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A few decades ago it was time to purchase a dining-room set for the Vogel household — a big purchase, not easily returnable. Would it fit? Would it look right for the house? How could I minimize the chance of a bad purchase?

This was in pre-cellphone times and, for most, pre-computer times — and of course pre-AI times. My solution was to take several photographs of the store’s setup for a table and chairs I thought might work. A photographic print wasn’t going to be much use. I was, however, experienced with shooting slides, and I owned a slide projector.

This was going to be an early attempt at virtual reality, if not artificial intelligence — in slow motion, of course, because that roll of slide film in the camera would have to be sent off for development and mounting into small cardboard sleeves, ready for use in a projector.

A few weeks later the slides were back, and those featuring the dining-room set were ready to be projected into the area where the furniture might be placed. Awkwardly holding and aiming the projector in various directions, and adjusting the zoom according to the sizes of the pieces, I eventually determined the set would be a good fit.

Fast forward all those decades, and we now look back and chuckle. We can do all this — and a lot more — with the latest artificial-intelligence applications being bandied about.

Not that there is much in the way of “artificial intelligence” to these services. In essence, they are dependent on stolen or purloined content and used in what service providers call “training.”

Much of this concern, however, doesn’t trouble the general public. These services have a magical feel; for many, they feel like artificial general intelligence has arrived. Current AI services embody the third of science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke’s famous laws: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

For almost three years I’ve made it a mission to demonstrate AI services to nearly everyone I meet, starting, of course, with the now-famous ChatGPT, quietly unveiled in late November 2022. I’ve written columns on that service, from publishing a novel written over a weekend to introducing its art component, DALL·E, to Metro Vancouver artist and religious iconographer John Souter.

In recent weeks a cavalcade of new tools has been released into the AI-sphere, mostly for graphical and writing tasks. Just when it looked like ChatGPT had the market locked up, Google/Alphabet stepped back into the fray with souped-up versions of its Gemini engine (gemini.google.com). In particular, there was a stampede to try out the new graphical tools built into Gemini.

My first real struggle with doubts in my faith happened in the dark depths of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with the hardships of the world, the political moment we were in, the frailty of human life, and my own struggles, it was very difficult for me to see the goodness of God. 

Naturally, as my experience of faith shifted from pure joy and delight to frustration and confusion, I wasn’t really sure about God or the convictions of my Catholic community.

Had I gotten something wrong about the character of God? Was my community really interested in a deep life with an active and personal relationship with Jesus, or were they just interested in His moral and social teachings? And were those teachings really good or were they just arbitrary commands made centuries ago by religious leaders who wanted control?

These were hard questions and they led me into a “deconstruction” of sorts. I found myself turning over every aspect of my faith and asking if it was true and if it was good. Those months and years of struggling were immensely painful; it felt as though I was living out of alignment with my identity as a Catholic and with my community of fellow believers. I also wondered how God felt about it all – was He hurt, as though I was betraying Him or rejecting Him by having doubts? 

Still, I am so grateful for the person God has shaped me into on the other side.

We can sometimes be tempted to run away from doubt. We hear nicknames like “Doubting Thomas” and assume that to ask questions or to be uncertain is a bad thing. We’re warned by well meaning people not to ask certain kinds of questions or explore certain sources because they could lead us astray. There is a kind of doubt and a form of deconstruction that leads to the ending of faith – and that is a tragedy. But when our doubts come from a true place of curiosity (even if that curiosity is spurred on by pain) rather than cynicism, it is possible  that God is working in us to bring about a greater spiritual maturity.

The ultimate goal in our spiritual journey is to be united with God. Our call is to be transformed day by day by His love and to love Him so deeply that we experience “union.” Just like in a marriage, two people become “one flesh,”; God desires for us to become one with Him, restored in full relationship.

Saint John of the Cross used an analogy, comparing us to a cold, wet log and God to a blazing fire.

Taking a position on Israel, Palestinian statehood, and the two-state solution is largely a no-win scenario. Few people are undecided. Fewer still are willing to consider opposing views. Yet that’s what’s needed on the issue, and it’s highlighted by Canada’s recent decision to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Those who oppose the current Mark Carney Liberal government will be tempted to reflexively condemn the announcement. Carney supporters will cheer it on, especially as Palestinian rights in Gaza and political opposition to Israel become the cri de cœur of many progressive voices.

Both the Conservatives and U.S. President Donald Trump see a two-state solution with Palestinian statehood as rewarding acts of terrorism by Hamas, but the history is more complex than much of the commentary suggests. For decades, Canadian governments have supported a negotiated two-state solution but stopped short of recognition. The new policy ties recognition to Palestinian political reform and the exclusion of Hamas.

It may not be well known, but Canada’s new position closely aligns with that of the Holy See, so it’s worth looking at what the Vatican has had to say on the issue, in the past and now.

After a recent meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the Holy See stated that the two-state solution is “the only way out of the ongoing war.”

Asked this week about recognition of Palestine as a state, Pope Leo reminded journalists, “The Holy See recognized the two-state solution some time ago. That is clear: we must seek a path that respects all peoples.”

It was exactly 10 years ago that the Vatican formally recognized the State of Palestine. Palestine’s new Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian recently told Vatican News that the 2015 agreement offers a vision of hope for the Holy Land and allows for the continued presence of Christians in their homeland.

The 2015 agreement did more than recognize the State of Palestine. It enshrined rights of freedom of religion and conscience, guaranteed access to Christian holy sites, and affirmed the Catholic Church’s ability to carry out social, charitable, and educational work.

The agreement envisions a solution “in which two states, Israel and Palestine, coexist peacefully side by side with equal dignity,” writes Vatican News’ Roberto Cetera.

The 2015 agreement was signed under Pope Francis, but it had its origin under Pope John Paul II. In 2000, John Paul II and the Palestine Liberation Organization reached an agreement recognizing religious freedom and the equal dignity of the three monotheistic religions present in Jerusalem.

In 2014, a meeting at the Vatican brought together Pope Francis, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli President Shimon Peres, who planted an olive tree as a symbol of peace.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
First Reading: Hab 1:2–3, 2:2–4
Second Reading: 2 Tm 1:6–8, 13–14
Gospel Reading: Lk 17:5–10

All three readings this Sunday stress trustful waiting.

“Before his Ascension Christ affirmed that the hour had not yet come for the glorious establishment of the messianic kingdom awaited by Israel which, according to the prophets, was to bring all men the definitive order of justice, love, and peace,” says the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The present time, as we know, is marked by “distress” and the trial of evil, which encompasses even the Church and ushers in “the struggles of the last days.” It is a time of “waiting and watching.”

Since the Ascension, Christ’s coming in glory has been “imminent,” even though we do not know the time “that God the Father has fixed by his own authority.” In fact, it “is suspended at every moment of history until his recognition by all Israel, for a hardening has come upon part of Israel in their unbelief” toward Jesus.

After Pentecost, St. Peter told the Jews in Jerusalem to “repent” until the time came “for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.”

“The full inclusion of the Jews in the Messiah’s salvation, in the wake of the full number of the Gentiles, will enable the People of God to achieve the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, in which God may be all in all,” says the Catechism.

It is more accurate to say God is waiting for us than to say we are waiting for God, the Catechism implies. God has done his part through Christ. Accordingly, Christ could say to his disciples, the night before he died, “Take courage! I have overcome the world.”

Therefore, while “we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ,” we must “rekindle” our faith, maintaining “the standard of sound teaching” without being “ashamed.”

St. Paul defines faith as “confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.” However, it is not God’s plan to hide spiritual realities from us. Our inability to see them except “indistinctly, as in a mirror,” is a handicap we inherit from Adam and Eve.

“Original sin deprived not only our first parents of God’s special friendship, but all their descendants as well,” said Pope St. John Paul II. “The whole human race has inherited both physical death of the body, and sin, which is the spiritual death of the soul. The sin of Adam is transmitted to each human person by generation.”

On June 11, 1899, Pope Leo XIII consecrated the human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus thanks to the efforts of Blessed Maria Droste zu Vischering (1863–1899).

Blessed Maria began her novitiate with the Congregation of the Good Shepherd in 1899 and received the name Sister Maria of the Divine Heart. She said, “When you are appealing to His Divine Heart for a soul, He will never refuse you, although sometimes He demands much prayer, sacrifice, and suffering.”

In 1894, with a spirit of sacrifice and obedience, Sister Maria left her beloved Germany for a new assignment in Portugal. She wrote, “Lord, I have left all, yes all, that I might love You until the last moment of my life, and that with all my energy I might spread devotion to Your Sacred Heart.”

Our Lord gave Sister Maria private revelations regarding the consecration of the world to His Sacred Heart. Jesus said that the exterior devotion to the Sacred Heart had spread far and wide through St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and now He wanted to see the interior devotion more firmly established. Jesus wished souls to get into the habit of uniting themselves more and more interiorly with Him and of offering Him their hearts as His abode.

Jesus also made known to Sister Maria His desire for the consecration of the world to His Sacred Heart. She petitioned Pope Leo XIII in June 1898, but the Pope did not respond to her request. In January 1899, she petitioned the Pope again and referred to his recent illness. She told the Holy Father that Jesus had prolonged his days on earth in order to grant him the grace to consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart.

The Pope was touched by her letter and eventually consecrated the whole human race to the Sacred Heart on June 11, 1899. The mission of Sister Maria had thus been accomplished, and she died on June 8, a few days before the consecration.

Before the consecration, Leo XIII issued an encyclical letter on the Sacred Heart on May 25, 1899. In the letter he wrote, “God, the author of every good, not long ago preserved Our life by curing Us of a dangerous disease. We now wish, by this increase of the honour paid to the Sacred Heart, that the memory of this great mercy should be brought prominently forward, and Our gratitude be publicly acknowledged.”

Pope Leo XIII pointed out that Christ reigns over the whole human race by both natural right and acquired right.

Regarding Christ’s natural right, Leo XIII wrote, “On what foundation this sovereign power rests is made sufficiently plain by the words, ‘Thou art My Son.’

Most of us can identify certain teachers or mentors who have had a profound impact on our lives. The same can be said for particular books that have shaped our view of the world. With that in mind, BustedHalo asks the question:

“What books have helped you on your spiritual journey?”

Mark Mossa, S.J. is studying theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in preparation for the priesthood. He taught philosophy at Loyola University in New Orleans and is currently at work on an introduction to the spiritual life for young adults, to be published in 2007.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller 
This collection of essays, subtitled “Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality” is a real, down to earth and, at times, funny exploration of one young man’s struggles to negotiate his Christian life. Miller comes from an evangelical Christian background, but doesn’t back off from being honest about both its advantages and pitfalls. He talks about being in love, being in doubt, and sincerely wanting to follow Jesus. The writing is good and honest and you’ll keep catching glimpses of yourself and your own struggles.

Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
If you struggle with family relationships—and who doesn’t?—you’ll find this one of the most consoling books you’ll ever read. Nouwen’s extended reflection on Rembrandt’s painting of The Prodigal Son opens a whole new window into Jesus’ parable. Nouwen invites us to recognize how we at times fill all the roles of the story—the profligate son, the scorned but compassionate father and the jealous older brother. Almost any book by Nouwen is worth reading, but this one’s his best.

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
No Christian writer I know is as brutally honest–or as good–as Anne Lamott. This single mother who struggled with addiction and anorexia tells of how she was saved by her faith and her friends. The book will make you laugh out loud, but it will also make you cry. Lamott offers penetrating spiritual insights and has the gift of not taking her self too seriously in the process. If you’re looking for blushing piety, that’s not Lamott’s style. But if you appreciate the raw and honest emotion of ordinary encounters with God, with even the occasional curse word thrown in, you’ll find a soul mate here.

The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor
Ours is a world of violence that is also touched by grace. O’Connor’s stories are often outrageous and shocking, but always witness to the persistence of God’s grace. Perhaps the greatest Catholic writer of the twentieth-century, O’Connor’s stories are rarely explicitly Catholic. Yet the themes she pursues and the questions she raises come undeniably from the religious sensibility of this devout Catholic woman.

In 2014, I knelt in the pew at the Easter Vigil Mass having just been confirmed in the Church moments before. Many months of prayer, study, and conversion culminated at that moment, and my heart fluttered with excitement at the thought of receiving the Eucharist for the first time. 

The emotions I experienced during this Mass were intense. Despite my deep-seated fear of discerning my vocation, the rush of devotion I felt made me pray more sincerely than I ever have, “Lord, I will do whatever you want me to do, even if it means the religious life or married life or being a missionary. I’ll do it.”

For the first few years after becoming Catholic, my new faith stirred my emotions almost constantly. At Mass, singing “Lamb of God” brought me to tears every week. Once, while praying at Eucharistic Adoration, I suddenly experienced a very real, overwhelming sense of being embraced by Jesus as he welcomed me home. And when I went to Confession, if acknowledging where I’ve fallen short of God’s hopes for me didn’t make me feel loved by a merciful God, then the priest’s beautiful prayer of absolution certainly did.

I not only believed and appreciated the beauty of my new faith, but I also felt the beauty of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church deeply in my soul. 

But a few years after my initial conversion, I began to notice a gradual, creeping spiritual desolation — a sense of abandonment and darkness and a loss of the strong feelings of love and devotion I’d had early in my conversion. I still loved God, of course, perhaps even more than in years prior, but I felt less emotionally moved by that love. I left the confessional feeling hollow — like I’d heard the words of absolution with my ears, but not with my heart. In fact, I quite literally felt nothing, no matter the Sacrament, prayer, or devotion.

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I became frustrated and confused, thinking this was some fault of my own. But my spiritual director reassured me that faith is not about our feelings, but about fidelity. He likened my relationship with Christ to a human relationship: We “fall in love,” and the beloved is all we can think about. We’re walking on air whenever we’re around them. But after a few months or years, those feelings subside, and then the real work of love begins: loving even when we don’t feel the emotional consolation of that love.

Thankfully, the truth of our faith isn’t contingent on our emotions. Still, experiencing this spiritual desolation can be a bit unnerving and confusing.

The Life Compass Walk, Bike or Run for Life drew a strong turnout, raising about $8,000 in support of pro-life initiatives. 

The event began with the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s monthly Pro-Life Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, celebrated by pro-life chaplain Father Larry Lynn. In his homily, Father Lynn emphasized the call to protect and advance the dignity of every human life. Participants then made the short trip to the start line for the walk, bike, and run event.

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Two women from the Archdiocese of Vancouver have begun their novitiate with the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tennessee.

On Aug. 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption, Joyce Baniqued, a parishioner from St. Matthew’s in Surrey, took the religious name Sister Augustine, and Teaya Cabael, a parishioner of St. Patrick’s Parish in Vancouver, took the name Sister Matthea.

Isabel Ryzner from St. Mary’s in Vancouver joined the Dominicans as a postulant, the first formal step in a woman’s discernment of religious life. 

The Nashville Dominicans serve in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, teaching in local Catholic schools and serving at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre.

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