I am an avid reader of philosophical and theological books and will share with you insights I receive from others. St. Thomas Aquinas said that he could see far because he stood on the shoulders of giants who came before him. I believe it is important for us to reflect on our Catholic beliefs all while growing in knowledge and love.
Recently, I finished James Livingston’s Modern Christian Thought: The Enlightenment and the Nineteenth Century. Livingston’s summary of important thinkers who influenced the Christian tradition is impressive. Some of these thinkers sought ways to show how faith and reason were compatible while others rejected Christianity as an illusion. Some of these thinkers sought daring ways to make God’s universal plan of salvation tangible and real in the midst of challenging circumstances. During our 150th anniversary year, we should reflect on our history and the people who shared with us the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This year also reminds us of our calling to be Church. Instead of merely affirming the Catholic Church as the Church founded by Jesus Christ, we must be the Church that Jesus intends.
The Church is not merely those who gather on Sunday, but she includes all people who respond to God throughout salvation history. The Church is past, present, and future; it includes those in heaven, on earth, and in purgatory. At the Eucharist, we join the great company of witnesses and join in their unending hymn of praise. May we exercise our intellects like Maurice Blondel, Johann Adam Moehler, Cardinal John Henry Newman, and Soren Kierkegaard so that we can communicate the Good News to all!
Recently, I finished James Livingston’s Modern Christian Thought: The Enlightenment and the Nineteenth Century. Livingston’s summary of important thinkers who influenced the Christian tradition is impressive. Some of these thinkers sought ways to show how faith and reason were compatible while others rejected Christianity as an illusion. Some of these thinkers sought daring ways to make God’s universal plan of salvation tangible and real in the midst of challenging circumstances. During our 150th anniversary year, we should reflect on our history and the people who shared with us the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This year also reminds us of our calling to be Church. Instead of merely affirming the Catholic Church as the Church founded by Jesus Christ, we must be the Church that Jesus intends.
The Church is not merely those who gather on Sunday, but she includes all people who respond to God throughout salvation history. The Church is past, present, and future; it includes those in heaven, on earth, and in purgatory. At the Eucharist, we join the great company of witnesses and join in their unending hymn of praise. May we exercise our intellects like Maurice Blondel, Johann Adam Moehler, Cardinal John Henry Newman, and Soren Kierkegaard so that we can communicate the Good News to all!