Memorial of St. Bonaventure
Tempting as it is to delve into the complex and fascinating realms of the medieval philosopher raised by Thomas Aquinas, Albert the great, and today’s saint, Bonaventure perhaps we may satisfy ourselves with how these men worked hard to provide a firm philosophical foundation to the truths of the faith.
The Catholic faith has always regarded faith and reason as two gifts from God by which we may come to know that same loving God. Pope John Paul II, in his great encyclical Fides et Ratio, Faith and Reason, notes that these two gifts are like a pair of wings by which we may fly towards the divine.
Although few of us may have the time or talent to delve deep into the texts of the medieval masters, all of us are obliged to work towards a deeper and more reasoned knowledge of our faith. So often we are beguiled by the silly notion that everything that is good is simple and if it is not simple it is not good. You can learn some important life skills in kindergarten but life is complex and so is our faith and therefore we need to do a little thinking, reading, and studying to get to some better solutions. It would be nice if everything were simple but that is not reality and St. Bonaventure reminds us that using God’s gift of intellect along with faith given by Christ and his church will help us move towards a better direction.