Fabiano on Nostr: Title of the work in Latin MEDULLA S. THOMAE AQUITATIS PER OMNES ANNI LITURGICI DIES ...
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 arrangement by
FR. Z. MÉZARD O. P.
NOTE
All titles with an asterisk contain material that is no longer attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
23. Thursday after the III Week of Lent: The Preaching of the Samaritan Woman
Thursday of the III Week of Lent
"The woman then left her water jar and went back to the town" (John 4:28)
After being instructed by Christ, the Samaritan woman acted as an apostle. Three things can be emphasized from her words and actions.
I
The devotion she felt and manifested in the following two ways:
a) Moved by intense devotion, the Samaritan woman almost forgot the reason for which she had come to the well and abandoned her water and jar. This is what the text says: "the woman left her water jar and went back to the town," to announce the greatness of Christ, without caring for the needs of the body. In this, she followed the example of the Apostles who, after leaving everything behind, followed the Lord. Now, the jar signifies the concupiscence of worldly things, with which from the depths of the darkness symbolized by the well, that is, from dealing with earthly things, men extract pleasures. Therefore, those who abandon the concupiscences of the world for God abandon the jar.
b) The intensity of her devotion is further manifested by the multitude of those to whom she announces Christ, for she did not go to one, nor to two or three, but to the whole town. The text says: "...and went to the town."
II
The quality of her preaching: "and she said to that people: come see a man...".
a) She invites everyone to see Christ: "Come see a man." She does not immediately tell them to come to Christ, to avoid giving occasion for blasphemy; rather, she begins by saying things that were credible and evident, namely, that he was a man. She does not say: believe, but: come see, for they knew that if they drank from that source, seeing him, they would experience the same as she had experienced. Finally, the Samaritan woman follows the example of the true preacher, and does not call men to herself, but to Christ.
b) She offers proof of Christ's divinity by saying: "who told me everything I ever did," or rather, how many men the Samaritan woman had. She is not ashamed to recount what is a source of embarrassment for her, for the soul inflamed with divine fire no longer cares about anything earthly, neither about glory nor about shame, but only about that flame that burns within her.
c) She concludes by confessing the majesty of Christ, saying: "could this be the Messiah?" She did not dare to assert that he was the Messiah, so as not to appear to teach others: she feared that they would refuse to go to Christ out of irritation. Nor did she completely silence him, but she presented him in the form of a question, as if to submit her judgment to theirs. In fact, this was the easiest way to persuade them.
III
The fruit of her preaching.
"They came out of the town and made their way toward him." This shows that, if we want to go to Christ, we must also leave the town, that is, abandon the love of carnal concupiscence. "Let us then go to him outside the camp," says Saint Paul (Hebrews 13:13).
In Joan., IV.
(P. D. Mézard, O. P., Meditationes ex Operibus S. Thomae.)
#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
MEDULLA S. THOMAE AQUITATIS PER OMNES ANNI LITURGICI DIES DISTRBUITA, SEU MEDITATIONES EX OPERIBUS S. THOMAE DEPROMPTAE
Compilation and arrangement by
FR. Z. MÉZARD O. P.
NOTE
All titles with an asterisk contain material that is no longer attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
23. Thursday after the III Week of Lent: The Preaching of the Samaritan Woman
Thursday of the III Week of Lent
"The woman then left her water jar and went back to the town" (John 4:28)
After being instructed by Christ, the Samaritan woman acted as an apostle. Three things can be emphasized from her words and actions.
I
The devotion she felt and manifested in the following two ways:
a) Moved by intense devotion, the Samaritan woman almost forgot the reason for which she had come to the well and abandoned her water and jar. This is what the text says: "the woman left her water jar and went back to the town," to announce the greatness of Christ, without caring for the needs of the body. In this, she followed the example of the Apostles who, after leaving everything behind, followed the Lord. Now, the jar signifies the concupiscence of worldly things, with which from the depths of the darkness symbolized by the well, that is, from dealing with earthly things, men extract pleasures. Therefore, those who abandon the concupiscences of the world for God abandon the jar.
b) The intensity of her devotion is further manifested by the multitude of those to whom she announces Christ, for she did not go to one, nor to two or three, but to the whole town. The text says: "...and went to the town."
II
The quality of her preaching: "and she said to that people: come see a man...".
a) She invites everyone to see Christ: "Come see a man." She does not immediately tell them to come to Christ, to avoid giving occasion for blasphemy; rather, she begins by saying things that were credible and evident, namely, that he was a man. She does not say: believe, but: come see, for they knew that if they drank from that source, seeing him, they would experience the same as she had experienced. Finally, the Samaritan woman follows the example of the true preacher, and does not call men to herself, but to Christ.
b) She offers proof of Christ's divinity by saying: "who told me everything I ever did," or rather, how many men the Samaritan woman had. She is not ashamed to recount what is a source of embarrassment for her, for the soul inflamed with divine fire no longer cares about anything earthly, neither about glory nor about shame, but only about that flame that burns within her.
c) She concludes by confessing the majesty of Christ, saying: "could this be the Messiah?" She did not dare to assert that he was the Messiah, so as not to appear to teach others: she feared that they would refuse to go to Christ out of irritation. Nor did she completely silence him, but she presented him in the form of a question, as if to submit her judgment to theirs. In fact, this was the easiest way to persuade them.
III
The fruit of her preaching.
"They came out of the town and made their way toward him." This shows that, if we want to go to Christ, we must also leave the town, that is, abandon the love of carnal concupiscence. "Let us then go to him outside the camp," says Saint Paul (Hebrews 13:13).
In Joan., IV.
(P. D. Mézard, O. P., Meditationes ex Operibus S. Thomae.)
#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
quoting nevent1q…2p2jTitle of the work in Latin
MEDULLA S. THOMAE AQUITATIS PER OMNES ANNI LITURGICI DIES DISTRBUITA, SEU MEDITATIONES EX OPERIBUS S. THOMAE DEPROMPTAE
Compilation and arrangement by
FR. Z. MÉZARD O. P.
NOTE
All titles with an asterisk contain material that is no longer attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
22. Wednesday after the Third Sunday of Lent: The Price of Our Redemption
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
“you were bought at a great price” (1 Cor 6:20)
The injury or suffering is measured by the dignity of the one who is harmed: a king suffers greater injury if slapped than would some private individual. Now, the dignity of the person of Christ is infinite, for He is a divine person. Therefore, any suffering of His, no matter how small, is infinite. Consequently, any suffering of His would be sufficient for the redemption of all humankind, even without His death.
St. Bernard says that the smallest drop of blood of Christ would be enough for the redemption of humankind. Now, Christ could have shed a single drop of His blood without dying, thus it was possible that, even without dying, He could redeem all of humankind with some suffering of His.
To effect a purchase, two things are necessary: the amount of the price and its designation for the purchase. If someone gives a value lower than that of the thing to be acquired, it is not said that there was a purchase, but that there was a partial purchase and a partial donation: for example, if someone buys a book worth twenty pounds for only ten, he partially bought the book and partially received it as a gift. In the same way, if he gave a higher value but did not designate it for the purchase of the book, it could not be said that there was a purchase.
If, therefore, we consider the redemption of humankind in terms of price, any suffering of Christ, even without death, would be sufficient, by the infinite dignity of His person.
However, if we speak regarding the designation of the price, then we must say that the other sufferings of Christ were not designated by God the Father and by Christ for the redemption of humankind without His death.
And this for threefold reason:
1. So that the price of the redemption of humankind would not only be of infinite value but also of the same kind; that is, so that we might be redeemed from death, by death.
2. So that the death of Christ would not only be the price of redemption but also an example of virtue, so that men would not fear to die for the truth. These two causes are pointed out by the Apostle: “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death” (Heb 2:14), regarding the first point, and “to free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Heb 2:15), regarding the second.
3. So that the death of Christ would also be a sacrament of salvation; for, by virtue of the death of Christ, we die to sin, to the lusts of the flesh, and to self-love. This cause is pointed out in Scripture: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Pet 3:18).
And for this reason, humankind was not redeemed without the death of Christ.
But it remains true that Christ, who not only gave His life but also suffered as much as one can suffer, would have paid a sufficient price for the redemption of humankind, even if the smallest portion of suffering had been divinely designated for this purpose; and this, because of the infinite dignity of the person of Christ.
Quodl. II, q. I, a. II
(P. D. Mézard, O. P., Meditationes ex Operibus S. Thomae.)
#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
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