The Temptation of St. Thomas

Artist: Diego Velazquez

In the painting, St. Thomas is exhausted from a temptation and held up by a caring angel.

St. Thomas was eager to join the Dominican order as a priest. However, his family, mother and brothers, were greatly opposed to St. Thomas' decision. In consequence, they forcibly locked him in a castle for a couple years.

In an attempt to destroy his passion for the priesthood, they tempted him with his passion for women. They sent in a prostitute (as you see in the back-left). She is rushing out because St. Thomas chased her with a firebrand (which is at the bottom-left). After she left, he signed a cross of ashes onto the door.

Exhausted from fighting against lust, the young Aquinas fell to the ground. To comfort him, God sent an angel. The angel proceeded to gird him with a cincture, a symbol of grace in which God would protect St. Thomas from any future unchaste temptations.

St. Thomas knew what he desired to do for the love of God before he did. From this, we know that Aquinas lived up to the saying that "Love takes up where knowledge leaves off."

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!


By: Fidel Valenzuela

© Servants of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts