Now let's meet Saint Thomas Aquinas, who will also accompany us on our journey, a wonderful companion.
"Brother Thomas, could you tell our readers a little about yourself? "
-Gladly. My name is Thomas
Aquinas. I was born in the year 1225 of our dear Lord in Roccasecca, at that
time the ancient Kingdom of Sicily.
When I was about five years of
age, my parents placed me at the Benedictine Monastery at Monte Cassino. Later
I went to the University of Naples, and in 1244 I became a Dominican friar. My
parents were not too pleased about that.
I was ordained a priest many years ago in 1250, and taught at
the University of Paris in 1252.
In 1259 I was summoned to Rome and became an adviser and
lecturer to the papal court. God very much blessed me, by helping me to write a
number of papers. On March 7, 1274 I left this world and returned home to our
heavenly Father. Brother Raymond, that’s about it.[1]-
“Thank you Brother Thomas, but you are being a little
too modest. Your writings are absolutely wonderful. In Part I of your great
work, the Summa Theologica, you provide proof of the existence of God as the
uncaused cause.”
Dear reader, Brother Thomas also wrote a Treatise on
creation, a Treatise on the angels, a Treatise on man and a Treatise on the
divine government, to name but a few.
In Part II of his Summa, he discusses ethics.
The theme of Part III of his Summa is Christ. He states
that it cannot be asserted that the incarnation was absolutely necessary,
“since God in his omnipotent power could have repaired human nature in many
other ways, but it was the most suitable way both for the purpose of
instruction and of satisfaction.”
In the encyclical Aeterni Patris (Of the Eternal Father)
1879, Pope Leo XIII recommended that our Brother Thomas' philosophy be made the
basis of instruction in all Roman Catholic schools. Pope Pius XII, in the
encyclical Humani Generis (Of the Human Race) 1950, affirmed that the Thomist
philosophy is the surest guide to Roman Catholic doctrine and discouraged all
departures from it. Thomism remains a leading school of contemporary thought.
Among the thinkers, Roman Catholic and non-Roman Catholic alike, who have
operated within the Thomist framework have been the French philosophers Jacques
Maritain and Étienne Gilson. [2]
“Brother Thomas, welcome
aboard.”
-Brother Raymond, I look forward to this journey with
Brother Aurelius, with you and our many other brothers and sisters. [3]
“Before we begin Brothers, I would like to
introduce my darling wife Florence. She is goodness incarnate, a true sign of
God’s Love with us on this pilgrimage.”
“Florence, I would like you to meet Brother
Thomas.”
“How do you do Brother Thomas?”
-I am most pleased to meet you Sister
Florence.- he replied.
“Florence, this is Brother Aurelius.”
“Welcome to our home Brother Aurelius.”
-Sister Florence, thank you for sharing your
home with us. We know Brother Raymond will be spending a great deal of time
with us.-
We then retired to the sundeck where Florence
brought us sandwiches, cheese and wine, with a tray of assorted cold cuts.
-Beautiful, I’m famished.- said Brother Thomas.