Today is Nov. 15, optional memorial of St. Albert the Great, bishop and Doctor of the Church.
In the readings for today’s Mass, we read, “Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son” (2 Jn 1:9).
Today’s feast day is a big one for the Dominican Order. St. Albert the Great, a bishop and Doctor of the Church, held numerous administrative positions in the order. Famous for being the teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas, he was a renowned academic in his own right. His collected works, compiled in 1899, span 38 volumes!
St. Albert, informally known as the “Universal Doctor,” was a brilliant scholar who explored all branches of knowledge — from theology to the natural sciences. He approached his studies with a genuine awe for creation, recognizing that all truth ultimately points back to the Creator. His commitment to learning never led him away from the teachings of Christ; rather, his studies were grounded in his faith. He knew that knowledge, divorced from the wisdom of Christ, could easily become “progressive” in a way that loses sight of God. For St. Albert, true progress was a deeper journey into the mystery of God, not a departure from his revelation.
In today’s world, we often face the temptation to seek “progress” that veers from the truth of Christ. We live in an age where new ideas, while sometimes valuable, can seduce us into forgetting the unchanging truths of the Gospel. St. Albert reminds us that genuine progress — whether in science, technology or personal growth — is a means to encounter God more fully. Remaining in the teachings of Christ does not hinder our growth; rather, it roots us in the Father and the Son, grounding our lives in a love and wisdom that surpasses mere knowledge.
“There is, therefore, but one thing which has power to draw us from outward objects into the depths of our own souls, there to form an intimate friendship with Jesus,” says St. Albert. “Nothing but the love of Christ and the desire of His sweetness can lead us thus to feel, to comprehend and experience the presence of His Divinity.” May love always anchor us in the teachings of Christ.
Prayer to St. Albert to remain anchored in Christ:
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Albert great by his joining of human wisdom to divine faith, grant, we pray, that we may so adhere to the truths he taught, that through progress in learning we may come to a deeper knowledge and love of you. Through our lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
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