Thomas Aquinas

Saint Thomas Aquinas was a 13th-century Italian Dominican friar, theologian, and philosopher who became one of the most influential thinkers in Western history. He successfully harmonized Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy, proving that faith and reason are complementary rather than contradictory.

Around 1244, he decided to join the Dominicans, a newly formed order of begging friars. His aristocratic family was so horrified by this drop in social status that his brothers kidnapped him and locked him in a fortress for over a year to change his mind. He refused to yield.

On December 6, 1273, while celebrating Mass in Naples, Thomas experienced a profound mystical vision. Afterward, he dropped his pen and refused to write another word. When asked why, he said, "I cannot do any more. Everything I have written seems like straw to me compared to what I have seen."