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.
8. Wednesday after the First Sunday of Lent: The Immensity of the Pain of Christ's Passion
Wednesday after the First Sunday of Lent
"Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow" (Lam 1:12)
Christ, in His passion, truly suffered pain. Both the sensible pain, caused by bodily torments, and the inner pain, caused by the apprehension of evil, which is called sadness. Now, both of these pains were at their maximum in Christ, among the pains of the present life. This can be explained by four reasons.
1. First, by the causes of pain. For sensible pain had as its cause a bodily injury full of bitterness, both because of the general nature of the passion and its kind. For the death of the crucified is extremely bitter, as they are pierced in the most sensitive and nerve-filled places, which are the hands and feet. Moreover, the very weight of the body hanging continuously increases the pain; and the duration of it adds to this, since the crucified do not die right away as those killed by the sword.
As for internal pain, it had the following causes. First, all the sins of the human race, for which He was making satisfaction with His sufferings; for this reason, He seemed to invoke them to Himself by saying: "The cries of my sins" (Ps 21:1). Second, and especially, the guilt of the Jews and others who inflicted the passion upon Him; and especially that of the disciples, who were scandalized by the passion of Christ. Third, also, the loss of the life of the body, which is naturally horrible to human nature.
2. Second, the greatness of pain can be considered relatively to the sensitivity of the sufferer. Thus, His body had the best of compositions; for it was miraculously formed by the work of the Holy Spirit. Because nothing is more perfect than that produced by miracles, and therefore, the sense of touch, which serves to perceive pain, was in Christ extremely delicate. Also, the soul, in its inner powers, apprehended with great efficacy all the causes of sadness.
3. Third, the greatness of Christ's pain in His passion can be considered in terms of the purity of that pain. For, in other sufferers, internal sadness and external pain are mitigated by rational reflection, causing a certain derivation or redundancy of the higher powers to the lower ones. This did not happen in the passion of Christ, for each of the powers was allowed to act within its proper domain, as Damascene says.
4. Fourth, the greatness of Christ's pain can be considered in terms of the act of His passion and His pain being assumed voluntarily, with the aim of delivering man from sin. For this reason, He took on a pain so great that it was proportionate to the greatness of the fruit resulting from it.
Thus, then, from all these causes considered simultaneously, it is clear that the pain of Christ was the greatest of pains.
III, q. XLVI, a. 6.
(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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8. Wednesday after the First Sunday of Lent: The Immensity of the Pain of Christ's Passion
Wednesday after the First Sunday of Lent
"Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow" (Lam 1:12)
Christ, in His passion, truly suffered pain. Both the sensible pain, caused by bodily torments, and the inner pain, caused by the apprehension of evil, which is called sadness. Now, both of these pains were at their maximum in Christ, among the pains of the present life. This can be explained by four reasons.
1. First, by the causes of pain. For sensible pain had as its cause a bodily injury full of bitterness, both because of the general nature of the passion and its kind. For the death of the crucified is extremely bitter, as they are pierced in the most sensitive and nerve-filled places, which are the hands and feet. Moreover, the very weight of the body hanging continuously increases the pain; and the duration of it adds to this, since the crucified do not die right away as those killed by the sword.
As for internal pain, it had the following causes. First, all the sins of the human race, for which He was making satisfaction with His sufferings; for this reason, He seemed to invoke them to Himself by saying: "The cries of my sins" (Ps 21:1). Second, and especially, the guilt of the Jews and others who inflicted the passion upon Him; and especially that of the disciples, who were scandalized by the passion of Christ. Third, also, the loss of the life of the body, which is naturally horrible to human nature.
2. Second, the greatness of pain can be considered relatively to the sensitivity of the sufferer. Thus, His body had the best of compositions; for it was miraculously formed by the work of the Holy Spirit. Because nothing is more perfect than that produced by miracles, and therefore, the sense of touch, which serves to perceive pain, was in Christ extremely delicate. Also, the soul, in its inner powers, apprehended with great efficacy all the causes of sadness.
3. Third, the greatness of Christ's pain in His passion can be considered in terms of the purity of that pain. For, in other sufferers, internal sadness and external pain are mitigated by rational reflection, causing a certain derivation or redundancy of the higher powers to the lower ones. This did not happen in the passion of Christ, for each of the powers was allowed to act within its proper domain, as Damascene says.
4. Fourth, the greatness of Christ's pain can be considered in terms of the act of His passion and His pain being assumed voluntarily, with the aim of delivering man from sin. For this reason, He took on a pain so great that it was proportionate to the greatness of the fruit resulting from it.
Thus, then, from all these causes considered simultaneously, it is clear that the pain of Christ was the greatest of pains.
III, q. XLVI, a. 6.
(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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