November 15th is the feast day of Saint Albert the Great. Guided by St. Mary, who appeared to Albert in an apparition, he became a Dominican friar and renowned scholar. St. Albert is patron of scientists, philosophers, teachers, and students. He was also a teacher and mentor to Saint Thomas Aquinas the “Angelic Doctor”. St. Albert is known as the “Universal Doctor” since he was an expert in many subjects – a walking encyclopedia some say. This humble 13th century friar, bishop, theologian, scientist and philosopher shows us that faith, reason and science are compatible.
In The Paradise of the Soul: Forty-Two Virtues to Reach Heaven (by Saint Albert the Great, Translated by Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB)
https://tanbooks.com/products/books/the-paradise-of-the-soul-forty-two-virtues-to-reach-heaven/ St. Albert examines many virtues and one of them is “Liberty”. He begins by telling us that “[t]rue liberty may be said to exist when a person is not bound by sin or vice.” “To commit sin is not liberty or freedom (as some people imagine), nor is it any part of liberty.” “The person who has attained true freedom will not be held captive of desire for any temporal things. Nor shall he be controlled by the praise or favor of other people, nor by considerations of his own comfort, nor by servile fear, nor by the delight of any transitory joys.” (Albert the Great, The Paradise of the Soul, Chapter 27, all quotes from pp. 151-152, Kindle Edition). Neither individuals nor nations can be slaves to sin and claim to have liberty and freedom. As one contemplates making the Republic great (or great again) know that it is being “one nation under God” from which the “liberty and justice for all” derives.
