On Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II
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28 January 2008
Today is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas. A student
of St. Albert the Great, his companions at first
called him a “Dumb Ox”. But it was the genius of
St. Albert the Great that was able to anticipate
in 1248 that his most modest and most retiring
student would illumine all of Christendom in the
centuries to come with the brilliance and excellent
logic of his teaching. St. Albert the Great was
noted to have said, “You call him a Dumb Ox; I tell
you that the Dumb Ox will bellow so loud that his
bellowing will fill the world”. And indeed the
prophetic words of St. Albert the Great came true.
Much is written today on the writings of St. Thomas
Aquinas. To sample a few of them, Ignatius Press
features the works of Thomist philosopher Josef
Pieper and G. K. Chesterton.
More on Christian Unity and Ecumenism
With the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity just
celebrated, we find that the mission and work of
ecumenism is very much an important task of the
Church. The pontificate of John Paul II has stressed
this by emphasizing such events as the World Day of
Peace - with John Paul II inviting many leaders of
the world’s mainline religions to pray for unity and
peace in the world. In the book Crossing the
Threshold of Hope, ecumenism is one of the important
elements John Paul II highlights in his pontificate.
He speaks from his experience of his own native
Poland which is a state made up of many nationalities,
many religions - mostly Christian, but not only
Christian. He considers the Second Vatican Council
as an important ecumenical council that seeks to
restore the lost unity among Christians of all
denominations.
On Preparing for Lent
The Lenten season starts early this liturgical
year. It starts on February 6, Ash Wednesday, and
will continue for 40 days after which the Easter
Triduum will be celebrated.
According to “The Great Seasons” by Ferrone, Heller,
Hayde, and Hanson, Lent is a liturgical season we
need to give more of ourselves to, since we need to
purify ourselves of all that has taken us away from
God. Lent is a season whereby we can:
- ask God’s help to reshape us according to His
will - ask the Church’s help to make possible the
conditions of our conversion - renew our Christian vows and bring back our
fidelity to God - increase our charity and empathy
- bring order back to our lives as we
direct our gaze to the coming Easter
mysteries
From Death to Life: Daily Meditations for the
Lenten Season
A good guide for the Lenten season is the book
authored by John Garcia. John Garcia finished
his ecclesiastical studies at the Major Seminary
of San Fulgencio de Marcia in Spain. He holds a
Doctorate in Canon Law from the University of
Navarre and has been a chaplain of the University
Clinic for several years. He authored this guide
booklet for Lent which is composed of daily
meditations - from Ash Wednesday to Saturday
before Palm Sunday. The booklet enables the
reader to be more reflective during this
liturgical season of prayer and penance. The
booklet in English is a translation from the
original “Meditaciones de Cuaresma”.
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