Faith is not "foolishness”, because the human mind can not know everything.Then it "is reasonable" to trust "in God who reveals himself," in the apostles and the incredible work of conversion that they carry out.
St. Thomas’s affirmation was recalled today by Benedict XVI as he dedicated a third catechesis to the Angelic Doctor, addressed to almost nine thousand people present in the Paul VI for the general audience.
"Over 700 years after his death we can still learn a lot from him" from his "close reasoning" a reflection in which "there are often our own questions." And "such an effort of the human mind is always illuminated by prayer, by the light from on high", as shown in the life of the saint.
In his work, particularly in the "Summa Theologiae" is one of the highest expressions of the "pursuit of beauty of God” by human intelligence.
In the "Summa" unfinished, yet still "a monumental work," theological truth is examined in a "precise, clear and relevant" manner. Thomas begins with three different ways of God’s being: in himself, in human life and, especially, in Christ. The aim is "to know God not only in himself, but as the beginning of man and of all things."
In the first part, the "Summa" he investigates God himself, the mystery of the Trinity and God's creative activity and hence the human "released by the creative hands of God."
"But with true autonomy, a fact willed by God as such and with value in itself." In the second part, man "driven by grace in his desire to know and love God." Here are the theological principles of moral action, "reason, will, passion and grace are integrated."
The third part examines the mystery of Christ "the way and the truth through which we can return to God the Father." On the Incarnation, "the wonder of the Creator who became a creature," he said, there are " unsurpassed pages”. "Christian faith, in considering the Incarnation, is strengthened".
"Hope rises more confident at the thought that the Son of God came among us as one of us, to communicate to people their own divinity”.
The Pope then stressed how St. Thomas’s preaching almost completely corresponds to " the structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church" and that is why today he is held up as a model of announcing, because "in catechesis and preaching, in a time like ours of renewed commitment to evangelization, these key issues should never be lacking: what we pray, and here the Our Father and Hail Mary; and what we live, as the biblical Revelation teaches us, and here the law love of God and neighbour and the Ten Commandments. "
Finally, to "those who argues that faith is foolishness, because it means believing in something imperceptible to the senses, St. Thomas offers a very comprehensive answer, and reminds us that this is certainly inconsistent because human intelligence is limited and can not know what is visible and invisible".
"Only if we could know all things perfectly, visible and invisible, then would it be foolishness to accept the real truth of pure faith". We must instead "trust the experience of others, where personal knowledge cannot arrive".
So "it is reasonable to have faith in God who reveals himself and witness of the apostles" who were "few, simple and frightened by the crucifixion," and yet “many people wise and rich were converted. An extraordinary phenomenon”