Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”

Hebrews

When Fr. James Martin S.J. took a job as a corporate accountant for General Electric because that’s what graduates of Wharton Business College did, he was miserable. One night on TV, he happened to catch a show about Thomas Merton, the great Trappist writer. To his surprise, it spoke deeply to him -- his first inkling of a call that eventually led him to the Jesuits.

Fr. Martin describes this road in his book, In Good Company. I highly recommend it not only as a great read but also as an illustration of the message of today’s reading from Hebrews: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” The story should resonate with those who have struggled with following a prompting of the spirit that they neither expected nor understand.