Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
For Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas was “the philosopher.” Much can be read and studied as to why Ignatius thought so highly of Thomas. One simple fact could be that Thomas saw creation as a means of moving towards an understanding of God that complimented what was known by faith, a view that Ignatius embraced from the very beginning of his conversion. Ignatius was not exposed to Thomistic thought in an organized matter until he got to the University of Paris. When Ignatius began to study Thomas, no doubt he saw a great affinity in the Thomistic idea that the author of creation can, in part, be known by that same creation. Although Ignatius never advocated that Thomism was the one and only philosophical methodology, he did see in the fundamental world of Thomism a systematic support for his own world view. Although we may not all be philosophers, we can appreciate Thomas’ view of the world as means to understanding God in such a way that it supports what we know by faith.