GARCIA, GIL II

10 June 2018

The Life of St. Thomas Aquinas

1. Give one benefit you get from studying the life of a great person from a historical
perspective. Support your answer by citing one instance in the case of the historical
presentation of the life of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Studying the life of a great person from a historical perspective lets the
researcher view the political, religious, and legal theories of said person during his
time and location and allows him to, among other things, understand and discern if
said theories remain good and sound precedents. A retrospective view of the wisdom
of the past could, in fact, be a potent guide for the formulation of new political,
religious, and legal policies considering that materials of future wisdom are drawn
from history.

For instance, in studying life of St. Thomas Aquinas, the researcher may
come across one of his greatest works, the Summa contra Gentiles, which was
written to aid missionaries in explaining the Christian religion to and defending it
against dissenting points of doctrine in Islam and Judaism. This will allow him to
learn from the theoretical and philosophical views of the author and discern if the
work remains sound authority. The study may also broaden the researcher’s
horizons and may, in fact, encourage him to continue the research of the person
studied under the contemporary lens.

2. Give and describe one incident in the life of St. Thomas that happened in:

a. Roccasecca

INCIDENT: St. Thomas was almost killed by a lightning bolt at Roccasecca.

DESCRIPTION: St. Thomas almost died when a bolt of lightning struck dead his
little sister. This traumatic experience made him fearful of thunderstorms and
lightning, even in his later years. He had the habit of making the sign of the cross
during thunderstorms while repeating prayerfully, “God came in the flesh, God
suffered for us!” and even going to the extent of sheltering himself inside the church,
leaning his head against the tabernacle to seek protection from the Eucharistic Lord.

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 b. Montesangiovanni in Campano

INCIDENT: St. Thomas was under house arrest in their castle at Montesangiovanni
in Campano.
DESCRIPTION: St. Thomas was held under house arrest first in the family castle
at Montesangiovanni in Campano, north of Roccasecca, and, after a couple of
months, transferred to the ancestral castle in Roccasecca until the summer of 1245
for about fifteen to eighteen months. Here, he received frequent visits from John of
San Guillano, the Dominican friar of Naples, who inspired him to become a
Dominican.

c. Naples

INCIDENT: St. Thomas enrolled in the Studium General of Frederick II at the age
of fifteen or sixteen (Fall 1239) after studying in the Benedictine Monastery of
Montecasino.
DESCRIPTION: It was here where he received the Dominican habit from Prior
Thomas of Lentini on May 24, 1244, at roughly the age of 20.

d. Paris

INCIDENT: St. Thomas was set free by his parents to join the Dominicans in Paris
in the autumn of 1245.
DESCRIPTION: He stayed in the Couvent de St. Jacques (Priory of St. James) and
became a Dominican novice in the first year and for the two remaining years. He
also studies liberal arts (philosophy) either at the Faculty of Arts of the University
of Paris or in the priory’s studium generale.

e. Cologne

INCIDENT: St. Thomas accompanied Albert the Great who was commissioned by
the Paris General Chapter (June 7, 1248) to open a Studium, Generale in Cologne.
DESCRIPTION: Here, he earned probably the first minor degree in theology,
baccalaureus biblicus, the result of which was his Expositio super Isaiam ad
Litteram (On the Book of Isiah). He was ordained Dominican priest most likely
around this time.

f. Orvieto

INCIDENT: St. Thomas was assigned as Conventual Lector of the Dominical

priory (founded in the period 1230-1234) to provide for the “permanent formation”
of the brethren as recommended by the General Chapter of Valenciennes (1259).

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 DESCRIPTION: Here, he gave a solid formation to fratres communes to prepare
them for the two missions of the Order of Preachers: preaching and confession. He
also gave consultations to several friends that resulted in several of his works. He
also started working on his glosses on the four gospels which came to be known as
Catena Aurea (The Golden Chain).

g. Fossanova

INCIDENT: St. Thomas died on March 7, 1274 after receiving Holy Communion.
DESCRIPTION: The most probable cause of his death was extreme physical and
nervous fatigue, coupled with mystical experiences that marked his last years in
Naples – the combination thereof resulted in severe brain hemorrhage.

3. Pick one quote from St. Thomas’ works and show one practical application of it in
your personal life. (Not more than 5 sentences)

“Truth is strong in itself and cannot be destroyed by any assault.”

As a lawyer in the Office of the Ombudsman tasked to do preliminary

investigation (i.e., an investigation to determine if a person may be held to court for
a crime) and administrative adjudication (i.e., an evaluation of the evidence to
ascertain if a person may be held administratively liable), I evaluate each case on its
merits. Each case would, by necessity, need evidence to support the theory espoused
by the party concerned. Evidence may consist of objects, documents, and testimony,
all of which must point to a common conclusion. If the evidence submitted by a
party is true, then any attack on its integrity and credibility will, in almost all
instances, fail. The most effective example for this is the testimony of a witness
anchored on the truth; it will always withstand the rigors of scrutiny and cross-
examination since the truth can never be bent nor altered, and, to an unprejudiced
mind, it will always prevail.

4. Choose only one of St. Thomas’ personal traits that has the greatest impact on your
interest.

INTELLECTUAL CHARITY. As an educator-lawyer, St. Thomas’ belief in

the ideal of Dominicanism (i.e., to contemplate and to share to others what has been
contemplated), is fascinating. Just like St. Thomas, educator-lawyers must find time
to answer questions asked of them, whether the same be mundane or otherwise. This
trait also must also be embraced by educator-lawyers whose lives are beset by an
unending flurry of factual and legal inquiries through the dispensation of legal
advice, rendition of a legal opinion, or the education of his/her students. After all,
legal theories thrive on discussion and scrutiny, not on stagnation and obscurity.

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5. As a UST Graduate School student, what is your personal portrait of St. Thomas
Aquinas? In other words, based on your own understanding of his life, do you
describe who St. Thomas Aquinas is?

St. Thomas was a person ahead of his time. His analyses of the theories and
concepts he studied exceeded that of his contemporaries, as shown by the wide
circulation of his work then and now. His life and work must have greatly impacted
the church considering that the same have been institutionalized and deeply
analyzed. His way of thinking guided – and continues to guide – those who study
theology, logic, and philosophy. Indeed, enlightened reasoning, anchored on one’s
faith, is so rare today that people will need to look to the past to see how it was
realized then, and how the same can be used to guide them now.

6. In the UST website, the Thomasian identity is summarized in this fashion: “To be a
community of Catholic men and women with a high degree of competence who
reach out to others with Christian compassion and who exercise their professions
with deep commitment to the truth.” Choose only one of the three qualities of a
Thomasian and show how it arises from St. Thomas’ life as a basic legacy he has
left the Thomasian community.

COMPETENCE. St. Thomas was, among other things, an academician

whose works on the confluence of theology, logic, and philosophy endured and
continue to be widely circulated even today. He left a legacy of competence that
should be embodied by those who are privileged to study his life and methods.
Thomasians, therefore, are obliged to pursue their affairs and pursuits with
competence; their works, perforce, must contain the brand of excellence and quality.
Moreover, they must also endeavor to use their gifts and abilities, guided by the
Thomasian ideology, to benefit society, especially those in the margins. St. Thomas
would expect no less.

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