Dancing to God's tunes

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

January 28, 2020: Remembering St. Thomas Aquinas

2 Samuel 6: 12-15,17-19; Mark 3: 31-35

David danced before the Ark of the Covenant - we come across this famous phrase from history. David apart from his rule as the favoured king of Israel, is known for the psalms he has given us and now for the dance he performs before the presence of the Lord. Moving away from all the literal significance of these facts, let us look at what David wants to communicate to us: it is, giving full vent to what you have within you, to what you are within you, before the Lord, that really matters. He cared nothing what the world cared as image!

Thomas Aquinas, whom we remember today was a great 13th century theologian who has contributed to the most clear and classical theological explication of the Catholic Church till date. He wrote an extensive theological work consisting of 3125 articles with such clear argumentation, that it is called a Philosophical Theology. But he left the intended third volume incomplete, because on Dec 6, 1273 he had a Divine vision after which he seemed to have declared, "All that I have written seems like a straw." His disciple had to complete it, after the death of Aquinas (Mar 7, 1274). All his great intelligence and proficiency seemed nothing in front of God, just like David considered his kingly splendour a rubbish.

Jesus says that in different terms - it does not matter you are a great powerful kind or a proficient intellectual giant; what matters is being in the presence of the Lord, listening to the Lord and doing what God wants of you. Losing ourselves in the Lord, being totally taken up with God's will...that is what being a child of God means. In David's terms, it is dancing to God's tunes!