Looking at photos from the Hubble or Webb telescopes, can be a transfixing experience, causing us to wonder about the origins of our universe or of all the many universes that are now being discovered. Asking how the universe came to be is more than a scientific question or a theological one, but is a mixture of the two.
In 1931 the Belgian Catholic priest Georges Lemaître proposed the big bang theory, which states that a single particle at the beginning of time exploded and out of that explosion, the universe and all universes came to be. Scripture tells us “In the beginning..” but what about before the beginning?
Juan Malcadena, an Argentinian physicist, asks that very question. What happened before the big bank, when “time was not,” in the words of one of our historic confessions of faith calls it? A deeply religious man, a member of the Pontifical Academy, he says this is not an irreligious question but one we need to consider, much like, how can we measure infinity.
Prayer for the Day
Creator and still creating God, overwhelming us,
We are in absolute wonder of the universes we see;
Enticing and enthralling Lord, you beckon us
Holding us in your arms stretching into infinity.
Grant, O Holy One, that we embrace your beauty,
Loving all of the creation you have given us.
In the name of the One who embodies your spirit,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Science teaches us more about the universe, while faith tells us about our ultimate purpose.
Juan Malcadena, physicist
There can never be any real opposition between religion and science; for the one is the complement of the other. …. And indeed it was not by any accident that the greatest thinkers of all ages were also deeply religious souls …Science enhances the moral values of life, because it furthers a love of truth and reverence—love of truth displaying itself in the constant endeavor to arrive at a more exact knowledge of the world of mind and matter around us, and reverence, because every advance in knowledge brings us face to face with the mystery of our own.
Max Planck, theoretical physicist (1858-1947)
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork
Psalm 19: 1