The Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas

2 Sam. 11:1-4.5-1013-17, Mk 4:26-34. The life of sin does not happen overnight; it creeps in incrementally into our spiritual entrails through the little openings when we live our life unguarded. The sins of adultery and murder of David did not happen overnight. He gradually let his life unguarded, by compromising commitment to duty. If we allow our life unguarded we shall soon discover that one sin leads to another. David’s lust leads to adultery. His adultery leads to lies. His lies lead to perversion of power. His perversion of power leads to murder. When his armies were fighting battle, instead of being bravely present with them, he remained in his cosy palace. While his soldiers were dying, he was having his leisure walk: "At the turn of the year, the time when kings go campaigning... David, however, remained in Jerusalem." If he, like other kings went for campaigning, he would not have had time to stroll on the palace roof, to have seen Bethsheba bathing.

Once we choose to “miss the mark”, we continue to act in ways which is “against God” or “away from God”. We may wonder how we can correct this – what can we do to get back on target. The Psalmist points the way: We must first admit our sinfulness and come before our God who is full of compassion. We must ask the Lord Jesus to extend His mercy and blot out our guilt, which He made possible through His death and resurrection. Today's Gospel gives us few parables that help us understand the Reign of God. The first parable compares the Reign of God to a farmer planting seeds which grow and produce a harvest. The farmer does not fully understand how the growth comes, but the seeds produces grain for the harvest, just as we do not understand how God’s compassion and love work. The second parable is the image of the mustard seed giving growth to a shrub which gives a place for the birds to nest. That seed is the smallest of all grain, yet it grows into the biggest tree on earth. What is amazing is the growth that God can bring out of the smallest beginnings. Such growth can happen in our lives, if we allow the Reign of God to touch us. God has planted the seed within us and gives its growth. St Thomas Aquinas whose memorial we celebrate allowed the Reign of God in his life that made him one of the greatest minds of the Church, a most faithful and ardent servant of the Lord dedicated to the glory of God. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican friar and Priest who is remembered for his amazing treatises and works in theology and philosophy, Church law and other works, especially his works in the Summa Theologiae, his most famous work of all.

May the Lord empower us to resist the temptations of sin, so that we may be righteous and just in all that we do! Amen!! Good morning and have a great day!!!