When Engineers Get Bored: I Know What I Want for Christmas!!!

If you follow me in facebook you might have noticed a series of videos which I have titled "When Engineers Get Bored" (or WEGB for short).

Back in my college years, when a I was a very busy engineering student, boredom was something me and my peers hardly ever encountered. When we did however, we became a dangerous lot, always trying to channel our creative energies by coming up with some really outrageous ideas just for fun.

In honor of those days and of the hundreds of engineers and engineering students that know what I'm talking about, I give you the first installment of what I hope will be a recurring feature.

From the University of Maryland I present to you: RoboRaven

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Tweets Show that Christians Happier than Atheists

From the University of Illinois comes this study. Perhaps you have seen reports about it, since it has been picked by multiple news feeds. My quotes are from this Pacific Standard article.

Researchers compared the tweets of well known religious figures against well known atheists figures looking for:

... the relative frequency of words expressing positive and negative emotions. They also looked at the usage of terms indicating social interaction (such as “friend”), and the presence of terms associated with intellectual analysis (including “think” and “consider”).

The results were not surprising .

In their tweets, Christians expressed more positive emotions, and fewer negative ones, than their atheist counterparts. In contrast, the non-believers tended to use “a more analytical thinking style,” which, the researchers write, is “associated with less happiness.”

“Christian followers were more likely to use insight words characterized by certainty and emotion, whereas atheist followers were more likely to use insight words characterized by skepticism and analysis,” they report. “The percentage of words expressing certainty was higher among Christian tweets than atheist tweets.”

In addition, “Christians talked more about social processes than atheists, which was in turn associated with more happiness,” the researchers write. “On average, 9.36 percent of words used by Christian followers were related to social processes, compared to 8.08 percent among atheist followers. [This is] consistent with the hypothesis that religion promotes social support and social connectivity.”

Like I said, I'm really not surprised. Based on my interactions with atheists and believers, I have found that those with a deep faith are able to cope better with life situations,  approach life's unavoidable trials with a better attitude and are generally more positive about the future than non-believers.


"Viva Cristo Rey!!"

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SCOTUS Balks at Making a Decision: Freedom Suffers.

Today, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) refused to rule in a case which pinned the right of pro-life activists to publicly display images of abortion against the right of children not to be exposed to gruesome images. Here is a link to an article from World Christian News. This is such a thorny issue, I don't blame the SCOTUS for deciding to stay away from it, but I am afraid their silence will provide the pro-abort side with a powerful weapon.

As a father I see how I would do everything in my power to protect my kids from the gruesome reality of aborted babies. As a prolifer, I'm of the same mind as Father Frank Pavone, from Priests for Life: the only away Americans will wake up to the horrors of abortion is by been exposed to the product of this inhuman medical procedure.

With their silence the justices upheld decisions from two lower courts in Colorado, which ruled in favor of preventing the display of these images when children are present. The lower courts said that there is a “compelling government interest in protecting children from disturbing images.” Which makes me wonder where are these judges during primetime TV, but that is another issue.

My biggest concern is the ramifications of this decision by the Colorado courts; as now the pro-abort side could turn children into "human-shields" to prevent the education of adults. It would be a disturbing precedent if children start appearing at Planned Parenthood abortion mills to be used as a legal tool against the freedom of speech of pro-choicers. The 2014 March for Life is going to be interesting.

One thing is certain; I don't think we have heard the last of this.



"Viva Cristo Rey!!"

Deacon Harbey

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10th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

I preached this homily after been inspired by the Ironman 3 movie. Go figure.

Lk 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her,

“Do not weep.”

He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said,

 “Young man, I tell you, arise!”

The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,

“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, ”
and “God has visited his people.”


This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

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Last week I went to see the new movie Ironman 3, the story of Tony Stark, a genius billionaire who wears a metal suit which gives him super powers while shielding him from bullets, fire and explosions. Don’t worry I will not give you any spoilers other than to say that like in the previous 2 movies we are confronted with a paradox; The same suit which Tony Stark uses to protect himself from enemies, acts as a shield against the efforts of those who love him and are trying to get close to him.

Some might say it is very difficult to find deep theological insights in summer super hero movies. But the fact is the contrast between Ironman and Jesus could not pass unnoticed. Believe it or not if you think about it Our Lord Jesus is everything Tony Stark (Ironman) is not. Jesus was poor, and humble; Tony is rich and arrogant. Jesus was wise; Tony although a brilliant scientist lacks the ability to connect with others an live a normal life. Jesus was compassionate while Tony Stark is self-centered.

What made Jesus so special was that although he had divine powers he was always willing to get close and touch the people who needed him; what makes Tony Stark special is just an iron suit which although giving him super powers, keeps his friends and the people who love him way.

I know I’m supposed to enjoy the movies, but it stroke me how Tony Stark instead of trying to overcome the shielding effects of his Iron suit actually used it as an excuse to remain isolated from his friends. Sadly, this is a trait many of us share with Ironman. For some people the idea of pushing others away, of keeping others from getting to close, becomes a way of life. Instead of using an Iron suit, they use their bad temper, grumpiness, or even false pretenses. They think that by showing to others they are smarter, stronger or even wealthier those around them they will be kept at bay, where they belong.

We can all say that we know someone like that. What is harder to admit to ourselves is that, if we think really hard, we all do this in one way or another. And by imitating Tony Stark in this specific point, we become the complete opposite of who we are supposed to be. The model of our lives, the Lord Jesus. Our Savior never wore a shield to keep others away from himself; in fact he made sure to eliminate anything which could potentially isolate him from others.

In today’s Gospel we see a perfect example of this; Jesus is approaching a town, when he encounters the funeral procession of a man, been accompanied by his grieving mother. He could have very easily let them pass quietly and with deep respect for their suffering. Instead Jesus confronts what separates Him from those who needed him: The grief of a mother mourning her dead son, and death itself. This reaction must have been so shocking to his disciples that they remembered it long enough to record it in scripture. St Luke tells us that Jesus was so moved with pity by the woman’s sorrow that he approached her and said “Do not weep”, and then he turned, approached the coffin and touch it, bringing her dead son back to life!

My brothers and sisters this is such a personal act, of our Lord! Bringing consolation to the suffering and breaking through the barriers of sorrow and death with this just a word and His divine touch.

In our culture we are conditioned to place barriers between us and those around us. Jesus doesn’t want us to be like that. He wants us to imitate Him and break through those barriers so that we can bring his healing power to those who are suffering. He wants us to be as personal as He himself is personal. He wants us to touch, the poor and the suffering, even death itself with our own hands.

Iron man is a great movie; it is filed with great action. It is a great way to disconnect our brains for a few hours. However, after the movie is over and the credits roll, we have to enter the world in which we live, the real world, a world filled with people who might be experiencing great pain and sorrows in their lives. The Lord Jesus doesn’t call us to be super heroes, he calls us to be human… just as human as he was; to walk, to talk, to touch, and to be present to be present to each other and those who need Him.

Jesus calls us today to be his imitators, and he assures that been like him is much better than any iron suit or any superpower we whish we had.

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Pentecost 2013

Here is the homily I preached at St Mike's this Pentecost Sunday about the Sacrament of Confirmation.
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John 14:15–16, 23b–26
 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever,
 23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
 25 “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
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    Today we are celebrating the great feast of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, and Archbishop Lori has asked all priests and deacons to dedicate our homily to the Sacrament of Confirmation. I figure the best way to do this is by starting from the basic question: How does one becomes a Christian?
   If you ask a protestant brother or sister this question most likely they will answer that one has to accept the “Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior” and “allow Jesus into their heart” before they can call themselves Christian.

    For us Catholics, there is a bit more to becoming a Christian than just a declaration of our faith. After all it was the Lord who said “Many will say "Lord, Lord" (Matthew 7) but I will not recognize them”. For us becoming a Christian depends not on something we might say in the spur of the moment. For us becoming a Christians is a lifelong process. This becoming is connected to the decisions we make throughout our life; how much have we chosen to love, our family, our friends, our enemies, those how we do not know, those who have become invisible to society. This love determines if we are truly a disciple of Jesus or just pretending we are, after all, Jesus also said that His disciples would be known by their love (John 14).
   If you think about it loving all the people I just mentioned all of the time is quite a daunting task! Some might say impossible. We would need some type of supernatural love to accomplish this. A love which can only come from God. We call this love Grace, and it is a free gift from God to help us become true disciples of Jesus.
   We can receive Grace in many ways, however, divine grace, grace that has the power to transform us and take us closer to the idea of a true Christian, the idea every one of us should strive too, is given by God through the 7 the sacraments. Now this is important: I’m not saying  the ONLY way to becoming a true Christian is through the sacraments of the Church but that the sacraments are the ONE and EASIEST way Jesus, thru the ministry of his Church, reaches out to those willing to accept this free gift of Grace.
   Now of the 7 sacraments there are 3 which are specifically oriented to initiate us on the path to become a true follower of Jesus: Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation. Each one of these relates us in a particular way to each of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity which is the source of all graces.
   Baptism joins us into the family of God the Father; from that moment on we can be called children of God. In Holy Communion we have a deep encounter with the Glorified Resurrected Christ, and by eating His Body and Blood, we enter into the intimidate life the Son and the Father share. In confirmation we receive the power of God’s Holy Spirit to help us meet the demands of becoming a full members of Jesus mystical body.
   Another way of looking at the relationship between these three sacraments is like this: In baptism God’s Grace is implanted into our hearts; in Holy Communion this grace is reinforced, reenergized by the Body and Blood of the Lord, like water makes a seedling grow stronger; in confirmation this grace blooms into the fruits of the spirit. In this moment, the Grace we have received from and since the day of our baptism is transformed into wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe of the sacred (what it’s called Fear of the Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and reverence, which are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, even when we are given these gifts it is up to us to make good use of them for the good of the Gospel. As members of the family of God, he expects us to make good use of the grace we receive through the sacraments to further the advance the Kingdom of God.
   Sadly, many people see Confirmation as a rite of passage a “graduation” from yeas of attending CCD. In fact it is sad to say that the last time we see a lot of the young adults in our parish is the day of their confirmation; the fact is Confirmation should be the beginning of what is supposed to be a lifelong journey, aided by God’s grace, towards becoming a true disciple of the Lord, a true Christian.
   How one does becomes a Christian my brothers and sister? By loving, not in a human way, but in a supernatural way, through the power of God’s grace, which we freely receive, in the sacraments of His Church.

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Deacon Retreat Homily

          Last weekend I attended the yearly Deacon’s retreat for my Archdiocese. One of my favorite things to do during these gatherings of deacons is reciting the Holy Office in community. I was asked to give a brief reflection during the Evening Prayer for the Saturday service. That morning another deacon gave his reflection using as an illustration the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. I picked on this theme and this is what I preached.

Evening of the 5^Th Sunday of Easter,
READING 1 Peter 2:9-10
You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he claims for his own to proclaim the glorious works” of the One who called you from darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people; once there was no mercy for you, but now you have found mercy.

Following the Broadway musical theme we started this morning during Morning Prayer I would like to recall another famous production: Les Miserables. This story of redemption tells of a man, Jean Valjean, who after 20 years in jail decides to break his parole and start a new life. With time he becomes an important person in his town, only to discover that another man has been accused of being Jean Valjean and that this man will be tried in his place. Valjean struggles with what to do and it is at this moment in the play in which Valjean sings the song “Who am I?”.

As deacons, we move between different worlds;  between ministry, family life and professional careers.  Sometimes the demands of each one of these worlds pull on us from different directions.  I think it is fair to say that each one of us here today at one time or another, have asked this same question. “Who am I?” I’m I a dad? A husband?  A professional? Clergy?

Today’s readings provide an answer to this question, an answer which comes from the Lord himself.  Who does the Lord see us to be?  We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people He claims for His own to proclaim His glorious works.  Brothers, it is very easy to forget who we are. Today the Lord reminds us of our calling and our true identity.

In Les Miserables, Jean Valjean decides that he cannot allow an innocent man to suffer for his crimes. It is at this time in which the answer he gives to himself could very easily be applied to us.  He said:

My soul belongs to God, I know

I made that bargain long ago

He gave me hope, when hope was gone

He gave me strength to journey on.

Who am I? Who are we? We are deacons called to serve the Body of Christ.

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Religious Discoveries

A while back I wrote a post about an article I found in a blog entitled "Why Evolution is True". In this article the writer was pinning a list of scientific discoveries against what he called "religious discoveries".  His point was that religion has never produced anything useful for humanity. My post generated some very interesting twitter conversations about contributions of religious thinkers to the sciences; Lemaitre's Big Bang theory and Cantor's transfinite numbers work have been my favorite examples for this.

Today from the Vatican I can add another to the list. I'm sure many anthropologists are going to be looking at this very closely.

Here is the link for the complete article

"Viva Cristo Rey!!".

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