Bene scripsisti de me, Thoma: quam mercedem addipies? Non aliam, nisi te Domine.

Among the many wonderful things we have been doing as of late is a day trip to Naples. There we visited many churches including San Gennaro (St. Januarius), the 4th century bishop of Benevento who was martyred under the Diocletian persecution. This is the Duomo (Cathedral) of Naples and in this church is a container with some of the Saint's blood. Twice each year, on the first weekend of May (on Saturday) and on the 19th of September (his feast day), this blood miraculously liquifies. There is record of this happening for many centuries. He is the patron of Naples.

Another wonderful stop was at the Church of San Domenico (St. Dominic). It was from here in the year 1274 that St. Thomas Aquinas set out on that journey to Lyons, France (for the Second Council of Lyons), during which he died before arrival. In this church is a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas.

Here I defer to an expert and provide you with a quotation. It is from James A. Weisheipl, O.P., in his book Friar Thomas D'Aquino: His Life, Thought, and Work:

"William of Tocco recounts a story, which he heard from Friar Dominic of Caserta, the sacristan of San Domenico...Friar Dominic, apparently, became curious about Thomas' frequent visits to the chapel of St. Nicholas in San Domenico before Matins. One night Friar Dominic concealed himself to watch Thomas in prayer. He saw Thomas elevated 'almost two cubits in the air,' and he heard Thomas praying fervently and weeping. Then he heard Thomas speaking to the crucifix on the wall of the chapel. The figure on the cross said, 'Thomas, you have written well about me. What reward will you have?' To which Thomas replied, 'Lord, nothing but yourself.' Tocco adds that at that time Thomas was writing the third part of the Summa on the passion and resurrection of Christ. It could very well have been the treatise on the Eucharist. To this day the friars of San Domenico point out the crucifix that spoke to Thomas in the chapel of St. Nicholas" (pages 315-16).

We were blessed with the opportunity to attend Mass in this chapel at the altar above which is placed this crucifix. There are also relics of the Saint in the church, but we were unable to see and venerate them because of some repair work being done in the church. Perhaps this story tells us something of what could happen to a theologian who truely writes theology "from his knees!" For St. Thomas there really isn't much of a distinction (or any at all) between his prayer and his work. Holiness or communion with God is the goal.

(FYI, the Latin title of this post is the dialogue between our Lord on the crucifix and the Saint).

Here is the crucifix that spoke to St. Thomas Aquinas: