Truth That Sets Free

Friday, January 28, 2028 · Ordinary Time

Saint of the Day
St. Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) was a Dominican friar and the preeminent philosopher-theologian of the medieval West, known as the "Angelic Doctor." Born into a noble family near Aquino, Italy, he joined the Dominicans against his family's wishes. His Summa Theologiae remains one of the most comprehensive works of systematic theology ever written, integrating Aristotelian philosophy with Christian revelation. Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Aeterni Patris (1879) made Thomism the official philosophy of Catholic education. He died at 49, reportedly saying that everything he had written seemed "like straw" compared to what he had seen of God.

Scripture Reading

John 8:31-32

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Reflection
Freedom, Jesus says, is not achieved by throwing off constraints but by knowing truth — specifically the truth available to disciples who hold to his teaching. The freedom he describes is not the freedom of unlimited self-determination but the freedom from illusion, from bondage to sin, from the distortions that rob us of life. St. Thomas Aquinas, honored today, devoted his life to this pursuit: truth as the path to authentic freedom.
Prayer for Today
Oh Lord, my financial status has placed pressure on me right now. But I will fear not, for You are with me. I will not be dismayed, for You are my God. I know that You will strengthen me, Yes You will help me. I know that You will uphold me with Your
righteous right hand. I know that I should not be anxious regarding my financial breakthrough because You are with me. With You, the impossible is possible. With You, my financial miracle is possible, Amen.

Amen.