Saint Thomas Aquinas Missionary of Truth - Marianne Lorraine Trouvé and Cathy Morrison - Encounter the Saints Book 35

Saint Thomas Aquinas
Missionary of Truth
Encounter the Saints Series Book 35
Marianne Lorraine Trouvé
Cathy Morrison (Illustrator)
Pauline Books and Media
ISBN 9780819890269
eISBN 9780819890276
ASIN B017S0ZN38

I have been reading this series for about six months now. Because each book is the biography of a specific saint I have been jumping around. At first I was reading saints I had an affinity for, and now I just want to read the whole series. This book is an excellent read in an amazing series. The Encounter the Saints Series, from Pauline Books and Media, are written for younger readers but are great reads at any age. I started reading these books with my kids, but I keep reading ahead of where I am at with them, I just cannot put the books down. 

The chapters in this book about Saint Thomas Aquinas are:
1. A Stormy Night
2. A Love for Learning
3. Studying at Monte Cassino
4. On to Naples
5. Missionary of Truth
6. Kidnapped!
7. Trapped in the Castle
8. A New Journey Begins
9. The Dumb Ox
10. A Priest Forever
11. Called to Paris
12. How to Be Brave
13. Thomas Returns to Italy
14. Meeting the Pope
15. Speaking with the Saints
16. A Book for Beginners
17. Rome Under Attack
18. The King's Banquet
19. Nothing but Straw
20. Home at Last
Prayer
Glossary

My children love the prayers at the end of the books, and also the glossary. They often go back to the books we have read so that the can prayer the prayer. We have started building a second set of these books to donate to our school library. They loved the prayer in this book because of praying for students and Catholic schools. 

"Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Church honors you as one of its most important teachers of God's truth. But you are a saint not because you knew so much, but because you led a holy life. Teach me how to become holy too. Pray for me that I might love Jesus above all else and give him my whole heart. Pray also that I might grow in faith, hope, and love. 

Saint Thomas, you are the patron saint of students and of Catholic schools. You always sought the truth about God, and you spent your life teaching it to others. Help me in my studies, too, that I might do my best and learn well in school. Just like you were a missionary of truth, pray for me that I too might speak about Jesus and in my own way bring the light of the Gospel to others. I want to use my mind for things that are good for me and for others. Saint Thomas, pray for me! Amen."

My children were very surprised by Thomas being kidnapped and being kept from his calling by his mother. My children also loved the story of Saint Thomas being so deep in thought that he forgot he was at the Kings table and caused a stir at dinner. And they asked a lot of questions about the Manicheans. We were a little surprised it was not in the glossary. They also loved the idea of the tonsure and kept asking questions about it. They asked a number of questions about what a 'Doctor of the Church' was and how one becomes one. 

This book like the others in the series contains 5 illustrations. The illustrator of this volume is Cathy Morrison, and she also illustrates one other book in the series. Her illustrations are much darker than many of the others in the series, but they do a great job of capturing events in Saint Thomas Aquinas's life, from the night of his sister's death in a storm to his statement later in life "Everything I've written, all the work I've done my whole life, seems worthless in comparison to what God revealed to me during that Mass on the feast of Saint Nicholas.".

This is a wonderful read. It really opened my children's eyes to the importance of study. To following God. To serving. 

With every book I read in this series I am more impressed. There are currently 37 books in this series, including The Saints Pray for Us, and I have read over a third of them. I have read book 1 and book 36 and a number in between. The books in this series are written with a target audience of 9-12 year olds, and my 11 year old can read them without any difficulty, and my 9 year old needs help with some words. I believe that anyone who reads these book will have their faith enriched. This book as mentioned is part of the Encounter the Saints Series; from Pauline Books and Media. This is another inspiring book in a wonderful series and I highly recommend both the book and the series.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Encounter the Saints Series from Pauline Books and Media:
Blessed James Alberione Media Apostle
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Journey to the Summit
Journeys with Mary Apparitions of Our Lady
Saint André Bessette Miracles in Montreal
Saint Anthony of Padua Fire and Light
Saint Bakhita of Sudan Forever Free
Saint Bernadette Soubirous And Our Lady of Lourdes
Saint Catherine Labouré And Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Saint Clare of Assisi A Light for the World
Saint Damien of Molokai Hero of Hawaii
Saint Edith Stein Blessed by the Cross
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Daughter of America
Saint Faustina Kowalska Messenger of Mercy
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini Cecchina's Dream
Saint Francis of Assisi Gentle Revolutionary
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla The Gift of Life
Saint Ignatius of Loyola For the Greater Glory of God
Saint Isaac Jogues With Burning Heart
Saint Joan of Arc God's Soldier
Saint John Bosco Champion for the Young
Saint John Neumann Missionary to Immigrants
Saint John Paul II Be Not Afraid
Saint John Vianney A Priest for All People
Saint Juan Diego And Our Lady of Guadalupe
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha: Courageous Faith
Saint Katharine Drexel The Total Gift
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque And the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saint Martin de Porres Humble Healer
Saint Maximilian Kolbe Mary's Knight
Saint Paul The Thirteenth Apostle
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina Rich in Love
Saint Teresa of Avila Joyful in the Lord
Saint Teresa of Calcutta Missionary of Charity
Saint Teresa of Kalkota Missionary of Charity

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux The Way of Love
Saint Thomas Aquinas Missionary of Truth
Saint Thomas More Courage, Conscience, and the King
Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto: Shepherds of Fatima
The Saints Pray for Us

Saint Julie Billiart The Smiling Saint

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