concept more closely resembles the absolute mass in the Heavenly Jerusalem, as related by Dr. Scott Hahn in The Lamb’s Supper, than it does our liturgical life on earth where many churches begin to empty before the Dismissal, and doors are soon locked, denying access to those who might otherwise seek rest in the presence of the merciful throne of Our Lord. In Perpetual Adoration there is a movement to raise our sights to the ideal that is in and of Heaven. We Americans are truly blessed—but with this freedom comes great responsibility.

Is it any wonder that in the past century the world’s mass media has linked the word mass (with a little m) to all sorts of atrocities from mass murder and mass hysteria to plutonium’s critical mass and weapons of mass destruction? The hand of evil is at work in all this. Henry Ford’s celebrated mass production lines may have started the trend. We Catholics are called to form Mass distribution lines to celebrate and worthily receive the precious Body and Blood of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist—and to give our lives if necessary—to end it.

A similar case might be made with the word consumer. Jesus invites all believers to eat His Body and drink His Blood, i.e., to consume Him. But, the world’s message is that people are consumers—citizens of God’s created world are constantly referred to as consumers of the world’s goods. Going deeper, Sacred Scripture teaches that man is to offer acceptable sacrifices to God for His consumption. And yet, the powers of this world want to challenge man to be like unto a god and consume. And if this weren’t enough, there is now a popular composite term, mass consumption that is used to describe man’s insatiable appetite for the perishable things of the world.

Celeritas

Einstein’s conversion constant, C is the speed of light. Celeritas is Latin for rapid, and at 3 x 10⁸ meters/second, it sure is. This is Einstein’s one absolute in the created universe; even time changes relative to this incredible speed. Light may curve due to the physics of gravitational forces, but its speed is constant. Theoretically, to approach this speed is to change both space and time. Zero time is the limit as one accelerates very close to the vacuum-based C—this hints at the theological concepts that describe the timelessness of both the Dawn of Creation and Eternity. Science uses light's absolute speed to relate the vast distances that exist between celestial bodies in the universe. Light-years, time-space expressions of distance seem closely related to A.D. Anno Domini. God divided history B.C.–A.D. when in the fullness of time Christ took on human flesh and was made man. The Year of the Coming of the Light of Christ was established as the center point (center of mass?) of created time and it remains so today, regardless of the scientifically dubious BCE–CE redesignation. Light relates yesterday, to today, to forever. The world hawks the expression "Diamonds are forever," but the Truth shows us that Light is forever, for He is absolute!

Squared...to the Second (Higher)Power

Q: What must happen two times each and every Mass, a sacred act that involves the mysterious movement of Spiritual LIGHT from heaven to earth?

A: The Consecration of the Body and Consecration of the Blood of Christ. Corpus Christi, the mystery of transubstantiation where Jesus is made truly present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. We know that this miracle is energy of the highest order, for it is the Son of God made present by the action of the Holy Spirit, pure and simple...fully God and fully man.

And light is both particle (corpuscle) a photon of energy ....................................... Host (Bread of Life)

(Einstein’s Nobel Prize was for this revelation in 1905, the prize was awarded in 1921)

and wave (frequency) ............................................................................................ Cup (Precious Blood)

This discussion takes on added significance when the Eucharist is raised and exposed in all its radiant glory. There are very good reasons why a monstrance manifests the physical properties of the Earth’s radiant sun. It is not edging toward neo-paganism to acknowledge the glory that is found both in the Son-Light and the sunlight. They were never meant to be separated. Sacred Scripture is abundantly clear on this matter. The lives of the saints encourage a living witness of this unity, for it flows from the fact that everything was created through, in, and for Jesus Christ.

When the blessings of Our Lord’s Body and Blood (mass creative power) are contrasted to the effects of modern weaponry (mass destructive power) the fundamental option: choose life or choose death, comes into brilliant light. The Eucharistic Christ is a "Trinity Project" for where one Person of the Godhead is present, all three are present. Abundant life flows from this Divine well-spring. The Atomic Bomb Trinity Project, the three nuclear weapons that America developed and exploded in 1945 reveal the exact opposite. While the Eucharist is the source and summit of the faith, the bomb is the result and crater of a lack of faith. Both demonstrate the enormity of man’s responsibility to serve God and not mammon. The E=mc² bridge offers mankind a truth that helps one understand the mysterious/scientific basis for the power and the spiritual/moral basis for the decision to use it wisely.

IV. Lifting Him Up

Christ's consummate desire is to do the Father’s will both on earth and in Heaven

Is it wrong for the Eucharist to be related to a mere scientific formula? This question has weighed heavy on me since day one. Now, after months of trying to prove the hypothesis wrong, I pose the question, Shouldn’t it bother us more if it wasn’t related? Who created the world anyway? Life may involve feelings, but it is about Truth.

If Therese was called to evangelize a people whose language was mathematics...

might she begin by standing at a chalkboard and scratching out the analogous
expression that relates a truth about the simplicity of the Triune God?

1= 1 x 1 x 1

* * *

If Francis was called to evangelize a people whose beliefs included ancestor worship
and an impersonal tri-part godhead that was present in the wonders of nature...

might he begin with a story concerning the homage we pay to saints, our elder brothers in Christ,
and then discuss the gifts that flow from our Triune God, and one special gift, a Son,
who is in loving communion with the Father and Spirit of created wonder?

* * *

If Albert was called to evangelize a world where science is god the father,
and technology is god the son, and imagination is god the spirit....

might he give E=mc² a try?

Since April I have been trying to prove the concept wrong, taking the role of devil’s advocate as best I could, but my efforts have come to little. During this time I remembered a key passage from G.K Chesterton’s, Orthodoxy. In it the Apostle of Common Sense concluded that the truth and centrality of Catholicism was validated by various barbed attacks from different sides that tend to cancel each other, for they can’t each be true. I found a similar dynamic at work during my research. When one impassioned atheist supported his worldview of God’s nonexistence with E=mc², I remembered that "two negatives equal a positive" and saw the truth hidden in the middle of his argument.

I now believe the E=mc² law of physics is a covenantal rainbow bridge, a supension bridge. It mysteriously spans and unites both faith and science and it does so through, with and in Christ. It is both timeless and in time, for it reveals the eschatological tension of the God-Man. It sets out to "make straight the path of the Lord" by defining relativity in an absolute and ordered, Christ-centered metaphysical sense. I doubt will ever be adequately explained.

To approach this Bridge Over Troubled Water, that is the key. When the Word emptied Himself and took on human flesh, He subjected Himself to the world and to its laws. He laid Himself down, only to raise Himself up in glory. Why would He not do so here, for the sake of all mankind?

The field of inquiry is unfathomable, for it reflects God’s omnipotence and universality. Each of us experiences Providence in much the same way as I have. The common base? Absolute truth that is a person, Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are all called to the pursuit of Truth, a concept that exhibits great attraction. By relating objective truth to the life and mission of Christ, we have a true basis for acknowledging God’s gifts of light and life, to go about accomplishing His holy will. WWJD was a baby step in this direction. E=mc² is a giant leap for it re-orients a person’s life and compels him to prayerfully seek Christ in all of creation, to find the unity, truth, goodness, and beauty that may be hidden from the wise and learned, but revealed to the little ones. The Holy Spirit is our guide to the more abundant life found in the Truth of the Gift of Our Lord’s Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Albert Einstein maintained a spirited dialogue with the "Old One." He asked God (albeit Spinoza's impersonal God) to reveal mysterious secrets and he received three gifts during that annus mirabilis of 1905. The first revealed to the world the dual-nature of light (analogous to the hyperstatic union of Christ), the second explained how atoms are really present and cause the continuous energy exchange in the random motion of molecules, and the third thrust upon humanity the tremendous power and mystery of E=mc² and also a forbidden fruit, the notion of relativity apart from God.

I believe that the Trinity planted three seeds during that very turbulent year, for Western civilization had been furrowed for communism and militarism, and evil reared its head to oppose communion of the Church militant. Noxious weeds were sprouting everywhere and threatening the very life of humanity. One hundred years ago Pope St. Pius X called for the renewal of the Eucharistic Life as a spiritual remedy to stem the tide of atheism and modernism that was ravaging the Church in Europe and America. It worked because the Life of Jesus (Christ with us) provided power and hope for a disillusioned world.

In 2005, the Year of the Eucharist: Light and Life, the Holy Spirit has inspired Pope John Paul II to set the stage for a dialogue between faith, science and culture. Dispatches from the Vatican this past Advent season echo a constant strain—clear references to the scourge of secular relativism, the need for a bridge and the hope of a living encounter with Christ. Today those three good seeds appear ready to germinate, through, with and in, the Light of Christ. When Mother Church rightfully claims them as her own, Light will again shine in the darkness that is the "culture of death" and His Truth will be "marching on."

V. Conclusion

The 2005 World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany is a golden opportunity for the Church to witness to the secular world. In a mass crossing the Bridge so near, the faith, hope and love demonstrated by the next generation of Catholics could prove very fruitful. I find it providential that the Virgin of Guadalupe’s Mexico was chosen for the 48th Eucharistic Congress that marked the beginning of this grace-filled year and that Einstein’s native Germany is the venue where activities will reach their climax. My family was among the many American pilgrims who worshiped Our Lord and Savior in the shadows the two towers high atop Guadalajara’s Cathedral the night of the Eucharistic procession on October 13, 2004. If it is God’s will, we hope to be watching the golden sun illumine the majestic twin spires that overlook the Rhine River come August 2005.

Scientology is one of many New Age "religions" that count among their ranks many fallen away Catholics. It is time for the Church to lead all of her lost sheep back into the fold, and to gather other sheep as well. To do so we must witness unity that reflects the truth of Christ’s love, light and abiding presence; we must outshine science and participate in the truth of what Christ said, "When I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself."

My family recently returned from a trip to Cleveland to attend the wedding of a dear family friend. The marriage ceremony was performed at St. John the Baptist Cathedral, the seat of the Parma Diocese of the Catholic Church’s Byzantine Rite. All during this timeless, very symbolic service, we were reminded to perceive the gift, to "Be attentive!" The icons screens, a cloud of witnesses surrounded us and filled us with wonderment and awe for we were transported to another plane where love, joy and peace reigned supreme. With eyes fully open to His Light and both lungs breathing the fresh air of His Spirit, the Catholic Church has every reason to sing aloud St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Creation, and add this little coda:

Brother Sun watches over us
His rainbow bridge beckons all,
To see His Light to be His Life
The promise of God’s loving call.

Virgin Immaculate

Perfect lover of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament,
we ask you to obtain for us the graces we need
to become true adorers of our Eucharistic God.
Grant us, we beg of you, to know Him better,
to love Him more, and to center our lives
around the Eucharist, that is, to make our whole
life a constant prayer of adoration, thanksgiving,
reparation, and petition to Our Lord
in the Blessed Sacrament.
Amen.