[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 17:20-25

Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“The kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21)

Centuries ago, people tried to pre­dict the Second Coming of Christ based on things like the occurrence of certain famines and plagues or the positions of the stars and planets. More recently, we have seen similar predictions, some going so far as to announce specific dates—only to be proved wrong.

But Jesus told us not to go look­ing for omens of his coming. We don’t need to. Jesus’ return won’t be shrouded in secret. He will simply show up one day, and everyone will bow before him!

What we do need to know is that in many ways, Jesus’ kingdom is already here! It arrived quietly on the day he was born. It supplanted the kingdom of the world on the day he died. It became a part of every­day human existence on the day of Pentecost. Yes, the kingdom of God is among us, and it’s growing in strength and power every day.

Rather than focus our attention on being ready for the day when Jesus comes back, maybe we should focus on all those people who still haven’t embraced the kingdom that he has already inaugurated. For when Jesus said: “The kingdom of God is among you,” he wasn’t pointing only to himself. He meant us as well!

How does it feel knowing that you are a sign of the kingdom of God? Yes, in your frail humanity, you carry within you the new life that Jesus now lives in heaven. Whether or not you even know it, you have the abil­ity to live for “the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6). That’s what baptism did for you!

If you want to know the power of this kingdom, the answer is both easy and life-consuming: Fix your eyes on Jesus, not on your weak­nesses or faults. Learn how to stay close to the Lord, and you can be hopeful when everyone else is anx­ious. You can be peaceful when others are angry. You can pray for a solution when those around you are getting agitated. The kingdom of heaven is here, and you are one of its many ambassadors!

“Lord, I want to be a sign of your presence in this world. Help me to turn away from every obstacle that blocks me from being a peaceful, loving witness to your kingdom.”

Philemon 7-20; Psalm 146:7-10

[Salvation]

Doctors of the Catholic Church

St Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus) is the Universal Doctor and the Doctor of Science. He discovered a science above all other sciences and it is called the lasting or eternal science. It is knowledge that only God imparts. You can not find it in a textbook. It is a heavenly wisdom that comes from reason and faith joined together in charity towards others in prayer and action.

Many scientists and believers have been blessed with independence of mind and great mental prowess. Most rely more on reason and memory than their faith. Albert's message to us is do not rely on anything or trust anyone more than God. Practice your faith daily and you will discover a far greater freedom, wisdom and happiness.

As many famous Dominican religious to which Albert belonged, Albert excelled as a teacher and his most notable student was Saint Thomas Aquinas. What Albert the Great, as he is sometimes called, impressed and imparted to Thomas was gratefully received and later continued by Albert after Thomas' death. This was a classical example of the student becoming the teacher to his first teacher. Both Sts Albert and Thomas proved without exception that there is no contradiction or conflict between faith and reason. In fact, both complement each other perfectly.

From Fr Renger's book (see below) "When we read the list of St. Albert's works in the field of science, we could easily conclude that here was the literary work of a lifetime. But science, of course, was just a part of his interest and work. There is a popular adage about St. Albert which runs: "He was great in magic, greater in philosophy, greatest in theology." "Magic" here would mean science. It has also been said that St. Albert was a scientist by temperament, a philosopher by deliberate choice and a theologian by mood."

St. Albert, 1200-1280. Doctor of Science, Feast Nov. 15th.