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THE GREAT CATHOLIC EDUCATOR:
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St. Thomas Aquinas
efore Thomas Aquinas was even born, a holy showedthatfaithandreasonarenotinconRict hermit told his mother he was to be more learned exist in harmony. and holy than any other person of his time. As a young Thomas’ Summa Theologica uses philosophical boy, he was devoted to prayer and meditation, and his principlespresentedinscienti4cformtosystemat intellectualgiftswerequicklyrecognized.When explain hewas Christian theology. It was his last work and was about 11 years old, he was sent leftun4nished.Thomasstopped to the University of Naples, and writing after he experienced an about4veyearslater,hebecame unusually long vision on Dec. 6, a Dominican friar. When .3721 hewasurgedto4nish Thomas’ parents were his Summa, he stated that he could Italian nobility and were not no longer write, for the secrets he enthusiastic about Thomas’ had been shown during his vision choice of vocation. They went made all he had written “seem as so far as to have his brothers straw.” He died three months later. capture him while he was en Thomas composed more than route to Rome, and they held 60 works. His powers of synthesis him prisoner for two years in an were truly extraordinary. He was e ort to destroy his vocation and able to sift through all that he read, his virtue. After the family made distillthetruth,andsummarize one particularly heinous attempt his conclusions simply, clearly and at breaking Thomas’ faith and brieRy.Hiswritingisofsuchgenius spirit, he begged God to give him that it transcends style and art in integrity of mind and body, and the beauty of its truth. His works he was miraculously given the are as relevant today as they were girdle and grace of purity for the to the 13th century. His principles rest of his life. This gift almost oeraremedytosuchevilsas certainly was essential to the socialism, communism, nihilism, as remarkable clarity of his intellect. well as pantheism and spiritism. After he regained his freedom, Thomas received Thomaswascanonizedinand ,32 1 wasdeclareda the best education that was available during a time in Doctor of the Universal Church in 1567. In 1879, Leo XIII human history that arguably represents the best the declared Thomas Aquinas “the prince and master of all worldhaseveroeredtoscholarsandphilosophers. scholastic doctors,” and in 1880, Thomas was designated His greatest works arise from his total focus on as patron of all Catholic universities, colleges and knowingandunderstandingGod,andrevealingas schools throughout the world. We celebrate St. Thomas clearlyaspossibletheTruthofGodtoothers.He Aquinas’ feast day on Jan. 28.
Thomas’ greatest works arise from his total focus on knowing and understanding God, and revealing as clearly as possible the Truth of God to others. He showed that faith and reason are not in conflict, but exist in harmony.
