Month: January 2021

Today is the memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a great saint and a Doctor of the Church. As most of us already know, Aquinas is a giant in the Catholic theological and philosophical sphere. He took Aristotle, Plato, and the other ancients and combined them with Augustine and the best of the Christian faith. His beginner’s text, the Summa Theologiae, may not seem like beginner’s work to us, but it masterfully and systematically explains the Faith while giving it a sure defense. Though he spent most of his time writing, teaching, and praying, we can learn more from the life of this academic than at first glance.

Our readings speak of light, both in the sense of God’s Word and in the sense of the light of our good works. In the Gospel, light refers to the hidden things of God and of the human heart: “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light” (Mark 4:21–22). Saint Thomas Aquinas shows what can happen if we let our light shine before others, revealing both our good works that God has enabled us to do and the hidden things of God.

Aquinas spent his life’s work doing this, both expounding the mysteries of God and the human heart and using his good works to glorify God. For him, these activities were one and the same. He taught, spoke, and wrote about the things of God, humbly displaying his natural talent and letting the Lord infuse it with grace. He was immersed in the life of the Trinity. His writings, academic and devotional, are still widely read today, and his light continues to defend the Faith and bring souls to Christ.

We can look at the example of so great a saint and use it as a model for our own lives. We may not have the gifts necessary to be effective writers, teachers, or speakers, but we do have particular gifts that God has given to us. Whether we look at our personalities or our particular talents, there is something unique that we can use to glorify God. Just as Saint Thomas Aquinas did, we should spend our lives using our gifts and talents for the glory of God.

Next comes the important step of allowing God to guide our actions. Saint Thomas Aquinas would not have written a word if he thought that staying silent would glorify God. Nearing the end of his life, Aquinas had a magnificent vision of God, and immediately ceased writing. Compared to what he had seen, his writing counted as straw, he said; he could not do his vision justice, and knew that it was better not to write any more. We need to have the same docility, ready to work when God calls and cease when He shows us a new path.

Taking Saint Thomas Aquinas as our model, let us cultivate the gifts and talents that God has given us so that we can truly let our light shine. In doing so diligently and with docility, we will clearly reveal the hidden things of God and be able to let Jesus Christ work through us.

Contact the author

What a wonderful way to start the day by remembering Angela Merici. She was a very special lady that lived in the 16th century. She was born in Italy and was orphaned at an early age and was sent to live with her uncle. When she turned 20, she moved back to her hometown of Desenzeno where she gathered her first group of girls and taught them the Catechism. Angela was the first woman to do such a thing. Later she founded a group of virgins called the Company of Saint Ursula in 1536. Why is this important? Because, one of my daughters, the one that is in charge of this blog site, attended an Ursuline college in Owensboro, KY. Instead of catechizing girls, she and her husband are forming their four little boys to be saints. 

Angela Merici must have read today’s Gospel since she was passionate about teaching the girls the Good News and the teachings of the Church. She also believed that the person receiving catechesis should be shown interest, gentleness, and persuasiveness rather than force. She believed that the home is the best place to learn about God and the Church. She also believed that if the country was not doing well, then the family was not doing well. Wow, how true!

Jesus admits that he holds back the mysteries of God from those who do not follow him. How best to follow him than to be taught at a young age the Word of God in Bible stories and teachings of the Church? What about us adults? Is just going to church on Sunday enough to receive some answers about the mysteries of God?  I feel The Lord is asking for more, much more. This last year has been clouded by what we have been asked to do because of COVID-19. We have discovered that being cooped up for months has not been good for our spiritual, mental and physical health. I have been surprised at how much it has affected me. I am a social kind of guy. Not seeing my friends and neighbors on a regular basis has had a negative effect on me. It seems to have stolen some of my joy. It made me realize that my real joy comes from the Lord. I wish I would have done a better job at filling that non-social time with more prayer to deepen my love and relationship with the Lord. I am attempting to do that now. 

Now, back to children.  I have always been amazed by how children are like sponges, eager to hear about Jesus.  If you have young children and have been negligent in reading books to them, try this: grab a book written for children that has a Bible story in it. You will have to multitask for this. Read this story slowly and with some emotion and try to catch glimpses of the child’s face as you are reading. You will be amazed at what you see in that child’s face. You will receive a great gift and so will the child. 

Also, today is my wife’s birthday. If you can, please lift up a prayer for her, she will love the grace!

Contact the author