On the Restoration of Sanity

Though St. Thomas' feast day was yesterday, I didn't want it to slip by without a note.

The greatness of St. Thomas lies in his applying both mind & heart to the age-old questions, Who am I? What does it mean to exist? What is the end of all things? How do we get there?

The Greek asked & tried to answer these questions, too; but Thomas did so in the light of Jesus Christ, and that makes all the difference. In this purifying of pagan thought, he re-established that things that are, really are. He affirmed that real people are more important than concepts. He fought for creation, & in doing so, fought for the Creator. He took people & the real things of life seriously. He showed that faith in God is reasonable & obtainable, even if not completely graspable. He wanted to illuminate Jesus Christ for others for the salvation of their souls, & also of his own.

Most people think Thomas is a great saint because of his prodigious intellectual work. It seems that not. I think it is because he wrote hymns. Lovers sing. The Church still sings even today the Eucharistic hymns Adoro te Devote, Panis Angelicus, & O Salutaris Hostia among others. I cannot now recall another Eucharistic hymn that even begins to hold a candle to these works. It was his great love of the God who came down to join man as man - & continues to come down to join man as food - that fueled his passion, not only to understand, but to praise.

Some might think Thomas' teachings are too other-worldly to be grasped; I would say he was simply delirious with the love of God.

Thank you, St. Thomas of Aquino, for helping to restore an island of sanity in an insane world. Please pray for us.

Nota Bene: Here is my review of G.K. Chesterton's biography of St. Thomas.