Not Too Old to Learn

One of my favorite sayings is, “I grow old always being taught.” For that to be true, that would mean I must try to discover something new every day. I’m not always successful, but today was a good day. I learned something new today.

Today is the Feast of Saint Katherine the Great Martyr. Her beauty captured the attention of all, and her wisdom was beyond her age. He chastity and wisdom were the cause of her martyrdom, but the story doesn’t end there.

After her death, according to Holy Tradition, her relics were brought by angels to the monastery that today’s bears her name on Mount Sinai. The original date for her commemoration was November 24^th, yesterday, but that wasn’t a glorious enough day for her memory.

Some believe the monks petitioned for the date to changed to today, November 25^th to coincide with the Leave-taking (the ending of a feast) of the Presentation of the Theotokos. In this way her memory would be celebrated with greater joy since it was combined with the Theotokos.

For me, the change of her commemoration was something new. It may seem trivial, but it speaks of the interconnection between the calendar and our lives. Rather than breaking with the character of November 24^th to celebrate Saint Katherine with exuberance, the date changed.

There are several saints where this takes place, so the idea doesn’t shock me. I only share it today to reinforce that we should be open to learning something new, no matter how old we are especially when it come to our faith in God and the Church. We can’t possibly know it all.

I will admit that lately my eyes have been opened on more than one occasion by Church history. The more I learn the more I realize history was never as ‘cut and dry’ as we make it out to be. Events may not have taken place exactly as Holy Tradition teaches, but they did happen.

Sometimes multiple stories end up being transmitted as singular events. We know this to be true even in the Holy Scriptures, but this does not shake our faith. We already know human beings are subject to error. Being human is why God came to save us in the first place.

If the Church was worried about ‘the truth getting out’ about our human failings, then stories about the Apostles doubt and arguments would have been edited out of the Gospel. The truth should never bring fear. It normally beings a bit of humility but should never bring fear.

What is key to learning something ‘new’ about God is that it should lead us closer to Him and His Church. This is important even if the ‘something new’ is scandalous. Yes, the Church has had and will continue to have sinful men serve as Bishops, but the Holy Spirit guides us.

When, not if, you learn something new about the Church that tempts you to walk away, consider the alternative. Those who walk away from God, walk away from His protection and salvation. Instead of walking way, look beyond the scandal to how God ‘ended up’ protecting the Church.

God always protects His Church. That just might be worth learning today.