"Non Nisi Te, Domine" (Nothing But You, Lord)
It was a basic textbook and resource book in our philosophy and theology classes in the seminary.
One can not but wonder at the extraordinary intellect of the author who produced it and earned for him the title "the Angelic Doctor." The work is well structured, which helps the student to study and understand the numerous topics treated. But being in Latin and due to the abstract nature of the subject, the Summa posed some challenges to me then. We did not use English translations then.
St. Thomas Aquinas was not only a brilliant thinker, philosopher and theologian. He was also a man of deep spirituality, a saint. He could not have written about God and most about His creation if he did not know Him in a very intimate way.
It is said that Our Lord Jesus on the crucifix once spoke to him saying: "You've written well of Me, Thomas. What do you want as your reward? His answer was: "Non nisi Te, Domine" -- "Nothing but You, Lord!"
I do not remember anymore what I did to my 5-volume Summa. I kept it for several years and sometimes opened some pages of what I had read and studied before just to reminisce those few seminary years. I probably donated it to a seminary library or someone aspiring for the priesthood. I had no further use for it especially since I moved residence several times.
I found out later on that the writings addressed so many questions about present-day realities and problems boldly but incompetently spoken about by some with different perspectives and preconceived notions. The Summa is instantly available on the internet for those who want to know the results of St. Thomas' thinking about the issues that concern us at the present day.
My Summa and my use of it accomplished a very important purpose in my life. Well, not really the Summa itself, but the spirituality of its author and the value he gave, not to his work, but to the God about Whom and for Whom he wrote it.
"Non nisi Te, Domine," I want "nothing but You, Lord."
That is the sense of values I know I should have and that should guide me in my life. . . . And I think in everyone's as well.
If one sincerely and humbly reflects, I believe it makes a lot of sense.
"Non nisi Te, Domine!" #
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with
all your strength." (Mark 12:30)
