Wisdom from St. Thomas Aquinas

Bishop Robert Baron sends out a news letter from time to time. Yes, in part he is trying to promote and sell the Word on Fire resources for the New Evangelization. He is also sharing a wealth of teaching free of charge.

Here is a little something Word on Fire sent out today about St. Thomas Aquinas. It is intended to promote  their series Catholicism:Pivotal Players.

The quotes are especially rich in truth and  beauty.  The statement about loving both those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject struck me today. Both help us find the truth. The human tendency is to love those who love us and who think like we do, and to not love those who think differently. The Gospel asks us to love both those who love us and those who do not - or even just those who think differently.

St. Thomas Aquinas - Part 1 & 2

This is a 2 video series  done by Ryan M. Reeves (PhD Cambridge) who is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. I think he did a great job of summarizing the life and teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas. 

It was through reading St. Thomas that it dawned on me.  Most of my favorite Christian theologians were actually Roman Catholic - priests, monks, and even bishops like St. Augustine. 


So, why wasn’t I also Catholic?

Well, there’s a bit more to it than that. Basically, though, I couldn’t ignore the fact that my ancient friends  held to doctrines that I had been taught were idolatrous and pagan. It didn’t add up in my mind anymore. For example, how could an idolatrous and pagan Church - the Great Whore of Babylon - produce a St. Thomas Aquinas? 

I had to admit that she really couldn’t if what I had been taught about her were true. Basically, Protestants are taught that the Church started out good, but then sometime during about the 3rd Century when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, she went syncretistic. All kinds of pagan ideas were blended with the Church. It wasn’t until the time of the Reformation that things began to be straightened out. 

The Catholic Church was at best, apostate. Sure. I didn’t ever doubt that there were real Christians in the Catholic Church. In general, though, Catholicism was a dead religion leading people away from Christ. 

So, such a religion should not be able to produce anything like an Aquinas who was very obviously a part of that system. 

So, it dawned on me that my thinking was flawed.

St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and so many others down through the centuries were all Roman Catholic - not just plain Christians, though they are also just plain Christians. They have blessed all Christians, not just Catholics. They were certainly not Protestant nor proto Protestant.

Through a friend, I was shown one of the fatal flaws in Protestant reasoning. That is, how could the Holy Spirit have allowed the Church to be apostate for over 1,000 years until men like Martin Luther and John Calvin came along to fix things? Why would God let that happen? 

Anyway, I thought  Dr. Reeves did a good job of zeroing  in on the key tenets of Thomism for all believers.

“Grace perfects nature.”

The grace of God doesn’t make us into something we were not meant to be in the first place.

Also, there are things that any person can come to know just by observation and human reason. However, we cannot know the mysteries of God without grace and revelation.

Aquinas worked on how nature and grace can be synthesized into a greater whole.

My Reformed friends that I wrote about in 2 posts were trying to do that as well - to synthesize philosophy of science with their theology. I don’t think it worked very well. I think they fell into falsificationism. Not sure if they will be able to “tweak” their philosophy to fit better with their theology. Maybe. The philosophy of science needs to somehow integrate the mysteries of God, and I don’t know how it could do that. 

For me, I’m fine with the concept of “Grace perfects nature.”

There are Reformed scholars and teachers who are also Thomists. I have said this before, but a couple of my favorite Calvinistic theologians turned out to be Thomists. How about that? So, Reformed theology is not opposed to Thomism. 

Is Divine Revelation Needed?

St. Thomas Aquinas’ answer is a resounding “Yes!”  Unaided human reason can discover a lot about God. However, the things that have to do with our salvation cannot be known unless God makes them known. For that, divine revelation is both needed and provided. 

Thomas lays out the reasons as to why that is. One thing that stuck me when I first read this is the fact that he quotes from Sirach as sacred text. That means he accepted the Deuterocanonical books as inspired Scripture. So did those whom he was refuting. 

They quoted from Sirach 3, but left out a key part. Thomas includes it to show that God reveals things that are too high for human reasoning alone to grasp. 

 Hence the sacred text continues, "For many things are shown to thee above the understanding of man" (Sirach 3:25).

See also Romans 1.
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Article 1. Whether, besides philosophy, any further doctrine is required?Objection 1. It seems that, besides philosophical science, we have no need of any further knowledge. For man should not seek to know what is above reason: "Seek not the things that are too high for thee" (Sirach 3:22). But whatever is not above reason is fully treated of in philosophical science. Therefore any other knowledge besides philosophical science is superfluous.Objection 2. Further, knowledge can be concerned only with being, for nothing can be known, save what is true; and all that is, is true. But everything that is, is treated of in philosophical science--even God Himself; so that there is a part of philosophy called theology, or the divine science, as Aristotle has proved (Metaph. vi). Therefore, besides philosophical science, there is no need of any further knowledge.On the contrary, It is written (2 Timothy 3:16): "All Scripture, inspired of God is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice." Now Scripture, inspired of God, is no part of philosophical science, which has been built up by human reason. Therefore it is useful that besides philosophical science, there should be other knowledge, i.e. inspired of God.I answer that, It was necessary for man's salvation that there should be a knowledge revealed by God besides philosophical science built up by human reason. Firstly, indeed, because man is directed to God, as to an end that surpasses the grasp of his reason: "The eye hath not seen, O God, besides Thee, what things Thou hast prepared for them that wait for Thee" (Isaiah 64:4). But the end must first be known by men who are to direct their thoughts and actions to the end. Hence it was necessary for the salvation of man that certain truths which exceed human reason should be made known to him by divine revelation. Even as regards those truths about God which human reason could have discovered, it was necessary that man should be taught by a divine revelation; because the truth about God such as reason could discover, would only be known by a few, and that after a long time, and with the admixture of many errors. Whereas man'swhole salvation, which is in God, depends upon the knowledge of this truth. Therefore, in order that the salvation of menmight be brought about more fitly and more surely, it was necessary that they should be taught divine truths by divine revelation. It was therefore necessary that besides philosophical science built up by reason, there should be a sacred science learned through revelation.Reply to Objection 1. Although those things which are beyond man's knowledge may not be sought for by man through his reason, nevertheless, once they are revealed by God, they must be accepted by faith. Hence the sacred text continues, "For many things are shown to thee above the understanding of man" (Sirach 3:25). And in this, the sacred scienceconsists.Reply to Objection 2. Sciences are differentiated according to the various means through which knowledge is obtained. For the astronomer and the physicist both may prove the same conclusion: that the earth, for instance, is round: the astronomer by means of mathematics (i.e. abstracting from matter), but the physicist by means of matter itself. Hence there is no reason why those things which may be learned from philosophical science, so far as they can be known by natural reason, may not also be taught us by another science so far as they fall within revelation. Hence theology included in sacred doctrine differs in kind from that theology which is part of philosophy.

Great Chesterton Quote

...the philosophy of St. Thomas stands founded on the universal common conviction that eggs are eggs. The Hegelian may say that an egg is really a hen, because it is a part of an endless process of Becoming; the Berkelian may hold that poached eggs only exist as a dream exists, since it is quite as easy to call the dream the cause of the eggs as the eggs the cause of the dream; the Pragmatist may believe that we get the best out of scrambled eggs by forgetting that they ever were eggs, and only remembering the scramble. But no pupil of St. Thomas needs to addle his brains in order adequately to addle his eggs; to put his head at any peculiar angle in looking at eggs, or squinting at eggs, or winking the other eye in order to see a new simplification of eggs. The Thomist stands in the broad daylight of the brotherhood of men, in their common consciousness that eggs are not hens or dreams or mere practical assumptions; but things attested by the Authority of the Senses, which is from God. 

Chesterton in his book St. Thomas Aquinas, pg. 147.

In other words, human beings can trust their 5 senses. 

St. Thomas Aquinas - For Ordering a life Wisely - prayer

More evidence to the fact that St. Thomas Aquinas is indeed Catholic, and not a proto-Protestant as some claim. I am glad that many Protestants wish to self-identify as Thomists.  Not intending to offend, just state the truth about St. Thomas Aquinas. 

It is said that St. Thomas recited this daily before the image of Christ. Notice that he did not claim the kind of assurance of salvation that many Protestant groups promise. There is no sense of “once saved, always saved” in these words. 

He prayed for perseverance, something that not even he presumed to already have. 

On the other hand, there is really nothing in this prayer that a non-Catholic Christian should feel uncomfortable praying. It is truly Christian. Truly Catholic.  

~ For Ordering a life Wisely ~

O merciful God, grant that I may desire ardently, search prudently,
and bring to perfect completion whatever is pleasing to You for the
praise and glory of your name.

Put my life in good order, O my God.

Grant that I may know what you require me to do.

Bestow upon me the power to accomplish Your will, as is necessary 
and fitting for the salvation of my soul.

Grant to me, O Lord my God, that I may not falter in times of prosperity 
or adversity, so that I may not be exalted in the former, nor dejected
in the latter.

May I not rejoice in anything unless it leads me to You; may I not be 
saddened by anything unless it turns me from you.

May I desire to please no one, nor fear to displease anyone, but You.

May all transitory things, O Lord, be worthless to me and may all things
eternal be ever cherished by me.

May any joy without You be burdensome for me and may I not desire any-
thing else besides You.

May all work, O Lord, delight me when done for Your sake and may all
repose not centered in You be ever wearisome for me.

Grant unto me, my God, that I may direct my heart to You and that in my 
failures I may ever feel remorse for my sins and never lose the resolve to
change.

O Lord my God, make me submissive without protest, poor without discouragement,
chaste without regret, patient without complaint, humble without posturing,
cheerful without frivolity, mature without gloom, and quick-witted without
flippancy.

O Lord my God, let me fear You without losing hope, be truthful without guile,
do good works without presumption, rebuke my neighbor without haughtiness,
and - without hypocrisy - strengthen him by word and example.

Give to me, O Lord God, a watchful heart, which no capricious thought can lure
me away from You.

Give to me a noble heart, which no unworthy desire can debase.

Give to me a resolute heart, which no evil intention can divert.

Give to me a stalwart heart, which no tribulation can overcome.

Give to me a temperate heart, which no violent passion can enslave.

Give to me, O Lord my God, understanding of You, diligence in seeking You, wisdom
in finding You, discourse ever pleasing to You, perseverance in waiting for You,
and confidence in finally embracing You.

Grant that with Your hardships I may be burdened in reparation here, that Your
benefits I may use in gratitude upon the way, that in Your joys I may delight by
glorifying You in the Kingdom of Heaven.

You Who live and reign, God, world without end.


Amen

St. Thomas Aquinas - The Aquinas Catechism - A Simple Explanation of the Catholic Faith

There is a great little book that is available through Amazon Kindle called The Aquinas Catechism. It is a brief expostion and commentary on the Apostles’ Creed and other Church teachings. 

Aquinas can be quite daunting, but this little piece is written for the ordinary Christian who doesn’t necessarily have a lot of background in philosophy, theology, or Biblical studies. It is quite intense, though with a lot of teaching packed into few words. 

I think that the book can be found free online as well. Here are a couple of quotes from that book. 

We are not left alone to grope around looking for God. He revealed Himself to us in creation, in the written Word, and most specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. 
(Hebrews 1, Romans 1, etc.)

Then, I like the second quote. For those of us who love theology, it is a good reminder. I love theological sparring, though I am just a plain Bible thumper, now Catholic.  

God became man so that we can know God. 

Like my friend TVD - Tom Van Dyke - said, " "Arguing theology in the first place is wrong. Theologizing should be a joint effort to bring each other closer to God, to quiet our minds and our fears. “ 
- TVD
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We are told that a certain philosopher spent thirty years in solitude in the endeavor to know the nature of the bee. If our intelligence is so weak, is it not foolish to be willing to believe about God only what we are able to find out by ourselves alone?

"God did not become man in order that man might become a theologian.”

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The Apostles’ Creed

 I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.