Many are well aware of St. Thomas Aquinas's intellectual prowess -- his genius in metaphysics and supernatural theology that pierced the depths of truth. However, few know about the private spiritual life of this illustrious Doctor of the Church. This work, written by Msgr. Martin Grabmann, a foremost authority on Aquinas, is unique in its telling of the holiness of St. Thomas's priestly soul.
Neither a purely devotional nor a strictly scientific treatment of the interior life of St. Thomas, this book combines the two to help you appreciate the character of the Angelic Doctor. Through St. Thomas's own words, you will come to understand how and why he learned more at the feet of the Crucified One than from the innumerable books he read.
In this revealing book, you will gain insights into Aquinas's heart through his works and the acts of his canonization process. Msgr. Grabmann highlights three areas in the saint's interior life: wisdom, charity, and peace. St. Thomas asked God that he might think like Christ, love like Christ, and be at peace like Christ, so his soul and actions were ordered after those of Jesus Christ, and his writings on intimacy with God flowed from his own experience of this communion.
St. Thomas spent his life in contemplative prayer, study, writing, and preaching. It is said that he began his writings with prayer and was often moved to tears. Through testimonies about the Angelic Doctor, you will learn about his untold mysticism and discover:
- The secret to developing fervent charity and attaining spiritual delight
- The threefold wisdom in which St. Thomas found the meaning and happiness of life
- Thomas's exemplary purity and temperance and how he ordered his whole life toward God
- His self-sacrifice, kindness, and charity and why he was called the Cherubim of the Eucharistic mystery
Revered as one of the greatest thinkers of all time, St. Thomas also possessed the faith of a child. You will be astounded by the true stories of his humility and patience in instructing beginners in the spiritual life and the mercy and compassion he extended to others.