Feast Day · March 7

Thomas Aquinas

Patron ofStudents, Universities, Theologians, Philosophers

SituationsExams, Learning Difficulties, Studies

ProfessionsAcademics, Philosophers, Students, Theologians

Why this patronage

Saint Thomas Aquinas is the patron of students, universities, theologians, and philosophers for the most natural reason imaginable: he was the supreme teacher of the Church, the “Angelic Doctor,” whose Summa Theologiae shaped Catholic thought as no other work has, and whose method still orders the study of theology and philosophy. Pope Leo XIII formally named him patron of all Catholic schools and universities (1880). There is a tender added cause behind his patronage of students and exams: as a boy he was so quiet and ponderous that his classmates mocked him as “the dumb ox,” yet his master Albert the Great answered that this ox’s bellow would one day be heard through the whole world — so the student who is underestimated, or who dreads an examination, prays to the saint who was doubted and proved the greatest mind of his age.

Life

Saint Thomas Aquinas was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and theologian who lived from 1225 to 1274. His monumental work, the Summa Theologica, remains one of the most influential works in Western philosophy and Catholic theology. He is known as the “Angelic Doctor.”

Prayer

Prayer Before Study (Oratio Ante Studium)

Creator ineffábilis,

Ineffable Creator,

Unaussprechlicher Schöpfer,

Creador inefable,

Créateur ineffable,

Creatore ineffabile,

qui de thesáuris sapiéntiae tuae

who from the treasures of Your wisdom

der du aus den Schätzen deiner Weisheit

que de los tesoros de tu sabiduría

qui, des trésors de ta sagesse,

che dai tesori della tua sapienza

tres Angelórum hierarchías designásti

have established three hierarchies of angels

drei Hierarchien der Engel bestimmt

estableciste tres jerarquías de ángeles

as établi trois hiérarchies d'anges

hai costituito tre gerarchie di angeli

et eas super caelum empýreum

and set them above the empyrean heaven

und sie über den empyreischen Himmel

y las colocaste sobre el cielo empíreo

et les as placées au-dessus du ciel empyrée

e le hai poste sopra il cielo empireo

miro órdine collocásti

in wonderful order,

in wunderbarer Ordnung gesetzt hast,

con admirable orden,

dans un ordre admirable,

con mirabile ordine,

atque univérsi partes elegantíssime distribuísti:

and have apportioned the parts of the universe most elegantly:

und die Teile des Universums aufs Eleganteste verteilt hast:

y distribuiste con suma elegancia las partes del universo:

et as réparti avec la plus grande élégance les parties de l'univers :

e hai distribuito con somma eleganza le parti dell'universo:

Tu, inquam, qui verus fons lúminis et sapiéntiae díceris

You who are called the true font of light and wisdom

Du, sage ich, der du die wahre Quelle des Lichtes und der Weisheit genannt wirst

Tú, digo, que eres llamado verdadera fuente de luz y sabiduría

Toi, dis-je, qui es appelé la vraie source de la lumière et de la sagesse

Tu, dico, che sei detto vera fonte di luce e sapienza

ac superéminens princípium,

and the primal origin,

und der überragende Ursprung,

y principio sobreeminente,

et le principe suréminent,

e principio sovreminente,

infúndere dignéris super intelléctus mei ténebras

deign to pour upon the darkness of my understanding

geruhe, über die Finsternis meines Verstandes

dígnate infundir sobre las tinieblas de mi entendimiento

daigne répandre sur les ténèbres de mon intelligence

degnati di infondere sulle tenebre del mio intelletto

tuae rádium claritátis,

the ray of Your brightness,

den Strahl deiner Klarheit zu gießen,

el rayo de tu claridad,

le rayon de ta clarté,

il raggio della tua chiarezza,

dúplicem in qua natus sum

removing from me the double darkness

und nimm von mir die zwiefache Finsternis,

apartando de mí la doble oscuridad

en éloignant de moi la double obscurité

allontanando da me la duplice oscurità

a me remóvens caliginem, peccátum scílicet et ignorántiam.

in which I was born, namely sin and ignorance.

in der ich geboren bin, nämlich Sünde und Unwissenheit.

en que nací, es decir, el pecado y la ignorancia.

dans laquelle je suis né, à savoir le péché et l'ignorance.

in cui sono nato, cioè il peccato e l'ignoranza.

Da mihi intelléctus acúmen,

Give me keenness of understanding,

Gib mir Schärfe des Verstandes,

Dame agudeza de entendimiento,

Donne-moi la pénétration de l'intelligence,

Dammi acutezza d'intelletto,

memoriae capacitátem,

capacity for remembering,

Fassungskraft des Gedächtnisses,

capacidad de memoria,

la capacité de mémoire,

capacità di memoria,

addiscéndi modum et facilitátem,

method and ease in learning,

Methode und Leichtigkeit im Lernen,

método y facilidad para aprender,

la méthode et la facilité pour apprendre,

metodo e facilità nell'apprendere,

interpretándi subtilitátem,

subtlety in interpreting,

Feinheit im Auslegen,

sutileza para interpretar,

la finesse pour interpréter,

finezza nell'interpretare,

loquéndi grátiam copiosam.

and abundant grace in speaking.

und reiche Anmut im Reden.

y copiosa gracia para hablar.

et une grâce abondante pour parler.

e copiosa grazia nel parlare.

Ingréssum ínstruas, progréssum dírigas,

Order my beginning, direct my progress,

Ordne den Anfang, lenke den Fortschritt,

Dispón el comienzo, dirige el progreso,

Dispose le commencement, dirige le progrès,

Disponi l'inizio, dirigi il progresso,

egréssum compleas.

and set Your seal upon the finished work.

und vollende das Werk.

y completa la obra.

et achève l'œuvre.

e porta a compimento l'opera finita.

Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.

Through Christ our Lord.

Durch Christus, unseren Herrn.

Por Cristo nuestro Señor.

Par le Christ notre Seigneur.

Per Cristo nostro Signore.

Amen.

Amén.

Amen.