Book Review: Prayers in Honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas, by Thomas O'Sullivan

13. The method and principles by which the old scholastic doctors cultivated theology are no longer suitable to the demands of our times and to the progress of the sciences. -Proposition condemned by Pope Bl. Pius IX, Syllabus of Errors, 13

    In recent years, there has been a kind of renaissance of Thomistic thought, and with it, devotion to St. Thomas Aquinas, and interest in his many works and thought.  In addition, the devotion of the Angelic Warfare Confraternity, which has sought to promote purity and chastity in our world, and as a defense against the flood of unchaste imagery in our day and age, has become more popular among the young, who seem to bear the sad brunt of much of the social media attacks, and the lack of modesty in fashion.  

    Mr. Thomas O'Sullivan recently compiled a small booklet with various traditional prayers, in English and Latin, for use.  Some have been updated and made more consistent in language or biblical translation used, but to me, all of these seem perfectly suitable for use in our days, even if they might not carry the same indulgences granted before.  

    The Six Sundays in Honor of St. Thomas Aquinas provide good, brief lessons on the various virtues of the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas.  St. Thomas Aquinas, and Thomism in general, sometimes get a sort of "ivory tower" or "intellectual nerd" connotation, but while his thought and teaching are certainly deep and sometimes does require intense study, there is much beauty and accessible material that he has bequeathed us - one only need to see all the various liturgical texts and hymns centered on the Feast of Corpus Christi.  

    The search for wisdom and knowledge is not limited within the walls of Ivy League and exclusive  boarding schools - it is available to all who seek to drink deeply from the Font of Wisdom, which is Christ, whose Heavenly Father hid "these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children." (Matthew 11:26)     

    I find the quality of the texts chosen and the translations to be excellent, with good line art to accompany the reader.  It could serve both the individual reader, and perhaps any young person or student.  May St. Thomas aid us all in our search to follow Christ more closely.  

    This booklet may be purchase through Os Justi or Amazon, or wherever else available.

Dominican Art and Liturgy Announcements

In celebration of the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, two items of interest to our readers. First, the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, the Studium of the Western Dominican Province, has put up a wonderful Web-Exhibit of the VITA D. THOMAE AQUINATIS by Otto van Veen and published in 1610 in Antwerp. Itis a pictorial history of the life of St. Thomas Aquinas accompanied by a short Latin text of explanation accompanying each of the thirty-one illustrations. The inages are lovely and the explanations by Fr. Michael Morris, O.P., Professor of Religion and the Arts at DSPT are very informative. You can access the exhibit here. The first page of van Veen's Vita decorates this post.

Liturgically, in honor of the 15th anniversary of the dedication of the church, a Dominican Rite Missa Cantata of the Dedication of a Church will be celebrated at Holy Rosary Church, Portland OR, on Sunday, January 30, at 11:00 a.m. The pastor, Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., will be the celebrant. Music will be by Cantores in Ecclesia and a reception will follow in the parish hall. You can read more about this event and get driving informatino here.

A blessed feast day to you all!