Friday, May 18, 2007

Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas on Receiving Viaticum

If in this world there be any knowledge of this sacrament stronger than that of faith, I wish now to use it in affirming that I firmly believe and know as certain that Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, is in this Sacrament.
I receive Thee, the price of my redemption, for Whose love I have watched, studied, and laboured. Thee have I preached; Thee have I taught. Never have I said anything against Thee: if anything was not well said, that is to be attributed to my ignorance. Neither do I wish to be obstinate in my opinions, but if I have written anything erroneous concerning this sacrament or other matters, I submit all to the judgement and correction of the Holy Roman Church, in whose obedience I now pass from this life.

1 comment:

MMajor Fan said...

On December 6, 1273 during Mass St Thomas experienced an ectasy that resulted in him ceasing his writings and saying, "Because all that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared with what I have seen and what has been revealed to me." Many have wondered what he saw, but his use of the words "know as certain" are the clue as to what he witnessed, which is the actual transubstantiation itself. He was an amazing, holy man (this is an example of understatement! :-)