The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. In it he directed: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the defenders were strong. When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David’s army fell, and among them Uriah the Hittite died. (2 Sam 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012822.cfm
In order to cover up his sin with Bathsheba, David plots the murder of her husband, Uriah. Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) used “new-found” knowledge (the writings of Aristotle) to help explain the faith. Traditionalists were horrified, but knowledge won out. They say that poets make great theologians. Saint Thomas was an excellent poet, in fact, we still sing his hymns today. He is the patron saint of seminaries. Today's photo is from my Saint Meinrad Seminary days, taken around 1978.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, presbyter & doctor, January 28
