St. Thomas Aquinas - Feast Day January 28

Feast Day: January 28 
Born:1225 :: Died:1274

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. The family castle was in Rocca Secca, just north of Monte Cassino where the monks lived. 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, Thomas was finally allowed to follow his call.

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.

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. It was March 7, 1274. He was only forty-nine.

St. Agnes - Feast Day January 21

Feast Day: January 21 
Born:292 :: Died: 304

St. Agnes was a Roman girl who loved Jesus so much that she chose only him for her husband. She was very beautiful and when she was just twelve years old, many young men wished to marry her. But as Agnes had given her heart to Jesus, she would always say, "Jesus is my only husband." 

She even turned down the governor's son, who became very angry. He tried to win her affection with gifts and promises but Agnes said to him, "I am already promised to the Lord." Agnes was accused of being a Christian and brought to the governor.

Then she was taken to a Roman temple in Minerva (Athena), and asked to sacrifice to pagan gods. When Agnes was led to the altar, she made the Sign of the Cross. 

The governor tried to scare her by putting her in chains, but even then she refused to turn against God. 

Agnes suffered other tortures. Finally, she was condemned and killed for her faith at the young age of twelve in 304. 

St. Ambrose and other well-known early Church saints have written about this brave girl. Agnes is buried in a cemetery named after her. In 354, Emperor Constantine's daughter built a large church there and had Agnes' body placed under the altar.

St. Macrina - Feast Day January 14

Feast Day: January 14 

Died:(around) 340

St. Macrina, was the grandmother of St. Basil the Great. She helped raise St. Basil and was one of his favourite people. As an adult, he praised his grandmother for all the good she had done for him. He especially thanked her openly for having taught him to love the Christian faith from the time he was very small.

Macrina and her husband paid a high price for being true to their Christian beliefs. During the Roman persecutions of Galerius and Maximinus, Basil's grandparents were forced to go into hiding. They found shelter in the forest at Pontus near their home and somehow managed to escape the Roman soldiers who were looking for them. 

They were always hungry, almost starving and afraid, but they would not give up their faith. Instead, they patiently waited and prayed for the persecution to end. They hunted for food and ate the wild vegetation and somehow managed to live like this for seven years.

During another persecution, Macrina and her husband had all their property and belongings taken from them. They were left with nothing but their faith and trust in God's care for them. St. Macrina died around 340.

St. Macrina survived her husband but the exact year of each of their deaths is not recorded. It is believed that Macrina died around 340. Her grandchild, Basil, died in 379.

Virtue Club Saint Report - St. Thomas Aquinas

Virtue of the Month - Wisdom

Pablo Cortez

October 1, 2010

St Thomas Aquinas - The Dumb Ox (1225-1274)  FEAST DAY: JAN 28 

Thomas was born in his family castle near Naples, Italy. His family was very rich. Thomas was one of nine children and was extremely intelligent but he never bragged about his gifted mind from God. He was so quiet and reserved that sometimes people thought that he was dull. His parents wanted him to become a Benedictine abbot. 

Thomas was educated by the Benedictine monks from 5 years of age to 18. Then he went to the University of Naples to finish his studies. There he met a new group of religious men called the Preachers (or The Dominicans). They lived very simple lives and felt that their calling was to teach. Their founder, St. Dominic, was still living. Thomas knew he wanted to become a priest and he felt called to join the Dominicans. 

His parents were very angry with him! The Dominicans were not prestigious enough for them. He secretly joined the order in 1244.  His brothers actually kidnapped him and kept him a prisoner in one of their castles for over a year! They did everything they could think of to make him change his mind. One of his sisters 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 and became a nun. 

 After fifteen months, Thomas was finally allowed to follow his calling. 

When he first became a Dominican some of the men called him “The Dumb Ox”. They were very wrong! He was not dumb in fact, St. Thomas wrote so well about God that people all over the world have used his books for hundreds of years. St. Thomas’ explanations about God and the faith came from his great love for God. His writings touched the hearts of many 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. 

He died when he was 49.

St. Thomas is one of the greatest Doctors of the Church and is considered the universal patron of universities, colleges, and Catholic schools.

"The end of my labors is come.  All that I have written seems to me so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me."