Catholic Fire

A Student's Prayer (by St. Thomas Aquinas) Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen. Prayer to Our Lady (by St. Thomas Aquinas) O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so many persons of common intellect have made through thy intercession admirable progress in their studies. I hereby choose thee as guardian and patron of my studies. I humbly ask thee to obtain for me the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that from now on I could understand more quickly, retain...

Lesson 1 from Fr. Robert Barron's "The Mystery of God" film and study program. Learn more at http://MysteryOfGod.com . This sample lesson is on "Atheism and What We Mean By 'God'".

1. Art has always been fascinating to me, especially Catholic art. I have my own small collection of statues, paintings, crucifixes, and other objects of art. I also enjoy portrait sketching and painting myself (when I get a chance). Above is one example of a very old painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe that my mother gave me just before she entered into eternal life. Recently, I have become acquainted with a local artist, who is also a member of my parish. Born in the hill country near Trieste, Italy, to an Italian mother and American father, Rita Zaudke came to America when she was four years old. She has made many trips back to Italy since then. Inspired by the Italian people, the picturesque villages, and the elaborate architecture, she has produced a collection of beautiful paintings which reflect her love for the country. Take a look at her beautiful work HERE . 2.   For three days this past week, we had record-breaking temperatures in the 70's, so I chose to exerc...

Today is the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century Dominican priest, philosopher, and theologian. As a Doctor of the Church, he has been given the title "Angelic Doctor" and is the patron of Catholic universities and schools. St. Thomas ranks among the greatest writers and theologians of all time. His most important work, the Summa Theologiae, an explanation and summary of the entire body of Catholic teaching, has been standard for centuries, even to our own day. St. Thomas reflected the Dominican ideal. He was a true contemplative who shared the fruits of contemplation with others. Born of a noble family in southern Italy, Thomas was educated by the Benedictines. He was a superior student and surpassed his classmates in learning as well as in the practice of virtue. When he became old enough to choose his state of life, Thomas renounced the things of this world and chose to enter the Order of St. Dominic in spite of the opposition of his family, who had expec...

By Jean M. Heimann Today, November 15, the Church celebrates St. Albert the Great, "the light of Germany", uniquely named the “Universal Doctor” because of his vast knowledge and writings. He was the greatest German philosopher and theologian of the Middle Ages. A Dominican priest and the Bishop of Regensburg, Germany, he was the first of the medieval academics to apply Aristotle’s philosophy to Christian thought. Albert was born in Lauingen on the Danube, near Ulm, Germany in 1206 to a knight from a noble family. As a young man, he studied at the University of Padua and there he met Blessed Jordan of Saxony, the Dominican who made the rounds of the universities of Europe, attracting the best young men of the universities into the Dominicans. At age 16, Albert entered the Dominican Order and was ordained a priest in 1228. He was then sent to teach in Cologne, where he was renown for his lectures on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. After several teaching assignments i...

Atheists, Agnostics, and believers alike appeal to philosophy to support their claims on the existence or non-existence of God. However, Thomas Aquinas' "Argument from Motion" offers a proof that cannot be easily refuted, as it appeals to the the concept of an "actus purus," or the unmoved mover that we call God.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, you are called by Holy Mother Church, the Angel of the Schools. Your wisdom, gathered through long meditation from the source of all wisdom, the most Holy Trinity, has long been a shining light in the Catholic Church. Ignorance of the things of God is a darkness now enveloping the minds of many of our countrymen. In this darkness, we need an angel like you who will protect, foster, and nourish the schools we have, and guide and strengthen us in establishing and building newer and more adequate schools for the instruction of our children in the ways of Christ. Help and bless the generous sisters, brothers, and priests who labor so unselfishly in the classroom to spread the knowledge of Christ. Inspire our Catholic men and women to be most generous in the support of the schools we have. Grant to parents the wise generosity they need to give their child back to God when that child wishes to follow a priestly or religious vocation. Help us, Saint Thomas, Angel of ...

Today is the optional memorial of St. Raymond of Peñafort, the third Superior-General of the Dominican Order. A contemporary of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he inspired the theologian to write the “Summa Contra Gentiles” for the conversion of non-Catholics. At least 10,000 Muslims reportedly converted as a result of St. Raymond’s evangelistic labors. Raymond was born in Spain in 1175 and died there on January 6, 1275 at the age of 99. He was the gifted son of the count of Peñafort in Catalonia, Spain. Due to his status and wealth, he was well educated and at the age of 20, was already a professor of philosophy. He earned his doctorate in both cannon and civil law at the age 41. He taught cannon law in Bologna, Italy, and it was here that he first met the Dominicans. He was attracted to the Dominican Order by the preaching of Blessed Reginald of Bologna and received the Dominican habit at the age of 47. Raymond had a strong devotion to Our Blessed Mother, and it was this devotion that le...

Today is the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century Dominican priest, philosopher, and theologian. As a Doctor of the Church, he has been given the title "Angelic Doctor" and is the patron of Catholic universities and schools. St. Thomas ranks among the greatest writers and theologians of all time. His most important work, the Summa Theologiae, an explanation and summary of the entire body of Catholic teaching, has been standard for centuries, even to our own day. St. Thomas reflected the Dominican ideal. He was a true contemplative who shared the fruits of contemplation with others. Born of a noble family in southern Italy, Thomas was educated by the Benedictines. He was a superior student and surpassed his classmates in learning as well as in the practice of virtue. When he became old enough to choose his state of life, Thomas renounced the things of this world and chose to enter the Order of St. Dominic in spite of the opposition of his family, who had expec...

By Judie Brown According to recent news stories on the Obama administration’s effort to investigate the Bush administration's authorization of certain interrogation techniques, Attorney General Eric Holder and other Obama administration officials have said that no one is above the law . Regardless of your view of CIA operations, the truth is that there should not be a question about anybody being above the law. Without a proper regard for the law, chaos would reign. Carry this a step further but in a slightly different direction. If we consider the Code of Canon Law , which is the body of laws governing the Catholic Church, we have to ask if these laws are subject to personal interpretation or are they in fact laws that should be uniformly interpreted and obeyed? Click here to read the rest.

The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them. ~St. Thomas Aquinas

As an Oblate with the Community of St. John, which was founded by Father Marie Dominique Philippe, OP (1912 - 2006), I feel an affinity with St. Thomas Aquinas. He has always had a special place in my heart and I am delighted to share this feast day with you. Saint Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century Dominican priest, philosopher, and theologian. As a Doctor of the Church, he has been given the title "Angelic Doctor" and is the patron of Catholic universities and schools. St. Thomas reflected the Dominican ideal. He was a true contemplative who shared the fruits of contemplation with others. Here are some of my favorite St. Thomas of Aquinas quotes: "The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love; It signifies Love, It produces love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life." "Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious. " "A man has free choice to the extent that ...

Your Score : The Theist You scored 20 Materialism and 10 Phenomenology! A common mistake is assuming that "Theism" means religion. Theism isn't religion, it is in fact metaphysics, originating with Emperor Constantine, who transformed Christianity from a minority religion to the ideological standard of Rome. What Theism simply means is that you are convinced that there is a Final Ordering Principle to the universe, that it has agency (will), that it ordains all power structures as will as instilling reality with purpose and design, and that everything must be interpreted within that context. Thinkers you may agree with: St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Iraneus Thinkers to challenge you: Bertrand Russell, Richard Dawkins, Don Cupitt Link: The Metaphysician Test written by Jaylhomme on OkCupid , home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(Jaylhomme) Via The Anchoress.