Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 468


The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them.



Writing over his baptismal name of Cardinal Karl Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) wrote his magnificent Introduction to Christianity. In it he pointed out how Jesus appeared precisely when the Roman Empire was ready to hear the Gospel of a Jewish Messiah.

Greek philosophy had discovered by reason the unity of being. There could be only one Supreme Being. There might be lesser gods. The human world is full of persons of greater and less distinction. The heavens may also be populated by many gods, ranked in a similar hierarchical fashion. Over them all, philosophers said, there can be only one Supreme Being. Intelligentia of the ancient world quietly despised the Greek and Roman gods, so popular among the people. 

Religiously the Christian movement satisfied the philosophers' search for the One God. As Cardinal Ratzinger pointed out, they knew He was there. They could not call upon God because they didn't know his name. The Jews could have told them the name but they would not pronounce it. It fell to Christians to announce the Most Sacred Name to the world: Abba, the Father of Jesus.

Likewise, it fell to Christians to teach what anyone should have figured out, God's moral code. Like the number pi and the Pythagorean theorem, it has been there all along, waiting to be found. Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not commit adultery; honor your father and mother; and so forth. Most importantly, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and mind and strength. These principles are patently clear to anyone who thinks about it; but the tainted human mind, plagued by fears and bedeviled by desires, cannot think that clearly. They must be revealed.

God could judge the world for its sinfulness and Saint Paul could lambaste the Roman world for its venality because the moral code is built into our human nature. We know "natural law" because it's our nature.

As I discussed marriage one day with a group of Veterans one fellow insisted he respects the institution of marriage. I knew already he had scored several marriages and as many divorces. "So if an attractive married woman came on to you, you would refuse to have anything to do with her?" I asked. Well, no, that's not what he meant.  

Marriage, along with the right to life and the right to property, are not respected in this country. If the owner is not standing over a valuable piece of merchandise and it's not chained, bolted or cemented in place it belongs to anyone. If a baby is not born she is not assured the right to life. If a man and woman do not renew their marriage vows with daily acts of love and sacrifice their covenant will not withstand hostile forces all around them.

Philosophers of today -- at least the ones I meet -- do not discuss the univocity of being. They argue about facts. The word comes from the Latin word facere, to make. A fact, as Cardinal Ratzinger pointed out, is a man-made truth. Marriage is what you make of it; babies are what you make of them; property is what you are strong enough to keep. The facts of our philosophers cannot include the natural law because they didn't make it. 

Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

On this Memorial of Saint Theresa of Avila, we thank God for the wise women and men who taught us to love the Revealed Word of Truth.