St.Thomas Aquinas
Readings:
Hebrews 11:1-19
Mark 4: 35-41
Reflection:
Two great readings today on the power and importance of faith. For Thomas Aquinas, faith means knowing what is true, knowing what we should truly want and work for, and knowing how we should truly act. Other people might say what we believe is all rubbish or just our opinion -whether there is a God, or whether the church -us – truly are the body of Christ; or should I live by gospel values of service, sacrifice, self-giving or should I be free to do whatever I want.
How do we navigate in uncertain times? Faith tells us that what we believe is not just our opinion, and gospel values are truly human, not just for Catholics.
And it is that faith is the certainty that guides our lives, governs our choices, and gives us the courage of our convictions – faith that gave the martyrs their courage. The Letter to the Hebrews tells of the faith that guided our fathers and mothers in the faith – the great heroes of the Bible: It is the same faith that gave our own fathers and mothers courage in facing the challenges in their lives. That there are things that are right or wrong no matter what others might believe
The gospel today sees the apostles in the boat out at sea in a great storm. Our faith and our church are so much under attack today – a lot of it deserved by the church’s failures. Pope Benedict, in one of his talks, says that the boat, which is the church, the barque of Peter as we poetically describe the church, is taking on water. So many, seemingly most of our children or our siblings, seem to have given up believing.
We hold fast to our faith that Jesus is in charge of the boat and he will bring it safely to the harbour.
Fr Tom McDonough CP is the current provincial superior of Holy Spirit province.