A Humble Angel: St. Thomas Aquinas

The Church celebrates this year the 750th anniversary of St. Thomas Aquinas’ heavenly birthday. He died March 7th, 1274 but the Church celebrates his memorial today, January 28th. St. Thomas Aquinas is considered by the Catholic Church the most authorized theologian and doctor, to the point of making Aquinas’ theology the Church’s own theology. This means that, by Church law, every student of theology must have Aquinas as his or her teacher.[1]

St. Thomas Aquinas was a wonderful man, one of the most powerful minds in human history. For this reason what surprises me the most is how humble he was.

St. Thomas was humble. He could have been a rich man, but he preferred to join the Dominicans and live a life of poverty. He could have been an important abbot or a bishop, but he always refused those positions when he was asked to take them. Why, what was his secret?

Jesus appeared to St. Thomas on December 6th 1273 and said to him: “Thomas, you have written well about me. What do you want for your labors?” St. Thomas was 49, and his whole life had been spent in studying, writing and teaching about God. Jesus asked him: “Thomas, you have written very well about me. Tell me, what do you want for your labors?”. Thomas answered: “You, my Lord.”

What an answer! “The only thing I want is you.” Neither riches nor power, neither pleasures nor honors, neither health nor life. “Just you, Lord.” Aquinas was a very intelligent man: he knew very well that there is no happiness without God, when God is not at the center of our hearts.

Don’t we all look for happiness? Is not happiness the greatest good? Is not God the greatest Good and the source of all good? When asked what would make him happy, Aquinas said he wanted just God, just the greatest Good. He was an intelligent man.

“Take me away from the dangers of losing You and give me a safe haven with You. I want to feel safe. Take me away from the plots of men and give me Your love. Take me away from toil and burden and give me rest. Take me away from the darkness of this world and let me see Your face. Console my heart and give me light: You are my Consolation and my Light. Take me away from war and give me your peace: You are my Peace. What do I want for my labors? Like a soldier, peace; like a laborer, my pay; like a child, Your kiss; like a slave, my freedom, which is Your love. What do I want for my labors...? I would have you, Lord.”

Three months later he obtained what he wanted: surrounded by his brother-monks, he closed his eyes to this world and opened them again to see the only Love of his life: the Truth, the God who is Truth and Life.

Perhaps we cannot imitate St. Thomas’ learning, but let us try to put the Lord at the center of our hearts.


[1] Cf. II Vatican Council, Decree Optatam totius, n. 16 and Declaration Gravissimum educationis n. 10; Code of Canon Law, can. 252 §3.

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