Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.

Our faith should never be hidden from others. It should be upheld so that its light can lead others to God. This does not mean we flaunt it or force it on others, but rather we are not afraid to act like Christ in both our public and private lives. When people see us, they should see Jesus in our thoughts, words, and works. These manifestations of God’s Love for and mercy towards His children should constantly flow from our actions. Too often we hide our faith from others, but Jesus calls us to go forth into the world and bear the light of God's Truth to everyone we meet. We cannot do that if we are not willing to risk ourselves completely for him and his gospel message.

Do we hide our faith from others? How do we manifest God’s Love and Mercy for others? Are we willing to risk everything to bear the light of truth into the world?

O Lord, lift us up so that we can bear your light into the world?

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.

We all want to be rich soil. However, as Jesus’ parable points out there are a lot of things which stand in the way of our fruitful reception of the Word of God. First we must survive the Devil and his temptations, which lead us into sin. Secondly, we have to face our fears of being persecuted for living out our faith in a meaningful way. Thirdly, we must conquer our worldly anxieties, desires, and cravings. These things are not from God and ultimately lead us away from Him. Yet, if we are faithful and live out our lives as a fulfillment of God’s Word, then we, like Christ, will bear abundant fruit.

What are the temptations in our lives and what can we do to overcome them? Are we willing to be persecuted by our families, friends, neighbors and co-workers in order to live a more perfect Christian life? What can we do to put heavenly things first in our lives and worldly things second?

O Lord, sow the seed of your Word within us so that we might bear good fruit.

Amen.