Angels & Saints. Thomas Aquinas.
Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274, was an Italian Dominican friar and priest and an immensely influential philosopher whose extensive and lucid writings have done a great deal to influence much of modern philosophy today. He based his work upon ideas put forward by Aristotle, and among his works which comprise mostly of commentaries, can be found many references to Angels. Legend has it that he was visited by two Angels in his dreams. He was given the title Doctor Angelicus and though he was offered many positions in the church including archbishop of Naples he positively declined any ecclesiastical appointment. He was the proponent of “Natural Theology” whose object is to prove the existence of god, and he attempted to synthesize these works with Christianity.
Visited by Angels in a dream
Similar to the life story of Buddha, Thomas was the son of a wealthy land owner. The young Thomas renounced the things of this world and at the age of 17 yrs resolved to enter the Order of Dominic in spite of the opposition of his family. Some members resorted to all manner of means over a two year period to break his constancy. They even went so far as to tempt him, surrounding him with the wanton luxuries of court. But all their efforts were in vain and he stayed firm in his vocation.
St. Thomas is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential theologians of all time. He died on this day 7th March, in the year 1274. As the story goes, he died whilst giving a lecture on the “Song of Songs”, a beautiful writing found in the Old Testament, possibly from the 2nd century BC, and surprisingly the only reference to the celebration of sexual love and intimacy in the entire Bible.
Celebrate & Connect
Best wishes
Linda