Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.
Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Confessor.
Doctor Of The Church.
Feast Day 7 March.
Double.
White Vestments.
English: Altarpiece, depicting Saint Thomas Aquinas, from Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
Deutsch: Altar von San Domenico in Ascoli, Polyptychon,
linke äußere Aufsatztafel: Hl. Thomas von Aquin.
Artist: Carlo Crivelli.
Date: 1476.
Current location: National Gallery, London.
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project (2002)
10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM),
distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
(Wikimedia Commons)
“A light of the World” (Gospel), his teaching is such a faithful echo of the “Words of True Doctrine” of Christ (Epistle), that The Council of Trent placed “The Theological Summa” next to the Bible in The Hall of Session.
He died in The Cistercian Monastery of Fossa Nuova, Campania, Italy, on his way to The Council of Lyon, 7 March 1274.
Pope Leo XIII, by Letters Apostolic, declared him The Patron of all Catholic Schools. At this Season, when The Liturgy recalls the Public Ministry of Jesus, let us ask Saint Thomas so to penetrate us with the Spirit of Penance that we may have a clear vision of The Teachings of The Master, and put them into practice (Collect), as he did.
Mass: In médio.
Commemoration: In Lent. Of The Feria.
Last Gospel: In Lent. Of The Feria.
“Summa Theologica”.
By: Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Available on YouTube at
unless stated otherwise.
An immensely influential Philosopher, Theologian, and Jurist in the Tradition of Scholasticism, he is also known within the latter as The Doctor Angelicus and The Doctor Communis.
The name “Aquinas” identifies his ancestral origins in the County of Aquino, in present-day Lazio, Italy. He was the foremost Classical proponent of Natural Theology and the father of Thomism; of which he argued that Reason is found in God.
His influence on Western Thought is considerable, and much of Modern Philosophy developed or opposed his ideas, particularly in the areas of Ethics, Natural Law, Metaphysics, and Political Theory.
His best-known works are the “Disputed Questions on Truth” (1256–1259), the “Summa Contra Gentiles” (1259–1265), and the unfinished, but massively influential, “Summa Theologica”, also known as “Summa Theologiæ” (1265–1274).
His commentaries on Scripture, and on Aristotle, also form an important part of his Body of Work. Furthermore, Thomas is distinguished for his Eucharistic Hymns, which form a part of The Church’s Liturgy.
The Catholic Church honours Thomas Aquinas as a Saint, and regards him as the model teacher for those studying for the Priesthood, and, indeed, the highest expression of both Natural Reason and Speculative Theology.
In modern times, under Papal Directives, the study of his Works was long used as a core of the required programme of study for those seeking Ordination as Priests or Deacons, as well as for those in Religious Formation and for other students of The Sacred Disciplines (Philosophy, Catholic Theology, Church History, Liturgy, and Canon Law).
“Adore Te Devote”.
Composed by: Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Available on YouTube at
Thomas Aquinas is considered one of The Catholic Church’s greatest Theologians and Philosophers.
Pope Benedict XV declared: “This (Dominican) Order . . . acquired new lustre when The Church declared The Teaching of Thomas to be her own, and that Doctor, honoured with the special praises of the Pontiffs, The Master and Patron of Catholic Schools.”
The English Philosopher, Anthony Kenny, considers Thomas to be “one of the dozen greatest Philosophers of The Western World”.
