Man of Holiness, Thomas Aquinas;
Man of head and heart, Thomas Aquinas
A homily,
Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB
Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
Wednesday Eucharist, January 28, 2009

Wisdom 7:7-14
Psalm 37: 3-6, 32-33
Matthew 13: 47-52




In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy ghost.

Let me declare a few matters about the Saint, Thomas Aquinas. He believed that God loved mankind, that God was love. He was a brilliant man of mind and heart.

Introduction
Though a Dominican all his life, originally this Doctor of the Church, was foiled and discouraged from living a life directed towards holiness, and in becoming a Dominican he became more so less presumptive of God. By less presumptive I mean he did not presume on God to be but a man. As history tells us, a year before the end of his life, St. Thomas stopped writing, burned much of his work, and said it was all so much "straw." Seemingly extreme, the Saint and Holy Man does in such ways abandon himself to God.

The kind of family efforts to dissuade him from becoming a Dominican included kidnapping. At one time, Thomas on the way to Rome was seized by his brothers and brought back to his parents at the castle of S. Giovanni There he was held a captive for a year or two and besieged with prayers, threats, and even sensual temptation to make him relinquish his purpose. Finally the family yielded and the Dominican order sent Thomas to Cologne to study under Albertus Magnus, where he arrived probably toward the end of 1244. He accompanied Albertus to Paris in 1245, remained there with his teacher.

St. Thomas was frequently abstracted and in ecstasy. Towards the end of his life the ecstasies became more frequent. On one occasion, at Naples in 1273, after he had completed his treatise on the Eucharist, three of the brethren saw him lifted in ecstasy, and they heard a voice proceeding from the crucifix on the altar, saying "Thou hast written well of me, Thomas; what reward wilt thou have?" Thomas replied, "None other than Thyself, Lord"

Another source says:

The end of 1225 is usually assigned as the time of his birth. …( 1227 is the more probable date.). All agree that he died in 1274.

The Saint, his ideas
Yes, we are talking about a man, a Saint of great thought, powerful heart, and relationship to God so strong he is considered a Saint. Through the centuries this man has been one of the seminal thinkers of Christianity. We celebrate his Feast Day in Church today, January 28, 2009, and remember that he posited that there is God. His faith and arguments so strong, as I say, they influence Christianity today. That is more than 850 years after his death, and all the time between. That makes one think of things that matter, those that last, the matters of the Church and Christ.

His life exemplified a pinnacle of mind, and his ideas on God and the natural world have been examined through the centuries. Who is there who doesn’t know the name Aquinas?
As reminder of his thought, his writings, as summarized by one source:

In his Sacred doctrine, Thomas’ fivefold proof of the existence of God posited the following. I’ve divided them here for the sake of emphasis on love.

· (1) There is first the mover, unmoved, a first cause in the chain of causes. This absolutely necessary being, “an absolutely perfection being”, is a rational designer.

· (2) In this connection thoughts of unity, infinity, unchangeableness, and goodness of the highest exist. These matters are deduced.

· (3) The spiritual being of God is defined as thinking and willing. His knowledge is absolutely perfect. He knows himself and all things appointed by him. Every knowing being strives after the thing known, as end, and will is implied in knowing.

· (4) As God knows himself as perfect good, he wills himself to this end. God wills everything; everything is brought by divine will in the relation of means to an end.

· (5) God wills good to every being, which exists. He loves it. Therefore, love is the fundamental relation of God to the world.

· The divine love exists for every creature in like measure. The good assured by love to the individual exists for different beings in various degrees.

· The loving God gives to every being what it needs in relation to practical reason, affording the idea of moral law.


I want to emphasize that Christian living, and receiving God’s love isn’t limited to Saints and Holy men and women. They, too, strove and practiced living lives that in knowing the goodness of God, the life of Christ, and the redemption and need for turning, turning, turning each day towards a way of life that is for neighbor and Christ, responded to the New and Old Testament, The Bible (see Wisdom 7: 7-14). Though we fall and fail, we do again.

The Anglican divine
Richard Hooker was influenced by Thomas Aquinas’ natural law, and it is the Anglican Hooker who with this influence developed the theory of “Via Media.” Both believed in the “natural light of reason.” A divine, Hooker wrote “…a signature work of reformed Anglican theology entitled The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. Through this work, Hooker connects scripture, tradition and reason in an effort to assert the authority of the Anglican Church hierarchy in the face of the Puritan challenge. The work not only marks a high point in Anglican theology, but its discussion of natural law influenced John Locke and the American Founding Fathers.”

Thomas lived a life of Biblical wisdom, as did Hooker...

Commonality of Christian and Biblical living
After all, as we think of Saint Thomas, we have much in common as Christians, and it is in part that which we have in common that is also indicative of our living Communion with the Saints. Is this not a miracle of Christ? A miracle of love?

For we Christians, love is the answer. There is also the community of the moral, of ethics, of what we know as Christian living. This man has contributed much to our way of Christian living. Let us remember him, and as one reading says of his way of life as we celebrate him:


He lived a life of Humility—

Do not say, “He will consider the great number of my gifts, / and when I make an offering to the Most High God, he will accept it.

Holy man he became and was, and he lived a life of teaching, praying, and learning. His faith led him to fulfill telling us Truth:


He lived a life of Truth—

Do not devise a lie against your brother, /or do the same to a friend.

He lived a life considerate in speech and self-control—

Do not babble in the assembly of the elders, /and do not repeat yourself when you pray.

The intentions of Thomas’ heart were good, as our Lectionary quote from the Bible implies. His prayers were of strong and pure intention. When he prayed, he prayed so that he did please God through his respect of intention so that individual prayers were not repeated. This does not mean he did not say repeated prayers, as a chant, or that he did not say prayers that were stated differently so that they revealed the facets of his need and heart. These things are presumed.

Thank you for your attention this day. As a say, Thomas was a man of love in Christ, a man who believed and demonstrated with reason and through heart and head there is a God; we celebrate the life and teachings of Thomas Aquinas.

May the Lord bless and keep us. May the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious to us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace.

Note on three images: The first and third are of Thomas Aquinas. The second shows a likeness of the Anglican divine Richard Hooker.

Seeker & Doubter
poem by Peter Menkin
(revised January 2009)

Water springs
from pools deeply
hidden, refreshing
mortal companionship
with divine
simplicity.

Born, lived under,
died to be given
by the hand of God
a suspenseful dedication
in voice heard with promise:
they will never perish
sweet allowance, forgiveness
immortal. Wondering
may we live in within
your presence, Spirit come.

A revise of a longer version, posted here January 2009 because I like this short form. It says something about the relationship with God. Note the two icons by artist Zalewski taken from the internet. The first is a lovely color and for me is a Kingdom of God and creation image. The second of Christ's Baptism puts a slant on the poem making the waters mentioned in it Baptism. Since this is Epiphany, I decided to add the Baptism of Christ note--the illustration underlines.

But the poem is about waters that spring from abundance. When I first approached the Camaldoli monks, after an invitation, to become a postulant for Oblation I attended a Quiet Day at Incarnation Monastery, Berkeley, CA USA. It was there I talked with one of their order, Camaldoli, Benedictine Monk Father John about becoming a Postulant.

We discussed "The Woman at the Well," and waters of abundance. I must have said some things he thought worthwhile for a candidate, for he accepted me as a Postulant, to my joy! That was sometime in the early 1990s, and now it has been about 15 years as an Oblate, with prior to that a year of Postulancy. I am a Contemplative, or working at it, with faith in Christ and belief in the Trinity.



St. Romuald's Brief Rule For Camaldolese Monks

Sit in your cell as in paradise.
Put the whole world behind you and forget it.
Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish,
The path you must follow is in the Psalms — never leave it.

If you have just come to the monastery,
and in spite of your good will you cannot accomplish what you want,
take every opportunity you can to sing the Psalms in your heart
and to understand them with your mind.

And if your mind wanders as you read, do not give up;
hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more.

Realize above all that you are in God's presence,
and stand there with the attitude of one who stands
before the emperor.

Empty yourself completely and sit waiting,
content with the grace of God,
like the chick who tastes nothing and eats nothing
but what his mother brings him.



Last two images are from (1) Immaculate Heart Hermitage, Big Sur, CA USA, and (2) Incarnation Monastery, Berkely, CA USA.

Hossanah in the Highest
a poem about Palm Sunday
at Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal)
Mill Valley, CA USA
by Peter Menkin


This morning we spoke
in premonitions
about children leading
worship. We waited together.

Yesterday there was
bright blue white lightning
flash, and the thunder.
Light rain broke in.

God speaks in the thunder;
I could not make out
what he said. So subtle.

Children led
the worship service
at another Church,
a man and wife said.

Today at ours they gave out
palms, and walked
among us

after blessing them,
arms stretched out
hands above the palms
during the blessing.

We took the blessing
from the children.

Holy moments, special
places, silence
between the words.

Why this joy?


Note that this poem, from 2002, was recently posted and still remains posted on the Academy of American Poets writers workshop ( www.poets. org ) .

This response by me to a poet's criticism (poet's name, RayBrown):

Raybrown:
Thank you for the careful reading. I'll look what you've said more closely than I have, and see what I think. I appreciate your careful and interested read.

I wouldn't be surprised if this poem needs revision, it sometimes takes me a while to do so--even years. As you can see, it is a poem already 6 years old.

I do note that there are some aspects that make sense to me, but that they don't make sense to a reader isn't a good sign. One that jumps at me is that the couple from the other church say at theirs the children led the service. At this Palm Sunday the children offer a blessing, but do not lead. The palms and children are blessed prior to their "procession" and blessing the congregation by waving greenery which is dipped in holy water, the priest leading and blessing first as they processe. (If memory serves correct.) Maybe this isn't clear. It is a lovely picture, nonetheless, and in their way the children are helpers and implication of "a little child" as the Biblical note says in a number of places. It is an act of purity and innocence, too, for the congregation.

I am not so sure the poem is served well by entering into these areas in words. As the deeds in the liturgy speak, so does the description of the acts themselves represent these many sided meditations.

They walked among us is a kind of phrase that one hears, as He walks among us, as in Christ. (I even think of when Jesus the Christ did so at the end, as in spirit and body, after the resurrection. Anyway:) The implied being that the blessing is one of a faiithful activity and spirit, and is Holy as Christ is holy, thereby defining a kind of nature of being and holiness.

Again, maybe not specific enough, but this is a poem about an Episcopal or Anglican service, not an any denomination or ceremony as generic. As I say, liturgy speaks and says. It is a statement as well as participatory form.

Maybe I defend in explanation, but partially my remarks to you are also notes to me.

I think that the children are blessed in the same manner as the congregation, or we, so your point an interesting one as reader is not intended by me to offer We are blessed by children more than they blessed. I do like the idea, though. There is a kind of sweetness in it that is almost like an Easter card. Sometimes good.

You have many good suggestions, and food for thought. So thanks again. I will think some more, as I must decide if I need to flesh out the poem or if in its simplicity it tells of the procession and event of the liturgical Season well enough, even if in so stark and understated a way that has ambiguities. Are these ambiguitites worthwhile? I ask, too.

With thanks for your crit,
Peter


Father Arthur Poulin's work is in this entry:

Some notes on the illustrations:
The first painting reproduced as illustration is titled, "The Pathway Home," by Father Arthur Poulin. The second painting reproduced as illustration on this blog entry by Father Arthur Poulin is titled, "Early Spring 2."

Camaldolese, Benedictine monk Father Arthur Poulin paints contemplative works, as he describes them. These shown here are selected from his many paintings.

Father Arthur lives and works at Incarnation Monastery, Berkeley, CA USA--study house of Camaldolese monks located near the Graduate Theological Union, and University of California's North Gate. Berkeley is near San Francisco in its Bay Area.

This description of his paintings, from I. wolk Gallery in St. Helena, California USA:

Father Poulin's paintings have been acquired extensively by people here in
the US and abroad. Many of his commissioned works hang in churches here in
California. The last (third) painting is "Twilight," showing the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.

Website for the gallery-- http://www.iwolkgallery.com/

Rick White's work is in this entry:

Photograph of Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal), located in Mill Valley, CA USA by Rick White, Mill Valley, CA USA. Rick is 78 years old, now retired he earned his living as a travel photographer (TWA among others), and as an advertising Art Director in Chicago. He tells me he did work for J. Walter Thomson, among others. Two of the same photographs are used in this blog entry, same view etc. This picture is composed of three images, by the way. So Rick tells me.