Reflection
Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012826.cfm
Today, we celebrate the memorial of Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest and one of the greatest Doctors of the Church. His most influential work was his Summa Theologiae, which mostly dealt with the moral life.
St. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican friar in the 13th century. He taught that faith and reason are compatible, as both originate from God, the source of all truth. Reason can demonstrate "preambles of faith," such as the existence of God, but truths like the Trinity or Incarnation require divine revelation. He argued that grace does not destroy nature but perfects it, allowing human intellect to reach higher truths.
St. Thomas Aquinas developed a Christian morality, theology and ethics, that addressed the relationships between God and Creation, human action and happiness, virtue and law, and defined the Natural Law.
• God and Creation: God is simple, perfect, and infinite act (pure actuality). All creatures depend on Him and possess inherent goodness as they are created in His image.
• Human Action and Happiness: Human beings seek happiness, which ultimately consists in the "beatific vision"—knowing and loving God directly in the afterlife.
• Virtue and Law: Moral life involves Theological (faith, hope, charity) and Cardinal (prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude) virtues. These virtues form the basis of our participation in the Natural Law.
• Natural Law: This is the participation of the rational creature in the eternal law of God. It is an innate capacity to discern good (to be done) from evil (to be avoided).
St. Thomas Aquinas’ great faith led to his teaching on Christ and the Sacraments. Aquinas emphasized the Incarnation, where the Son of God became man to communicate divinity to humanity. Christ serves as the mediator (the way) to God. The Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, are central, functioning as "instruments" through which Christ dispenses grace to heal and sanctify humanity.
Perhaps of greatest value, we learn from St. Thomas Aquinas that our mind can and should be used to lead us to a deeper understanding and love of God. In today’s world of many distractions, temptations, and false teachings, we can train our minds to stay focused on God’s love, learn from God’s Word, and be filled with His grace in the sacraments as the true path to our eternal happiness.
Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection
What will you pursue to satisfy your restless heart?