Thomas
Aquinas was born about 1225 in the castle of Rocca Secca, into the
noble lineage of the family of Aquino. His father, Landulf, was a knight
and his mother, Theodora, a countess.
At age five Thomas was
sent to the Benedictines of Monte Cassino as an oblate and remained
until thirteen. He was studious, meditative and devoted to prayer, and
frequently asked the question, “What is God?”
Around 1236, the
Abbot convinced Thomas’ father that such a talented lad should go to
Naples to study, and there he shone academically. In Naples Thomas came
under the influence of the Dominican Order of Preachers, and at nineteen
was received into the Order.
His family was indignant because he
had chosen a mendicant order. At Theodora’s orders two of his
soldier-brothers imprisoned him in a castle. They even introduced a
temptress into Thomas’ chamber whom he drove away with a brand snatched
from the fire. Falling to his knees he begged God for the virtue of
integrity of mind and body. Falling asleep, he dreamt of two angels who
girded him with a white girdle saying, “receive the girdle of perpetual
virginity”, and he was never tempted by the flesh again – for which he
is called “The Angelic Doctor”. He spent the two years of his captivity
praying, studying and writing.
Finally
his mother relented. Returning to the Dominicans they found that he had
made so much progress on his own, that he was soon ordained. Sent to
study in Cologne under St. Albert Magnus, his great size and silence
earned him the encomium of “the Dumb Ox” but hearing his brilliant
defense of a difficult thesis, St. Albert responded, "We call this young
man a dumb ox, but his bellowing in doctrine will one day resound
throughout the world."
Thomas received his doctorate in Theology
in Paris, and went on to teach, preach, and write extensively. Between
1259 and 1268 he was in Italy as Preacher General teaching in the school
of selected scholars attached to the Papal court. About 1266 he began
writing the most famous of all his works, The Summa Theologiae.
In
1269 he was back in Paris, where he was a friend and counselor of King
St. Louis IX. In 1272 he was recalled to Italy. On the feast of St.
Nicholas the following year he received a revelation that caused him to
leave his great Summa unfinished saying, “…all that I have written seems like so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me.”
Becoming
ill, Thomas died on March 7, 1274 at fifty years of age. He was
canonized in 1323 and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope St. Pius V
in 1567.
Thursday, January 28, 2021
St. Thomas Aquinas
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