Introduction
Born in Italy in 1225, Thomas was gifted with an unparalleled intellect. He sought to enter the Dominican Order, but his family stopped him for some time by capturing him and holding him in their castle.
During that imprisonment, they sent in a prostitute to tempt him to sin, but he drove her out, and angels came to him and Thomas was given a special grace of not being tempted against purity again in his life (for those interested in growing in purity, search for the Angelic Warfare Confraternity established by the Dominicans through the graces given to St. Thomas with regard to purity).
Thomas went on to enter the Dominican Order, become a professor and theologian, writing the Summa Theologiae, the greatest work on faith and reason ever made. He is the patron of Catholic colleges and schools and is sought out by students for help in their studies.
Everyday Prayer for Students:

Novena to St Thomas
Feast day:
January 19th
Feast day:
January 28th
Novena Prayer
St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of students and Catholic schools,
I thank God for the gifts of light and knowledge he bestowed on you,
Which you used to build up the Church in love.
I thank God, too, for the wealth and richness of theological teaching you left in your writings.
Not only were you a great teacher, you lived a life of virtue and you made holiness the desire of your heart.
If I cannot imitate you in the brilliance of your academic pursuits,
I can follow you in the humility and charity which marked your life.
As St. Paul said, charity is the greatest gift, and it is open to all.
Pray for me that I might grow in holiness and charity.
Pray also for Catholic schools, and for all students.
In particular, please obtain the favour I ask during this novena
(Mention your request).
Amen.
First Day: St. Thomas, called by God.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37).
St. Thomas, as a young man you became convinced that God was calling you to religious life. Although your family was opposed to it, you were determined to follow God’s call. Even when your brothers kidnapped you and forced you to remain a prisoner in your own house, you did not give up but waited patiently for God’s hour. St. Thomas, pray for all young people who are considering their vocation in life. Help them to be open to the call of God. Inspire them to make choices motivated by love for God and an unselfish love for other people. Whatever their state in life, help them to see their chosen path as a call to service. May all married couples, single persons, priests and religious build up the Church through lives of unselfish devotion and love.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Second Day: St. Thomas, lover of purity.
“For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness” (1 Thes 4:7).
St. Thomas, you had a great esteem for the virtue of purity. When your family tried to deter you from entering the Dominicans by sending a woman to lead you into sin, you resisted the temptation and determined to consecrate your chastity to God forever.
Today we are immersed in a culture that degrades the gift of human sexuality. Human persons are viewed as objects of pleasure and their human dignity is devalued. As a consequence, society tolerates abortion, disregarding human life at the very outset. Children suffer abuse and families are damaged by infidelity.
Pray that our society may once again value the virtue of chastity. Pray that those in the media will work to promote a Christian view of marriage and family life. May the plague of pornography in all its forms be eliminated. May Christian moral standards act as a leaven in society and bring about a greater respect for human life.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Third Day: St. Thomas, example of humility.
“All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Mt 23:12).
St. Thomas, when you were a young student some of your classmates called you the “dumb ox.” Al though you were more intelligent than all of them, you bore their insults patiently without retaliating. You were endowed with a keen mind but recognised that God is the source of all gifts. You humbly acknowledged your dependence on God, and begged him to enlighten you so that you would act only for his glory.
St. Thomas, pray for me that I too learn to act out of humility and never from the empty desire for esteem in the sight of others. Help me to seek only God’s glory and to act with a right intention. May I seek to humble myself now, so that in heaven I will shine like the stars for all eternity. (Recite the novena prayer as above)
Fourth Day: St. Thomas, devoted to truth.
“But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph 4:15).
St. Thomas, you devoted your life to seeking the truth and explaining it to others. You dedicated your mind to God, and used it to probe the Word of God more deeply. Your gifts as a theologian and philosopher make you stand out as one of the greatest doctors of the Church. In your discussions, you made truth your primary aim, while treating respectfully anyone who differed with you.
Obtain for me too a great love of truth. Help me to ponder God’s word so as to draw from it the light I need to nourish myself spiritually. Keep me firmly rooted in the truth, and never let me be swayed by false teachings. I pray also for those who are lost in darkness; please bring them into the light of truth.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Fifth Day: St. Thomas, love for the Blessed Sacrament.
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you”‘ (Jn 6:53).
St. Thomas, you had a great love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and spent many hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. You once said that you learned more from prayer before the tabernacle than from many hours of study. The Church owes you a debt of gratitude for the beautiful Eucharistic hymns you wrote at the request of Pope Urban IV, for the newly-established feast of Corpus Christi.
Pray that I too might be inflamed with an ardent love for the Holy Eucharist. Help me to always esteem and reverence this wonderful sacrament. Pray for me that I might always participate devoutly in Mass, receive Holy Communion with great fervour, and often visit Jesus in the tabernacle. Through contact with the Eucharistic Lord, may my heart overflow with love for God and for my neighbour.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Sixth Day: St. Thomas, filled with charity
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor 1 3 :4-6).
St. Thomas, you were noted during your life for the charity you showed to others. During debates at the university, you did not ridicule those who argued with you but treated them with respect and love. You showed consideration for the needs of other people.
Help me also to be more deeply rooted in love of God and neighbour, keeping in mind Jesus’ words, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). Help me to practice this same charity in a concrete way that does not stop at words, but is shown with sacrifice. May it begin first of all in my family, and then radiate to everyone I meet.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Seventh Day: St. Thomas, defender of the church.
“…the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).
St. Thomas, from your youth you learned to love the Church, your spiritual home. In your teaching, you sought to explain and defend the doctrine of the Church, making it known through your writings. You understood that true wisdom means to let oneself be instructed by the Church, for Jesus guaranteed that the Holy Spirit would always be with the Church, to lead it into all truth. At the end of your life you said, “I have taught and written much…according to my faith in Christ and in the holy Roman Church, to whose judgment I submit all my teaching.”
Intercede for the Church, especially students, to grow stronger and more spiritually fruitful in the world. Raise up holy priests, religious and laity, that they may all be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Bless the Pope in his efforts to guide the Church, witnessing to the power of the Gospel to renew the face of the earth. May the whole Church be renewed by the power of the Spirit to more effectively witness to Christ in the world today.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Eighth Day: St. Thomas, teacher of prayer.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving” (Col 4:2).
St. Thomas, you knew that prayer is the source of wisdom and you spent long hours in conversation with God. Prayer became your very life. Whenever you pondered over a problem in theology, you turned to prayer to seek God’s enlightenment. Now in heaven you see God face to face. Pray for me, too, that I might become a person of profound prayer. Obtain for me the grace that I might always pray with humility, confidence and perseverance. Help me to grow more and more in the spirit of prayer, so that my whole life may become a prayer. May I always seek the face of the living God.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Ninth Day: St. Thomas, patron of students.
“For in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind” (1 Cor 1:5).
St. Thomas, God called you to spend most of your life in academic pursuits, first as a student, and then as a professor of theology. In your work as a teacher, you desired to help your students apply what they learned to their lives, in order to grow in holiness. You realized that knowledge is meant to draw people closer to God. In your teaching you sought to communicate the truth, desiring to help your students become better Christians.
Pray for all students. Pray for those who may have difficulty in their studies, as well as for those who can study with ease. Pray that they may all be open to the truth, and always seek to better understand it. May they grow in knowledge so as to know God better and to be able to serve their brothers and sisters as the Lord desires.
St. Thomas, pray especially for students, that in their studies and research they may come closer to the truth and a deeper knowledge of revealed doctrine in keeping with the mind of the Church. May their lives reflect the holiness of the Word of God which they seek to more fully understand.
(Recite the novena prayer as above)
Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas
Patron of Students.
Wonderful theologian and Doctor of the Church, you learned more from the Crucifix than from books. Combining both sources, you left us the marvellous Summa of theology, broadcasting most glorious enlightenment to all. You always sought for true light and studied for God’s honour and glory. Help us all to study our religion as well as all other subjects needed for life, without ambition and pride in imitation of you.
From the Roman Missal
Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor
God our Father, you made Thomas Aquinas known for his holiness and learning. Help us to grow in wisdom by his teaching, and in holiness by imitating his faith. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Litany of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Leader:
Lord, have mercy on us.
All:
Lord, have mercy on us.
Leader:
Christ, have mercy on us.
All:
Christ, have mercy on us.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy on us.
All:
Lord, have mercy on us.
Leader:
Christ, hear us.
Leader:
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, | Have mercy on us. |
---|---|
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, | Have mercy on us. |
God the Holy Spirit, | Have mercy on us. |
Holy Trinity, One God, | Have mercy on us. |
Holy Mary, | Pray for us. |
---|---|
Glorious Mother of the King of kings, | Pray for us. |
Worthy child of the Queen of virgins, | Pray for us. |
Saint Thomas of Aquinas, | Pray for us. |
St. Thomas most chaste, | Pray for us. |
St. Thomas most patient, | Pray for us. |
Genius of science, | Pray for us. |
Silently eloquent, | Pray for us. |
Reproach of the ambitious, | Pray for us. |
Lover of that life which is hidden with Christ, | Pray for us. |
Fragrant flower in the garden of Saint Dominic, | Pray for us. |
Glory of the Friars Preachers, | Pray for us. |
Illumined from on high, | Pray for us. |
Angel of the Schools, | Pray for us. |
Patron of Colleges and Universities, | Pray for us. |
Helper of students, | Pray for us. |
Oracle of the Church, | Pray for us. |
Incomparable scribe of the Man-God, | Pray for us. |
Perfect in the school of His Cross, | Pray for us. |
Intoxicated with the strong wine of His charity, | Pray for us. |
Glittering gem in the cabinet of the Lord, | Pray for us. |
Model of perfect obedience, | Pray for us. |
Endowed with the true spirit of holy poverty, | Pray for us. |
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, | Spare us, O Lord. |
---|---|
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, | Graciously hear us, O Lord. |
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, | Have mercy on us. |
Leader:
Oh, how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory,
All:
For the memory thereof is immortal.
Leader:
Because it is known with God and man,
All:
And it triumphant crowned forever.
Leader:
What have I in Heaven, or what do I desire on earth!
All:
You are the God of my heart, and my portion forever.
Let Us Pray.
O God, Who hast ordained that blessed Thomas should enlighten Thy Church, grant that through his prayers we may practice what he taught, through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.


Saint Thomas Aquinas Prayer Before Study
St. Thomas frequently recited this before he dictated, wrote, or preached.
Ineffable Creator,
Who, from the treasures of Your wisdom,
have established three hierarchies of angels,
have arrayed them in marvelous order
above the fiery heavens,
and have marshaled the regions
of the universe with such artful skill,
You are proclaimed
the true font of light and wisdom,
and the primal origin
raised high beyond all things.
Pour forth a ray of Your brightness
into the darkened places of my mind;
disperse from my soul
the twofold darkness
into which I was born:
sin and ignorance.
You make eloquent the tongues of infants.
Refine my speech
and pour forth upon my lips
the goodness of Your blessing.
Grant to me
keenness of mind,
capacity to remember,
skill in learning,
subtlety to interpret,
and eloquence in speech.
May You
guide the beginning of my work,
direct its progress,
and bring it to completion.
You Who are true God and true Man,
Who live and reign, world without end.
Amen

