Astronomy calls us to prayer

Br Guy Consolmagno SJ - ICN/JS

Director of the Vatican Observatory, Brother Guy Consolmagno SJ, gave an inspiring talk on astronomy at St Mary's Catholic Church in Hampstead last Sunday. "From no part of creation does there arise a greater call to prayer" he said.

In his wide-ranging lecture Brother Guy outlined the long relationship between religion and astronomy - from the stars praising God in the Psalms, the Bethlehem Star, through to the establishment of the first Vatican observatory in 1582, Copernicus and Galileo, and the present day - with his thoughts on Stephen Hawkins among others.

Brother Guy quoted St Pope John Paul II who said: "Science and religion are tools we use to approach the truth.. Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes." Pope Benedict also warned that "We human beings have succeeded in creating lights that blot out gods light. "

"By seeing, with the eyes of an astronomer, how God has made creation in all its immensity, we can become more familiar with who God is and how God loves us." ..

As scientists supported by the church, he said, their modern mission "is just to do good science" and "In the joy and beauty of what we discover, we reveal the presence of God in the things he is made."

Watch a recording of the talk, and the Q&A which followed here: www.churchservices.tv/hampstead/archive/recordings/a40C1DAfEjQyYzI

This was the latest in a series of fascinating lectures at St Mary's. Previous ones have included: physicist Maria Ubiali on 'The Beautiful Bridge between the Infinitely Big and the Infinitesimally Small'; Rev Patrick van Der Vorst on faith and art; An Afternoon with Frank Skinner and Sir James MacMillan' on 'Chant, the music of Faith'.

See the recordings here: www.churchservices.tv/hampstead/archive/recordings/a40C1DAfEjQyYzI

Read more about St Mary's: www.stmaryshampstead.com/