In the Presence of Greatness

MEMORY OF SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS

28 JANUARY

J.M.J.

'To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.'

"The things that we love tell us what we are."

Dear Father Thomas:

How much I love Saint Thomas Aquinas! He was so large in size as in spirit. In other words, he was fat! Some people say that I'm Santa Claus of The Philippines. I really don't know if for my smile, my laughs, or my weight. Anyhow, if I'm Santa Claus of The Philippines, then, Saint Thomas Aquinas was the one of Italy.

Historians tell about a carpenter that had to saw a piece of the table so he could fit. He was so big that had difficulties to sit down to eat because there wasn't enough room between the bench and the table. In any case, I believe we should name him patron of all those who live in a constant diet trying to lose weight.

Some ask what Saint Thomas would say if he could come back and visit our seminaries. He was the most brilliant mind in the history of the church. During centuries his scholastic theology and philosophy was taught in all our seminaries. Now his name is not even mentioned.

If he were to come back, I believe he wouldn't mind that people had forgotten him. Saint Thomas himself, many years ago, said it clearly. Before he died expressed that he had learnt more about Jesus during an hour before the Blessed Sacrament , than in all the books that he had read. He uncovered more about His love while before His real presence, than in all that he had written. And all that he had written and said was as significant as a straw, in comparison with the worth of a sole encounter with Jesus in the Holy Sacrament.

Theology is the study about God. Whereas prayer before the Holy Sacrament, gives us the understanding of God Himself. The first one is the academic knowledge about love. The second, is the warm experience of the Personified Love. The one is a book about a person, while the other is that person directly telling us all about Himself.

There is a university in Houston, Texas, that teaches Thomist philosophy and theology. It's run by Saint Basil's religious rule and it's called Saint Thomas University. In Texas also there's a very famous man that is a golf legend who played during the decades of 1930', 40' and 50'. Some people say that that he's the best golf player that ever lived. His name is Ben Hogan. One night, when Ben Hogan was returning from a golf championship, had a terrible car accident. He crashed against another car and he almost died. Doctors said that he'll never walk again. But due to his great determination, not only learnt to walk again, but he continued playing golf and wining four more open championships in United States and other three major competitions.

I have an American friend that grew up in Texas. Since adolescence, during the fifties, he has been playing golf. Ben Hogan was his hero. During his life he read all about his life, his time, and instructional material.

Finally, one day occurred what he was longing for. This friend of mine was in Fort Worth, Texas, on a business trip and was invited to lunch at the Colonial Country Club. And there he met Ben Hogan in person!

This happened on June of 1991, almost forty years since after he heard about Ben Hogan for the first time. Now, he was siting next to the great 'maestro' listening every word, totally impressed of being in the presence of greatness.

My friend couldn't wait to tell all his friends and also to those who weren't. It didn't matter, with who ever he he'd talk, he emotionally tell them that he had met Ben Hogan. Friends, or strangers, it didn't matter. He told them than for forty five minutes, he had been talking with Ben Hogan in person.

And we, shouldn't we fell likewise moved of being before the very Jesus in the Holy Sacrament? Think about this, Thomas. Wasn't about this of what Doctor Angelico was talking? My friend had read and heard everything about Ben Hogan, but that couldn't be compared with a sole moment at his side.

Shouldn't we be utterly astonished of being in the presence of of the Greatness in every instant that we spent before the Holy Sacrament? He is the Master, the Lord, the Creator of the Universe.

Saint Thomas, in his theology, explains why the value of the Holy Eucharist has diminished and why we take lightly the presence of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament. The holy scholastic speaks about the inseparable relationship between consumption and adoration. Between communion of the Holy Eucharist and the adoration of the Holy Sacrament. He adds that if we do not worship what we consume we'll lose the value and appreciation of what we're taking.

In other words, the Eucharist is not a thing but a person.

Unless that we reserved time to keep a personal relationship with Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, we'll lose the loving relationship of Jesus in the holy Sacrament and the Holy Eucharist will lose its value before our eyes.

Saint Thomas spent hour after hour in profound adoration before the Holy Sacrament. For his love to the Holy Sacrament he was called Doctor Angelico. His love for Jesus in the Eucharist was what inspired him to compose hymns for blessings, such as Tantun Ergo Sacramentum.

The topic of these hymns is the capacity of our faith to go beyond our senses so to reach the understanding of God's reality in the Holy Sacrament.

In Saint Thomas, where I studied philosophy and theology. For this reason, he is one of my favorite patrons.

Let's pray, my dear Thomas, for every priest be filled of the same love for the Holy Eucharist as was Saint Thomas Aquinas. That every priest could be so astonished before the Holy Sacrament, Jesus in person, with us, as my Texan friend was, when he met Ben Hogan in person. We could convert the whole world to Catholicism if we burst in enthusiasm, saying to everyone we met that Jesus is really here in person!

Fraternally yours in His Eucharistic Love,

Mgr. Pepe