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St. Thomas Aquinas
The Summa Theologica
INTERIOR ACTS OF RELIGION
(Questions [82]-83)
OF DEVOTION (FOUR ARTICLES)
We must now consider the acts of
religion. First, we shall consider the interior acts, which, as stated above, are its
principal acts; secondly, we shall consider its exterior acts, which are secondary. The
interior acts of religion are seemingly devotion and prayer. Accordingly we shall treat
first of devotion, and afterwards of prayer.
Under the first head there are four points of inquiry:
(1) Whether devotion is a special act?
(2) Whether it is an act of religion?
(3) Of the cause of devotion?
(4) Of its effect?
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Article: 1 [<< | >>]
Whether devotion is a special act?
Objection 1: It would seem that
devotion is not a special act. That which qualifies other acts is seemingly not a special
act. Now devotion seems to qualify other acts, for it is written (2 Paralip 29:31):
"All the multitude offered victims, and praises, and holocausts with a devout
mind." Therefore devotion is not a special act.
Objection 2: Further, no special kind
of act is common to various genera of acts. But devotion is common to various genera of
acts, namely, corporal and spiritual acts: for a person is said to meditate devoutly and
to genuflect devoutly. Therefore devotion is not a special act.
Objection 3: Further, every special
act belongs either to an appetitive or to a cognitive virtue or power. But devotion
belongs to neither, as may be seen by going through the various species of acts of either
faculty, as enumerated above (FP, Questions [78],
seqq.; FS,
Question [23],
Article [4]).
Therefore devotion is not a special act.
On the contrary, Merits are acquired
by acts as stated above (FS, Question [21],
Articles [34]).
But devotion has a special reason for merit. Therefore devotion is a special act.
I answer that, Devotion is derived
from "devote" [*The Latin 'devovere' means 'to vow']; wherefore those persons
are said to be "devout" who, in a way, devote themselves to God, so as to
subject themselves wholly to Him. Hence in olden times among the heathens a devotee was
one who vowed to his idols to suffer death for the safety of his army, as Livy relates of
the two Decii (Decad. I, viii, 9; x, 28). Hence devotion is apparently nothing else but
the will to give oneself readily to things concerning the service of God. Wherefore it is
written (Ex. 35:20,21) that "the
multitude of the children of Israel . . . offered first-fruits to the Lord with a most
ready and devout mind." Now it is evident that the will to do readily what concerns
the service of God is a special kind of act. Therefore devotion is a special act of the
will.
Reply to Objection 1: The mover
prescribes the mode of the movement of the thing moved. Now the will moves the other
powers of the soul to their acts, and the will, in so far as it regards the end, moves
both itself and whatever is directed to the end, as stated above (FS, Question [9],
Article [3]).
Wherefore, since devotion is an act of the will whereby a man offers himself for the
service of God Who is the last end, it follows that devotion prescribes the mode to human
acts, whether they be acts of the will itself about things directed to the end, or acts of
the other powers that are moved by the will.
Reply to Objection 2: Devotion is to
be found in various genera of acts, not as a species of those genera, but as the motion of
the mover is found virtually in the movements of the things moved.
Reply to Objection 3: Devotion is an
act of the appetitive part of the soul, and is a movement of the will, as stated above.
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Article: 2 [<< | >>]
Whether devotion is an act of
religion?
Objection 1: It would seem that
devotion is not an act of religion. Devotion, as stated above (Article [1]),
consists in giving oneself up to God. But this is done chiefly by charity, since according
to Dionysius (Div. Nom. iv) "the Divine love produces ecstasy, for it takes the lover
away from himself and gives him to the beloved." Therefore devotion is an act of
charity rather than of religion.
Objection 2: Further, charity
precedes religion; and devotion seems to precede charity; since, in the Scriptures,
charity is represented by fire, while devotion is signified by fatness which is the
material of fire [*Cant. 8:6; Ps. 52:6]. Therefore devotion is not an act of religion.
Objection 3: Further, by religion man
is directed to God alone, as stated above (Question [81],
Article [1]).
But devotion is directed also to men; for we speak of people being devout to certain holy
men, and subjects are said to be devoted to their masters; thus Pope Leo says [*Serm.
viii, De Pass. Dom.] that the Jews "out of devotion to the Roman laws," said:
"We have no king but Caesar." Therefore devotion is not an act of religion.
On the contrary, Devotion is derived
from "devovere," as stated (Article [1]).
But a vow is an act of religion. Therefore devotion is also an act of religion.
I answer that, It belongs to the same
virtue, to will to do something, and to have the will ready to do it, because both acts
have the same object. For this reason the Philosopher says (Ethic. v, 1): "It is
justice whereby men both will end do just actions." Now it is evident that to do what
pertains to the worship or service of God, belongs properly to religion, as stated above (Question [81]).
Wherefore it belongs to that virtue to have the will ready to do such things, and this is
to be devout. Hence it is evident that devotion is an act of religion.
Reply to Objection 1: It belongs
immediately to charity that man should give himself to God, adhering to Him by a union of
the spirit; but it belongs immediately to religion, and, through the medium of religion,
to charity which is the principle of religion, that man should give himself to God for
certain works of Divine worship.
Reply to Objection 2: Bodily fatness
is produced by the natural heat in the process of digestion, and at the same time the
natural heat thrives, as it were, on this fatness. In like manner charity both causes
devotion (inasmuch as love makes one ready to serve one's friend) and feeds on devotion.
Even so all friendship is safeguarded and increased by the practice and consideration of
friendly deeds.
Reply to Objection 3: Devotion to
God's holy ones, dead or living, does not terminate in them, but passes on to God, in so
far as we honor God in His servants. But the devotion of subjects to their temporal
masters is of another kind, just as service of a temporal master differs from the service
of God.
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Whether contemplation or meditation
is the cause of devotion?
Objection 1: It would seem that
contemplation or meditation is not the cause of devotion. No cause hinders its effect. But
subtle considerations about abstract matters are often a hindrance to devotion. Therefore
contemplation or meditation is not the cause of devotion.
Objection 2: Further, if
contemplation were the proper and essential cause of devotion, the higher objects of
contemplation would arouse greater devotion. But the contrary is the case: since
frequently we are urged to greater devotion by considering Christ's Passion and other
mysteries of His humanity than by considering the greatness of His Godhead. Therefore
contemplation is not the proper cause of devotion.
Objection 3: Further, if
contemplation were the proper cause of devotion, it would follow that those who are most
apt for contemplation, are also most apt for devotion. Yet the contrary is to be noticed,
for devotion is frequently found in men of simplicity and members of the female sex, who
are defective in contemplation. Therefore contemplation is not the proper cause of
devotion.
On the contrary, It is written (Ps. 38:4): "In my meditation a
fire shall flame out." But spiritual fire causes devotion. Therefore meditation is
the cause of devotion.
I answer that, The extrinsic and
chief cause of devotion is God, of Whom Ambrose, commenting on Lk. 9:55, says that
"God calls whom He deigns to call, and whom He wills He makes religious: the profane
Samaritans, had He so willed, He would have made devout." But the intrinsic cause on
our part must needs be meditation or contemplation. For it was stated above (Article [1])
that devotion is an act of the will to the effect that man surrenders himself readily to
the service of God. Now every act of the will proceeds from some consideration, since the
object of the will is a good understood. Wherefore Augustine says (De Trin. ix, 12; xv,
23) that "the will arises from the intelligence." Consequently meditation must
needs be the cause of devotion, in so far as through meditation man conceives the thought
of surrendering himself to God's service. Indeed a twofold consideration leads him
thereto. The one is the consideration of God's goodness and loving kindness, according to
Ps. 72:28, "It is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord
God": and this consideration wakens love [*'Dilectio,' the interior act of charity;
cf. Question [27]] which is the proximate cause of devotion. The other consideration is
that of man's own shortcomings, on account of which he needs to lean on God, according to
Ps. 120:1,2, "I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come
to me: my help is from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth"; and this consideration
shuts out presumption whereby man is hindered from submitting to God, because he leans on
His strength.
Reply to Objection 1: The
consideration of such things as are of a nature to awaken our love [*'Dilectio,' the
interior act of charity; cf. Question [27]] of God, causes devotion; whereas the
consideration of foreign matters that distract the mind from such things is a hindrance to
devotion.
Reply to Objection 2: Matters
concerning the Godhead are, in themselves, the strongest incentive to love ['dilectio,'
the interior act of charity; cf. Question [27]] and consequently to devotion, because God
is supremely lovable. Yet such is the weakness of the human mind that it needs a guiding
hand, not only to the knowledge, but also to the love of Divine things by means of certain
sensible objects known to us. Chief among these is the humanity of Christ, according to
the words of the Preface [*Preface for Christmastide], "that through knowing God
visibly, we may be caught up to the love of things invisible." Wherefore matters
relating to Christ's humanity are the chief incentive to devotion, leading us thither as a
guiding hand, although devotion itself has for its object matters concerning the Godhead.
Reply to Objection 3: Science and
anything else conducive to greatness, is to man an occasion of self-confidence, so that he
does not wholly surrender himself to God. The result is that such like things sometimes
occasion a hindrance to devotion; while in simple souls and women devotion abounds by
repressing pride. If, however, a man perfectly submits to God his science or any other
perfection, by this very fact his devotion is increased.
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Whether joy is an effect of
devotion?
Objection 1: It would seem that joy
is not an effect of devotion. As stated above (Article [3],
ad 2), Christ's Passion is the chief incentive to devotion. But the consideration thereof
causes an affliction of the soul, according to Lam. 3:19, "Remember my poverty . . .
the wormwood and the gall," which refers to the Passion, and afterwards (Lam. 3:20) it is said: "I
will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me." Therefore
delight or joy is not the effect of devotion.
Objection 2: Further, devotion
consists chiefly in an interior sacrifice of the spirit. But it is written (Ps. 50:19): "A sacrifice to
God is an afflicted spirit." Therefore affliction is the effect of devotion rather
than gladness or joy.
Objection 3: Further, Gregory of
Nyssa says (De Homine xii) [*Orat. funebr. de Placilla Imp.] that "just as laughter
proceeds from joy, so tears and groans are signs of sorrow." But devotion makes some
people shed tears. Therefore gladness or joy is not the effect of devotion.
On the contrary, We say in the
Collect [*Thursday after fourth Sunday of Lent]: "That we who are punished by fasting
may be comforted by a holy devotion."
I answer that, The direct and
principal effect of devotion is the spiritual joy of the mind, though sorrow is its
secondary and indirect effect. For it has been stated (Article [3])
that devotion is caused by a twofold consideration: chiefly by the consideration of God's
goodness, because this consideration belongs to the term, as it were, of the movement of
the will in surrendering itself to God, and the direct result of this consideration is
joy, according to Ps. 76:4, "I remembered God, and was delighted"; but
accidentally this consideration causes a certain sorrow in those who do not yet enjoy God
fully, according to Ps. 41:3, "My soul hath thirsted after the strong living
God," and afterwards it is said (Ps. 41:4): "My tears have been
my bread," etc. Secondarily devotion is caused as stated (Article [3]),
by the consideration of one's own failings; for this consideration regards the term from
which man withdraws by the movement of his devout will, in that he trusts not in himself,
but subjects himself to God. This consideration has an opposite tendency to the first: for
it is of a nature to cause sorrow directly (when one thinks over one's own failings), and
joy accidentally, namely, through hope of the Divine assistance. It is accordingly evident
that the first and direct effect of devotion is joy, while the secondary and accidental
effect is that "sorrow which is according to God" [*2 Cor. 7:10].
Reply to Objection 1: In the
consideration of Christ's Passion there is something that causes sorrow, namely, the human
defect, the removal of which made it necessary for Christ to suffer [*Lk. 24:25]; and
there is something that causes joy, namely, God's loving-kindness to us in giving us such
a deliverance.
Reply to Objection 2: The spirit
which on the one hand is afflicted on account of the defects of the present life, on the
other hand is rejoiced, by the consideration of God's goodness, and by the hope of the
Divine help.
Reply to Objection 3: Tears are
caused not only through sorrow, but also through a certain tenderness of the affections,
especially when one considers something that gives joy mixed with pain. Thus men are wont
to shed tears through a sentiment of piety, when they recover their children or dear
friends, whom they thought to have lost. In this way tears arise from devotion.
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