St. Thomas, lover of purity
"For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness" (1 Thes 4:7).
St. Thomas, you had a great esteem for the virtue of purity. When your family tried to deter you from entering the Dominicans by sending a woman to lead you into sin, you resisted the temptation and deter mined to consecrate your chastity to God forever. Today we are immersed in a culture that degrades the gift of human sexuality. Human persons are viewed as objects of pleasure and their human dignity is devalued. As a consequence, society tolerates abortion, disregarding human life at the very outset. Children suffer abuse and families are damaged by infidelity.
Pray that our society may once again value the virtue of chastity. Pray that those in the media will work to promote a Christian view of marriage and family life. May the plague of pornography in all its forms be eliminated. May Christian moral standards act as a leaven in society and bring about a greater respect for human life.
I thank God for the gifts of light and knowledge He bestowed on you,
which you used to build up the Church in love.
I thank God, too, for the wealth and richness of theological teaching
you left in your writings.
Not only were you a great teacher, you lived a life of virtue
and you made holiness the desire of your heart.
If I cannot imitate you in the brilliance of your academic pursuits,
I can follow you in the humility and charity which marked your life.
As St. Paul said, charity is the greatest gift, and it is open to all.
Pray for me that I might grow in holiness and charity.
Pray also for Catholic schools, and for all students.
In particular, please obtain the favor I ask during this novena.
(mention your request)
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment