Tuesday, January 28

Liturgical Color: White

On this day in 1547, Henry VIII, King of
England died. His refusal to accept the
Church’s teaching on divorce led him to
break England away from the Church.
Those who remained faithful to the Catholic
Church, such as St. Thomas More, were
martyred.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:January 28, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who made Saint Thomas Aquinas outstanding in his zeal for holiness and his study of sacred doctrine, grant us, we pray, that we may understand what he taught and imitate what he accomplished. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Risotto alla Milanese

o Brodo Apostolorum

o Cappelletti all'uso di Romagna

o Crown Cake

o Genoise Book Cake

o German Cinnamon Stars

o Lamb Cake

o Little Hats Cappelletti

o Mostarda di Cremona

o Nameday Sugar Cookies

o Overnight Basic Italian

o Panettone

o Pasticcio di Polenta

o Polenta

o Ship Cake

o Star-Studded Chiffon Pie

o Symbolic Pastries

o Vegetable Soup with Rice

ACTIVITIES

o Hymn: Adoro Te Devote - Hidden God

o Hymn: Pange Lingua

o Hymn: Sacris Solemniis - At This Our Solemn Feast

o Hymn: Tantum Ergo - Down in Adoration Falling

o Hymn: Verbum Supernum - The Word of God

o Nameday Celebration Prayers and Ideas for Saint Thomas

o Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Matrimony)

PRAYERS

o Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas for Schools

o Prayer to the Angel of Schools

o Litany of St. Thomas Aquinas

o Novena for Purification

LIBRARY

o Saint Thomas Aquinas (2) | Pope Benedict XVI

o Saint Thomas Aquinas (3) | Pope Benedict XVI

o Saint Thomas Aquinas | Pope Benedict XVI

o Studiorum Ducem (On St. Thomas Aquinas) | Pope Pius XI

o The Meaning of Virtue in St. Thomas Aquinas | Fr. John A. Hardon S.J.

o The Philosophy of Woman of St. Thomas Aquinas | Kristin M. Popik

o The Teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas in Regard To the Apostles | Nicholas Halligan O.P.

o Thomas Aquinas: a Doctor for the Ages | Romanus Cessario

o Thomas Aquinas: the Angelic Doctor | Sal Ciresi

· Ordinary Time: January 28th

· Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor

Old Calendar: St. Peter Nolasco, confessor

St. Thomas Aquinas is the Dominican order's greatest glory. He taught philosophy and theology with such genius that he is considered one of the leading Christian thinkers. His innocence, on a par with his genius, earned for him the title of "Angelic Doctor".

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, St. Thomas' feast was celebrated on March 7.

Today is the feast of St. Peter Nolasco, who was born in southern France. After the death of his wealthy parents, he spent his inheritance in Barcelona to rescue Christians enslaved by the Moors. He formed a lay confraternity, which later developed into the religious order of the Mercedarians, and led his fellow workers into Moorish territory to purchase the freedom of Christian captives, and to make numerous conversions among the non-Christians. Later Peter's Mercedarians labored among the Indians of the far-flung Spanish American Empire.

St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas ranks among the greatest writers and theologians of all time. His most important work, the Summa Theologiae, 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.

To a deeply speculative mind, he joined a remarkable life of prayer, a precious memento of which has been left to us in the Office of Corpus Christi. Reputed as great already in life, he nevertheless remained modest, a perfect model of childlike simplicity and goodness. He was mild in word and kind in deed. He believed everyone was as innocent as he himself was. When someone sinned through weakness, Thomas bemoaned the sin as if it were his own. The goodness of his heart shone in his face, no one could look upon him and remain disconsolate. How he suffered with the poor and the needy was most inspiring. Whatever clothing or other items he could give away, he gladly did. He kept nothing superfluous in his efforts to alleviate the needs of others.

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. He died in 1274, at the age of fifty, in the abbey of Fossa Nuova. He is the patron saint of schools and of sacred theology.

— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Academics; against storms; against lightning; apologists; book sellers; Catholic academies; Catholic schools; Catholic universities; chastity; colleges; learning; lightning; pencil makers; philosophers; publishers; scholars; schools; storms; students; theologians; universities; University of Vigo.

Symbols: Chalice; monstrance; ox; star; sun; teacher with pagan philosophers at his feet; teaching.

Things to do:

Read G.K. Chesterton's biography, St. Thomas Aquinas, The Dumb Ox, which is full of Chestertonian profundity and wit online or purchase it from Amazon.
Dive into the intellectual depth and beauty of St. Thomas' thought in his Summa Theologiae. Familiarize yourself with his method of inquiry by reading his section on God's attributes, especially the goodness of God. Here is a Bibliography in English.
Nearly everyone, especially young people, knows and appreciates the story of St. Thomas chasing the prostitute from his room with a burning log. (She was sent by his wealthy family to tempt him away from the religious life.) After he drove away the temptress, two angels came to him and fastened a mystical chastity cord around his waist. Buy or fashion your own chastity belt, easy to make from braided yarn or thin, soft rope. (St. Joseph chastity belts are available at some Catholic shops.) This would be a beautiful alternative or addition to the "True Love Waits" chastity pledge and ring. It is a wonderful low-key symbol for self-conscious teens. It also serves as an excellent reminder to pray daily for the virtue of chastity.
Meditate upon the profound humility of St. Thomas Aquinas, whose intellectual capacity far surpasses any since his time. He stopped writing at the end of his life after having a vision of the glory of God, claiming that 'All that I have written seems to me like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me.' How often do we take pride in our own intellectual achievements, fully crediting them to ourselves?
If you are a student or teacher, or at all concerned about the crisis of Catholic education, make ample use of the Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas for Schools and the Prayer to the Angel of Schools.
Read Pope Leo XIII's encyclical, Aeterni Patris, strangely relevant to our time in its exhortation towards a renewal in philosophical study with a focus on the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Finally, read Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Fides et Ratio, especially the section on The enduring originality of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. He expresses a similar intent to that of Pope Leo XIII's in the following words, "If it has been necessary from time to time to intervene on this question, to reiterate the value of the Angelic Doctor's insights and insist on the study of his thought, this has been because the Magisterium's directives have not always been followed with the readiness one would wish."
From the Catholic Culture library: Light from Aquinas , The Meaning of Virtue in St. Thomas Aquinas and The Philosophy of Woman of St. Thomas Aquinas. For many more documents search the library for "aquinas".

St. Peter Nolasco

One night while Peter Nolasco was praying, the Blessed Virgin appeared (1228) and told him how greatly pleased she and her divine Son would be if a religious order were established in her honor for the express purpose of delivering Christians held in bondage by the infidels. In compliance with her wish, Peter, together with St. Raymond of Penafort and James I, King of Aragon, founded the Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives. Besides the usual vows, all members were required to take a fourth, one by which they bound themselves to become captives of the pagans, if necessary, to effect the emancipation of Christians.

On one occasion Peter Nolasco ransomed 400 at Valencia and Granada; twice he traveled to Africa as "the Ransomer," not without peril to his own life; and records show that through his personal efforts a total of 890 Christians regained their liberty. He died with these words from Psalm 110 on his lips: The Lord has sent redemption to His people.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Things to Do:

To find out more about the history of the Mercedarian Order read this account.

Doctors of the Catholic Church

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Also known as

Angelic Doctor
Doctor Angelicus
Doctor Communis
Great Synthesizer
The Dumb Ox
The Universal Teacher

Memorial

28 January
formerly 7 March

Profile

Son of the Count of Aquino, born in the family castle in Lombardy near Naples, Italy. Educated by Benedictine monks at Monte Cassino, and at the University of Naples. He secretly joined the mendicant Dominican friars in 1244. His family kidnapped and imprisoned him for a year to keep him out of sight, and deprogram him, but they failed to sway him, and he rejoined his order in 1245.

He studied in Paris, France from 1245 to 1248 under Saint Albert the Great, then accompanied Albertus to Cologne, Germany. Ordained in 1250, then returned to Paris to teach. Taught theology at University of Paris. He wrote defenses of the mendicant orders, commentaries on Aristotle and Lombard’s Sentences, and some bible-related works, usually by dictating to secretaries. He won his doctorate, and taught in several Italian cities. Recalled by king and university to Paris in 1269, then recalled to Naples in 1272 where he was appointed regent of studies while working on the Summa Theologica.

On 6 December 1273 he experienced a divine revelation which so enraptured him that he abandoned the Summa, saying that it and his other writing were so much straw in the wind compared to the reality of the divine glory. He died four months later while en route to the Council of Lyons, overweight and with his health broken by overwork.

His works have been seminal to the thinking of the Church ever since. They systematized her great thoughts and teaching, and combined Greek wisdom and scholarship methods with the truth of Christianity. Pope Leo VIII commanded that his teachings be studied by all theology students. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1567.

Born

c.1225 at Roccasecca, Aquino, Naples, Italy

Died

7 March 1274 at Fossanuova near Terracina of apparent natural causes
relics interred at Saint-Servin, Toulouse, France
relics translated to the Church of the Jacobins, Toulouse on 22 October 1974

Canonized

18 July 1323 by Pope John XXII

Patronage

academics
against storms
against lightning
apologists
book sellers
Catholic academies
Catholic schools (proclaimed on 4 August 1880 by Pope Leo XIII)
Catholic universities
chastity
colleges
learning
pencil makers
philosophers
publishers
scholars
schools
students
theologians
universities
—
University of Vigo
Aquino, Italy
Aquino-Pontecorvo, Italy, diocese of
Belcastro, Italy
Falerna, Italy
Sora-Aquino-Pontecorvo, Italy, diocese of

Prayers

Representation

chalice
dove, usually speaking into his ear, sometimes as he writes
monstrance
ox
star
sun
teacher with pagan philosophers at his feet
teaching
person trampled under foot

Images

Gallery of images of Saint Thomas

Additional Information

1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society
Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Culture
Catholic Encyclopedia, by D J Kennedy
Catholic Online
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Theological Movement
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Saint Thomas Aquinas, by G K Chesterton
Saint Thomas Aquinas of the Order of Preachers, by Father Placid Conway, OP
Santi e Beati
Studiorum Ducem, by Pope Pius XI
Summa Theologica P1, Q1: The Nature and Extent of Sacred Doctrine
Summa Theologica P1, Q2: The Existence of God
Summa Theologica P1, Q3: Of the Simplicity of God
Summa Theologica P1, Q4: The Perfection of God
Summa Theologica P1, Q5: On Goodness in General
Summa Theologica P1, Q6: The Goodness of God
Svetniki
Thomas Aquinas in English: A Bibliography
Vikipedio
Wikipedia

Readings

Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. - Saint Thomas Aquinas

Charity is the form, mover, mother and root of all the virtues. - Saint Thomas Aquinas

We are like children, who stand in need of masters to enlighten us and direct us; and God has provided for this, by appointing his angels to be our teachers and guides. - Saint Thomas Aquinas

If you seek the example of love: “Greater love than this no man has, than to lay down his life for his friends.” Such a man was Christ on the cross. And if he gave his life for us, then it should not be difficult to bear whatever hardships arise for his sake. If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently, because “when he suffered he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and he did not open his mouth.” If you seek an example of obedience, follow him who became obedient to the Father even unto death. “For just as by the disobedience of one man,” namely, Adam, “many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man, many were made righteous.” If you seek an example of despising earthly things, follow him who is “the King of kings and the Lord of lords, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Upon the cross he was stripped, mocked, spat upon, struck, crowned with thorns, and given only vinegar and gall to drink. Do not be attached, therefore, to clothing and riches, because “they divided my garments among themselves.” Nor to honors, for he experienced harsh words and scourgings. Nor to greatness of rank, for “weaving a crown of thorns they placed it on my head.” Nor to anything delightful, for “in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” - from the writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas

The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods. - Saint Thomas Aquinas

Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace. - Saint Thomas Aquinas

Most loving Lord, grant me a steadfast heart which no unworthy desire may drag downards; an unconquered hear which no hardship may wear out; an upright heart which no worthless purpose may ensnare. Impart to me also, O God, the understanding to know you, the diligence to seek you, a way of life to please you, and a faithfulness that may embrace you, through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen. - Saint Thomas Aquinas, from Something Of A Saint

Hence we must say that for the knowledge of any truth whatsoever man needs divine help, that the intellect may be moved by God to its act. But he does not need a new light added to his natural light, in order to know the truth in all things, but only in some that surpasses his natural knowledge. - Saint Thomas Aquinas

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Psalm 24:7-10

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Rise up, you ancient portals. (Psalm 24:7)

The psalmist’s imagery is simple: gate, an opening in a wall or a fence, for going in or out. Portal, a door. Lintel, the crosspiece above the door that carries the weight above the doorway. It is to all of these that the psalmist cries, “Open! Let the King of Glory come in!” Lift up the lintel. Make the doorway wider and taller. Reach up, higher, bigger. Make way for the Lord!

Who is this King of Glory? Every book of the Bible, every saint in history will tell you that he is powerful yet gentle, righteous and merciful, faithful and compassionate. This is the God who wants to come into your heart. This is the God who wants to work wonders in your life.

So open the door of your heart to the Lord! Make the doorway as wide and tall as you can. Be honest with yourself and the Lord about what’s in your heart. Don’t be afraid to look at it. God is stronger than anything that might be holding you back, keeping the doors closed. He loves you, and he will fight for you!

Opening the gate to your heart can be scary, especially if it’s been closed a long time. So many things can be hidden in there: guilty secrets and shameful acts, wounds that still hurt, fears and memories that embarrass, obscure motivations stuffed so far back that you can scarcely name them. Everyone has them, these obstacles that clutter up the place where the Lord wants to dwell. But you have it in your power to open them up to him and let him clear them out!

Sit somewhere quiet today, and welcome the Lord. If you need to, ask him to excuse the mess. “There’s a lot of stuff lying here between you and me, Lord.” Think about what in your life might shut him out. “Forgive me, for I have sinned. Heal me, for I have been wounded.” Then, ask him to help you to lift the lintel that bears the weight of your past so that you can make more room for him. You have only to sit with him and let him do the work. He is “the Lord, mighty in battle,” and he will fight for you (Psalm 24:8).

“Lord, you are welcome. Come in today with all your power and strength and victory.”

2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19; Mark 3:31-35

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for January 28, 2014:

Do your kids drain you of so much energy that you just want to stay home and veg out on a Saturday night? Consider sharing kids! Offer to take another couple’s child(ren) one night to give them a break. Then trade the favor the next week. Or if you don’t have kids, give your friends […]

A poster that uses the screen name of Dumb Ox explained to me that his screen name was chosen from the book title of the same name. It is a short biography of Aquinas by G. K. Chesterton and should be read by anyone wanting a short detailed introduction to the importance of this man in the history of Christendom.

The reconciliation of science and greek thought (logic) to religious belief is first done in a systematic manner by this great soul. The importance of this is still in need of constant introduction to our youth.

-— A poster that uses the screen name of Dumb Ox explained to me that his screen name was chosen from the book title of the same name -—

It actually goes all the way back to Aquinas’ seminary days. He was fat, taciturn, and rarely spoke. His classmates thought he was stupid, and called him the “dumb (mute) ox.”

When his teacher, Church Doctor, Albertus Magnus heard this, he prophesied, “someday this ox will fill the world with his bellowing.”

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 3
31.	And his mother and his bretheren came; and standing without, sent unto him, calling him.	Et veniunt mater ejus et fratres : et foris stantes miserunt ad eum vocantes eum,	ερχονται ουν οι αδελφοι και η μητηρ αυτου και εξω εστωτες απεστειλαν προς αυτον φωνουντες αυτον
32.	And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.	et sedebat circa eum turba : et dicunt ei : Ecce mater tua et fratres tui foris quærunt te.	και εκαθητο οχλος περι αυτον ειπον δε αυτω ιδου η μητηρ σου και οι αδελφοι σου και αι αδελφαι σου εξω ζητουσιν σε
33.	And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren?	Et respondens eis, ait : Quæ est mater mea et fratres mei ?	και απεκριθη αυτοις λεγων τις εστιν η μητηρ μου η οι αδελφοι μου
34.	And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren.	Et circumspiciens eos, qui in circuitu ejus sedebant, ait : Ecce mater mea et fratres mei.	και περιβλεψαμενος κυκλω τους περι αυτον καθημενους λεγει ιδε η μητηρ μου και οι αδελφοι μου
35.	For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.	Qui enim fecerit voluntatem Dei, hic frater meus, et soror mea, et mater est.	ος γαρ αν ποιηση το θελημα του θεου ουτος αδελφος μου και αδελφη μου και μητηρ εστιν

31. There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent to him, calling him.
32. And the multitude sat about him, and they said to him, Behold, your mother and your brethren without seek for you.
33. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34. And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35. For whoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

THEOPHYL. Because the relations of the Lord had come to seize upon Him, as if beside Himself, His mother, urged by the sympathy of her love, came to Him; wherefore it is said, And there came to him his mother, and, standing without, sent to him, calling him.

CHRYS. From this it is manifest that His brethren and His mother were not always with Him; but because He was beloved by them, they come from reverence and affection, waiting without. Wherefore it goes on, And the multitude sat about him, &c.

BEDE; The brothers of the Lord must not be thought to be the sons of the ever-virgin Mary, as Helvidius says, nor the sons of Joseph by a former marriage, as some think, but rather they must be understood to be His relations.

PSEUD-CHRYS. But another Evangelist says, that His brethren did not believe on Him. With which this agrees, which says, that they sought Him, waiting without, and with this meaning the Lord does not mention them as relations. Wherefore it follows, And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother. or my brethren? But He does not here mention His mother and His brethren altogether with reproof, but to show that a man must honor his own soul above all earthly kindred; wherefore this is fitly said to those who called Him to speak with His mother and relations, as if it were a more useful task than the teaching of salvation.

BEDE; Being asked therefore by a message to go out, He declines, not as though He refused the dutiful service of His mother, but to show that He owes more to His Father's mysteries than to His mother's feelings. Nor does He rudely despise His brothers, but, preferring His spiritual work to fleshly relationship, He teaches us that religion is the bond of the heart rather than that of the body. Wherefore it goes on, And looking round about on them which sat about him, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren.

CHRYS. By this, the Lord shows that we should honor those who are relations by faith rather than those who are relations by blood. A man indeed is made the mother of Jesus by preaching Him; for He, as it were, brings forth the Lord, when he pours Him into the heart of his hearers.

PSEUDO-JEROME; But let us be assured that we are His brethren and This sisters, if we do the will of the Father; that we may be joint-heirs with Him, for He discerns us not by sex but by our deeds. Wherefore it goes on: Whoever shall do the will of God, &c.

THEOPHYL. The does not therefore say this, as denying His mother, but as showing that He is worthy of honor, not only because she bore Christ, but on account of her possessing every other virtue.

BEDE; But mystically, the mother and brother of Jesus means the synagogue, (from which according to the flesh He sprung,) and the Jewish people who, while the Savior is teaching within, come to Him, and are not able to enter, because they cannot understand spiritual things. But the crowd eagerly enter, because when the Jews delayed, the Gentiles flocked to Christ; but His kindred, who stand without wishing to see the Lord, are the Jews who obstinately remained without, guarding the letter, and would rather compel the Lord to go forth to them to teach carnal things, than consent to enter in to learn spiritual things of Him. If therefore not even His parents when standing without are acknowledged, how shall we be acknowledged, if we stand without? For the word is within and the light within.

Catena Aurea Mark 3

Communion of all saints of Russia

So true was St. Albert the Great!

Click on the book titles to see a picture of the book or to order them.

Insight Scoop

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church | Various Authors | January 28, 2014 | The Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas

From Saint Thomas Aquinas: "The Dumb Ox" by G.K. Chesterton

Thomas was a huge heavy bull of a man, fat and slow and quiet; very mild and magnanimous but not very sociable; shy, even apart from the humility of holiness; and abstracted, even apart from his occasional and carefully concealed experiences of trance or ecstasy.

St. Francis was so fiery and even fidgety that the ecclesiastics, before whom he appeared quite suddenly, thought he was a madman. St. Thomas was so stolid that the scholars, in the schools which he attended regularly, thought he was a dunce. Indeed, he was the sort of schoolboy, not unknown, who would much rather be thought a dunce than have his own dreams invaded, by more active or animated dunces. This external contrast extends to almost every point in the two personalities.

It was the paradox of St. Francis that while he was passionately fond of poems, he was rather distrustful of books. It was the outstanding fact about St. Thomas that he loved books and lived on books; that he lived the very life of the clerk or scholar in The Canterbury Tales, who would rather have a hundred books of Aristotle and his philosophy than any wealth the world could give him. When asked for what he thanked God most, he answered simply, "I have understood every page I ever read." St. Francis was very vivid in his poems and rather vague in his documents; St. Thomas devoted his whole life to documenting whole systems of Pagan and Christian literature; and occasionally wrote a hymn like a man taking a holiday.

They saw the same problem from different angles, of simplicity and subtlety; St. Francis thought it would be enough to pour out his heart to the Mohammedans, to persuade them not to worship Mahound. St. Thomas bothered his head with every hair-splitting distinction and deduction, about the Absolute or the Accident, merely to prevent them from misunderstanding Aristotle. St. Francis was the son of a shopkeeper, or middle class trader; and while his whole life was a revolt against the mercantile life of his father, he retained none the less, something of the quickness and social adaptability which makes the market hum like a hive. In the common phrase, fond as he was of green fields, he did not let the grass grow under his feet. He was what American millionaires and gangsters call a live wire. It is typical of the mechanistic moderns that, even when they try to imagine a live thing, they can only think of a mechanical metaphor from a dead thing. There is such a thing as a live worm; but there is no such thing as a live wire. St. Francis would have heartily agreed that he was a worm; but he was a very live worm. Greatest of all foes to the go-getting ideal, he had certainly abandoned getting, but he was still going.

St. Thomas, on the other hand, came out of a world where he might have enjoyed leisure, and he remained one of those men whose labour has something of the placidity of leisure. He was a hard worker, but nobody could possibly mistake him for a hustler. He had something indefinable about him, which marks those who work when they need not work. For he was by birth a gentleman of a great house, and such repose can remain as a habit, when it is no longer a motive. But in him it was expressed only in its most amiable elements; for instance, there was possibly something of it in his effortless courtesy and patience.

Every saint is a man before he is a saint; and a saint may be made of every sort or kind of man; and most of us will choose between these different types according to our different tastes. But I will confess that, while the romantic glory of St. Francis has lost nothing of its glamour for me, I have in later years grown to feel almost as much affection, or in some aspects even more, for this man who unconsciously inhabited a large heart and a large head, like one inheriting a large house, and exercised there an equally generous if rather more absent-minded hospitality. There are moments when St. Francis, the most unworldly man who ever walked the world, is almost too efficient for me.

From Guide to Thomas Aquinas by Josef Pieper

In the midst of the tremendous demands made upon him by his teaching, and challenged by questions shot at him from every side--in the midst of all this intellectual commotion, Thomas wrote his great systematic works. Some of them are the more or less direct fruit of his teaching itself. But his greatest systematic works, the Summa theologica and the Summa Against the Pagans, were not. His works--the sheer physical labor they represent is in itself imposing—can probably be explained in only one way: that Thomas was present in the body amid the fret and fever of those times, especially of the Parisian disputes, but that all the while he dwelt in an inner cloister of his own, that his heart was wholly untouched and untroubled, concentrated upon the totality of reality; that wrapped in the silence that filled the innermost cell of his soul he simply did not hear the din of polemics in the foreground; that he listened to something beyond it, something entirely different, which was the vital thing for him.

Perhaps we may say that several elements contributed to his imperturbability: a mystic (in the narrower sense) rapture; the capacity to give himself entirely to a subject (once, dictating at night. he simply did not notice that the candle in his hand had burned down and was singeing his fingers); and finally a concentration, acquired by schooling of the will, which made it possible for him to dictate to three or four scribes simultaneously—different text, of course. In this way and under such conditions he produced, in a lifetime of not quite fifty years, that vast body of work which in printed editions fills thirty folio volumes.

From The Unity of Philosophical Experience by Etienne Gilson

While so many men were trying to base philosophy on theological foundations, a very simple and modest man as putting everything in its place. His name was Thomas Aquinas, and he was saying things so obviously true that, from his time down to our own day, very few people have been sufficiently self-forgetful to accept them. There is an ethical problem at the root of our philosophical difficulties; for men are most anxious to find truth, but very reluctant to accept it. We do not like to be cornered by rational evidence, and even when truth is there, in its impersonal and commanding objectivity, our greatest difficulty still remains; it is for me to bow to it in spite of the fact that it is not exclusively mine, for you to accept it though it cannot be exclusively yours. In short, finding out truth is not so hard; what is hard is not to run away from truth once we have found it. When it is not a "yes but", our "yes" is often enough a "yes, and..."; it applies much less to what we have just been told than to what are about to say. The greatest among philosophers are those who do not flinch in the presence of truth, but welcome it with the simple words: yes, Amen.

St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the latter, clear-sighted enough to know truth when he saw it, humble enough to bow to it in its presence. His holiness and his philosophy sprang from the same source: a more than human eagerness to give way to truth; but he was surrounded by men who did not like to do that, at least not to the same degree, so that, even after him, everything went on as if truth had remained unsaid. Yet his ideas were clear and simple. Himself a theologian, St. Thomas had asked the professors of theology never to prove an article of faith by rational demonstration, for faith is not based on reason, but on the word of God, and if you try to prove it, you destroy it. He had likewise asked the professors of philosophy never to prove a philosophical truth by resorting to the words of God, for philosophy is not based on Revelation, but on reason, and if you try to base it on authority, you destroy it. In other words, theology is the science of those things we are received by faith from divine revelation, and philosophy is the knowledge of those things which flow from the principles of natural reason. Since their common source is God, the creator of both reason and revelation, these two sciences are bound ultimately to agree; but if you really want them to agree, you must first be careful not to forget their essential difference. Only distinct things can be united; if you attempt to blend them, you inevitably lose them in what is not union, but confusion.

From Sermon in a Sentence: St. Thomas Aquinas selected and arranged by John P. McClernon

St. Thomas may be best known as a great intellect and Christian thinker, but his holy life was equally impressive. Although graced with such an incredibly mastery of knowledge, in his personal life he exemplified a simple, reserved, humble servant of God. He was known to rise early in the morning, with the usual practice of going to confession, saying Mass, then immediately attending another Mass. The rest of his day he normally spent reading, praying, writing, and teaching. Thomas liked to go often to a church and spent quiet time there with Jesus in the tabernacle. His heart was drawn like a magnet to prayer whenever confronted with a theological or intellectual question that challenged him. God once revealed to St. Catherine of Siena, the great fourteenth-century Dominican Doctor and mystic, that "Thomas learned more from prayer than from study." Since he had a profound devotion to Mass and the Holy Eucharist, and it was not uncommon for his Dominican brethren to find him so deeply moved and absorbed during the service that he would stop, needing to be roused to continue. The sacredness of the Mass and his corresponding love of God simply overwhelmed him.

All those who knew Thomas found him to be considerate, kind, and patient with other people. He exhibited no trace of vanity or pride, so often found in those of great intellectual ability or personal achievements. Friendship, according to Thomas, is the greatest model for understanding and learning charity. He was never known to lose his temper, even in the midst of heated disputations, and never uttered anything unkind or humiliating to those opposing his views.

From Defenders of the Faith in Word and Deed by Fr. Charles P. Connor

Saint Thomas surely knew controversy in his life, but he did not write the Summa Theologica as a work of refutation. Rather, he wished to tell the entire story of God and the universe he created as the Church understands it through Scripture, tradition, and the use of reason. Aquinas was not the most widely read philosopher of his day (John Duns Scotus supposedly had a larger following), but no one captured God, the Divine Intelligence, in quite the same way. In an amazingly logical and sequential pattern, Thomas traces man's creation and fall from grace and the tremendous events enabling creatures to return to God, namely, the Incarnation of Christ, his subsequent Redemption of the world, the Church he established, the sacraments he gave to his Church, and the grace he continually bestows on men as the most vital means to achieve their eternal salvation.

"St. Thomas of Aquin," by Robert Farren, from Saints For Now edited by Clare Boothe Luce

You cannot put such a life into a dozen pages; you can simply suggest what it was and send readers further to adequate accounts. But much less than tell Aquinas' life in these pages can I say what his was and how significant it is. One can hint at it by saying that he is the prince of theologians, the great master of Christian philosophers, the reconciler or the Greek with the Hebrew and the Latin genius; and one can say that the popes praise him in a tireless succession of words. One can say that the hand of Thomas is discernible in every orthodox theologian, and that when Pius XII spoke about the age of the world to the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences, the bone of his discourse was an argument which Thomas perfected. One can say that the revival of his thought in the past fifty years, after centuries of neglect and contempt among most intellectuals, is one of the chief facts of our time. One can say that the dignity of the Catholic intelligence, its superb comprehensiveness and penetrating clarity, are manifested and sustained in him unassailably and fructifyingly. And after ejaculating in this fashion, unsatisfactorily, one can first thank God abundantly for Thomas and then go and read him, the Perennial Philosopher.

Regnum Christi

Work for the Harvest

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Wednesday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time

Mark 4:1-20

On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, "Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that ´they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.´" Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I want to spend these moments close to you. I believe that you are here with me. Take over my life more and more and make it what it was meant to be. Lord, I put my trust in you.

Petition:Jesus, make the soil of my heart open to your word, so that it will bear fruit for eternal life.

1. Beware of the Thieves: What the Father has planted in our lives is good. Goodness can bear fruit. But Christ has shown us that there is someone who does not want us to bear fruit. The devil tries to take goodness from our lives through enticing us with evil, filling our hearts with selfishness, and making us insensitive to the movements of grace in our soul. We need to renounce Satan every day by fixing our will on the goodness of Christ. This is done through sincere prayer and generosity of spirit.

2. Dig Deep: The strength of our resolve is tested by the difficulties we face. If we go deeper in our prayer each day and build up the habit of letting go of our own ego, we can face the bad times with peace and trust. When our spiritual roots are not deep, we find ourselves disoriented, even defeated by the tribulations that are part of an authentic Christian life. Christ teaches us to dig deep. With him as our friend, difficulties become a way to show our love and to do something that has eternal value. If I don’t fight, how can I merit a crown of victory?

3. Fruit in Docility: In order to bear fruit we must be docile to God’s word. But being docile does not mean being passive. For a Christian, docility to Christ and the Holy Spirit means willingness to work and serve. We are followers of the One who came to serve. The Spirit that is self-surrender moves us. To hear the Word of God and accept it means to make our lives an imitation of Christ’s total self-giving—day in and day out. God will grant fruit to our lives if we are willing to be other Christs in the here and now.

Conversation with Christ:Lord, thank you for showing me how to bear fruit in my life. I want to imitate your self-surrender to the Father and to souls. I know that this requires a constant effort to go deep in my life and be docile to the Holy Spirit. Help me to live as a giver, not a taker. Your love will always be there to accompany me.

Resolution: Today I will offer up a small sacrifice to ask God for the grace of acquiring the virtue that I need the most.

Fool For Christ

by Food For Thought on January 28, 2014 ·

The first reading shows David and all Israel bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem in triumphal procession. The Ark contained the tablets of the 10 commandments which God personally wrote on and gave to Moses. For the Israelites, it was the most sacred thing in the world because it was the sign of God’s election of Israel as His own people so they adored the Ark which contained the tablets. The Ark was also a symbol of God’s presence among men and so its religious significance was paramount. So when it was brought into Jerusalem, the whole community rejoiced, danced and sang in total abandon. When have we truly been happy beyond compare because of the Lord? Do we always welcome His presence in our lives, even if this means to give up some things? Have you ever been a fool for Christ as David did when he danced with abandon as the Ark was being brought to Jerusalem?

The gospel message is very striking. Jesus puts spiritual ties as more important than blood relationship. Family is important but doing the will of God is more important. Man was created to know God, to love Him and to serve Him. The family is the place where a man learns to do God’s will. So if the family has fulfilled its mission, then we will have many people who are always doing things for God and their fellowmen. Jesus also grew up in a family and there he was taught to love God above all things. When we love God first, we are already loving our families because we are becoming bridges of hope for them and saving them even if they do not care so much for God. We must believe that a Christian’s acts always save others, including his family.

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<< Tuesday, January 28, 2014 >>

St. Thomas Aquinas

2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19
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Psalm 24:7-10

Mark 3:31-35
Similar Reflections

DANCING IN THE AISLES

"He sacrificed an ox and a fatling. Then David, girt with a linen apron, came dancing before the Lord with abandon." —2 Samuel 6:13-14

Most of us don't dance that much, especially at church. If we did dance at church, we probably wouldn't do it at the time for the collection. However, David danced after sacrificing an ox and a fatling every six steps of the ark's progress into Jerusalem (2 Sm 6:13). The total of this offering could add up to hundreds of oxen and fatlings, which could cost very many thousands of dollars in today's economy. After David danced, he "offered holocausts and peace offerings" (2 Sm 6:17). "He then distributed among all the people, to each man and each woman in the entire multitude of Israel, a loaf of bread, a cut of roast meat, and a raisin cake" (2 Sm 6:19). David's further offerings and his generous provision of supper for a multitude cost him at least several thousand more dollars.

Few of us have David's monetary resources. We can't give the Lord thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, we can give with David's attitude. We can dance as we empty our pockets, close our savings accounts, sell what we have (Mk 10:21), and give sacrificially to the Church. We must give "not sadly, not grudgingly, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7).

Give and dance; dance and give. Rejoice that God has given you something to give, and that He will mercifully accept your gift.

Prayer: Father, send the Spirit to give me dancing lessons. May I dance as David danced.

Promise: "Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to Me." —Mk 3:35

Praise: St. Thomas' family opposed his vocation and held him captive for two years. Thomas used this time to memorize much of the Bible.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-abortion-cries-out-in-vengeance-to-god-church-will-never-chang

Read the link above: Here's the headline:

Pope Francis: Abortion ‘cries out in vengeance to God’; Church will never change teaching