 |
| painted by another mother last summer |
St. Thomas Aquinas
Feast day: January 28
Birth: 1226
Death: 1274
Patron of students and all universities
Upper class family of Sicily
Thomas had the misfortune of being born the youngest son of a wealthy family. With no real inheritance, his parents raised him to enter the monastery from the start. So much for following your calling, but that was not necessarily the way during his life time. He was sent away to school at the age of five years old.
He would study philosophy at university in Naples, and he was introduced to the recently founded Dominican order at this time. Although his family had wanted him to follow this path a path to priesthood, they were not sure about this new order. His mother arranged for him to be sent to Paris. Thomas began a journey to Rome and his older brothers had him captured and returned home to set hims straight.
Thomas was held captive in the castle for one year as his family tried to keep him from joining the Dominican Order. In the year he was held, Thomas tutored his sisters and communicated with members of the Dominican Order. His family was so determined to sway him from his decision that they even tried to have him commit immoral acts; however, angels would come to him at night and help him remain celibate.
In 1244, knowing that she could not change his mind, his mother tried to preserve the family name by arranging for his escape through a window. She believed a secret escape was better than appearing to accept his decision. Thomas was able to return to Naples and sent to Paris but was eventually sent to a university in Cologne to complete his studies.
Thomas was quiet and seldom spoke at the university, leading other students to believe he was mentally delayed, but his mentor prophetically said, "You call him the dumb ox, but in his teaching he will one day produce such a bellowing that it will be heard throughout the world."
After completing his own studies, he was made an assistant professor of the Old Testament in Cologne. It was at this time that he wrote his first paper as well. He would then return to Paris to begin his Masters degree and assisted in teaching classes on the Bible. He would also write several more papers analyzing others works and the Bible. It would be during his continued stay in Paris as a student and a professor that he would write many of his famous works.
In 1265, Thomas was summoned to Rome to serve as the papal theologian and was later ordered by the Dominicans to teach at their university, which was the first school to teach the full range of philosophical subjects of both moral and natural natures. While teaching, Thomas wrote his most famous work, Summa theologiae, which he believed was particularly useful to beginning students "because a doctor of Catholic truth ought not only to teach the progicient, but to him pertains also to instruct beginners." It is an explanation and summary of the entire body of Catholic teaching, has been standard for centuries, even to our own day. At the Council of Trent it was consulted after the Bible.
After a brief return to Paris as regent of the university, Thomas was asked to establish a university wherever he wanted with a staff of whomever he wished. He established the university in Naples and took the regent master post.
In 1273 Thomas was seen crying and levitating in prayer before an icon of the crucified Christ at the Dominican convent of Naples, in the Chapel of Saint Nicholas.
During this prayer, Christ is said to have told him, "You have written well of me, Thomas. What reward would you have for your labor?"
Thomas replied, "Nothing but you, Lord."
Following this exchange, something happened but Thomas never wrote or spoke of it. He abandoned his routine and, when begged to return to work, replied, "I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me."
In 1274, Thomas was called to the Second Council of Lyon, where his works for Pope Urban IV would be presented. While journeying to the meeting, Thomas hit his head on the branch of a fallen tree and fell ill. He was escorted to Monte Cassino to recover, then he set out again. Unfortunately, he became ill once again and stopped at an abbey, where the monks cared for him for several days. He received his last rites and prayed, "I receive Thee, ransom of my sou. For love of Thee have I studied and kept vigil, toiled, preached and taught..."
Thomas died on March 7, 1274, while giving commentary on the Song of Songs. A philosopher until the end. After he died his lifelong companion and confessor testified, "I have always known him to be as innocent as a five-year-old child. Never did a carnal temptation soil his soul, never did he consent to a mortal sin." He cherished a most tender devotion to St. Agnes, constantly carrying relics of this virgin martyr on his person.
"How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God."
No comments:
Post a Comment