🎓Saint Albert, nicknamed "the Great," was one of the most brilliant minds of the 13th century. Born in Swabia, he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), where his insatiable thirst for knowledge led him to master philosophy, theology, and the natural sciences, becoming a pioneer in reconciling faith with Aristotelian reason. He taught in Paris and Cologne, where his most celebrated disciple was Saint Thomas Aquinas, whose genius he recognized and nurtured. In 1260, he was appointed Bishop of Ratisbon (Regensburg), a position he accepted out of obedience but resigned two years later to return to his life of study and teaching. His vast work, covering virtually all fields of knowledge of his time, earned him the title "Doctor Universalis." He passed away in 1280, and his legacy of wisdom and holiness was solemnly recognized by Pope Pius XI, who canonized him and declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1931.
📖Epistle (II Tim 4:1-8)
My dearest Timothy: I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. Be sober. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
✝️Gospel (Mt 5:13-19)
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
🤔Reflections
💡Today's liturgy, honoring a Doctor of the Church like St. Albert the Great, weaves a profound connection between the intellectual mission and the vocation to holiness. The Gospel proclaims: "You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world." Saint Albert personified this dual image. He was 'salt' by preserving sound doctrine from the corruption of the errors of his time, using wisdom to give flavor and substance to the faith. He was 'light' by illuminating minds with his vast knowledge, making his intellectual "good works" shine not for his own glory, but for God's. This mission echoes St. Paul's warning to Timothy: "preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season." Albert did not fear delving into the pagan philosophies of Aristotle, an attitude that could displease many, but he did so to extract truth and place it at the service of the Gospel, thus fulfilling his ministry as an evangelist of knowledge.
✨The depth of Christ's metaphors is explored by St. Augustine, who teaches that 'salt' represents the wisdom that frees us from the corruption of this world's foolishness, while 'light' is the visible example of a virtuous life. “Let your love be seasoned with wisdom, lest it become insipid; and let your wisdom be illuminated by love, lest it remain in darkness” (St. Augustine, Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount). Saint Albert lived this synthesis: his monumental intellectual work was not a cold, dispassionate exercise, but an ardent pursuit of the Truth, who is Christ Himself. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that "the Law of the Gospel 'fulfills,' refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection" (CCC 1967).
🛡️The final precept of the Gospel—"he who does them [the commandments] and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven"—is the key to St. Albert's greatness. He was not only a guardian of the faith but a tireless teacher. By teaching the harmony between creation and the Creator, between philosophy and theology, he fulfilled the Law of Christ in its fullness. He fought the "good fight" mentioned in the Epistle, not with a sword, but with the pen and the word, defending the faith against "myths" and ignorance. His life demonstrates that the pursuit of truth, when ordered toward God, is a path of sanctification and an essential service to the Church. Thus, he became "great in the kingdom of heaven," not only for his erudition but because his wisdom always pointed to Christ, the incarnate Logos, in whom "all is accomplished."
➡️See English version of the critical articles here.
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