*yaawn* Oh?! Good morning. (I didn't see you there). Well Gym Members, it's a brand new school year and I, Mr. Simons, am still getting used to waking up early for the commute to All Saints. We have some exciting things coming up here at All Saints, and in Middle School Religion, but I wanted to start the year out by addressing one of my most frequently asked questions: "Mr. Simons, why is your classroom called the 'Dumb Ox Gym'?" Well faithful Gym Members, I'll tell you. . .
Saint Thomas Aquinas has been one of my favorite saints and patrons for a while now. In addition to his many admirable qualities (which are indeed numerous and have been deftly laid out by much better writers elsewhere), I find him to be an inspiring example of a kind of balance in the intellectual life that most seek but few ever find. He has a way of tempering his fine-tuned, detail-oriented mind with simplicity, which keeps him from thinking himself into traps and circles. I believe this to be one of the many reasons why St. Thomas is the patron saint of schools and intellectuals. However, St. Thomas was not always regarded as having such a great mind by all who knew him. . .
When he was a schoolboy, he had a nickname. This nickname was due to a couple of factors: he was a big guy (represent), and when he was mulling something over in that big ol' brain of his, he tended to look pretty vacant. As you can imagine, young Thomas was thinking and learning all the time, but only his professors saw how brilliant he was. His confreres thought he was as sharp as a bowl of Jell-O. And so, they "lovingly" started to call him the "Dumb Ox."
(Shameless plug alert!) And since G.K. Chesterton, who wrote arguably the best biography on St. Thomas Aquinas in the English (or any) language, likes a bit of irony in his afternoon tea, he named said biography Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox.
Being a fan of St. Thomas (and Chesterton) myself, I decided to adopt this moniker for my class room. And so, regarding why I call my classroom the "Dumb Ox Gym," I will now treat you to the following syllogism:
Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of schools and intellectuals.
He was also known as the "Dumb Ox."
A gym is a place you go to get a workout.
Therefore, the "Dumb Ox Gym" is the place you go to get an intellectual workout.
Nuff' said.
See you soon with more classroom and Campus Ministry realted updates! It's going to be a great year!
