Saints learn the truth not only with their mind, but also with their heart, writes Father Ho. (Ben White/Unsplash)
According to St. Catherine of Siena, “One who knows more, loves more.” We acquire religious knowledge in order to love God more, not to feed our own pride or curiosity.
In the Lives of the Fathers of the Desert, there is a story that helps illustrate the right attitude toward religious knowledge.
A young hermit one day came from a distant desert to visit the abbot St. Pambo, who was renowned throughout Egypt for his wisdom and knowledge.
Pambo received the hermit with great kindness and told him to sit down by his side. The young man then began to ask Pambo many questions on the most difficult points of the holy Scriptures and asked him to explain to him certain mysteries which even the most learned theologians could not explain without difficulty.
Pambo did not answer those questions, and the hermit was disappointed. He finally rose and left the cell in disgust.
When he went out, he met a disciple of Pambo. The hermit said to the disciple: “I might have spared myself the trouble of this long journey, for your abbot seems to know nothing. He could not give me an answer even to one of the questions I put to him.”
The disciple answered, “My dear brother, our holy abbot does not spend his time in searching into the hidden things of God which our poor limited understandings cannot comprehend. What he does know is how to lead a holy life on earth, that we may one day be worthy of seeing God in heaven.”
These words made the young hermit reflect a little. He at once went back to the abbot and said, “My Father, perhaps you will tell me what I have to do to lead a holy and pious life, and so one day get to heaven.”
Pambo looked up and smiled. He said, “Now your questions begin to please me, and now I shall be able to answer you.”
Pambo then spoke to him of the great love of God in sending his only-begotten Son from heaven that we poor sinners might one day be able to reach heaven. He also talked about the sufferings of Christ. The young hermit finally understood that true wisdom was to be found in the love of God and the study of the saints.
The saints learn the truth not only with their mind, but also with their heart. They know the truth not only from “outside-in,” but also from “inside-out.” The truth not only informs them but transforms them as well.
St. Alphonsus de Liguori recounted: “St. Thomas Aquinas was one day paying a visit to St. Bonaventure, and he asked him from what book he had drawn all the beautiful lessons he had written. St. Bonaventure showed him an image of the crucified Christ, which was completely blackened by all the kisses that he had given it, and said, ‘This is my book whence I receive everything that I write; and it has taught me whatever little I know.’”
Butler’s Lives of the Saints states, “Of the many noble characteristics of St. Thomas Aquinas, perhaps the two which may be considered with the greatest profit are his prayerfulness and his humility. He was ever wont to declare that he learned more at the foot of the crucifix than from books. ‘His marvelous science,’ says Brother Reginald, ‘was far less due to his genius than to the efficacy of his prayers. He prayed with tears to obtain from God the understanding of his mysteries, and abundant enlightenment was vouchsafed to his mind.’”
St. Teresa of Avila said, “The important thing in mental prayer is not to think much but to love much.”
「誰認識得多，也愛得多」
聖女佳琳指出誰認識得多也愛得多。我們獲得宗教智識是為愛天主，而不是為滿足個人的驕傲和好奇。
「荒漠中先賢的行實」一書，記載了一個故事，教我們看到對宗教智識應有的態度：
修院院長聖龐巴的智慧和知識，遠近皆聞。一天，一位年輕的隱修士慕名拜訪，聖人善情款待，并肩而坐。隱修士問了聖龐巴連串有關聖經的深奧難題，並一些連資深的神學家也不易解釋的奧理。聖人對所有問題完全緘默，令年輕的隱修士大為失望。他離開修院時，遇上一名聖龐巴的弟子，遂向他埋怨自己不惜長途跋涉向你們的院長求教，他居然讓自己空手而回。對方卻指出他們的院長不會費時以人有限的智慧，去探索無限天主的奧秘。他專注於如何在世成聖，來日堪當在天堂兒到天主。
這番弟子的話讓年輕的隱修士反覆思攷；他立即折返聖人房間，對聖人說：「我父，或許你可告訴我怎樣渡聖善和熱心的生活，以得享天堂。」聖龐巴抬頭，微笑地答道：「現在，你的問題開始令我欣悅，我可以答覆你。」
聖人遂向他講述天主偉大的愛，派遣祂唯一聖子從天降下，好讓我們罪人能有一日能到天鄉。他也講述基督的苦難。年輕的隱修士茅塞頓開，明白真正的智慧，能在天主的愛和在學習祂的聖者之內尋到。
聖賢學習真理，不只用思想，也用心神；他們不只認識真理，也活出真理，皆因真理轉化了他們的身心。
聖雅風講述聖多瑪斯一天請教聖文德有何書本可參攷那些精湛的教導時，聖文德指給他一尊因常親吻而變了顏色的苦像，答道：「這就是那書本。它教我寫作，它指導了我一切！」
畢勒出神父的「聖人傳記」指出：聖多瑪斯芸芸諸德中，最使他受惠的，莫過於他熱切的祈禱，和一顆謙遜的心。他確認在苦架下學得的，比從書本得著的更多！列諾修士憶述：「聖多瑪斯驚人的學識，來自他的祈禱，多於他的天才。他熱淚盈眶地向天主懇禱，領受對奧秘的明達，祈求天主的光照明悟。」
聖女大德蘭說：「在心禱中，重要的不是想得多，而是愛得多。」