At the latest St Philomena’s Guild conference, each lady was given a protector Saint to whom their year has been entrusted. I was given St Thomas Aquinas, who is also known as the Universal teacher or the Christian Apostle.
He was born at the end of 1226 and died in 1274. He is the Patron Saint of students and Universities. He started his education at 5 years of age at the Benedictine Monastery of Monte Cassino before being transferred to Naples for further education. While at University he was influenced by a Dominican preacher and then wanted to join the newly founded order of the Dominicans. Learning of his decision and wanting to change her son’s mind, Thomas’ mother, Theodora arranged for him to be moved to Paris. While Thomas was travelling to Rome, his brothers captured him and took him back their parent’s Castle, of Monte San Giovanni Campano. Here he was held captive for a year, all the while tutoring his sisters. There was a time, when Thomas’ brothers, in trying to dissuade him from joining the Dominicans, sent a prostitute to seduce him. It is believed that Thomas drove the woman off with a hot iron. That night two angles appeared to the Saint confirming that he must stay celibate. Theodora, having given up trying to deter her Son’s Vocation, decided to arrange an escape for her son, in order that she might save their family’s reputation. In her mind, it was better that Thomas appeared as though he had run away than let others believe that she had allowed her Son to join the Dominican Order.
From 1244 to 1248, Thomas went from Naples, to Rome, to Paris to Cologne, studying and meeting various scholastics, many of whom were Dominicans. Thomas hardly spoke, which led other students to believe he was mentally delayed. However, the Chair of Theology at St James University in Paris and Dominican Scholar, Albertus Magnus (also known as St Albert the Great), prophetically stated, “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."
As the years passed, he completed yet higher levels of education, becoming a professor, and henceforth devoting his time to the writing of various and now highly reputed works. Through his works he defended the mendicant orders (begging orders), which were under attack and defined theological and philosophical truths, writing to instruct both beginners and scholastics in the faith.
There was a problem in Medieval thought at the time in the struggle to reconcile Theology (faith) and Philosophy (reason). The Philosopher, Averroes argued that the two types of knowledge were in direct opposition. Thomas controversially rejected this theory, stating that, "both kinds of knowledge ultimately come from God" and were therefore compatible. In fact, Thomas believed that beyond both types of knowledge being reconcilable, they could work in collaboration. He argued that Revelation could guide the reason and reason could clarify and demystify the faith.
Thomas Aquinas proved the existence of God, making five points, each proving the existence of God in a different way. As well as this, he still serves as a relevant source of wisdom shedding light on social behaviour, which seems to have a timeless context, and includes answers to the most obscure questions which he confronts in Summa Theologica, probably his most famous work.
It was in 1265, that he was summoned to Rome to serve as the Papal Theologian. Thomas served as regent of various Universities and towards the end of his time serving in the Governing body, he was asked to establish his own University, which he did in Naples. It was here in 1273 that he was seen levitating and crying in prayer before an icon of Christ crucified in the Dominican Covent. It is said that Christ, while before Thomas, said to him, "You have written well of me, Thomas. What reward would you have for your labour?", to which Thomas replied, “Nothing but you, Lord”. All his wisdom was derived from grace and prayer; this source was also how he was able to obtain such humility. Indeed, an example of this was when Thomas had a mystical experience which caused him to put down his pen and stop writing. When urged to continue his work, he replied, "I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me." Indeed, he never wrote again.
It was in his last days, when he was on his way to the Second Council of Lyon to present his work for Pope Urban IV that he fell ill and continually underwent similar bouts of illness until he finally died on March 7th of 1274 in a Cistercian Monastery.
Saint Thomas was known throughout his life to have preserved a cherubic innocence and practised the virtues of purity and chastity to perfection. Pope John XXII said of him before St Thomas’ canonisation, that “[St Thomas’] life was saintly, and his doctrine could only be miraculous … because he enlightened the church more than all the other doctors.” He has also been called, “the most brilliant light of the Church,” when Pope Pius V declared him a Doctor of The Church.
St Thomas, though renowned, both in his life and after his death and being understood as one of the greatest and most influential Philosophers and Theologians the world has ever known, he remained a quiet and humble man, who kept Christ at the centre of his life. He prayed at the end of his life, while receiving the last rites, "I receive Thee, ransom of my soul. For love of Thee have I studied and kept vigil, toiled, preached and taught..." His mission was his teaching and scholastic thought; indeed, he was truly spent by the end of his life, having used the gifts that God had bestowed upon him. In fulfilling his scholastic mission, he has so enriched the doctrinal formulations of the Church and has mapped the way for the rest of who are Christians, living in every vocation and way of life. I encourage every Christian to turn to this Saint to ask for his powerful intercession, particularly if he is a Student to aid him in his work. I enclose the Student’s Prayer by Saint Thomas, below:
Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance.
Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion.
This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever.
*For those who find the writings of St Thomas too intimidating, a helpful guide to Thomism, which is short and concise is ‘Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: A Quick Layman's Guide to Thomism’ by Doctor Taylor Marshal.
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