Aquinas as a Paragon: Timely and Timeless
Reflection on the Solemnity of St. Thomas Aquinas
Angelic Doctor of the Church, Titular Patron of our University
January 28, 2017
by Mico Pacheco
Angelic Doctor of the Church, Titular Patron of our University
January 28, 2017
by Mico Pacheco
Poster by Kenichi Tigas
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Today, the universal Church celebrates the memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest, scholastic and Doctor of the Church. He is the patron saint of students, educators, Catholic schools and universities. In a special way, as he is the titular patron of our University, we elevate this day to a rank of a solemnity – the highest rank of celebration in the liturgy for we do not only remember the life and legacy of St. Thomas but also thank God for giving him as the patron of the Pontifical, Royal and Catholic University in the Philippines, the oldest university in Asia, of which we are part of.
Most of us in UST know St. Thomas only by name. Of course, we see this name everywhere – in campus signage, college buildings, university letterheads, examination notebooks, and the like. We know very little about him. Perhaps he was introduced to us during our freshmen orientation or in one of our theology classes. These are the efforts of the University for us to know more our patron saint but these would not suffice. St. Thomas Aquinas has been such a monumental figure both to the Church and to secular thinking that he cannot be confined to a mere biographical narrative. To know Thomas, we must read Thomas - a brilliant mind of the Church, he who shook the foundations of Catholic Philosophy and created a solid ground for the Theology we know today.
Perhaps we know his life story - how he was born of a noble family in Roccasecca in Italy during thewho wanted him to become a powerful Benedictine Abbot. But out of his passion for preaching and simplicity in life, he entered the mendicant Order of Preachers – a congregation of traveling friars who only beg to sustain their needs. He was imprisoned in his castle by his family. He was tempted by them to abandon his vocation by giving him a prostitute but through his perseverance, he rejected this temptation and he chased her away with a lighted torch. Thomas was able to successfully continue his studies under the tutelage of the Dominicans. These are historical facts but beyond these is the greatness of Thomas. To confine ourselves to these is like imitating those who insulted him by calling him “Dumb Ox” due to his large stature. We must remember the defense of his mentor, St. Albert the Great, that the bellowing of this dumb ox shall one day resound through the whole world.
Thomas was a scholastic. He belonged to the epoch of the medieval philosophers, who we read together with the likes of St. Augustine, Peter Lombard and his contemporaries: his teacher, St. Albert, and a successor of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure. He belonged to the time when philosophical thought was centered on contemplating the Divine mysteries and how there was a stigma between faith and reason. Catholic philosophy was centered on the thoughts of St. Augustine who christened the thoughts of Plato and how God, the perfect being, can be proved just because of his innate perfection, for the mind cannot conceive anything greater than him, as St. Anselm argues in the ontological argument. St. Thomas, however, through his zeal in study and love for contemplation, argued that as presupposing God’s existence because of his perfection through Divine Revelation may be plausible, to prove him by means of reason, would not be harmful but an efficient way of making unbelievers understand the truths of the faith.
St. Thomas christened the philosophy of Aristotle and proved Divine existence through Five Ways rooted on logical reasons, not only relying on faith. St. Thomas Aquinas, who wrote the Summa Contra Gentiles and the Summa Theologica which became frameworks of today’s philosophy and theology of the Church, became the prime thinker of his time. His intellect was seen as truly working with the inspiration of the Divine that to this very day. His teachings continue to be of great use to the Church. That is why after his death, Thomas was named a saint and was hailed as the Doctor Angelicus or Angelic Doctor for his purity of thought and Angelic Wisdom.
But pondering on these things, we see Thomas as someone beyond any person of our time, someone whose philosophizing and contemplation has amounted to much, whose efforts created monumental effects not only to those around him but through history. But the question is: Who is St. Thomas for the people of today? How do we relate to a saint who seems to be placed on so high a pedestal?
Unlike how many see him, St. Thomas is actually a saint for daily life – but his lifestyle is not for mere living but rather living with love for Christ.
Thomas lived with study as a primary act of devotion. Thomas exhaustively studied and contemplated for Christ and his Church, not for his own fame but for the betterment of God’s people. Together with study was his piety, he loved our Lord very much that he was able to compose hymns of praise to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Such rich a devotion that at the end of his life, God chose to reveal to Thomas the ultimate of truths.
Thomas calls us to do the same, to selflessly pursue our studies not only for self-gain but for a greater purpose. Together with our academic pursuits, we must also do so in prayer, for God reveals to us his greatness through prayerful contemplation. Thomas also teaches us the value of chastity – to express real love by abstaining from invitations of carnal pleasures – for real love is temperance and God reveals much to those who show this virtue.
Let us be like Thomas. His message echoes to this day through us Thomasians – to study as an act of devotion and seeing it not as a mere chore. May through St Thomas, our academic life may become closely knit with our spirituality. May our lives be moved with the desire to know more about God and to reveal him to other through our talents and skills harnessed by our academic pursuits.
Most of us in UST know St. Thomas only by name. Of course, we see this name everywhere – in campus signage, college buildings, university letterheads, examination notebooks, and the like. We know very little about him. Perhaps he was introduced to us during our freshmen orientation or in one of our theology classes. These are the efforts of the University for us to know more our patron saint but these would not suffice. St. Thomas Aquinas has been such a monumental figure both to the Church and to secular thinking that he cannot be confined to a mere biographical narrative. To know Thomas, we must read Thomas - a brilliant mind of the Church, he who shook the foundations of Catholic Philosophy and created a solid ground for the Theology we know today.
Perhaps we know his life story - how he was born of a noble family in Roccasecca in Italy during thewho wanted him to become a powerful Benedictine Abbot. But out of his passion for preaching and simplicity in life, he entered the mendicant Order of Preachers – a congregation of traveling friars who only beg to sustain their needs. He was imprisoned in his castle by his family. He was tempted by them to abandon his vocation by giving him a prostitute but through his perseverance, he rejected this temptation and he chased her away with a lighted torch. Thomas was able to successfully continue his studies under the tutelage of the Dominicans. These are historical facts but beyond these is the greatness of Thomas. To confine ourselves to these is like imitating those who insulted him by calling him “Dumb Ox” due to his large stature. We must remember the defense of his mentor, St. Albert the Great, that the bellowing of this dumb ox shall one day resound through the whole world.
Thomas was a scholastic. He belonged to the epoch of the medieval philosophers, who we read together with the likes of St. Augustine, Peter Lombard and his contemporaries: his teacher, St. Albert, and a successor of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure. He belonged to the time when philosophical thought was centered on contemplating the Divine mysteries and how there was a stigma between faith and reason. Catholic philosophy was centered on the thoughts of St. Augustine who christened the thoughts of Plato and how God, the perfect being, can be proved just because of his innate perfection, for the mind cannot conceive anything greater than him, as St. Anselm argues in the ontological argument. St. Thomas, however, through his zeal in study and love for contemplation, argued that as presupposing God’s existence because of his perfection through Divine Revelation may be plausible, to prove him by means of reason, would not be harmful but an efficient way of making unbelievers understand the truths of the faith.
St. Thomas christened the philosophy of Aristotle and proved Divine existence through Five Ways rooted on logical reasons, not only relying on faith. St. Thomas Aquinas, who wrote the Summa Contra Gentiles and the Summa Theologica which became frameworks of today’s philosophy and theology of the Church, became the prime thinker of his time. His intellect was seen as truly working with the inspiration of the Divine that to this very day. His teachings continue to be of great use to the Church. That is why after his death, Thomas was named a saint and was hailed as the Doctor Angelicus or Angelic Doctor for his purity of thought and Angelic Wisdom.
But pondering on these things, we see Thomas as someone beyond any person of our time, someone whose philosophizing and contemplation has amounted to much, whose efforts created monumental effects not only to those around him but through history. But the question is: Who is St. Thomas for the people of today? How do we relate to a saint who seems to be placed on so high a pedestal?
Unlike how many see him, St. Thomas is actually a saint for daily life – but his lifestyle is not for mere living but rather living with love for Christ.
Thomas lived with study as a primary act of devotion. Thomas exhaustively studied and contemplated for Christ and his Church, not for his own fame but for the betterment of God’s people. Together with study was his piety, he loved our Lord very much that he was able to compose hymns of praise to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Such rich a devotion that at the end of his life, God chose to reveal to Thomas the ultimate of truths.
Thomas calls us to do the same, to selflessly pursue our studies not only for self-gain but for a greater purpose. Together with our academic pursuits, we must also do so in prayer, for God reveals to us his greatness through prayerful contemplation. Thomas also teaches us the value of chastity – to express real love by abstaining from invitations of carnal pleasures – for real love is temperance and God reveals much to those who show this virtue.
Let us be like Thomas. His message echoes to this day through us Thomasians – to study as an act of devotion and seeing it not as a mere chore. May through St Thomas, our academic life may become closely knit with our spirituality. May our lives be moved with the desire to know more about God and to reveal him to other through our talents and skills harnessed by our academic pursuits.