WHY WE SHOULD TAKE STUDIES SERIOUSLY

By Fr. Casmir Odundo

One of my seminary classmates, now a priest of a certain diocese, recently shared with me about his priestly experience. “How are you coping with the fact that you are no longer in class, after the over eight years of sitting in a lecture room in the seminary?” I asked. “Study is still very essential to me now that I am a priest. Other than the usual Monday off days for priests, I have another day every week that I set aside exclusively for personal study. I call it my study day,” said the priest.  This should not be surprising because, as we were taught in the seminary, the priest of today’s world is called to be a saint and a scholar.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS: MODEL OF CATHOLIC SCHOLARS

St. Thomas Aquinas: Patron of Scholars

Today, the 28^th of January, the Church celebrates the Memoria of one of her outstanding scholars. St. Thomas Aquinas: A genius by all standards; a humble Dominican Priest; a philosopher; a theologian; a doctor of the Church (The Angelic Doctor); a patron of Catholic universities, colleges, and schools.

Thomas was born at Rocca Secca in the Kingdom of Naples, 1225 to his father Landulph Count of Aquino and Theodora, his mother, Countess of Teano.  A holy hermit had foretold his mission even before his birth, saying to Theodora his mother. "He will enter the Order of Friars Preachers, and so great will be his learning and sanctity that in his day no one will be found to equal him." From the age of five he began his intellectual journey. He received his first training from the Benedictine monks of Monte Cassino. It was here that his diligence in study, meditative nature and devotion to prayer was detected by his teachers.

In the year 1236 he joined the University of Naples. Between 1240 and August 1243, he decided to join the Dominicans (Order of Preachers) being attracted and directed by John of St. Julian, a noted Dominican from Naples. His decision stunned many people. Many questioned why such a noble young man should chose the life of a poor friar. Theodora, his mother, with mingled feelings of joy and sorrow, rushed to Naples to see her son. The Dominicans, fearing she would take him away, sent him to Rome, his ultimate destination being Paris or Cologne. At the instance of Theodora, Thomas' brothers, who were soldiers, captured him, then a young novice and put him in solitary confinement for almost two years as his family  tried by various means to destroy his vocation. At one point they even put a lady in his room to tempt him but the young novice, sent her away with a brand which he snatched from the fire. The time spent in captivity was not lost, there Thomas continued with his studies, thanks to one of his sisters who bought him some books. His mother relented somewhat, and the Dominicans were allowed to have him back.

Thomas immediately made his religious profession and was sent to Rome. He later went to Paris before he was transferred to Cologne, where he arrived 1245 and was placed under Albertus Magnus, (St. Albert the Great) the most renowned professor among the Dominicans. Here, Thomas's humility and shyness were misinterpreted as signs of dullness, in fact some of his classmates called him “the dumb ox” mocking his big body and his prolonged silence.  But one day, when St. Albert had heard his brilliant explanation of a difficult thesis, he exclaimed: "We call this young man a dumb ox, but his bellowing in doctrine will one day resound throughout the world."

In 1245 Thomas, accompanied Albert to Paris.  In 1248 both returned to Cologne. During his stay in Cologne, in 1250, Thomas was ordained a priest by Most. Rev.  Conrad of Hochstaden, Archbishop of that city. Throughout his busy life, he frequently preached the Word of God, in Germany, France, and Italy. His sermons were forceful, scented with piety, full of solid instruction and abounding in apt citations from the Scriptures. Later he received his doctorate from Paris, the same time with St. Bonaventure, the Franciscan Friar. St. Bonaventure is to the Franciscans what St. Thomas Aquinas is to the Dominicans.  A tradition says that on the day of their reception of the doctorates (Graduation) there was a contest of humility between the two friends (Thomas and Bonaventure) as to who should be promoted first.

The life of St. Thomas may be summed up in few words: praying, preaching, teaching, writing, journeying. Because St. Thomas Aquinas was so much devoted to sacred intellectual pursuits, “with tears” he begged to be excused from accepting the position of being the Archbishop of Naples, to which he was appointed by Pope Clement IV in 1265. Had Thomas accepted to be a Bishop, then, many scholars contend, most probably that The "Summa Theologica" would not have been written.

His deep meditations and prayer life sometimes resulted in ecstasy. On one occasion, at Naples in 1273, after he had completed his treatise on the Eucharist, three of his fellow friars saw him lifted in ecstasy, and they heard a voice proceeding from the crucifix on the altar, saying "Thomas, You have written well of me, what reward do you want? " Thomas replied, "Nothing else, but You, O Lord."

After experiencing another unusually long ecstasy, On 6 December, 1273, Thomas laid aside his pen and decided he would never again write. The ecstasy happened during Mass; he confided to Father Reginald, who had exhorted him to continue writing: "I can do no more. Such secrets have been revealed to me that all I have written now appears to be of little value." The "Summa Theologica" his major writing was thus never completed, he had just written as far as the ninetieth question of the third part.  

Pope Gregory X had invited him and St. Bonaventure to the Council of Lyons. Thomas set out for the journey on foot but he did not make it. He died on his was there on 7 March, 1274. Having lived less than 50 years but written over sixty works (books), some of them lengthy, some of them very brief. He was truly a genius.

St. Pope Pius V, proclaimed him a Doctor of the Universal Church in the year 1567. In the Encyclical "Aeterni Patris", of 4 August, 1879, on the restoration of Christian philosophy, Leo XIII declared him "The Prince and Master of all Scholastic Doctors". The same Pope on 4 August, 1880, designated him “patron of all Catholic universities, academies, colleges, and schools throughout the world.”

TAKING STUDIES SERIOUSLY

St. Teresa of Avila, "Studies favours Contemplation."

From the above life of St. Thomas we learn the importance of taking our studies seriously.  Many saints have stressed this fact. St. Teresa of Avila, an expert in contemplation was convinced of the fact that “Study done well, can favour contemplation.” She felt that learned people, “if they are truly learned, are aided in contemplation.”

This fact has been repeated by many saintly figures of our times. Two names come to mind immediately on this: St. Josemaria Escriva Founder of Opus Dei and Servant of God, Chiara Lubich, Founder of Opus Mariae (Focolare Movement).

ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA: STUDY AS A WAY OF PRAYER

St. Josemaria Escriva

In his celebrated writing, The Way, St. Josemaria Escriva devotes an entire chapter (Chapter 15) on “Study”.

He says, “There is no excuse for those who could be scholars and are not.” (n. 332). He notes that we should endeavor to study, “non multa, sed multum — i.e.  Not many things, but well.” (n.333).

According to St. Josemaria, Study, i.e. Professional training in any field, is a grave obligation, (n. 334). To stress this he notes: “You pray, you deny yourself, you work in a thousand apostolic activities, but you don't study. You are useless then unless you change.”  In another part he says: “You frequent the Sacraments, you pray, you are chaste, but you do not study. Don't tell me you're good: you're only 'goodish'. (n. 337)

According to him again, “An hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer.” (n. 335) He exhorts us to, “Study in earnest. If one is to be be salt and light, because one needs knowledge, ability.” (n. 340).  

Josemaria Escriva: The Way

However, he notes that, “It's not enough to be learned, in addition to being a good Christian. If we don't correct the brusqueness of our character, if we make our zeal and our knowledge incompatible with good manners, we can't ever become saints. And despite our learning — because of it — we should be tied in a stall, like a mule.” (n. 350) 

He insists, “It is good to see you put such determination into your study provided, of course, you put the same determination into acquiring interior life.” (n. 341).  He adds: “You worry only about building up your knowledge. And what you have to build up is your soul. Then you will work as you ought — for Christ.” (The Way. n. 347).

He encourages every student in the following way:  “Student: form yourself in a solid and active piety, be outstanding in study, have a strong desire for the 'professional' apostolate. And with that vigour of your religious and professional training, I promise you rapid and far-reaching developments.” (The Way, n. 346)

CHIARA LUBICH: STUDY AS AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE

Cover of Chiara Lubich's New Way

In her Book, The New Way, Chiara also delves deep into the importance, need and purpose of study for any Christian. For Chiara, “Study is necessary but under one condition—that it develops into wisdom.”  According to her, “Study is not something added on to wisdom but a means of amplifying it, making it more radiant.” “In study…The alpha and the omega…is always wisdom. The origin is wisdom and the end is wisdom: God.” Study is thus, according to Chiara, “the footstool of Wisdom. It is important because, to increase wisdom it is necessary to study.” Study has to be at the service of wisdom. In allegorical terms, borrowing from her Franciscan background she says we should be careful that “Paris does not destroy Assisi.” “For the members of the Focolare Movement,” Chiara continues, “study is one of the seven expressions of our life. It is an aspect of love. This can be so, however, on the condition that it serves our Love of God and neighbor. Otherwise study is an obstacle; it is Paris destroying Assisi.”

Chiara Lubich 

In 1974, a seminarian asked Chiara Lubich a question on how can one study without the risk of being overwhelmed by it or losing sight of total commitment to gospel values. Chiara gave the following response, “It is simple. I too studied and I was told fourteen times to stop and start again. I remember the last hour I spent studying. I will never forget it. I was sitting on a rug on the floor, with an atlas on one side (I was studying for a geography exam) and my notes on the other. I said to myself: ‘Now I really want to study well in order to do God’s will, and I won’t go unless I know the material covered as well as I know the Hail Mary.’ And this is what I did.

“I felt my studying was like incense offered to God because it was a matter of doing God’s will well. I remember I had the impression that the last hour of study was a real masterpiece. When the hour was over, it was time to do another will of God: to prepare the meal for the Focolarine who were coming back from work, since I was the only one at home. That day I was told to leave my studies permanently. I was happy because life is love; it is not study. What mattered was doing God’s will, for that was the way to love. If we study in this way there is no danger that we will become overly attached to our studies.”  

MARY, SEAT OF WISDOM

Mary Seat of Wisdom

Many scholars, teachers and students love the title of Mary as Seat of wisdom (Maria, Sedes Sapientiae) and often invoke her. Chiara Lubich notes, “Mary is called Seat of Wisdom, not because she spoke, not because she was a doctor of the Church, not because she was a professor at the university, not because she founded a university. She is the Seat of Wisdom because she gave Christ, Wisdom Incarnate to the World. She did something concrete. It is the same for us: we shall have wisdom if we live in such a way that Jesus is in us, is among us, that his presence is concrete.”

The author is Parochial Vicar: Mary Mother of God Parish, Kabarnet. (Diocese of Nakuru)

Email: casmirthomas28@gmail.com

Selected Bibliography

Escriva, Josemaria, The Way, Nairobi: Scepture Pubishers, 1999.

Kennedy, Daniel. "St. Thomas Aquinas, "The Catholic Encyclopaedia, Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 

Lubich, Chiara.  The New Way, Onitsha: New City Press, 2006.