St. Thomas Aquinas: Patron Saint of the Scholars

One special Catholic Saint for me is Saint Thomas Aquinas, known as the Angelic Doctor. St. Thomas is famous for the Summa Theologica, which is the representation of his philosophical views. He is also very popular for his views and comments about God and His existence.

Belonging to an opulent clan in Italy, Saint Thomas decided to become a Dominican, which allowed him to immerse himself into profound intellectual work and studies such as Theology and Philosophy.

St. Thomas of Aquinas is particularly close to my heart because my school during my elementary and High School is named after him – the University of Santo Tomas, the Catholic University of the Philippines run by the Dominican Order, and the oldest existing school in the country.

In fact, St Thomas is considered a favorite Catholic Saint among Filipinos, and is known for being the Patron Saint of Catholic Schools, students and scholars. His feast day is on January 28.

Pray to Jesus or the Patron Saints?

What is right for a Catholic to do; go pray to Jesus for the Lord’s favors or employ the intercession of the patron saints for every request that he has? My thoughts on this concern are somewhat not clear. I mean as Catholics, we know that the Catholic Church recognizes the Saints, and that it has been a widespread practice that we pray to the saints as our intercessors to the Lord.

In all our concerns on every conceivable aspect of our lives, we have a Patron Saint to pray for assistance so that the Lord will hear and answer our prayer requests immediately. There are the Patron Saints of Hopeless Cases – and these are Saint Rita of Cascia and Saint Jude. Then there is Saint Paul, who the Patron Saint of Catholics wanting to know the truth.

Definitely, we have the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church with our veneration of the Saints. But, we are also specifically taught not to worship them. Only the Lord God is worthy of our worship and praise.

On the other hand, what makes it confusing is the passage from the Holy Bible John 14:6 wherein Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” Now here is where I am confused, because Jesus says it is only through Him that we get to God. So, where are the Saints in all this?

In my opinion, whatever the teachings of the Catholic Church, we can base our religious practices and actions. It can be that Jesus is the Main Man, as far as connecting to the Lord is concerned. When all else fails, we can pin all our hopes in having God hear our prayers through the intercession of Jesus. However, as the Church teaches, the Saints are there likewise to hear our pleas for them to intercede for us to God. Just like when we ask a friend to pray for us, the Saints act also like a friend. They also pray to the Lord in our behalf, making sure our intentions and requests are heard.

St. John the Evangelist: Patron Saint of Caregivers

Many of our Filipina compatriots are working here at the Holy City as Caregivers. Everyone one knows how difficult the job of providing care for the elderly person is. Most of them is virtually on call 24 hours, tending to every need of their beloved patient, many of whom are too weak to care for themselves, and some already in their deathbed.

Still and all, the caregivers shower their beloved patients with an unbelievable amount of love and attention, way beyond what their job requires them. Indeed, care giving is more than just a job, it is a noble vocation.

To my compatriots and other nationalities who are working here in Israel as caregivers, I dedicate this article to them, for all their dedication and sacrifices that go with their work.

The Patron Saint of Caregivers is Saint John the Evangelist – which is “unofficial” because St. John is not officially listed as such in the List of Patron Saints of the Catholic Church.

However, many Catholics associate Saint John the Evangelist with caregivers because he was the one who gave great comfort to the Virgin Mary during the Suffering and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself told St John to take care of Mary.