The Walking Dom: Meeting People, Widening Horizons

Traveling, leaving your comfort zones, can provide a little variety in a rather monotonous and routinary life. Deviating from the usual schedule, food and people brings in a fresh air of ideas, thoughts and reflections. Travel widens our horizons. It removes the blinders that has serve to structure our lives-- but may have also limited our perspectives of the world around us.

Last July 2016, I joined almost a hundred young Dominican brothers and sisters in a pilgrimage tracing the footsteps of St. Dominic. This was on the occasion of the 800^th Jubilee celebration of the Order St. Dominic founded in 1216. Together with Master Bruno Cadore, OP, the 86^th successor of St. Dominic, we traveled Spain, France and Italy, the countries where St. Dominic ministered as priest, preacher, and founder. I was with my fellow Dominicans from all over the world. We varied in color, size, language, food, and in our interests. The list of differences can just go on and on for there are simply a lot of diversity when people from the seven continents of the world meet. But despite the difference, there existed a notable commonality among us. We are Dominicans: sons and daughters of St. Dominic. That was more than enough reason for us to be together. After all, we share the same story. We are bound by one person – St. Dominic.

In the course of our pilgrimage, I had the chance to converse to most of the English-speaking brethren. It was a pity that I missed conversing with the Spanish speaking pilgrims. I love Spanish (I always believe Spaniards brought a lot of good things to the Philippines, not to mention our Catholic faith. Good things that were put to shadow by the Propagandists, and by the Black legends sowed by nationalists). The three centuries of Spanish presence in the Philippines gives me a certain affinity with those Spanish-speaking brothers (from Spain and Latin Americas). Eavesdropping in their conversations, I could actually understand a little of what they were saying. I initiated conversation with some of them, but to no avail. I ended up looking for Filipino words that may convey what I would like to say to them. But even the Spanish influence in the Filipino language, however, was not enough to bridge the language barrier between me, and the Spaniards and Latin Americans. Indeed, it was a missed opportunity to share with them our common Spanish patrimony and heritage: of menudos, arroz valenciana, tsokolate, chico and of course the brand of Catholicism we share; of estopado santos, mind boggling retablos, beautiful processions capping colorful fiestas; our mestizo Catholicism. But perhaps, God willing, at some other time. I will make sure to have a conversation with my brothers from the Peninsula and the Americas.

Most of the brothers in my group were Europeans, Americans (US), and Asian. Next to Spaniards and American Latinos, a Filipino would find a great deal of affinity with the Americans, more so with the Asian-Americans. I had a great time with our brothers from the Holy Name Province (Western Province, US). One contributing factor to these is that most of them have Asian ethnicity (Korean, Vietnamese, and a Pinoy!). Lest I be accused of patronizing American yet again over my Asian confreres, I tried to establish a connection with my Asian brothers. I found myself in the same situation I was into with my Spanish speaking brothers. I had a great time being with Asian Americans. We shared our love for rice, up-sized burgers and soft drinks. They shared their experiences about the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and Filipino migrants fulfilling their American dreams in the West, particularly in California. They felt comfortable too with us Filipinos (I was with another Filipino Brother by the way). Filipinos are not new to them. They are with Filipino American brothers in their Province (The Dominican Order is divided into Province as the world is to countries). They administer to Filipino communities. They had eaten halo-halo, the famous adobo, lechon. They have experienced the warmth and hospitality of Filipinos abroad.

I heard these stories about Filipino hospitality and kindness not only from the Americans, but also from other brothers and people I met along our pilgrimage, people who have had the chance to meet Filipinos at one point in their lives. A money changer in Madrid, upon seeing my Philippine passport greeted me “Mabuhay!”, to my surprise. He briefly  recalled his time in a cruise ship with Filipino seafarers. “Filipinos are very fun to be with, and have a very warm disposition.”  A brother from England who worked as real estate lawyer in Hong Kong before joining the Order had a chance to visit the Philippines during the Christmas season. “The Christmas in the Philippines is very colorful and everyone is smiling.” Most of the people we met who had encountered Filipinos would always share stories of fun with Filipinos. I began to suspect that they were saying these stories because I was a Filipino. But thinking about it, I do not think so, knowing their straightforward culture. Furthermore, where on earth would they be getting all those stories about the Filipinos?!? I made sure that after the pilgrimage, they would add more stories and experience with a Filipino worth telling to the next Filipino they meet.

Another group of brothers with whom I had a great time were the Eastern Europeans from Poland, Croatia and Ukraine. We shared our stories of a vibrant local Church, where churches are not museum and civic centers but rather places of worship. We talked too about the devotion of our people to Mary and their love for song. And I think the best factor that these Slavs and Filipinos have is their fellow Slav, John Paul II. Filipinos love him so much, this Pope who visited the Philippines twice and inspired thousands to consider vocation to the priesthood. John Paul II serves as a model for many Filipino priests and seminarians, teaching the latter how to be a servant of Christ in this postmodern times. I told Wojtech, one of the Polish brothers, how Filipinos love John Paul II. For example, in 1995, Filipino passionately chanted “JP2 we love you” as the Pope emerged at the Quirino Grandstand to preside over a vigil of the World Youth Day 1995. The Pope spontaneously replied “JP2 loves you too.” The hymn for WYD 95, I added, is still a hit in the Philippines, 21 years after it was first sung. The song never fail to leave my eyes moist with tears every time I hear it sung. Wojtech asked me to sing the song for him. I told him, as an excuse for I do not really have a talent for singing, to just google or youtube it because I could not anymore hold my tears. But truth be told, I was about to cry at the moment, perhaps because of John Paul II who is a great inspiration in my vocation, or simply because of the lame excuse I made to avoid singing. Wojtech did not say any words. He simply tapped my shoulder. And we understood each other.

Italians are incredibly frank, especially Manuel. I loved the way he voiced out his criticisms and comments on the French, a far cry from the way Filipinos put flowery words to convey something that is rather the contrary; mapapalabok na salita. Manuel, besides being an Italian, is a Sicilian too. That is more than enough to explain his strong personality. As we toured the churches and museums, I made sure to be within hearing distance. He had an inclination on church heritage, just like me. But one of the reasons why this Italian brother from the Roman Province was good to me  was because of our brother Florentino Bolo. Fr. Jhun helped their Province by serving as their Master of Students. Manuel perhaps was returning the good experience he had with a Filipino Dominican Student Master. This made me think that the goodness we do to other may not return to us but it would surely be given to someone close to us.

Among the things we had talked about aside from our countries, culture, and local church situations, we also shared about our religious life, and the challenges we face as provinces. Our English-speaking group had raised at least 10-15 points that had been discussed exhaustively. Looking at these issues, I realized how Filipino Dominicans and the Dominican Province of the Philippines (DPP) had addressed most of these problems. I though how wise and intelligent our forefathers in DPP were, having foreseen these problems. As I discussed with other group leaders, I was hesitant to speak, for the other group leaders seemed to be more legitimate and very confident to speak. They were fluent in English. Listening to them, and the problems they encountered in their provinces, I could not but speak about the solutions that our province have for these problems. I thought, if I remain quiet, I would be doing injustice to my province, to my brothers, who trusted me to represent them in this gathering. With this, I gained the necessary courage to share the best practices in my province, such as collaboration with the Dominican family, use of social communications media to enter the so called Digital continent, care for the elderly brothers, etc. At that time, I felt so proud for my province. Despite the many things I complained about in the province, it is better off than the others provinces of the Order. I thanked our forefathers for this. If ever I am enjoying the structure and mechanism in the province at present, it is because our forefathers had invested their energies and resources in the past, so that the province may be in a better situation than when they took the helm.

In the last day of our pilgrimage, Bologna. We had a sharing with Fr. Gerard Timoner, our Provincial. I enthusiastically shared my realization regarding the advantageous state of the province, that the province is far better than the other provinces in many respects. I told him how our forefathers had done a lot, and how we are reaping the copious fruits that their efforts had sown. He let my enthusiasm subside and allowed me to share more about my proud moments for the province and the fathers and brothers behind it. After a while, Fr. Gert gently reprimanded me: “It is not the way to look at it. Whatever we have in the province, it is not because we are good; but it is because God has blessed us with vocations and the necessary resources that enable us to respond aptly to these situations. In front of these blessed reality in the province, we cannot be proud, rather we have to be humble and grateful to God who had blessed the province, who is the real force behind the reality that we enjoy. These privileges are with necessary responsibilities; sharing our human, technical and material resources to other provinces of the Order, to the local and universal Church.”   

I was silenced by this perspective, by this grateful way of looking at our province. More than through our own human efforts, it is the Lord, his grace that has enabled the province to grow  into the strong institution that it is today. The words of St. Paul came to my mind: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth (1 Cor 3:6).”

When we travel, we widen our perspective. But the object of this perspective remain to be the same: our life, our selves.

As I returned from Europe and traversed España, Manila, I thought that the Philippines is not that bad at all. Europe had the same problems of beggars, poverty, narrow streets, garbage, undisciplined pedestrians. But they learned how to address these. And surely I think, Filipinos will figure out how to solve these same problems and bring out the warmth and fun disposition in our own land, to our own people, the same warmth and fun that foreigners experienced from the many Filipinos they encounter.

As I walked through the cloister of Santo Domingo Church, in Quezon City, I thought our church is not that bad at all compared to San Jacques in Toulouse, the Church of Sopra Minerva, even St. Peter’s. Ours is a church adorned with people, struggling to respond faithfully to the demands of following Christ.

As I opened the seminary’s main door (at 2 am in the morning)and saw our community picture, I thought I would never exchange this province for another, I would never exchange my brothers with French who may be great in singing polyphony, or with a Spanish who are heirs to a great Catholic patrimony. My province and my brothers may not be the best in the world, but they are definitely  not like the rest.

As I entered my cell, face to face with my self, I thought what a life, what a vocation God has given me: I love it and I could not ask for more. I said a prayer and closed my eyes to rest, knowing that I would be opening them, to see the same things, the same brothers, same place I left when we started the pilgrimage, but this time to see them with a different perspective, with a grateful perspective. Undeniably, after the pilgrimage, things had never been the same again.    

MARY'S MERCY: The Origin of the Dominican Devotion to Mary

When one sees a Dominican friar don with the religious habit, he would never missed the Marian characteristic of this mendicant friar, as the rosary hanging on the friar’s belt, and the scapular wore over the tunic prominently indicate. Far from physical appearance alone, the Marian devotion of the Dominicans is deeply embedded in their very own identity and spirituality so much so that every Dominican professes obedience to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary (LCO 189.III). The Marian devotion of the Dominicans can be traced back in the formative years of the Order in 1200’s. 

The Dominican devotion to Mary began with the experience of mercy. In the book Lives of the Brethren of the Order of Preachers 1206-1259 prepared under the authority and supervision of Humbert of Romans, there is a pious legend that took place before the establishment of the Order. There was a certain monk who had a vision of Mary being merciful to erring men pleaded to her Son to forebear yet a while in destroying these sinful men, that the world might repent. Christ, moved by the intercession of Mary, promised to send preachers and men of truth, through whom the world shall be enlightened. In another vision, Mary presented St. Dominic to Christ as the one who can be sent and enlighten the world darkened by sin and ignorance. Thus, the Order is the fruit of Mary’s mercy and prayers for sinners.

In the early years of the Order, the brothers would find themselves in difficult situation such as diabolical attacks as in the case in Bologna. Evil spirits tormented a brother. In those times of needs, the brothers sought comfort to Mary by singing the Salve Regina and beg her to turn then most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy upon us, that they may be strengthen against Mary’s enemies. Instantly, the evil spirit left the brother in peace. This particular custom in Bologna spread throughout the Order, drilling the fact that Mary is the foremost Advocate of the Order before God. This would fulfill the vision of Dominic wherein he saw Mary in heaven as the protectress of the Order by taking the Dominicans under her mantle; under her maternal protection. 

This maternal protection is visibly seen through the scapular that every Dominican wears. In a vision, Reginald of Orleans received the Dominican habit from Mary, telling him: This is the habit of your Order. Among the parts of the habit, the scapular holds dear to every Dominican for it signifies the mantle of Mary clothed around every friar, as if a mother embracing her sons. 

The Dominicans reciprocate the mercy, care and protection of Mary with a strong devotion to her, venerating her to the highest possible way. Dominicans would go to the extent of patterning their spirituality (Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare) with the Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1:46-55). They would go down in the history of the Church as the foremost devotees and promoters of the Rosary. Mary entrusted this form of prayer to St. Dominic that they might be nourished spiritually by contemplating upon the Gospel, and be prepared aptly to fight against the enemies of the Church. If knights would have sword for their battles, the Dominicans would have rosary to combat the heresies of their time. Pius XI, in his letter to the Master of the Order in March 7, 1934 remarked: "It may justly be said that the Rosary of Mary is, as it were, the principle and foundation on which the very Order of St. Dominic rests for the perfecting of the lives of its members, and obtaining the salvation of others."

True to their principle of sharing the fruits of their contemplation (Contemplari et contemplate aliis trader), Dominicans would share their devotion to Mary through the Rosary, and become the eminent promoters of this form of prayer and devotion to Mary, as the popes through the generation affirmed: Pius V’s Consueverunt Romani (September 17, 1569), Leo XIII’s Supremi Apostolatus Officio (September 1, 1883) and Adiutricem (September 5, 1895), Benedict XV’s Fausto Appetente Die (June 29, 1921), Pius XI’s Ingravescentibus Malis (September 29, 1937), Paul VI’s Marialis Cultus (February 2, 1974), and John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (October 16, 2002). 

In the Philippines, the Spanish Dominican missionaries who served the vineyard of the Lord in this corner of Asia, beginning in 1587, consecrated themselves under the patronage of the Lady of the Rosary. They named their province as the Dominican Province of Our Lady of the Rosary. They brought with them their devotion to Mary and the praying of the rosary to every parishes and pueblos they established in the country. This is evident in the number of Marian shrines they erected in Manila, and in the provinces of Bataan, Pangasinan, and Cagayan. Prominent among these shrines and that continue to exist to these days are the National Shrine of Our Lady of Rosary, La Naval de Manila in Quezon City, Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manaoag, Pangasinan, Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Piat, in Piat, Cagayan, and the Virgen Milagrosa Del Rosario del Pueblo de Orani Shrine in Orani Bataan. 

Today the praying of the rosary promoted by the Spanish Dominican missionaries more than four centuries ago had become ubiquitous and familiar in every Catholic environs in the country. The devotion to Mary and the praying of the rosary used to be for the friars alone. With the passing of time, it was shared to the people, owned it and ingrained it in their very identity so much so that in 1937, the Filipinos were described as Pueblo Amante de Maria, Bayang sumisinta kay Maria, People in loved with Mary. This description originates from the hymn for the International Eucharistic Congress in Manila (1937) written by Mr. Emeterio Barcelon and Fr. Norberto Carceller.

The devotion to Mary and the praying of the rosary cannot anymore be distinguishedly identified with the Dominicans. It is not because the Dominicans had become negligent in promoting Mary and the rosary but because the Filipinos had owned Mary and the rosary. The devotion of the Filipinos to Mary and their praying of the rosary grew, for like the friars, they too experienced the care and the protection of Mary. They too experienced the concern of Mary to them; the concern and care of a mother pleading before her Son for the sake of her other sons and daughters, the concern of Mary, Mother of mercy. 

REFLECTIONS OF THE PILGRIM STUDENT-BROTHERS ON THE DOMINICAN LIFE

In the course of their seventeen-day pilgrimage with the Master of the Order, the pilgrim studentbrothers were asked by Br. Bruno Cadoré, OP, to gather and present their concerns and thoughts as young Dominicans to the capitulars of the General Chapter of Priors Provincial in Bologna. The following is the position paper of one of the four linguistic groups. Br. Hilario V. Sicat Jr., OP, and Br. Matthew Farrell, OP, of the Irish Province drafted it. Br. Sicat served as the relator of the group before the capitulars.

In this section we will address the following issues: 1) Prayer and contemplation; 2) New questions in a dynamic world; 3) The internationality dimension of the Order; 4) Co-operator brothers and contemplative sisters; 5) Visible identity

1. Prayer and Contemplation. The Dominican vocation starts with contemplation. During our pilgrimage, we have seen many places where Dominic prayed to discover what God was asking of him. Because of this experience, prayer became a fundamental pillar of the mendicant life. Preachers cannot speak about God, if they have not themselves experienced the power of turning to God in contemplation. It seems that those in formation have a need for more help and encouragement to develop a healthy prayer life to be ready for the mission. Here, a specific introduction to and emphasis on the rich Dominican tradition could be very helpful.

2. New Questions in a dynamic world. Our world is in flux. Permanent change in society asks for permanent study of all the brethren. We have a good reputation for helping people find the answers in their lives, but are we living up to this reputation, especially when it comes to the interaction between theology and other fields of knowledge? Can we anticipate better the people’s questions and be prepared in answering them? What could we learn from Dominic’s encounter with the innkeeper? Is it just a case of spending a night persuading someone to the truths of the Gospel? Does it start with attentive listening to the experience of the person we encounter? Are we really prepared to become good listeners before we become good speakers?

3. Internationality of the Order. Our Order is international before it is local. This has been the case from the early days of our mission. However, it seems that we struggle to keep this essential international dimension of our vocation. Local provincial concerns at times demand so much energy of the brethren that international concerns are not adequately addressed. Yet, if our world is interconnected in many ways, so we should be, in order to preach the Word to the world. This lapse may be remedied by beginning with formation. Brothers in formation could be encouraged more to serve our international institutions through study, teaching, and pastoral engagements. During the pilgrimage, we have experienced that an intensification of the study of the languages of the Order is urgently needed.

4. Co-operator brothers and the contemplative sisters. Both the co-operator brothers and the contemplative sisters are vital to the success of our mission. Much thought has already been put to both vocations (General Chapter of Trogir). How can we, as brothers, help promote these vocations to the Order through our preaching, our parishes, and educational institutions?

5. Visibility of the Dominican identity. The pilgrimage has presented us with a rich tapestry of art and impressions of our Dominican heritage. We have seen many representations of St. Dominic, St. Thomas, St. Catherine, and many other saints. But we have also seen other demonstrations of our identity through the symbols of our crest and the dog with the flaming torch. However, it seems that today this rich heritage is under-utilized in our day-to-day mission. Thus,the Dominican presence is often not visible in the public square. How do we make ourselves visible and recognizable again? Can we better utilize new forms of social communication for our mission? 

Conclusion 

Our vocation as preachers faces several questions today: 

(a) How do we see prayer as means to enrich our vocation? 

(b) Do we anticipate the questions of the mondern day innkeeper and are we equipped to answer them? 

(c) How have we been faithful to the international character of the Order? 

(d) How do we promote the vocation of the cooperator brothers and the nuns?

 (e) How can we make our Dominican identity more visible today?

  

The Walking Dom: Tracing the Footsteps of Dominic, Renewing a Vocation

From July 1 to July 17 of this year, I was given the opportunity to be a pilgrim and to trace the footsteps of Saint Dominic from Spain, to France, and to Italy. It was like an experience of a son tracing the steps of his father. Visiting and praying on the places that were once touched by Dominic’s feet makes me feel the presence of Dominic anew; it makes me wonder how he trod these roads that led him to set the world on fire.

We began our pilgrimage where Dominic first saw the light - in Caleuruega, in the region of Castille, Spain. We also visited Gumiel de Izan, Burgo de Osma, Segovia, and Madrid. Castille is not only the birth place of Dominic. It is also where Dominic realized his vocation to the priesthood. It was in the area of Palencia and Osma that Dominic showed the virtue of generosity as he would sell his parchment books to feed the hungry. In the Cathedral of Osma, he would faithfully observe the Rule of St. Augustine as a canon regular. This cathedral is the Spanish church that struck me most. Its beauty and grandeur may move many in astonishment, but what amazed me is the fact that in this place, Dominic decided to leave all these beautiful things behind, including a promising ecclesiastical career (as the subprior of the canonry). He left these to dedicate himself fully to the preaching of Truth beyond the Pyrenees. 

Through a long bus ride that cut across the Pyrenees, we traversed the Spanish-French border. Dominic surely climbed the mountain range between Spain and France. Upon crossing the Pyrenees, one would observe the change of landscape and weather. Far from the warm and dry weather of Spain, France is relatively cooler, with lush green vegetation and green fields that graced our way to Toulouse. We rested in Lourdes savoring the cold water running from the spring in the grotto of Our Lady. In the region of Laguedoc in Southwestern France, we visited the places where Dominic first encountered the heretics (Cathars and Albigensians) and where he realized the need for preaching. In this region, we visited Toulouse, Carcassonne, Prouilhe, and Fanjeaux. It was in this place that Dominic met the heretic innkeeper whom he converted to Catholicism by patiently listening to him and answering his questions about the Catholic faith. The most picturesque site I had seen in France is the panoramic view of the Languedoc region, particularly Prouilhe, seen from Fanjeux, on a spot which the locals called “Le Seignadou” (in Occitan, “sign of God”). It was in Prouilhe that Dominic and Diego founded the first community of sisters in 1206. Dominic built the monastery through a sign from God - Le Seignadou.

A whole day bus ride took us from France to Italy. It brought us to the major cities: Rome, Siena, Florence, and Bologna. These places are important in the fulfillment of the vocation of Dominic as the Founder of the Order. In the Eternal City, in the Lateran Basilica, Dominic would receive from Honorius III the papal bulls confirming the Order as a religious order (on December 22, 1216) and as having preaching as its principal charism (on January 17, 1217).

In the course of this pilgrimage, I have asked myself, 800 years after the establishment of the Order, what have we become? Are we merely museum keepers and guardians of the treasures of the past? There were thousands of Dominicans who have walked before us and surely there will be thousands who will walk after us, but with God’s providence, it is us - Dominicans of today, who are blessed to celebrate this Jubilee. When we look back to the past, it is not to gain pride of what Dominic have achieved but to catch his fire, to be inspired by his stories, and to renew our vocation. As we celebrate this Jubilee, let Dominic be our inspiration in setting ourselves on fire.

Continuing Values of the Thomistic Theology

The macro-design of St. Thomas’ Theology

The macro-design of St. Thomas’ Theology is based on the Neo-Platonic world-view. Through this, Thomas was able to present and arrange his theology with an overarching theme of emergence and return; exitus and reditus. Man and the rest of creation exist from God and move (forward) toward God; being the creation’s telos (end-goal). The movement of man and the creation towards God demonstrates the invitation of the latter to the former to participate in His divinity; man as partakers of God’s divinity as exemplified in the mystery of incarnation. 

Characteristics of Thomistic Theology

Thomistic Theology is anthropological in as much as it deals with the origin, nature, and destiny of man. This is evident in the number of treatises in the Summa Theologica (ST) he had dedicated on man and those subject related to man e.g. From the First Part Treatise on Man (l. qq 75-102), Treatise on the Conservation and Government of Creature (I. qq 103-119), and basically the entire Second Part (First and Second Parts) are dedicated on Man (Ia.I. 1-114, and IIa. Iae. qq 1-189). He dedicated 346 questions regarding Man. Judging from the discussions he made on man, it can be concluded that Thomas’ Theology possesses an anthropological dimension.

The contemplative character of Thomas Theology is evident in the Macro-design of his theology; exitus and reditus. To contemplate is to look intensely; to look from the sensible element to more abstract elements; to see through the naked eyes; in theology, to move from physical to spiritual. Thomas’ Theology focused on God seeing his distance from, and his nearness to man; His transcendence and immanence to man. As Thomas discussed man and creation, he would proceed to the mystery of Incarnation, of the Church and of the Last things; of the Spiritual from the physical (see Third Part of ST). From the treatises highlighting God’s distance from man and creation, Thomas continued and end focusing on the transcendence of God as the end goal (telos) of Man.   

The eschatological aspect of Thomas’ Theology, like its contemplative dimension, can be traced on the macro design of his theology. Thomas’ theology ends with a return of man to his origin. The last part of the Third Part of ST (III. qq 86-99) deals with the last things; eschaton, judgment, damnation and rewards. This highlighted the union of man with God, the completion of the cycle of exitus and reditus of man to God. This, too, is mysticism; the oneness of man with God, whom he had contemplated upon, desired, and achieved at the end of his sojourn on earth. 

 Main Criticism hurdled against Thomistic Theology

Thomistic theology is often criticized as too rationalistic as it gives premium on metaphysics; on Being; One, True, Good, and Beautiful, and ultimately on God Himself. These metaphysical concepts are intangible, which the senses may find difficult to comprehend, as the mind, too, finds them difficult to grasp.

Thomistic theology may be metaphysical, but it is not devoid of physical, sensible, and material component. Thomas’ theology would have sensible and material elements as starting point of his theologizing. In his Quinque Viae, for example, he uses the observable world to prove the existence of non-observable being; God. From the physical, Thomas guides his readers, contemplatively (focusing intently on the physical) towards the metaphysical. Thus, the accusation that Thomistic is too rationalistic due to its metaphysical considerations can be debunked by the fact that Thomas uses the physical o reach the metaphysical, through contemplative way of thinking.  

A personal definition of Thomistic Theology

Thomistic theology is a theology of encounter. It deals with the encounter of the creature with his Creator. Man encounters a transcendent yet immanent God. As man exits from God, he encounters God in the creation, in His Son, and in the Church. And at the end of his sojourn on earth, he encounters God in the fullest sense, being reunited with Him, now as partaker of His divinity. Man lives longing for this last encounter, and achieved such through his daily encounter with God in his fellow men and in the Church.

Thomistic theology and Existential Theology

Existentialism is a philosophy that stresses the existence of man, his freedom and choices he makes. One of its major tenets is that man can create his own meaning in life, and is capable of making rational decisions in the midst of irrationality in the universe. With this definition of existentialism applied on theology, existential theology can be understood as a theology that deals with man’s search for the meaning of his existence that can only be found in God, attained through free and informed decisions he himself had made.

Thomistic and Existential Theology both have the human experience as their starting point. Man recognizes, by means of the abstraction and transcendence of his lived experiences, the limitations and necessity of his humanity, in order to live his life, and ultimately to fulfill his very purpose in life. 

The self in man is alive, dynamics, filled with vitality, love and feelings. These two theologies recognizes the fact that man is capable of making decision for himself; chartering his own path, by virtue of him being alive. The self is not simply being that exists in an automated way; it thinks, it knows, it decides etc. Thus, whether the self search for meaning in his life, or find his way to God (reditus), he has himself to decide for this aims.