Today, we commemorate the memorial of St Thomas Aquinas, one of the great theologians and thinkers of the Catholic faith, Born in the year 1225 near the city of Naples, Italy to a noble family, he disappointed them by joining the Dominican order. Due to his sharp intellect, he ended up studying at the renowned University of Paris, where his professor and mentor was the important theologian Albert the Great. He later retuned to the University of Paris to teach. He pioneered the use of the Greek philosophy by synthesizing it in Christian theology, Aquinas used the power of reason to demonstrate that God and the universe could be understood by reason guided by faith. Beside his many well known works of theology, he is also the composer of several important Latin hymns, including O Salutaris Hostia and Pange LIngua. The Summa Theologica written between 1267-1273, was intended to be a textbook for students of theology. Written in a question and answer format, it covers topics such as God, creation, human nature, Christian morality, Jesus, and the sacraments of the Church. Aquinas died in 1274. He was the fifth person to be named as a Doctor of the Church, having received that distinction in 1567.
We hear a familiar parable in the Gospel today, of a sower sowing seeds in different types of ground. We may be able to identify with this parable in different stages in our lives. At times, God’s word seems to fall in our lives and take root easily, but at other times, it seems as though God’s word has been snatched up from our lives like birds grabbing seeds off the ground. Just as Thomas Aquinas dedicated his life to the study of theology and God’s word, may God’s word be a constant presence in our lives of faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment