HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS Sistine Chapel Sunday, 11 January 2015

FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
MASS AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

Sistine Chapel
Sunday, 11 January 2015

In the First Reading we heard that the Lord takes care of his children like a parent: He takes care to provide his children with nourishing food. God says through the Prophet: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?” (Is 55:2). God, like a good father and a good mother, wants to give good things to his children. And what is this nourishing food that God gives us? It is his Word: his Word makes us grow, it enables us to bear good fruit in life, just as the rain and snow imbue the earth, making it fruitful (cf. Is 55:10-11). Likewise you, parents, and you too, godmothers and godfathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, will help these children grow if you give them the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus. And give it also by your example! Every day, make it a habit to read a passage of the Gospel, a small one, and always carry a little Gospel with you in your pocket, in your purse, so you can read it. And this will set the example for your children, seeing dad, mom, their godparents, grandpa, grandma, aunts and uncles, reading the Word of God.

You, mothers, give milk to your children — even now, if they are crying with hunger, feed them, don’t worry. Let us thank the Lord for the gift of milk, and let us pray for those mothers — there are so many, unfortunately — who are unable to breast-feed their children. Let us pray and let us try to help these mothers. Thus, what milk does for the body, the Word of God does for the spirit: the Word of God makes faith grow. And thanks to faith we have been begotten by God. This is what happens at Baptism. We have heard the Apostle John: “Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God” (1 Jn 5:1). Your children are baptized in this faith. Today it is your faith, dear parents, godfathers and godmothers. It is the faith of the Church, in which these little ones receive Baptism. But tomorrow, by the grace of God, it will betheirfaith, their personal “yes” to Jesus Christ, which gives us the Father’s love.

I said: it is the faith of the Church. This is very important. Baptism integrates us into the body of the Church, into the holy People of God. And in this body, in this people journeying on, faith is passed down from generation to generation: it is the faith of the Church. It is the faith of Mary, our Mother, the faith of St Joseph, of St Peter, of St Andrew, of St John, the faith of the Apostles and of the Martyrs, which has come down to us, through Baptism: the chain of transmission of the faith. This is really beautiful! It is a passing of the flame of faith from hand to hand: we too will soon express it with the act of lighting candles from the great Paschal candle. The large wax candle represents the Risen Christ, living in our midst. You, families, take the light of faith from Him in order to pass it on to your children. You receive this light in the Church, in the Body of Christ, in the People of God who are journeying through every time and in every place. Teach your children that one cannot be a Christian outside of the Church, one cannot follow Jesus Christ without the Church, for the Church is Mother, who makes us grow in the love of Jesus Christ.

One last feature emerges powerfully from today’s Bible Readings: in Baptism we are consecrated by the Holy Spirit. This is what the word “Christian” means, it means consecrated like Jesus, in the same Spirit in which Jesus was immersed throughout his earthly existence. He is the “Christ”, the Anointed One, the Consecrated One; we, the baptized, are “Christian”, meaning consecrated, anointed. Therefore, dear parents, dear godfathers and godmothers, if you want your children to become true Christians, help them to grow up “immersed” in the Holy Spirit, that is to say, in the warmth of the love of God, in the light of his Word. For this reason, do not forget to invoke the Holy Spirit often, every day. “Do you pray, Ma’am?” — “Yes” — “Whom do you pray to?”. — “I pray to God”. But “God” does not exist like this: God is one person, and as a Person the Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist. “Whom do you pray to?”. — “The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit”. We usually pray to Jesus. When we pray the “Our Father”, we pray to the Father. But we do not often pray to the Holy Spirit. It is very important to pray to the Holy Spirit, because He teaches us how to bring up the family, the children, so that these children may grow up in the atmosphere of the Holy Trinity. It is precisely the Spirit who leads them forward. For this reason, do not forget to invoke the Holy Spirit often, every day. You can do so, for example, with this simple prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love”. You can say this prayer for your children, as well as, naturally, for yourselves!

When you recite this prayer, you feel the maternal presence of the Virgin Mary. She teaches us to pray to the Holy Spirit, and to live in accordance with the Spirit, like Jesus. May Our Lady, our Mother, always accompany the journey of your children and of your families. So be it.

Aquinas, St Thomas - Summa Theologica

FIRST PART (FP: QQ 1-119)
TREATISE ON SACRED DOCTRINE (Q[1])
THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF SACRED DOCTRINE (TEN ARTICLES)
To place our purpose within proper limits, we first endeavor to investigate the nature and extent
of this sacred doctrine. Concerning this there are ten points of inquiry:
(1) Whether it is necessary?
(2) Whether it is a science?
(3) Whether it is one or many?
(4) Whether it is speculative or practical?
(5) How it is compared with other sciences?
(6) Whether it is the same as wisdom?
(7) Whether God is its subject-matter?
(8) Whether it is a matter of argument?
(9) Whether it rightly employs metaphors and similes?
(10) Whether the Sacred Scripture of this doctrine may be expounded in different senses?
Whether, besides philosophy, any further doctrine is required?
Objection 1: It seems that, besides philosophical science, we have no need of any further
knowledge. For man should not seek to know what is above reason: "Seek not the things that are
too high for thee" (Ecclus. 3:22). But whatever is not above reason is fully treated of in philosophical
science. Therefore any other knowledge besides philosophical science is superfluous.
Objection 2: Further, knowledge can be concerned only with being, for nothing can be known,
save what is true; and all that is, is true. But everything that is, is treated of in philosophical
science---even God Himself; so that there is a part of philosophy called theology, or the divine
science, as Aristotle has proved (Metaph. vi). Therefore, besides philosophical science, there is no
need of any further knowledge.
On the contrary, It is written (2 Tim. 3:16): "All Scripture, inspired of God is profitable to
teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice." Now Scripture, inspired of God, is no part of
philosophical science, which has been built up by human reason. Therefore it is useful that besides
philosophical science, there should be other knowledge, i.e. inspired of God.
I answer that, It was necessary for man's salvation that there should be a knowledge revealed
by God besides philosophical science built up by human reason. Firstly, indeed, because man is
directed to God, as to an end that surpasses the grasp of his reason: "The eye hath not seen, O God,
besides Thee, what things Thou hast prepared for them that wait for Thee" (Is. 66:4). But the end
must first be known by men who are to direct their thoughts and actions to the end. Hence it was
necessary for the salvation of man that certain truths which exceed human reason should be made
known to him by divine revelation. Even as regards those truths about God which human reason
could have discovered, it was necessary that man should be taught by a divine revelation; because
Summa Theologica Saint Thomas Aquinas
the truth about God such as reason could discover, would only be known by a few, and that after
a long time, and with the admixture of many errors. Whereas man's whole salvation, which is in
God, depends upon the knowledge of this truth. Therefore, in order that the salvation of men might
be brought about more fitly and more surely, it was necessary that they should be taught divine
truths by divine revelation. It was therefore necessary that besides philosophical science built up
by reason, there should be a sacred science learned through revelation.
Reply to Objection 1: Although those things which are beyond man's knowledge may not be
sought for by man through his reason, nevertheless, once they are revealed by God, they must be
accepted by faith. Hence the sacred text continues, "For many things are shown to thee above the
understanding of man" (Ecclus. 3:25). And in this, the sacred science consists.
Reply to Objection 2: Sciences are differentiated according to the various means through
which knowledge is obtained. For the astronomer and the physicist both may prove the same
conclusion: that the earth, for instance, is round: the astronomer by means of mathematics (i.e.
abstracting from matter), but the physicist by means of matter itself. Hence there is no reason why
those things which may be learned from philosophical science, so far as they can be known by
natural reason, may not also be taught us by another science so far as they fall within revelation.
Hence theology included in sacred doctrine differs in kind from that theology which is part of
philosophy.
Whether sacred doctrine is a science?
Objection 1: It seems that sacred doctrine is not a science. For every science proceeds from
self-evident principles. But sacred doctrine proceeds from articles of faith which are not self-evident,
since their truth is not admitted by all: "For all men have not faith" (2 Thess. 3:2). Therefore sacred
doctrine is not a science.
Objection 2: Further, no science deals with individual facts. But this sacred science treats of
individual facts, such as the deeds of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and such like. Therefore sacred
doctrine is not a science.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Trin. xiv, 1) "to this science alone belongs that whereby
saving faith is begotten, nourished, protected and strengthened." But this can be said of no science
except sacred doctrine. Therefore sacred doctrine is a science.
I answer that, Sacred doctrine is a science. We must bear in mind that there are two kinds of
sciences. There are some which proceed from a principle known by the natural light of intelligence,
such as arithmetic and geometry and the like. There are some which proceed from principles known
by the light of a higher science: thus the science of perspective proceeds from principles established
by geometry, and music from principles established by arithmetic. So it is that sacred doctrine is a
science because it proceeds from principles established by the light of a higher science, namely,
the science of God and the blessed. Hence, just as the musician accepts on authority the principles
taught him by the mathematician, so sacred science is established on principles revealed by God.
Reply to Objection 1: The principles of any science are either in themselves self-evident, or
reducible to the conclusions of a higher science; and such, as we have said, are the principles of
sacred doctrine.
Reply to Objection 2: Individual facts are treated of in sacred doctrine, not because it is
concerned with them principally, but they are introduced rather both as examples to be followed
in our lives (as in moral sciences) and in order to establish the authority of those men through whom
the divine revelation, on which this sacred scripture or doctrine is based, has come down to us.
Whether sacred doctrine is one science?
Objection 1: It seems that sacred doctrine is not one science; for according to the Philosopher
(Poster. i) "that science is one which treats only of one class of subjects." But the creator and the
creature, both of whom are treated of in sacred doctrine, cannot be grouped together under one
class of subjects. Therefore sacred doctrine is not one science.
Objection 2: Further, in sacred doctrine we treat of angels, corporeal creatures and human
morality. But these belong to separate philosophical sciences. Therefore sacred doctrine cannot be
one science.
On the contrary, Holy Scripture speaks of it as one science: "Wisdom gave him the knowledge
[scientiam] of holy things" (Wis. 10:10).
I answer that, Sacred doctrine is one science. The unity of a faculty or habit is to be gauged
by its object, not indeed, in its material aspect, but as regards the precise formality under which it
is an object. For example, man, ass, stone agree in the one precise formality of being colored; and
color is the formal object of sight. Therefore, because Sacred Scripture considers things precisely
under the formality of being divinely revealed, whatever has been divinely revealed possesses the
one precise formality of the object of this science; and therefore is included under sacred doctrine
as under one science.
Reply to Objection 1: Sacred doctrine does not treat of God and creatures equally, but of God
primarily, and of creatures only so far as they are referable to God as their beginning or end. Hence
the unity of this science is not impaired.
Reply to Objection 2: Nothing prevents inferior faculties or habits from being differentiated
by something which falls under a higher faculty or habit as well; because the higher faculty or habit
regards the object in its more universal formality, as the object of the "common sense" is whatever
affects the senses, including, therefore, whatever is visible or audible. Hence the "common sense,"
although one faculty, extends to all the objects of the five senses. Similarly, objects which are the
subject-matter of different philosophical sciences can yet be treated of by this one single sacred
science under one aspect precisely so far as they can be included in revelation. So that in this way,
sacred doctrine bears, as it were, the stamp of the divine science which is one and simple, yet
extends to everything.
Whether sacred doctrine is a practical science?
Objection 1: It seems that sacred doctrine is a practical science; for a practical science is that
which ends in action according to the Philosopher (Metaph. ii). But sacred doctrine is ordained to
action: "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). Therefore sacred doctrine is
a practical science.
Objection 2: Further, sacred doctrine is divided into the Old and the New Law. But law implies
a moral science which is a practical science. Therefore sacred doctrine is a practical science.
On the contrary, Every practical science is concerned with human operations; as moral science
is concerned with human acts, and architecture with buildings. But sacred doctrine is chiefly
concerned with God, whose handiwork is especially man. Therefore it is not a practical but a
speculative science.
I answer that, Sacred doctrine, being one, extends to things which belong to different
philosophical sciences because it considers in each the same formal aspect, namely, so far as they
can be known through divine revelation. Hence, although among the philosophical sciences one is
speculative and another practical, nevertheless sacred doctrine includes both; as God, by one and
the same science, knows both Himself and His works. Still, it is speculative rather than practical
because it is more concerned with divine things than with human acts; though it does treat even of
these latter, inasmuch as man is ordained by them to the perfect knowledge of God in which consists
eternal bliss. This is a sufficient answer to the Objections.

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS Vatican Basilica Thursday, 1st January 2015

  HOLY MASS ON THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
XLVIII WORLD DAY OF PEACE

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

Vatican Basilica
Thursday, 1st January 2015

Today we are reminded of the words of blessing which Elizabeth spoke to the Virgin Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” (Lk 1:42-43).

This blessing is in continuity with the priestly blessing which God had given to Moses to be passed on to Aaron and to all the people: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Num 6:24-26). In celebrating the Solemnity of Mary Most Holy, the Holy Mother of God, the Church reminds us that Mary, more than anyone else, received this blessing. In her the blessing finds fulfilment, for no other creature has ever seen God’s face shine upon it as did Mary. She gave a human face to the eternal Word, so that all of us can contemplate him.

In addition to contemplating God’s face, we can also praise him and glorify him, like the shepherds who came away from Bethlehem with a song of thanksgiving after seeing the Child and his young mother (cf. Lk 2:16). The two were together, just as they were together at Calvary, because Christ and his mother are inseparable: there is a very close relationship between them, as there is between every child and his or her mother. The flesh (caro) of Christ – which, as Tertullian says, is the hinge (cardo) of our salvation – was knit together in the womb of Mary (cf. Ps 139:13). This inseparability is also clear from the fact that Mary, chosen beforehand to be the Mother of the Redeemer, shared intimately in his entire mission, remaining at her Son’s side to the end on Calvary.

Mary is so closely united to Jesus because she received from him the knowledge of the heart, the knowledge of faith, nourished by her experience as a mother and by her close relationship with her Son. The Blessed Virgin is the woman of faith who made room for God in her heart and in her plans; she is the believer capable of perceiving in the gift of her Son the coming of that “fullness of time”(Gal 4:4) in which God, by choosing the humble path of human existence, entered personally into the history of salvation. That is why Jesus cannot be understood without his Mother.

Likewise inseparable are Christ and the Church – because the Church and Mary are always together and this is precisely the mystery of womanhood in the ecclesial community – and the salvation accomplished by Jesus cannot be understood without appreciating the motherhood of the Church. To separate Jesus from the Church would introduce an “absurd dichotomy”, as Blessed Paul VI wrote (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 16). It is not possible “to love Christ but without the Church, to listen to Christ but not the Church, to belong to Christ but outside the Church” (ibid.). For the Church is herself God’s great family, which brings Christ to us. Our faith is not an abstract doctrine or philosophy, but a vital and full relationship with a person: Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God who became man, was put to death, rose from the dead to save us, and is now living in our midst. Where can we encounter him? We encounter him in the Church, in our hierarchical, Holy Mother Church. It is the Church which says today: “Behold the Lamb of God”; it is the Church, which proclaims him; it is in the Church that Jesus continues to accomplish his acts of grace which are the sacraments.

This, the Church’s activity and mission, is an expression of her motherhood. For she is like a mother who tenderly holds Jesus and gives him to everyone with joy and generosity. No manifestation of Christ, even the most mystical, can ever be detached from the flesh and blood of the Church, from the historical concreteness of the Body of Christ. Without the Church, Jesus Christ ends up as an idea, a moral teaching, a feeling. Without the Church, our relationship with Christ would be at the mercy of our imagination, our interpretations, our moods.

Dear brothers and sisters! Jesus Christ is the blessing for every man and woman, and for all of humanity. The Church, in giving us Jesus, offers us the fullness of the Lord’s blessing. This is precisely the mission of the people of God: to spread to all peoples God’s blessing made flesh in Jesus Christ. And Mary, the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus, the first and most perfect believer, the model of the pilgrim Church, is the one who opens the way to the Church’s motherhood and constantly sustains her maternal mission to all mankind. Mary’s tactful maternal witness has accompanied the Church from the beginning. She, the Mother of God, is also the Mother of the Church, and through the Church, the mother of all men and women, and of every people.

May this gentle and loving Mother obtain for us the Lord’s blessing upon the entire human family. On this, the World Day of Peace, we especially implore her intercession that the Lord may grant peace in our day; peace in hearts, peace in families, peace among the nations. The message for the Day of Peace this year is “No Longer Slaves, but Brothers and Sisters”. All of us are called to be free, all are called to be sons and daughters, and each, according to his or her own responsibilities, is called to combat modern forms of enslavement. From every people, culture and religion, let us join our forces. May he guide and sustain us, who, in order to make us all brothers and sisters, became our servant.

Let us look to Mary, let us contemplate the Holy Mother of God. I suggest that you all greet her together, just like those courageous people of Ephesus, who cried out before their pastors when they entered Church: “Holy Mother of God!” What a beautiful greeting for our Mother. There is a story – I do not know if it is true – that some among those people had clubs in their hands, perhaps to make the Bishops understand what would happen if they did not have the courage to proclaim Mary “Mother of God”! I invite all of you, without clubs, to stand up and to greet her three times with this greeting of the early Church: “Holy Mother of God!”