About St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas is a 13th century saint and a Doctor of the Church. St. Thomas was influenced by the philosopher Aristotle and was known to for his logical and reasoned approach to theology.
His best known work is Summa Theologica (Summary of Theology), which ironically, he was never able to finish. His “Five Ways” which are included in the book are his logical proofs for the existence of God.
Feast Day
The memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church, is January 28.
Patron Saint of…
He is the patron saint of academics, book sellers, pencil makers, and philosophers.
Mass Readings for the Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas
- First Reading – Wisdom 7:7-10, 15-16: “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her.”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 119: “Lord, teach me your statutes.”
- Gospel – Matthew 23:8-12: “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Resources
St. Thomas Aquinas Quote about Mary
As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
This quote reminds us that what our Lord has done for Mary, he can do for all of us. We need to look to Mary as our example for our behavior and our hope.
Mary put her trust completely in God and was willing to do what He asked. We must follow her example of doing what the Lord asks of us. When we do this, we can hope that we, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, will be taken to heaven by our loving God.
Bishop Barron on St. Thomas Aquinas
In this video Bishop Robert Barron gives his thoughts about St. Thomas Aquinas. His proofs of the existence of God really enlightened Bishop Barron. Also, this 13th century theologian saw that truth is one and all truth comes from God. So there cannot be a conflict between the truth of God and the truth of science. Any apparent conflict is a result of bad science or bad theology.