St. Thomas Aquinas
Feast Day: January 28
Sometimes nicknames insult us. That was the case with Thomas Aquinas. His classmates called him “Dumb Ox.” Why? Because he spent a long time thinking and he moved slowly. (Thomas had a weight problem.)
But Thomas was not dumb. In fact, he was one of the most brilliant people who ever lived. He showed his brilliance in his major work—the Summa Theologicae. (The word summa means “highest.” The word theologicae means “the study of God.”) Thomas spent his life studying God with his faith and with his reason. He used his God-given mind to deepen his God-given faith.
Thomas was born in Italy in the year 1225. At the age of 19, he entered the Dominican Order and became a priest. For many years, he taught theology in Paris and other places. While teaching, he also wrote great works of theology.
But Thomas was more than a great mind. He loved the Gospels. Nature inspired him. He thanked God for the world and for all the people in it.
Thomas valued the work of the people who lived before him. So he quoted Jews and Muslims, pagans and Christians in his writings. He brought together the teachings of the ages. What a blessing Thomas was to the Church!
Today, we continue to read Thomas’ great works and to sing the wonderful hymns he wrote for the feast of Corpus Christi. These hymns celebrate the body of Christ given to us in the Eucharist.
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