Science has fascinated me since I was a child. Few things are more exciting than learning about this beautiful universe of ours. The fact that the world is intelligible and that the human mind has an intellect capable of grasping this intelligibility is itself a tremendously amazing aspect of reality. Albert Einstein himself expressed this sentiment when he wrote: "The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility"; "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible." The mere fact that scientific study is possible reminds us that intelligence is at the heart of existence. It reminds us that--in addition to mere things--mind exists. Behind all that exists is intelligence, and the human capacity for knowledge is among the greatest gifts bestowed upon man.
As the body scientific knowledge about our physical universe expands, basic questions remain that coerce the human mind to wonder. Modern scientists recently ask the same questions that the pre-Socratic philosophers of ancient Greece asked. A primary example is 'the problem of the one and the many.' There is a shared intuition that behind the immense diversity found in the universe, there is a prior and fundamental unity. Thales thought that all matter was made up of water. Later, Anaximenes similarly posited 'vapor' as the single substance out of which all other material substances are made. The basic insight seems to be that all 'matter' must fundamentally be the same thing, even though it takes on various shapes, states, and other properties.
At one time, atoms were thought to be the smallest building blocks of matter; that's what the very term 'atom' means. Of course, subatomic particles, such as neutrons, protons, and electrons were all discovered as even more fundamental subdivisions of matter. Then quarks were discovered as well as gluons, bosons, and the list grows and grows. The search continues. The hope is that--in the end--the subdivisions will cease and the 'one' behind the many will be revealed. Standing on the horizon of that possible discovery is a very exciting prospect. Scientists are full of joyful anticipation and work diligently to usher in the advent of a new break-through discovery. Some theoretical physicists are hoping that String Theory--which purports that all matter is made up of infinitesimally small, one-dimensional 'strings'--may finally provide a Theory of Everything or a Grand Unified Theory. Yet, as it currently stands even today, we still don't know exactly what matter really is.
One thing we do know is that matter contains a lot of potential. Raw materials can be used to create various other things. Matter can be reshaped to form tools, which in turn can be used to construct ever-new and complex material objects. One type of matter, such as a chemical element can be mixed with other elements to create new compounds such as metallic alloys that can give tools enhanced qualities such as strength. Even new chemical elements not found naturally have been created through technological advancements.
All this takes place, however, by someone's intellect being applied to altering the material to form something new. Intellect still seems more fundamental than matter. What this reveals, though, is that matter has the ability to be used by intelligence. It can be taken-up and used for the purposes of a sentient, knowledgeable, thinking being, such as man.
It is interesting to ponder about human creations that manifest this very ability of matter to be used for intelligent and artistic purposes. Man has crated objects for a variety of ends: some entirely functional, some purely aesthetic, others a combination of both beauty and function. MRI machines have been created for medical testing. Beautiful works of art have been made to please the eye and move the heart, such as Michelangelo's Pieta or Caravaggio's The Call of St. Matthew. Architectural masterpieces have been built that simultaneously provide a beautiful atmosphere and needed meeting space, such as St. Mark's Basilica in Venice or the Parliament building in London. There are countless examples of such technological and artistic marvels that the human mind has created and therewith reshaped matter for some intentional reason. We sometimes call intentional reason--the cooperation of intellect and will--purpose.
It is also interesting to note the selective nature of tis process. Out of all the metal, stone, wood, ec. that exist, only a relatively small, select portion is chosen to be used for various building projects. Only the very best diamonds are chosen to make high-end jewelry. Only a very small fraction of all the marble that exists in the earth was used by Michelangelo to create the Pieta. When considered in light of all the rock in the world, only a few stones comprise St. Peter's Basilica. To create their masterpieces, the great painters of history have used only a tiny amount of pigment. Think of the specific matter chosen out of all others to be used to create Caravaggio's "The Crucifixion of St. Peter." This raw material is used to create something utterly exquisite. Material that would otherwise be unknown is used to make something higher than itself. It is used to impact intelligent souls, to evoke emotion, and to spark new thought. This potential is indeed a beautiful characteristic of the material world. (Herein lies an opening statement in defense of elaborate Church art and architecture: using the best of creation for the most noble of purposes, giving honor and glory to the Creator.)
What does all of this have to do with the Incarnation? What is the point behind all this talk about matter? Why does 'matter' matter? "And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us" (John 1:14). That's why. The Eternal Word, the One through Whom all things exist, has taken a portion of His own creation and transformed it into His own Body. Think about the tiny percentage of all the quarks, protons, atoms, and molecules--maybe even strings--that were chosen--selected out of the literal astronomical quantities available in the universe--to be assumed by God Himself to form His Body. God took that part of creation to Himself, and literally made it Himself. How blessed is the matter that formed the Body of Christ conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary! How blessed the food an water assimilated by Him that sustained Him who sustains all things! How glorious the photons that illuminated His visage, making God's face visible to man! How sweet the air that provided the medium through which the sound waves would project from his lips to countless human ears! How blessed indeed is that matter used by the supreme, divine intellect for the purpose of His plan of salvation!
There is a similar miracle at every Mass: only a small percentage of wheat and water forms the bread that becomes the Body of Christ. Only a very minute portion of all the wine in world is selected to be consecrated into the Blood of Christ. At Mass, God takes creation and once again makes it His own self, transforming 'what' it is into something utterly beyond itself.
It doesn't stop there. Through this same matter, which the power of the Holy Spirit completely transforms, Jesus offers us access to Himself, giving us grace through the matter of His human Body and Blood. Thus, through the Eucharist, we encounter Christ and are taken up into Him, become His mystical body, the Church (see 1 For 10:16-17; Eph 5:23-32).
Through the Eucharist, we too are called, chosen by God to become one with Christ, to form His body, the Church, and to be used by the Creator for His own purposes and designs. We are elected to be used for a divine purpose.
God does not force us, however. He invites us. Unlike wood, metal, or stone, as intellectual and volitional creatures after His own image and likeness, we are given a choice. The Lord proposes, and like a hopeful groom-to-be, He awaits our response. Through the voice of Mary, God received a total and unconditional 'yes' to the proposal of a new and everlasting Covenant. Through that 'fiat,' that affirmation of total self-giving and receptive love, God became man.
The Lord offers Himself to each one of us--united together as a single bride, the Church, and He awaits our response. He still has plans for the people of this world. He asks us to be His co-workers. He desires to use our hands, our voices, our very lives to carry out His mission. As He was sent by the Father, so He sends us (see John 20:21). Does our love for Christ compel us (2 For 5:14) enough to respond in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Here I am Lord! Send me!" (6:8).
Are we willing to bind our lives to His? Are we willing to take His name as our own and truly be worthy of the name Christian? Will we allow Him to use us to create the Temple of the Lord not made with human hands? The mystery of the Incarnation presents us with God's offer of Himself to us. May we respond like our Blessed Mother and give ourselves back to Him unconditionally as the perpetual gift of thanksgiving for the tremendous blessings He bestows upon us both in this life and in the life to come.
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