Saint Thomas Aquinas

Priest and Doctor of the Church, Memorial

Other Celebrations for this Day:

Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II

Introduction

We honour today St. Thomas Aquinas, who was one of the greatest theologians in the Church’s history, yet his life was marked by simplicity. He succeeded in achieving a harmonious synthesis of Aristotle’s philosophy and the theological thought of the Bible and St. Augustine. Prayer and contemplation were the sources of his theology. In his time, he was considered by many a dangerous innovator and suffered much contradiction. Let us ask today for his understanding of the faith, his wisdom and his spirit of prayer.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
We thank you for St. Thomas,
a great saint and a wise thinker.
Grant us the wisdom
to reflect on the word of the good news,
that it may deepen our insight into our faith
and make our love for you grow.
Give also to the Church of our time
great prophets and theologians
who make us see what the faith means
to the people of our day.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

First Reading

Wisdom 7:7-10, 15-16

I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
Because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
And I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.

Now God grant I speak suitably
and value these endowments at their worth:
For he is the guide of Wisdom
and the director of the wise.
For both we and our words are in his hand,
as well as all prudence and knowledge of crafts.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

R.   (12) Lord, teach me your statutes.
How shall a young man be faultless in his way?
By keeping to your words.
R.   Lord, teach me your statutes.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R.   Lord, teach me your statutes.
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R.   Lord, teach me your statutes.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
R.   Lord, teach me your statutes.
With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
R.   Lord, teach me your statutes.
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R.   Lord, teach me your statutes.

Alleluia Verse

Matthew 23:9b, 10b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have but one Father in heaven;
you have but one master, the Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 23:8-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:
"Do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Prayers of the Faithful

*Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
you give taste to our lives
through the bread and wine of your Son,
for they steep us in his love and faithfulness.
Do not allow us to lose our savor
but to be people who try to preserve in this world
the goodness and dedicated love
which you have shown us in your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

*Prayer after Communion

God, our Father,
thank you for letting us share
in the life of your Son.
Do not let us hide our faith
but make it shine in each of us
and in all our communities
as a bright light shining on all.
Let it not be us
but the love and the goodness of your Son
that brightens our world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

REFLECTION

Humble Wisdom in the School of Christ

Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas

On the Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas, the Church invites us to contemplate a saint whose immense intellectual brilliance was inseparable from profound humility. In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples against seeking titles, honour, and supremacy: “You are not to be called rabbi… nor are you to be called masters… The greatest among you must be your servant” (cf. Mt 23:8–11). These words find a living embodiment in the life and witness of St Thomas Aquinas.

Thomas lived in a world where learning conferred status and authority. Yet despite being one of the greatest minds the Church has ever known, he consistently refused to exalt himself. He understood that knowledge, when detached from humility, becomes sterile, and that wisdom only bears fruit when placed at the service of others. For Thomas, truth was never a possession to be displayed, but a gift to be received, contemplated, and shared in obedience to Christ, the one true Teacher.

Jesus’ warning remains sharply relevant. Even within the Church, there is a subtle temptation to seek recognition, titles, or influence, whether through intellectual achievement, pastoral roles, or spiritual accomplishments. Such pursuits quietly erode fraternity and distort discipleship. Jesus reminds us that before God, we are all brothers and sisters, equally dependent on grace. Authority in the Christian life is never a claim to superiority, but a call to service.

St Thomas exemplified this truth not only in his writings but in his manner of living. He placed his extraordinary talents at the service of the Church, never using them for personal advancement or acclaim. Near the end of his life, after a profound mystical experience, he declared that all he had written seemed like straw compared to the mystery of God. This was not a rejection of reason, but its ultimate purification: the recognition that even the highest human wisdom bows before divine love.

To follow Christ, then, is to learn the discipline of humility. We are called to examine our motivations: do we serve in order to be seen, or do we allow our gifts to become channels of grace for others? Modesty, meekness, and simplicity are not signs of weakness, but marks of authentic Christian maturity. Like Christ himself, who came not to be served but to serve, we are invited to pour ourselves out for the good of others.

On this memorial, we ask St Thomas Aquinas to teach us how to unite faith and reason, truth and charity, brilliance and humility. May the Virgin Mary, whom Dante praised as “humble and exalted more than any creature,” intercede for us, that we may be freed from pride and vanity, and become joyful servants in the school of Christ—where the greatest wisdom is love, and the truest greatness is service.