Mike Flynn/Tom Kreitzberg bait

Reader Shane Coombs sends along the following:

As to whether or not today is St. Thomas’ feast day?

Objection 1. It would seem that today is not St. Thomas’ feast day, for in going about there is apparent no celebration or any festal atmosphere. Now the feast of so renowned and influential a man as St. Thomas clearly calls for great celebration. Therefore, today is not St. Thomas’ Feast day.

Objection 2. Further, today is the 28th of January, whereas St. Thomas’ feast day falls on the 7th of March. Therefore, today is not St. Thomas’ feast day.

Objection 3. Further, Augustine writes that “the Lord suffered on the sixth day of the week, as is admitted by all: wherefore the sixth day also is rightly reckoned a day for fasting.” Today is the sixth day of the week. Now a feast day is not considered a day for fasting. Therefore, today is not St. Thomas’ feast day.

On the contrary, the Roman Missal reads, “IANUARIUS V 28 S. Thomæ de Aquino, presbyteri et Ecclesiæ doctoris”

I answer that, the remembrance of this or that holy person dates to the earliest days of the Church, wherein men sought to keep the good example set forth by these persons and petition them for their intercession before God. At one time these rememberances may have been kept informally or without some firm order, as groups of people are wont to differ as to when to keep some commemoration, such as when a man disagrees with his brother over whether it is best to keep a birthday on its precise date or on the weekend.

Now it is not fitting that there be confusion as to when to honor a saint’s remembrance, for it is written, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” Wherefore Augustine writes of establishing days of religious practice, “in those things concerning which the divine Scriptures have laid down no definite rule, the custom of the people of God, or the practices instituted by their fathers, are to be held as the law of the Church.” Now the custom of the people of God and the tradition of the fathers is to entrust the dates of saints’ rememberances to the Church, which has established that January 28th is to be the feast of St. Thomas. Therefore, today is the feast of St. Thomas.

Reply to Objection 1. That a given day is called a feast day can be understood in two ways. First, the people of some place may of extemporaneously choose to celebrate for some reason, such as after a battle has been won or a tribulation has passed, and in such a case the day is one of feast insofar as many have chosen to feast on that day. Secondly, some days are set aside for the celebration of some person or event according to a predetermined intention to celebrate on that day.

Now it sometimes happens that on a day that has been set aside for some celebration people fail to celebrate it, because of some more pressing matter that has arisen or out of apathy or because no man remembers that the day had been set aside. However even in such a case, the original intention to celebrate on that day is sufficient that the day ought still to be regarded as that very celebration.

Reply to Objection 2. The feast of St. Thomas fell on the 7th of March according to the calendar in use prior to 1969. Since that time, the Church has moved his feast to the 28th of January.

Reply to Objection 3. Because She is a good mother to Her children, the Church wishes to nourish the souls of the faithful with many examples of holiness according to which to live, just as a natural mother wishes to provide her children with as much food as is necessary to establish them in sound health. Now, a natural mother does not feed her children only once per day, but several times. In the same way, the Church offers many holy thoughts and spiritual nourishments each day, according to Her eastblished liturgy.

Now, it sometimes happens that two remembrances may fall on the same day which at first seem contrary to one another’s spirits, such as when the celebration of a saint coincides with the rememberance of the Passion of the Lord. However, if one considers matters aright, it becomes apparent that no contradiction exists. For the Passion of the Lord itself was directed toward the salvation and glorification of souls, as is celebrated on a saint’s feast day. Now the efficient cause is subordinate to the final cause, viz., the salvation of a soul is more important than the means according to which God brought it about. Therefore, it is fitting that the celebration of a soul in Heaven be reckoned on the same day as a remembrance of the Lord’s Passion.

However, because those on earth still require the discipline of the soul and the application of Christ’s Passion to their particular lives so as to avoid sin and merit eternal life, the Church still calls Her children to a certain penance on these days.