"Indeed whoever labors to penetrate the secrets of reality with a humble and steady mind, even though he is unaware of the fact, is nevertheless being led by the hand of God, who holds all things in existence, and gives them their identity."
Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no. 42
In memory of John Frederick Thomas, January 13, 1922 - April 14, 2010.
Jesus Christ revealed the Divinity in his humanity. He shared the most sublime truths about God in the most ordinary human experiences: he made friendships, he told stories, he shared meals. Ever since, Christians have identified the presence of God even where it is not explicit. My grandfather did not "go to church." Although we sometimes spoke about my work in the Church, I cannot recall a single conversation in which he confessed any personal faith.
He did have a strong desire to know the truth. During a visit with him, you were likely to learn that he was working on a math problem and a "project." The math problem was obscure and the project appeared to the rest of us little more than shifting a pile of junk from the pool house to the garage. Yet it was clear to me that this was a man who was trying to figure things out. He approached the world with wonder and awe, not the skepticism that is more typical of our age. Rather than doubt new ideas, he had a love of travel and an open mind to new experiences.
More importantly, he had a desire to the share the truth. He gave me a copy of The Ascent of Man, a book on evolutionary theory, when I was only 12 years old. It took me three years to understand it.
It ought to be the prayer of the Christians here that the Creator and ruler of all things, the Truth in person, will share with my grandfather, your relative and friend, the truth about Himself. I hope he has his answers.