Title of the work in Latin
MEDULLA S. THOMAE AQUITATIS PER OMNES ANNI LITURGICI DIES DISTRBUITA, SEU MEDITATIONES EX OPERIBUS S. THOMAE DEPROMPTAE
Compilation and organization by
FR. Z. MÉZARD O. P.
NOTE
All titles marked with an asterisk contain material that is no longer attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas
37. Thursday after the First Sunday of the Passion: The Greatest Sign of Christ's Love
Thursday of the First Week of the Passion
Apparently, the greatest proof of Christ's love for us was His giving His body as food, rather than His suffering for us, since the charity of the Fatherland is more perfect than the charity of the Way. Now, this benefit with which God has graced us, by giving us His body as food, is more akin to the charity of the Fatherland, where we will fully enjoy God, while the Passion to which Christ submitted is more similar to the charity of the Way, where we are exposed to die for Christ. Therefore, the greatest proof of love from Christ would be having given us His body as food, rather than having suffered for us. However, we read in the Gospel (John 15:13): "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."
Solution: Regarding human love, nothing surpasses the love with which we love ourselves; thus, this love is the measure of all love that we feel for others. Now, the characteristic of the love with which we love ourselves is the desire for good for ourselves. Therefore, love for our neighbor will be all the more evident as we prioritize their benefit over the good we desire for ourselves, as stated in Scripture (Proverbs 12:26): "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray."
Now, a man desires three particular goods for himself: his soul, his body, and external goods.
To endure some loss of external goods for the sake of another is a sign of love.
To suffer bodily for another, in work or aggression, is an even greater sign of love.
However, to abandon one's soul and die for a friend is the ultimate sign of love.
Thus, by suffering and dying for us, Christ gave us the greatest proof of His love. By giving us His own body as food, He did so without any detriment to Himself. The Passion is the greatest proof of God's love. Therefore, the Eucharist is a memorial and figure of Christ's Passion. Now, the truth supersedes the figure, and reality supersedes the memorial.
The production of the body of Christ in the Holy Sacrament is a figure of the love with which God loves us in the Fatherland; but the Passion of Christ pertains to the very love of God, who has taken us from perdition to lead us to Himself. The love of God is no greater in heaven than it is in the present.
Quodl. V, q. III, a. II.
#God #Deus #Isten #Gott #Jesus #Católico #Catholic #Katholik #katholisch #Katolikus #catholique #Faith #Fé #foi #信仰 #Latin #Latim #Gospel #Evangelho #Evangélium #évangile #Dieu #福音 #日本 #カトリック #Bible #Biblestr #Nostr #Grownostr
37. Thursday after the First Sunday of the Passion: The Greatest Sign of Christ's Love
Thursday of the First Week of the Passion
Apparently, the greatest proof of Christ's love for us was His giving His body as food, rather than His suffering for us, since the charity of the Fatherland is more perfect than the charity of the Way. Now, this benefit with which God has graced us, by giving us His body as food, is more akin to the charity of the Fatherland, where we will fully enjoy God, while the Passion to which Christ submitted is more similar to the charity of the Way, where we are exposed to die for Christ. Therefore, the greatest proof of love from Christ would be having given us His body as food, rather than having suffered for us. However, we read in the Gospel (John 15:13): "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."
Solution: Regarding human love, nothing surpasses the love with which we love ourselves; thus, this love is the measure of all love that we feel for others. Now, the characteristic of the love with which we love ourselves is the desire for good for ourselves. Therefore, love for our neighbor will be all the more evident as we prioritize their benefit over the good we desire for ourselves, as stated in Scripture (Proverbs 12:26): "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray."
Now, a man desires three particular goods for himself: his soul, his body, and external goods.
To endure some loss of external goods for the sake of another is a sign of love.
To suffer bodily for another, in work or aggression, is an even greater sign of love.
However, to abandon one's soul and die for a friend is the ultimate sign of love.
Thus, by suffering and dying for us, Christ gave us the greatest proof of His love. By giving us His own body as food, He did so without any detriment to Himself. The Passion is the greatest proof of God's love. Therefore, the Eucharist is a memorial and figure of Christ's Passion. Now, the truth supersedes the figure, and reality supersedes the memorial.
The production of the body of Christ in the Holy Sacrament is a figure of the love with which God loves us in the Fatherland; but the Passion of Christ pertains to the very love of God, who has taken us from perdition to lead us to Himself. The love of God is no greater in heaven than it is in the present.
Quodl. V, q. III, a. II.
#God #Deus #Isten #Gott #Jesus #Católico #Catholic #Katholik #katholisch #Katolikus #catholique #Faith #Fé #foi #信仰 #Latin #Latim #Gospel #Evangelho #Evangélium #évangile #Dieu #福音 #日本 #カトリック #Bible #Biblestr #Nostr #Grownostr