The Two Questions

Learning why our faith has to be put into action

08/30/2022

LK 4:31-37 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

A couple of weeks ago in a homily I mentioned that I missed two questions in my final, comprehensive exam in philosophy at the University of Dallas. Would you like to know what those two questions were, and see if you can figure out the answer? See if you are smarter than Fr. John! The first tough question was, “How would Plato determine what is good?” Basically, Plato would say that you figure out the good by using your mind. You think, you reason, you study, and finally you gain insight. In other words, the good is what you know to be good because you learned it in a book.

This is why we put such a high premium on education. We encourage our children to finish high school, and even go to college. This is why we respect and defer to people who have letters after their names: M.D., Ph.D., J.D. Who knows what is good for your bodily health? Ask the medical doctor who has studied about good health. Who knows where you should invest your money? Ask a financial planner with letters after his name, with the “credentials” to help you who don’t know such things. By the way, the word “credentials” comes from the Latin “credo” which means to believe. That is, we believe people who have studied stuff and have the know-how. You discover the good, in other words, by learning about the good in books. Knowledge is power.

The second question I missed was, “How would Aristotle determine the virtuous action, like justice, temperance, prudence, and courage?” Aristotle, unlike Plato, would not say “study more, go to school, crack open a lot of books.” Rather, Aristotle would say that it is hard to define courage because it is the “mean between two extreme.”

So, for example, courage is the middle ground between being foolhardy or reckless on the one hand (fools rush in where angels fear to tread), and being a coward on the other hand. That is, if you want to know what courage is, don’t study it first and foremost in a book, but practice it by erring on one side or the other till you finally hit the golden, happy medium. You learn by doing not by studying. Street smarts is better than book smarts.

By the way, do you know how I learned to speak Spanish? I went to Mexico for two months and was immersed in it. Every day I had to struggle to speak Spanish and that doing taught me a lot more than reading a book about Spanish. I studied French for four years in a classroom and I cannot order a croissant in a French bakery. If Plato is right all doctors should be the healthiest people in the world, but are they? All lawyers should be the most law-abiding people, but are they? All priests should be the holiest people, but are they? Aristotle would argue you learn by doing, not by studying. See why no one likes philosophy, and why I missed those two questions?

In the gospel today, Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit. But did you notice what the evil spirit said when Jesus approach the man? He shrieked, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” Now, isn’t it interesting that an evil spirit would know who Jesus is, even though the people did not? We could ask ourselves: did that knowledge alone help the evil spirit to be good and holy? The answer is obvious as soon as I ask the question.

In a sense, the devils are a perfect argument against Plato. Knowledge alone does not make you good. Aristotle, in a sense, was right: you learn by doing and not just by studying. The evil spirit did not practice the good, but they knew all about it. This is why seminarians have to study philosophy, so they can understand the Scriptures. But that studying alone does not mean a smart seminarian will be a good priest.

Let me tack on a quick practical point. Every sacrament is a combination of both knowing and doing, of both the wisdom of Plato and Aristotle. At Mass, for instance, we read and study the Bible, but then we do Catholic calisthenics of standing, kneeling, sitting and coming forward for Holy Communion. We learn and then we do. In confession, we do not just say, “I’m sorry” in our minds, but we kneel before a priest and say our sins out loud. When we baptize a baby we do not just make an act of faith in our head and heart, but we almost drown the baby in holy water. A couple who married cannot just say the words of their vows and really mean them. They must consummate their marriage on their honeymoon night. And so forth.

This is why the devils do not celebrate the sacraments. They know sacramental theology better than the pope. But they do nothing about it. And this homily is the answer I should have given in my comprehensive exam in philosophy back in 1991.

Praised be Jesus Christ!