Thomistic Mystagogy: St. Thomas Aquinas's Commentaries on the Mass

by Urban Hannon, Hugh Barbour (foreword)

Thomistic theology is rarely associated with liturgical prayer, even by many of St. Thomas’s own disciples. Such a dissociation reveals more about the priorities of later Thomism, however, than it does about St. Thomas Aquinas, who himself devoted considerable energy to the contemplation of the sacred liturgy.

In Thomistic St. Thomas Aquinas’s Commentaries on the Mass, Urban Hannon considers the saint’s teaching on the meaning and purpose of the various rites that surround the holy Eucharist. Drawing on four essential texts—two from St. Thomas’s earliest major work, two from his latest; two on the words of the liturgy, two on its actions—this book pieces together a properly Thomistic commentary on the Mass. “Because in this sacrament the whole mystery of our salvation is embraced,” St. Thomas says, “thus it is carried out with greater solemnity.” This is a study of that “greater solemnity,” and of how St. Thomas believes it relates to “the whole mystery of our salvation.”

Praise for Thomistic Mystagogy

“By introducing us to the mystery of God through his writings, St. Thomas Aquinas rightly deserves his preeminence amongst the great theologians of the Church. But it is often forgotten that such greatness is the fruit of the humility necessary to stand before God, daily, in worship—at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Hours of the Divine Office. St. Thomas was a true homo liturgicus before he was a theologian, and his theology is the rich fruit of his liturgical roots, as Urban Hannon rightly underlines. At this critical time of the life of the Church, may St. Thomas’s liturgical faith inspire us to return to Christ whom we encounter in a unique way in the Sacred Liturgy, so that we too may bring forth good fruit in due season!”
—Robert Cardinal Sarah, Prefect Emeritus, Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments

“In this brief but profound study, Urban Hannon leads us to rediscover the lost art of medieval mystagogy, as he shows the Church’s greatest theological mind drawing forth the inexhaustible meanings of the Mass’s words and actions, signs and mysteries. Clergy and laity alike will benefit from these pages, which are an incitement to reverence, praise, devotion, and contemplation.”
—Scott Hahn, Franciscan University of Steubenville

“Thomas Aquinas as mystagogue? This will come as a surprise only to those who imagine Thomism as a kind of abstract religious philosophy. On the contrary, the ongoing rediscovery of St. Thomas as a complete and integral theologian, and consequently as a spiritual master, draws attention not only to the biblical and patristic roots of his thought, but also—as Urban Hannon’s book successfully attests—to his deep theological insight into liturgical life, which is the ecclesial matrix of all Christian wisdom.”
—Serge-Thomas Bonino, O.P., Angelicum

“St. Thomas had much to say about the Mass—but one needs to know where to look. He did not write a stand-alone commentary; instead he made copious, scattered comments. Hannon is so steeped in the Master’s multitudinous writings that he can wander through them with ease, picking up tesserae with which to compose a mystagogical mosaic of the Mass. Thomas’s voice rings out brilliantly and provocatively, yet we hear it thanks to Hannon, who provides a set of keys to unlock the symbolism of the ancient liturgy of the Mass.”
—David W. Fagerberg, University of Notre Dame

Genres: Theology

196 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2024

Reviews

[Chris Kellam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deepened my understanding and love for the Mass and I'll be returning to it regularly.

[Alex McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all his wisdom and breadth, most of us are probably somewhat surprised to hear that St. Thomas's most thorough and exhaustive treatment of Christian theology is not on, say, the Hypostatic Union, or the Mystical Body, but on the liturgical theology of the Mass. Needless to say, an encounter with our Common Doctor is always enlightening.

In this short book, Hannon leads us through Aquinas's Sentences Scriptum and Summa, expounding upon each part of the Mass and its multifaceted layers. Being well at home in a Dionysian-Thomist framework, Hannon is an apt guide for elucidating these rich truths of our liturgical tradition.

Lastly, there is an added joy in knowing that these teachings are not unique to Aquinas; rather, they embody an organic tradition, one especially ripe in the Middle Ages. When addressing the patristic liturgical authority, St. Thomas often quotes texts from the Missal, but says that the source of the Missal is St. Gregory the Great himself. In a day and age where we hear frequent concessions like, "at least it was valid", St. Thomas forcefully reveals that every liturgical detail matters when it comes to our relationship with God.


I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about this great gift we have as Catholics!

[Peter Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up (Rating based on my enjoyment, rather than the merits of the text).

Urban Hannon takes on the task of showing St. Thomas as not just a theologian par excellence, but one whose theology is deeply informed by praying and entering into the Sacred Liturgy—a true homo liturgicus , as described by Cdl. Sarah. In the text, Hannon lays out the Angelic Doctor’s expositions on the Mass, scattered throughout his corpus.

“St. Thomas sees this Pax as the fulfillment of a certain symbolic triptych, depicting the three theological virtues in different parts of the Mass, where the Gloria pertains to hope, the Credo to faith, and the Pax to charity.”

“[T]he way in which the three pieces of the broken host correspond to three different groups within the
Church[:] First, the part of the host that gets consumed corresponds to those Christians who are still living on earth, since the living are united through receiving holy Communion… Second, the part of the host put into the chalice corresponds to those who have already risen in glory, not just spiritually but even bodily, like Christ himself [and] his blessed Mother… Third… the part of the host… still remaining on the altar until the end of Mass… [representing] those who have died and are ‘in the expectation of full beatitude.'"

“St. Thomas sees a harmonious symmetry between this ending of the Mass and its beginning, with the Communion and Postcommunion reflecting the Introit and Collect, bringing the liturgy full circle.”

I hope that this work brings about greater discussion on the role of the Sacred Liturgy on the well-being of the faithful.

[Peter Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

"After the example of St. Thomas, the right response to the difficulty of understanding the Mass is not to dispel the difficulty, to dispel the mystery, but to contemplate it." Urban Hannon synthesizes many different texts of St. Thomas Aquinas in providing a concise commentary on the various parts of the Mass. This is a side of St. Thomas that is not frequently studied or commented on, making this publication all the more pertinent, and a valuable contribution to the field of liturgical studies.

[Collin B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't attend the Latin Mass, but this book actually made me appreciate the Novus Ordo more! While it reads like a manual at times, it's obviously written with love. You see St. Thomas's love, as well as the author's, and it drives you to love the Mass more as well.

[Stephen Augustine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This writing is dryer than the Sahara. Could not get through it.