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A prayer inspired by St. Thomas Aquinas

Today is Jan. 28, the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.

We read at today’s Mass, “By this ‘will,’ we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:10).

One early morning in the thirteenth century, Thomas of Caserta quietly slipped into the chapel of St. Nicholas at the Dominican priory in Naples. There, hidden from view, he witnessed St. Thomas Aquinas in tearful prayer before a crucifix. A tender voice from the crucifix spoke: “You have written well of Me, Thomas. What would you have as your reward?”

We would not expect St. Thomas to request fame or riches, but perhaps he might have asked that his theological works be held in the highest regard. More nobly still, perhaps he might have asked for greater wisdom, like Solomon, or virtue, to be numbered among the saints. Yet St. Thomas, humble and holy, uttered only these words: “Only You, Lord.” In that simple reply, we witness real sanctity: a soul that longs for God above all else.

‘Help me desire only you, Lord’

Today concludes the special Jubilee of St. Thomas hosted by the Dominican Order. During Advent, we were able to organize a tour in the Northeast, making it possible for pilgrims to venerate the major relics of St. Thomas. I was deeply moved by the turnout for the tour. At every location, thousands of the faithful knelt in prayer before St. Thomas’ skull.

I caught myself kneeling before the skull. First I prayed for success for my preaching apostolates, hoping to win souls. Then I prayed for wisdom, that I might emulate St. Thomas. But then I recalled the story of the crucifix. And I prayed a simple prayer inspired by St. Thomas that we might all pray today: “Help me desire only you, Lord.”

St. Thomas’s treasure was not any of his accomplishments — not his fame or his wisdom — but his deep desire to see the face of Christ. In the end, St. Thomas understood that every gift pales in comparison to knowing the giver himself.

Let us pray,

O God, who made Saint Thomas Aquinas outstanding in his zeal for holiness and his study of sacred doctrine, grant us, we pray, that we may understand what he taught and imitate what he accomplished. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.