Recall the words of this morning’s opening prayer, “O God, who made the Bishop Saint Albert great by his joining of human wisdom to divine faith.” God makes all the Saints great in holiness, by raising their human virtues to heroic levels. In the saint, the human intellect, human compassion, virtues like prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance which the wise of every age have sought to develop, are made raised to a whole new level through grace, through faith.
This is one reason why all the saints are our teachers. They show us by their example what is possible when a life is united to God. St. Albert, in particular, is one of only 33 people in human history known as a doctor of the Catholic Church—doctor, coming from the Latin word meaning “Learned One”. He is “learned” not simply intellectually, but in the ways of Christ.
The proper reading from the book of Sirach spoke of how those who fear the Lord, that should be all of us, shall be nourished with the bread of understanding and given the water of learning to drink. Our minds should crave understanding and learning like our bodies crave food and water. Catholics should always be engaged in some kind of intellectual formation. Now, you don’t have to sit by the fireside every day with Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, though you can get it for free on your Kindle! Though it certainly couldn’t hurt, no one will sharpen the mind like St. Thomas. Nor is learning supposed to replace our daily prayer, but daily learning is our way of life...that's what it means to be a disciple--a learner of the way of Christ.
But understanding and learning about our faith, about the scriptures, about the lives of the saints, musn’t end when our grade school catechesis ends. Minds that don’t crave learning like the body craves bread and water, have perhaps been dulled by too much tv, video games, or nonsense.
Albert was called “the Great” even during his lifetime by his contemporaries because of his immense scholarship and knowledge of philosophy. Yet, he could only truly be called great by history, by us, because of the greatness of his holiness and love—a holiness that put his life—his gifts, his talents, and struggles, at the service of Christ and his Holy Church.
May the prayers and example of the learned Saint Albert the Great help us to deepen our knowledge and love of God, for the building up of the Church for His Glory and the salvation of souls.
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That Pope Francis and all bishops and clergy will help defend the Church against error, and lead her members always in the pathways of truth, righteousness, and charity.
For the conversion of all those who perpetuate error or set bad Christian example for young people and those of weak faith.
For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, for whom we pray in a special way during the month of November, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord
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