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President O’Reilly’s Address at the 2023 Alumni Association Dinner
“They Shall Be Created”
by Paul J. O’Reilly, Ph.D. (’84)
President
Thomas Aquinas College
Alumni Association Dinner
June 24, 2023
As you know, every class at TAC begins with the Prayer to the Holy Spirit. I would like to reflect upon one verse in that prayer, taken from the Psalms: “Send forth Thy spirit, and they shall be created; and Thou shall renew the face of the earth.” What are we asking for here? What do these words mean?
“Although with grace we become this new creation, it is God Who effects the renewal of the face of the earth.”
In a general way we are asking God the Father, together with His Son, to send us His Holy Spirit. But send the Holy Spirit to accomplish what? What do we intend when we ask that “they shall be created”? And what is this renewal we pray for?
St. Thomas, in a sermon preached on Pentecost Sunday, suggests that one meaning of “create” is to bring into being, but another use of the word “creation” means to be raised up or promoted. At first this seemed strange to me; it is not clear that we use the word “create” that way, but I looked into the works of William Shakespeare and found countless uses of the word “create” to mean to elevate or promote.
- In Henry VI, Part 1, (Act III, scene 1) When King Henry promotes Richard to Duke of York, he says: “Rise Richard, … And rise created princely Duke of York.”
- And in Act III, scene 4, King Henry makes Talbot an Earl by saying: “We here create you Earl of Shrewsbury.”
- Another example is found in Richard II, Act II, scene 1: King Richard makes York governor of England while the King is in Ireland, saying: “And we create, in absence of ourself, Our uncle York lord governor of England.”
So, Shakespeare shows us that the word “create” can mean to be raised up from one’s current position.
St. Thomas also points out the words of St. Paul in the letter to the Galatians: “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” The creation that is prayed for, then, is a re-creation, or as St. Paul puts it, “a new creation.”
Back to the prayer: When we ask that “they shall be created,” we are asking for an elevation, or promotion, or re-creation from the Holy Spirit. Now, the context of the Psalm from which the prayer is taken also helps us understand what we mean when we say, “They shall be created” (Psalm 104, v. 30). Earlier in the Psalm we hear that “These all look to thee, to give them their food in due season.” All living things should look to God … and when “thou hidest thy face, they are dismayed.” So “they” refers to those who look to God for sustenance. In this prayer, then, when we ask that the Holy Spirit be sent and that “they shall be created,” we are asking that God sends His Holy Spirit that the living be elevated by grace to become new creatures. St. Thomas adds that this re-creation is with respect to four things: the grace of charity, knowledge of God, harmony of peace, and constancy (so that our hearts be not troubled.)
Although with grace we become this new creation, it is God Who effects the renewal of the face of the earth: “Thou shall renew the face of the earth.” No doubt we are empowered to act because of God’s grace, and no doubt we are instruments of this renewal, but it is God Who works within us.
Finally, we pray for a renewal of the face of the earth. Not only does “face of the earth” refer to the whole world, but in particular to those creatures in the world who are seeking God. St. Thomas refers to Tobit (3:12): “Now I turn my face toward Thee and direct my eyes toward Thee.” Even as instruments we should not attempt to do our part to renew the face of the earth immediately. As St. Thomas puts it, we should first turn our face to God and then turn our face to our neighbor.
So, when we pray: “Send forth Thy spirit, and they shall be created; and Thou shall renew the face of the earth.” We are asking God to send forth the Holy Spirit that we may be elevated by grace to love God and neighbor, to know the source of our re-creation, in order to live in peace with God and neighbor, and to be constant in times of turmoil. And we make this prayer confident that it is God Who will be the principal agent whereby we become instruments to effect a renewal of the face of the earth.
Why We Need this Prayer More than Ever …
These are discouraging times. If we rely on our own efforts, it can be even more discouraging. But if we have confidence that God wants to re-create us in grace, so that He can empower us to be His instruments to renew the face of the earth, then we should have confidence and peace that the good will prevail.
“We are educating more than 150 students now than we would if we had not expanded, and that number will grow. Of those, 6 of the graduates have entered the seminary; that number will grow also.”
I think an example of this work of renewal is something close to your own experience. TAC’s expansion to the East Coast is clearly an act of providence.
We discovered that before we even knew about the opportunity in Massachusetts that many had been praying that a TAC would come to the East Coast. Since we have opened, we have attracted faculty and students who would not have come to California.
We are educating more than 150 students now than we would if we had not expanded, and that number will grow. Of those, 6 of the graduates have entered the seminary; that number will grow also.
In these difficult times, God has blessed TAC. With His grace we will renew the face of the earth.