Fire of Love

 Appreciating both Augustine and Aquinas

08/28/2020

Matthew 25:1-13 Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.

Today is the feast day of St. Augustine and it reminds me of an embarrassing exchange I had with Msgr. Hebert, my first pastor. I was a newly ordained priest at Christ the King in Little Rock, and too smart for my own good. I felt like I knew everything. He was the older, wiser pastor trying to teach me the ropes. He mentioned to me one day that he really loved reading and reflecting on the writings of St. Augustine. I replied rather rudely: “Oh gosh, I cannot understand Augustine at all! I would much rather read Thomas Aquinas, who’s more intellectual and illuminating.” Of course, now I see what a foolish statement that was. Why? Well, St. Augustine is one of the most brilliant theologians in the whole history of Christianity. And Aquinas is always quoting Augustine.

There was, however, some truth to what I said, but just not in the way I said it. How so? Well, both Augustine and Aquinas teach us how to know and love God but emphasize two distinct but complementary approaches. Aquinas uses cool, calm, clear contemplation, while Augustine is all heart and heat and holiness. Think of God as a fire, indeed, Heb. 12:29 even says: “God is a consuming fire.” Now, we can appreciate a fire for two beneficial qualities. On the one hand, it gives us light to see by, but it also gives us heat to stay warm by. When we are young and inexperienced we want to learn and know things, so Aquinas lights our path. When we’re older we just want a cozy blanket and a blazing fire to keep us warm on cold nights, so Augustine comes to the rescue.

I’ve recently been reading Aquinas’ writings on the angels in his Summa Theologica. He says that the two top tier angels – called the Seraphim and the Cherubim – are closest to God. The Seraphim are symbolized by the fire of love, while the Cherubim are symbolized by the light of knowledge. But do you know which of the two are closer to God: light or love? You guessed it: the seraphim are, the fiery angels of love are the closest to God, because he is an all-consuming, blazing inferno of love as Heb. 12:29 says.

As we get older and closer to God – because we know we’re about to see him face to face and meet our Maker! – we are less worried about knowing and more concerned about loving. Newly ordained priests think they know everything, but older and wiser priests know they need to love everything. Listen to these lines full of love from Augustine’s autobiography called “Confessions.” The great Doctor of Grace writes: “Late have I loved thee, O Beauty, ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved thee.” I think we all come to love God late, because only later in life do we appreciate the heat of a fire and are not mesmerized by its light.

In the gospel today, Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. It appears to be a question of knowledge and wisdom, and it most certainly is! It talks about wise and foolish virgins. But the parable also presents a dilemma of love. The wise virgins had enough oil in their lamps, but what did the oil symbolize? The oil is the love of the Holy Spirit. Why? Well, whom are the virgins waiting for? A teacher who imparts knowledge and wisdom? No. They’re awaiting a bridegroom, who is coming to celebrate a marriage, a celebration of love.

So, even though you need wisdom and knowledge to know where and how much oil to get (that is, in the sacraments); ultimately, you need love to get you into the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and meet the eternal Bridegroom. Again, it’s not a false dichotomy of either knowledge or love, but a true complementary of both knowledge and love, both Aquinas and Augustine, both Cherubim and Seraphim. But the Seraphim, even Aquinas admits, are the closest to God.

An ancient medieval maxim taught: “all roads lead to Rome.” That means whatever road of truth and love you are currently on, if you follow it faithfully, ultimately, you will find the end of the road in Rome, that is, in the Catholic Church. Why? Well, because here you will find Aquinas and Augustine, know-it-all newly ordained priests and wiser and more loving older priests, and most importantly, you will find the light and the love of God, who is “an all-consuming fire.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!