Silence before God in the Life and Writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Abstract

Silence before God in the Life and Writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas Gabriel Mary Fiore C.S.J. Robert Cardinal Sarah's recent The Power of Silence (2017) identifies the interior silence of the human person before God as a dimension of Christian spirituality urgently in need of renewal. Far from the simple absence of sound or refusal to communicate, a special type of silence is discovered as "the language of God," both fruit of his presence in the soul and a stillness in which the believer hears his Word.1 This essay finds solid footing for a spirituality of silence in the life and teachings of a trusted master. Although Saint Thomas never composed a treatise on the subject, I argue that a rich theology of silence can be gathered from his writings and that this spiritual doctrine in turn enlightens the silence that enveloped Aquinas's last days on earth. Interpreting the Final Silence of Saint Thomas It is well established that Thomas Aquinas abruptly broke off his theological work and barely spoke during the four months before his death in March 1274.2 However, the significance of this final chapter in the life of the saint [End Page 1] is still debated today. While some scholars see in Thomas's final silence little more than the collapse of his physical and mental health, others view it as an eloquent testament to his mysticism. Consequently, admirers of the saint are left to wonder whether anything of real value can be learned from this final moment of Aquinas's life. What exactly brought about this silence, according to the available historical witnesses? Already, during the last year of Thomas's life, graces of ecstasy and tears during Compline3 and Holy Mass seem to have become frequent.4 Brother Reginald, the saint's closest friend and faithful secretary, explained to Thomas's sister Theodora that he had "frequently experienced raptures of spirit when immersed in contemplation, but never for so long a time."5 Those close to Thomas described these sorts of "abstractions" as frequent, and they seem to have increased during his last months.6 Still, the final silence of Thomas was no such passing grace or abstraction. On December 6, 1273,7 during the celebration of Holy Mass, something happened to Friar Thomas which impressed him so deeply that, from that day to his death, he spoke very little and ceased all formal teaching and writing.8 Bartholomew of Capua's famous testimony states that, [End Page 2] while Thomas celebrated the Eucharist in the chapel of Saint Nicholas, he "underwent an astonishing transformation," and "after this Mass he never wrote nor dictated anything, and hung up his writing materials while in the middle of the third part of his Summa on the treatise of Penitence."9 Perplexed, Reginald urged his master to continue his theological writing: "Father, how can you abandon a work so important for the glory of God and for the enlightenment of the world?" Thomas answered tersely, "Reginald, I can't do it." Aquinas's final word on the matter, while discreet, casts a mystical light on his decision: "I can't do it. Everything I have written seems but straw to me compared to what I have seen and has been revealed to me."10 This testimony, generally accepted as credible, connects the loss of Aquinas's ability or motivation to pursue theological work with some supernatural experience. Thus, the historical record already provides three arguments in favor of a voluntary and supernatural sense to Thomas's silence. One, the witness of Aquinas's spiritual life: graces of ecstasy were frequent during the last year of his life. Two, Aquinas's health: though clearly fatigued, Thomas was by no means incapable of speech or thought. He communicated with his care givers, composed a short theological treatise upon request, and is said to have uttered a fervent prayer as he received the Viaticum.11 Three, Aquinas's own reported words explain his choice to stop preaching and teaching as motivated by some private revelation. Understandably, this mysterious event has fascinated scholars. I group their various opinions into three main positions. Mystical Admirers of...