Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 7 March 1274), was a Doctor of the Church, Philosopher, Theologian, Jurist, Dominican Friar, and Priest. Known as Doctor Angelicus "Angelic Doctor," and the Doctor Communis "Universal Doctor" his writings serve as a defense and proof of the validity of Christ's authority over all. The Summa contra Gentiles (also known as Liber de veritate catholicae fidei contra errores infidelium, "Book on the truth of the Catholic faith against the errors of the unbelievers"). The Summa contra Gentiles consists of four books. The structure of Saint Thomas's work is designed to proceed from general philosophical arguments for monotheism, to which Muslims and Jews are likely to consent even within their own respective religious traditions, before progressing to the discussion of specifically Christian doctrine.
Book II is dedicated to the Creation (in other words, the physical universe, everything which exists).
Whether you are a history enthusiast, a student of religion, or simply curious about the impact of the Roman Catholic Church on the world, this playlist is designed to provide an informative and engaging journey through its captivating past. Subscribe to the Contemplating History channel for more educational content and immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of history.
14 July 2026
What is the Order of the Thistle?
From
What is the Order of the Thistle, and how ancient is Scotland’s highest order of chivalry really? In this video, I explore the story behind the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle: its legendary origins, its real foundation under James VII in 1687, its Stuart symbolism, its robes and insignia, and the creation of the Thistle Chapel at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
We’ll look at the myth of King Achaius and the saltire in the sky, the medieval use of thistles, unicorns and livery collars by the Scottish kings, Queen Anne’s revival of the order, the admission of royal and female members, and the spectacular green robes, collars, badges and motto: Nemo me impune lacessit — “No one provokes me with impunity.”
If you enjoy royal history, Scottish history, heraldry, chivalric orders, or the ceremonial world of the British monarchy, this is the story of how a supposedly ancient order became one of the most prestigious honours in Scotland.
0:00 What is the Order of the Thistle?
0:56 James VII and the 1687 foundation
1:33The legendary origin story of King Achaius
2:35 Why the legend does not stand up
4:14 St Andrew, the saltire and medieval Scottish chronicles
5:41 Stuart royal symbolism: unicorns, thistles and livery collars
8:30 James IV, James V and the thistle collar
9:40 The order as founded in 1687
11:18 Jacobites, exile and Queen Anne’s revival
12:24 Changes under George IV and the admission of women
14:16 The robes and insignia of the Order of the Thistle
15:15 The collar, badge, star and motto
19:07 Holyrood Abbey and the lost Thistle Chapel
20:55 The Thistle Chapel at St Giles’ Cathedral
22:47 The modern Thistle service during Holyrood Week
July Is a Month Full of Feasts for Married Saints
Friends of ours are getting married on the 25th. May they, too, become Saints!
From Aleteia
By Philip Kosloski
The summer months are popular for weddings, so it is fitting that the Church calls to mind a large number of married saints in July.
In recent years married saints have become much more prominent in the Catholic Church, as the Church seeks to highlight the reality that everyone is called to holiness (you and me too!).
This is important, as typically people see priests and religious as set apart for sanctity, while some see marriage as a "lesser" state in life.
The truth is that the "universal call to holiness" is not reserved to a specific group within the Church, but is open to everyone, no matter their vocation.
Interestingly, July has become a month full of married saints, with a variety of feasts that focus on men and women who gave their entire lives to God in the sacrament of marriage.
Here is a list of some of the most prominent feasts in July dedicated to married saints:
1Bl. JĂłzef and Wiktoria Ulma (July 7)
Killed during World War II for hiding Jews in their barn, the Ulma couple is a great example of witnessing to the Gospel in married life.
2Sts. Aquila and Priscilla (July 8)
The Roman Martyrology summarizes their role on their feast day of July 8, "Commemoration of Saints Aquila and Priscilla, spouses, collaborators of Saint Paul, who welcomed the Church into their home and risked their own lives to save the Apostle."
3Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin (July 12)
The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, both felt called to the religious life at first, but were denied entrance. This led them to discern what God was calling them to, and eventually they found each other and knew God was calling them to marriage. They led a holy life, raising many daughters who chose religious life.
4Sts. Henry and Cunigunde (July 13)
St. Henry was the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire during the 11th century. He was a holy ruler and established monasteries throughout his empire.
His wife, St. Cunigunde, was similarly a holy woman. She helped her husband in performing various acts of charity, and joined a monastery after his death. She has a separate feast on March 3.
5Sts. Joachim and Anne (July 26)
Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sts. Joachim and Anne are probably one of the best known married-couple saints in the Catholic Church. Little is known about their lives, except for what is related in various legends written during the first few centuries of Christianity.
Breaking News: SSPX File Formal Appeal of Excommunication Decree
According to canon law, filing the appeal lifts the excommunications until the appeal process is resolved.
How Medieval Monks Got Clean Water for 500 Years While Ours Need Chemicals
From Medieval Way
Medieval Way examines the contrast between common myths of universal water contamination and the sophisticated engineering used to secure clean supplies. By analyzing historical infrastructure alongside modern urban water management, this exploration reveals the enduring importance of protecting natural water sources from contamination at the point of origin.
In the 1160s, a Canterbury monk drew a map of water. It showed pipes, settling tanks, and taps feeding clean spring water across a whole monastery. The grit dropped out in stone basins. The water ran into a tower, then down to the kitchens. People drank it every day, without a second thought. Clean water on tap, centuries before anyone had heard of chlorine. At least, that is the story we like to tell. But the same century has a second story, and this one is grim. A few streets away, other people drank from wells that were quietly killing them. One source safe for a lifetime. The next deadly by spring. So which medieval water was actually clean? And what did those monks understand that we seem to have thrown away?
Tonight we put the medieval well on trial. Who really had safe water. How they managed it without a single chemical. And what we quietly forgot the day we started treating the pipe instead of guarding the source. It ends somewhere that should not make sense, in one of the biggest cities on earth, where millions of people today still drink water kept safe the medieval way, and almost none of them know it.
Traditional Catholic Morning Prayers in English | July
The Forbidden Liturgy Secrets That Early Church Fathers Used To Defeat Paganism
From Totus Catholica
For generations, the early Church hid the Eucharist behind locked doors, dismissing the unbaptized before the sacred words were ever spoken. In the 4th century, a single deacon could clear an entire church, and around the year 416, Pope Innocent I told Bishop Decentius of Gubbio that he would describe the rite but would not trust its holiest words to a letter, lest he betray the mystery.
Why would a public faith, good news meant for every nation, lock away its own central act? The answer runs back through Jewish soil, to a temple built in rings and a Holy of Holies entered by one man on one day of the year. What the veil once guarded, the altar now fulfils, and the very mystery critics slandered as a pagan cult is the one offered to you, without price, the moment you pass through the font. This was never a secret to hoard. It is a presence to adore, so bring your whole heart to Mass this Sunday.
In this video:
• Why the early Church guarded the Eucharist under oath while teaching its doctrines openly
• How the Jerusalem temple's rings and the Holy of Holies foreshadow the Christian altar
• Why the "secrecy proves it was magic" objection gets the sacrament exactly backwards
• The difference between a secrecy of reverence and a secrecy of exclusion
• How the guarded mystery went on to silence the oracles and convert Rome
⏱ CHAPTERS
0:00 The Deacon Who Cleared the Church
1:10 A Pope Who Would Not Write the Words
1:54 The Diamond, the Vault, and the Eucharist
3:11 The Temple Built in Rings: Jewish Roots
5:42 Was the Mass Just Magic: The Spell Objection
8:01 Reverence or Exclusion: The Protestant Question
9:45 How the Guarded Mystery Conquered Rome
đź“– SCRIPTURE REFERENCED
• Amos 3:7: the Lord reveals his secret (the Hebrew sod) to his servants the prophets.
• Acts 8:18-24: Simon tries to buy spiritual power, and Peter condemns him.
• 1 Corinthians 11:27: Whoever eats unworthily becomes guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
• Matthew 27:51: At the death of Jesus, the temple veil is torn in two from top to bottom.
• Romans 11:29: the gifts and the call of God to Israel are irrevocable.
• John 6: Christ's own teaching on eating his flesh, the mystery the first Christians would die to protect.
⛪ FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS & THE CATECHISM
• Pope Innocent I (5th century): in his letter to Bishop Decentius of Gubbio, he describes the rite but refuses to commit its sacred words to writing.
• St. Basil the Great (4th century), On the Holy Spirit: the most sacred parts of the rite were never even committed to open writing.
• St. Justin Martyr (2nd century, around 155): openly described the shape of the Mass in a letter to the Roman emperor, proof the doctrine was always public.
• St. Athanasius (4th century): where the sign of the cross was made, the old oracles fell silent.
• Pope Gregory the Great (year 601): instructed his missionaries in England to destroy the idols but keep the temples, setting altars and relics inside.
• CCC 175: the faith is handed on gradually, leading us from what is visible to what is invisible.
• CCC 2117: the Church warns against sorcery and every attempt to harness hidden powers.
đź“ś SOURCES & FURTHER READING
• The letter of Bishop Decentius of Gubbio to Pope Innocent I (around 416).
• Josephus on the Essenes, who swore to conceal nothing from members and to reveal nothing to outsiders.
• The Qumran community by the Dead Sea, whose members waited years and swore binding oaths before sharing the sacred common meal.
• The consecration of the Pantheon in Rome as a Christian church of the martyrs (year 609).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)