This past weekend, the readings the Catholic Church used for Mass had a clear apocalyptic overtone. For those of you who are not familiar with apocalyptic literature, it is a series of texts that oftentimes speak of the end of the world. At the same time, we cannot reduce these passages to mere doom and gloom. True apocalyptic literature always points to something from the past, something that is going on in the present, and something that is pointing to the future.

Many who interpret the Book of Revelation fixate on future events, trying to guess when the end of the world will come. Christ, himself, in this weekend's Gospel, dissuades this approach. Rather, we need to stop and first ask, "How would the people of Jesus' time have experienced these texts?" The problem is, living over 2,000 years after these texts were penned, we don't have the common experience of Jesus' time to see the clear connections to what was being addressed in the first century. This is why trying to understand the cultural context of this literature is so key.

There is much, much more that could be said of apocalyptic literature, but one thing that is universal, regardless what interpretive lens you adapt, apocalyptic literature does tend to have the effect of scaring the "H-E-Double Hockey Sticks" out of us. (For those unfamiliar with this "americanism," it's a way of speaking of where we hope none of us end up after dearth for all eternity without.... you know.... using a certain word.)

In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.

"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever. Daniel 12:1-3

 

Stars over Los Angeles. From Thierry Cohen's Villes Eteintes series, via The New York Times.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates. 
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place. 
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:24-32)

When we read these passages, it is typical for us to fixate on the darkness of life: Wars, murder, the death of innocence, and cultural polarities. There is merit to gaze into this darkness, but not simply to make sure we occasionally ruin our day. Rather, we gaze into apocalyptic imagery and the sadness of our world to find light and hope.

Years ago, NASA and ESA scientists pointed the Hubble Space Telescope into what appeared to be a dark, empty part of the night sky. Some even questioned if this exercise was a waste of time, fearing that nothing would be seen other than more dark skies. What was captured was one of the most stunning images ever seen by Hubble. Thousands of unseen galaxies popped out of the darkness like Christmas tree lights. Applying this to our spiritual lives, it's an odd paradox that, sometimes, to allow the light of faith into our hearts, we must first peer deeply into the darkness of our lives, even when it seems there is no light to be found.

This past Wednesday, I shared with my parishioners at Saint Olaf Parish's bible study how St. Bede, in his commentary on the Gospel of Mark, saw these apocalyptic images not as a dark night getting darker with the Sun and Moon losing their light. Rather, he flipped the common interpretation and said that the reason the firmament losses its luminosity was because when the light of Christ enters our world, no other light is perceptible.

For the stars in the day of judgment shall appear obscure, not by any lessening of their own light, but because of the brightness of the true light, that is, of the most high Judge (Jesus Christ) coming upon them; although there is nothing to prevent its being taken to mean, that the sun and moon with all the other heavenly bodies then for a time are really to lose their light, just as we are told was the case with the sun at the time of our Lord’s Passion. But after the day of judgment, when there shall be a new sky and a new earth, then shall happen what Isaiah says: “Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold.” (Cantena Aurea - St. Thomas quoting St. Bede - Chapter 13 of Mark)

As the season of Advent approaches, I shared with them that the image of Sun, Moon, and Stars not shining due to the joy of Christ breaking into our broken world is a perfect backdrop for the season of waiting. Also, in the spirit of seeing these images as poetic metaphor, we are to allow the light of Christ to shine through our thoughts, words, and actions, becoming, in the imagery of the prophet Daniel, like the stars of the firmament. As I have shared with you before, we encounter in these texts the true meaning of stars and celestial objects in the Bible: Symbolic of angels and people, of you, of me, and our common call to allow Christ's light to shine through us, waiting in joyful anticipation for the one true light that will chase away all of our darkness.

Spiritual Exercise: What are the "darkened skies" you see in the world today? What are the areas of personal darkness you struggle with and desire the love of God to heal? As we prepare for the beginning of Advent in two weeks, beg the Lord to break into our world with his light of hope. Let us joyfully anticipate the coming of Christ into our hearts to dispel the darkness of sin and illuminate us with the light of forgiveness. And may we allow the light of Christ to shine through us, avoiding the tendency to see apocalyptic literature through the lenses of gloom, darkness, and fear, choosing, instead, the true interpretive lenses of faith, hope, and love. 

Happy Monday!

As a Catholic Priest, there is much in our world that can trouble the soul. Whether it be very public troubles like church scandals or more personal troubles like a parishioner dying of cancer, the twofold ability to both enter into these troubles with Christ's love, but also remove my heart from them has been essential. To state this more plainly, detachment of heart, upholding the dignity of others, and finding an ability to laugh if things start to get a little too heavy!

Unfortunately, there are times when laughter is not only impossible, but would be inappropriate. This past week in the United States, we have dealt with such times whether it be the mailing of bombs to current and past elected officials or the antisemitic assassination of eleven of God's children at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. There is much that can be and should be said to address these tragedies. Unfortunately, in the spirit of the story of Bartimaeus from this last weekends Gospel, though the eyes of many may have physical clarity, the eyes of faith that is to constantly see human dignity in all people made in God's image and likeness is giving way to overtures for power.

In 2015, Congregation Sons of Abraham Synagogue and Roncalli Newman Parish in La Crosse, Wisconsin, held an inter-faith prayer service for Holocaust Remembrance. The theme that year was, "Children of the Holocaust." Yad Vashem, the holocaust martyrs and remembrance authority in the Holy Land, gave us this picture as the central image of our prayer service. It is of two Jewish siblings who were executed shortly after this picture was taken. As part of the prayer service, youth from both communities read excerpts from journals found in concentration camps that were penned by children. My prayer is that a day will come when the mentality that made this image possible will never exist again.

I could spill a great deal of ink (or pixels) on these situations, but for the sake of The Catholic Astronomer, I wanted to cast this in light of the power of stability and civility. Whether it be the parishioner in the pew, the friend who calls, or the city leaders I meet, the anger and outrage that come with acts of violence, co-mingled with power structures that minimize the true commentary on these tragedies for the sake of personal gain, regardless of one's political persuasion, creates a blinding emotionalism that prevents our spiritual eyes from seeing clearly how God is present in these tragedies.

Amid this blindness, there needs to be an apolitical starting point in which we stand together as expressions of God's love first, respecting the dignity we are to have for one another, and then, with clarity of mind and sobriety of heart, approach these tragedies from a standpoint of the common good versus maximizing the personal gain for an individual or social ideology.

This cultural emotionalism is not limited to these acts of terrorism and hate, but have become a calling card for much of what I see in the combative tone of the "faith versus science" drama. Amid a manufactured culture of supposed intellectual dualism, the supposed war between faith and science has done much harm to the spiritual stability and civility of those who have fallen into this rabbit hole. What ultimately takes hold isn't a core sense of sound principles to be explored in a mutually respectful investigation into the truth, but a fundamental distrust between people of faith and science, creating an unstable and uncivil starting point for a dysfunctional relationship.

When I think of dysfunctional relationships in my ministry, I initially gravitate toward marriages that are struggling. Regardless of what the struggle may be, the ministerial approach I often take is to find something, anything the couple can trust each other about. When I find that morsel of hope, I then try to find other areas that pertain to the difficulties that are at the heart of the problems of their marriage. All of this is done within the bonds of charity toward one another, charity that isn't always soft, but respectful, transparent, and truly desiring what is best for the other and their marriage.

Whether it be the broken cultures of a country, a couple that has fallen out of love, or the clashes between faith and science, I often times wonder if the first move we need to make is to seek that morsel of hope, finding the one or two things, as simple as they may be, in which we can find trust? Whatever that morsel may be and regardless of how simple it may appear, my prayer today is that trust and dignity can be restored so we can see a return to stability and civility in our world. Let us distance our hearts from the toxic emotionalism that feeds the desire to disregard human dignity. Let us sober our minds and hearts to the fact that every person, regardless of race, gender, country of origin, or state of life is deserving of love, dignity, and respect. And may we embrace this dignity in how we treat one another, personally and communally, on a daily basis.

Spiritual Exercise: What is the morsel of trust that you and I can find together? How can you and I form trust with one another? How can you and I respect each other's dignity? How can you and I voice our outrage for the tragedies of our time in a way that doesn't perpetuate a culture of darkness and distrust, but a culture of faith, hope, and love? Pray with that this week. Pray for our world. Pray for nothing but peace.

An interesting topic to discuss with priests is their feelings about marriage preparation. Some priests feel that marriage preparation should take the shape of priestly formation, requiring multiple years of preparation for the Sacrament. Others, such as myself, take the approach that engaged couples that seek the Sacrament are doing the best they can in the situation they are in. Therefore, in the spirit of Pope Francis, the best approach is to accompany them, acknowledge that the situation a couple is in may not be ideal, but invite them to slowly move toward the ideal with God's grace and the support of a community of faith.

Both approaches have merit. It would be wonderful if a married couple would approach the Sacrament with multiple years of formation. I even know some brother priests who have adapted this mentality in their ministry. The couples they have for marriage are very well formed theologically and embrace their faith deeply. The only problem is that these same priests are also the ones who are known for only celebrating one or two weddings a year, if that. This begs the question: If a more rigorous marriage preparation leads to hardly anyone seeking the Sacrament, is the approach really doing what it desires to accomplish? 

I have been blessed with anywhere from 10-15 weddings a year. My approach is more, People have a right to marriage and if they approach me to request the Sacrament I error on the side of grace. One reason I embrace this mentality is that it is important for us, as priests, to remember that a couple has a right to marriage, but we, as priests, don't have a right to ordination. Yes, there are impediments to marriage that would make it impossible for the Sacrament to be given. However, these issues are rare and the human person was made for marriage, inspiring me to take more of an accompaniment mentality toward marriage preparation. The downside of this approach is that I can be legitimately criticized for being too soft on couples at times, having to look hard at how many of the couples I walk with toward marriage actually practice their faith after the big day. Amid the many inflammatory attitudes about marriage in our modern culture, I think it safe to say that the questions about marriage are far more numerous than the answers. Put another way, life is messy - therefore, why wouldn't marriage be messy?

Whether you are a priest that thinks that marriage should take on a formation model like seminary or that we should accompany our couples into a fuller understanding marriage, both mentalities would agree that without receptivity to what the Sacrament is, marriage preparation is difficult, if not impossible! This past weekend, I celebrating my first wedding at my new assignment of Saint Olaf Parish. Robert and Leah are a wonderful couple to work with, both receptive to the love they have for one another, the love of God in their lives, and the openness to continue their journey after their wedding day to embrace a loving and fruitful marriage. In short, I wish every marriage I had was as wonderful, beautiful, and open to God's grace as Leah and Robert's - Not only from the standpoint of the celebration it was, but the people they are becoming.

Introducing to you, Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Leah Johnston!

Now, some of you may be asking, "This is all well and good, but what does this have to do with faith and science?" Just as a couple needs a heart of receptivity to accept the grace God desires to give them, so, too, does a dialogue on faith and science need receptivity. Anytime two people enter into an argument, there is often a hardened heart that cares little about receptivity and more about establishing that "I am right and they are wrong." I have seen situations where the heart becomes so hard that the two having an argument will actually flip positions unconsciously, simply because they can't admit that the other person might have a point. It goes without saying, I have seen similar behavior in so-called debates between faith and science - on both sides of the issue.

This aspect of receptivity I am finding more and more a central theme of my ministry as I grow into my priesthood. You can have the best educational resources, the best teachers, the best practices for communicating the faith, but if there isn't a heart of receptivity, the best of everything can be discarded in a moment under the mantra of, "I don't care."

This leads to something that I am finding more and more when approaching the supposed tension between faith and science: The real problem isn't so much intellectual, but relational. It often surprises me when I have people I know and respect say things like, "Fr. James, why would you have friends that aren't Catholic or even Christian?" The short answer is that Jesus was just fine hanging out with just about anyone so why shouldn't I do the same? The more complicated answer is actually a question: Do we allow a cultural bigotry drive a wedge not only between faith and science, but between many factions of the human family?

In the United States, I fear that bigotry has become a social structure. Yes, we need to have honest and forthright discussion on core social issues that, at times, can lead to disagreement and tension. However, the culture of demonization and hate that has developed in the United States is eroding our ability to objectively embrace the old axiom - Love the sinner, hate the sin. Our culture, it seems, is embracing a new axiom - Love everyone until they disagree with you, then do everything you can to destroy their reputation and paint them as a horrible human being.

Therefore, I would put forward that the biggest obstacle to a sincere dialogue on faith and science boils down to reestablishing trust between people of different faiths, disciplines of science, and do so in a way that is rooted in mutual receptivity. Receptivity implies respect, humility, patience, and attentiveness to the thoughts and concerns of another, similar to the hearts of the couple whose marriage I witnessed this past weekend. What we often find now are examples of distrust, bunker-ism (meaning that we only spend time with those who are likeminded and attack anyone who disagrees with us), dismissing other's thoughts and opinions before they are even known, and objectifying others as being nothing more than a collective mentality (those people that believe strange things we should ignore) versus loving expressions of God's creative act that enrich the tapestry of creation and are deserving of love and dignity.

Spiritual Exercise: Take some time and analyze where bigotry might exist in your heart. It isn't the most comfortable of exercises, but if we truly want to bring peace between people of faith and science and the broader culture in which we live, we need to recapture the heart of receptivity that doesn't fear the other for being different, but embraces them as a brother or sister in Christ. Pray with that today, ask God to root out all bigotry in our lives, and may we discover a peaceable, open heart to the Lord and one another, receptive to God's mercy and grace.

I'm happy to share with the readers of The Catholic Astronomer that I will be presiding at Evening Vespers for Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology on November 15th to kick off a new initiative in faith and science. Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, the school that educates the seminarians from my home Diocese of La Crosse who attend Saint Francis Seminary, has been awarded a major grant from The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to make education in science a part of the formation program for future priests.

Father Thomas Knoebel

The President and Rector of Sacred Heart School of Theology, Father Thomas Knoebel, stated that the purpose of this grant will be to help people come closer to God through understanding God's creation.

“This grant affirms Sacred Heart’s position in the Catholic Church as a leading seminary whose graduates serve in dioceses and religious orders throughout the United States, and is thus well-positioned to achieve its project goals.”

“Our primary job is to equip our graduates to help bring people of faith into closer relationships with God. This must take place in a context that accounts for the rich human understanding of His complex world.” (These quotes were taken from the news release from Sacred Heart School of Theology, announcing this grant on July 25, 2018.)

Jennifer Wiseman. Director of the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion.

Jennifer Wiseman, the Director of the AAAS's Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion, affirmed the importance of bringing science into seminaries since parishioners, regardless of denomination, often seek out their Priest or Pastor for answers on questions of faith and science. "Many people look to their religious leaders for guidance on issues relating to science and technology, even though clergy members may get little exposure to science in their training." (Sacred Heart School of Theology Press Release, July 25, 2018.)

Jennifer's observation speaks true to my experience as a Catholic Priest. The lay faithful often seek their priest out with questions about creation, the age of the universe, evolution, the Big Bang, and a whole host of other questions. The presumption of the parishioner is that we, as priests, are experts on these topics since we have had advanced theological training. As I have reflected with you in the past, though my theological education was quite good, opportunities to understand this theology in light of modern science was rare. In light of this, I not only agree with Dr. Wiseman's statement of how people seek out their faith leaders for clarity on these subjects, but I see these programs as essential to ensure clergy can give the right answers, avoiding the embarrassment of harming people's faith with poorly formed responses to questions of faith and science.

As I have been in dialogue with Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology for this event, I have settled on a presentation theme of, "Attentiveness to Creation, Attentiveness to Christ." The heart of this presentation will reflect on how understanding creation can help us understand God, but also understanding God can given us insight into how we should approach creation. The presentation will touch on cosmology, ecology, sacramental theology, doctrine of God, and Christology.

If I were to present to you or an organization that would benefit from a presentation on faith and science, what would you want me to reflect on? Leave your thoughts and please keep me in your prayers as I prepare to be part of this joyful occasion for Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, and the AAAS.

Here's a video on awe and wonder from the AAAS

A promotional video for Saint Francis Seminary

In 1990, I was Junior at Amherst High School. I remember the buzz about a new telescope, a space telescope, that promised the deepest, clearest view of the universe. The telescope's name was the Hubble Telescope and was touted as the 90's equivalent of Apollo 11 in terms of historical relevance. Such bravado created high expectations about what the Hubble would see and discover!

STS-51L crew included, front row from left, pilot Michael J. Smith, commander Francis R. Scobee and mission specialist Ronald E. McNair. In the back from left are mission specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, payload specialist Sharon Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis, and mission specialist Judith A. Resnik. (NASA Photo)

Though Hubble was ready to launch before 1990, the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger not only pushed Hubble's timeline back, but called into question (for some) the future of space exploration.

I was twelve years old when Challenger exploded. One of my teaches, Mrs. Marilyn Baker, was a college friend of Sharon Christa McAuliffe. As a sixth grade student at Amherst Elementary, I remember the feelings of confusion over what had happened and concern seeing one of my favorite teachers weep as this tragedy unfolded. The school had rolled out a large television in the hallway to watch the launch and celebrate Mrs. Baker's friend, the first teacher in space! Nobody expected our public celebration would turn into an impromptu vigil for Christa.

I vaguely recall talking with my parents about the day's events when I got home from school. Of the thoughts I remember of that day, I remember wondering, "Perhaps God doesn't want us to explore space?" Thankfully, time revealed this thought to be nothing more than an understandable, adolescent reflexive fear, trying to make sense of the emotions I felt on that horrible day.

Though I can dismiss my childhood fears as a normal pattern of grief, I seem to recall that the Challenger tragedy did create societal worries about launching Hubble. Thankfully, the answers to Challenger's disaster led to clear solutions, resurrecting the space program. Hubble was finally launched, with high expectations, promises of a historic shift in astronomy, answers to the greatest mysteries of the universe, and when it was in space and took it's first image... it didn't work properly. In a moment that seemed to be right out of Star Wars when Han Solo tried to engage the hyper-drive, the first image from Hubble was... well... pretty bad!

First image from the Hubble Space Telescope compared with ground-based observations of the same object. In a word: Underwhelming.

The presumption of the Hubble was that once we would get outside of our atmosphere, we would have incredible images of space that were not only beautiful, but would unlock the mysteries of our universe. In the spirit of the theme of this series of reflections, it was presumed that astronomy from "down here" was limited and astronomy from "up there" would be nearly unlimited, giving us ultimate answers to ultimate questions. Thankfully, the Hubble's optics issues were resolved and it more than delivered on its expectation of giving us stunning, never before seen views of the universe. Yet, these stunning images created a new problem: All these questions we thought we were going to resolve simply led to new, better, and deeper questions. 

As I reflect on this part of astronomy's history, I am reminded of a question I once ask Br. Guy, wondering if all of these advancements pointed to a "Golden Age" of astronomy? His answer was simple and profound, "As long as the human person is willing to look up and ask 'What's out there,' we'll always be in a 'Golden Age' of astronomy!"

A faith connection I see with the Hubble Space Telescope is that in order to get a better understand of our universe, we needed to get "outside of ourselves" to see things more clearly. Since the Earth's atmosphere, the Sun, and other factors impede our ability to gaze upon the universe in a deeper way, getting outside of these limitations is key. Isn't this need for an "outside/in" view true of the human person as well and is core to our spiritual and emotional growth? In order to really understand what it means to be human we need to get outside of ourselves, put ourselves in a place that is unknown to us, and view our lives from a different perspective? When we get this new perspective, it leads to new, better questions about who we are and who God made us to be. Just as astronomy finds itself in a Golden Age when we ask, What is out there, can we also see a Golden Age of faith as long as we continue to ask the question, What is 'In here?' When we get outside of ourselves to reflect from a new perspective, the irony is that it ultimately helps us understand the depths of who we are more clearly and in a deeper, more interesting way.

Since the human person has not ceased to ask the question, What's out there, astronomy has continued to advance. The next big thing in space telescopes to continue the search for what is out there will be the anticipated 2021 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. I think it inappropriate to say the James Webb Space Telescope will make Hubble obsolete. If it does, I'd be happy to request NASA for training in the event it ever ends up on a NASA surplus auction with a chance for me to purchase it! (Sometime tells me there would be a long list of interested buyers that would bid me out rather quickly.) Still, with a life expectancy for Hubble that presumes a retirement sometime between 2030 and 2040, the James Webb Space Telescope truly is the next big thing!

One of James Webb's goals is to try and answer the new questions that have risen due to Hubble's research. Will the James Webb Space Telescope finally help us understand "everything about everything?" My gut, as a non-scientist, is to think that James Webb will do what Hubble did: Give us better, deeper questions, pointing us to a more fascinating understanding of the universe! 

Of the many advancements James Webb has that allow it to see deeper into space than the Hubble, two advancements are basic enough for the astronomy novice to understand: The size of the primary mirror and it's distance from the Sun. This mirror size is simple enough to explain. The James Webb Telescope's mirror is bigger than the Hubble's mirror. Telescopes are like "light buckets" and the bigger the "bucket" the more light you can collect. Since James Webb will be looking at incredibly faint objects, the bigger the light bucket the better!

Replica of the James Webb Telescope's support structure with one of its light gathering panels attached.

James Webb Mirror Selfie!

Artist's concept of the James Webb Space Telescope. Image credit: Northrop Grumman

The distance might be a little more confusing for people to understand. The James Webb Space Telescope will orbit the Sun at a distance that is beyond the moon's furthest distance from the Sun. Why is this so? Doesn't that make it impossible to repair if something goes wrong on the telescope as did the Hubble? What's the reward for this risk and why is it being done?

The reason for this distance is rather simple: Heat and light. Since the James Webb is looking at some of the faintest objects in the night sky, heat and light can create big problems in imaging these objects. Therefore, the telescope needs to be far away from the Sun, Earth, and Moon, not allowing their light and heat to impede James Webb's ability to image our universe. For example, I have been toying with the idea of making a small, hobby observatory. If there is one, clear suggestion I see with every home spun observatory, the primary concern is always the same: Make the observatory out of a material that doesn't trap heat that will later be released at night. Just as rising heat can distort the images of my backyard telescope, so, too, does unwanted sunlight distort the faint objects that James Webb will be looking for. I find it interesting how some of the astronomy basics on Earth still have strong foundation with astronomy done in space.

The payoff for this attention given to heat and light will be that the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to look deeper than any other telescope in use. Therefore, the continuation of the environment of this Golden Age of astronomy will continue to scratch the cultural itch with the question, What is out there?

Spiritual Exercise: Do you find that the more you get "outside of yourself" the better you understand what is within you?  Do you find this inner exploration leads to ultimate answers to ultimate questions or do you develop new, better questions about who you are in God's eyes? Pray with these questions this week and, as we continue to ask, What is out there, may this childlike wonderment continue to forward a true Golden Age of faith and science by exploring both the questions of What is down here? and What do I discover in my innermost being?

Happy Monday everyone!

Me and my brown haired brothers having fun with our blonde haired cousins from Illinois.

Perhaps Catholicism's love of tradition has rubbed off on my family. Maybe it's because we're packrats who refuse to throw much of anything away that attaches us to a past memory. Whatever the reason, my family has a history of patiently wading through hundreds of old family photographs, trying to preserve every memory of our lives by carefully archiving them in three ring bound scrapbooks.

Some of the pictures in these family archives bring about great joy, like family trips to Illinois to visit our favorite cousins. Other images evoke deep emotion, like the sense of adventure I feel every time I look at the picture of my grandmother trying to imitate Emilia Earhart, leaning against my childhood pastor's airplane. Scrapbooks provide us with a clear, visual history of our lives. Yet, they also inspire our future as we prayerfully reflect on who we are by gazing upon images of who we have been.

Yesterday, Br. Guy posted a quick announcement that registration has opened for FAW2019! The Faith and Astronomy Workshop is a wonderful and unique opportunity for those who love their faith and love astronomy to explore these two passions as a part of a community of non-scientist clergy, laypeople, educators, and catechists. Since I have had the privilege of being involved with FAW from the beginning, it feels rewarding that we have enough history to do some FAW scrapbooking of our own, similar to how my family carefully catalogues our past!

My grandmother, Edna Riley. This picture perfectly captures her personality.

This picture is of my mother, Sharon, me in her arms, and my two brothers, Jay (forward) and Brian (back). My dad, Gerald, is taking the picture.

The origins of FAW were simple. When I was ordained a priest back in 2003, I felt an inadequacy in my formation on issues of faith and science. Since I loved astronomy and knew of the Vatican Observatory, I contacted Fr. Coyne, then Director of the Observatory, to see if the VO offered any programs for the non-scientist? The answer was a polite no, emphasizing how the VO works primarily in post-doctoral astrophysics, but my idea was good and invited me to check back at a later date to see if anything new had arisen.

Br. Guy at the first FAW back in 2015. He is pictured in his natural habitat: A meteorite collection!

Ten years later, I finally got around to writing the follow-up e-mail. Fr. Coyne had retired, so I wrote Br. Guy, asking the same question. His first response brought a smile to my face, "Don't wait ten years between e-mails!" His next response was humbling and invigorating, "We still don't have any programs, but let's make something!" And that something was the Faith and Astronomy Worship (FAW)!

For the first FAW, I was a participant and an annoyingly curious one at that! Br. Guy had told me to hold off on telling people why I was at FAW until my homily at the closing Mass. It was rather awkward when the participants that year would ask me, "So, how did you hear about FAW?" I often pondered how I could tactfully, but honestly answer, "I didn't... I was there from the beginning!" Below is a write-up I did for our Diocesan newspaper on the first Faith and Astronomy Workshop, FAW2015.

In 2016, my role reversed at FAW. I went form being a participant at the Faith and Astronomy Workshop to being a presenter. After being invited by Br. Guy to write for The Catholic Astronomer, he asked if I would be willing to present at FAW2016 on how I integrate faith and astronomy into my parish work. As usual, I was so excited that I tried to put to much into my presentation, focused on the wrong things, and came away feeling like - that... didn't go as well as I hoped. Still, the one point that many of the participants appreciated was when I shared with them, "This is not a program in which you will be spoon-fed tidy answers to questions on faith and science. Rather, you will be thrown into the world of professional astronomy and be asked to apply the faith you bring to these questions. In other words, YOU are the bride between faith and science as we share our thoughts and experiences with each other as a group!"

Learning about the telescopes atop Kitt Peak at FAW2016!

My favorite picture from FAW2016!

I think this little nugget of wisdom is important to keep in mind if you are considering going to FAW2019. If you are looking for a week of apologetics, thinking you will learn all the best answers to questions that atheists can throw at a Christian about faith and science, this probably isn't the workshop for you.

Instead, if you embrace the Church's tradition of embracing science and the mission of the Vatican Observatory that doing good science is part of being a good Catholic, then FAW2019 could very well be your workshop!

As conversations, prayer, and friendships develop over the week, your eyes will be opened anew to deeper and deeper questions about faith and science. To put it another way, you will probably come to realize that what you bring to FAW2019 as the pressing issues that interest you might give way to a whole new view of the relationship between faith and science you never knew existed!

To learn more about the Faith and Astronomy Workshop from 2016, I would encourage you to read some of the pieces done by Dennis Sadowski. Dennis joined us for FAW2016 and wrote some wonderful pieces on the workshop. Here are some links to his articles:

1. Heavenly Mysteries: Questions of faith, science intersect at astronomy workshop.
2. Connecting with cutting edge astronomy. 
3. Priests find comfort that in studying the universe, they come closer to God.
4. This piece is not by Dennis, but a wonderful reflection by FAW Alumni Fr. Sauppe

FAW2017 was an interesting event for me. I came to the workshop rather tired. My Diocese was asking more from me in my ministerial work, making my energy reserves rather low for FAW that year. Still, it was a wonderful week of meeting new people, with new backgrounds, and were looking for different things than did the last FAW group. That's one thing I find fascinating and hard to describe to people about FAW: Every event has been very different because the group dynamics were very different.

The easiest way I can try to explain this dynamic is from my experience as a high school teacher. Every year, each class I had was very, very different. I learned that the best of teachers can pick up on these differences and provide new experiences for their students while communicating the same information year after year. As I learned how to apply these tricks of the trade, I grew in my knowledge and understanding, being attentive to how my students needed to be approached in the process of learning. Why do I mention this in regard to FAW? Part of my excitement of coming back to FAW2019 as a presenter is the unknown of a new group dynamic that will be asking similar, but different questions. As we journey together, not only will I share my journey with them, but they will share their journey with me, inviting me to grow in my understanding of faith and science. In many ways, I go as both presenter and participant!

FAW2017, learning about the work done at the Steward Observatory mirror lab!

Stones that came down from the heavens... not manna!

The outdoor chapel at the Redemporist Renewal Center.

Click on the image to get to the registration page for FAW2019!!!

I could go on, but I'll spare you the lengthy slideshow. I hate long, boring jaunts through someone else's vacation just as much as the next person! Nevertheless, I hope this virtual tour through some of the highlights in my FAW scrapbook was helpful to give you a sense of what a faith and astronomy workshop is about!

In closing, I simply wish to invite you to prayerfully consider joining us in Tucson for FAW2019. It is a unique experience and a rare opportunity to journey alongside professional scientists from the Vatican Observatory and lay people who are friends to the Vatican Observatory Foundation. It will be a wonderful opportunity to explore your questions with the other participants as you search for your own bridges between faith and science. From this standpoint, part of the goal of FAW2019 is for you to see that the faith you bring is an essential part of this journey. And, as we pray together, we ask God to reveal to us, under the beauty of the starry nights of Arizona, a new appreciation of our common home and our place in this vast universe.

To get a taste of what a FAW presentation is like, I would invite you to watch the video below of Dr. Brenda Frye and Br. Guy. Dr. Frye has presented at FAW in the past on the subjects of dark matter and dark energy. They have always been some of my favorite presentations at each FAW! Enjoy and I hope to see you in Tucson!!