St. Thomas Aquinas, 1/28/11

Tomorrow is a great feast, and happens to be my Name day. May I live up to this extraordinary man to whom I look up, Tommaso D'Aquino. This genius' panoply of achievements by the time of his death at age 49 inspire in my 40-something self both awe and humility.

A summary list of his writings and a look into only one of those texts will help you see my perspective.

In Thomas' honor I want to recount a story about him that is probably a mix of fact and legend. But it teases out a core truth about him.

It was 1264 when Pope Urban IV instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi. The pope wanted a special Mass and office written especially for this feast, and he commissioned both Sts. Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas to present texts for consideration.

Bonaventure was known to be a more lyrical writer than Aquinas, seemingly far more likely to produce poetry worthy of liturgy.

But au contraire.

On the appointed day both men, each with manuscript in hand, came before Urban. St. Thomas was to go first, and kneeling before the pope, began to read what he had written. Both Pope Urban and Bonaventure listened with tears of emotion, and while St. Thomas was still reading, Bonaventure quietly turned aside and tore his manuscript into small pieces. When St. Bonaventure's turn came, he admitted what he had done and told them that he was no longer in possession of his manuscript. Bonaventure explained that he considered Thomas’ work alone worthy to be used in this liturgical feast.

Aquinas demonstrated a crucial quality of theology: truth must find company with beauty, and thinking-faith must always be capable of turning to worshiping faith. In fact, our lives are to be the most artful witness to faith's true beauty; poetry in motion. So let's start painting!

Let's also listen to one of these exquisite texts penned by the Angelic Doctor...