June 15, 2025

Institution of the Eucharist

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In the Fifth Luminous Mystery, we contemplate the Institution of the Eucharist.

From the Gospel of Matthew (26:26-28)
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Commentary by St. Leo the Great
Our participation in the Body and Blood of Christ is intended to transform us into what we receive. However, it is not enough to receive Him; we must make ourselves worthy by abandoning sin and walking the way of the cross.

Meditation 1
“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth, warning them that divisions and inequalities within the community were compromising the true meaning of the celebration of the Eucharist and threatening the unity of the Church.

Without the Eucharist, there is no Church, and without the Church, there is no Eucharist. The Eucharist is, above all, the gathering of Christians, this community founded by Jesus and called the Church. As members of the Body of Christ, we Christians celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as He taught us.

If one day the Eucharist ceases to be celebrated, then that day, the Church will cease to exist. Just like an association whose members never gather would disappear, the Church would similarly cease to exist without the celebration of the Eucharist—the living memory of the birth, life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. In the human body, the heart pumps the blood, sending it to the cells and then receiving it back. Similarly, the life of a Christian is a constant movement between the Eucharist and the world. In the past, at the end of the Latin Mass, the priest would say “Ite missa est,” which meant “you may go, the Mass has ended,” but also implied, “the Mass has ended, now the mission begins”.

Meditation 2
"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25) Jesus interpreted His own death as that of a grain of wheat which, to bear fruit, needs to die; one must renounce oneself and understand that one’s life is not for oneself, but for others, in order to serve a greater purpose.

"No one has greater love than the one who lays down his life for his friends," said Jesus. Just as a mother gives her life for her child, in the beginning, the baby's nourishment comes from the mother's body. In Portuguese, the word " mamã " comes from the word “mama” or breast, the source of nourishment; and as the child grows, the first solid food is “papa” or porridge made from the cereals grown by the father, whom the baby learns to call "papa”. 

The food chain is made up of living beings that feed on each other. Life only feeds on life. Living on this planet, we are subject to the laws of nature. Just as we need to “kill” to keep our bodies alive, we need to die to find meaning in life, like that grain of wheat.

In other words, to live a meaningful life, we must spend our lives in the service of something greater than ourselves. Beethoven was nourishment for music, just as Gandhi was for non-violence and Nelson Mandela was for the fight against racism. And what about us? What are we food for?

The Eucharist, in addition to keeping the Church as a community that continues Christ's mission on earth, also contains the meaning of human life. We participate in the Eucharist to become more eucharistic, giving our lives in service and love to others.

Prayer 
Lord Jesus,
You gave us the gift of the Eucharist at the Last Supper,
Your Body and Blood given out of love,
help us to live this living and transforming presence in our daily lives.

May we, as we partake of Your Body,
be transformed into Your image,
renouncing sin and embracing the path of the cross with humility and gratitude.
May we, like the grain of wheat, die to ourselves
so that our lives may bear fruit in love, service, and self-giving to others.

Teach us, Lord,
to be more eucharistic,
becoming instruments of Your peace,
witnesses of Your justice,
and living signs of Your Kingdom in the world.

May we, as we participate in the Eucharist,
be sent on a mission,
bringing Your light and love to everyone we meet,
so that Your Kingdom of fraternity, justice, and peace may grow among us. Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

June 1, 2025

Transfiguration

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In the Fourth Luminous Mystery, we contemplate the Transfiguration of Jesus.


From the Gospel of Matthew (17:1-2)
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.

Commentary by St. Augustine
Jesus became as radiant as the sun to indicate that He is the light that illuminates every man; He is the Messiah humanity was waiting for, the one and only Savior, the victor.

Meditation 1
Immersed in an experience of light and meaning that anticipates the Lord’s Resurrection, the disciples receive a new command: “Listen to Him!” To listen and to obey share the same root: it means being attentive, allowing all the senses to know internally and adhere to the Truth that is Jesus.

The Transfiguration of the Lord reflects the moment of Jesus' Baptism, where, just as on Mount Tabor, God speaks, and Jesus’ divine essence is revealed. However, while the Baptism marks the beginning of the Master's public mission, the Transfiguration marks the culmination of His mission, with the confirmation of the Old Testament, represented by Moses and Elijah, testifying that Jesus is fulfilling the ancient prophecies.

The purpose of the Transfiguration was to prepare the apostles, strengthening their faith by bearing witness to Jesus' divine essence, in anticipation of His passion and death as a human being. Despite this extraordinary vision, it was not enough to prevent the disciples' weakness, as shown by Peter's denial and the flight of the other apostles.

Meditation 2
The Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor teaches us a profound spiritual truth: God's grace has the power to transfigure us, revealing our true beauty and dignity in His eyes, while sin disfigures us, distancing us from our essence and obscuring the divine image within us.

In this episode, we see how God's presence can transform us, illuminating us with His glory, just as Christ was illuminated before the apostles. On the other hand, sin prevents that light from shining, distorting our being and distancing us from the fullness of life that God offers us. The Transfiguration thus invites us to allow divine grace to transform us, freeing us from the shadows of sin and leading us to the true light of Christ.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, 
in Your Transfiguration, You showed us Your divine glory, 
the light that illuminates our hearts and calls us to true life.

Grant us the grace to listen to You attentively, 
to adhere to Your Truth with all our being, 
and to be transfigured by Your presence within us.

Transform us, Lord, by Your light, so that, 
freed from the sin that disfigures us, 
we may reflect the beauty of Your image 
in all that we are and do.

When the shadows of weakness envelop us, 
remind us that Your grace is stronger than our sin, 
and that with You, we walk toward the fullness of life.

Strengthen us, as You did the apostles, 
so that, even in trials, we may hold fast to our faith, 
knowing that Your glory awaits us beyond the cross. Amen 

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

May 15, 2025

The Kingdom of God in the words and miracles of Jesus

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In the Third Luminous Mystery, we contemplate the Kingdom of God in the words and miracles of Jesus
.

From the Gospel of Luke (11:20)
If it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

Commentary by Chromatius of Aquileia:
The Teacher of life and the heavenly Physician, Christ the Lord, came for this very purpose: to instruct men with His teachings and to heal the ills of body and soul with divine medicine.

Meditation 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (…) All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. (…) And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-4, 14)

Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of the Father who became incarnate in human time and space. Besides being the incarnation of the Word, Jesus proclaimed words of life throughout His public life, especially in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, which summarizes His doctrine and is considered the Magna Carta of Christianity.

In the words of Jesus, the heart of the Kingdom of God is revealed: a kingdom of justice, love, mercy, and truth. He came to announce that this Kingdom is already among us, manifested in His person, His teachings, and His actions. Every word of Jesus, from the Beatitudes to the parables, outlines the way to live in this Kingdom.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). By this, He is not referring to a distant or a future kingdom but to a present reality accessible to all those who live according to the principles of humility, compassion, and justice.

Meditation 2
For man as an individual being, Jesus presents Himself as the only standard of humanity, the one we must measure ourselves against in order to be truly human, for He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

For man as a social being and for society in general, He introduces the Kingdom of God as a social project—a more just, fraternal, inclusive, and peaceful society, or as it is defined in the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.


The Kingdom of God has already been among us from the moment Christ entered human history. However, it is not yet present in its fullness. It is up to us, as the Church, to continue expanding the Kingdom of God until Christ is all in all. In this sense, the Church is to the world as yeast is to dough, transforming this world into the Kingdom of God.

The miracles are the first signs of the Kingdom of God—a new order where health, justice, and peace prevail. They manifest the reality of the Kingdom, where there is no pain, suffering, or death. By healing the sick, raising the dead, and performing other wonders, Jesus reveals what the Kingdom of God represents for humanity.

Prayer
Lord God,
You who sent Your Son, Jesus Christ,
as the Word made flesh,
we thank You for the revelation of Your Kingdom among us.

May the miracles He performed
remind us of Your infinite mercy
and Your desire to heal and restore each of us
both in body and soul.
May we see in every act of love and compassion
the manifestation of the Kingdom that is already present among us.

Help us, Lord, to live according to the principles of Your Kingdom,
embracing humility, justice, and peace.
May the Beatitudes that Jesus proclaimed
be the light that guides our steps, and may our lives
reflect the grace and truth that only He can give.

Inspire us to be the yeast in the dough,
promoting transformation in our communities and in the world,
so that all may come to know Your love and Your will.

Lord, may Your Church be a visible sign of Your Kingdom,
a place where all are welcomed, and where justice and fraternity can flourish.

We trust in You, for we know that with Your help
we can be instruments of peace and love.
May Your will be done on earth as it is already done in heaven. Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC




May 1, 2025

The Wedding at Cana

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In the Second Luminous Mystery, we contemplate the Wedding at Cana.

From the Gospel of John (2:1-5)
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’

Commentary by Faustus of Riez, a 5th century bishop:
In Galilee, through the works of Christ, water is transformed into wine; the law disappears and grace emerges; the shadow dissipates, and reality appears; material things are confronted with spiritual ones; the old observance gives way to the New Testament.

Meditation 1
At the wedding at Cana, Jesus performs the first transubstantiation by changing the substance of water into the substance of wine, foreshadowing the other transubstantiation where He will change the substance of wine into the substance of His Blood.

The miracle at Cana is a figure and symbol of what takes place daily on our altars. There is an admirable connection between the first miracle, which initiates His ministry, and the one that concludes it: the Last Supper.

The wine at Cana, which becomes the finest, symbolizes the Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. At the Last Supper, Jesus takes the wine and offers it as His Blood, establishing the new covenant. The miracle at Cana anticipates this sacrifice and the reality of the Eucharist, where the wine is transformed into the Blood of Christ, which purifies and redeems us.

Meditation 2
Although Jesus said that His hour had not yet come, His mother did not hesitate to intervene without being asked, on behalf of the couple in distress on their wedding day. She knows our needs in advance, and is ready to present them subtly but vigorously to Her Son: “They have no wine.” In return, she only asks us to “Do whatever He tells you.”

In this passage, Mary reveals herself as the prototype of every believer: attentive to concrete needs, she presents them to Jesus and encourages those around her to put their trust in Him. The Wedding at Cana provides an opportunity to contemplate the Holy God, who graciously accepts our prayers and desires: He is the God of the “opportune time,” who knows how to give each one what is most needed.

At Cana in Galilee, Mary saw a need and sought to resolve it, pushing Jesus into His public ministry when He had not yet planned to start. Jesus, obedient to His Heavenly Father, also obeys His Mother, even as an adult. This obedience is important for us because it establishes Mary, His Mother, as the intercessor of all graces.

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
who at the Wedding in Cana turned water into wine,
reveal to us the power of Your presence in our lives.
Just as Your first miracle brought joy and hope,
may we experience the transformation that only You can bring.

Most Blessed Mother,
model of trust and intercession,
teach us to look attentively to the needs of others
and to present them to Your Son with the same trust you had.
Help us to be instruments of peace and joy
in the lives of those around us.

Lord, make us servants attentive to the needs of others,
willing to follow Your will,
to put Your words into practice,
and to live in communion with our brothers and sisters.

May the Eucharist become
the new wine of Your grace in our lives,
purifying and renewing us each day
so that we can reflect Your light in the world. Amen

Fr. Jorge Amaro,  IMC



April 15, 2025

The Baptism of Jesus

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In the First Luminous Mystery, we contemplate the Baptism of Jesus.


From the Gospel of Mark (1:9-11)
In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased.'

Commentary by Saint Ambrose:
Only one submerged; when He descended, all humanity descended with Him... Only one took upon Himself the sins of all, so that in Him, the sins of all could be forgiven.

Meditation 1
We know little about Jesus’ life before He began His public ministry. It is unlikely that Jesus started from scratch; it is probable that He was associated with the movement of John the Baptist, which forgave sins with a baptism of water, without the need to offer sacrifices in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Although Jesus was sinless, by undergoing baptism, He identified with sinful humanity. John's baptism was a symbol of repentance, and by being baptized, Jesus demonstrated solidarity with sinners, fully assuming the human condition.

The Son of God in the ranks of sinners! He, like us in everything except sin (Hebrews 4:15), allows Himself to be baptized. In baptism, Jesus reveals to us His way of being: taking on the human condition to the fullest, descending always to reveal to the world His true identity – being God’s much-loved Son.

Meditation 2
After being baptized, Jesus came up out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened. Then, there was an explicit manifestation of the Trinity:

  • The Son: Jesus is baptized.
  • The Holy Spirit: Descends in the form of a dove, symbolizing Jesus’ anointing for His mission.
  • The Father: A voice from heaven declares, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). This Trinitarian revelation confirms Jesus' identity as the Son of God and the promised Messiah.

By being baptized, Jesus expresses full submission to the will of God the Father. He publicly declares that He is ready to fulfill His redemptive mission by accepting the path of suffering and the cross. This obedience will be a constant throughout His life, culminating in His passion and death.

Baptism marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. From this moment on, He begins to preach, perform miracles, and teach about the Kingdom of God. This event inaugurates a new phase in His mission of redemption.

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
who humbly submitted Yourself to baptism in the River Jordan,
showing us the way of obedience and love,
help us to follow Your example,
by identifying ourselves with those most in need,
with sinners, and with those who suffer the most.

You, who are the beloved Son of God,
reveal to us, in the silence of our hearts,
our own identity as sons and daughters of God,
and grant us the strength of the Holy Spirit
to live fully the mission
You entrusted to us in our baptism.

May we, like You, descend,
serving and loving with humility,
so that in our surrender,
the heavens may also open
and be revealed to those we touch with love.

Heavenly Father,
In the baptism of your Son, you proclaimed your pleasure,
may we also be a source of joy for You,
through our life of faith, hope, and charity.

May Your will always be our guide,
and may Your Spirit strengthen us
on the journey towards Your promise of eternal life. Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

April 1, 2025

Loss and Encounter

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In the Fifth Joyful Mystery, we contemplate the loss and the finding of the Child Jesus in the temp
le.

From the Gospel of Luke (2:41-47)
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.

Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’

Commentary by Symeon the Metaphrast
The Virgin mentions Saint Joseph as an adoptive father, but Jesus takes the opportunity to refer to His true Father, who is God. This passage teaches that Mary’s gaze must rise from earthly things to heavenly ones. By remaining in the temple, Jesus shows that love for God must be stronger than the natural love we feel for our parents.

Meditation 1
“Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” This was Jesus’ response to His mother after three anxious days of searching, when she found Him in the temple.

These are the first words of the Incarnate Word recorded in the Gospel. With them, Jesus sums up His person, life, and mission. They reveal His divine filiation and testify to His supernatural mission. Christ’s entire life will be a grand explanation of the meaning of these words.

Saint Luke goes on to tell us that Mary “did not understand what he said to her”. Although she did not grasp the full meaning, Mary knew that Jesus was the Son of God and therefore, she silently submitted herself to the divine will, accepting the sacrifice that her love required.

“Mary kept all these words in her heart,” where, as in a tabernacle, she adored the mystery contained in them, awaiting the light of understanding.

Meditation 2
How many have lost Jesus and do not live as afflicted as they should! Many believe in God’s existence but live as if He did not exist. There are no religious objects or images in their homes, and the thought of God never crosses their minds, let alone the love of God or neighbor. They live for themselves, as if they would never die, and they run the risk of dying without ever having truly lived.

The path to authentic human life is through Jesus, because He is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life. Only those who spread happiness around them are truly happy. Individual happiness is a reflection of good performance in society and personal fulfillment. Those who are not useful to others have no purpose.

A Catholic in name only is someone who has “lost Jesus in the temple”, in other words, has stopped participating in the Sunday Mass. Therefore, the place where he or she has lost Jesus is the place where He can be found again. Without the Eucharist, there is no Church; without the Church, Christ disappears from the face of the earth.

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
just as your anxious parents searched for You in the temple,
we too seek Your presence when we feel lost on the path of life.
Help us to remember that the real encounter with You
happens when we turn our hearts to Your house,
to Your Word, and to Your Eucharist.

Give us the grace not to live as if You were far away,
but to recognize You in every moment,
in every gesture of love and service to others.
May our love for You be stronger than any earthly attachment.
May we know how to listen to your voice and follow Your path.

Mary, Blessed Mother,
who kept the words of your Son in the silence of your heart,
teach us to accept God’s will,
even when we do not fully comprehend His plans.
May we, like You, always trust and keep the faith in every circumstance of our lives.

Lord, rekindle in us the desire to seek You always,
and that in finding You, we may be renewed
in the love, peace, and joy that only You can give us.
May we never lose the certainty that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
and that only in You we find true happiness.

Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC


March 15, 2025

Presentation

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In the Fourth Joyful Mystery, we contemplate the presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple
.

From the Gospel of Saint Luke (2:22–32)
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord,’ and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons’.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel. (…) It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (…) Simeon took the Child in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now You are dismissing your in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory for Your people, Israel.’

Commentary by St. Athanasius
The Word, taking upon Himself what was ours, offered it as a sacrifice and destroyed it by His death. Then, He clothed us with His condition.

Meditation 1
Jesus does not break from the ancient traditions, but submits Himself to the laws of the land where He lives and of the people into which He was incarnated as a man. Yet, in obeying or fulfilling these laws, He passes them through His moral conscience, because the law was made for man, not man for the law.

Mary, being the purest of living beings alongside Jesus, also submits to the tradition of ritual purification. When referring to this second part of the mystery, it is necessary to include the word “ritual”, because Mary was always pure, before, during, and after childbirth.

The Son of God subjected Himself to the Law and its precepts! In the life of the Holy Family, respect for the Law is born from the certainty that God is at its foundation. Therefore, the routine fulfillment of what is established, of what is apparently unchangeable, also becomes a place for the revelation of God.

Meditation 2
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is an opportunity for us to contemplate the Holy God, who takes on the rhythm of human beings: He is the God of Love, who reveals Himself in human history without imposing Himself. How much truth and how much revelation of God there is in faithfully fulfilling our daily duties!

Simeon, upon seeing Jesus, recognizes that the Christ, for whom he had been waiting, has arrived, according to God’s promise. He raised his eyes to heaven in gratitude, but also warns Mary that her heart will be pierced. Despite this, Mary continues to trust in God, not knowing what the future holds. May our prayer ask for trust in God’s plan and the patience to wait for it to unfold.

On the day of the Presentation, God received infinitely more glory than in all the sacrifices and holocausts offered in the temple until then. On this day, it is the Son of God himself who is presented to Him, offering the Father an infinite homage of adoration, thanksgiving, atonement, and supplication.

This offering, so pleasing to God, is received from the hands of the Virgin, full of grace. Mary’s faith is perfect. Filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, she has a clear understanding of the value of the offering she is making to God at that moment. The Holy Spirit harmonizes her soul with the inner dispositions of her Divine Son’s heart.

Just as Mary gave her consent on behalf of all humanity when the angel announced to her the mystery of the Incarnation, so on this day she offers Jesus to the Father on behalf of the whole human race. She knows that her Son is “the King of Glory, the new light that came before the dawn, the Master of life and death.”

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You who revealed Your salvation to Simeon in the Temple,
give us eyes to recognize Your presence in the simplicity of daily life
and open our hearts to accept Your will, like Mary and Joseph.

May we, like the Holy Family, live in obedience to Your laws,
but also, with the awareness that the true Law is born from Your Love.
Help us to fulfill our daily duties with joy and faith,
knowing that Your presence and Your will are manifested in them.

Lord, give us the confidence of Mary,
who, even when she heard about the sword that would pierce her heart,
continued to trust in You without hesitation.
May we, like her, offer You the best of ourselves,
knowing that You are the foundation of our hope.

On this day of Presentation,
we remember that Your Son Jesus
offered himself to the Father out of love for all humanity.
May we also, in our lives, be an offering of love and adoration,
bearing witness to Your glory and Your salvation,
a light for all nations.

Amen

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC



March 1, 2025

The BIrth of Jesus

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In the Third Joyful Mystery, we contemplate the birth of Jesus.


From the Gospel of John (3:16; 1:14)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. (...) And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth."

Commentary by Saint Gregory of Nazianzus:
The Son of God became man for love of man. Whoever gives his wealth to others becomes poor. He asks me to give Him my human nature so that He can give me His divine nature.

Meditation 1
God the Creator is incarnate in a creature. For many religions, it seems impossible that God could be incarnate in a human being, just as it seems impossible for the sea to fit into a small puddle of water. If we think only of God's transcendence, yes, it seems impossible, illogical, improbable. However, for God, nothing is impossible.

God is not only transcendent; He is also immanent, already present here and now in the heart of every thing and every person. The expression "God is closer to me than I am to myself" applies to everything; God is at the heart of both material beings and spiritual beings. Therefore, when we think of His immanence, it becomes easier to understand why He took a human form.

God "camped" among us, set up His tent among us, just as He once did when He accompanied His people for 40 years in the desert after liberating them from Egypt. That tent, where Moses met with God in dialogue, representing the people of God, was called the "tent of meeting." Jesus of Nazareth, Emmanuel, "God with us," is the new Tent of Meeting, for in Him, God and man meet. Through Jesus, God comes to man; through Jesus, man goes to God.

Meditation 2
"God became Man so that Man could become God." – St. Irenaeus
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him (Jesus). Matthew 20:29

Jericho is both the oldest city in the world, with 8,000 years of existence, and the lowest city on Earth, some 500 meters below sea level. In the Bible, Jericho symbolizes sin. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jerusalem represents grace, while Jericho symbolizes sin.

The man who fell among robbers fell into disgrace because he was descending from Jerusalem, 800 meters above sea level, to Jericho. He was traveling from grace to sin; as people say, "He who forgets God lacks all good." To save humanity from sin, Jesus also descends to Jericho, but He does not stay there. He leaves Jericho, and a great crowd follows Him, ascending with Him from the sin of Jericho to the grace of Jerusalem.

The Son of God is born in utter poverty: in unexpected circumstances, without a place, without comfort. To God's poverty, Mary responds with her own poverty: offering the best of herself, enveloping and cradling the fragility of the Infant God, so that He does not lack the most important thing — Love.

The Birth of Jesus is an opportunity to contemplate the Holy God, who gives Himself in weakness: He is the Poor God who always brings out the best in us. How much fragility and powerlessness there is in our lives and in the lives of those around us! How many opportunities we have, like Mary, to offer what we have and to focus on Love! How do I face the difficulties and weaknesses of life? Do I see them as an opportunity to give the best of myself?

Prayer
Lord God,
You sent Your Son to be born among us in humility and poverty.
Grant that, like Mary, we may offer the best of ourselves,
welcoming Your love in every situation of our lives.

Help us to recognize Your presence in fragility and difficulties,
and to see every challenge as an opportunity to grow in Your love.
May we, like Mary, know how to focus on the essential,
offering what we have with generosity and simplicity.

Lord, just as Jesus was born in a humble stable,
make our hearts a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
full of peace, love, and hope.

May we never forget the greatness of Your plan,
where even in the most unexpected and difficult circumstances,
You manifest Yourself in love and mercy.
May we, like the great crowd that followed Jesus,
rise from the darkness of sin into the light of Your grace.

Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC


February 1, 2025

Visitation

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In the Second Joyful Mystery, we contemplate the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Saint Elizabeth.


From the Gospel of Luke (1:39-42, 45):
In those days, Mary set out and with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! (...) Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

Commentary by Saint Ambrose
“Blessed are you who have believed," says Elizabeth. But you too are blessed because you have heard and believed: every soul that believes and does the will of God conceives and brings forth the Word of God, recognizing His works.

Meditation 1
If in the Annunciation, Mary is in prayer, in the Visitation, Mary is in action; if in the Annunciation, Mary listens to the word of God, in the Visitation, she puts that word into practice, as her Son often suggests; if in the Annunciation, Mary loves God above all things, in the Visitation, she loves her neighbor as herself.

If in the Annunciation, Mary has a personal experience with God as a disciple, in the Visitation, as she sings her Magnificat and bears witness to her experience of God, she acts as a missionary, sharing and testifying to all that God has worked in her.

In these two Joyful Mysteries, we find the path of the entire Christian life. For this reason, Mary is for us a model of both disciple and missionary. All the virtues that a Christian should cultivate are concentrated in her. Mary is, therefore, not only the Mother of Jesus and our Mother but also an example of how to follow Christ.

Meditation 2
"Blessed are you because you believed," were the words of Elizabeth to Mary. These words remind us that faith is a choice, a commitment, a decision we make freely after exhausting our reason. Faith is a leap into the unknown, and only after we take this leap will we know if we were right. Mary found happiness in her faith in the Word of God spoken by the angel. We too will be happy if we believe and unhappy if we do not.

Mary traveled from Nazareth to Ein Kerem, covering about 150 km to help her cousin. However, Elizabeth recognizes something more in her than just her cousin Mary, as she was already pregnant with the Son of God. In response to Elizabeth's words, Mary, through her Magnificat, demonstrates what it means to be a missionary. It is not exactly about preaching doctrines; doctrine comes second.

Like Mary in the Magnificat, the missionary must testify to the great works that God has done in their life. Just as history is divided into before and after Christ, our lives change when we encounter Christ, as happened with Paul.

In the Magnificat, Mary recounts the great things the Almighty has done in her life. In the same way, Jesus’ project is not just individual but also social, calling us to make this world the Kingdom of God.

The missionary, as Mary describes in her Magnificat, is the one who helps to bring down the mighty from their thrones and lift up the humble; the one who faces the injustices of this world, striving to establish the Kingdom of God here in a more just, peaceful, and fraternal society.

Prayer
Lord our God,
just as Mary rose in haste
to serve and bring Your presence to Elizabeth's house,
we too, moved by Your Spirit,
wish to respond promptly to Your call.

Make us faithful disciples
who listen to Your Word with open hearts,
and generous missionaries
who put it into practice through service and love for others.

May we, like Mary,
recognize and bear witness
to the great wonders You work in our lives,
and announce with joy Your Kingdom of justice, peace, and brotherhood.

Lord, help us tear down the barriers that separate us from others,
exalt the humble, and combat the injustices
that prevent Your peace from reigning in the world.
May our faith be firm and trusting in You, as Mary's was,
and may we find true happiness
in believing in Your promises.

As Mary sang her Magnificat,
we praise and bless You,
for You are faithful and merciful,
and in You, we place all our trust.

Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

January 15, 2025

Annunciation

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In the First Joyful Mystery, we contemplate the angel's annunciation to the Virgin Mary.

From the Gospel of Luke (1:26-31):
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.’

From the Acts of the Council of Ephesus:
The word we pronounce and use in dialogue is incorporeal, impossible to be grasped by sight or touch. However, when it is dressed in letters and external forms, it becomes visible and accessible to sight and touch. In the same way, the Word of God, which by nature is invisible, became visible; being incorporeal by essence, He assumed a tangible body.

Meditation 1
As the letter to the Hebrews tells us (1:1-2): Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.

The communications of the prophets in ancient times were always imprecise, imperfect, and incomplete. That is why God decided to intervene directly in human history, as he did so many times throughout Israel's history. Jesus of Nazareth reveals both the true nature of God and the true nature of humanity, teaching how God relates to man and how man should relate to God.

Meditation 2
When Mary appeared pregnant after visiting her cousin Elizabeth, she had to face her parents, Joseph, and the people of her village alone. The miraculous conception, the work of the Holy Spirit, was a unique event in history, without precedent, which would have sounded far-fetched to the people of that village.

At that time, Mary ran the risk of being seen as an adulteress, since she was already betrothed to Joseph, and the punishment for adultery was stoning, as we know from the episode of the adulterous woman presented to Jesus to be stoned. Surely Jesus remembered his mother at that moment.

Mary suffered silently from slander throughout her life, something that is hinted at in various passages of the Gospel. For many at the time, Jesus was seen as the son of an unknown father, which was a source of shame for both Him and Mary, especially in a patriarchal society. Mark refers to Jesus as the "son of Mary," while Matthew says he is Joseph’s son. Luke decides not to call him either.

Prayer
Lord God,
You who chose Mary, a humble servant,
to be the Mother of Your Son,
teach us to have the same trust and faith
that she showed when she heard Your call.

Give us the courage to say "Yes" to Your will,
even when we do not understand Your plans,
just as Mary accepted with humility and surrender
the divine plan that would change the history of humanity.

Lord, as the angel Gabriel greeted her with grace,
we too ask for Your blessing,
that we may be bearers of Your presence and love in the world,
and like Mary, we may bring Your light
and testify to Your Son, Jesus.

Help us, Lord, to face the adversities
and misunderstandings that arise on our path
with the same patience and silence of Mary,
who knew how to suffer with resilience
and kept everything in her heart, fully trusting in You.

May we, like Joseph, act with justice and mercy,
avoiding hasty judgment
and welcoming others with love and understanding.

O Father, teach us to follow the example of Jesus,
who did not seek to condemn,
but to bring reconciliation and the hope of new life.
May we also be instruments of Your restorative justice,
always desiring the conversion
and life of the sinner, not their downfall.

Lord, make us understand that just as Mary and Your Son
bore the weight of slander and suffering,
we too must persevere through difficulties,
trusting that You are always with us,
even when the world judges and condemns us.

We praise You, O God, for Your unconditional love
and the promise of salvation,
trusting in You today and always.
Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

January 1, 2025

Contemplating the twenty mysteries of the Holy Rosary

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"Pray the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world and an end to the war."
(May 13, 1917 – Apparition of Our Lady in Fatima)

What is the Rosary
Our Lady did not request the daily recitation of the Rosary only during her first apparition; she insisted on this request in all subsequent apparitions until the last one. The Rosary and Fatima are inseparable, but the Rosary is also inseparable from other Marian apparitions.

The term "Rosary" comes from the 150 (now 200) Hail Marys divided in groups of 10 with the Our Father and the Glory Be prayers, alongside meditations on the mysteries of Jesus’ life and our redemption, thus forming a "crown of roses" offered to Mary, Mother of the Lord and our Mother.

The twenty mysteries of Christ's life are divided into four sets of five mysteries each. In each Rosary, only one of these sets is prayed, which are: the Joyful Mysteries, related to Jesus’ birth and childhood; the Luminous Mysteries, which reflect Jesus as the light of the world during His ministry; the Sorrowful Mysteries, focusing on Christ’s Passion and death; and finally, the Glorious Mysteries, which contemplate Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven.

Inspired by chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation, which refers to Mary wearing a crown of 12 stars, I conceived 12 Marian mysteries, reflecting on how Mary's life is intertwined with her Son's, from her conception to her Assumption and coronation in Heaven. Like the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, these Marian mysteries also contemplate Jesus’ life, but through the perspective of His Mother.

The Importance of the Rosary in Our Spiritual Life
Praying the Rosary allows Mary to guide us in meditating on the mysteries of her Son's life. This practice helps keep our hearts and minds focused on the Gospel teachings, strengthening our faith in God and His presence in our daily lives.

The repetitive and meditative rhythm of the prayers brings calm and introspection. Many people find inner peace and comfort when praying the Rosary, especially in times of difficulty, anxiety, or distress.

In the Most Holy Rosary, repeating the Hail Marys 50 times (10 times per mystery) serves to prevent the mind from being distracted from contemplating the mystery. The aim is not to focus on each Hail Mary and Our Father, but to use these prayers as mantras, allowing the mind to reach a state of contemplation of the divine.

How the Rosary is Prayed in Fatima
While making the sign of the cross, one says:
God, come to our assistance. / Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. / As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

  • Proclamation of the mystery of Christ's life to be contemplated.
  • Proclamation of the biblical text related to the mystery.
  • Pause for an appropriate period of time.
  • Recitation of 1 Our Father and 10 Hail Marys.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. / As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Mary, conceived without sin, /pray for us who have recourse to thee.

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.

At the end of the fifth mystery, 3 Hail Marys are prayed for the intentions of the Pope.

Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

Distribution of the Mysteries of Christ throughout the Week

  • Sunday and Wednesday: Glorious Mysteries.
  • Monday and Saturday: Joyful Mysteries.
  • Tuesday and Friday: Sorrowful Mysteries.
  • Thursday: Luminous Mysteries.
  • Saturday: Marian Mysteries.

Joyful Mysteries
We meditate on the beginning of humanity’s redemption, from the Annunciation to Mary and the incarnation of the Son of God to Jesus' adolescence.

Luminous Mysteries
The Luminous Mysteries, introduced by Pope John Paul II in 2002, aim to fill the gap between the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries, but they end up leaving out an essential part of Jesus' life, where He reveals Himself as a model of Humanity, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the one with whom we must measure ourselves to be authentic and genuinely human, and at the same time, He is our salvation, the source of our spiritual health here and now, as well as the way to the Father.

The life of Jesus can be summarized in the miracles He performed and the teachings He delivered, with the Kingdom of God as the primary purpose of His coming. Therefore, I propose, in the third mystery, to replace the “Proclamation of the Kingdom of God” with “The Kingdom of God in the words and miracles of Jesus.”

Indeed, Jesus not only proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom but also demonstrated that it is already present among us through His teachings and miracles. The Kingdom of God began with the coming of Jesus into the world; it is among us, though not yet in its fullness. It is up to us, His disciples, to carry on His mission of transforming this world into the Kingdom of God.

This adjustment in the third Luminous Mystery offers a more complete vision of the public life of Jesus and is aligned with the original purpose of the Luminous Mysteries.

Sorrowful Mysteries
We meditate on the process of Jesus’ Passion and Death, from the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to His last breath on the Cross. When we say that Jesus died for our sins, we understand that He paid the debt we could not settle, reflecting the sin of all humanity.

Glorious Mysteries
We meditate on Jesus' triumph over death through His Resurrection. Death has been defeated, as has the sin that caused it. Now death is a passage to eternal life, and the life of Jesus, which began with Mary's "yes," culminates in the glorification of the one who is an example of Christian life for all of us.

Marian Mysteries
We meditate on how Jesus' life is reflected in Mary’s life, which begins before her Son’s and continues after His Ascension.

Note – In the following articles, one for each of the 20 mysteries, I present material to help with the meditation of each mystery. This material, to be used after the proclamation of each mystery and before the recitation of the 10 Hail Marys, consists of the following:

  • The biblical text relating to each mystery
  • A meditation from the Church Fathers
  • A personal meditation
  • A prayer inspired in all the texts

Depending on the time available, the person leading the recitation may choose just the biblical text, the text from the Church Fathers, one of the two meditations, the prayer, or all of them when time permits.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

December 15, 2024

Integral Worldview

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My reflection this year on worldview, as the skeleton or framework on which our ideals lie or the Magna Carta that governs our thinking and our lives, was inspired by reading a book called, The Powers That Be, by the Protestant theologian Walter Wink. The book is not about worldview, but about the powers that govern this world. However, in five pages of this book, Wink describes the 5 worldviews that have governed the imagination of human beings thus far.

These 5 worldviews are as follows: the ancient, the spiritualist, the materialist, the theological, and the integral. I understand that there are more worldviews than those cited in this book, and also many more beyond the ones I mention in this year's articles. As can be seen, three of the worldviews that Wink mentions are part of my study: the materialist, the spiritualist, and the integral, the latter is the topic of this text.

As we have said, the materialist worldview is the one that governs the world of culture, politics, arts, science, high finance, and universities. These environments have been completely sterilized of any religious sentiment, manifestation, thought or symbol. Western culture, the daughter of Christianity, has thrown its mother in prison and carried out an "ethnic cleansing" of many elements associated with Christianity.

As for other elements, Western culture stole them without mentioning their Christian origin, like for example, the baptismal registry books that the republicans that overthrew the monarchy in Portugal,  stole from the Churches to begin the civil registry. It also stole other elements by changing their names; historians, instead of saying before or after Christ, say before or after the common era to denote year.  

Western society has become so materialistic that it is almost inhuman, cold, selfish, and where nobody cares about anyone; individualism and selfishness have grown out of proportion; atheists and agnostics say they have values, but we do not see them in action anywhere. In this climate of such materialistic inhumanity, many take refuge in spiritualism and, following the law of the pendulum, adhere to a spiritualism that denies and demonizes all matter. They constitute small communities that are authentic oases in this materialistic desert.

The integral worldview is a worldview that seeks to reconcile man with his nature. As we have already said, we understand that modern man represses religious feeling in the same way that a Puritan society represses sex. The integral worldview also aims to overcome the dualisms typical of the spiritualist worldview, to seek the synthesis of these thesis and antitheses: spirit vs. matter, soul vs. body, creationism vs. evolutionism, sacred vs. profane, pure vs. impure, etc.

This new mentality, this new worldview, this new optic, and way of seeing things, is rising from the ashes of materialism, like a Phoenix reborn. It is not a crude, ignorant, reactionary spiritualism that has science as its enemy, but the living of religious feeling in the light of science, in constant dialogue with it. It is a faith that allows itself to be purified by science from all myths, superstitions, and irrationalism; it is a science that allows itself be guided and inspired by faith, that is not ashamed of it. Few are those who already live in this dimension, the majority of the population is either materialistic or spiritualistic.

History of Materialism
From religion to anti-religion, the history of materialism is a history of evolution of the experience of religious feeling. It all began with matter impregnated with spirit, breathing spirit through its every pore: this was the stage of animism. As human beings got to know the material realities of the world around them, they started stealing the souls of these realities.

In moving from animism to polytheism, human beings stole the souls from countless material realities, and to those handful few they did not know, they attributed to them the status of gods, that is, of leaders of a reality such as time, sea, love, war. For the sake of simplification, human beings concentrated these unknown realities into one single deity, but they did not stop there.

Because of the scientific discoveries of the 19th century and their practical applications in the 20th century, human beings began to think that they had discovered everything there was to discover. They became proud and so full of themselves that they destitute the religious sentiment, declaring that it was not God who had created man in his image and likeness, but rather man who created God in his image and likeness. Later, not content with his delusion, he killed God and put himself in his place.

Little by little, however, modern man is realizing that religious sentiment is neither an invention of ignorance nor an explanation for unexplainable things. The very fact that no matter how much the human being knows, there will always be things that he still does not know, proves that matter seems to have certain properties in common with Spirit after all.  

Some intellectuals of our time, not defining themselves as religious, go so far as to say that if God did not exist, he would have to be invented. Yes, because they recognize that this world, as it is structured, presupposes that most human beings are believers. Because if the contrary were true, things would not be as we find them in this world. So, as I have said elsewhere, atheists and agnostics are lucky that most are believers. In fact, the world as it is structured can survive with an agnostic minority, as long as the majority, as is the case, is a believer.

The integral worldview is going to suppose a return of what was stolen back to its owner; giving Spirit back to matter, because neither matter is as material as materialists think, nor is Spirit as immaterial and incorporeal as spiritualists think. The integral worldview will somehow imply a return to animism, but not the same uninformed animism of primitive men or ours when we were children; it will be an animism that will place the spirit at the center of every thing. Today we know from science that visible matter is after all composed of invisible and intangible subatomic particles.

Physics is the Soul of Science
When we talked about worldview and science, we said that scientific discoveries make us change our perspective about everything around us, the way we relate to the environment, our view of life; it is not the same to think that the Earth is the center of the universe than to think that it is not the Earth, but the Sun, and ultimately not even the Sun, is the center of a universe that probably has no center. It is not the same to think that matter and energy are two realities of a different nature than to think that matter is a form of energy and energy is a form of matter, just as water exists in three different physical states, and none is similar to the other, so much so that they even look like different realities.

Every scientific discovery can provoke a metanoia, a conversion, a change of mind, a worldview, or a new way of looking at things. Our mind, our faith, and our life have to adapt to the evolution of our knowledge of the reality that surrounds us and with which we relate. The science that can most stir our worldview is Physics, because it is the one that studies the most basic and fundamental things of our life, such as matter and the cosmos.

It is in this sense that we can state that the materialist worldview is out of fashion because it has not kept up with the latest scientific discoveries in the field of physics, especially quantum physics. The materialist worldview is right and makes sense in the context of mechanistic physics like Newton's, where reality works with the precision, cadence, rhythm, and prediction of a Swiss watch.

This worldview was itself misleading because it featured a watch without a watchmaker. But more than that, since Einstein we know that reality has nothing to do with the precision of a watch, but if it were a watch, it would not be precise as the Swiss kind, because it would be relative, that is, it would not always mark the same hours.

The New Quantum Physics and Quantum Mechanics
Quantum mechanics changes our minds, modifies our paradigms, attacks the logic that has governed science and our lives, because it breaks down boundaries that used to seem insurmountable and puts an end to the dualisms that opposed realities that we used to think were very different and even contrary, such as matter/energy, static/dynamic, visible/invisible, tangible/intangible, predictable/unpredictable, material/spiritual, scientific/philosophical.

Matter/Energy – The heart of matter is intangible like energy; the heart of matter, the world of atoms and subatomic particles is, in fact, energy.

Atoms can be matter, insofar as we try to weigh and measure them; but the particles that compose them have electric charges and move, that is, they exhibit the properties of energy. We can conclude that they are matter in their essence, describable, qualifiable and quantifiable, but that they are energy in their existence, because they exhibit a voltaic power, they react, and create waves.

Matter is energy in potential, energy is matter in potential. Combustion transforms matter into energy: this is what happens at the center of the sun, where hydrogen atoms fuse, creating helium and energy.

Visible, solid matter is composed of invisible elements, and the further we travel to the center of matter, the less matter (mass) and the more empty space we find, so matter seems to be reduced to tiny vibrating fibers of energy. Subatomic particles are in fact manifestations of energy. Therefore, what seemed so visible and solid is now reduced to electromagnetic waves. As the result, we can conclude that our body and everything that materially exists is reduced to vibrating energy.

Matter in itself does not exist, for it is merely a storehouse of energy, it is nothing more than condensed, accumulated energy. For example, plants, through photosynthesis, convert the radiant energy of the sun into chemical energy that is stored in organic molecules, as if the plant were a battery, a storehouse of energy.

Matter/Spirit - Materialism has no reason to exist, because matter is formed by invisible, almost spiritual elements, and we certainly cannot understand matter without knowing its soul. The atom is the soul of matter, so not only human beings have souls, matter does too. The soul of matter is as invisible as ours within our body.

Inert/Living - It is no longer clear that life only exists in organic matter; there is no longer such a big difference between organic matter and inorganic or inert matter. Subatomic particles reveal to us that life exists not only at the level of cells, but also at the subatomic level of quarks. Of course, this is a different form of life.

Visible/Invisible  - "If quantum mechanics hasn't shocked you deeply, it's because you haven't understood it yet. Everything we call real is made up of things that truly cannot be understood as real." Niels Bohr

The boundary between the visible and the invisible is also broken in matter. The mass of an atom is less than 1% of its size, the rest is void, that is, the space between the nucleus and the electrons. As stated above, if the nucleus of an atom were the size of a basketball, the electrons would be several kilometers away from the nucleus.

Static/Dynamic - The matter that forms objects appear static, it seems stationary, but in fact, this is an illusion: in reality, everything moves. As stated earlier, the electron orbits around the nucleus of the atom at a speed of 2,200 kilometers per second. Matter is therefore not static as it seems, but dynamic.

In quantum mechanics, everything is an illusion: visible matter is composed of invisible elements; it is apparently static, when in reality it is in motion; it is apparently very different from energy, but it is in fact a form of energy.

Pure/Impure - There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile, (Mark 7:15). ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ (Acts 10:15)

There was a time when the sexual act was seen as something dirty, ugly, sinful, and impure; It was only seen as a lesser evil when it was performed in the context of marriage for the sole purpose of procreation. But even then, Christian couples were advised not to enjoy the pleasure of sex and to abstain completely from sexual intercourse during Lent. For the rest, it was seen as a " remedium concupiscência", a palliative for voluptuousness, not as an act of love.

Love is the soul of the sexual act, which is one of the expressions of love in its function of uniting people into one body and one soul. And since it is the act by which the two will become one flesh (Mark 10:1-12), then resulting in three, the genesis of a human being is the fruit of the unitive love between two people, hence in no way can it be an impure act.

Sacred/Profane - When St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and when Jesus tells us that instead of praying to be seen by others, we should do so in our room (Matthew 6:5), we should pray within ourselves in spirit and truth, not on Mount Gerizim or in the temple of Jerusalem (John 4:23-54), where then lies the profane? Was not everything created by God? If everything and everyone was created by God, nothing is profane, everything is sacred.

Good/Bad - Love as a human need (to love and to be loved) does not seem, at first glance, to be connected with morality, but it really is. When we judge we do not love, when we love we do not judge; universal love, especially love of enemies, overcomes the dualistic thinking of good versus evil, and can take us to the eternity that is God, the one who makes rain come down on the just as well as the unjust, and loves everyone unconditionally. We are called to be like Him.

It is also said that love is blind; that lovers tend not to see each other's faults and shortcomings, and naturally refrain from judging each other. And it also seems that when love disappears, only defects and deficiencies are seen. This leads us to conclude that only love can free us from being hypercritical of each other, taking us back to the Garden of Eden.

God/Devil  - There is only God, the devil does not exist, his myth was created to exonerate God from the creation of evil. Evil, or individual evils, were created by man when he misused his freedom. The possibility that this would happen, that is, the possibility that men could sin, choose evil, was created by God in making man free. There is no equally viable alternative to good, to God; he who does not gather with me, Jesus says, scatters, for there is no devil with whom he can gather....

Quantum Mechanics Proves the Power of Faith
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there”, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’  Matthew 17:19-20

In classical deterministic mechanics, knowing the initial position and momentum (mass and velocity) of all particles belonging to a system, we can calculate their interactions and predict how they will behave.

This is not the case in quantum mechanics; Heisenberg's Principle highlights that it is impossible to know both the exact position an electron occupies in the electrosphere of an atom and the speed at which it moves around the nucleus; the more we know about its speed, the less we will know about its position, and vice versa.

According to Niels Bohr, when measuring a subatomic particle, the very act of measuring forces the particle to give up all possible places where it could be and (uncertainty principle) selects the location where you can find it; it is the act of measuring that forces the particle to make that choice.

Unlike Einstein, Bohr accepted that the nature of reality was inherently confusing; Einstein preferred to believe in the certainty of things in themselves and at all times, not just when they are measured or observed. Bohr even went on to say that he "would like the moon to stay in its place even when I'm not looking at it." When Einstein, already quite annoyed, said that "God didn't play dice," Bohr impassively replied, "Stop telling God what to do.”

"I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot be behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness." Max Planck (1858-1947) Nobel laureate, founder of quantum theory.

Integral Worldview

‘No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.’  Mark 2:21-22

Those who still have their minds shaped by the deterministic principles and precision of mechanistic physics cannot understand quantum physics and mechanics. Their materialistic wineskins cannot understand a matter impregnated with spirit, bizarre, illogical, judicious, mystical; the Dane Niels Bohr, one of the creators of the new science, once said that only those who did not understand quantum physics were not scandalized by it.

The integral view of reality sees everything as having an outer and inner aspect. Heaven and earth are thus seen as the inner and outer aspects of a single reality. The spirit is at the center of every created thing. This inner spiritual reality is inextricably related to an outer form or physical manifestation.

Heaven or spirit is not up and matter down, but rather the spirit is within the matter. It is in a sense the immanence of God who is at the center of everything. Everything is in God and God is in everything. This is not pantheism that everything is God, but panentheism: everything is in God and God is in everything. This worldview is shared by Native American religions, which speak of father heaven and mother earth.

The soul or spirit, as described by St. John, is also governed by the same principle of uncertainty that governs the interior of matter in the subatomic particles from which it is formed: ‘The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ John 3:8.

The integral worldview reconciles science with religion, matter with spirit, the inner world with the outer world. The enchanted world of subatomic particles has proved to the scientist that after all he cannot grasp everything with his reason and be the master of reality that he thought he was during the time of Newton's mechanistic physics. The new physics tells the man of today to "Grow up!”

Conclusion: the agnostic materialists, out of touch with the reality of today's quantum physics, continue to be formatted according to Newton's mechanistic physics; by robbing the spirit of matter, they eat a bread that feeds but tastes like nothing. The spiritualists, denying the corporeality of matter, live like penitent souls in a world that, being in itself a valley of pleasures and joys, has become a valley of tears. By stealing matter from spirit, they eat a bread that may taste good, but does not nourish. The integral worldview is like a whole grain bread, which nourishes and tastes good; it gives health to the body and joy to the soul.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

December 1, 2024

Spiritualist Worldview

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When we speak of the Christian worldview, we are referring more to the contribution of Christianity to humanity and how humanity is indebted to it in many respects as a global religion. As we have spoken about the biblical worldview, referring to the Hebrew people, and therefore to the Old Testament; in speaking of the Christian worldview, we focus more on the content of the Christian narrative or, if you will, on Judeo-Christianity. The spiritualist worldview is a Christian worldview, but with a strong Greek influence.

During the time of Christ nothing was written down, in any language; the New Testament writings report in Greek the events that happened in Hebrew and Aramaic. That is, the authors of the New Testament were at the same time writing and translating. “Traductor, traditor” says the wise Latin proverb meaning the translator is a traitor.  The historical facts about Jesus of Nazareth occurred in a purely and exclusively Hebrew context; however, those who reported them to the world did so in a foreign language: Greek, knowing that they were doing so for Christian communities in the diaspora and that the new faith had little future in Israel.

From the Italian Peninsula to the west, the Romans imposed their language on the populations they conquered, because these peoples were primitive and did not know writing; but to the east of the Italian Peninsula, Greek prevailed, because it was the language of the soul of the rich Hellenic culture, which in many ways was superior to the Roman’s. For this reason, and because all the authors of the New Testament beginning with St. Paul knew Greek, it was in this language that they poured out the Word of God made Man.

Unbiblical Christian Worldview
‘…because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’ When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed, but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’ At that point Paul left them. Acts of the Apostles 17:31–33

Paul's discourse in the aeropagus is a clash of two different cultures, based on two different anthropologies or the human being’s ways of perceiving: the Greek dualistic one of mortal body and immortal soul, and the holistic biblical one of both the body and the soul can be mortal and immortal, depending on whether or not they adhere to the God of life.

The spiritualist worldview is not from biblical revelation, but rather an adaptation or enculturation of Christianity to the Hellenic culture, dominant in that time and place. This unrevealed worldview was imposed on the Church and governed it throughout the Middle Ages. It still rules many consciences today. As often happens in life, you go to others with the intention of converting them and they end up converting you. This is what happened when the new faith began to walk in the paths of ancient Greece.

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

In both the Old and the New Testaments, creation is a work of love. God liked what he made, never giving up on his work, especially the creation of human beings who, unlike other creatures, were created in his image and likeness.

In the second century, a new worldview emerged that challenged this Judeo-Christian belief that creation was basically good. In this new worldview, creation is not good, but evil. It represents the fall when the spirit or soul that lived with God was exiled into the body, into matter. The soul or spirit is intrinsically good, the matter is intrinsically evil. The world is a prison and as such, a "valley of tears”.

If the human being is composed of two opposing elements, then he lives a schizophrenic life as if he had two personalities. If this is so, how can we look positively on the incarnation of the Word of God, Jesus Christ?

Having become trapped in mortal bodies, the spirits became subject to the warped and ignorant powers that govern the world of matter. Consequently, sex and earthly life in general were considered evil. The task of religion was to rescue the spirit from the flesh, to recover the spiritual heaven from which the soul had fallen.

Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Neoplatonism, and the sexual attitudes associated with Puritanism, continue to be powerful factors in spiritualism today, in addition to sexual disorders, eating disorders, negative self-images, and the rejection of one's own body that led to the self-flagellation widely practiced by saints and non-saints, by friars, monks, and nuns, as well as by lay people.

This spiritualistic and negativistic view is reflected in the spirituality of many to this day, in placing much emphasis on gaining and not losing Heaven. As the catechism taught, the enemies of the soul come from three sources: the world, the devil, and the flesh, referring of course to the body, especially the sexualized body.

Spiritualism in the Bible
This negative worldview of the body and the world, of matter in general, infected the later writings of the New Testament, since they were already written at the end of the first century and the beginning of the second. Admittedly, we do not find this tendency in the earlier writings when Hellenism was not yet dominant in the Church.

Negative view of the world in St. John's writings
We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19

The word "world" appears 185 times in the New Testament, 78 in the Gospel of John, 8 in Matthew, 3 in Mark, and 3 in Luke. In the three letters of St. John, it appears 24 times. Compared to the other gospels and other New Testament’s writings, John uses and abuses the word "Cosmos" or world, why?

To the Greeks the world is not a divine creation. In this, John differs from them, since in the prologue of John’s Gospel, it is clear that the world is from God. However, John's description of the fallen world has many connotations to the Hellenistic conception of the world as completely opposed to God. The dualism in John is ethical rather than philosophical, that is, the struggle between the good of God and the evil of this world.

The world mostly appears in a negative light, as being the habitat of sin. Christians are in the world, but not of the world – this reminds us of Plato's cave and how in this world we live as exiles. The world was good in its essence because it was created by God, but once fallen, it is existentially evil. As St. John often repeats, this world, or the prince of this world, is a synthesis of all the forces inimical to God.

We conclude that the exaggerated use of the term "world," as well as the negativity associated with it, in comparison with other biblical authors, denotes an approximation of St. John to the Hellenic conception of the world as something fallen. In contrast, he then says that God wants to save the world, which represents a Christian thought, because for the Greeks the world has no salvation because it was neither created nor willed by God. He then turns around and says that the disciples, although they are in this world, are not of this world, a thought which is very dear to the Greeks.

Negative view of the body in St. Paul’s writings
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh… Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-25

This classic text of St. Paul, written in his own handwriting, foreshadows a fundamentally Greek and unbiblical belief that the soul or spirit is essential and intrinsically good and, to paraphrase the gospel, is known by its fruits graphically described above. The body, or the flesh as Paul calls it, unlike the soul, is existentially and intrinsically evil. That is, neither the body can do good works nor the soul can do evil works.  

In biblical understanding and according to biblical anthropology, both body and soul can be evil, either one or the other can be good; there is no body without a soul and no soul without a body, many of the deeds listed above do not originate in the body, but in a perverted spirit, such envy for example, have little or nothing to do with the body.

Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile. Matthew 15:17-20

St. Paul's text on the works of the flesh is diametrically opposed to Jesus’ way of thinking in the gospel. Evil does not come from the world outside, but when it enters the body, the soul is already infected and corrupted; in other words, evil resides in the soul, it comes from within, it does not come from outside. Contrary to what St. Paul has said, evil does not originate in matter or in the flesh and then influences and corrupts the spirit, but the other way around, evil comes from the spirit which corrupts matter or flesh.

When we see an apple with a small hole on its skin, the hole was not made by a larvae trying to get into the apple, but by a larvae trying to get out of the apple. We are apples with a bug inside of us. Just as the apple was conceived with a worm, that is, when the plant was flowering, an insect deposited its egg which then hatched into a larvae, so we were conceived with the original sin, so that evil resides in us in our spirit, not in matter or body which is intrinsically evil according to Greek philosophy and anthropology.

Hebrew Anthropology
May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Hebrew anthropology, underlying biblical anthropology, is fundamentally unitary. This means that it intends to contemplate the entire personal reality from a certain perspective. Firstly, the human person is all of him "basal," that is, flesh. Secondly, the human person is "nefes", that is, he possesses a personality that we can approach from a psychological point of view (the psyche). And lastly, the human person is also all of him, "ruah", that is, spirit, insofar as we understand ourselves as beings open to the transcendent. We find clear testimony of this Old Testament anthropology in 1 Thess. 5:23, which is ultimately unitary because it looks at the whole of human reality from a certain perspective.

Greek Dualism
The Greeks are dualists in the purest of sense; for them there are two kingdoms, that of this world, which is existential, visible, transient, sensual, sensible, and deceptive, and that of God’s Kingdom, which is the essential, eternal, and unchanging. The human being has one foot in this world and one foot in the other world. His soul belongs to the realm of the essential, unchanging, and eternal, to God, and his body belongs to the realm of this world, of existence.

The body is not evil in itself, but it is a hindrance to the soul, a heavy burden. The body is the prison of the soul. Salvation, for Plato, lies in reason, which enlightened can come to dominate the passions of the body, governing life itself. With death, the soul is freed once and for all from the prison of the body to finally enjoy the immortality that is reserved for it, precisely because it is immortal in nature.

The French philosopher Descartes (1596–1650), an exponent of this kind of dualism, goes so far as to say, about the relationship between the soul and the body, that it is like that of the horse and rider; the soul is the rider, and the body is the horse that must be spurred on and guided by the rider. They are of a different nature and the connection between the two is very slight.

Theological Problems Raised by Greek Dualism
"This is all very confusing, please explain to me, Father," asked an Irish parishioner, "when we die our body goes to earth, our soul goes to Heaven and we, where do we go?"

According to Jewish anthropology, the human being is wholly saved or wholly condemned. We resurrect with a spiritual body that is the image of our physical body and composed of everything that the physical body has done well. We cannot do good without the body, without the head that thinks and projects, the heart that feels, and the hands that do work; therefore, the spiritual body is the glorification of our thinking head, our loving heart, and our working hands.

If the soul is immortal, if it is not biodegradable, then hell is eternal torture; however, if the soul is mortal, as biblical anthropology affirms, hell is eternal death, because eternal life is not contrary to eternal torture, but eternal death. Some Catholic theologians go so far as to say that hell is a nothingness, not a postmodern nihilistic nothing however, but something like an analgesic that would spare us the suffering of not having lived the life that God had reserved for us; it will be a nothingness, but a nothingness that hurts like fire. I find this position little different from the classical Catholic one: nothingness cannot hurt, and if it hurts, then it is not nothing, but eternal suffering.  

In Jewish anthropology, man does not have a mortal body and an immortal soul; man is all mortal if he is outside the Grace of God and all immortal if he is with God. Jesus tells us not to fear those who can only kill the body and can do nothing to the soul. What we should fear is the One who can kill both the body and the soul, (Matthew 10:28).

Hell, understood as eternal death, preserves both the goodness of God and the freedom of man. But what is eternal death? It is to return to the nothingness from which everything was created. He freely goes back to nothingness who answers "Nothing" to the 3 fundamental questions that every human being asks himself when he reaches the age of self-awareness: Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is the meaning of my life?

As stated above, the spiritualist worldview manifests itself in sub-worldviews, such as Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Puritanism, and what I call disintegrated schizophrenic dualism. Let us see what each of these mini worldviews is.

Gnosticism and Docetism
It is an ideology that predates Christianity that infiltrated Christianity when it first emerged. Fundamentally, Gnosticism repeats the Greek idea that what is human in us is our soul which is eternal and of divine origin, while the physical body, the prison of the soul, and its habitat, everything that surrounds it, the cosmos, that is, the world, were created not by God but by a demiurge, an imperfect spirit.

The final and definitive liberation only comes with death, but until this occurs, we can obtain a relative freedom through the acquisition of "gnosis", or knowledge, to be able to overpower the body and its base instincts and desires. Since Christianity is liberation from sin, and Gnosticism is liberation from ignorance, some Gnostics have assimilated Christianity, just as some Christians have allowed themselves to be carried away by Gnosticism. However, there is a radical difference between the two. Christianity is public, it is for everyone and not just for an occult elite of initiates, while Gnosticism is private and elitist, it is only for a few enlightened ones.

Docetism, a legitimate child of Gnosticism, comes from the Greek word "dokesis," meaning appearance. In the first and second centuries A.D., the Docetists claimed that Jesus Christ only appeared to be human. They considered the material world, including the human body, as to be so evil and corrupt that God, who is all good, could not have taken a true human body and human nature. Jesus' human nature is therefore feigned.

The Gnostic antagonism between the spiritual and material worlds led the Docetists to deny that Jesus was a true man. The Docetists had no problem with Jesus' divinity, they just did not believe in his true humanity. If Jesus' humanity is an illusion, then his passion and death on the cross with the suffering that this involved were also an illusion, they did not really happen.

The Christianity of Alexandria, which abandoned the Church with the council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. later called Coptic, as well as that of Ethiopia, are Monophysite Docetists, believing only in the divine nature of Christ. It is no coincidence that Docetism arose in Egypt, precisely where years before Christianity Gnosticism had emerged. When I was in Ethiopia, I remember hearing a Coptic Christian hymn in which it said that Jesus did not suffer on the cross, he was content and happy.

Manichaeism
It was a very ancient religion of the Fertile Crescent, which disappeared with the rise of the great religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. What we know of Manichaeism is presented to us by some who were Manichaeans before they were Christians, such as St. Augustine (430 A.D.). Mani (277 A.D.), the founder, belonged to a Judeo-Christian group before founding his own religion. He felt he was the heir of the great prophets Buddha, Jesus, Zarathustra, and Mohammed, and sought to make a synthesis of their teachings. He proclaimed himself an apostle of Jesus, because of all the religions, he found himself closest to Christianity.

Manichaeism is a form of Christian Gnosticism, so dualistic that the very word Manichaeism has historically become synonymous with absolute dualism. In the world there are two forces that oppose each other: light/good and darkness/evil. The soul, of course, belongs to light and the body to darkness, so the goal of human life is for light to prevail over darkness. Mani advised his faithful to lead an ascetic life, not to kill any living thing, not to eat meat, not to drink alcohol, and to live a celibate life.

Puritanism
Historically, Puritanism was a 16th and 17th century movement that sought to "cleanse" the Church of England from the remnants of Catholicism.

It was not entirely successful in England, but in the New World of America, the movement flourished and became a way of life, very evident even in their way of dressing.

Today’s modern usage of the word puritan has nothing to do with its historical root, but more to do with a negative view of sex and the pleasure associated with it. Sex was restricted to marriage, which in this sense was seen as a remedy for concupiscence, and as a means for procreation. It is better to marry than to be aflame with passion, as St. Paul said (1 Corinthians 7:8-9).

The excessive value placed on virginity, especially that of female physical virginity, that is, an intact hymen, has led to the declaration that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after childbirth. I can understand that she was a virgin before childbirth and after childbirth, and I accept and believe that she was, but I do not see why she has to be a virgin during childbirth, something that is unnatural and unnecessary which I can only understand in the context of a negative view of sex and an extrapolated valuation of physical virginity at the expense of motherhood.

Virginity has no value in itself, but is oriented towards motherhood, whether it is a physical motherhood of a woman who is the mother of a baby, whom she nurtures and nourishes to make it an authentic human being, or of a woman who puts marriage aside to be the mother of more children in a spiritual and educational sense, like Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Virginity understood in this way has nothing to do with whether or not the hymen is ruptured, because it is a human value for both men and women.

Disintegrated Schizophrenic Dualism
In this sub-worldview, we find many intellectuals and men of science, arts, politics, high finance who are, at the same time, profoundly Christian, that is, they do not follow the materialistic worldview that is dominant in these circles.  

These skilled professionals in their field – scientists, doctors, university professors, politicians, and journalists – in failing to reconcile their faith with science, made within themselves a gentlemen's agreement, that is, they have placed these two dimensions in separate rooms of the same house that is their mind. These are closed rooms that do not communicate with each other, that is, they live simultaneously in their minds a dualism and a mental and existential schizophrenia.

They are at the same time men of science and men of faith; however, since they have not found the formula to reconcile the two, and since they somehow think they are irreconcilable, they live the two dimensions separately, as if it were a modern state where religion does not meddle in politics and politics does not meddle in religion. To such State-Church separation, give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.

By way of example, such scientists and professionals during the week are evolutionists, that is, they believe in the theory of the evolution of the species, and on Sunday, the Lord's Day, they are creationists, that is, they believe in the book of Genesis as if it were a history book; as long as they never put the two positions in dialogue, there is no problem.

What happens inside these scientists and good professionals in their field is what happens in society in general: science lives with its back turned on religion and considers it the stuff of ignorance, while defensive religion takes refuge in its churches and demonizes science.

Conclusion: The materialist worldview ignores the spiritual dimension of human life, just as the spiritualist worldview demonizes the corporeal dimension. Truth requires that the two dimensions integrate and harmonize: no spirit without matter, no matter without spirit. 

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC