Word to the Wise
Saturday, January 28, 2023 - Jan. 28 - St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church
[Wisdom 7:7-10, 15-16 and Matt 23:8-12]Sincerely I learned about [Wisdom] and ungrudgingly do I share - her riches I do not hide away; for she is an unfailing treasure; those who gain this treasure win the friendship of God, being commended by the gifts that come from her discipline. Now God grant I speak suitably and value these endowments at their worth; for he is the guide of Wisdom and the director of the wise. For both we and our words are in his hand....[Wisdom]
JANUARY 28 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, O.P. [Dominican Friar/Priest and Doctor of the Church]
Sincerely I learned about [Wisdom] and ungrudgingly do I share - her riches I do not hide away; for she is an unfailing treasure; those who gain this treasure win the friendship of God, being commended by the gifts that come from her discipline. Now God grant I speak suitably and value these endowments at their worth; for he is the guide of Wisdom and the director of the wise. For both we and our words are in his hand....[Wisdom]
It would be difficult to overestimate the influence of St. Thomas Aquinas on the theological expression of Catholic faith in the western Church. Indeed, his writings are also studied in other contexts, notably in the philosophy of law. As a young priest, in law school, I was invited by one of my professors to give a lecture on Aquinas's influence on the development of civil/canon law! But, the range of theological topics in his Summa Theologiae and other writings, which include commentaries on scripture and particular theological issues/debates, is enormous.
Born around 1221 to a noble family in Italy, he overcame family ambitions for him and joined the very new Order of Preachers founded in 1216 which he had met in university studies in Naples. His intellectual talents were quickly noticed and he came under the guidance of St. Albert the Great. His career was almost entirely academic - Cologne, Paris, papal court, and Naples. Ordinary Catholics will encounter him in the well known hymns at benediction: O Salutaris Hostia and Pange Lingua [last two verses beginning "Tantum ergo Sacramentum]. Those who study Catholic theology will find him in his many writings.
I have quoted today from the Book of Wisdom, one of the optional first scriptures for today (with a couple of lines more) because it is in Thomas' wisdom that God's providential grace is revealed. He could be very practical. I shared with a student Thomas' words about prayer in his lectures on 1 Corinthians in which he advised that the intention is more important than the words and that perseverance is important because we can't get through a single Our Father without our minds wandering!!
A good introduction to Thomas can be found in the classic MY WAY OF LIFE, which is still published. I pray that as many people as possible can be introduced to this Friar of grace and wisdom and share with us Dominicans in the celebration of more than 700 years of his ministry to the Church. AMEN