1. Not by flesh and blood.
The Catholic religion is a religion revealed by God; in fact, the only one revealed by a god. As such only God can teach and explain it. Let’s recall the dialogue between Christ and His apostles: “Who do people say I am?” And Peter answered; “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And Jesus praised him saying: “Flesh and blood had not revealed it to you but My Father in heaven.”
2. Theological schools were doing it wrong.
Hey, wait a minute. You mean we cannot learn the things of God from teachers or preachers of flesh and blood? We can only learn from the Father in heaven? Right! So seminaries and theological and even religious houses had been doing things wrong all these years and you are wondering why very few know the Catholic Faith? Most Catechist, priests, nuns and parents had been doing a bad job? Right! And they had been doing it for the last three known generations. No wonder the world is like this.
3. How do you learn to lay a deep foundation of the Gospel Doctrine?
The book of Wisdom states that the word “wise” in Scriptural language has often been used to refer to craftiness, like the unjust steward is praised because he acted wisely, and the children of this world are often wiser than the children of light. That’s one kind of wisdom.
4. The wisdom of children.
There is another wisdom which is used to describe the innocent, gullible and simpleton which the business smart guys often missed. This is the wisdom that comes from God and given to children. Peter, after three years training under Christ, acquired this wisdom which consists in being “like little children.” It is the method by which we learn through Pope Benedict’s “New Evangelization.” And this is different from the way used by seminaries and theologiacal schools.
5. The truths are learned through a way of life.
The truths of Christ are learned not in the classroom like other subjects. They are learned through living a way of life…. a life of humility. The book of wisdom repeats interminably that wisdom is given to the humble. “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart. Learn My humility and I’ll teach you My Theology.
6. Acquire wisdom through humility; learn humility through obedience.
Did I fail to mention books, classes, professors, etc. I sure did! You only need humility acquired through obedience. Christ asked His disciples who men said He was, to remove the false opinions or ideas they got before He revealed Himself. Most of us have learned our theology through flesh and blood, like in theological schools and have learned little. Living a life of obedience according to the Rule of St. Benedict and acquiring humility (St. Benedict enumerates 7 degrees of humility) is the way to be worthy to receive the gift of wisdom. Humility is the classroom from where we learn the things of God. That’s why St. Benedict calls his monasteries the school of the Lord’s service. The steps: obey that you may become humble. God expresses His Will to the humble and gives the knowledge on Who He is and how to glorify Him.
7. What is man’s and what is God’s.
The things of men can be discussed by men but the things of God can only be discussed by God. The opinion of men about Christ was close to the truth but still far below the true dignity of God. When Christ questioned Peter much more was expected of him to see beyond the appearances.
8. Christ was asking for what was concealed which is only revealed to believers. The answer must combine natural knowledge of the Son of Man and a supernatural knowledge of the Son of God. One without the other offers us no hope of wisdom or salvation.
Christ invites them to higher thoughts concerning Him. “Whom say ye that the Son of Man is. You being men think of Me as man, ye who are gods, whom do you think of Me. Christ had asked for the wrong opinions of the common men. Now He questions those who are recipient of His revelation. For the opinion of men, all the disciples answered. For the true opinion, only Peter answers. The Jews knew He was the Son of Man but did not know He was the Son of God. “Thou are the Son of the Living God”. A living Son of God.
“Blessed are you Simon Bar Jona for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.” That which flesh and blood could not reveal, was revealed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Peter had received a revelation from the Holy Spirit. Not from the words of the mouth of flesh and blood but by the grace of God.
The deeper doctrines of the Catholic Faith are received by revelation. That’s why the first monks learned their theology by living a life of silence
Peter was blessed because to have looked and to have seen beyond human sight is matter of praise, not beholding that which is of flesh and blood, but seeing the Son of God by the revelation of the heavenly Father. And this revelation can grow as one’s faith increases.
In short, the way to learn the doctrine of our faith is by acquiring the virtue of humility. All the Holy Rules of the founders of religious orders contain this. The defect is oftentimes in the exectuion of the rules. It is upon the acquisition of humility that we become deserving of the knowledge given to the Fathers and the Doctors of the Church. We are reminded of the Cure of Ars who was almost always in danger of failing his seminary courses. His homilies were comparable to the great Fathers of the Church. And St. Therese of Lisieux who never attended a theological seminar nor read many books is now a doctor of the Church.
(The picture above is the monastery of Saint Catherine at the foot of Mt. Sinai. The early monks believed that to learn the things of God, they must live a way of life as Moses did, waiting by the foot of Mt. Sinai.)