20 Mar 2026

 

Artificial Intelligence - A Better Me ?

Our society is comfy with abbreviations – sometimes to confusion. For example, those of us who are technically slow may not know that the abbreviation “AI” stands for Artificial Intelligence.

What is AI … Artificial Intelligence?

• Artificial Intelligence is a human system which receives new data not previously programmed into it by human regulators.
• Once that system receives new data, it somehow “learns” from that information on its own and makes changes based on that new data.
• In other words, the system is pre-programmed to adapt itself to entirely new situations. Based on previous instructions, it “responds” to new data and makes changes accordingly.

AI programs bestow the ability to interpret, change and adapt to incoming challenges. This ability is pre-programmed into the system, thus mimicking human intelligence. Some adaptive mechanisms are astonishing, complex and confounding.

AI is everywhere: “self-driving” cars, tennis-playing robots, the power to edit and re-write your computer documents, special effects in movies. AI abounds in education and corporations, even in pornography’s corrupting displays.

AI is growing in ways which please many folks but upset others who, wisely, fear a machine-dominated future … those who are wise to the dangers of dehumanization and, with it, the continuing eclipse of moral acuity in human nature.

Cautions

Let us remember that AI is an “artificial” construct; people are initially in charge. This means our legitimate concerns about AI’s potentially destructive impact on our culture do not rest solely on its technological power. After all, AI depends on humans for its furtherance. It is the human element about which we should all be concerned.

• It is the human agents who possess the knowledge and savvy to put AI into our lives and, by doing so, to radically transform our culture – for better or worse.
• It is those human beings who have the power to control AI to serve humanity or to enslave us.

If these concerns seem exaggerated, remember the painfully recurring lessons of History and mankind’s readiness to ignore the moral nature and responsibilities of human life.

History’s Truths

The ideas behind today’s AI were present even in the time of Greek civilization. Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and patron of blacksmiths constructed metal robots to work in his foundry. Our modern form of AI was initiated by cognitive scientist John McCarthy in 1950s and underwent further development in the 70's and 80's. Research now proceeds under the eyes of specialists.

The future of Artificial Intelligence seems unlimited in the lives of everyone --- and this is good reason for our caution. Why? Because humans are in thrall to “technological progress” and its promise of a better life. We tend to trust (often naïvely) those who tell us what we want to hear or what they convince us to desire. In fact, History tells us that whole nations have been seduced by the destructive palaver of reckless leaders who promote practicality and profit over morality and self-sacrifice.

Indeed, in many segments of society, the mention of “morality” is now an archaic remnant of the fact that we are, above all else, moral beings, created by God Who deserves our obedience and honor. We are redeemed Christ, Whose authentic care for us was/is evident in His dying for us.

So, here is the problematic issue: As AI’s benefits are taken for granted, many people forget the moral responsibilities inherent in human nature and forget morality as they buy into the allure of “technological progress.” They accept de-humanization and the eclipse of morality as the price of “advancement.”

Furthermore, AI raises the dreadful specters of Transhumanism and, worse, Posthumanism (explained below). As we consider human nature’s future, we have every reason for concern.

Transhumanism? Posthumanism ?

Transhumanism? Posthumanism? What relevance do these terms have to you or me or any of us?

Let me explain.

Transhumanism is a system of thought and action based on the belief that human beings should use all resources of science and technology to overcome the physical and biological limits which come with human nature.

The practical applications of Transhumanism are many, such as the easing of aging’s costs. But when Transhumanism seeks the end of aging and death, it denies the inevitability of Creation’s limits which human nature inherits.

Transhumanism believes that technological progress is unlimited. It foresees a future when humans will be re-designed for maximum potential. Scientists will develop programs to boost human capacity to exceed the present limits of human nature. We will then achieve technology-supported immortality. In this scenario, the moral principles of human nature are too confining.

But there’s more…

Transhumanism spawns Posthumanism, a vision of humanity in which our present state of existence is inferior.

Posthumanism believes humans will eventually realize that we must exceed the limits of our inherited human nature, must deconstruct ourselves and leap beyond the boundaries which our Creator has set for us. In this vision, the machine is a model for human behavior, unruffled by morality’s boundaries or Nature’s laws, free from God’s demands and from the responsibilities to one another which are essential to human existence.

At the center of all this is a fundamental question: What does it mean to be human?

Fundamental Truth

The Truth is that our human potential is not of our own making. It is a gift, given to us by our Creator. It is obvious that we are created beings, dependent upon our Creator for the benefits of human nature. We are, therefore, wise to remember that our countless gifts have been bestowed upon us by our Creator. To deny this reality is to deny our essential nature.

The dangers in denial are detailed in a new, thought-provoking Vatican document published March 4th. It is titled “Where Is Humanity Going?”

This document warns that rapid technological changes (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Posthumanist proposals) raise profound questions about the future of humans. The document cautions that such movements contain the risk that we shall (as History attests) again ignore the “integral nature of the human being.” 

The document states the obvious: Human dignity is not something humanity constructs for itself. “To be a human person, with infinite dignity, is not something we have built or acquired,” the document says. “It is the fruit of a gratuitous gift that precedes us.”

The document alerts us to the fact that humanity today faces yet another danger. Modern science and technology yield marvelous outcomes for the human condition. At the same time, these advances reveal our innate human vulnerability, evident in war, illness, famine and countless other ways.

The document states that humanity continues to experience both greatness and fragility. We must not – not - glorify technological power nor must we resign ourselves to our weaknesses. The document clearly states that today’s technological development requires a corresponding growth in moral responsibility:

Finally . . .

As the document urges, we must pay special attention to Transhumanism and Posthumanism, both of which seek technological advances by which certain segments of humanity may try (as History again attests) to radically transform our given human condition through politics, education, etc.

The document reinforces the Christian belief that human life is to be understood and lived as a God-given vocation, i.e., as a calling from God. Human life is a gift we are given, a gift meant to be spent in service to others and, thus, to our Creator. The document puts it this way:

The document also says that the answer to the question, “Where is humanity taking itself” depends on whether we choose to treat our technological progress as our master … or we choose to control it for what it truly is, namely, a tool designed to enhance - but never to replace - the dignity of the human person.

When we consider what is involved, where do we start?

We must start with ourselves. We are given the gift of life by God, with the daily moral responsibilities and daily moral choices which the gift of our lives truly asks of us.

We always have a choice to do what is morally right … and we always have a choice to do what is morally wrong. May we choose what is right. May we choose to accept our dignity and meet our responsibilities to one another, and act as Children of our Creator.

May it be so, and may we so believe …….

 

2 Mar 2026

 

The Wonder Of Creation

Go outdoors some dark, cloudless evening, and look up into the night sky. You’ll see an incalculable number of stars stretching across the darkness. These stars are a small portion of the Milky Way Galaxy. Our Sun is part of the Milky Way. Earth (where we live) is one of the Sun’s satellites.

But many folks ask: What is a galaxy, anyway?

Well, galaxies are huge - huge - collections of stars, planets. nebulae, various gases, space “dust,” dark matter and dark energy. These last two elements are called “dark” because science cannot explain them. We know they exist by their effects.

The Universe - stars and galaxies, seen and unseen, indeed all of Creation - is held together by the force of Gravity, which also keeps us rooted to Earth. In fact, Gravity’s effects exist throughout the Universe. However, astronomers tell us that the Universe is expanding, so the tug of Gravity is not supreme.

Our Milky Way is not, of course, the only galaxy in the Universe. Billions (some say trillions) of galaxies exist, each with its huge collection of stars. To add further Wonder, some astronomers believe our Universe is only one of uncounted Universes.

Our Universe is surely an endless Wonder, teeming with Mystery.

A Brief Look At Galaxies

So, we know that a galaxy is a collection of star “stuff” held together by Gravity. Some traits of galaxies are beyond fascinating. For instance:

• Most galaxies are hundreds of thousands of lightyears wide. What does that mean?
• A “light-year” is the distance light travels in one year.
• The speed of light is about 186,000 miles a second.
• Thus, the distance light covers in a year is about 5.88 trillion miles (give-or-take a few million).

Each galaxy has huge numbers of stars, ranging from a few hundred million to hundreds of billions of stars. Many galaxies (our Milky Way included) also have a huge Black Hole at their center (we will discuss Black Holes another time).

In earlier years, science suggested that the observable Universe might contain at least 100–200 billion galaxies. Recent studies suggest the number is closer to 2 trillion (with a T) galaxies we can observe. But astronomers say even more galaxies exist in the yet-unseen Universe, beyond our present abilities to “see.”

The shape of galaxies varies. Our Milky Way is spiral shaped. This means it possesses young stars still forming (the shape of a galaxy is one way science studies the activities therein).

Another question arises:

• Since galaxies are collections of stars - sometimes millions of stars; and,
• Since billions of galaxies exist (each with uncounted numbers of stars),
• How many stars might exist in the Universe?

How Many Stars ?

It’s a difficult question. British author Ailso Harvey offers some considerations about the number of stars in our Universe. First, what do we mean by "Universe?" Are there definite boundaries to the Universe? Or is it endless, infinite?

Physicist David Kornreich observes that “…we really don't know if the Universe is infinitely large or not." The observable Universe is roughly 13.8 billion years old, but that’s only an estimate. Our notion of “Time” is an arbitrary standard. And, as above, some scientists think we may live in a "multiverse" of Universes.

The answer is complicated by several other factors. For example:

• Some galaxies are better seen in visible light, some in infrared.
• Some of today’s experts now suggest there are about 2 trillion galaxies in the observable Universe, about 10 times more galaxies than previously suggested.
• Another difficulty is that today’s telescopes may not be able to view all the stars in a galaxy.
• Furthermore, dark matter and the rotation of galaxies must be filtered out before making an estimate.
• And remember that (1) the "observable" universe (what we see) is itself expanding, and (2) space-time can curve.

It seems almost naïve to say that difficulties of charting the positions, distances, movements and changes in brightness of stars in just our own Milky Way are daunting. Thus, correctly estimating the number of stars in the Universe is impossible. 

Prof. Kornreich used a very rough estimate of 10 trillion galaxies in the Universe. Multiplying that by the Milky Way's estimated 100 billion stars results in a large number indeed:

1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars (or so). That’s a "1" with 24 zeros after it. But researchers emphasize that Kornreich’s number is probably a gross underestimation. When we ponder all this, Wonder overwhelms. And - mirabile dictu - you and I are part of this wondrous Universe. You and I are given life by our Creator.

Wonder and Mystery do indeed overwhelm.

Creation’s Plan

Science and common sense tell us that something does not come into existence out of nothing. Everything which exists does not just pop into existence. The Universe does not create nor sustain itself … nor do you and I.

Reality and Logic also tell us we are dependent beings. Our very existence insists that we recognize and acknowledge our own Creation, and Wisdom dictates Obedience to our Creator.

Reality also compels us to recognize the differences between the temporal and the eternal, between the finite and the infinite, between the naturally-occurring events in life and supernatural events (e.g., Lourdes, Fatima, et alii) which are meant to sustain our hopes beyond the blunders of our wayward egos and the allure of crass denial to which humanity is ever drawn.

We are blessed by our Creator with our ability to seek and find Goodness … but we also struggle with the dark side of our weak and fragile nature. However, we are given endless reasons for gratitude by these stunning Mysteries of Creation into which we are immersed. And we are given a conscience to repent and amend the mistakes we’ve made. We are blessed with Hope to recover our sense of Gratitude, and to express our fidelity to our Creator’s loving Presence – God, Who forgives our insincerity and upholds us in our struggle to express our Goodness.

We surely know that Goodness is our most desirable goal, but choosing Goodness is also a challenge which never ends. Yes, we are born with the freedom to choose Goodness in our actions and our attitudes. Nonetheless, our darker urge is to deny our moral lapses, to cover our mistakes and to choose an easier way.

Thus, many of us spend our years distractedly, trying to fulfill our ego’s selfish desires. But sooner or later (if we are honest with ourselves) we realize that we are not laws unto ourselves, not totally free from Divine restraints. Like it or not, we are subject to God’s Commandments and to the limits of our created nature.

Our mistakes spring from our own human weaknesses and our self-indulgences … but, hopefully, one day we look candidly beyond ourselves to summon up courage to change what may still be our hurtful ways and seek our Creator’s forgiveness which ever awaits with loving anticipation.

Finally . . .

So, sooner or later - willingly or unwillingly - our minds will hopefully betake us beyond our achievements and distractions. Our self-importance fades as we realize that a thousand years are but a moment in our Creator’s Eternal Now. We realize we are accountable both to God and to others with whom we share the gift of life.

Hopefully, we learn to accept God’s compassion and love, rather than trembling at His imagined vengeance or dismissing Him altogether and ignoring our responsibilities to Him and to one another.

And, hopefully, with Faith renewed, we are evermore grateful for our remaining days, as we begin to appreciate the Grand Mystery of the Universe and the gift of life … especially our own.

 

18 Feb 2026

 

Porn And The Good Life

The word “pornography” derives from descriptions of prostitution on ancient walls. In our “modern” world today, studies tell us that 75% of our children are exposed to porn by the age of seventeen. Many youngsters first view porn between seven and thirteen.

Most children are exposed to porn by accident, which is scathing testament to pornography’s easy availability … and to the moral indifference and psychological ignorance of our culture.

Research also informs us that viewing porn is as harmful to the brain as hard drugs. For many users, addiction to porn in the result, involving (for starters) corruption of the imagination and imagery, disrespect for the dignity of sex, and more - much more.

In addition, addiction to porn pursues some children into their adult years. Addiction to porn has ruined countless marriages with its blatant disregard for the Virtues of Trust, Perseverance and shared Courage which marital fidelity demands. Clearly, pornography is psychologically unhealthy, morally indefensible, potentially addictive, without redeeming value of any sort. No individual soul nor intellect is bettered by porn.

Free Speech ?

Even if we set aside religious and moral considerations, porn is still ruinous for users and for unthinking participants.

One specious argument says porn is “free speech.” This ignores the harm porn does to the mental and moral health of users and to the stability of every community … and to our children.

Underlying “free speech” arguments are the distorted ideas that:

1. “freedom” in human affairs is an end in itself and that law stands apart from the people it supposedly protects;


2. “freedom” may be exercised without considering its deleterious outcomes on individuals and on society;


3. “freedom” requires no limits or restraints on its exercise, even when it harms our children.

Academic Freedom ?

Some professors of “higher education” bestow upon porn the fallacious legitimacy of “academic freedom.” In fact, “academic freedom” is strictly limited within academic fields. College defenders of porn reveal several disturbing factors, including:

1. the hubris of some academics who hold that their specialized knowledge nullifies Common Sense;


2. the absurd belief that “academic freedom” trumps our moral responsibilities to one another;


3. so-called “academic life” is superior to our moral obligations at the core of human nature.

It is crucial to remember that true “freedom” is not our unrestricted right to do as we please when we please. True freedom is the unrestricted right to do what we must do for our moral and social good and that of other persons.

Censorship ?

Censorship is not the issue. Our culture is not best served by canceling unwelcome ideas through the exercise of what may be seen as arbitrary power and control. My concern is the choices people make … choices to improve our culture by improving ourselves.

Thus, we will reject porn in our lives:

• If we are to honor true academic freedom, with its limits of authentic application;


• if we are to honor Gospel mandates;


• if we are to honor the Constitutional intent of “free speech,” with its acknowledged limitations;


• if we are to honor human dignity, starting with our own;


• if we are to honor the sacred nature of sex as the expression of life-long Love and Intimacy of husband and wife.

It is true: our moral lives and our behavior are inextricably entwined. God’s intentions for us are clear. And, if that doesn’t suffice, then let us always remember our children.

Parents And Their Little Ones

A child’s moral character is formed by parental example. Parents are guardians of their child’s innocence. The unspoken example of parents has profound impact on every child’s character.

Effective parenting is a serious challenge today. Our children grow up in a world awash with cynicism and moral indifference; a world in which God and His Divine Mysteries are often treated as sentimental fiction.

Moreover, there’s widespread disregard for the Virtues of Modesty, Custody of the Eyes and Matrimony. Denial thrives. “Soft-core” porn is common. Purveyors of “hard-core” porn have a paralyzing foothold even on the Internet and AI.

Nonetheless, protecting children from porn is a critical responsibility of parents … really of all adults. Parents and their surrogates (schools, churches, society at large) must assure that children are not corrupted by porn, which is harmful to body and soul, mind and imagination.

Making Sense

The fact is that ignoring the existence of our Creator and His Commandments is indeed a logical contradiction. Why? Because modern science – indeed, all of Nature depends on Creation’s mysterious entities which are never directly seen or measured.

For example, dark matter, dark energy and space-time linkage are inferred by their effects, not by direct observation. Science is defined by unseen realities which are mysteries all.

Physicist Michael Guillen points out that invisible forces shape the billions of galaxies in Creation. Why, he asks, are metaphysical possibilities dismissed outright? The fact is that Physics accepts unseen realities when evidence insists … as it does constantly.

Discomfort among those who deny God arises from the inexorable implications that humanity is part of the Created Universe. Conclusion: we are products of our Creator.

Since this is true, the same inescapable logic pushes us beyond material explanations and disdain into the world of metaphysical Reality where God and His Revelation reign supreme and make total sense even to agnostics.

We are pushed into the world of Divine intervention in human affairs. It is a world in which our moral dignity is clear; a world in which God’s Commands insist we revere our dignity and remember our created state; a world where Virtue is fundamental to our behavior; a world where God’s Revealed Will is supreme.

We are not, therefore, free to ignore our Creator’s intentions by the use of porn or any of the moral absurdities (e.g., abortion or transgenderism) which false freedoms encourage.

The Point Of It All

Truly, we are citizens of God’s world, not our own … a world of Divine Mystery wherein our dignity as God’s children is paramount, our responsibilities clear, our lives focused.

We are born not to despoil our dignity nor to seek the corrupting isolation which false freedom foists upon us. We are given life to live in harmony with the wishes of our Creator, Whose Divine Image rests within our souls and Whose Will is clearly revealed.

The cultures we create and the lives we live must not be littered with frivolous self-indulgences. We must pursue Reverence and Wisdom, and eventually understand that True Love always requires the Virtues of Self-discipline and Sacrifice.

Let us always remember that our highest human goal is to express the Goodness in our souls, inspired by the Love of God and the selfless example of Jesus. This is, above all else, the point and purpose of our lives.

For these reasons, then, is it not obvious that porn simply does not belong in our lives?

• From a purely secular point of view, porn does harm to all whom it seduces. It does not belong in our lives.


• From a religious point of view, porn simply does not belong.


• From an authentically higher educational point of view, porn does not belong in our lives.


• From a cultural point of view, porn does not belong.

It is that simple.

 

9 Feb 2026

 

Maturity Isn’t Free:

A common misconception says that age brings Maturity. As we age, the saying goes, we naturally become mature and increase in Wisdom.

Wrong!!!

The Truth is that aging does not guarantee Maturity nor bestow Wisdom. In fact, some adults are emotionally immature in their thinking and quite unwise in their behavior.

Maturity is based on Wisdom. Wisdom imparts moral and intellectual insight which direct our lives, define our character, inspire prudent choices and guide us to lead stable, virtuous, often courageous lives.

Maturity, guided by Wisdom, dictates (1) that we accept personal responsibility for our attitudes, words and actions, and (2) that we acknowledge accountability for our impact on others. Maturity stresses our obligation to be genuinely concerned for others and to demonstrate that moral Virtue is a practical reality in daily life, even when Virtue is hidden behind other terms.

Maturity requires Wisdom, which is radically different from all other forms of knowledge, including academic and technical know-how. A person may, for example, be a recognized academic or a shrewd financial achiever but still be unwise and immature in his choices and behavior, especially when errant pride still reigns.

Wisdom’s Benefits

Wisdom understands the difference between mature decisions and immature decisions. It anticipates the price our choices exact of us and others. Wisdom also recognizes the subtle links between our behavior and the outcomes of our behavior, both in the short- and the long-run.

Wisdom grants discernment about the self-deceptive ploys to which we are prone. And Wisdom is alert to the moral values which benefit society; alert to the alibis we employ to avoid moral demands, alert to the impact we have on one another, alert to the rewards and pitfalls in relationships.  

Wisdom and Maturity always celebrate and encourage Goodness - but they have no illusions about ways we delude ourselves when we say or do something imprudent, crassly selfish or harmful.

Thus, Wisdom and Maturity see the Truth about people in unvarnished clarity, foresee outcomes (desirable and unpleasant) and, all the while, encourage Goodness and seek to influence others to Virtue.  

Wisdom’s Painful Lessons

We are wise to avoid needless pain in our lives -- but some pain is unavoidable and loss is inevitable. However, pain and loss can become (if we choose) a doorway to Wisdom. How?

When pain and loss are unavoidable, our coping mechanisms do not, by themselves, ease our suffering. At such times, Wisdom tells us that we have a choice to accept pain as a morally better path than grudging tolerance or simmering bitterness. Wisdom knows that because we are created individuals we are, therefore, in profound need of God’s support if we are to bear our fragility as His children … with Virtue and dignity.

Wisdom’s insight into our utter dependence on our Creator tells us that a deliberate act of our will to accept God’s sovereignty now makes eminent sense. We choose to accept God’s will over our own, even at the price of pain and loss.  

For many people, these lessons are learned over time, as we face hard personal realities and are stripped (voluntarily or not) of our ego-centric defensiveness, our need to control, our desires for revenge and applause. Wisdom urges us to face the Truth about ourselves – Truth which some of us hide from ourselves and others to protect our ego and elevate our status in the world.  

When we face the unpleasant Truths about ourselves (Truths which we all tend to deny), we can then deal with our selfishness and denial. These are major hurdles to Humility and Candor, to psychological health and moral common sense.

Wisdom is rooted in facing personal Truth … even though facing Truth is often painful. But that’s why Truth is so valuable -- and so elusive.

Maturity’s Extent

We live in various communities - family, church, school, work, friends, society. Maturity recognizes our moral obligations to one another in each community. Indeed, morality begins with simple courtesy and civility which become, if we choose, acts of Virtue.  

What we say and do does make a difference in this world. Many of our actions have moral consequences. We are not alone in this life, and our moral obligations to one another arise from our shared humanity. Human nature is, by definition, moral.

Morality is rooted in our responsible selves as created persons who are dependent on our Creator. Our problems arise when we act as if we have no moral accountability to God or one another. We are also responsible for our attitudes and our behavior even to strangers. Maturity - guided by Wisdom - understands that our moral obligations to one another direct us to create a better world by what we say and do.

Finally . . .

We are not given life to promote cynicism, conflict, untruth, denial or bitterness. We are not given life to tell lies or seek revenge or create chaos or foist pain upon others or treat people as inferior. Our words and behavior do have consequences. When we interact with others, moral accountability ever hovers.

Furthermore, every person has a moral obligation to live a life of Virtue and Goodness, however one may define them. Therefore, we must guard ourselves against moral indifference, self-adulation, cynicism and incivility.  

As we age, our Maturity will increase if we choose to learn from our experiences, especially painful ones, as Wisdom advises. Indeed, pain and loss can be an invitation to growth in Wisdom and Virtue – just as they were for Christ, Who trod a lonely path of pain and loss … and did so for us all.

No doubt, this is a hard lesson for many of us to learn and to accept, but is there another logical or reasonable answer? If we do not gratefully follow this Truth and seek Maturity and Wisdom, what then?

History has a ready answer and consistently reveals the terrible price humanity continues to pay when we put ourselves ahead of our Creator. And when we do consider the price humanity still pays, does it not then make great sense to follow the paths of Maturity and Wisdom, Virtue and Goodness?

 

23 Jan 2026

 

What’s The Answer ?

I am fascinated by the Mysteries of space, with its trillions of stars, the movement of planets and asteroids (some of which threaten Earth, such as 2025SC79), and the infinite wonders of Creation.

One example of these incredible realities is the "runaway" supermassive black hole which flees its host galaxy at 2.2 million miles per hour. Yale’s Pieter van Dokkum says this is the first confirmation of a runaway supermassive black hole. Staggering questions arise:

• Into what does this black hole flee? More space?


• This black hole travels at incredible speed, so how vast must be the area - the “space” - into which it flees?


• As a result of this finding (and countless others), can the existence of Infinity be questioned?

The Mysteries of the Universe are all around us and within us, yet we seldom speak of these astonishing realities and the obvious implications of Creation for humanity.

But Wait . . . There’s More

Another example: astronomers spot a “flare” from a distant black hole … a “flare” brighter than 10 trillion (with a T) stars.

And this: the Webb Telescope sights an object which apparently originated a mere 700 million years after the “Big Bang.” This adds to our understanding the origins and ages of the earliest black holes (once denied even by cognoscenti).

The concept of Time is yet another challenge. We speak of years, months, days, hours, of Time itself, as if Time were under human control. But “Time” (i.e., before-and-after) is a human concept to give us a handle on the passing of our years, an indication of how profound are these Mysteries - and how little we truly know.

Some people mistakenly say we control Nature. They say we’ve smashed the atom, plumbed the depths of Earth, mastered useful compounds. We’ve even developed driver-less autos. We stand atop the pyramid of life, they say.

They forget that Earth’s life span is finite, and Nature is not always benign. For instance, the Cascadia Subduction Zone (on the internet) presents incalculable danger to our nation.

Beyond The Obvious

When I forget that I, too, am part of Creation, I read Psalm 8 and reflect on King David’s Truths about human nature; Truths which many people ignore, forget or deny. David reminds us that all of Creation is the work of God. It is God, not us, Who sets the moon and stars in place.

David asks: What is mankind that God is even mindful of us … and cares for us? Truth is, David continues, God crowns us with glory and honor; gives us a measure of control over the works of His own hands. God puts all things at our feet, even the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, the fish of the sea and whatever swims the paths of the oceans. And, David concludes: “Oh Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!”

I ponder these Truths … and then am I relieved (at least for a time) of temptations and distractions which clutter my ego. I am again reminded of the purpose of all our lives, as I re-discover Truths easily obscured in the busy-ness and travail of living. And when I am, once again, reminded of these Truths, I face, once again, the inevitable questions we all face:

• What kind of person do I choose to be?


• Do I choose a life of Goodness and Virtue?


• What values do I choose to honor in my heart?

Simple Truths Are Tough In Practice

The most befitting answers to these questions are, of course, found only (1) in the Spirit of Love and (2) in the application of the Virtues in our lives. No merely human approach to living will ever sustain our deepest needs and hopes. And, as T. S. Eliot wrote, the modern world still contains a fair number of people who still find that Christianity (especially Catholic Christianity) offers the most satisfactorily account “for the world and especially for the moral world within.”

Note well: We do live in a moral world. We are born to act as responsible moral agents. However, our choice of moral behavior is not forced on us. It is a life-defining choice we must make.

Creation offers evidence (if we need it) of the overwhelming reality of God, Who made us all. As His creatures, we are bound both by His Divine Will and by just human laws to avoid evil and do what is Right. We are bound by the moral demands and guidelines best expressed for us in the Christian Virtues.

The Moral View

The Christian life is summarized in the Spirit of Love, in our being a Loving Person who acts with true concern for others, not simply from fear or coerced obligation. Love is the essence of morality.

Sustained love (i.e., the Virtue of Charity) is not to be confused with consenting sex or tawdry “romance” which pop culture often portrays with errant intensity. Love is not simply a passing feeling or an ephemeral emotion. It is a personal decision of the will to think, to act and to speak for the good of others. A Loving Person works hard at being unselfish and expressing benevolent concern for others, even when others are unkind or indifferent. Even if he stumbles over and over again, the Loving Person perseveres.

What Critics Say

Critics of Virtue have said that these words are nothing more than a way to avoid “necessary” conflict, an excuse for weakness and cowardice. Loving others can, of course, be a painful, lonely path, often misunderstood by those who see violence as inevitable and who define humanity only in terms of fear and mutual aggression.

Certainly, the urge to hurt back, to avenge wrongs, runs deep in the human heart. But some people do get overly righteous and seek revenge for its own sake. Ridding oneself of such delusional motives is tough. Thus, to love realistically takes real courage!! Mother Teresa of Calcutta got it right when she wrote that to be real, our Love has to cost us something. Indeed, Loving others can hurt, especially when we confront our errant ego-centrism.

The Loving Person speaks Truth. He believes we are all children of the same Father. The Loving Person does not coddle his anger, nor steal or cheat. He values kindness and, though difficult, he forgives others, as God forgives him and us, when we repent.

Spelling It Out

The example and inspiration for all this is, of course, Christ. By His words, actions and miracles He shows His love for humanity, and He asks us to do the same.

Thus are Christians called to be a courageous light in this world, to love our neighbor and ourselves, despite misunderstandings and harsh critics. In the pattern of Christ, it is our duty to make the Love of God a daily experience. Christ is our example; He is the source of our becoming that Loving Person we strive to be.

So, again, let us be clear: Christian Charity involves disciplined love of God, one’s self and other persons. The Virtue of Charity (Love in action) has many ways to express itself to God, one’s self and our neighbors. Moreover, it is an essential guideline for every healthy society, just as it is an essential path for our personal choices to live as we are intended to live.

In Real Life . . .

What does all this mean in the real, day-to-day world? Here are additional practical examples of Charity - of Love - in action:

• We express our Gratitude for life, even when times are difficult and we’re nagged by loss, temptation and doubt.


• We do what is morally correct, not simply what is socially acceptable, politically pragmatic or ego-pleasing.


• We do not deprecate or humiliate anyone. Instead, we listen to others attentively with our eyes as well as our ears; we do not give in to distractions.


• We do not manipulate others to impress or to look good, nor do we exploit others for gain (no lying, cheating or stealing).


• We speak Truth, even when Truth is painful, for Love cannot thrive in an aura of untruth.


• We are never rude nor self-seeking nor hateful in our words, nor do we entertain anger or haughty pretense … nor do we brood over injury nor ponder ways to get vengeance.


• We accept accountability for our behavior and we take responsibility for what we say and do.


• We are patient and always kind, quick to admit our errors and our wrongdoing; quick to ask pardon when we offend.


• We avoid jealousy, snobbish behavior and envy.


• We do not give insult nor defend ourselves.


• We listen to others because listening may be more beneficial for us than protecting ourselves from hard truths. We may learn something even from angry persons, for Truth is not always smoothly offered nor gently given.

Finally . . .

To be a Loving Person asks much of us. But it is surely the way God intends us to be … and God knows what He is doing, even when we do not.

The path of Virtue is ever before us. Our imperfections may create doubt and denial … but the path of Virtue ever beckons, whether we choose it or not.

We are, of course, Wise to choose Virtue, Wise to do so with humbled heart and disciplined ego. We are Wise to trust God to sustain us as we persevere, despite our recurring doubts and the inevitable travail of loss and misunderstanding.

Above all else, then, our calling in life is to be a Loving Person. To this goal we are called – all of us. May we be Wise enough to act as Love dictates.

 

4 Jan 2026

 

Wisdom’s Elusive Beauty

A trite but comfy adage says that our elder years will naturally bestow “Wisdom” upon us. Wisdom, the adage says, comes with age. Nonsense! Aging does not guarantee Wisdom. Many elders remain immature, unwilling to take responsibility for their choices, blaming others instead accepting accountability. Clearly, then, it’s not our length of years which bestows Wisdom.

Wisdom - i.e., True Wisdom - comes only when (1) we face the shortness of life, (2) embrace the Mysteries into which we are born, (3) accept the God-given limits to our freedoms and rights, and (4) stay accountable to God and to one another.

Wisdom inspires us to consider the unintended consequences of our behavior, to accept responsibility for our actions and own up to the consequences of our choices. Wisdom enlivens the words of Karol Wojtyla, who said, “Freedom consists of not doing what we like but having the freedom to do what we ought.”

Wisdom’s Nature

These days, True Wisdom is rare in our culture, but unrestrained emotions and unseemly fads flourish. Even unfounded opinions thrive under the tattered banners of distorted freedoms and the endless litany of pseudo-rights. But True Wisdom … t’is a grand, but infrequent, quality of heart and mind, soul and psyche.

For example, Wisdom insists that we are not free to live according to our urges and unruly emotions. That’s because Wisdom understands the necessity of living a life of Virtue, of avoiding extremes, of the need for gratitude and humility, empathy and altruism, forgiveness and reconciliation. Wisdom embraces the fundamental Truths which contribute to emotional and spiritual maturity on a natural as well as supernatural level.

True Wisdom

Wisdom builds on our natural, God-given gift of insight seasoned with Humility which inspires us (1) to recognize the potential value in the superficial allure and frequent pain of life, (2) to accept the Mysteries of God, (3) to acknowledge that we are His children. This is the only way anything in life makes sense.

True Wisdom (as Robert Luddy states) is about “the formation of the individual.” This involves our view of human freedom and self-discipline, the demands of morality, building our character and our emotional controls, and “relentlessly seeking truth.” 

Some people distort “wisdom” into a manipulative, ego-centric skill to outsmart others, a smug, shrewd, street-savvy gimmick which puts financial gain above all else. But True Wisdom reveals how crucial it is that we pursue Truth, even when it is costly to do so, even when we’re tempted to cut corners. Living according to Truth is a tough vocation; that’s why Wisdom eludes many of us.

True Wisdom provides insight into moral pitfalls, including bouts of self-pity and righteous puffery to which we are prone. Wisdom reminds us that we, too, are part of God’s Mysteries, subject to His Will from the instant of our conception.

True Wisdom finds its rationale and direction in the moral insights of Revelation and in various Virtues which enlighten humanity. These sources seem foolish to skeptics, who avoid even the mention of God and His Mysteries because their curiosity is not resolved to their satisfaction. They rely on their frail incredulity rather than on the evidence of Creation’s Mystery around us … and within us. They fail to see that all of Creation is Mystery.

Creation’s Mysteries are simply undeniable, including one’s own existence. Wisdom helps us accept the fact that curiosity is useful only to a point, for there are Mysteries in Creation which we shall never unravel… Mysteries such as Creation itself.

Further Points To Ponder

It is, of course, possible to separate ourselves from God, to think our lives have no connection to our Creator, to act as if we are gods-unto-ourselves, to hold others in dismissive disregard. In such instances, unbelievers may still seem to possess a degree of good judgment. But True Wisdom introduces the moral realm into our lives, introduces God’s point and purpose in Creation.

Wisdom bestows upon us that moral awareness which enlightens our lives, enlivens our motivation, and gives direction and meaning to our lives. Without this moral awareness to enrich human existence, all else would be worthless and chaotic.

Every life has moral meaning and moral consequences. We are born into God’s universe of moral possibilities which are determined by the choices we make and the actions we take.

Thus, True Wisdom bestows upon us the insight into what is morally right and wrong in human affairs, not merely what is socially desirable or culturally popular.

In our society, moral insight is often at odds with cultural fads. In fact, moral insight is unpopular (adjudged too judgmental by folks who resent judgmentalism) when it identifies wrongdoing and evil.

True Wisdom is about moral means-and-ends of our decisions, about the links between our behavior and the outcomes in our relationships with God and other people, even strangers.   

True Wisdom involves discernment about the moral roots of our human nature, about our motives; about the causes and effects of our choices in the short-run and long-run; about how we treat one another and the practical impact we have on one another … and, above all else, how we relate to God.  

Maturing In Wisdom

As we mature in Wisdom, we have no illusions about the ways in which people delude and alibi themselves. We have no illusions about humanity’s imprudence, self-serving motives or willingness to harm others by words and deeds. We see the Truth about humanity’s weaknesses. But rather than condemn others, Wisdom urges us to influence others toward Goodness.  

Wisdom often emerges when we face troubling times and are tempted to seek resentment or revenge. We are given a new vision of God working in our lives and in this world. It is through periods of painful personal experience coupled with Humility that Wisdom pushes us to see that our previous coping mechanisms are simply no longer effective or tenable. We then face Truths we have hidden from ourselves to protect our fragile egos and elevate ourselves in the eyes of others.

Humility (a misunderstood Virtue) urges us to admit that we did not understand (and we still do not fully comprehend) the Mind of God - but we now embrace His care, nonetheless. We embrace the Mystery of God … and of us…  

Thus does True Wisdom comes to us over time, as we grow in Faith and Hope, facing hard realities which strip us (voluntarily or not) of our defenses and deprive of all else … save God. 

Learning to accept Truth about oneself requires patience and recognition that we are truly God’s child. Growth in Wisdom can be costly, especially when we confront our habits of avoidance, selfishness and denial, which are hurdles to Humility and Candor.

Finally . . .

And when we realize that Wisdom awaits, what do we do?

We believe that we are loved by God … and we then act like it.

God’s Love, like Wisdom, is one of the countless Mysteries of Creation. As we get older, Wisdom may whisper to us that grumbling and complaining are not merely ineffective; they’re rehearsals for further petulance. They’re not the right path to which we are called.

Wisdom tells us to believe wholeheartedly that we are loved by God. Wisdom reveals that pain and loss are actually opportunities to grow in closeness to God. And, as Wisdom flowers, we realize that Christ trod this same path of wonderment we now endure. And we realize that we are indeed in very Good Company.