Now there are many reasons to be fond of St. Thomas Aquinas, especially here in our little/big family.  First off, of course, there is my dearest Coffeedoc, who, as we all know, is really named Thomas.  Such a great name.

Other reasons run from loving the Dominicans, in general, and these ones, in particular, and also these…..to the fact that he is a patron of scholars and academics, he was underestimated and considered to be slow; dim even.  Why yes, perhaps that’s why I personally have always been extra fond of him, now that you mention it!

Little did his contemporaries know, he was a genius.  A future Doctor of the Church; by which I mean, he is an “authorized teacher” of the Church.   You want to learn good solid doctrine? Go read up on some St. Thomas Aquinas! Anyhow, this silent genius was also made fun of, just like so many of us, he was, um, larger than the standard….and between his silence and his bulk he was often called the “Dumb Ox.”  Awwww.  That’s just mean.  And at University!  Sheesh!

Anyhow, the point being: he is a saint for us all.  If you a hyper intellectual, a struggling student, someone struggling with their excess girth, ahem, someone who is underestimated, bullied, teachers, Italians, aficionados of Italy….you name it.  In our house we will have a particular devotion to St. Thomas, asking him for prayers for our Buddybug as he ventures forth, and might well need St. Thomas as a patron after graduation.  Ok, we all do, so that settles that.

But really, almost any way you look at it, or him, St. Thomas Aquinas is a good egg, all around.  

St. Thomas Aquinas is a saint to learn a bit more about, and one much needed in our confused post modern times.