The Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest & Doctor of the Church

by Father Ray Williams


January 28

    To become a student of St. Thomas is quite an adventure. One discovers so soon that even though this saint’s name is well-known, he is most often very much misunderstood, and even misrepresented. After all, he still has the aura around him of the man who does speak for the Church – one of the modern popes described him as the teacher who “shares in the very ray of the Magisterium” of the Church – and so if he can be tainted with ideological shortcomings (translate: lack of adherence to modernism and political correctness), then the Catholic Faith too, guilty by association, stands convicted.
    But the adventure remains… at least for the open-minded, a rare quality of soul these days. And the first thing that brings a student of Thomism into the confidence of his mentor (Aquinas) is this saint’s amazing humility. Regardless of some of the animosity towards him – whether political, philosophical or theological in nature – St. Thomas continues to be seen as a man of high intelligence. And a man of deep humility. For he had only one agenda: love of the Truth and the God who is Truth Himself.
    Not long before St. Thomas departed from this world, he, though seriously ill, was espied praying in the chapel late in the night by his sort of self-appointed guardian, Brother Reginald. Concerned for his master, Reginald secretly watched him from the loft to make sure that Thomas would be all right. Suddenly, as he testified under oath later, Reginald heard a voice speak as if from the crucifix over the high altar: “Thomas, you have written well of me. What will you have as your reward?” Before the passing of two seconds, Reginald heard his mentor respond, “Only you, Lord.”
    Such love and devotion will have its reward, and Thomas’ was twofold: that love of God burning in him wiped away all the petty agendas that so afflict those of lesser minds and narrow hearts; and, even more importantly, Thomas gained God, and in Him, everything else that is good and delightful to the human heart made over after the pattern of the heart of Christ.
    One of the major marks of this man’s virtue of humility was his guiding dictum for all who would call themselves scholars: “Never deny, seldom affirm, always distinguish.” Even in the face of rank heresy – and Thomas was absolutely committed to all the teachings of the Church – even when presented with heresy, though he would seek to win to the truth the heretic, Thomas would search for any truth latent in a proposition at odds with the Church. That is, his scholarly humility would lead to him to say that even heresy – something in itself he considered dreadful – could be the occasion of drawing out into a brighter light the truth or truths being challenged by an errant opinion. And if he refused to deny a proposition right off, he would also rarely affirm one right off: he knew, as we should too in our days, that opinions, fads, half-thoughts, people believing and pushing their ideas for no other reason than that their ideas are pleasing to them – all these things are a dime a dozen. Truth, Thomas knew, was a steep mountain to climb, and such an ascent – if one is willing to make it – is quite severe on the one who loves only his own ideas because they are his. Rather, one must bend the knee to the Truth, be ready to conform one’s mind to Truth, and obey the light one gains.
    Too, Thomas knew well, Truth is ultimately God Himself: “I am the way,” Jesus Christ proclaimed to all who would hear, “the truth and the life.” And this is why the adventure of St. Thomas is not only so attractive, but also why it is fraught with such terrible significance: the one who exalts himself and, without even an attempt at honesty and some docility, equates his opinions with reality, or the one – so many of them these days – who deny that there is any such thing as Truth – for these ones there is a frightful day of giving an account to the Truth whom they have so foolishly denied. Thomas, being so in love with Truth, would probably have a hard time understanding the blindness now so prevalent. But because of this, his love, he could then also be so generous with the efforts of others – without hesitation he respected and studied Muslim scholars of the Greek classics, read assiduously the works of pagans, listened childlike to his own mentors, sought wisdom in the writings of even those who were his avowed intellectual enemies, and saturated his scholarly endeavors with prayer and pleading to the only One who can lead us to the fullness of Truth. Thomas loved God, and that is the key to his life, his holiness and everything he accomplished.

Prayer to St. Thomas: O Angelic Doctor, Holy Thomas, prince of theologians and pattern of philosophers, bright ornament of the Christian world, light of the Church, heavenly patron of Catholic schools, who taught wisdom without invention, and shared it without grudging, pray to Wisdom Himself, the Son of God, for us. Pray that the Spirit of Wisdom having come into us, we may understand those things which you taught, and perform in imitation the things which you did. Pray also that we may be made partakers in the learning and virtues with which you while on earth did shine as the sun, ever their most sweet fruits, praising with you Divine Wisdom, through infinite ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer of St. Thomas Before Study: Creator past all telling, you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom the hierarchies of angels, disposing them in wondrous order above the bright heavens, and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe. You we call the true fount of wisdom and the noble origin of all things. Be pleased to shed on the darkness of mind in which I was born, the twofold beam of your light and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin. You make eloquent the tongues of children. Then instruct my speech and touch my lips with graciousness. Make me keen to understand, quick to learn, able to remember; make me delicate to interpret and ready to speak. Guide my going in and going forward, and lead home my going forth. You are true God and true Man, and live forever and ever. Amen.