Readings and Homily from Mass celebrated this evening by Fr Richard on the Feastday of Saint Catherine of Siena, a patroness of Europe
Homily: The Light of Learning
It’s amazing how much young children pick things up. Whenever
I’ve been asked to speak about the faith to the little ones in our primary
school I often find that, say a fortnight later, a child will come up to me and
repeat something quite profound about what they’ve learned. Children can be
like a sponge: in their simplicity, humility and receptiveness they can absorb
more details than we often give them credit for.
It’s these qualities of simplicity, humility and openness to
receive teaching that Jesus recognises in his followers whom he likens to “mere
children” in today’s Gospel. He thanks His Father for revealing the things He’s
been teaching to His humble followers, and not the “learned and the clever” who’re
casting doubt over His works.
The Lord is reminding us here that it’s obedience to His
word that will bring us comfort and rest as opposed to worldly ideologies that
can lead us astray and into sin. And so at the end of the Gospel, Jesus further
encourages us to come to Him and learn from Him. Furthermore, St John in today’s
reading urges us to live in the light of Christ.
St Catherine of Siena, the great Doctor of the Church who we
celebrate today, brings together these two concepts: “light” and “learn”. In
her crowning spiritual work The Dialogue, she writes a wonderful phrase:
“the light of learning”. In His dialogue with her, the Lord is detailing the
way of St Dominic, her spiritual father, the founder of the Dominican order. The
Dialogue explains that the Cross is where the ‘children’ (i.e. followers) of St
Dominic receive “the light of learning”, describing the Cross as a table at which
we are fed. The Lord says to Catherine: “He wanted his children to do nothing
else but stand at this table by the light of learning to seek only the glory
and praise of my name and the salvation of souls.” (The Dialogue: 158)
In other words, it’s by the Cross that Jesus pours out His
love for us, that we learn how to live and come to salvation. Like little children,
we’re called, with humility, to again and again come into the “light of
learning” which is the Cross. This is how St Catherine lived her holy life: by
clinging to the Cross, something beautifully depicted in the window of her in
our church.
St Catherine writes that we need to be humble if we are to be
obedient to the Lord’s word. May we like St Catherine cling to the Cross, the
very symbol of humility. By sitting at this table of “the light of learning” we
will be embraced in love by Jesus who will provide rests for our souls.
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