[Salvation]

Doctors of the Catholic Church

St Anselm is the Doctor of Scholasticism. He introduced a subtle dimension in learning to promote growth in charity and familiarity with divine love. He was the first in the church to oppose the slave trade and was a daring and adventurous soul.

This saint never gave up on his vocation despite a long delay. We can learn many precious things about freedom of choice from him. His new ideas about prayer were a first for the church; we will greatly benefit from his information about prayer if we practice or explore them because they can unite us to God in a new manner.

Our holy Benedictine made a great contribution to the church in highlighting Mary's significance and holiness. This was long before she was proclaimed the Immaculate Conception as a dogma.

Rev Rengers, OFM., Cap. writes (found in doctoral sources): Pope St. Pius X speaks approvingly and at length of St Anselms's part in fighting for the rights of the Church. He said that he could not express his own feelings better than by quoting the energetic words of St. Anselm himself: "In this world, God loves nothing more than the liberty of His Church." Rengers called Anselm the Defender of the Apostolic See and goes on to say: "The Encyclical introduces St Anselm as "Doctor Anselm of Aoata, most vigorous exponent of the Catholic truth and defender of the rights of the church, first as monk and abbot in France, and later as Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate in England." Later St. Pope X mentions that St Anselm illustrated in his life most strikingly the zeal of a good prelate and his fear of the evils that beset the souls under him. But in the grief he felt at seeing himself culpably abandoned by many, even including his brethren in the episcopate, his one great comfort was his trust in God and in the Apostolic See.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 6:16-21

“It is I.” (John 6:20)

The disciples were rowing in a strong wind. They were working hard, keeping the boat afloat despite the wind and the waves. The situ­ation wasn’t desperate. These were able watermen who knew the sea and had determined that they could make it to the other shore in these conditions. Still, something hap­pened, “and they began to be afraid” (John 6:19).

It wasn’t the wind or the waves that caused their fear. It was Jesus, appearing at a place they didn’t expect: right in the middle of the lake! As far as the disciples knew, he had gone off to a mountain to be by himself. What’s more, he was doing something they had never consid­ered possible: walking on the water! No wonder they became afraid!

Isn’t that how it is with us, when God doesn’t do what we expect? When he acts at a time we hadn’t imagined he would? When he shows up outside our comfort zone of time or place or expectations of any kind? Of course it will stir up fear!

Jesus dealt with his disciples just as he wants to deal with us—by announcing himself. “It is I. Do not be afraid” (John 6:20). The literal translation of the Greek here is I am, just as in the Book of Exodus, when Moses asked God for his name, and God replied “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14).

It is I. Do not be afraid. Jesus wants to speak these words to you every time he reveals something new about who he is or what he wants to do in your life. He wants you to focus on who he is, even as he catches you off guard. He is all powerful, all knowing, all sufficient, always good, always loving, always merciful, always just. Sometimes God allows things to happen that redirect the paths of our lives. Sometimes he invites us to find him in unusual places or unexpected people. Sometimes he is “hidden in plain sight” in unlikely circumstances. Any of these can be just as bewildering and unsettling as seeing Jesus walk­ing on water. And when it happens, we need to trust that the One who is good and loving and kind and pow­erful and sufficient for everything is with us. He will never leave us!

“Jesus, I believe that you are always sufficient for all my needs.”

Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33:1-2,4-5,18-19