Thomas of Aquin
Martyrological notice
In the monastery called Fossa-Nova, near unto Terracina, of St. Thomas of Aquin, confessor and doctor, of the Order of Preachers, renowned for his noble extraction, holiness of life, and knowledge in divinity.
Baring Gould March · length, see "The Life and Labours of S. Thomas of Aquin," by the Very
[32] For this part of the history of S. Thomas, treated at greater length, see "The Life and Labours of S. Thomas of Aquin," by the Very Rev. R. B. Vaughan.
S. Thomas having been recalled by his superiors before the winter of the same year (1256), embarked on board a ship bound for France. The vessel was overtaken by a furious storm; the pilot and sailors tried every artifice to escape the shoals, on which they were being driven by wind and wave. Thomas, like a second S. Paul, preserved his confidence, and prayed God to give him all the souls that were with him. His prayer was heard: the aspect of nature changed, and the ship pursued her course in safety.
Several bulls followed the deputies to Paris. The prudence and kindness of S. Louis helped greatly to restore peace between the University and the friars. The University seal was set to the summons addressed to SS. Thomas and Bonaventura to take their doctor's degrees, which had been delayed two years by the troubles. S. Thomas thought many other Dominicans more deserving of the honour than himself. Whilst sadly meditating on this, he thought an old man appeared to him, asking the cause of his sadness. He replied, "It is not right that they should force me to take rank among the doctors, a thing of which I am not capable." The old man said, "The order thou hast received is assurance enough; it destroys thy own will, and points to God's will in that of thy superiors. Take as the text of thy thesis: '_He watereth the hills from above: the earth is filled with the fruit of Thy works._ Ps. ciii. 13.'" On the morrow, after a struggle between S. Bonaventura and himself for the last place, Thomas, as being the younger, gained it. He preached from the text given him, and it has been regarded as a prophecy of the influence which the new doctor was to exercise over Christendom. The day on which he took his degree was the 23rd October, 1257.
The epoch on which we have now entered is the most glorious period of our saint's life. The star of his genius mounted, without a cloud to obscure it, in the firmament of the Church. In spite of all the eulogies of his contemporaries, it is difficult for us to comprehend now-a-days the extent of the power which Aquinas exercised over the men and the ideas of his time.
S. Thomas now drew up his famous "Summa contra Gentiles." He begins this treatise by stating that he will discuss all questions on the ground of human reason, seeking therein a common ground on which to combat his adversaries, or rather seeking in their natural intelligence a point on which to rest that bridge which might lead them from human reason to the truth of God; then he establishes the necessity of faith; he shows next that reason affords ground for expecting a supernatural revelation; lastly, he cements together reason and faith. Then he makes his general division: he considers God in Himself, in relation to men, and men in relation to God. To these three parts he joins a fourth, viz., revelation properly so-called; therein he expounds the Trinity, the Incarnation, with all the dogmas which attach themselves to it, the whole destiny of man in the plan of Christianity. This we may call the theological evolution of his great work. In that which may be called its philosophical introduction he resolves all such difficult questions; as the falsehood of pantheism, evil and its origin, its nature, and its effects, which he turns into a proof of God's existence in opposition to those unquiet spirits, who saw in it a reason for doubting His existence.
This work was followed immediately by one upon all the Epistles of S. Paul.
The question of the Eucharistic accidents was then much mooted in the schools, especially in those of Paris. The question was, whether those accidents had anything real, or were only an appearance, in other words, whether the form under which Jesus hides Himself in the Eucharist exists in the Sacrament itself, or in a false relation of the senses? Wearied with a struggle to which they could foresee no end, all the doctors determined to refer the question to the decision of S. Thomas, and to accept that decision as conformable to the light of reason and faith. The saint braced himself to the contemplation of this subject, and having prayed, he wrote as the Spirit inspired him. He was loth to take into the presence of the doctors and of the schools, the fruit of his science and his prayer, before he had consulted Him of Whom he was speaking, Whose aid he had implored.
He came to the altar, and placing before the tabernacle as before the Master of masters, that which he had written on the subject of the controversy, he raised his hands towards the image of Jesus crucified, and prayed in this fashion: "O Lord Jesu, Who dost verily dwell in this wonderful Sacrament, Whose works are incomprehensible marvels, I humbly beseech Thee, if what I have written about Thee is agreeable to the truth, grant that I may teach it, and persuade my brethren of it on Thy behalf; but if, on the contrary, there be anything in this writing which errs from the Catholic faith, make it impossible for me to bring it before their eyes."
The Lives Of The Saints: Volume 03, March · Life and Labours of S. Thomas of Aquin/* by the Very Rer. R. B. Vaughan.
1 For this part of the history of S. Thomas, treated at greater length, see “ The Life and Labours of S. Thomas of Aquin/* by the Very Rer. R. B. Vaughan.
* $
Digitized by v^-ooQie
* *
140 Lives of the Saints. [March 7
were with him. His prayer was heard : the aspect of nature changed, and the ship pursued her course in safety.
Several bulls followed the deputies to Paris. The pru- dence and kindness of S. Louis helped greatly to restore peace between the University and the friars. The Univer- sity seal was set to the summons addressed to SS. Thomas and Bonaventura to take their doctor's degrees, which had been delayed two years by the troubles. S. Thomas thought many other Dominicans more deserving of the honour than himself. Whilst sadly meditating on this, he thought an old man appeared to him, asking the cause of his sadness. He replied, “ It is not right that they should force me to take rank among the doctors, a thing of which I am not capable.” The old man said, “ The order thou hast received is assur- ance enough ; it destroys thy own will, and points to God's will in that of thy superiors. Take as the text of thy thesis : ‘ He watereth the hills from abcrvc : the earth is filled with the fruit of Thy works . Ps. ciii. 13."' On the morrow, after a struggle between S. Bonaventura and himself for the last place, Thomas, as being the younger, gained it He preached from the text given him, and it has been regarded as a prophecy of the influence which the new doctor was to exercise over Christendom. The day on which he took his degree was the 23rd October, 1257.
The epoch on which we have now entered is the most glorious period of our saint's life. The star of his genius mounted, without a cloud to obscure it, in the firmament of the Church. In spite of all the eulogies of his contem- poraries, it is difficult for us to comprehend now-a-days the extent of the power which Aquinas exercised over the men and the ideas of his time.