Biography
Thomas Aquinas was born to a noble family in Aquino, Italy. Against his family's wishes, he joined the Dominican Order, even being kidnapped by his brothers and held for a year. He studied under St. Albert the Great in Cologne and Paris. Thomas became the greatest theologian-philosopher of the medieval Church. His Summa Theologica synthesized Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology and remains a foundational text of Catholic thought. He composed the Corpus Christi liturgy, including the hymns Pange Lingua and Tantum Ergo. Near the end of his life, he had a mystical experience during Mass after which he declared: 'All that I have written seems to me like straw compared to what I have seen.' He died en route to the Second Council of Lyon.
Miracles & Signs
- ✦Levitation during prayer witnessed by fellow Dominicans
- ✦Vision of the Crucified Christ who spoke: 'You have written well of Me, Thomas'
- ✦After his death, the town of Fossanova was filled with fragrance
Wisdom & Quotes
“The things that we love tell us what we are.”
“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”
“Beware the man of one book.”
“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”
“The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions.”