Feast Of St. Thomas Aquinas

Today the Church celebrates the life of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), a Doctor of the Church.
His writings are studied in both Catholic and Protestant seminaries particularly for his philosophy on faith and reason. Aquinas argued that the truth in Aristotle’s philosophy is complemented and completed by the truth revealed in the Christian tradition. He is considered by many to be the greatest theologian in Catholicism and his Summa Theologica perhaps one of the most influential writings in the Church. Yet, at the end of his life he left the Summa unfinished saying: "I cannot go on . . . All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me."

He was a hymn writer as well as theologian, monk and mystic. It had been reported that he once levitated when he prayed! One of his hymns, Pange Lingua, is used during Eucharistic Adoration and his devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is made evident in the lyrics and was helpful to me to better understand Christ in the Eucharist.

SING, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.

To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.
Amen. Alleluia.

Lord Jesus, grant me but a tincture of that vision that St. Thomas had!

St. Thomas, On your feast day I ask that you would pray for me to see Jesus the way you saw Him in the Eucharist. Amen


Hear the Hymn in Latin