St. Thomas Aquinas

Patron Saint of Students and

Universities

1227 - 1274

his mother Theodora asked Thomas's brothers, who were soldiers serving the Emperor Frederick to kidnap St. Thomas and hold him captive. He was kept there for nearly two years, his parents, brothers, and sisters endeavoring by various means to destroy his desire to continue as a priest. The brothers even “laid snares for his virtue” by sending young women into St. Thomas’s room, but with his pure heart and mind, St. Thomas drove the temptress from his room with a branch which he snatched from the fire. At the end of his life, St. Thomas confided to a friend the secret of a remarkable favor received at this time. When the young women was driven from his room, Thomas knelt and implored God to grant him integrity of mind and body. He fell into a gentle sleep, and, as he slept, two angels appeared to assure him that his prayer had been heard. They then girded him about with a white girdle, saying: "We gird thee with the girdle of perpetual virginity." And from that day forward he never experienced the slightest thought of

sexual desire.

Henry J. Nicols internationalcenterfortalentdevelopment.com

Used with permission

. . this is the first precept of the law, that good is to be done and promoted, and evil is to be avoided. All other precepts of the natural law are based on this . .

Law must be1. Issued by Authority2. Known3. Just

Henry J. Nicols internationalcenterfortalentdevelopment.com

Used with permission

Hank added this….

Law must be1. Issued by Authority2. Known3. Just4. Enforceable & Enforced

Henry J. Nicols internationalcenterfortalentdevelopment.com

Used with permission

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St. Thomas Aquinas gave five reasons to believe this God does exist.

1. Argument from motion: Some things in the world are in motion. There must be a first mover. This is God.

2. From efficient cause: There is no known case of a thing being the efficient cause of itself. We give the name of God as a first efficient cause.

3. From possibility and necessity: if at one time there could have been nothing in existence even now nothing could be in existence. There must be a being whose existence is necessary and not received. This is God.

4. From graduation to be found in things: There are beings who are more or less good, true, noble, etc. The ultimate being is God.

5. From governance of the world: We observe natural things that lack intelligence acting in a way to achieve a certain end. There must be an intelligent being by which all natural things are directed to their end. This is God.