angelic doctor 828 be returned. The wise infant found a hiding place for his treasure. He swallowed the golden words and concealed them in the hidden place of [his] heart.17 At this point I may now explain this marvelous thing, Learned Hearers. And perhaps I can strike this with a needle if I shall mention that the white color of this little piece of paper, distinct from the black letters, is no different than and signified the religious habit, in which he was to be clothed, of this most holy family [the Dominicans], to whom later he was to give [his] name. Yet the words of the Angelic Salutation contained more mysteries or prophecies than able to be thought. Without a doubt, they denoted that he would one day be the Angelic Doctor, who being an infant still unable to chew, had swallowed the Angelic Salutation full of mysteries. By what argument will you prove that, someone will say? By the authority of the Sacred Scriptures. The eternal Mind decreed to fill Ezekiel with knowledge about the future, but did impart it to this pious man supernaturally; but following nature in a certain way, gave him a scroll to eat, that by this the bowels [and] head of the prophet would be filled with knowledge.18 Ezekiel did as he was commanded, and having eaten and digested the scroll, he spoke many glorious and astounding things with a prophetic voice. Now return to the holy Aquinas, Learned Hearers, and deny if you are yet able, that when he ate the salutation of the Archangel, [he was] marked as the Angelic Doctor. For me fights the authority of the Divine Book, a highly probable opinion, [and] the most evident argument. Lest perhaps that [argument] seem clever rather than strong, I shall join other arguments to [its] substance, which I already began to use. [By doing so] I shall confirm the title of Angelic Doctor. Above all the angelic virtue [of chastity] must be spoken about, in which [Thomas] excelled so much, that he is not undeservedly 17 Cf. Tocco, Guillelmus, Vita S. Thomae Aquinatis: Rthom XIII (suppl. 1914), 67-68. Cf. Petitot, L.H., Saint Thomas d’Aquin, Paris 1923, p. 10. Cf. Die 7 Mart. — S. Thomae de Aquino, in II Nocturno: BR, Pars Hiemalis, pp. 1044-1045. 18 Cf. Ez 2:8, 3:3.
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