My Brother, Thomas

In William of Tocco’s biography of Thomas Aquinas, I was presented with the sketch of a man who was totally consumed by love of divine things. It became obvious to me that the most important title Thomas ever received was not Master of Theology, not Conventual Lector, but Saint.

The Life of St. Thomas Aquinas by William of Tocco (Angelus Press, 2023)

Here at Dominicana, we love our brother Saint Thomas Aquinas. So it shouldn’t be any surprise that, even during the summer break from classes, we keep reading with and about the Dumb Ox.

There are plenty of good-hearted people who read St. Thomas and get the impression that he is abstract and cold. They find a man who is “scholastic” and “heady.” Ask him for help on your homework? Sure. But seek guidance and assistance from him in pretty much anything else? Maybe not so much.

I recently read The Life of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelus Press, 2023), and it left me with a renewed appreciation for the Angelic Doctor. As English Dominican Fr. Thomas Crean, O.P., explains in the book’s foreword, this was the very first biography of St. Thomas, written in 1319 by a friar named William of Tocco. He himself had lived with St. Thomas for a time and so was tasked with writing a biography to aid the papal process of canonization. Tocco brought together a collection of stories from Thomas’ family and friends—all of whom were eyewitnesses to his sanctity. Very likely, you have never heard of William of Tocco nor of this biography, because an English translation had never been published. This injustice has been remedied.

In Tocco’s biography of Thomas, I was presented with the sketch of a man who was totally consumed by love of divine things. It became obvious to me that the most important title Thomas ever received was not Master of Theology, not Conventual Lector, but Saint. A saint (sanctus) is so called on account of his proximity to the All-Holy God. The recognition of his sanctity most accurately captures the identity of Friar Thomas. Reading Tocco’s account of Thomas’ life impressed upon me the truth that Thomas’ enlightened intellect was proportionate to his inflamed heart. The many lights Thomas received were the fruit of persistent begging for divine illumination.

The format of the book lends itself to 5 to 10-minute bursts of reading. It is divided into many chapters, not much more than a page or two each. Every chapter contains a story from the life of Thomas. Some stories you may have heard before… but other stories are likely to be new. For example, I was delighted to read about the time when St. Thomas was praying in the chapel and had a spiritual vision of a demon bothering one of the friars sitting nearby: the tempter was dancing around the brother and taunting him with a little pie! The friar was being tempted by thoughts of stealing a pie and eating the whole thing himself. Thomas went over to strengthen his brother and said, “Take care that you do not eat it alone, but out of charity distribute it to our confréres” (p. 161). What wisdom. What aroma of fraternal charity! St. Thomas is little known for his patronage of Dominican rec-rooms. Other such edifying stories abound.

If you wish to meet Thomas Aquinas the Saint, then Tocco’s biography is a good place to start.

Republished with gracious permission from Dominicana (August 2024). 

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politics—we approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.

✠

Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. (used with permission)