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Thomas à Kempis
Priest, Monk, and Writer
d 25 July 1471
Thomas
Hammerken (or Hammerlein -- both mean "little hammer") was born at
Kempen (hence the "à Kempis") in the duchy of Cleves in Germany around
1380. He was educated by a religious order called the Brethren of the Common Life,
and in due course joined the order, was ordained a priest, became sub-prior of his
house (in the low Countries), and died 25 July 1471 (his feast is observed a day
early to avoid conflict with that of James bar-Zebedee the Apostle).
Thomas is probably the best known of all mediaeval Christian writers. His great spiritual work The Imitation of Christ has been translated into more languages than any other book save the Holy Bible. For half a millennium it has been a source of faith and inspiration to countless Christians. It has had a significant influence on the traditions of prayer and meditation throughout western Christianity, in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant churches. An extract follows:
When God bestows Spiritual comfort, receive it with a grateful heart; but remember that it comes of God's free gift, and not of your own merit. Do not be proud, nor over joyful, nor foolishly presumptuous; rather, be the more humble for this gift, more cautious, and more prudent in all your doings, for this hour will pass, and temptation will follow it. When comfort is withdrawn, do not immediately despair, but humbly and patiently await the will of Heaven; for God is able to restore you to a consolation even richer than before. This is nothing new or strange to those who know the ways of God, for the great Saints and Prophets of old often experienced these changes. ...Indeed, the temptation that precedes is often a sign of comfort to follow. For heavenly comfort is promised to those who have been tried and tempted. "To him who overcomes," says God, "I will give to eat of the Tree of Life."
Acknowledgements:
Text adapted from James Kiefer's Christian Biographies
Image from BiblioPlaza