A man was seated with his elbows on his knees and his chin propped on his hand. It was a fairly common pose, generally speaking, but still a little unusual for a bishop… especially one in the Kingdom of Heaven!
“Augustine, you look so thoughtful. Tell me, what happened?”
“Oh, Paul! I’m worried about the Church Militant. It is already twelve centuries after Christ, but it seems that something is still missing for humanity to reach sanctification.”
“I have been thinking about that, too,” agreed the Apostle. “I think mankind does not know enough about the things of God.”
“You are right. I did my part while living on earth. But no one has really continued my work…”
“You leaned on the philosopher Plato, Augustine. However, Aristotle had much to offer as well.”
Aristotle, hearing himself mentioned, appeared on the scene.
“Excuse me, did you call me? How can I help?”
The two invited him to join the conversation and told him what they were talking about. Then the Greek master spoke:
“When I arrived here in Paradise, after a good time of purification, Our Lord Jesus Christ – the Causa causarum whom I never could have imagined would become man to save the human race – told me that my words would one day be understood in the light of faith and would give a solid foundation to the doctrine of His Church. But I am still waiting for that to happen…”
“Let’s go to God and ask Him to reveal to us His plans in this regard,” decided São Paulo.
Kneeling before the throne of the eternal divinity, they brought before Him their question: what was missing for the men of that century to grow in knowledge of God, so that they could love Him more and become holier?
The Lord, infinitely paternal and majestic, pointed with his finger at the world, showing them a construction: it had foundations, a little floor and a few centimetres height of wall. He explained:
“Look, a tower is being constructed that will reach the gate of the holy dwellings.”
“O, supreme Beauty,” exclaimed the saintly Bishop of Hippo. “Is this a new Tower of Babel?”
“No, Augustine. The Tower of Babel was an act of defiance against Me, but the stairs of this tower will lead many children to Me.”
They then understood that the Most High was preparing something special, and they felt that it would not be very reverent to ask too many questions.
The next day – if we can talk of such a thing as a “day” in Heaven – the three were once again gathered together, and they came upon two Guardian Angels. One of them was carrying a little girl in his arms. Aristotle asked him:
“And who is this blessed little soul? Are you her Guardian?”
“Yes,” answered the Angel. “She was sleeping in the same room as her brother, when lightning fell from the clouds and entered through the open window of the room, but only she was hit.”
The Apostle of the Gentiles came forward:
“Having come face to face with death various times before finally reaching Heaven, my experience tells me that when Providence preserves a life in such a remarkable way, as with that little boy who was spared from the lightning, it is usually a sign of some special mission.”
The two Angels exchanged looks and smiled. The one with empty hands had a mysterious expression; he looked intently at the three blessed souls and said before leaving:
“Pray for him. I am his Guardian Angel and his name is Thomas.”
St. Paul, St. Augustine, and the Philosopher continued their conversation, and all of them were heartened by the strong impression that the surviving child had something to do with the vision God had shown them.
“I am going to observe this little boy. There is more to this story than meets the eye,” reflected Aristotle, and the other two agreed.
* * *
When Thomas was still a baby, his nurse noticed one day, while preparing him for a bath, that he was holding something tightly in one of his hands. She tried to open it, but in vain.
The baby’s mother, finding this behaviour strange in a child who was normally so placid, decided to find out what was in his little fist. Imagine her surprise when, after managing with much difficulty to open his grasp, she found in his palm the treasure that Thomas was guarding with so much care: it was a piece of parchment, on which was written the words Ave Maria.
As his innocent heart grew in love for the Empress of Heaven, the mysterious construction progressed: the foundations were strengthened and the ground floor completed.
Thomas grew into a serene and meditative toddler. When he reached the age of the “whys”, his greatest curiosity was summed up in one oft-repeated question: “Who is God?”
Every time he pressed those around him for the answer, the walls of that structure rose a little higher. The tower was beginning to take on wondrous proportions! St. Augustine, St. Paul and Aristotle watched from above with admiration.
Later the boy became a religious. One day, he was called excitedly by one of the friars:
“Come see, Thomas! There is an ox flying outside!”
He went to the window and looked, but saw nothing; he only heard his companion’s laughter:
“Ha, ha, ha! Did you believe that? Ha, ha, ha!”
Without the least resentment on account of this humiliation, Thomas simply fixed his deceitful confrere with a gaze and said gravely:
“I would sooner believe that an ox could fly than that a religious could lie.”
Just then, the upper part of the edifice was completed, with a magnificent Gothic ceiling inside; outside, it formed a towering spire. The result was magnificent! God smiled and the three blessed souls looked on in awe.
In addition to being virtuous, Thomas was an excellent student! He was not lazy, and never put off a task until later. His studies glowed with sincere love for Jesus Christ, and every day his intelligence increased, owing to a supernatural gift.
This great intellectual capacity, combined with his angelic sanctity, gradually embellished the tower with splendid colours and lights, both inside and out.
The years passed, and each act of faithfulness practised by St. Thomas Aquinas increased the strength and beauty of the tower. What else could be added to it? It seemed to have reached its perfection…
Now ill and close to death, he asked to receive Communion for the last time. Seeing the Blessed Sacrament approach, he exclaimed:
“I receive You, price of my soul, viaticum of my pilgrimage. For love of You, my Jesus, I have studied, preached, taught and lived. My days, my sighs, my labours were all for You.”
This act of love, above any ambition for riches and knowledge, placed handrails on the tower and covered the stairs with magnificent marble, meaning that, to reach glory, it is not enough just to apply reasoning; above all, it is necessary to be inflamed with charity, without which no one ascends to Heaven.
* * *
When St. Thomas Aquinas died, the tower was finished: it was extraordinary, and its pinnacle touched the gates of Paradise. This tower is made up of the teachings of the great Doctor. Thanks to him, many souls to this day grow in their knowledge of Catholic doctrine, come closer to God and reach the heavenly abodes, where they will be eternally happy.
Let us also climb this tower, seeking not only the knowledge of St. Thomas, but also to imitate his burning love for Our Lord Jesus Christ. ◊
