Saint Thomas Aquinas!

Thomas was the son of the Count of Aquino and was born in the family castle in Lombardy near Naples, Italy.    Thomas was one of nine children and was very intelligent, but he never boasted about it. He knew that his mind was a gift from God. His parents hoped that he would become a Benedictine abbot some day. Thomas was sent to the abbey for schooling when he was five and he was educated by the Benedictine monks there. When he was eighteen, he went to the University of Naples to finish his studies. There he met a new group of religious men called the Order of Preachers. Their founder, St. Dominic, was still living. Thomas knew he wanted to become a priest and felt that he was called to join these men. So he secretly joined the Dominican order in 1244. His parents were angry with him. When he was on his way to Paris to study, his brothers kidnapped him and kept him a prisoner in one of their castles for over a year. During that time, they did all they could to make him change his mind.

One of his sisters, too, came to convince him to give up his vocation. But Thomas spoke so beautifully about the joy of serving God that she changed her mind. She decided to give her life to God as a nun. After fifteen months, when Thomas’ mother realized she could not sway her son, she tried to preserve the family name by arranging for his escape through a window. She believed a secret escape was better than appearing to accept his decision. Thomas was finally allowed to openly follow his call to the priesthood.

St. Thomas wrote so well about God that people all over the world have used his books for hundreds of years. His explanations about God and the faith came from Thomas’ great love for God. He writings touched the hearts of people because he was not trying to impress anyone. He just wanted with all his heart to offer the gift of his life to Jesus and the Church. One day, Thomas was praying before the Crucifix in the early morning in the chapel of St Nicholas in Naples, Domenico da Caserta, the church sacristan, overheard a conversation. Thomas was anxiously asking whether what he had written on the mysteries of the Christian faith was correct. And the Crucified One answered him: “You have spoken well of me, Thomas. What is your reward to be?”. And the answer Thomas gave him was what we too, friends and disciples of Jesus, always want to tell him: “Nothing but Yourself, Lord!”

St. Thomas is one of the greatest Doctors of the Church and is considered the universal patron of universities, colleges, and schools. Around the end of 1273, Pope Gregory X asked Thomas to be part of an important Church meeting called the Council of Lyons. While traveling to the meeting, Thomas became ill. He had to stop at a monastery at Fossanova, Italy, where he died after receiving Last Rites. It was March 7, 1274. He was only forty-nine. His original feast day was March 7, the day of his death, but because the date often falls within Lent, in 1969, a revision of the Roman Calendar changed his feast day to January 28, the date his relics were moved to Toulouse.  St Thomas…pray for us!

Learn more about this holy Saint by watching this short story…

Saint Agatha

Feast Day is February 5th

Virgin and Early Martyr of the Church

Patron Saint of Sicily, Bell Founders,  breast cancer, earthquakes, Nurses, and against fires.

Saint Story:

Agatha lived in Sicily and was a Christian born to a rich noble family around the year 231. From her very early years, the notably beautiful Agatha dedicated her life to God. The governor heard of Agatha’s beauty and brought her to his palace. He wanted to make her commit sins, but she was brave and would not give in. “My Lord Jesus Christ,” she prayed, “you see my heart and you know my desire. I am all yours. Save me from this evil man. Make me worthy of winning out over the devil.”

The governor, named Quintianus, sent Agatha to the house of a wicked woman and hoped she would become bad too. But Agatha had great trust in God and prayed all the time. She kept herself pure. She would not listen to the evil ideas of the woman and her daughters. Agatha never lost her confidence in God, even though she suffered a month of assaults and efforts to get her to abandon her vow to God and go against her virtue.

After a month, she was brought back to the governor and Quintianus tried again to win her. “You are a noblewoman,” he said kindly. “Why have you lowered yourself to be a humble Christian?” “Even though I am a noble,” answered Agatha, “I am a slave of Jesus Christ.” “Then what does it really mean to be noble?” the governor asked. Agatha answered, “It means to serve God.”

When Quintianus realized that Agatha would not sin, he sentenced her to be burnt at the stake, but an earthquake saved her from that fate; instead, she was sent to prison. In prison she was tortured, badly beaten, and given no food or medical care. But the Lord gave her all the care she needed. He was her Sacred Physician and protector.  Agatha had a vision of the apostle, St. Peter, who comforted her and healed her wounds through his prayers. After four days, Quintianus ignored the miraculous cure of her wounds and he had her tortured once again. When she was returned to prison, Agatha prayed, “Lord, my Creator, you have ever protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world, and given me patience to suffer: receive now my soul.” Agatha soon died a martyr at Catania, Sicily, in the year 251.

St. Agatha, also known as Agatha of Sicily, is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of the Catholic Church.

Another Saint who’s feast day we celebrate in February is St. Blaise! Maybe you received a blessing of your throat at mass last weekend? Learn more about Saint Blaise and watch this short video!