Weekend Update

Well, the last week of classes is about to be safely behind me. That's right, the spring semester of my third year is speeding toward the finish line, incredibly enough. Hard as I may find it to be this much further down the path of formation, I still have six years ahead. Of course, given how quickly the past three seem to have gone, I am sure the remaining six will fly by, as well. Father Paul will be sending me all over the Wyoming Valley for Masses in no time. Those ruminations aside, next week is still finals week, and so I do have a lot to do in this coming week. A few papers to write, a few exams to take, and hopefully to come out alright in the end. And then we have to prepare for the Cardinal....

Well, before I head off to eggs and sausage land (breakfast, that is), I thought I would give you the next disjunction of the week, this one is #3:

St. Augustine, or St. Thomas Aquinas

My Answer: St. Augustine. Don't get me wrong, St. Thomas Aquinas is certainly a stand-up saint and Doctor of the Church. In fact, I would not dispute the claim that his theology is the official version, fully endorsed by the Church, and that this is a claim to fame of which even our dear Augustine cannot boast. Additionally, St. Thomas definitely composed some killer music. I also have to mention that there's a certain innocent joy one gets in considering St. Thomas as the pudgy Dominican who doesn't talk a lot, but who can give a serious beat-down to any philosophical or theological opponent in writing. St. Thomas is definitely worthy of n amount of praise, n being a number approaching infinity. I'm just saying that I think St. Augustine is worthy of n+1 amount of praise.

And why? Well, I think Augustine was a cooler guy. For one thing, he has a truly inspiring conversion story. For another, you've got to give him some additional props for defending the Church so bravely and accurately when it was under attack after the fall of the Roman Empire. The way I see it, St. Augustine is the Catholic Church's James T. Kirk, the guy who forged the path, the great pioneer in whose footsteps all others must follow. St. Thomas Aquinas, by that analogy, is like Jean-Luc Picard. In many ways, he may be a more efficient, capable starship captain (theologian and philosopher), but that's only because he had the good example of that first predecessor to follow and embellish.

Your thoughts?