Intelligence (2022-06-26, Sunday-13)

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2022-06-26 –  ●● 1 Kings 19:16b-19-21 ●● Psalm 16 ●● Galatians 5:1, 13-18 ●● Luke 9:51-62 ●●

[_01_.extreme] Pope Francis has spoken about the need, in a true Christian context,  to be sure we do not leave anyone behind who is “out there” or “at the extreme” or easily ignored, or not part of regular society.

Pope Francis even took 12 Syrian refugees whom he encountered on a Greek island in the Medterraneaan back to back to Rome back to the Italian capital for resettlement.

[_02.Mars]     But nothing can match the Pope's EXTREME concern, kind of out there when he was speaking about who can and should be baptized, to receive the Sacrament of Baptism,

After all, did not Jesus Himself assist those who arrived from the extremes, those who might be overlooked.

Francis: “If, for example, tomorrow an expedition of Martians, people came from the planet Mars to Earth, and one of the Martians were to say, I want to be baptized, what would happen?” Well, according to the Pope, we should get that Martian some holy water and plunge him or her beneath the surface. The Pope was speaking I believe in an exaggerated hyperbolic way about God's concern for all of his creatures. I know you weren't expecting to hear of Martians.

Francis was not speaking dogmatically or officially about how to evangelize on other planets. But he is touching on something about our concern, and how deep our concern is for every life on this planet, in our own world, in our own ecosystem. What does it mean for you or I or anyone to possess intelligent life or to be worthy of being protected?

 [_03_.Chess, G.Kasparov]   

          What is an “intelligent living being” or “intelligent life”?

          What life is intelligent and therefore worthy of our concern.

          Here is an example. Often, we measure intelligence by what it can do, how it functions, or even how competitive it is.

In 1990’s, the very intelligent – very smart chess Grandmaster showed he could win in chess not only against human beings but also in competition with some very good computers.  That was in the mid-90’s. Then, in 1997, something changed. in Garry Kasparov lost a chess grandmaster match to the IBM Computer knowns as Deep Blue. “Deep Blue”, and since then computers have only become more powerful. For example, some of us have seen, perhaps, the IBM Computer “Watson” compete on Jeopardy. Watson is even faster than Deep Blue.

So – is “intelligence” only valuable if it helps us to compete, or compare ourselves to others?

[_05_. A.I.]    I read this in an article about AI and artificial intelligence. For decades, artificial intelligence has been advancing at breakneck speed. Computers can fly planes -- interpret X rays -- sift through forensic evidence – compose music – and win at Chess and at Jeopardy.

Does this mean intelligence can exist apart from a human person?

[_06_. Sanctity of Life]   

What is necessary to be “intelligent” or worthwhile?

Regarding the sanctity of life and the protection of life at all stages, from conception to natural death, for what does it mean to be human or to be alive?  What if, for example, the developing human being does not have “intelligence with sense & sensibility” as you and I do?

[_07_. 2-B I or not 2-B I]   

 What if the developing human being is not “sentient” or sensible? An argument is made these days by many pro lifers, that life should be protected in utero, the unborn person because the unborn child can feel pain, that's a good argument. But it's not a necessary argument. Because even if the unborn child cannot feel pain, we still have the same belief that God creates through the parents, not only the body, but also the soul of a developing person, the soul and body are united. That's why it is.

[_08_. Body-Soul Unity]

That's what it means to be alive, to be a human person to have a body and a soul. When body and soul are connected. You're alive when body and soul are disconnected. You're not alive. If I die, my soul is immortal. My body is not. And while we go to. And while we seek health and healthy habits, and prosperity in this life, it's not only for the good of our bodies, but also for the good of our souls. We believe in a body soul unity. A person is a body soul unity. For this reason, we believe in protecting the right to life at all stages, I bring up the artificial intelligence stuff, because the artificial intelligence idea can plant the seed the idea in you or me, that our soul our  our value is something that can be programmed, or something that can crash.

Even if Garry Kasparov “loses” to Deep Blue, Garry K.’s intelligence life – and intelligence in chess player – has inherent value.

Playing chess – as I understand – has inherent value in teaching and developing the intellect. In a similar way, a computer might “play music”, but the computer is in no way joined to a body and soul of inherent value. The computer is purely functional.

A person is not merely a function.

[_09.Inherent Value] When we want something of value, we use our intelligence to obtain it. We use our intelligence to study for exams in school (good grades are valuable), our intelligence to do work and earn a paycheck (money is valuable), our intelligence to make a persuasive argument (being recognized is valuable).

But, what about when we fall into the trap of doing something erroneous, or sinful or scandalous our harmful. We may not appear very “intelligent”. What is the next step?

Consider the episode John (Gospel), ch. 8,  the woman caught in adultery.  This woman is in big trouble. Of course, in the episode, her accusers also end up in trouble and appear foolish.

But, that is only possible because our Lord sees in her a character – a soul – of inherent value –somone worth saving.

The woman caught in adultery episode reminds us that we are not masters of life were the masters of the universe. Pope Francis in a weird way touched on this with the Martian example.

But a mother and father, a mother and father touches on it with the with the birth of every child, and Jesus touches on it in a way saying to the one, the one who comes to Him in repentance, the one who is the one who anybody who comes to Jesus in repentance may feel artificially controlled artificial control by others or condemned by others. Our Lord sums up this saying that to those who feel alone to those who feel abandoned, that his mercy is available to them. And that love is greater than any one's verdict of guilt.

Jesus says this to the person drag before him in the town square, who represents all of us, the one who realizes that no one can condemn her with Jesus at our side, Jesus asks, ask that person Has no one condemned you. And she says no one Lord, then neither do I can do go and sin no more. It's interesting that later the same crowd wants to stone Jesus. He takes the punishment for us. That too helps us to live  another day. [_fin_]

Whom are you following? (Corpus Christi, 2022-06-19, Father's Day)

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2022-06-19 –  Corpus Christi

●● Genesis 14:18-20  ●  Psalm 110 ● 1 Corinthians 11:23-26  ●  + Luke 9:11b-17 ●●

TITLE: Whom are you following? [ [][][v.3][][] ]       

[_01_]   Right now in the Gospel, the crowds are drawn to and following Jesus because of his known ability to do miracles to heal. And in the Gospel Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish and to feed a crowd of more than 5,000  people.

Do you and I not also follow and seek out those with the best reputation, who are famous, who do well?

Just as an example, right now, if you're following sports and the sport of golf, golf is that sport with drivers and putters, and golf balls and fairways and greens and Tiger Woods, etc.

There's a golf tournament taking place in Massachusetts, and my sister and brother in law got tickets to attend the practice round.

Earlier this week they brought their children with them. And at the practice round, you can easily get close to some of the famous players. They went to the US Open in Brookline, Massachusetts to get close to the famous players. Earlier this week, they got so close to a player during a practice round that he agreed to take a photograph with the family. His name is Brooks Koepka. A few years ago, Brooks Koepka won this particular tournament, he was the # 1 golfer in the world.

So it was thrilling for them to get a photo with a golf champion. That's why people follow.

The people are following and going after Jesus because they see something valuable and victorious in Him. Jesus is on the rise. He is doing miracles. He's healing people. He's feeding us, freeing them from evil spirits. He's even the underdog competitor who stands up to the highly favored Pharisees and scribes.

And in the multiplication of the loaves, we see that Jesus is on top of the world on top of the rankings on top of the mountain, if they had phones, they would have taken selfies with our Savior.

Are people however, only interested in Jesus because of his potential energy and potential power ? Sometimes that's what happens-  we only go after somebody because of potential energy or power or material things.

One of the reasons my sister and family went to the US Open Golf Tournament was to get close to famous player.

Now, by the way, right now – the with tournament nearly over, Brooks Koepka is in 40^th place. Still, being in 40^th place is good because he's playing against very good competition,

So, such a photo is a treasure because it signifies something of power and value. Even if Brooks Koepka isn't having his best day.

Jesus gives us something something even better than an image something even better than a photograph or a trophy.

He gives us His body and blood so that we can become like him and draw strength from his sacrifice.

As an analogy, consider what mothers and fathers are called to. Today is Father's Day. What did your mothers and fathers did for you as a child, what you as a mother or father are still called to do for your child.

Mothers and fathers don't simply help their children simply by material gifts of food or money, or even by saying yes to every request. Fathers and mothers pass things down to their children also by teaching them discipline by teaching them right from wrong by teaching them about love. Some of these lessons are not always materially satisfying. Some of these lessons are hard to learn. In some cases, we may have no photo or anything on paper, but rather by learning from our mothers and fathers, we take them into our bodies, our mothers and fathers gave us our bodies. And we recognize that the body and life our father and mother gave us lives on in us. Jesus also gives us his body and blood so that he might live on and endure in you and in me

        As an analogy …

Brooks Koepka did not become a great golfer because his teacher handed him anything…but because his teachers and coaches gave him an environment in which to thrive.. both to fall down and get up again.

        Parents give their children a great gift not just by the material gift of a home, but by giving them a place where they can fall and get back up again and so that the parents can foster the initiative of their children.

        Parents also do not educate their children to follow the parents’ “law” but the the law of God.

        And…while sports such as golf and basketball  or soccer or baseball ..or any competitive endeavor may be thrilling to the parent and to the child, sports are really just a way for us to realize that our greatest victory is in love for God and neighbor and in laying down our lives as Jesus did.

        He is the person and more than a personality or image.   We are called to follow Him.  [ [][]end[][] ]  

 

Who is the Trinity? Who is mine enemy? (2022-06-12, Trinity)

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 2022-06-12  –  Trinity Sunday

●● Proverbs 8:22-31  ●  Psalm 8 ● Romans 5:1-5  ●  + John 16:12-15  ●●

TITLE: Who is the Trinity ? Who is the enemy ?

 [_01_]       This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. We could say that every day is “Trinity Sunday” because we begin every Mass, every prayer, with the sign of the cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”

          The Trinity reminds us explicitly that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that we are made for communion with God that God is a trinity or a communion, a family of three persons, and we are made to be part of God's family, no matter how alone we might feel that we are part of the Holy Trinity, and God is united to us.

                 Being made in the image and likeness of God is part of Bilbical teaching and reminds us of the following  that there is in each of us a quality or character of DISTINCTION, of DISCERNMENT, of DEVELOPMENT. (CCC 1700)

[_02_]   First, DISTINCTION.

          Genesis 1:27 “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.”

          This is a character of DISTINCTION being human, in the image of God.

          There is also a character of DISCERNMENT of being human, in the image of God. After the original sin, fall of Adam and Eve, God did not simply ask them “what they did”, but also “why did you did you do this?”  (Genesis 3:13). So, there is a character of DISCERNMENT. Sometimes, we discern wrongly, but there is discernment.

          Also, there is a character of DEVELOPMENT. Each of us is a work in progress. And, the development is to become like God (Wisdom 8:7) or as Jesus urged, “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me”  (Matthew 16:24).

          So, in the image of the Trinity, under the sign of the cross, we are given a  character of DISTINCTION, DISCERNMENT, and DEVELOPMENT, being in the image of God.   [pause]

[_03_]     Do you want to be happy? Thomas Aquinas writes that we want to be happy that being happy is part of the way we are made, we are made naturally to be happy.

Now I may have definitions of happiness that differ from your definition of happiness, or God's definition of happiness. I may define happiness as wealth, I may define happiness as health, or as being wise in my own estimation.

Those are material definitions of happiness. But God is saying Thomas Aquinas is reminding us that we are we are made to be happy and that everything we do is about our pursuit happiness.

[_04_]     I just like to give an example of this from an autobiography, a book I read recently, about a young man who went to law school, he went to law school to study to be maybe one day an attorney or a judge. He enrolled at Harvard Law School. This is a real nonfiction book, by Scott Turow.

The book is called “One L” because it is the abbreviation or acronym, the number 1 “uno” and L as in Lima or L as in Law School. Every first year law student – at every university is called  a 1-L. And the author writes about being a 1-L.

[_05_]     Why did Scott Turow go to law school? Well, he thought he'd be happy at law school. But, he found out he was really unhappy for a while at law school, but the solution was not to leave law school. The solution for him as he speaks and writes about was something else.

He writes that – at the law school “I met or encountered my enemy.” Who is his enemy at Harvard Law School?  

Well, he and his classmates are very competitive. They're all competing for the highest grades to score in high 90’s or 100% or get A's or to be on law review.

[_06_]     So maybe his enemy is the other students whom he is competing against. I have been in competition with others. Sometimes I compete against others or I compare myself to others have i alienated myself from others due to competition does competition create enemies?

Another example is that some of his homework assignments and classes are really difficult. And he is criticizing often the professors the teacher is the one who stand up in front of the microphone or in front of the podium. And he has he finds fault with his teachers, many of his teachers, he finds fault with them.

He is criticizing them and he and his classmates are criticizing them all the time. Even the great teachers get criticized. Maybe criticism creates enemies. Maybe his professors are his enemies?

I fault I have found fault with others. This perhaps begins early in life. Perhaps you at times or I at times have found fault. Even with a loving mother and father, we may find fault with or criticize our parents. We criticize our parents, even though they love us.

Or we find fault with a teacher or a coach or the landlord or a neighbor or some authority figure we may find fault with our spouse. We may find fault with our children, we may be critical of others. Does criticism create enemies is criticism or other people the enemy in other words,  well Scott Turow is really writing and kind of discovering in this secular example, that his enemy is not his classmates. His enemy is not his teachers. His enemy is himself.

[_07_]     He goes to law school and discovers that he is his own worst enemy and I've discovered that at times that I am my own worst enemy. Yes, Satan, the evil spirit exists as an adversary as a deceiver to you and me.

But the evil spirit sometimes just sets me against myself, because I can be my own worst enemy.

1 example in the book brought this together, that there was one particular classroom episode with a demanding professor.  There were about 200 students in the classroom and one very demanding professor. And the rule in the class was that you had to reply if the professor called on you, unless you wrote him a note 2 hours in advance of class. But who was going to do that? Who could remember to do that all the time? That was the rule. And one day, the professor called on somebody who was not prepared and who had not written the required note.

And the professor continued to ask him questions, because this is what he did. He would not hesitate to cause you some embarrassment, if you didn't know the answer. And he caused embarrassment for this young man in the class. And, all the other students rose up in rebellion. They felt that they were being treated so unjustly because the professor went so far in causing embarrassment and shame on their classmate. They had a point. But that was the rule in the class.

And so they complained to everybody who would listen. The students complained to each other students, they complained to the Dean of the Law School, the students complained to other professors that students complained to the president of the law school. It was a proof that the students were their own worst enemies as well, in that they created this big problem. It ultimately got back to the professor that the professor was extremely unpopular at this point. The very next class that came about was on a Monday morning, the professor walked into the classroom, took off his jacket, took out his briefcase, put his briefcase on the desk, opened his briefcase, took out his papers and said, “You know, it's Monday morning, I was out of town over the weekend, I didn't have a lot of time to work. So I almost came in unprepared!”

Scott Turow’s immediate reaction: “that was the closest to an admission of guilt or an apology as we were going to get. But it was enough for us and it broke the tension.”

It's hard to admit you're wrong. It's hard for us to admit our wrongs. But admitting we're wrong is part of what can make us happy. Ironically, admitting what repenting of our sins can make us happy, reminding us that we're in need of God's grace can make us happy. And that and to remind us also that if God is for us, who can be against us, that in this regard we need not we need not fear who is against us anymore.

It is your distinction to be made in the image and likeness of God. Being made this way, you can discern good and evil, you can forgive others and seek forgiveness. You can develop into the person God calls you  to be [in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit… Amen.]