Pray: O God, You who are the Truth, make me one with You in everlasting love. It often wearies me to read and listen to many things. All that I wish for and desire is in You. Let all the doctors hold their peace; let all creation keep silence before You. Speak alone to me, Lord.
Book 1, Chapter 3: The Knowledge of Truth
Comment: Three Bible verses jump out at me when I prepared to read this chapter – Jn 18:38 where Pilate asks our Lord: “What is truth?” and an earlier passage in that same Gospel, where our Lord has the answer in Jn 14:6 “I Am the Way, The Truth and The Life…” and then finally from Jn 8:32 – “The Truth will set you free.”
Pointing to these helps as you meditate upon this chapter. It is the only chapter in the first book with a full prayer – in which Thomas marries Truth and Love. The remainder of the chapter examines our worldly feelings and judgments, and how that lens distorts the Truth (see Pilate, above). And that God’s Truth is the only filter to examine wisdom and knowledge and learning.
Thomas then emphasizes that it is more important to practice the truths of the faith than it is to understand the theology behind these truths. While we can enjoy the banquet of detailed thought behind God’s plan for us, we must also live that life. We must master our passions and live in holiness rather than chase after academic accolades. It is an unfortunate thing to know about eternal truths and salvific doctrines and quite another to implement those truths in your life.
Chapter 3, In Short.
1. Our own judgment and feelings often deceive us from the truth.
2. Without God, no one understands or rightly judges.
3. Our efforts should be spent in mastering our self.
4. A good conscience and a holy life are better than all learning.
5. On Judgment Day it will be asked of us whether we lived a holy life.
6. Having great charity is the only thing that makes you truly great.
Question: How do I practice the truths of the Faith in my life?
Book 1, Chapter 3: On the Knowledge of Truth
Happy are you whom Truth itself teaches, not by figures and transient words, but as it is in itself (Ps 94:12).
Our own judgment and feelings often deceive us, and we discern very little of the truth. What does it profit you to argue about hidden and dark things, of which we know nothing when we will not even be asked about during the judgment? Oh, what serious folly it is to neglect the things which are beneficial and necessary and to give our minds to things which are curious and hurtful! Even having eyes, we do not see.
2. And why are we talking about genus and species! Whomever the Eternal Word addresses is free from multiple questioning. From this One Word are all things, and all things speak of Him; and this is the Beginning which also speaks to us(Nm 7:8).
Without God, no one understands or rightly judges. Those to whom all things are one, who brings all things to one, who sees all things in one, are able to remain steadfast in spirit, and at rest in God.
O God, You who are the Truth, make me one with You in everlasting love. It often wearies me to read and listen to many things. All that I wish for and desire is in You. Let all the doctors hold their peace; let all creation keep silence before You. Speak alone to me, Lord.
3. The more you have unity and simplicity in yourself, the more easily these things come to you, and with a deeper understanding, because you receive the light of understanding from above. The pure, sincere, and steadfast spirit is not distracted by the many works to be done, because the spirit does all things to the honor of God, and strives to be free from all thoughts of self-seeking.
Who does more to hinder and annoy you more than your own undisciplined heart? A disciple who is good and devout arranges within the heart beforehand, those works which must be done abroad. Such a one is not drawn away by the desires of an evil will but subjects everything to the judgment of right reason. Who has a harder battle to fight than those who strive for self-mastery? And this should be our endeavor, even to master our self, and thus daily to grow stronger than our self, and go on to perfection.
4. All perfection has some imperfection joined to it in this life, and all our power of sight is not without some darkness. A lowly knowledge of yourself is a surer way to God than the deep searching of learning. Not that learning is to be blamed, nor the taking account of anything that is good, but a good conscience and a holy life is better than all learning. And because many seek knowledge rather than good living, they go astray and bear little or no fruit.
5. Oh, if they would give the same effort to rooting out vice and the planting of virtue which they give to vain questionings, there would be fewer evil doings and stumbling-blocks among the laity, nor such lax living among houses of religion.
For certainly, on the Day of Judgment, it will be demanded of us, not what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but whether we lived a holy life. Tell me now, where are all those masters and teachers, whom you knew so well while they were still with you and so accomplished in learning? Are not their teaching stalls now filled by others, who perhaps never have one thought concerning them? While they lived they seemed to be somewhat important, but now no one speaks of them.
6. Oh how quickly the glory of the world passes away! If only their life and knowledge had agreed together! For then they would have read and inquired to good purpose. How many perish through empty learning in this world, who care little for serving God. And because they love to be great more than they love to be humble, they “have become vain in their imaginations (Rm 1:21).”
You are only truly great if you have great charity. You are only truly great if you deem yourself small and count the height of honor as nothing. You are only truly wise when you count all earthly things as dung so that you may win Christ. And the truly learned do the will of God and forsake their own will.