Blessed Thomas à Kempis

Until the age of thirteen, he did not leave his father's house. However, he was soon sent afterwards, though devoid of resources, t o Devent Deventer City where Thomas completed his studies. er, the Athens of the North at that time, to pursue his studies. The charity that came to his aid and the devotion of one of his brothers, already attached to the Canons Regular of Windesheim, gave him the means to follow the lessons of Master Florent Radewijns, a disciple of the famous Geert Groote, rector of the congreg ation of the Brethren of Frères de la vie commune Religious community associated with the Devotio Moderna. the Common Life. Thomas became his disciple for six years, and under such a master, such a student made immense progress; for he was gifted with the rarest qualities of mind and the most angelic piety. At the end of these six years, he earned admission into the house of the student clerics. There, he benefited from the advice and conversations of the learned and virtuous friends to whom he knew how to inspire the most touching interest, and applied himself above all to copying books; this was then one of the most important occupations of the monks.

In 1399, the student from Deventer entered the monastery of Mount Saint monastère du Mont-Saint-Agnès Monastery where Thomas spent the majority of his life. Agnes, near Zwolle, of which his brother had just been appointed prior. They vied with one another in zeal for the prosperity of this house. Here began the brilliant literary career of Thomas. In order to establish a library in this monastery, which did not yet have one, he applied himself with new ardor to transcribing and composing books. This was, after the sweet hours spent at the foot of the Crucifix or the altar, his only occupation.

Seven years had this arduous novitiate lasted, when he received the habit in 1406, and made his profession in 1407. He was promoted to the priesthood: he grew even more each day in piety and in habit for calligraphic and literary works, so much so that he was raised to the rank of sub-prior. It was then that he worked on the composition of those delightful works for science and the mystical life, among wh ich is found The Imitation l'Imitation de Jésus-Christ A world-renowned work of Christian piety. of Jesus Christ. It is said that he led a very austere life and that heaven graced him with the gift of miracles. He died as a Saint, as he had lived, on August 25, 1471.

After The Imitation, his masterpieces are generally considered to be the following treatises: 1° The Garden of Roses, so called because it deals with several virtues that grow like so many beautiful roses in the garden of Jesus Christ; 2° The Valley of Lilies, where there is mention of several other virtues that the Savior has planted like so many lilies of dazzling whiteness in the valley of humility, where they are watered and fertilized by the interior infusion of the Holy Spirit; 3° The Three Tabernacles (poverty, humility, patience); 4° The Soliloquies of the Soul; 5° The Meditations.

His works were collected for the first time around 1475 (The Imitation is not found in this first edition), and, since then, in 1600, 1607, etc., in Antwerp (with The Imitation).

The Imitation of Jesus Christ has had more than a thousand different editions; it has been translated into all languages, notably into French by Marillac, Sacy, Gonnefieu, Lamennais, Genoude, and Darboy. Pierre Cornei lle put it into Pierre Corneille French playwright who translated the Imitation into verse. verse.

Some authors attribute the Imitation to the Chancellor of the University of Paris, Jea Jean Gerson French theologian to whom the Imitation is sometimes attributed. n Gerson; others to Jean Gesen or Gersen or Gerson, a Benedictine, native of Cavaglia (in Piedmont), abbot of Saint-Etienne of Vercelli.

On October 28, 1874, a monument was inaugurated with great pomp in honor of this pious figure in his hometown. According to a recent opinion (1874) based on a manuscript from the National Library, hitherto unknown, it would be an anachronism to attribute the Imitation to any of these three authors.

*Esprit des Saints*, by Abbé Grimes.