Thomas Aquinas was born into a
noble Italian family around 1226. At the age of 10, he was judged ready to
enter the University of Naples. At 17, he joined the newly founded Dominican
Order, against his family’s wishes. His brothers, who were generals in the
Italian army, kidnapped Thomas and held him prisoner for two years in their
castle. However, Thomas escaped in a basket over the wall and went to Germany
to study under Saint Albert the Great. He became a priest and was sent to the
University of Paris, where he taught philosophy and theology for many years.
Saint Thomas deeply loved and
revered Our Lord Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. He wrote special
prayers and hymns for the feast of Corpus Christi—the Body of Christ. His
greatest and probably best-known work is a summary of the theology of the
Church—the Summa Theologica.
One day God gave Saint Thomas a
special experience of His presence. After this, Saint Thomas stopped writing,
saying his writing was like “so much straw” when compared to God’s glory. Saint
Thomas died in 1274. He was named the Angelic Doctor— one of the 33 Doctors, or
Teachers—of the Church, because the Church considers his teachings to be as
wise and holy as those of the angels in heaven.
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