There is something of a consensus amongst scientists that the origin of this universe as we know it lies in a great explosion in which space began to expand from a single point – the theory known as the Big Bang. Many will try to convince you that this discovery disproves the account of Creation that we find in the Holy Scriptures, and relegates any belief in a creating God to the dustbin of history. What these apostles of atheism have lost sight of, and what most of those taken in by their propaganda do not realise, is that the man who is credited as the father of the Big Bang Theory was a devout Christian and a very committed Catholic. He was in fact a Catholic priest from Belgium, Father Georges Lemaître.
In 1933, Father Lemaître travelled to America to address a seminar attended by Albert Einstein in California. After Fr Lemaître had explained his theory, Einstein is reported to have stood up and applauded, and then said: “This is the most beautiful and satisfactory explanation of creation to which I have ever listened.” For Fr Lemaître, the Big Bang was just one manifestation of the ingenuity of God's creative genius. It was a discovery which deepened his Catholic Faith.
On Easter Sunday, we celebrate an event infinitely more magnificent even than the Big Bang. We stand in awe and wonder and profound gratitude before the event of Our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection.
The truth is that the Big Bang and the creation of this universe in itself really cost God nothing. The Almighty Creator could have fashioned a hundred million universes like ours instantaneously and with no effort at all. All He has to do to create is to will something, and whether He wills the existence of the feather on a sparrow or a whole cosmos is equal to Him.
The Resurrection, on the other hand, cost Him a great deal. In the Incarnation, God the Son took on our frail human flesh and came into a fallen world. The Lord of lords made Himself vulnerable in a world in which jealousy and cruelty abound. On Good Friday, we are given the opportunity to meditate on just what a price the Creator of mankind was ready to pay in order to become the Saviour of mankind. Artists have depicted angels weeping and howling with indignation at the dreadful sight of their Creator and King being mocked, scourged and nailed to a cross.
Unlike the Big Bang, then, the Resurrection cost God very dearly. However, it was a price that Our Lord paid willingly out of love for you and for me. And there are similarities between the Big Bang and the Resurrection. Einstein was enthralled by Father Lemaître's assertion that the power of that primeval explosion known as the Big Bang is still pulsating energy into the universe today, in the form of cosmic rays. Likewise, the Resurrection is still pulsating its power into the world today. In Holy Week, countless souls are lifted up from the death of sin and restored to the life of the Resurrection in the Sacrament of Penance.
The grace conferred in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony remains live and active throughout the life of a married couple, enabling them to meet the challenges and opportunities that come their way, just as long as they remain tuned in to the Presence of Our Risen Lord in their marriage.
In the Sacrament of the Sick, the souls of the suffering and fearful are raised up and filled with hope in the general resurrection of our bodies that will happen at the end of time. In the Blessed Sacrament, Our Lord feeds us with His living Body, making Holy Communion the most perfect encounter with the Resurrection that we can experience on this earth.
Looking at the history of the Church, we see how, when her lustre has been tarnished by the venality and waywardness of her shepherds, faith in the Resurrection has raised up new generations of saints to bring refreshment and renewal to her sacred mission. Of course, the power of the Resurrection is not restricted to the visible confines of the Church and her Sacraments. The countless baptisms that normally take place at Easter Vigils around the world testify to its potency to raise up new Christians from the mire of unbelief, superstition and false religion, and to incorporate them into Christ’s Mystical Body.
Intriguing and persuasive as it may be, the Big Bang remains a theory. A scientific consensus only holds sway for as long as it remains unchallenged by a more compelling explanation. Even if it stands the test of time, most scientists seem to agree that this universe and time itself will come to an end. The Resurrection, in contrast, is not a theory but a fact. Its effects are in their youth and will endure into eternity.
Father Julian Large