The Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas

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Heb. 10:19-25, Mk 4:21-25. The life journey of Jesus led Him via the Cross and on to the Heavenly sanctuary. Within the context of today's first reading lies the Old Testament ritual of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), when once a year the high priest entered behind the veil into the Holy of Holies. There, amid a smoking cloud of incense, he sprinkled blood towards the place of the Ark of the Covenant. This signified the people’s purification by a flow of new blood, new life, between them and God. Jesus is the High Priest, the blood is His own precious blood, the Cross is the altar and the place of the Ark. With a slight shift of this symbolism, the veil guarding the Holy of Holies is the flesh of Jesus. These were torn open when Jesus died on the Cross. When Jesus “gave up his spirit, suddenly the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mt 27:50-51). There is always more to the word of the Lord than first meets the eyes. Jesus declares in today's Gospel that the more carefully we listen, the more we will receive: “the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given, and more besides.” The riches contained within the word of the Lord are plentiful and He is generous with them, but it is our generosity and attentive listening, that allows those riches to be released into our lives. Today’s liturgy is celebrated in honour of St Thomas Aquinas, “the Angelic Doctor,” for his innocence and his brilliance. The structure of his theological thought served to guide and articulate Catholic Church thinking from his own lifetime in the early twelfth century until the twentieth century. Standing as a giant intellect across the centuries of Western Civilization, Thomas, of the Noble Family of Aquino, in Italy, is remembered in the Catholic Church for his mystical graces, his profound devotion for the Eucharist, accompanied by his compositions of poetry and hymn. May the Lord sanctify us through His life-giving word and consecrate us in His blood until our eyes see His face! Amen!! Stay safe and do have a great day!!!