The Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas

I was pleasantly surprised as I dove into morning prayer this morning to be reminded that today is the Feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas. Our parish priest insists on calling our oldest son "Thomas Aquinas" (even though his name is actually "Thomas Xavier.) Regardless, it's a special day for our family for that small reason, and because I'm a big fan of St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the great philosophers and theologians in History. Honestly, what can you say when you realize that Summa Theologica, this glory, was just one of about 60 writings in his less than 50 years on earth? In fact, the Catholic Encyclopedia even claims that "Since the days of Aristotle, probably no one man has exercised such a powerful influence on the thinking world as did St. Thomas."

Via Catholic Sensibility, I share this "Thomas Aquinas pop quiz." I will say that I only got 4 out of the 7 correct. Answers on that blog (not here) tomorrow.

1. Thomas was born in:
  a. Sicily
  b. Paris
  c. Rome
  d. Assisi

2. Thomas' first students were:
  a. Postulants to a religious order
  b. His younger sisters
  c. High school students
  d. Advanced scholars seminar

3. Thomas' animal nickname was:
  a. Ox
  b. Fox
  c. Owl
  d. Fowl

4. January 28th is his feast day. Why was that date chosen?
  a. His date of birth
  b. His date of death
  c. The publication of the Summa Theologica
  d. His "dogmatic" rehabilitation by Pope Pius IV

5. Thomas was a priest with the ...
  a. Jesuits
  b. Dominicans
  c. Benedictines
  d. His home diocese

6. Thomas' family opposed his vocation. How did he finally escape his mother?
  a. Escaped through a window in the middle of the night
  b. Disguised himself as a woman
  c. Asked his brother to seal him in an empty wine casket
  d. She died

7. Thomas was canonized in the year:
  a. 1324
  b. 1563
  c. 1609
  d. 1870

Bonus question: Name one of Thomas' saintly contemporaries.

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