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The Sacramental Consummation of the Moral Life According to St. Thomas Aquinas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Thomas P. Harmon
Thomas P. Harmon*
Affiliation:
Ave Maria University, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria, FL 34142
*
e-mail: tharmon@gonzaga.edu
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Abstract

This paper shows the theological vision of Aquinas’ moral theology by exploring the intimate connectedness of his moral thought in the prima secundae of the Summa theologiae with his sacramental theology and Christology in the tertia pars. While some have disputed the theological and Christological character of Aquinas’ moral thought, both the structural presentation of the Summa and the key role grace plays in his treatment of the moral life point to the importance of the sacraments, which, empowered by the Holy Spirit, communicate the grace of Christ's Passion to men, who by themselves cannot act to attain their end in God because of God's infinity and man's sinfulness. The paper proceeds by exploring Aquinas’ moral writings on man's end, habits and human action, and law and grace to a discussion of why man needs a savior. The paper then discusses the Passion of Christ the savior and its function in forgiving sin and opening the way to the infinite God in heaven for finite men, and concludes with a discussion of the importance of the Sacraments in the moral life as the instruments through which the effects of Christ's Passion are transmitted to men.

Keywords

AquinasMoral TheologyChristologySacramental TheologyGrace
Type
Original Articles
Information
New Blackfriars , Volume 91 , Issue 1034 , July 2010 , pp. 465 - 480
Copyright
Copyright © The author 2009. Journal compilation © The Dominican Council

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References

1 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, #21.

2 Melina, Livio, Sharing in Christ's Virtues: for a renewal of moral theology in light of Veritatis splendor. May, William E., trans. (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2001), p. 116Google Scholar.

3 St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II.1 prologue. “Ubi primo considerandum occurrit de ultimo fine humanae vitae; et deinde de his per quae homo ad hunc finem pervenire potest, vel ab eo deviare, ex fine enim oportet accipere rationes eorum quae ordinantur ad finem.”

4 Ibid. I-II.1sc. “Sed finis est principium in operabilibus ab homine.”

5 Ibid. I-II.1.8c. “Nam homo et aliae rationales creaturae consequuntur ultimum finem cognoscendo et amando Deum.”

6 For Kant, man's inclinations are opposed to his freedom. Human passions therefore must never influence moral decision making. Aquinas, on the other hand, distinguishes between passions that incline toward objects rationally or irrationally, depending upon whether they are ordered properly to man's true end or not.

7 See, for instance, ibid. I-II Q68–70.

8 “actus humanus malus.”

9 Ibid. I-II.71.6c. “contra legem aeternam.”

10 Ibid. I-II.71.6ad3. “Lex aeterna primo et principaliter ordinat hominem ad finem, consequenter autem facit hominem bene se habere circa ea quae sunt ad finem. Et ideo in hoc quod dicit contra legem aeternam, tangit aversionem a fine, et omnes alias inordinationes.”

11 Ibid. I-II.85.1c. “Actus enim humanos fit quaedam inclinatio ad similes actus, ut supra habitum est. Oportet autem quod ex hoc quod aliquid inclinatur ad unum contrariorum, diminuatur inclinatio eius ad aliud. Unde cum peccatum sit contrarium virtuti, ex hoc ipso quod homo peccat, diminuitur bonum naturae quod est inclinatio ad virtutem.”

12 St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles, IV.54.8. “Peccatum … impedimentum affert beatitudini, non solum inordinationem quandam animae inducens secundum quod eam ab ordine debiti finis abducit, sed etiam Deum offendens, a quo beatitudinis praemium expectatur, secundum quod Deus humanorum actuum curam habet.”

13 Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II.91.4c. “Per legem dirigitur homo ad actus proprios in ordine ad ultimum finem.”

14 bid. I-II.106.1c. “Principaliter lex nova est ipsa gratia spiritus sancti, quae datur Christi fidelibus.”

15 Ibid. I-II.106.2c. “Extrinsecus posita est, qua iniusti terrerentur, hic, scilicet in novo testamento, intrinsecus data est, qua iustificarentur.”

16 Ibid. I-II.106.1ad2. “Dupliciter est aliquid inditum homini. Uno modo, pertinens ad naturam humanam, et sic lex naturalis est lex indita homini. Alio modo est aliquid inditum homini quasi naturae superadditum per gratiae donum. Et hoc modo lex nova est indita homini, non solum indicans quid sit faciendum, sed etiam adiuvans ad implendum.”

17 Ibid. I-II.109.3.

18 Ibid. I-II.109.4.

19 Ibid. I-II.109.5.

20 Ibid. I-II.109.4c. “Possunt impleri mandata legis non solum quantum ad substantiam operis, sed etiam quantum ad modum agendi, ut scilicet ex caritate fiant. Et sic neque in statu naturae integrae, neque in statu naturae corruptae, potest homo implere absque gratia legis mandata.”

21 Ibid. I-II.109.5c “Vita autem aeterna est finis excedens proportionem naturae humanae, ut ex supradictis patet. Et ideo homo per sua naturalia non potest producere opera meritoria proportionata vitae aeternae, sed ad hoc exigitur altior virtus, quae est virtus gratiae. Et ideo sine gratia homo non potest mereri vitam aeternam.”

22 Ibid. I-II.109.6.

23 Ibid. I-II.109.8.

24 Pinckaers, Servais, ‘The Body of Christ: The Eucharistic and Ecclesial Context of Aquinas’ Ethics’, in. Berkman, John and Titus, Craig Steven, ed., The Pinckaers Reader (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2005), p. 28Google Scholar.

25 Ibid. 28–29.

26 Mark Johnson, ‘The Penitent Thief and the Eucharist’, lecture given at Ave Maria University in Naples, FL: Feb. 2 2007. My thanks to Prof. Johnson for allowing me to use these previously unpublished remarks.

27 Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-I.106.1c, my emphasis.

28 Ibid. II-II.189.10ad3. “Quod quidem suave iugum super se tollentibus refectionem divinae fruitionis repromittit, et sempiternam requiem animarum. Ad quam nos perducat ipse qui promisit, Iesus Christus, dominus noster, qui est super omnia Deus benedictus in saecula. Amen.”

29 Ibid. III prologue. “Quia salvator noster dominus Iesus Christus, teste Angelo, populum suum salvum faciens a peccatis eorum, viam veritatis nobis in seipso demonstravit, per quam ad beatitudinem immortalis vitae resurgendo pervenire possimus, necesse est ut, ad consummationem totius theologici negotii, post considerationem ultimi finis humanae vitae et virtutum ac vitiorum, de ipso omnium salvatore ac beneficiis eius humano generi praestitis nostra consideratio subsequatur.”

30 Pinckaers, ‘Body of Christ’, 29.

31 Ibid.

32 “Primo enim, per hoc homo cognoscit quantum Deus hominem diligat, et per hoc provocatur ad eum diligendum, in quo perfectio humanae salutis consistit.”

33 “Secundo, quia per hoc dedit nobis exemplum obedientiae, humilitatis, constantiae, iustitiae, et ceterarum virtutum in passione Christi ostensarum, quae sunt necessariae ad humanam salutem.”

34 Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, III.46.3c. “Tertio, quia Christus per passionem suam non solum hominem a peccato liberavit, sed etiam gratiam iustificantem et gloriam beatitudinis ei promeruit.”

35 Ibid. III.48.6c. “Duplex est efficiens, principale, et instrumentale. Efficiens quidem principale humanae salutis Deus est. Quia vero humanitas Christi est divinitatis instrumentum, ut supra dictum est, ex consequenti omnes actiones et passiones Christi instrumentaliter operantur, in virtute divinitatis, ad salutem humanam. Et secundum hoc, passio Christi efficienter causat salutem humanam.”

36 “Et ideo per mortem Christi dicitur esse destructa in nobis et mors animae, quae est per peccatum, secundum illud Rom. IV, traditus est, scilicet in mortem, propter delicta nostra; et mors corporis, quae consistit in separatione animae, secundum illud I Cor. XV, absorpta est mors in victoria.”

37 “passio Christi est propria causa remissionis peccatorum, tripliciter. Primo quidem, per modum provocantis ad caritatem.”

38 “Secundo, passio Christi causat remissionem peccatorum per modum redemptionis.”

39 Ibid. III.49.1c. “Tertio, per modum efficientiae, inquantum caro, secundum quam Christus passionem sustinuit, est instrumentum divinitatis, ex quo eius passiones et actiones operantur in virtute divina ad expellendum peccatum.”

40 Ibid. III.48.1c. “Christo data est gratia non solum sicut singulari personae, sed inquantum est caput Ecclesiae, ut scilicet ab ipso redundaret ad membra. Et ideo opera Christi hoc modo se habent tam ad se quam ad sua membra, sicut se habent opera alterius hominis in gratia constituti ad ipsum.”

41 See ibid., tertia pars Q. 8 for a complete discussion of this.

42 Ibid. III.49.1ad4. “Quia passio Christi praecessit ut causa quaedam universalis remissionis peccatorum … , necesse est quod singulis adhibeatur ad deletionem propriorum peccatorum. Hoc autem fit per Baptismum et poenitentiam et alia sacramenta, quae habent virtutem ex passione Christi.”

43 Ibid. III.61.1c. “Ex conditione humanae naturae, cuius proprium est ut per corporalia et sensibilia in spiritualia et intelligibilia deducatur. Pertinet autem ad divinam providentiam ut unicuique rei provideat secundum modum suae conditionis. Et ideo convenienter divina sapientia homini auxilia salutis confert sub quibusdam corporalibus et sensibilibus signis, quae sacramenta dicuntur.”

44 Ibid. I.76.5. “Corporalia et sensibilia.”

45 Ibid. III.61.1c. “Et ideo conveniens fuit ut Deus per quaedam corporalia signa hominibus spiritualem medicinam adhiberet, nam, si spiritualia nuda ei proponerentur, eius animus applicari non posset, corporalibus deditus.”

46 Ibid. III.61.1c. “Ex studio actionis humanae, quae praecipue circa corporalia versatur. Ne igitur esset homini durum si totaliter a corporalibus actibus abstraheretur, proposita sunt ei corporalia exercitia in sacramentis, quibus salubriter exerceretur, ad evitanda superstitiosa exercitia, quae consistunt in cultu Daemonum, vel qualitercumque noxia, quae consistunt in actibus peccatorum.”

47 Ibid. III.61.1ad2. “Gratia Dei est sufficiens causa humanae salutis. Sed Deus dat hominibus gratiam secundum modum eis convenientem. Et ideo necessaria sunt hominibus sacramenta ad gratiam consequendam.”

48 Ibid. III.62.5c. “Gratia autem sacramentalis ad duo praecipue ordinari videtur, videlicet ad tollendos defectus praeteritorum peccatorum, inquantum transeunt actu et remanent reatu; et iterum ad perficiendum animam in his quae pertinent ad cultum Dei secundum religionem Christianae vitae.”

49 Ibid.

50 Pinckaers, ‘Body of Christ’, 41.

51 Unlike many modern theologians, Aquinas does not separate the spiritual life and the moral life.

52 Ibid. III.73.3c. “Quia Baptismus est principium spiritualis vitae, et ianua sacramentorum. Eucharistia vero est quasi consummatio spiritualis vitae, et omnium sacramentorum finis.”

53 Johnson, ‘Penitent Thief’, 4.

54 Matthew Levering, Christ's Fulfillment of Torah and Temple, (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2002), pp. 128–129. Levering's book provides an excellent Scriptural context for the argument I am making. He shows well the unity of the spiritual, liturgical, and moral life by connecting fulfillment of the law and perfect worship. The law and worship are problems in the Old Testament: none can fulfill the law and none can offer worthy worship. Christ's sacrifice does both and allows his followers, by participating in his Mystical Body the Church, through the sacraments, access to the grace needed to fulfill the law and unite themselves to Christ's perfect act of worship.

55 Romanus Cessario, The Moral Virtues and Theological Ethics, (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1992), p. 21. Cessario continues: “Admittedly, certain scholastic theologians, including Aquinas, developed their tractates on the virtues without prolonged and repeated references to the uniquely Christian claim that moral perfection exists in anyone only to the extent that the person maintains a living relationship with Christ. In the case of Aquinas, the absence of frequent reference to Christ in the secunda pars happens simply because of his methodological presupoositions in developing the Summa theologiae. Still, any theologian who fully grasps the New Testament teaching on the gratuity of divine grace realizes that every meritorious deed performed by the believer derives its efficacy from God's goodness. And Aquinas surely realized this happens only through the mediation of Jesus Christ.”