Opening Prayer
Lord, give me the wisdom to use my reason to grasp what I must believe, yet keep that reason humble. Let it walk beside faith as a dedicated handmaid, never chattering in pride or rebelling against the truths you have revealed.
I petition for a mind that is well-trained and well-guided, using the reasoning skills you have given me as an instrument to decipher the meaning of your Word. May my intellect always remain in the service of a heart that seeks your grace.
Amen.
Matthew 11:25-30
25At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones. 26Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in thy sight. 27All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him. 28Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. 29Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. 30 For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.
St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More provides the definitive evaluation of the relationship between faith and reason: Reason is the “handmaid” of faith. It must not resist but walk with her. Consider St. Thomas More’s analogy of the “drunk handmaid.” When reason grows proud, it chatters too much. In God’s presence, ask if your intellectual pursuits have become a source of pride that argues with the Faith.
St. Thomas More argues for a necessary synergy between the intellect and belief, casting reason as the “handmaid” to her mistress, faith. While faith is the ultimate authority, reason is an essential instrument for deciphering meaning and comparing truths, provided it is “well trained” and kept from the intoxication of pride.
“Whoever would grasp what he must believe must use reason. Yet reason must not resist faith, but rather walk with her, waiting on her as her handmaid.”
— St. Thomas More
Mary and the Magisterium
St. Thomas More provides a vital metaphor: reason must act as the “handmaid to faith”, never rebelling but staying “well trained” and “guided” by her mistress. Mary embodies this perfectly in her identity as the “Handmaid of the Lord”. In her, the human intellect and the divine will reached a perfect harmony. She did not abandon reason—the Scriptures record her “pondering” and questioning the Archangel’s message—but she ensured her reason “waited on” the Truth. Her obedience demonstrates that the highest use of the human mind is not found in autonomous rebellion, but in its humble submission to the Word.
- Is my reason "running riot" in pride, or is it a "well-trained handmaid" to my faith?
- Do I use study resources to help me understand God's Word, or do I rely solely on my own "fancies"?
Closing Prayer
Lord, let my powers of reason always be employed in the lively service of the faith Thou hast gifted me.
Amen.
