The Angelic Doctor, the Dumb Ox has given us so much – the Summa which clarified Aristotle’s philosophy into the truth of the Church and the Pange Lingua and Tatum Ergo which we sing every time we visit Christ in Adoration and much more.
Both of the hymns I mention speak the similar words of comfort:
And if sense is deficient
to strengthen a sincere heart
Faith alone suffices.
The truth of our faith is that we can’t see Jesus – not in the words of Scripture, not in the host or wine and not in each other, though we are called “the Body of Christ”, yet, Jesus in all of these.
He is ‘the Word made flesh to dwell among us’, Jn. 1:14. Luke 22 and Matthew 26 tell us of the Last Supper where Jesus lifted up the bread and wine declaring them to be His own Body and Blood.
Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:12 and 5:30 along with 1 Corinthians 12:27 tells us quite simply and clearly: “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”
But, we rarely actually see it and more often than not forget it. St. Thomas knows this and reassures us – if our senses can’t recognize it, and our heart needs strengthening – our faith in these truths suffices.
He wisely said – “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”
Amen, to that!
