Each January, the liturgical calendar places before us the figure of St Thomas Aquinas. His feast arrives after the frenetic haze of the holidays and just before the country’s collective return to political theatre, tax season, and the yearly cycle of resolutions that fade with predictable speed. The timing therefore feels providential, since the Church invites us to consider a 13th-century Dominican at precisely the moment when our attention spans face their most perilous annual trials. The contrast reveals something valuable. Aquinas enters the stage just as many realise their minds have drifted towards the condition of a browser window with too many tabs open.
5:35 PM
St Thomas Aquinas is the antidote to a very modern problem
As attention spans fracture under the pressure of digital distraction, the Church’s celebration of St Thomas Aquinas offers a reminder that contemplation and interior discipline remain essential to human flourishing
Marcus Peters
6 min read
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