Sublime

THOMAS AQUINAS (b. 1225 or 1226, d. 1274) is regarded as the greatest of scholastic philosophers. In all Catholic educational institutions that teach philosophy his system has to be taught as the only right one; this has been the rule since a rescript of 1879 by Leo XIII.

Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy Voice, that its tones may be familiar when the s

3. It has been said often that it is safer to accept counsel from another than to give it (see Prov 12:15).

Thomas Aquinas affirmed this idea when he explained that, while the Truth is always absolute, the perceiver of truths never is. A due Catholic modesty was recovered.

As Hauerwas puts it, “Aquinas was right that only God is pure act. Only in God are existence and essence one. Accordingly, our language about God is necessarily analogical, which means that theology has the task of helping the church not say more about God than needs to be said.” Hannah’s Child, 52.