St. Thomas Aquinas

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Prayer to Saint Thomas Aquinas

Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas, prince of theologians and model of philosophers, bright ornament of the Christian world, light of the Church and patron of all Catholic schools,
who didst learn wisdom without guile and dost communicate it without envy,
pray for us to the Son of God who is Wisdom itself, that,
by the coming of the Spirit of Wisdom upon us,
we may clearly understand that which thou didst teach,
and by imitating thee, may bring to completion that which thou didst do;
that we may be made partakers both of thy doctrine and thy holiness,
whereby thou didst shine on earth even as the sun; and finally,
that we may enjoy with thee in heaven for evermore the most delectable fruits of the same,
praising together with thee divine Wisdom through endless ages. Amen.

Source The Prayer Book, Catholic Press, Inc.

"The Temptation of St. Thomas Aquinas by Velazquez

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Prayer of Dedication to Mary by St. Thomas Aquinas

Virgin full of goodness,
Mother of mercy,
I entrust to you my body and my soul,
my thoughts and my actions,
my life and my death.
O my Queen,
come to my aid
and deliver me from the snares of the devil.
Obtain for me the grace of loving
my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
with a true and perfect love,
and after him,
O Mary,
of loving you with all my heart
and above all things.

Prayer Source: Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing, Inc.

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How Christ is in the Blessed Sacrament

"Is the whole Christ contained under this Sacrament? (Q.76.1)
(By the whole Christ is meant his integral body, blood, soul, and divinity, viz. The Person of the Word.)

The entire Christ is in this sacrament, first, by power of the sacrament, secondly by concomitance**.

By power of the sacrament there is under the species (or appearances) that which is expressed by the words of the form: 'This is my body' --'This is my blood.'

From natural concomitance there is also that which is really united to the body and blood. (Namely, the soul of Christ and his divinity).

In a real union of two things, where one is, the other must be; and they are only distinguished by an operation of the mind.

Obj.1. The bread and wine cannot be changed into either the divinity or soul of Christ; therefore it seems that the entire Christ is not under this sacrament.

Reply: Where the body of Christ is, there the Godhead must be; for once the body was assumed by the divinity, it is never set aside. But his soul was truly separated from his body; so if this sacrament had been effected during those three days, the soul of Christ would not have been there either by power of the sacrament or from real concomitance. Now since 'Christ rising from the dead dieth now no more' (Rom.6,9), his soul is always really united with his body and is present in this sacrament by real concomitance..."

**Editor's note: By concomitance here is meant what must be present by nature or by virtue of the grace of union. In the Host the blood is present by concomitance and in the chalice, the body as one cannot be without the other after the Resurrection; and by concomitance the divinity must be united to both.

Source: The Blessed Sacrament and the Mass by St. Thomas Aquinas, translated, with noted by Rev. F. O'Neill, Roman Catholic Books

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"Just as divine providence does not wholly exclude evil from things, so also it does not exclude contingency. or impose necessity on things.

Source: Summa Contra Gentiles Book Three: Providence Part 1 by Saint Thomas Aquinas, Translated by Vernon J. Bourke

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Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas - Patron of Students

Wonderful theologian and Doctor of the Church,
you learned more from the Crucifix than from books.
Combining both sources, you left us
the marvelous Summa of theology,
broadcasting most glorious enlightenment to all.
You always sought for true light
and studied for God's honor and glory.
Help us all to study our religion
as well as all other subjects needed for life,
without ambition and pride in imitation of you.

Source St. Joseph's People's Prayer Book