St. Thomas was born in Aquino in 1225 to Count Landulf and Countess Theodora who was a descendant to the Hohenstaufen dynasty of the Holy Roman Emperors. He chose to be a Dominican at an early age, but was thwarted by his parents who preferred that he follow in the footsteps of an uncle.
In order to assure this, they had him imprisoned in a tower where he took advantage of the solitude to pray and to study. In a second attempt to change his mind, his father arranged for a woman of bad reputation to visit St. Thomas in order for him to sin against purity.
Upon her entry into his room, St. Thomas took a stick of burning wood from the fireplace and threatened her with it. His purity was preserved and rewarded with a visit from an Angel who gave him a mystical girdle to forever protect his purity. Therefore, St. Thomas is known as the "Angelic Doctor", never again to be tempted by the sins of impurity which so disturb the ability of one to think clearly. His mind now would be pure, lucid and ready for the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, totally dedicated to producing the great works of philosophy and theology for the glory of the Holy Catholic Church.
By order of his superiors, St. Thomas was subject to a lay brother who had authority over him. Surely, this lay brother was inferior both in intelligence and in sanctity, but nonetheless, St. Thomas obeyed him perfectly. St. Pius XI mentions this when he said that humility was the foundation of St. Thomas' virtues.
The sanctity of St. Thomas could be described as a synthesis of chastity, humility and obedience which enhances the natural gifts of intelligence and wisdom to elevate the soul in a likeness of the angelic nature overflowing with a great love of God.
May St. Thomas, on his feast day, March 7, help us to love Catholic doctrine with our whole soul and to protect us from the sins of impurity so prevalent in our day.
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