Many moons ago, I had this crazy idea to get a Masters Degree in Theology. I loved my faith, worked for the Church and had already studied Theology as a missionary, so it seemed like a logical next step. I thought perhaps it would help me better minister to those I served. I remember stepping into class that Saturday morning and feeling like I was immediately lost in a whirlwind of high-falutin mumbo jumbo. Our textbooks were full of quotes from well-known theologians from up and down the centuries that seemingly had no practical application to my daily life. Right then and there, I both gained a great respect for those who were called to obtain this difficult degree and made the decision that this was definitely not for me.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, who has gifted our Church with myriad theological documents, but who was also able to “see the whole natural order as coming from God the Creator, and to see reason as a divine gift to be highly cherished.” A few months before his passing he said: “All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.” (source: franciscanmedia.org)
Our first reading today states: “the law has only a shadow of the good things to come.” Over and over in the Gospels we see how Jesus chides the scribes and the Pharisees about adhering to the letter of the law but having hardness of heart. His desire instead is that we have the humility to say to Him “Behold, I come to do your will.” In the Gospel He goes so far as to clarify: “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” He seeks not so much our knowledge, as our hearts that are open to listening and obeying. These hearts live in love.
So if you are tempted to roll your eyes and plug your ears at the simple mention of Aquinas’ name, know that you are not alone. Many of us may never understand his writings. And maybe we don’t need to. Maybe the point is that St. Thomas, like so many others, sought to understand the “mind” of the Church in order to live out her beautiful teachings within his heart. He sought to know God more in order to love Him more deeply. And we are invited to do the same
Daily Reading
Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Reading I Hebrews 10:11-18 Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, …
Saint of the Day
Servant of God Brother Juniper
Brother Juniper (1210-1258), a Franciscan friar, was known for his profound simplicity, exasperating generosity, and devotion to the passion of Jesus Christ.
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