Thomas Aquinas: Renewal Through the Holy Spirit Monday, May 28 2012

Renewal through the Holy Spirit consists, first of all, of the grace that cleanses. Sin is a sort of old age of the soul, and a man is only freed from this old age through justifying grace, by which he is cleansed from sin…: “As Christ has risen from the dead, so also let us walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

[...] Secondly, this renewal consists in the justice that is ever making progress. If one should walk, grow tired, and become weak, and then he rests, his powers seem to him to be renewed; and when a man works diligently, he is renewed when he gains further power for working.

[...]  Thirdly, renewal comes about through the wisdom that illuminates. When a man comes to new knowledge of more of the good things of God, he is renewed. About this renewal it says in Colossians: “Put on the new man who is created according to God.”

The “new man” indicates Christ, because His was a new kind of conception, “not from the seed of man, but from the Holy Spirit”;

a new kind of birth, because His mother remained a virgin after birth; a new kind of suffering, because it was without guilt; a new kind of rising from the dead, because it was quick and renewing, for He rose quickly and in glory;

a new kind of ascension, because he ascended by His own power, not by that of another, as did Enoch and Elijah. And so it is said in Ecclesiasticus: “Show signs anew and work wonders” (Sir. 36:6).

And because all things are renewed through Christ, therefore on solemnities we use new vestments in church, that we may “sing to the Lord a new song”—as though to signify that he who is renewed by the exterior cleanness of his clothing is renewed interiorly in his mind by grace.

By “stripping off the old man,” i.e., the habit of sins with its deeds, “and putting on” the habit of virtue which is not lacking in [good] deeds, “the new man,” i.e., the rational mind, will be renewed “in the knowledge of God” (Col. 3:9-10). As Romans has it, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14).

[...] Fourthly, renewal comes about through the glory that attains consummation, when the body is renewed, the oldness of punishment and guilt being taken away. We read about this in the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;” (Is. 65:17).

And where does this renewal come from? The Holy Spirit. He is the pledge of our inheritance, and it is He who leads us into the heavenly inheritance. He who needs to be created and renewed shall obtain this from the Holy Spirit.

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Sermon “Emitte Spiritum”.

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Benedict XVI: We Can All Let Our Hearts Be Transformed and Learn to Love Like Christ Thursday, May 3 2012

In a vision that was ever present in Catherine’s heart and mind Our Lady presented her to Jesus who gave her a splendid ring, saying to her:

“I, your Creator and Saviour, espouse you in the faith, that you will keep ever pure until you celebrate your eternal nuptials with me in Heaven”.

This ring was visible to her alone. In this extraordinary episode we see the vital centre of Catherine’s religious sense, and of all authentic spirituality: Christocentrism.

For her Christ was like the spouse with whom a relationship of intimacy, communion and faithfulness exists; he was the best beloved whom she loved above any other good.

This profound union with the Lord is illustrated by another episode in the life of this outstanding mystic: the exchange of hearts.

According to Raymond of Capua who passed on the confidences Catherine received, the Lord Jesus appeared to her “holding in his holy hands a human heart, bright red and shining”.

He opened her side and put the heart within her saying: “Dearest daughter, as I took your heart away from you the other day, now, you see, I am giving you mine, so that you can go on living with it for ever”.

Catherine truly lived St. Paul’s words, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

Like the Sienese Saint, every believer feels the need to be conformed with the sentiments of the heart of Christ to love God and his neighbour as Christ himself loves.

And we can all let our hearts be transformed and learn to love like Christ in a familiarity with him that is nourished by prayer, by meditation on the Word of God and by the sacraments, above all by receiving Holy Communion frequently and with devotion.

[...] She said before she died: “in leaving my body, truly I have consumed and given my life in the Church and for the Holy Church, which is for me a most unique grace”.

Hence we learn from St Catherine the most sublime science: to know and love Jesus Christ and his Church.

In the Dialogue of Divine Providence, she describes Christ, with an unusual image, as a bridge flung between Heaven and earth.

This bridge consists of three great stairways constituted by the feet, the side and the mouth of Jesus.

Rising by these stairways the soul passes through the three stages of every path to sanctification: detachment from sin, the practice of the virtues and of love, sweet and loving union with God.

Benedict XVI (b. 1927): On St Catherine of Siena (General Audience, Nov. 24^th, 2010).

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Catherine of Siena: The Fire of Divine, Most Ardent, and Immeasurable Love Saturday, Apr 28 2012

And the day passing by, full of marvel, the evening came.

And I, feeling that the heart was so drawn by the force of love that I could offer no resistance to going to the place of prayer, and feeling that disposition come upon me which was at the time of my death, prostrated myself with great compunction.

And rising, with the impression of what I have said before the eye of my mind, God placed me before Himself.

I am always before Him, because He contains everything in Himself, but now He placed me before Himself in a new way, as if memory, intellect, and will had nothing whatever to do with my body.

And this Truth was reflected in me with such light that in that abyss were then renewed the mysteries of Holy Church, and all the graces received in my life, past and present, and the day in which my soul was wedded to Him.

All this then vanished from me through the increase of the inward fire.

And I paid heed only to what should be done, that I should make a sacrifice of myself to God for Holy Church and for the sake of removing ignorance and negligence from those whom God had put into my hands.

Then the devils called out havoc upon me, seeking to hinder and slacken with their terrors my free and burning desire.

So these beat upon the shell of the body; but desire became the more kindled, crying “O Eternal God, receive the sacrifice of my life in this mystical body of Holy Church!

“I have naught to give save what Thou hast given to me. Take then my heart, and may Thy Bride lean her face upon it!”

Then Eternal God, turning the eyes of His mercy, removed my heart, and offered it to Holy Church.

And He had drawn it to Himself with such force that had He not at once bound it about with His strength – not wishing that the vessel of my body should be broken – my life would have gone.

[...] Now I say: Thanks, thanks be to the Highest God Eternal, who has placed us in the battlefield as knights, to fight for His Bride with the shield of holiest faith.

The field is left free to us by that virtue and power which routed the devil who possessed the human race; who was routed, not in the strength of humanity, but of Deity.

Thus the devil neither is nor shall be routed by the suffering of our bodies, but by strength of the fire of divine, most ardent, and immeasurable love.

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380): Letter to Raymond of Capua, OP.

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Thomas Aquinas: Jesus the Pioneer and Perfecter of Our Faith Tuesday, Apr 3 2012

… looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

For He is the author [pioneer] of faith in two ways: first, by teaching it by word: ‘He has spoken to us by His Son’ (Heb. 1:2); ‘The only begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him’ (Jn. 1:18);

Secondly, by impressing it on the heart: ‘Unto you it is given for Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him’ (Phil 1:29).

Likewise, He is the finisher [perfecter] of our faith in two ways: in one way by confirming it through miracles: ‘If you do not believe me, believe the works’ (Jn. 10:32);

And in another way by rewarding faith. For since faith is imperfect knowledge, its reward consists in perfectly understanding it: ‘I will love him and will manifest myself to him’ (Jn. 14:21).

This was signified by Zechariah (4:9) where it says: ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of his house,’ namely, the Church, whose foundation is faith, ‘and his hands shall finish it.’

For the hands of Christ, Who descended from Zerubbabel, founded the Church and will finish the faith in glory: ‘We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face’ (1 Cor. 13:12);

‘Contemplation is the reward of faith, by which reward our hearts are cleansed through faith,’ as is says in Acts (15:9): ‘purifying their hearts by faith.’ (Augustine, On the Trinity, c. 10).

Three things should be considered in the passion of Christ: first, what He despised; secondly, what He endured; thirdly, what he merited.

As to the first he says, ‘who for the joy set before him endured the cross.’ That joy was earthly joy, for which He was sought by the crowd, when they wished to make Him king; but He scorned it by fleeing into the mountain (Jn. 6:15); [...] For having set before him the joy of eternal life as a reward, he endured the cross.

This is the second thing He endured, namely, the cross: ‘He humbled himself, being made obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross’ (Phil 2:8).

In this is shown the bitterness of His torment, because His hands and feet were nailed to the cross; and the shame and ignominy of His death, because this was the most shameful of deaths: ‘Let us condemn him to a most shameful death’ (Wis. 2:20).

In regard to the third, namely, what He merited was to sit at the right hand of the Father; hence, he says, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

For the exaltation of Christ’s humanity was the reward of His passion: ‘He sits on the right hand of the majesty on high’ (Heb. 1:3).

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Commentary on Hebrews, cap. 4, lect.1.

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Thomas Aquinas: To Impress the Vastness of this Love more Firmly upon the Hearts of the Faithful Saturday, Jun 25 2011

Since it was the will of God’s only-begotten Son that men should share in his divinity, he assumed our nature in order that by becoming man he might make men gods.

Moreover, when he took our flesh he dedicated the whole of its substance to our salvation.

He offered his body to God the Father on the altar of the cross as a sacrifice for our reconciliation.

He shed his blood for our ransom and purification, so that we might be redeemed from our wretched state of bondage and cleansed from all sin.

But to ensure that the memory of so great a gift would abide with us forever, he left his body as food and his blood as drink for the faithful to consume in the form of bread and wine.

O precious and wonderful banquet, that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness!

Could anything be of more intrinsic value?

Under the old law it was the flesh of calves and goats that was offered, but here Christ himself, the true God, is set before us as our food.

What could be more wonderful than this?

No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away, virtues are increased, and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift.

It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all may be for the benefit of all.

Yet, in the end, no one can fully express the sweetness of this sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source, and in which we renew the memory of that surpassing love for us which Christ revealed in his passion.

It was to impress the vastness of this love more firmly upon the hearts of the faithful that our Lord instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper.

As he was on the point of leaving the world to go to the Father, after celebrating the Passover with his disciples, he left it as a perpetual memorial of his passion.

It was the fulfilment of ancient figures and the greatest of all his miracles, while for those who were to experience the sorrow of his departure, it was destined to be a unique and abiding consolation.

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Opusculum 57, in festo Corporis Christi, lect. 1-4, from the Office of Readings for the Feast of Corpus Christi @ Crossroads Initiative.

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Thomas Aquinas: The Holy Spirit Inclines the Heart to Give Assent and to Carry Out What It Hears Saturday, Jun 11 2011

In the homily of today’s office, Gregory says: “Love’s proof is in love’s work.”

But you say: we just aren’t able to fulfill the commands of God.

I say: you aren’t able to fulfill them by your own powers, but through the grace of God you certainly can do so!

Hence the Evangelist adds: “My Father will love him”—God shall not fail a man—“and we will come to him,” that is, we [the Father and the Son] will be present to him (Jn. 14:23).

By that presence, we will be able to dedicate our powers to fulfilling God’s commands.

Concerning this charity for fulfilling God’s commands, we read in Ephesians: “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works” (Eph. 2:10).

Where does this charity in us come from? The Holy Spirit.

“The charity of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us” (Rom. 5:5).

He who has a share of daylight has that light from the sun; in the same way he who has charity has it from the Holy Spirit.

Therefore: “Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created”—namely, in the being of the life of grace, through charity.

You see that men, when they become true lovers, make efforts to know the will of God.

“It belongs to friends to have one heart,” as it says in Proverbs, and God reveals His secrets to His friends.

And this is the second step of the creation which is from the Holy Spirit: that they[who are re-created may know God in wisdom.

[...] In today’s Gospel: “The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn. 14:26).

Now, however much a man may be taught exteriorly, it will profit him nothing unless the grace of the Holy Spirit is interiorly present.

As the Gospel says, “The anointing will teach you concerning all things.”

And He not only teaches the truth, but will even call it back to mind.

It is as if Jesus were saying: “I myself am able to teach you, but you do not by this fact believe or want to fulfill what I teach.

“But He who brings it about that you believe and that you fulfill what you hear, He will call things back to mind.”

The Holy Spirit does this because he inclines the heart to give assent and to carry out what it hears.

Hence our Lord says: “Everyone who has heard and learned from my Father comes to me” (Jn. 6:45).

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Sermon “Emitte Spiritum”.

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Catherine of Siena: Let Us Go Out to Receive Our King, Who Comes to Us Humble and Meek Wednesday, Apr 20 2011

I, Catherine, a useless servant, am in agony with desire as I search the depths of my soul.

I grieve and weep when I see and really understand our foolish apathy, our failure to give our love to God after he has given us such great graces with so much love.

So, dearest brothers, don’t be thankless and unappreciative, because this could easily dry up the fountain of piety within us.

Oh heedless indifferent people! Rouse yourselves from this evil sleep! Let’s go out to receive our King, who comes to us humble and meek.

Oh let us who are proud behold the Master of humility coming to us seated on an ass!

For our Saviour has told us that one of his reasons for com­ing on that beast was to show us what our humanity had become by sin, and to show us how we should treat this ass, our humanity.

Really, there is no difference between us and that good-far-nothing beast! Because of sin, our reason has become an animal!

Oh ancient Truth, you have taught us how we should treat this beast!

I want you…to get on top of this ass; master yourselves; be humble and meek.

And on what feet shall we get up there, sweetest love? On hatred of apathy and love of virtue.

But let’s do this…the channel is open and flowing.

So, since we need to provision the ship of our soul, let’s proceed to provision it there, at that sweetest of channels, the heart and soul and body of Jesus Christ.

We will find that this channel flows with so great a love that we will easily be able to fill our souls

So I say to you: don’t be slow to put your eye to this open window

For I assure you that supreme Goodness has prepared the times and the ways for us to do great deeds for him

This is why I told you to be eager to increase your holy desire, and not to be satisfied with little things, because he wants great things!

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380): Letters; H/T Dom Donald.

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John Tauler: “When the Spirit Looks Within, to the Spirit of God, from the Ground of the Heart” Saturday, Apr 16 2011

St Thomas Aquinas says this: “Great external works, however great they may be, inasmuch as they are works, have their own reward.

But when the Spirit looks within, to the Spirit of God, from the ground of the heart,

where man, empty and bare of all works, seeks God only,

far above all thoughts, works and reason,

it is truly a thorough conversion, which will ever be met with a corresponding reward,

and God will be with him.”

Another conversion may take place in an ordinary external way, whenever man turns to God,

thinking wholly and entirely of Him,

and of nothing else but of God for Himself and in Himself.

But the first turning is in an inner, undefined, unknown presence,

in an immaterial entrance of the created spirit into the uncreated Spirit of God.

If a man could only once in his life thus turn to God, it would be well for him.

Those men whose God is so powerful, and Who has been so faithful to them in all their distress, will be answered by God with Himself.

He draws them so mysteriously unto Himself and His own blessedness;

their spirits are so lovingly attracted, while they are at the same time so filled and transfused with the Godhead, that they lose all their diversity in the Unity of the Godhead.

These are they to whom God makes their work here on earth a delight;

so that they have a real foretaste of that which they will enjoy forever.

These are they on whom the Holy Christian Church rests;

and, if they did not form part of Christianity, Christianity could no longer exist;

for their mere existence, what they are, is infinitely worthier and more useful than all the doings of the world.

These are they of whom our Lord has said:

“He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of Mine eye.”

Therefore, take heed that ye do them no wrong. May God help us.

John Tauler (c.1300-1361): Sermon on the Feast of St John the Baptist.

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John Tauler: Consider, My Soul, with Thy Inward Eyes, the Immense Love of Thy Saviour Monday, Apr 4 2011

Consider now, O my soul, with thy inward eyes, the immense love of thy Saviour.

See how above measure He thirsteth to redeem thee.

Look how His Heart is boiling over within Him for exceeding burning love.

O sweet Jesus, the only comfort of my heart, where is now the fear, which a little before had come upon Thee?

[...] While as yet Thine enemies were far from Thee, Thou wert sorrowful even unto death, and in Thy cruel straits Thou didst sweat blood, and Thou didst pray that the Passion that was hanging over Thee might be taken from Thee by Thy Father.

But now that Thine enemies are before Thine eyes…Thou fearest nothing, Thou tremblest at nothing, and all fear hath gone far from Thee.

Thy betrayer hath come with a crowd of blood-thirsty men, cruel wolves; and of Thine own free will Thou goest forth to meet them.

What doth this mean, O gracious Jesus, except that perfect love hath cast out fear? Oh! how perfectly hast Thou gone out of Thyself, O loving Jesus!

How well hast Thou prepared a place for Thy heavenly Father, in order that He may accomplish within Thee His own most gracious work according to His will.

Oh! how Thou hast spared Thyself in nothing! With what burning thirst hast Thou sought after Thy Father’s honour!

How mightily hast Thou conquered Thyself through love, being made obedient even unto death!

O Jesus, sweet Lover of men, what love is this that hath so swallowed up Thy Heart, that Thou hastenest to death as to a marriage feast, that Thou goest forth to meet Thine enemies, as if they were Thy friends!

Thou couldst not even wait till they addressed Thee, but even as a man saluteth his friends, whom he meeteth on the way, so didst Thou address them first, and say: “Whom seek ye?”

Oh! of a truth, most gracious Jesus, the fire of love had so worked its way within Thee, and melted, and burnt away the marrow of Thy Soul, that all Thy inner man blessed God the Father Almighty, and all Thy members were stretched like a bow to accomplish Thy Father’s gracious will.

For Thy uncreated love as God so moved and kindled Thy created love, that Thou wert wholly ready to satisfy that love in all that it required.

Hence it was that in Thy thirst Thou didst seize the chalice, from which but a little before Thou didst so greatly shrink.

And quickened by love, as a fearless giant, Thou rejoicest to run the way of our salvation.

John Tauler[attributed] (c.1300-1361): Meditations on the Life and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 10.

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Thomas Aquinas: “The Night is Far Gone, the Day is at Hand” Sunday, Nov 28 2010

The night is far gone, the day is at hand (Romans (13:12).

The night is far gone….

The import is that the entire time of the present life is compared to night on account of the darkness of ignorance with which the present life is encumbered.

“We are swallowed up in darkness” (Jb 33:4). Isaiah says of this night: “My soul yearns for thee in the night” (26:9).

But the state of future happiness is compared to day on account of God’s splendor with which the saints are enlightened: “the sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night, but he Lord will be your everlasting light” (Is 60:19)….

It can also be understood that the state of guilt is being compared to night on account of the darkness of guilt. About this darkness Ps 82 (v. 5) says: “They have neither knowledge nor understanding; they walk about in darkness”….

But day is called the state of grace on account of the light of spiritual understanding which the just have, but the wicked lack: “Light dawns for the righteous” (Ps 97:11); “The light of justice did not shine on us” (Wis 5:6).

Or it can be understood that the time before Christ’s incarnation is being compared to night, because it was not yet clear but wrapped in darkness….

Hence, just as shadows appear at night, so during that time the practices of the Law were in vogue, but “these were only a shadow of what is to come” (Col 2:17).

But the time after Christ’s incarnation is compared to day on account of the power of the spiritual sun in the world: “But for you who fear my name, the sun of justice shall shine” (Mal 4:2)….

The saying, the night is far gone, can be taken for any of the three nights mentioned….

But it seems that the saying, the day is at hand, must be understood as referring to the day of future glory, which was at hand for the believers in Christ to whom he was writing, although it had not yet arrived for them.

In keeping with the foregoing explanation, the time of Christ’s grace, although it had already arrived as regards the passage of time, is nonetheless described as drawing near through faith and devotion; just as it also says in Phil 4:5 “The Lord is near,” and in Ps 145:18 “The Lord is near to all who call upon him.”

It can also apply to those who begin to repent of their sins; for such persons the day of grace is at hand.

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Commentary on Romans, cap. 13, lect.3, 1067-1069.

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