St. Thomas Aquinas
(1225 - 1274)
My name is Thomas Aquinas. I was the son of a noble family in Italy. When I was only five years old I was given into the care of the Benedictine monks of Monte Cassino. God gave me a great mind. Even today people say that I was given one of the greatest minds men have had. But I was not proud of it. I knew that any gifts I had came from God and only God deserves the credit. You may take me as your patron for your schools. I will help you spiritually in your studies if you ask me. You must work yourself to do your very best. If you ask, I will speak to God for you to inspire you to understand things more like Christ.
When I was nineteen years old I decided to join the Dominican Order. The Dominicans are sometimes called the Order of Preachers. My family had other plans for me. My family was very much against my joining this religious order and did everything they could think of to stop me. When I was on my way to Paris to study, my brothers captured me and kept me a prisoner in a castle for two years.
While I was a prisoner in the castle my own brothers did all they could to make me change my mind. Finally, they sent a bad woman into my room to tempt me to sin against holy purity. Instead, I took a burning brand from the fireplace and chased her away and then with the hot iron traced the cross on the door.
So completely did I conquer the demon of impurity that God rewarded me thereafter by keeping all serious temptations against holy purity away from me. Because I was innocent in virtue, especially that of holy purity, and because my intellect was so great, reminding people of the great intellects of the angels, holy Mother Church has given me the title of "Angelic Doctor." A Doctor of the Church is one who teaches the true faith of the Church.
I finally got to study in Paris and also Cologne, where I was a pupil of the great teacher St. Albert the Great. In the year 1257 I received my doctorate in theology at Paris. I received my degree as doctor at the same time as the Franciscan, St. Bonaventure. I remained a close friend of St. Bonaventure all my life.
St. Albert the Great, St. Bonaventure and myself all became mystics. A mystic is one who experiences the presence of God in the soul in a very special way. You see, everyone in the state of sanctifying grace has the Blessed Trinity dwelling in his soul.
My many writings have been considered to be the most important following those of Saint Augustine of Hippo. The great Council of Trent took my book called the "Summa Theologica" and placed it next to the Bible. After the Bible my Summa is said to be the greatest book ever written. Seminarians or young men who are studying to become priests are still required today to study my writings.
I was the writer who developed a method for explaining and understanding the true Catholic faith. It is called "Scholasticism."
I used methods of thinking such as those of Aristotle, a Greek philosopher. However, the true Catholic faith itself comes from Sacred Scripture and all the things God Himself has revealed.
I loved the Blessed Virgin Mary very much. I wrote on most everything I could think of about the true Catholic faith. But I have become known as the Doctor (Teacher) of the Divine Motherhood of Mary. Whenever I would take up a new pen or start writing a new page I would first write the words "Ave Maria."
I was canonized a saint in 1323, which was a long time before that December 8, 1854, when Pope Pius IX drew up the official definition of Catholic faith on the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
This is the way the definition (dogma) of Catholic faith was stated: "We decree, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, has been revealed by God, and must, therefore, firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful."
As the patron of Catholic schools and all Catholics who study, I desire that each one of you have a deep devotion to Mary. She is the "Woman of Faith." I am happy that while I was upon earth I was able to study Mary in the Bible and write about her. This helped people know and love Mary better. If Christians know and love Mary better they will know and love Jesus Christ more.
SUMMARY: The teaching in philosophy and theology as developed by St. Thomas Aquinas is called Thomism. His philosophy is known as Scholastic philosophy. Vatican Council II's Decree on Priestly Formation said: ". . . By way of making the mysteries of salvation known as thoroughly as they can be, students should learn to penetrate them more deeply with the help of speculative reason exercised under the tutelage of St. Thomas."
St. Thomas had a special talent for bringing together human knowledge from the best of sources that had gone before him. Using human reason, this saint helped the Church study the Word of God and come to profound conclusions as to understanding in greater depth the true faith of the Church.
Faith of course is a free gift of God. Faith and reason are two different ways of realizing the knowledge of truth. Faith begins and ends with the action of God, who freely gives it to us. Reason begins and ends in our own activity. Faith depends upon the authority of God, who has revealed the truth to us. Reason is the power of man using his intelligence. By using reason correctly, we can arrive at a greater understanding of the true faith given us by God. Some truths are intrinsically contained in what God has revealed, and our reason can come to realize the deeper truths of God.
Faith that is true and reason that is true logic can never be in contradiction. St. Thomas Aquinas did much for the Church, and his work is still of great value today. Without a correct use of reason, such as shown us by St. Thomas Aquinas, members of the Church can become confused as to what is true faith. Without sound reason, the doctrines of the Church or Sacred Scripture itself can be misinterpreted.
The authority of the Church exercised by individual Popes and at Ecumenical Councils has repeatedly stated that the principles of St. Thomas should be used in the instruction of students.