Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church

A bust of
Mary Anderson
famous singer of late 19th c
who donated MSF property
to the friars

We are not among those who draw back and perish, 

but among those who have faith and will possess life.

The Author of Hebrews reminds his people of the hardships they have endured and the sacrifices they have made for their faith. In “days past… you endured a great contest of suffering.” He might say, “Thank God they are over, but let’s not waste that effort by growing lax today!”

The Church has a long memory. This is a precious gift. A bishop once pointed out to me that if we counted the generations by grandparent to grandchild – as children listen to their grandparent’s stories – there would be only thirty-three generations since Jesus’ Ascension. That is, if we suppose a grandparent told her grandchild of Jesus, and that child told her grandchild about Jesus, and so on, the memories are still fresh and new.

Story telling is a vital element of keeping faith. The Bible and other books are important – they help us keep the memories intact – but they don’t replace the story telling, because the living narrative remembers the actual costs of keeping faith. Each generation laces its hardships into the narrative.

Nor do we ever suppose those days are over. Children might think it but their elders know better. The struggle and hardship and challenges of faith continue. It seems we always have our backs against the wall. But we also have our stories of faith to inspire us.

In today’s gospel Jesus speaks of sowing the seeds of faith. In many parts of the world today, farmers are still tempted to eat their seed, rather than plant it. Planting seed is always a risky business, an investment that might not pay off.

Many of our sacrifices seem foolish and futile. People ask us, “Why do you bother?” They wonder “Shouldn’t we eat and drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die?” But our ancestors assure us it was never easy for us, it will never be easy for you. But tomorrow will be better, for…

We are not among those who draw back and perish, 
but among those who have faith and will possess life.