It has been announced that Pope Francis will sign a new encyclical on human fraternity on October 3rd of this year. I cannot speak for other countries, but, as a United States citizen, I couldn't think of a more timely theme to reflect upon. The hyper polarized nature of the United States has become rather worrisome. The co-mingling of an international pandemic and political aspirations has placed my beloved home atop a powder keg that feels ready to explode. I hope and pray that our Holy Father will provide insight and guidance during these difficult times. And if there is anything I think would be a good fit for Sacred Space Astronomy, I'll be happy to comment on it!

As we await the words of our Pontiff, the announcement drew me back to the Pope's last encyclical, Laudato Si'. It seems like eons ago since Laudato Si' was a hot topic. Though seldom mentioned now, it's safe to say that this first papal encyclical on Care for Creation has had a significant legacy on the global front. As I reflected on in the past, Laudato Si' helped influence the Paris Climate Accord (COP21) to develop a global response to our rising ecological crisis. In regard to its impact on people's daily lives, the encyclical, sadly, has been widely ignored in my home country. Therefore, before we shift our focus to Pope Francis' new encyclical, I simply want to share some of what I think are the hidden gems of Laudato Si'. For this post, I wish to share Pope Francis' Biblical vision of the mystery of the universe.

In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the word “creation” has a broader meaning than “nature”, for it has to do with God’s loving plan in which every creature has its own value and significance. Nature is usually seen as a system which can be studied, understood and controlled, whereas creation can only be understood as a gift from the outstretched hand of the Father of all, and as a reality illuminated by the love which calls us together into universal communion. (Laudato Si', 76)

Reading this paragraph reminds of studying Scripture in seminary and how the Greek word for "mystery" (mysterion) is the foundation for the latin "sacramentum" (sacrament). Therefore, to begin this section on the Mystery of the Universe with a reflection on the universe as a gift from God harkens to the sacramental worldview at the heart of viewing creation with the eyes of Christ. For more on this, feel free to explore my piece "When the Heavens and Earth Were Sacred."

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Ps 33:6). This tells us that the world came about as the result of a decision, not from chaos or chance, and this exalts it all the more. The creating word expresses a free choice. The universe did not emerge as the result of arbitrary omnipotence, a show of force or a desire for self-assertion. Creation is of the order of love. God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things: “For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made anything if you had hated it” (Wis 11:24). Every creature is thus the object of the Father’s tenderness, who gives it its place in the world. Even the fleeting life of the least of beings is the object of his love, and in its few seconds of existence, God enfolds it with his affection. Saint Basil the Great described the Creator as “goodness without measure”, while Dante Alighieri spoke of “the love which moves the sun and the stars”. Consequently, we can ascend from created things “to the greatness of God and to his loving mercy”. 

At the same time, Judaeo-Christian thought demythologized nature. While continuing to admire its grandeur and immensity, it no longer saw nature as divine. In doing so, it emphasizes all the more our human responsibility for nature. This rediscovery of nature can never be at the cost of the freedom and responsibility of human beings who, as part of the world, have the duty to cultivate their abilities in order to protect it and develop its potential. If we acknowledge the value and the fragility of nature and, at the same time, our God-given abilities, we can finally leave behind the modern myth of unlimited material progress. A fragile world, entrusted by God to human care, challenges us to devise intelligent ways of directing, developing and limiting our power. (Laudato Si' 77-78) 

In short, it comes down to relationship. How do we relate with God? How do we relate with our neighbor? How do we relate with the created world around us? Simple questions with potentially explosive and life changing answers. At the same time, in order to answer these questions properly, we need to understand the essence of each relationship. God is my source and summit. If l reduce God to a mere abstraction, a theoretical "it," then I cannot grow in proper relationship with God. If I fail to see my neighbor as an essential expression of God's love and mercy in the world, I cannot develop a healthy relationship with that person. And if I lose the sense of creation as gift and the insight that I am part of that creation, I risk reducing creation to mere material I can use for selfish motivations with no concern of its impact on the world around me and my neighbor. Again, it all comes down to relationship!

In this universe, shaped by open and intercommunicating systems, we can discern countless forms of relationship and participation. This leads us to think of the whole as open to God’s transcendence, within which it develops. Faith allows us to interpret the meaning and the mysterious beauty of what is unfolding. We are free to apply our intelligence towards things evolving positively, or towards adding new ills, new causes of suffering and real setbacks. This is what makes for the excitement and drama of human history, in which freedom, growth, salvation and love can blossom, or lead towards decadence and mutual destruction. The work of the Church seeks not only to remind everyone of the duty to care for nature, but at the same time “she must above all protect mankind from self-destruction”. (Laudato Si' 79) 

All I can say of this is welcome to our current situation!

Yet God, who wishes to work with us and who counts on our cooperation, can also bring good out of the evil we have done. “The Holy Spirit can be said to possess an infinite creativity, proper to the divine mind, which knows how to loosen the knots of human affairs, including the most complex and inscrutable”. Creating a world in need of development, God in some way sought to limit himself in such a way that many of the things we think of as evils, dangers or sources of suffering, are in reality part of the pains of childbirth which he uses to draw us into the act of cooperation with the Creator. God is intimately present to each being, without impinging on the autonomy of his creature, and this gives rise to the rightful autonomy of earthly affairs. His divine presence, which ensures the subsistence and growth of each being, “continues the work of creation”. The Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities and therefore, from the very heart of things, something new can always emerge: “Nature is nothing other than a certain kind of art, namely God’s art, impressed upon things, whereby those things are moved to a determinate end. It is as if a shipbuilder were able to give timbers the wherewithal to move themselves to take the form of a ship”.

Human beings, even if we postulate a process of evolution, also possess a uniqueness which cannot be fully explained by the evolution of other open systems. Each of us has his or her own personal identity and is capable of entering into dialogue with others and with God himself. Our capacity to reason, to develop arguments, to be inventive, to interpret reality and to create art, along with other not yet discovered capacities, are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology. The sheer novelty involved in the emergence of a personal being within a material universe presupposes a direct action of God and a particular call to life and to relationship on the part of a “Thou” who addresses himself to another “thou”. The biblical accounts of creation invite us to see each human being as a subject who can never be reduced to the status of an object. (Laudato Si', 80-81)

These paragraphs speak to me of the theological buzz word these days that is used among theologians who reflect upon St. John Paul II Theology of the Body: Objectification. Often times, the focus of the word objectification in the theological context is to not turn a person into a mere sexual object. However, the broader context of objectification not only speaks to human sexuality, but reminds us that whenever we reduce something or someone to a "thing" and lose the sense of something as being a gift from God, we have objectified the person or thing. Can we objectify our common home? Absolutely! Some of my favorite ecological writings come from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI when he writes about a "forward looking solidarity" in which we need to make environmental decisions that not only benefit the human person now, but to allow creation to support future generations as well. If we objectify creation into a thing to possess and control, we can lose this forward looking solidarity, creating a future crisis for humanity by our lack of action today. For more about Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's vision, I invite you to read my post titled, Problems at the Poles. 

Yet it would also be mistaken to view other living beings as mere objects subjected to arbitrary human domination. When nature is viewed solely as a source of profit and gain, this has serious consequences for society. This vision of “might is right” has engendered immense inequality, injustice and acts of violence against the majority of humanity, since resources end up in the hands of the first comer or the most powerful: the winner takes all. Completely at odds with this model are the ideals of harmony, justice, fraternity and peace as proposed by Jesus. As he said of the powers of his own age: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mt 20:25-26).

The ultimate destiny of the universe is in the fullness of God, which has already been attained by the risen Christ, the measure of the maturity of all things.

Here we can add yet another argument for rejecting every tyrannical and irresponsible domination of human beings over other creatures. The ultimate purpose of other creatures is not to be found in us. Rather, all creatures are moving forward with us and through us towards a common point of arrival, which is God, in that transcendent fullness where the risen Christ embraces and illumines all things. Human beings, endowed with intelligence and love, and drawn by the fullness of Christ, are called to lead all creatures back to their Creator. (Laudato Si' 82-83)

This final section on the mystery of the universe reawakens an old question: Is there a purpose, direction, and end to life? Even if I were not a priest, I would be equally shocked at how many people question whether or not life has a purpose or ultimate end. Does not evolution point to a direction of self-preservation as adaptations help species survive into the future? What about Victor Frankl's insight in his classic work, Man's Search for Meaning, that while being detained in a Nazi concentration camp he observed a common trait of survivors of the horror of the holocaust was not losing a sense of hope and purpose? Can I empathize with someone who went through these horrors that now questions God's existence and wonder where God was during the insanity of the concentration camps? Absolutely. I have no idea how such an experience would impact me personally and spiritually. Still, there is so much in our world, both inside of faith and outside of faith, that points to a destination for life's journey that it is hard for me to wrap my head around seeing life without a direction or teleology. Perhaps your comments below can continue the discussion and help me understand better!

In the weeks to come, I will continue these snippets from Laudato Si' to explore Pope Francis' spiritual vision. Until then, stay safe, practice care for creation, and pray for peace in our troubled world.

The Milky Way at Big Falls Park about 20 minutes from where I live.

When Pope Francis put forward two new Works of Mercy that pertain to Care for Creation and Contemplation of Creation, the response was underwhelming. I wish the reason was because people realized these Works of Mercy have already been a long part of our spiritual tradition. Whether it be Maximus the Confessor's understand of Cosmic Liturgy, St. Bonaventure's classic the Mind's Journey to God, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's theology of Human Ecology, or Pope Francis' expansion of his predecessor's work into Integral Ecology, the Catholic Church has a long tradition of expounding upon the Biblical theme of Care for and Contemplation of Creation.

In regard to Contemplation of Creation, I think it's important for us to remember that the first call to practice this spiritual Work of Mercy was presented when God makes a sacred promise with Abram (soon to be Abraham) in the book of Genesis. How beautiful for a blog dedicated to faith and astronomy that one of the first symbols of God's promise to humanity is the night sky. All of these examples from Scripture and Tradition must be why Care for Creation and Contemplation of Creation is taken so for granted... right? Well...

Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a servant of my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: No, that one will not be your heir; your own offspring will be your heir. He took him outside and said: Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so, he added, will your descendants be. Abram put his faith in the LORD, who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness. (Genesis 15:3-6)

Not only has Catholicism had a "Green Theology" but, in many ways, the strongest Christian voice of ecology comes from the Orthodox. If Pope Benedict XVI was the "Green Pope," then Patriarch Bartholomew is the "Green Patriarch." His practical, hands on trips with faith leaders, scientists, and theologians as part of the Religion, Science, and Environment Symposia was one of the most creative, forward thinking approach to Care for Creation and Contemplation of Creation I have come across in my years a priest. Sadly, it is also one of the most under appreciated and forgotten efforts to address environmental concerns from a Christian perspective. Why did we not study these symposia in seminary? Why did I not see any reference to these symposia in the curriculum for Catholic Social Teaching when I taught Care for Creation at Regis High School? And why has its legacy among other Christians been so muted? Here are a series of links to articles I put together on the symposia.

Just How “Green” Is Christianity? Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Patriarch Bartholomew

When Religion and Science Sought To Save The Black Sea: 1997 Waterborne Symposium

Ideology Vs. Environment: What the Danube River can teach us about faith, ecology, politics, and human dignity.

Problems in the Poles: A new iceberg in Antarctica meets an old message from the Arctic

Environmental Ethics and Ethos. The RSE Symposia on the Adriatic and Baltic Seas.

The Book of Revelation and the Environment: 1995 Waterborne Symposium – Aegean Sea

Man Vs. Nature: Lessons Learned From The RSE Symposia on the Amazon and Mississippi Rivers

One of the great contributions of these Symposia in regard to Care for and Contemplation of Creation is not only providing intellectual reflection on our environment, but to bring scientists and theologians out to these locations to experience them first hand. I think this twofold process of intellectual reflection and practical experience of creation points to one of the main reasons Care for Creation has been received in an underwhelming manor: In order to appreciate a healthy environment, one must experience both a healthy environment and a degraded environment. 

One of my former parishioners, Mariah Geisert, and one of the children from Casa Hogar.

For example, a true blessing of my priesthood has been to lead mission trips to our Diocesan Orphanage in Lurin, Peru, Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II. Of the many eye opening experiences youth and adults I've taken on these mission trips have had, one of the first pungent experiences of a less than ideal environment occurs when we cross the bridge that leads to the orphanage's front gate. The "stream" we cross quickly greets the noses of our mission group with the reality that it is basically an open sewer that is a dump point for everything from human feces to dead animals.

In subsequent trips, it is clear the city of Lurin is making efforts to address this issue, but that rude greeting often would lead members of our group to instinctually comment, "How can this be allowed?" Good question not only for the city of Lurin, but for all of us, regardless of where we live, wondering why we allow our environment to suffer so much when we instinctually understand environmental injustice when it stares us in the face... or our nose!

Another reason I fear that calls to Care for Creation specifically are met with an attitude of apathy is because of how it challenges our lifestyle. For example, one of the big stumbling blocks I see in the United States when it comes to Care for Creation is the cultural debate on fossil fuels.

The argument ultimately becomes about production and consumption: Given the growing population of our country we will need more energy to provide for the needs of people in the future.

The debate then begins by asking, "Do we approach this problem by producing more fossil fuels or by developing green energy sources?" Absent from this debate is a mentality of simplicity and conservation. The irony for me is that when I talk with people and get them out of their political mindset, most people will acknowledge that we as a people are too depend upon fossil fuels and need to develop new energy sources. However, the bigger challenge is to develop a mentality where we use less, save more, and refine what we already have. Consumption has become an addiction and our addiction culture is refusing to detach from this dysfunctional mindset.

In regard to Contemplation of Creation, there is an understandable fear that calls to contemplate creation will slip into nature worship. Christianity, after all, has defined Pantheism (a belief that the world and God are one and the same) as a heresy. Wouldn't the Contemplation of Creation do precisely what the faithful have defined as a fundamental error? The answer is that there is a clear difference between seeing creation as God vs. seeing God's "finger prints" in creation. A great role model for us on how to make this distinction is Jesus himself. When we look at the parables, Jesus is practicing the Contemplation of Creation all the time throughout Scripture.

“Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” (Matthew 13:18-33)

There are more examples I could give, but they would all come to the same conclusion: Jesus teaches us, time and time again, that if you want to understand the Kingdom of God, practice the Contemplation of Creation. Do we think of the parables in this way? To be honest, I think we already do. Sadly, I think our culture of suspicion and distrust toward things pertaining to both caring for our common home and praying in a way that engages creation has created an acidic spirituality of unhealthy detachment from the natural world. We need to rediscover the beauty of this relationship that has been a part of our heritage from Genesis.

Let us remember, one of the first threats to the early Church was the Gnostic movement. And what was the mentality of the Gnostics in relation of creation? The material world was corrupt, evil, and an illusion with the goal of the spiritual life being to liberate yourself from the material world and ascend to The One. Let us not implicitly recreate one of the most fundamental errors in the history of Christian thought by rejecting Care for Creation and Contemplation of Creation. Let us see these Works of Mercy as an antidote for struggles we face when it comes to understanding our relationship with each other and our common home.

Spiritual Exercise: How can you practice the Works of Mercy of Caring for Creation and Contemplating Creation today? How can you deepen your understanding of these Works of Mercy? Both of them require us to get out and engage creation, both in its pristine form and in its denigrated state. Whether you perform a Corporal Work of Mercy with your hands, a Spiritual Work of Mercy with your mind and heart, or both, do them for the Lord as an expression of your love of God. Let us be good stewards of God's creation. And may that creation both provide us with our daily bread and lead us to long to embrace God's Kingdom now and in the New Creation of the Resurrection.

I wish to conclude this posts with Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew's joint statement on the World Day of Prayer for Creation. May we embrace these words as challenge to embrace our responsibility for caring for our common home.

JOINT MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW ON THE WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CREATION

The story of creation presents us with a panoramic view of the world. Scripture reveals that, “in the beginning”, God intended humanity to cooperate in the preservation and protection of the natural environment. At first, as we read in Genesis, “no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up – for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground” (2:5). The earth was entrusted to us as a sublime gift and legacy, for which all of us share responsibility until, “in the end”, all things in heaven and on earth will be restored in Christ (cf. Eph 1:10). Our human dignity and welfare are deeply connected to our care for the whole of creation.

However, “in the meantime”, the history of the world presents a very different context. It reveals a morally decaying scenario where our attitude and behaviour towards creation obscures our calling as God’s co-operators. Our propensity to interrupt the world’s delicate and balanced ecosystems, our insatiable desire to manipulate and control the planet’s limited resources, and our greed for limitless profit in markets – all these have alienated us from the original purpose of creation. We no longer respect nature as a shared gift; instead, we regard it as a private possession. We no longer associate with nature in order to sustain it; instead, we lord over it to support our own constructs.

The consequences of this alternative worldview are tragic and lasting. The human environment and the natural environment are deteriorating together, and this deterioration of the planet weighs upon the most vulnerable of its people. The impact of climate change affects, first and foremost, those who live in poverty in every corner of the globe. Our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly implies the recognition of and respect for all people and all living creatures. The urgent call and challenge to care for creation are an invitation for all of humanity to work towards sustainable and integral development.

Therefore, united by the same concern for God’s creation and acknowledging the earth as a shared good, we fervently invite all people of goodwill to dedicate a time of prayer for the environment on 1 September. On this occasion, we wish to offer thanks to the loving Creator for the noble gift of creation and to pledge commitment to its care and preservation for the sake of future generations. After all, we know that we labour in vain if the Lord is not by our side (cf. Ps 126-127), if prayer is not at the centre of our reflection and celebration. Indeed, an objective of our prayer is to change the way we perceive the world in order to change the way we relate to the world. The goal of our promise is to be courageous in embracing greater simplicity and solidarity in our lives.

We urgently appeal to those in positions of social and economic, as well as political and cultural, responsibility to hear the cry of the earth and to attend to the needs of the marginalized, but above all to respond to the plea of millions and support the consensus of the world for the healing of our wounded creation. We are convinced that there can be no sincere and enduring resolution to the challenge of the ecological crisis and climate change unless the response is concerted and collective, unless the responsibility is shared and accountable, unless we give priority to solidarity and service.

From the Vatican and from the Phanar, 1 September 2017

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

In past posts, I shared with you the wonderful work the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has done to bring science into seminaries of all denominations. Last year, I had the honor of speaking at an AAAS sponsored program at Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Currently, as a pastor who needs to make important and stressful decisions in regard to whether or not we should have in-class religious education/formation or home-based education and formation during this pandemic, I have come to appreciate the work of the AAAS even more!

Today's post is not going to be a commentary on pieces by the AAAS, but simply a sharing of their resources for the readers of Sacred Space Astronomy. At this important time in our global history, may we walk with each other as one human community, despite our individual differences, to choose the best possible good for humanity. And let us pray that God will give us a super abundance of wisdom, understanding, the ability to seek out good counsel, grow in knowledge of the dangers we face, and find the fortitude to walk the best path for the common good.

Click here or on the image to learn about the impact of Covid-19 on the aging.

AAAS Covid-19 Resources: https://www.aaas.org/covid-19-resources-researchers

AAAS Collection of Professional Articles on Covid-19 from Science: https://www.sciencemag.org/collections/coronavirus?intcmp=sci_cov&_ga=2.120772360.1699174149.1597062060-108354240.1597062060

The impact of Covid-19 on inflammation issues in the elderly: https://www.aaas.org/news/age-related-inflammation-may-worsen-covid-19-outcomes-older-individuals

Risks to Pregnant Women from Covid-19: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/why-pregnant-women-face-special-risks-covid-19

The rising concern about brain and heart issues from Covid-19: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/brain-fog-heart-damage-covid-19-s-lingering-problems-alarm-scientists

Mental Health and Covid-19: https://www.aaas.org/news/sciline-briefing-explores-mental-health-social-isolation-and-covid-19

Covid-19 testing in relation to schools and businesses: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/radical-shift-testing-strategy-needed-reopen-schools-and-businesses-researchers-say

Other Resources for the best science on Covid-19

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/

World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1

American Society for Microbiology: https://asm.org/Press-Releases/2020/COVID-19-Resources?et_rid=644027183&et_cid=3250646

Association of Science and Technology Centers: https://www.astc.org/coronavirus/

Have a safe and healthy Monday!

This discourse... might have happened. 

Frustrated first-time stargazer: "Fr. James, where's this comet you're talking about?"

Me: It's right below the bowl of the Big Dipper. Take your hand and place it over the bowl of the Big Dipper. Turn your palm toward you and move your hand straight down to the horizon. Put the pinky side of your palm on the horizon and then look above your thumb for a fuzzy dot with a tail."

Frustrated first-time stargazer: "I don't see it. Are you sure there's a comet out there Father?"

Me: Yes, it's there. Look for a fuzzy dot with a fuzzy streaming tail going up." 

Frustrated first-time stargazer: "You mean that little thing? Right there? That's the once in a lifetime comet you're talking about?"

Me: "Yes! Congratulations! You found it!"

Frustrated first-time stargazer: "Cool... but it doesn't look like your pictures. Are you sure you took those pictures? You Photoshopped a fake comet in didn't you?"

Me... feeling a little frustrated: "Yes, I took the picture and no it's not Photoshopped. I don't even own Photoshop."

Frustrated first-time stargazer: "Are you sure?"

Me.. trying not to slap my forehead with the palm of my hand: "Yes... Yes I am sure I took the picture."

Frustrated first-time stargazer: "I think there's something wrong with your camera."

Me... right after fighting back the temptation to go full camera nerd on the person: "Yes, you're right. There's probably something wrong with my camera."

Did I slightly embellish this story? Yes, yes I did. In part, I constructed this hypothetical conversation to give you a little laugh. However, there are true elements in these exchanges that reflect conversations I've had with people trying to see comet Neowise. As I have tried to help people see this now fleeting comet, most of their reactions go back to the same question: Why don't we see the comet the way we can in pictures?

There are a lot of ways into answering this question, but the basic answer is that the gift of technology has given us the ability to see our world and our universe differently. For example, the image below was taken at a parishioner's home. They live a little ways outside of the city I live in and gave me permission to set up my gear in their backyard. They had been on a camping trip, incredibly tired, and decided to go bed, not joining me while imaging Neowise. Here is one of the images I captured.

When I shared this image with them the next day, they were stunned. "Wow, we should have stayed up! The sky looks like it was amazing last night!" And, truth be told, it was! However, it didn't really look like this. What I mean is, yes, the clouds were there, but they actually looked more gray and rusty versus the "fireball" in the sky you see. Yes, I "doctored" the image. I didn't put anything fake into the image, but simply took the information that was there and emphasized certain colors and de-emphasized others. The comet somewhat looked like it does in the image, but fainter and the tail wasn't as prominent. I pray this doesn't sound arrogant, but I think they enjoyed my picture more after a good night of sleep than if they had stayed up to see the real thing. To come at this from a different perspective, I edited this image with the thought, "What would look nice framed and on the wall in their home?" Since that was my approach, does the way I edited this image make it a "fake" image? Well, no, because its really the image I took and I didn't add anything to it that wasn't captured that evening. I just adjusted the ordinary colors to make them look more extraordinary. 

Here's another example. I knew this past Friday was the last night I would be able to image comet Neowise. Since the comet has become very faint, I drove up north of Winter, Wisconsin to one of the darker skies in the state. Two friends of mine run a camp in northern Wisconsin (currently closed due to Covid-19) and were happy to have me come up to do some photography. It was a tricky night for weather. We had relatively high humidity with low, fast moving clouds. Every time there was a break in the clouds, I starting imaging comet Neowise. Now, when I started editing the comet, I was noticing some odd color artifacting. To try to deal with the artifacting, I cropped the image to do away with all the odd colors. The image on the right is what I ended up with. It's 9, one minute captures stacked.

After getting some "oohs" and "ahs" on social media, a good friend of mine asked, "Father, did you see the Northern Lights last night?" Northern Lights? I didn't know they were out. Between the clouds and the comet, I wasn't paying much attention to the rest of the sky. I went back to the original image with all the weird "artifacting" and reedited it to try and emphasize the colors of Northern Lights instead of a comet. This is what I ended up with.

Did I capture the faint presence of Northern Lights? My friend and I can't be sure, but we are sure this is a far more interesting image than my first edit. What do you think? Post your comments below! ( Just so you know before you post a comment, the dark splotch on the bottom is a cloud bank - Remember this represents about 10 minutes of exposure time.)

One of the things I so enjoy about star photography is that there's an odd intersection between what you think you're trying to capture, what you think you see captured when you look through the view finder of your camera, and what you actually captured when you blow it up to 1 to 1 size on your computer. Often times, it's the unexpected aspects of an image that become far more interesting and satisfying than the image you thought you were capturing.

It might be an unfair leap to make, but I wonder if the joy I felt imaging comet Neowise and some potential Northern Lights is a similar experience to what NASA and ESA imagers experience when they observe images of never before seen comets, the Sun, Asteroids, Dwarf Planets, Planets, and Moons other than our own? There's obviously a presumption of what will be seen before a prob with a camera is sent out into space. However, the joy they must feel when they see the image of a celestial body they have prepped years to image must be immense. Did they see what they thought they would see? My guess is that the answer is both yes and no. The images probably contain elements they anticipated along with beautiful surprises that surpass their presumptions.

As I shared with you in the past, a good friend of mine, Jason Bunn, was on the team that helped put together the navigation software for the New Horizon's prob that imaged Pluto and other objects it now passes. I thought of Jason a lot when I saw the NASA press conference of the first images of Pluto. Did it meet scientists expectations? From what I saw on the livestream, I would say they were more than happy with what they saw. Part of my joy watching this historic moment unfold was listening to the science team say numerous times, "We didn't expect to see (fill in the blank)."

Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

"Father James, is that what Pluto 'really' looks like?" The answer I would give to my suspicious parishioner who is new to astronomy would be, "Yes, but, similar to my comet image, I'm sure there was some editing to emphasize certain aspects of Pluto and de-emphasize others." For some, I know this answer would be less than satisfying, arguing that any alterations to the image for scientific or artistic purposes would create a "fake" image. Now, can an image be edited in such a way that it becomes so divorced from the original capture that it would cease to be a fair depiction of an object? Absolutely! At the same time, we also need to be careful not to jump to too many presumptions about an image. We always need to keep in mind the intent of the person or people editing an image. For example, the image below might be considered "fake" to some given all its wild colors. At one level, that would make sense because I think it safe to say that nobody would think this is what Pluto actually looks like. However, to a scientist studying the surface features of Pluto who understands the editors intent to add theses colors to emphasize the different surface features of Pluto, this might be one of the truest images of Pluto to help them study this stunning Dwarf Planet.

False color image of Pluto to highlight its different regions. Image Credit: NASA.

Perspective and intent, key to understanding images of the night sky and key to understanding our faith. When I began to try and understand the Bible on a deeper level, I became frustrated with Scripture commentaries. I felt like I was spending more time reading about the Bible than actually reading the Bible.

Who cares who the audience was for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?

Why worry about the dating of these books?

Does it really matter to identify the different ways God is named in the book of Genesis?  

What do you mean I should learn some Greek and Hebrew, didn't the translators get the English translation right?

I just want to read the Bible!

Yes, these were true sentiments from my youth. So true, in fact, that I did ignore commentaries at first and just started to read the Bible. It was wonderful at first! Just letting the words of Scripture wash over me every day was a moment of true peace and joy. However, the more I read the more problems I saw.

Why is the Gospel of John so different from the other Gospels?

Why does Jesus die on two different days when looking at the four Gospels together?

Is there a difference between Matthew's "Blessed are the poor in spirit," versus Luke's "Blessed are you poor?"

Why are there four Gospels instead of one?

Why does God have so many different titles in the book of Genesis?

Now, I could have taken the easy way out and simply answer these questions with, "There must be something wrong with the Bible." However, just as you need to understand what information a photographer or professional imaging specialist is trying to emphasis with astrophotography, so, too, do we need to understand authorship, audience, era, genre, and specific struggles an author of Sacred Scripture is trying to address. Does this make the Bible "fake" when understanding that certain aspects of Jesus' life were emphasized over others to speak truth to a particular community? Absolutely not! In fact, one of reasons I so believe that Scripture is the inspired Word of God is that even though it was written for a specific community it still has the ability to speak clearly to us today in new and fresh ways. However, if we don't take the time to understand the "author's edits" of these beautiful images of Jesus we call the Gospels, we risk a thin understanding of Christ that can become a false image of our Lord. 

"Fr. James, doesn't this turn the Bible into a subjective text of people's opinions?" No, it doesn't. As I've shared with you in the past, one of the reasons I so love astronomy is that you always start with an objective source - the night sky. There are very different interpretations of that night sky, but we always go back to the source. Over time, certain interpretations of the sky have proven to be more accurate than others. This has created a body of science that needs to be understood to get an accurate understanding of our universal home before one becomes a professional astronomer. With Scripture, we always go back to a common source - The person of Jesus Christ. There have been a number of interpretations of that objective source, but some have emerged as more accurate than others. In fact, some of those interpretations have been shown to be so accurate we have named them divinely inspired. To become a professional theologian, these inspired texts need to be clearly understood and all future "imaging" of Jesus needs to reflect these texts. If they don't we then would have a "fake" interpretation of Jesus. However, to ensure a true representation of Christ, we need to understand how and why these four Gospels stood the test of time, even in their diversity of interpretation of the person of Jesus. 

Spiritual Exercise: How do you approach the night sky? How do you approach the Bible? What interpretations of both do you gravitate toward? Are they true images? Pray with and wrestle with these questions both today and for the rest of your lives. The wonders of creation and the wonders of Christ have inspired me to embrace the life that I live as a priest. May they inspire you to become the person and the people God call us to be.

Happy Monday everyone! 

Two weeks ago, I reflected with you on the mysticism of two of my favorite authors: John Muir and Pope Francis. Since then, I've been trying to practice what I preach. Whether it be an evening walk along a lake or a late night chasing a comet, I've been attentively observing the glory of God through the Book of Nature. 

So, what I have learned through this practice? Well, not much really. What is so edifying about the Book of Nature is that when I "read it" or "pray with it," the process doesn't teach me something "new," but reminds of timeless truths that have slipped from my sacred memory. Things like the importance to taking time away from work, stress, concern, and the frustration I feel with Covid-19. It reminds me of the importance of contemplative silence, attentiveness to my surroundings, and simply being instead of constantly trying to become something or do something. And it reminds me of the most powerful title given to God I encountered in seminary: Pure Simplicity. This title is a gentle reminder that God is not complex or confusing. Rather, I'm the one who complicates God by imposing my wants, desires, and agenda upon the Divine. The Book of Nature reminds me that when I am quiet, clear minded, and open, the simplicity and constancy of God's love is palpable and near. When I embrace my fallen human nature, God becomes a distant "it" that is confusing, complex, and a contradiction. It is humbling to be reminded that I am the contradiction, not God.

Spiritual Exercise: Read the Book of Nature today, whether it be by looking into the stars at night, comet Neowise in the morning (or evening come this Saturday), or gazing upon the flowers of the field. Let the simplicity of God invade and quiet your heart through the Book of Nature. Read it well and find your chapter in its sacred writ.

As an addendum, many people have been asking me camera questions these days, especially with comet Neowise presenting so beautifully. I'll do a video on this topic in the future, but for now, here are some images I took with a brief explanation of how I captured them. Hopefully this will help you take your camera out and try to capture the Book of Nature for yourself!

The Milky Way!

Summer is often called "Milky Way Season." To capture this type of image, you will need a camera that allows you to manually control three aspects of image taking: Your shutter speed (how long you expose the camera sensor to light), your lens aperture (how much light you let into the lens - you should use a lens rated at an f/2.8. 4.0 is the darkest you can get away with for good stars), and your ISO (The level of sensitivity the sensor has when process the light you capture). Again, I will make a video in the future to explain this, but this image was taken with my Fujifilm x-t2 and a Laowa 9mm lens. My camera has a "mid sized" sensor (there are three primary sensors for photography, full frame - big, aps-c - mid sized, and micro four-thirds - the smallest.. until you get to cellphones). Most people who own cameras have a "mid sized" sensor. Why is it important to know what kind of sensor your camera has? You need to know so you can figure out how much light you can let into your camera before the stars begin to trail. 

Here's a mathematical equation most astrophotographers use to gather as much light as possible before they experience star trialing.

The rule of 500: You take 500 and divide it by the size of your camera lens in millimeters (Laowa 9mm lens). 500/9 = 55.5555... If I were using a full frame sensor, that means I could leave my shutter open for 55 seconds before I see star trailing. However, an aps-c sensor crops the image in comparison to a full frame sensor (which is why aps-c sensors are often called crop sensors). Therefore, I need to multiply the millimeters of my lens by a factor of 1.5. 9x1.5 = 13.5. 500/13.5 = 37.037037... This mean my camera shutter can stay open for 37 seconds before star trailing begins with this lens. Therefore, full frame cameras have a clear advantage because they can gather more light than a crop sensor camera. If you have micro four-thirds, the crop factor is x2. Now, before you run off and drop a couple thousand dollars on a full frame camera, I've come to find that, as good as modern cameras are with low light photography, I usually only open the aperture of my camera for between 15-25 seconds - well within the safety zone for either type of sensor. So, if you are trying to find a camera on a budget that works well with stars, focus more on getting a digital camera from a reputable company that has been made in the last few years that has at least an 18 megapixel to 30 megapixel sensor. Ironically, cameras with high megapixel sensors like 50mp or higher often don't perform as well with astrophotography (unless you get into medium format - Completely different beast - And very expensive). More on that in the future. To help brighten the image, I set the ISO to between 800-6400 depending on how dark the sky is and how much light pollution I'm dealing with. Again, more on that in my future video! (Some prefer the rule of 300... Same method, just insert 300 instead of 500.)

Another aspect of Milky Way photography is editing - If you want to have images like you see above, you don't get them straight out of your camera. You will need to get some type of editing software. Again, something I'll explain in my future video!

Comet Neowise

I was blown away when I saw comet Neowise for the first time. These type of comets that tail so beautifully are truly once in a life time events. The image above was take with a 150mm lens, ISO 1600, and I opened the aperture for 1.5 seconds. I then took 10 images of the comet and stacked them in a free software program called Sequator. Again I did some editing, but this comet jumped out of the sky so much, it didn't need much work! 

All of this said, I have seen impressive cellphone images of this comet too! If you can mount your phone on a tripod, set the aperture to 1 second and point it at the comet. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you capture!

The Book of Nature

My last thought for today: Get out and capture the Book of Nature! A trap that's easy to fall into with photography is, ironically, the same trap I can fall into with prayer: Do I spend more time studying how to do photography or do I get out and do photography? Applying this to prayer - Do I spend more time reading about different types of prayer or do I simply pray? In short, get out, experience the Book of Nature, and after doing so, capture a chapter of that book to remind you of the moment. It wouldn't surprise me if you start to see a depth to your pictures you haven't seen before. Depth that isn't just getting better at composing an image, but depth that speaks to how God touched you and has touched me through the oft forgotten text of the Book of Nature.

Happy Monday everyone!

When was the last time you gave thanks to God for the blessings of your life? Amid a deeply stressful time in modern history, to take time to simply be thankful for the good things in our lives is essential. Part of my week of gratitude was to check in with some NASA missions I've had the privilege of visiting.

Presentation given by Carl Hergenrother, member of the OSIRIS REx science and operations team. (2015)

At the first Faith and Astronomy Workshop in 2015, our group toured the OSIRIS-REx mission headquarters at the University of Arizona. This ambitious mission to return a pristine sample of asteroid Bennu is progressing as planned! In March of this year, OSIRIS-REx imaged one of the potential "bounce sites" where the probe will attempt a "touch, vacuum, and go" maneuver, gently landing on the surface of Bennu just long enough to capture a small amount of the asteroid's surface before returning home to Earth.

If successful, the sample returned will be analyzed and compared with existing samples of Bennu that have fallen to the Earth. As pieces of "space stuff" fall through Earth's atmosphere, contamination occurs. Insights gained from the Bennu sample study will help us understand just how much contamination occurs when "space stuff" falls to Earth. Below is Bennu's image of one of the bounce sites and a video of the OSIRIS-REx mission.

Personally, this was my first time visiting an active NASA mission site. At the time (2015), OSIRIS-REx had yet to launch. Now, five years removed from this visit, its equally exciting to see the images of Bennu's surface, prepping for one of the most key moments of the mission.

Click here or on the image to visit the OSIRIS-REx Mission site. Image Credit: NASA

Another mission I had the privilege of visiting was the Parker Solar Probe. Through a generous invitation by Sacred Space Astronomy reader Leonard Garcia, I had a hands on look at the NASA Goddard campus. The reason I was able to visit Goddard was because I was in Baltimore to offer a presentation at the American Visionary Museum. When Leonard read my post about my upcoming visit, he reached out to me and offered to provide a tour.

Leonard did a beautiful job explaining the work of NASA Goddard, sharing his joy and energy for the groundbreaking work that is done at this facility. Toward the end of the tour, Leonard walked me past a pressure chamber in use that was testing the resilience of the Parker Solar Probe. Just before leaving for Baltimore, a good friend of mine talked with me about going to see the probe's launch. Sadly, that trip never occurred, but simply being present as this probe was being prepped for launch gave me a deep feeling of connection with the mission. Below are images of Leonard and I as we toured NASA Goddard and a video from NASA, updating the probe's progress and findings.

Leonard Garcia and I outside of Mission Control for the Hubble Space Telescope.

Yours truly standing outside the pressure chamber housing the Parker Solar Probe.

Reviewing these updates humbles me, reminding me of the many graces God has placed in my life. Amid the reality we all face in the Covid-19 world, it is easy to loss sight of the many blessings God has given to us. Part of that frustration is the understandable fear that such experiences are impossible now and might not be possible in the future.

At the same time, just as it has taken OSIRIX-REx five years to start prepping for its intended mission objective, we are reminded that some things in life require patience and time. We long for immediacy, but Covid-19 is forcing us to think in terms of months and years instead of days and hours. Since we are not in a position that allows us to easily move in the present, perhaps we can take this time to reflect upon our past, seeing where God has most significantly impacted our lives for the better. Once gaining that sense of past gratitude, we can then look for small moments of grace in our present, preparing us to appreciate anew the graces of our future.

Reviewing the status of OSIRIS-REx and the Parker Solar Probe has helped renew my sense of wonder for our universe. It reminds me of the great lesson pursuing advanced degrees in theology has taught me: The more I learn, the more I am aware of just how little I actually know. I would encourage you to spend time reflecting upon the graces of your life. What are the blessings God has given to you that evoke great joy? How can this joy help us to face the struggles we endure today? And how can these graces also inform where we are going, asking us to look at what type of world we wish to become when we finally come out of this global pandemic?

Hang in there everyone! We're going to make it through this. Let us make sure that we make it through together with hearts full of gratitude and hope for where we have been and where we are going.

Happy Monday!