Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Trinity: Fountain of Love and Light (Venerable Pope John Paul II)

J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*


Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. "O superessential Trinity, infinitely divine and good, guardian of the divine wisdom of Christians, lead us beyond all light and everything unknown to the highest summit of the mystical Scriptures, where the simple, absolute and imperishable mysteries of theology are revealed in the luminous darkness of silence". With this prayer of Dionysius the Areopagite, an Eastern theologian (Theologia mystica, I, 1), we begin a difficult but fascinating journey of contemplating the mystery of God. After having reflected in the past few years on each of the three divine persons — the Son, the Spirit and the Father — in this Jubilee Year we intend to take a comprehensive look at the glory common to the Three who are one God "not in the unity of a single person but in the Trinity of one substance"  (Preface for the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity). This choice corresponds to what was suggested in the Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente, which said that during the celebration phase of the Great Jubilee the aim would be "to give glory to the Trinity, from whom everything in the world and in history comes and to whom everything returns" (n. 55).
2. Taking our inspiration from an image offered by the Book of Revelation (cf. 22: 1), we could compare this journey to a pilgrimage along the banks of God's river, that is, of his presence and revelation in human history.
As a brief sketch of this journey, today we will dwell on the two extremities of that river:  its source and its mouth, joining them in a single horizon. The divine Trinity, in fact, is at the very origins of existence and history and is present in their final goal. It constitutes the beginning and the end of salvation history. Between the two extremities, the garden of Eden (cf. Gn 2) and the tree of life in the heavenly Jerusalem (cf. Rv 22), flows a long history marked by darkness and light, by sin and grace. Sin has separated us from the splendour of God's paradise; redemption brings us back to the glory of a new heaven and a new earth, where "death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more" (ibid., 21: 4).
3. An initial view of this horizon is offered by the first page of Sacred Scripture, which indicates the moment when God's creative power makes the world out of nothing:  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gn 1: 1). This view is deepened in the New Testament, going back to the very heart of the divine life, when John proclaims at the beginning of his Gospel:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Jn 1: 1). Before creation and as its foundation, revelation has us contemplate the mystery of the one God in the trinity of persons:  the Father and his Word united in the Spirit.
The biblical author who wrote the creation text could not have suspected the depths of this mystery. Even less could mere philosophical reflection have attained it, since the Trinity is beyond the capacities of our understanding and can only be known through revelation.
Nevertheless, this mystery which infinitely transcends us is also the reality closest to us, because it is the very source of our being. For in God we "live and move and have our being" (Acts 17: 28), and what St Augustine says of God must be applied to all three divine persons:  he is "intimior intimo meo" (Conf., 3, 6, 11). In the depths of our being, where not even our gaze can penetrate, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God in three persons, are present through grace. Far from being a dry intellectual truth, the mystery of the Trinity is the life that dwells in us and sustains us.

4. Our reflection in this Jubilee Year will take its themes from this Trinitarian life, which precedes and grounds creation. The mystery of the origins from which all things flow, God appears to us as the One who is the fullness of being and communicates being, as the light that "enlightens every man" (cf. Jn 1: 9), as the Living One and giver of life. He appears to us above all as Love, according to the beautiful definition in the First Letter of John (cf. 1 Jn 4: 8). He is love in his inner life, where the Trinitarian dynamism is the very expression of the eternal love with which the Father begets the Son and both give themselves to each other in the Holy Spirit. He is love in his relationship to the world, since the free decision to make it out of nothing is the fruit of this infinite love which radiates into the sphere of creation. If the eyes of our heart, enlightened by revelation, become pure and penetrating enough, they can by faith encounter this mystery in which everything that exists has its root and foundation.
5. But as we mentioned at the beginning, the mystery of the Trinity also lies before us as the goal to which history is directed, as the homeland for which we long. Our reflection on the Trinity, in the various realms of creation and history, will look at this goal, which the Book of Revelation very powerfully points to as the seal of history.
This is the second and final part of God's river, which we referred to a few moments ago. In the heavenly Jerusalem the beginning and the end reconverge. For God the Father, who sits on the throne, appears and says:  "Behold, I make all things new" (Rv 21: 5). At his side is the Lamb, i.e., Christ, on his throne, with his light, with the book of life containing the names of the redeemed (cf. ibid., 21: 23, 27; 22: 1, 3). And see:  at the end, in a gentle and intense dialogue, the Spirit who prays in us and with the Church, the Bride of the Lamb, says:  "Come, Lord Jesus" (cf. ibid., 22: 17, 20).
At the end of this first sketch of our long pilgrimage into the mystery of God, let us return then to the prayer of Dionysius the Areopagite, who reminds us of the need for contemplation:  "It is really in silence that we learn the secrets of this darkness ... which shines with dazzling light.... While remaining completely intangible and invisible, it fills minds that know how to close their eyes with the most beautiful splendours" (Theologia mystica, I, 1).

© L'Osservatore Romano, Editorial and Management Offices,
Via del Pellegrino, 00120, Vatican City, Europe, Telephone 39/6/698.99.390.


*********

Back in the 2000, The Year of the Great Jubilee, we might have missed this teaching of profound importance for all believers.  Pope John Paul II provided us with a glimpse of the pathway from Genesis to Revelation, Garden of Eden to New Jerusalem in heaven.

It is no coincidence that there is a coloring associated with the Trinity as exposed in Revelation 22:

Blue for the (river) Father
Red for the (lamb slain) Son
Green for the (tree of life, bearing fruit, giving health) Holy Spirit.

Read this last chapter of this last book of the Holy Scriupture for yourself if you don't yet see the symbolism. 


Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
Mike Rizzio

Imitate Mary
Become like Jesus
Live for the Triune God

Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ
See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph;
O Beata Trinitas;
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael

The Battle of the Holy Eucharist (and Spiritual Energy)

J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*

Pope Benedict XVI:
On the Eucharist and Love
"Source of the Spiritual energy  that Renews Our Life"
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, (Sep 25, 2005) Our response to his love therefore must be concrete, and must be expressed in a genuine conversion to love, in forgiveness, in reciprocal acceptance and in attention for the needs of all. Many and varied are the forms of service that we can offer our neighbor in everyday life, if we pay a little attention. The Eucharist becomes in this way the source of the spiritual energy that renews our life every day and, in this way, renews the love of Christ to the world.
_______
From the Holy Father's first encyclical Deus Caritas Est, God is Love (Dec 2005) concerning the Church's role in social justice: "She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper."
_______
Before closing his Sunday Angelus (Feb 25, 2007), the Pope reminded all those gathered in the piazza that "the indispensable spiritual energy required to establish peace and happiness can only be obtained from this source [Christ]."
_______
On April 2, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI while celebrating Mass in St. Peter's Square to commemorate the third anniversary of John Paul's death recalled his mentor's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in his homily: "The Mass—as he often said—was for him the focal point of every day and of his entire life. The "living and holy" reality of the Eucharist gave him the spiritual energy to guide the People of God along the path of history."
_______
At special dedication Mass at Albano, Italy Pope Benedict spoke the following words: "Therefore, the love of Christ, the love that will never end, is the spiritual energy that unites those who participate in the same sacrifice and are nourished by the one bread broken for the salvation of the world."
(POPE BENEDICT XVI)
____________________
The theme of World Mission Sunday, to be held Oct. 24, is "Eucharist and Mission," two realities that are "inseparable," as the Pope points out in his message, recalling key concepts of his 2003 encyclical "Ecclesia de Eucharistia."
In that encyclical, the Holy Father says that "the Eucharist builds the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist" noting "how the mission of the Church is a continuity of the mission of Christ and draws spiritual energy from communion with his Body and Blood."
Indeed, "the goal of the Eucharist is precisely, 'the communion of mankind with Christ and, in him, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit,'" he writes in his message for Mission Sunday.
(POPE JOHN PAUL II)
____________________
Finally, in this reflection on the significance and missionary content of the Eucharist we must not forget the martyrs, those unique "missionaries" and witnesses of the faith and love of Christ. The relics of the martyrs have from antiquity been placed under the altars, where the memorial of the "victim sacrificed for our reconciliation" is celebrated. They are a clear sign of the vigor that emanates from Christ's sacrifice. This spiritual energy conducts those for whom the Lord's body is food to offer their own lives for Him and for the brethren in the total gift of self, to the point, if necessary, of shedding one's blood.
 (POPE JOHN PAUL II)
____________________
Pope John Paul II - to Miloslav Cardinal Vlk, Archbishop of Prague, and members of Focolare - February 19, 2005
"With ever-living ardor, contemplate Christ in the mystery of the Eucharist.
Following His example, be ready in all circumstances to make yourselves instruments of mercy and communion. The secret of pastoral success is the crucified and risen Lord, Whom we adore in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. As you well know, in order to be eloquent signs of His love and instigators of His peace in all environments, everyone is first of all asked to cultivate an intimate and constant familiarity with Him. From intense participation in the Eucharist springs the spiritual energy needed to bring all projects of goodness to fruition."
(POPE JOHN PAUL II)
____________________
The origins of the Eucharistic prayers and actions derive of course from Jesus' Last Supper, celebrated with the apostles on the night before He died.
But this ritual in turn was rooted in Jewish customs from the Old Testament. The unleavened bread eaten at each Passover feast commemorates the Jewish exodus from Egypt. We also remember the manna the Jews received to sustain them in the desert. We recall too the priest Melchisedec from the first book of the Bible offering bread and wine (Genesis 14. 17- 20).
But there would have been no point to the Last Supper on Holy Thursday without Jesus' death on Good Friday.
In faith we are celebrating the death of the Lord until He comes again. The power of the universe has acted through His Son, the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. It is this gaining of salvation through Jesus' unique sacrifice that we commemorate in every Mass.
But we also look forward because Holy Communion is what St Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred in the Colosseum in 107AD, called "the medicine of immortality". Holy Communion in particular, and all the sacraments, give us the spiritual energy or grace to enjoy happiness after death. In fact the Eucharist is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet to come.
(CARDINAL GEORGE PELL)
____________________
Sunday Mass then emerges in clearer light, as does the parish as a Eucharistic community.  We also ask ourselves what place the Holy Eucharist has in the day and week for each of us and how we learn from Christ to offer ourselves.  The Holy Eucharist supplies us with the spiritual energy for the apostolate.  It punctuates the major milestones in our personal and community life, and is with us at the evening of our earthly pilgrimage.
(CARDINAL ARINZE)
____________________
If you have a misselette or have access to a Sacramentary, locate and read the section for the Offertory and Eucharist prayers. Pause between words and phrases to capture the beauty and meaning of the words. The next time you participate in the Mass, remember this reflection and discover a new spiritual energy flowing through you.
(THE CATECHIST)
____________________
The Eucharistic year is a year of grace given to us to strengthen our faith, to refresh our souls and to draw new spiritual energy. But, above all, it should be a bright spark for a renewed missionary enthusiasm with the awareness that to celebrate Eucharist signifies to announce Christ and to make Him present in the lives of people.
(FRASALIANS)
____________________
These, then, are our three needs with regard to sanctifying grace: firstly, that we preserve it permanently; secondly, that we recover it immediately if we have lost it by mortal sin; thirdly, that we seek to grow in sanctifying grace with an eagerness that sees the sky as the limit.
Now none of these three things is easy to do. In fact, by our human wisdom and strength alone, none of these three things is even possible. That is why sanctifying grace is preceded by and accompanied by a whole train of special helps from God. We call these special helps actual graces. An actual grace is a momentary, transient impulse, a spurt of spiritual energy with which God touches the soul. They are divine impulses that move us to judge what is right and to do what is good.

Without God’s help we cannot succeed in getting to heaven. The story of grace is as simple as that. Without sanctifying grace we are not capable of the beatific vision. Without actual grace we are not capable of receiving sanctifying grace in the first place. Without actual grace we are not capable of remaining for any long period in the state of sanctifying grace. Without actual grace we cannot recover sanctifying grace if we should lose it.
 (ST. JOHN NEUMANN PARISH)
____________________
"Spiritual Energy"
My Dear People,
Prayer and Service are the Keys
Ever feel like the Lord seldom hears your prayers? Elijah, the prophet, felt that way. In our first reading today, we find the prophet exhausted from prayer and service of the Lord. He falls asleep under a desert tree. While resting, an Angel of the Lord awakens him. God's messenger brings a hearth cake and a jug of water for nourishment. Elijah was too exhausted to eat. He fell asleep again. The Angels stirs Elijah after his rest. Elijah then walked for forty days and forty nights.
Then, he prayed. Strengthen by the Lord, Elijah served the Lord with all his heart. Like Elijah, we too need to be strengthened by the Lord. Prayer and service keeps us on track. When we fail to pray, we run out of "spiritual energy". Only Our Lord, can refuel the souls. Take the time to relax, pray, and refuel with the Lord. If you have not yet visited our Adoration Chapel, make time to spend time praying and praising the Lord each week. Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,
Fr. Mark
By sharing in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, may we find the strength and courage to make our own sacrifices to build up our church, and provide faith for the future.
____________________
From the beginning, the Eucharistic service, and chiefly the great prayer of Transubstantiation, the Eucharist proper, had the character of an 'action.' In fact, it was very often called 'actio,' and the corresponding verb was 'to make,' 'to do.' We even find the formulation: 'to make the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ.' Christ's word at the Last Supper, 'do this' was understood in a deeper sense. It was not only that the ceremony of Holy Thursday was to be repeated, but that the whole event of Golgotha—Passion as well as Resurrection and Ascension—was to be brought to life anew. In the Eucharist Christ's central deed of redemption became actual and alive.
Divine providence arranged it in such a way, that it was really a constructive aid, able to arouse the utmost spiritual energy of the one to be helped. Christ's redeeming deed does not work automatically. It cannot make us holy without our conscious and willing participation. Such an automatic salvation would certainly spare mankind all its tragedies, but it would destroy man's freedom and dignity. Christ's deed has been so fashioned that it remains a dormant potentiality as long as it is not made effective and active by man's free agreement and cooperation. Man is supposed to do something in order to release the full divine energy of this deed. Without man's response it remains a latent possibility. When man responds, he becomes sensitive to the spiritual emanations welling forth from Christ's deed.
____________________
Every time I have said these words before receiving Holy Communion, I’ve always wondered about the significance of them. Being a healing professional, this aspect of the Holy Eucharist was always of particular interest to me.
My faith is spiritual energy (substance) that is reality in heaven, which will be transformed into physical reality on this earth in answer to my prayer of hope. We say “Our Father who art in Heaven, ……, thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…..”. God’s Will for us already exists in heaven. When we have faith, we allow God’s Will to become substance and reality in our lives.
____________________
The members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church are a community of faithful followers of Jesus Christ, who derive their strength and spiritual energy from the Eucharist and other Sacraments. We allow ourselves to be formed and molded by the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed Trinity. We strive to live and abide by the "Spirit of Wisdom, Spirit of Understanding, Spirit of Good Counsel, Spirit of Fortitude, Spirit of Knowledge, Spirit of Piety and Spirit of Fear of the Lord." We are committed to the service of God through our neighbors in our solidarity with the poor and needy by our involvement in various ministries.
____________________
Let us pray for this tremendous grace to hunger and thirst for Holy Communion.  It is precisely in receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion that our hunger for God grows and intensifies.  The more we receive Holy Communion the more we will love Jesus, and the more we love Jesus the more we will desire to receive Holy Communion.  Does not our Holy Father refer to the Eucharist as the Sacrament of Love?  What better way to return our love to Him who has so loved us as to become Food for our souls?  What better way to grow in charity towards our neighbor than to be united with all those to whom Christ gives Himself in Holy Communion (SC).  Numerous are the benefits of receiving Holy Communion. The following are just a few benefits to inspire greater zeal:
1. Holy Communion is a personal visit of Jesus, Author of all spiritual energy and of all holiness
____________________
"Could I but make known to all souls the loving sentiments with which My Heart overflowed at My Last Supper, when I instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist...!  ...How many souls who had been enfeebled by sin and the violence of passion would come back to their allegiance and recover their spiritual energy by partaking of this Bread of the strong!”
(JESUS???)
____________________
W A R N I N G
HERETICAL REPRESENTATION OF SPIRITUAL ENERGY
The Holy Eucharist literally exists on the intersection between the Earth and the Heavens. As a column of fire and light it connects the forces of the earth and those of the sun as a channel for richly imbued spiritual energy. In executing the ritual of the Holy Eucharist the cosmic energies are activated and bundled. Amongst others, these immense sources contain "prana", the vitality of the sun, "fohat", the cosmic electricity of the Divine Will and "kundalini", the creative fire. An aspect of the generation of this field of transformation is the path through the rainbow bridge of the chakras of those present. The goal is the formation of suitable channels for the distribution of these powers in the world.
____________________

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
Mike Rizzio

Imitate Mary
Become like Jesus
Live for the Triune God
Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ
See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph;
O Beata Trinitas;
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael

Einstein Truth 3X

J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*






Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
Mike Rizzio

Imitate Mary
Become like Jesus
Live for the Triune God

Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ
See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph;
O Beata Trinitas;
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Two Jews in a Church

J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*


IMHO there is far too little discussion concerning Einstein's youth. The three years he spent in Catholic School were at that critical time in childhood development when higher level concepts are being formed (age 6-9).
 ________________ 

Intellectual Development

  • Your child will become more sophisticated in understanding the concept of time. They enjoy hearing about times past
  • By age 6, most children can count to 100. By age 9, they are beginning to learn how to multiply.

Spiritual Development

  • Kids begin to wonder more about the world around them, and they are more likely to ask why things happen.
  • Children at this age begin to notice that friends may have different spiritual practices.

________________

Grades 2-5 in Catholic School were pivotal for me.  It is a shame that we have only scant anedotal evidence of what it might have been like for young Albert, the only Jew in his class at the Petersschule in Munich, Bavaria during the years 1885-1889.  I wonder if he identified with Jesus, the other Jew, at Holy Mass.

Max Jammer relates the following in his book, Einstein’s Religiosity and the Role of Religion in His Private Life:
At the Catholic primary school, he was taught, at age seven, parts of the Small Catechism (Catechismus Romanus) and biblical tales of the New Testament; at age eight, sections of the Large Catechism and biblical stories of the Old Testament; and at age nine years, other parts of the Old Testament and the sacraments, baptism, and the Lord's Supper.

 

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
Mike Rizzio

Imitate Mary
Become like Jesus
Live for the Triune God

Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ
See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph;
O Beata Trinitas;
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael

Ultraviolet Heaven?


J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*

What might it be like beyond the visible spectrum of light? If heaven is the great beyond, we might gain a little appreciation by studing the effects of the ultaviolet world in which we live.

Ultraviolet light is a two edged sword
+ it induces the production of Vitamin D
+ it disinfects

– it destroys skin tissue
– it damages DNA

False-color image of the Sun's corona
as seen in deep ultraviolet by the


Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
Mike Rizzio
Imitate Mary
Become like Jesus
Live for the Triune God

Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ
See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph;
O Beata Trinitas;
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Bread of Life: E=mc^2 and the Rainbow Bridge


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.  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, as 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.

     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 Advent season of a year of change—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?

     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.

     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 what appears to be the twilight for humanity, 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 would have been wise to 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 mysterious 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 Fathers are 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.

     If one opens the door to consider truth from the viewpoint of the Eastern lung of the Catholic Church we see that the Eastern Orthodox define the Divine Action of the Divine Liturgy (what we term Eucharist of the Mass) as energeia. If Eucharist and energeia are interchangeable, we have a more precise rendering of the spiritual truth of E=mc2    Energeia = mass x speed of light x speed of light.  Continuing on this vein for a moment let us consider another Truth, another Light from the East.  Google: Easter and Holy Fire and you'll see for yourself.  YouTube the same for the numerous videos that seem to confirm this yearly miracle. Holy Fire from nothing...we gotta believe, or do we?

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. Three ship captains all hailing from what was Latin Italy—Christopher Columbus, Giovanni Verrazano and John Cabot—piloted the great nations in this race for European control over the "virgin" land. Is not English is the most likely candidate for the language to re-evangelization the Old? 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 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. Notice how 2.997 is so close to exacly 3.  Do you think it is a mere coincidence?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

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

Answer: 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, the power 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 2004 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 way 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.

     All throughout his life of 67 years Albert Einstein maintained a spirited dialogue with 'the Old One.' He seemed to be pleading with God (albeit Spinoza's impersonal God) to reveal mysterious secrets of creation. The child who wondered what it would be like to ride a beam of light back to its source received three gifts during that annus mirabilis of 1905. The first gift revealed to the world the mysterious dual-nature of light (analogous to the hypostatic union of a dual-natured Jesus Christ?); the second explained how atoms are really present and cause the continuous energy exchange in the random motion of molecules; the third thrust upon humanity the tremendous power and mystery of E=mc2 and also a forbidden fruit, the notion of relativity (special) 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 and five 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 inspired Pope John Paul II to set the stage for a dialogue between faith, science and culture. Dispatches from the Vatican thst Advent season echoed 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 was 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 was very fruitful. I find it providential that the Virgin of Guadalupe’s Mexico was chosen as the venue for the 48th Eucharistic Congress that marked the beginning of that grace-filled year and that Einstein’s native Germany was 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. We mourned the passing of the servant of God Pope John Paul II the following April. We also watched the golden sun illumine the majestic twin spires that overlook the Rhine River in August 2005 as Pope Benedict XVI ventured up the Rhine River to St. Albert the Great's city Cologne, on a very symbolic ship named Rheine Energie.

     Scientology is one of many New Age "religions" that count among their ranks numerous 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."

     I am brought back to recall a family 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.