March 7 is the original feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas. It is the day he died in 1274 and entered eternal life. For centuries, the Church honored him on this date, marking the moment when one of the greatest minds in Christian history passed from earthly wisdom into the fullness of divine Truth.
And what a mind it was.
St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, gave the Church the Summa Theologiae, a theological masterpiece that still shapes Catholic thought today. With extraordinary clarity, he showed that faith and reason are not enemies but companions. All truth leads back to God.
As a young student he was quiet and slow to speak, which earned him the nickname “the Dumb Ox.” But his teacher, St. Albert the Great, saw what others could not and predicted that his teaching would one day resound throughout the world. He was right.
Aquinas was not only a philosopher. He was deeply devoted to Christ in the Eucharist.
At the request of Pope Urban IV, he composed the hymns for the newly established Feast of Corpus Christi. From his pen came some of the most beloved Eucharistic hymns in the Church, including the final verses of Pange Lingua, which we sing as the Tantum Ergo during Benediction:
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui…
“Therefore, so great a Sacrament
Let us venerate with bowed heads.”
The same man who articulated profound theological distinctions also knelt in adoration and wrote poetry that still moves hearts centuries later. His intellect was always ordered toward worship.
“It Is All Straw”
Near the end of his life, something extraordinary happened.
After celebrating Mass in December of 1273, Thomas experienced a profound mystical encounter. After that day, he stopped writing. When encouraged to continue his work, he quietly replied:
“All that I have written seems like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me.”
This was not a rejection of his work. It was humility before the infinite reality of God.
The man whose writings shaped the Church for centuries recognized that even his greatest achievements were small when compared to the glory of divine truth. The greatest mind of his age bowed before mystery.
A Sweet Invitation
There is something fitting about honoring St. Thomas Aquinas with our St. Thomas Aquinas Honey Blend Coffee.
With its smooth body and gentle honey notes, this blend is an invitation to begin the day with both clarity and contemplation. Aquinas reminds us to study deeply, seek truth sincerely, and adore reverently.
On this March 7, his original feast day, we celebrate the theologian who taught us that reason leads to faith, faith leads to worship, and worship leads to wonder.
St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
Discover the wonderful St. Thomas Aquinas Honey Blend Coffee at The Catholic Company today!
