52 in 52 Week 51: On Prayer and the Contemplative Life by Aquinas

BY THE

VERY REV. HUGH POPE, O.P., S.T.M.

AUTHOR OF "THE CATHOLIC STUDENT'S 'AIDS' TO THE BIBLE," ETC.

WITH A PREFACE BY

VERY REV. VINCENT McNABB, O.P., S.T.L.

R. & T. WASHBOURNE, LTD.
PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
AND AT MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, AND GLASGOW

1914 All rights reserved

This is taken from the second part of the second part of the Summa Theologica (II-II). It takes out the structure of the Summa (theological question or statement, objections to the question or the statement, a quotation of an opinion or a statement that contradicts the objections, the answer to the question, and the refutation of the objections). I like that, but some people don't. 

I wanted a closer read of the part of the Summa that is more practical. I would have been a great nun. :) I love to pray. 

I have already explained about the larger work of the Summa in the previous post. 

You can get this book free on the Kindle at Amazon.com or you can get it in many different forms from Project Gutenberg HERE.

Some of the stuff on praying to saints was not part of my theological beliefs, but I loved this quote from the contemplative life section:

S. Thomas: We do not enjoy all the things that we have; and this is either because they do not afford us delight, or because they are not the ultimate goal of our desires, and so are incapable of satisfying our yearnings or affording us repose. But these three things the Blessed have in God: for they see Him, and seeing Him they hold Him ever present to them, for they have it in their power always to see Him; and holding Him, they[Pg 182] enjoy Him, satisfying their yearnings with That Which is The Ultimate End (Summa Theologica, I., xii. 7, ad 3m).