Like Father like Son

"Amen I say to you the Son . . . can only do what he sees the Father doing"

John 5: 17-30

The Word for Wednesday: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/031418.cfm

Yesterday it was reported that the famed astro physiscist Stephen Hawking died to the ravages of that terrible disease called ALS. After long suffering all of his adult life, his ordeal is over for him.  Yet he continued to teach and share his scientific insights all during that time. 

Yet, Mr. Hawking was an atheist or at best an agnostic, or at least he felt religion was essentially a fantasy.  His study of the laws of the universe and the belief  that a supreme being, aka God, is not necessary and that God's existence is not necessary for the universe to exist. Hawking's contribution to science was most valuable but certainly he did not have warm feelings about the value of religion and felt that science is more convincing than belief in the existence of God to explain the original origins of the universe.  At any rate, let's pray that now that Mr. Hawking has met the God he felt did not exist, love and mercy will be granted to him indeed. 

I simply bring this up in relation to our readings for this Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent.  We can see the sunrise of Easter on the horizon at this point but know that the event of his suffering and death come first. 

The Gospel from John is a long one for a weekday but John has Jesus reflecting about his relationship with his Father: "The Son can do only what he sees the Father doing . . . the Father loves the Son . . . I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear . . ."  With this long speech we hear Jesus stating to us that he is divine, equal to the Father and that the Father and he operate perfectly in synch.  To see Jesus, to hear him is to see and hear the Father.  Jesus is like God and God like Jesus.  It's a very important part of our doctrine of the Holy Trinity and when the Holy Spirit is spoken of he is referred to as being sent from the Father and is the Spirit of Jesus.  When one Person of the Trinity operates, all three do so together. 

Whew!  The great mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed in this words of Jesus.  An important statement in light of heresies that the Church was confronting at the time the Gospel of John was written. 

Yet, I think it poses for us today, who live more and more in an increasingly secular, scientific and technological world to recognize that as a whole our culture is becoming God-less.  As in the case of Stephen Hawking, has the "god" of science replaced the true God of the universe?  Some feel that Christianity has had its day and that we live now in a Post-Christian world.  Belief in God is primitive in light of the knowledge we have now and Christianity is a past historical event. 

Well,where do you stand on your image of God?  Belief leads to understanding and humility before mystery leads to faith. 

As Holy Week approaches we will face the dark hours of Jesus and the tragedy of his crucifixion.  Then the resurrection, which defies all science and natural law, stands in the realm of faith. 

More than any other prayer and desire, I think that a prayer for a strong faith in spite of criticism and attractive alternative thinking,, is necessary in this day.