For those who seek to convey the Gospel through writing, preaching, or teaching, the octave of days from January 24th to January 31st has potential to provide extraordinary inspiration.
January 24th is the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church and patron of writers and the Catholic press. January 25th marks the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, an event which incited the man to write letters that became (almost) half of the New Testament. January 27th is the (optional) memorial of St. Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursuline order, whose history has been dedicated to the evangelization and formation of young women, particularly those of meager financial means. The memorial feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas, another Doctor of the Church and patron of teachers and students, stands on January 28th. The memorial of St. John Bosco, patron of catechists and editors, is celebrated on January 31st. For anyone engaged in these common means of evangelization, this lineup makes a fantastic team of intercessors.
St. Thomas Aquinas composed a prayer for writers, preachers, and teachers, and it seems the Angelic Doctor would pray it before engaging in his own work:
O Creator of the universe, who has set the stars in the heavens and causes the sun to rise and set, shed the light of your wisdom into the darkness of my mind. Fill my thoughts with the loving knowledge of you, that I may bring your light to others. Just as you can make even babies speak your truth, instruct my tongue and guide my pen to convey the wonderful glory of the Gospel. Make my intellect sharp, my memory clear, and my words eloquent, so that I may faithfully interpret the mysteries which you have revealed.
These words clarify the standard borne by all the saints. They also provide a sure guide for those of us who continue these efforts in the modern age, and so we will benefit enormously from a more thorough examination of the ideas and truths contained therein.
O Creator of the Universe…
The first line reminds us that it is the Heavenly Father who has ordained and arranged all things, a truth which each of the saints celebrated during this octave knew also. For example, writing about the inception point of a life of devotion to the Lord, Francis de Sales reminds seekers: “God has drawn you out of…nothingness to make you what you now are and he has done so solely out of his own goodness and without need of you” (Introduction to the Devout Life, p. 41). In our own efforts to write and preach and teach, we ought never to become egotistic about the efforts we make, realizing we all have been created and gifted by the Lord for a certain part of this work. Any one of us is only a small voice in a much greater chorus, a single instrument in a much grander symphony.
…shed the light of your wisdom into the darkness of my mind.
One of the effects of the fall (original sin) is a darkened and weakened intellect. The darkness and weakness compounds, as St. Paul tells us, if we persist in patterns of sin (cf. Rom. 1:18-22); and transformation begins with “the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). It is only by God’s grace that we receive enough illumination to gain some bit of clear intellectual and moral insight. We need God’s sight instead of our own, and for this we can rely on the spiritual gift of Wisdom we have received at Baptism, and which was strengthened at our Confirmation.
…that I may bring your light to others.
The next line of the prayer requests the ability to bring the light to others. Again, St. Paul instructs readers, “Walk as children of the light,” rather than perpetuating the darkness of sin that once ruled our lives (Eph. 5:3-10). In the material realm, we are incapable of bringing light into dark places if we do not carry candles, flashlights, or other sources of light. Analogously, in order to be bearers of spiritual light, we must have minds that are becoming—hopefully—ever more enlightened.
…instruct my tongue and guide my pen to convey the wonderful glory of the Gospel.
This seems to be the focal point of the prayer, as it identifies the objective of writing, preaching, and teaching. It recognizes first that the goal must never be for one’s own aggrandizement or honor, but the accomplishment of the mission Jesus has given. St. Paul consistently writes of worrying more about proclaiming Jesus Christ crucified and risen than about speaking in eloquent words or “angelic tongues” (1 Cor. 13:1). The work—whether of these saints or our own—is a response of obedience to God’s movements, instruction, and guidance. It must be Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, who speaks through any of us. If others come to a deeper knowledge of, and relationship with, Jesus because of what we write and say, then it must be considered successful.
Make my intellect sharp, my memory clear, and my words eloquent…
While the point above remains true, the Gospel is most effectively conveyed by sharp intellects and eloquent words. Because He had the purest of human intellects, Jesus was a clear and effective communicator; and the patron saints of this week sought to mimic that purity. In fact, the Apostle writes that the aim of the spiritual person is to “have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). It is incumbent on each writer, preacher, and teacher to be as logical and succinct—as clear and cogent—as possible and then leave the rest to the Lord.
…that I may faithfully interpret the mysteries which you have revealed.
Fidelity is key. Again, St. Paul knew, preached, and taught this concept as he wrote, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). We are called only to hand on what God has revealed, interpreting things while we attempt to read the signs of the times, as Jesus admonished us (cf. Mt. 16, 24).
So, in this prayer, we have a tool to keep us connected to the divine Source of our writing, preaching, and teaching. We will do well to recite it frequently, along with calling on the intercessors who spread the Gospel by these methods, no matter when their feast days fall. The combination of these two together will, we pray, elicit graces for our mission of evangelization and formation.
