Lectio 5 Lecture 5 Desiderium resurrectionis Longing for the resurrection ^8:23 Non solum autem illa, sed et nos ipsi primitias spiritus habentes: et ipsi intra nos gemimus adoptionem filiorum Dei exspectantes, redemptionem corporis nostri. [n. 675] ^8:23 And not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the spirit: even we ourselves groan inwardly, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body. [n. 675] ^8:24 Spe enim salvi facti sumus. Spes autem, quae videtur, non est spes: nam quod videt quis, quid sperat? [n. 681] ^8:24 For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For who sees that which he hopes for? [n. 681] ^8:25 Si autem quod non videmus, speramus: per patientiam exspectamus. [n. 685] ^8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. [n. 685] ^8:26 Similiter autem et Spiritus adjuvat infirmitatem nostram: nam quid oremus, sicut oportet, nescimus: sed ipse Spiritus postulat pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilibus. [n. 686.] ^8:26 Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmity. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit himself asks for us with unspeakable groanings, [n. 686.] ^8:27 Qui autem scrutatur corda, scit quid desideret Spiritus: quia secundum Deum postulat pro sanctis. [n. 694] ^8:27 And he who searches the hearts knows what the Spirit desires: because he asks for the saints according to God. [n. 694] 675. Supra ostendit Apostolus excellentiam futurae gloriae ex expectatione creaturae, nunc ostendit idem ex expectatione apostolorum. Non autem potest esse parvum quod a magnis viris expectatur tam anxie. 675. After showing the excellence of future glory from the longing of the creature, the Apostle now shows the same from the longing of the apostles. For that cannot be a trifle which is desired so anxiously by great men. Et circa hoc duo facit. In regard to this he does two things. Primo proponit quod intendit; First, he states his proposition; secundo probat propositum, ibi spe enim, et cetera. second, he proves it, at for we are saved by hope. 676. Circa primum tria facit. 676. In regard to the first he does three things. Primo proponit dignitatem expectantium cum dicit non solum autem illa, scilicet creatura, expectat gloriam filiorum Dei, sed et nos ipsi, scilicet apostoli, habentes primitias Spiritus Sancti, quia scilicet Spiritum Sanctum et tempore prius, et caeteris abundantius apostoli habuerunt, sicut et in fructibus terrae illud quod primo ad maturitatem pervenit, est pinguius et magis acceptum. Ier. II, 3: sanctus Israel Domino primitiae frugum eius. Hebr. XII, 23: accessistis ad Ecclesiam primitivorum qui conscripti sunt in caelestibus. First, he describes the dignity of those longing when he says: and not only it, namely, the creature, awaits the glory of the sons of God, but ourselves, namely, the apostles, who have the first fruits of the Holy Spirit, namely, because the apostles had the Holy Spirit before others and more abundantly than others, just as earthly fruit which ripens earlier is richer and more delicious: Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest (Jer 2:3); you have come to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven (Heb 12:23). Ex quo patet quod apostoli sunt omnibus aliis sanctis, quacumque praerogativa praefulgeant, sive virginitatis, sive doctrinae, sive martyrii, praeferendi, tamquam abundantius Spiritum Sanctum habentes. From this it is clear that the apostles are greater than all other saints no matter what their credentials, whether virginity or learning or martyrdom, because they have the Holy Spirit more fully. 677. Sed potest aliquis dicere, quod quidam alii sancti maiora tormenta sustinuerunt, et maiores austeritates propter Christum, quam apostoli. 677. But someone might say that some other saints have endured more torture and greater austerities for Christ than the apostles. Sed sciendum est quod magnitudo meriti principaliter et respectu essentialis praemii, attenditur secundum caritatem. Consistit enim praemium essentiale in gaudio quod habetur de Deo. Manifestum est autem, quod de Deo plus gaudebunt qui plus amant. Unde et illam visionem beatam Dominus suo dilecto promittit, dicens Io. XIV, 21: si quis diligit me, diligetur a Patre meo: et ego diligam eum, et manifestabo ei meipsum. Sed secundum quantitatem operum, meretur homo praemium accidentale, quod est gaudium de talibus operibus. Apostoli ergo, illa opera quae fecerunt, ex maiori caritate fecerunt, ex qua habebant cor ad multa maiora facienda si fuisset opportunum. But it should be recognized that the amount of one’s merit depends principally, and in respect to essential reward, on charity. For the essential reward consists in the joy one has in God. But it is plain that one who loves God more will enjoy him more. Hence, the Lord promises that blessed vision to those who love: he who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him (John 14:21). But according to the quantity of his works man merits an accidental reward, which is joy taken in those works. Therefore, the apostles performed the works they did with greater charity, which made their hearts prepared for much greater ones, if it had been opportune. 678. Si autem dicat aliquis: potest tantum quis conari quod habebit aequalem caritatem cum apostolis, dicendum, quod caritas hominis non est a seipso, sed ex gratia Dei, quae datur unicuique secundum mensuram donationis Christi, ut dicitur Eph. IV, 7. 678. But if it is said: someone can try so hard that he will have charity equal to that of the apostles, the answer is that a man’s charity is not derived from himself but from God’s grace, which is given to each according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Eph 4:7). Unicuique autem dat gratiam proportionatam ei ad quod eligitur, sicut homini Christo data est excellentissima gratia, quia ad hoc est electus, ut eius natura in unitatem personae divinae assumeretur, et post eum habuit maximam plenitudinem gratiae beata Maria, quae ad hoc est electa ut esset mater Christi. Inter caeteros autem ad maiorem dignitatem sunt electi apostoli, ut scilicet immediate ab ipso Christo accipientes, aliis traderent ea, quae pertinent ad salutem, et sic in eis Ecclesia quodammodo fundaretur, secundum illud Apoc. XXI, 14: murus habebat fundamenta duodecim, et nomina apostolorum erant in eis scripta: et ideo dicitur I Cor. XII, 28: Deus posuit in Ecclesiam primum quidem apostolos. Et ideo Deus eis abundantiorem gratiam prae caeteris tribuit. Now he gives to each the grace proportionate to his calling. Thus, the most excellent grace was given to Christ, because he was called to have his human nature taken into the unity of his divine person; after him the greatest fullness of grace was conferred on blessed Mary, who was called to be the mother of Christ. Among the rest, however, the apostles were called to a greater dignity than all others, for they received from Christ himself the things that pertain to salvation and the commission to deliver them to others. Hence, the Church is in a sense founded on them, as it says in Revelation: the wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev 21:14); and God indeed has set some in the church; first apostles (1 Cor 12:28). Therefore, God gave them a greater abundance of grace than the rest. 679. Secundo ponit anxietatem expectationis cum dicit et ipsi intra nos gemimus. Qui quidem gemitus designat afflictionem ex dilatione rei cum magno desiderio expectatae, secundum illud Prov. XIII, 12: spes quae differtur, affligit animam. Ps. VI, 6: laboravi in gemitu meo. 679. Second, he mentions the anxiety with which they wait, when he says, we ourselves groan inwardly. This groaning indicates the distress caused by the postponement of something desired with great longing: hope deferred makes the heart sick (Prov 13:12); I am weary with my moaning (Ps 6:6). Iste autem gemitus non est tam exterius, quam interius, tum quia ex interiori cordis affectu procedit, tum quia est propter interiora bona. Unde signanter dicit intra nos. Thren. I, 22: multi gemitus mei. This groaning, however, is more internal than external, because it proceeds from the hidden feelings of the heart and because it is concerned with internal goods. Hence he says, we ourselves groan inwardly: my groans are many (Lam 1:22). 680. Tertio ponit rem expectatam dicens adoptionem filiorum Dei expectantes, id est completionem huius adoptionis. Inchoata enim est huiusmodi adoptio per Spiritum Sanctum iustificantem animam. Supra eodem: accepistis spiritum adoptionis filiorum. Consummabitur autem per ipsius corporis glorificationem. Unde supra V, 2: gloriamur in spe gloriae filiorum Dei. Et hoc est quod subdit redemptionem corporis nostri, ut scilicet sicut spiritus noster redemptus est a peccato, ita corpus nostrum redimatur a corruptione et morte. Os. XIII, 41: de morte redimam eos. Phil. III, 21: reformabit corpus humilitatis nostrae. 680. Third, he mentions what is awaited, saying, waiting for the adoption of the sons, i.e., for the completion of this adoption. For this adoption was begun by the Holy Spirit justifying the soul: you have received the spirit of adoption of sons (Rom 8:15). But it will be brought to fulfillment when the body is glorified: we rejoice in the hope of sharing the glory of the children of God (Rom 5:2). And that is why he adds: the redemption of our body, so that as our spirit has been redeemed from sin, so our body might be redeemed from corruption and death: I shall ransom them from death (Hos 13:14); he will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil 3:21). 681. Deinde cum dicit spe enim, etc., probat quod dixerat tali ratione: spes est de his quae non praesentialiter videntur, sed in futuro expectantur. Sed nos sumus salvi facti per spem, ergo expectamus in futurum complementum salutis. 681. Then when he says, for we are saved, he proves what he had said with the following reason: hope is concerned with things not seen in the present but awaited in the future. But we have been saved through hope; therefore, we wait for the completion of salvation as something future. 682. Primo ergo ponit minorem, dicens: nos enim, apostoli et caeteri fideles, spe salvi facti sumus, quia scilicet spem nostrae salutis habemus. I Petr. I, 3: Regeneravit nos in spem vivam. Ps. LXI, 9: Sperate in eum omnis congregatio populi. 682. First, therefore, he presents the minor premise, saying: for we, the apostles and the rest of the believers, are saved by hope, namely, because we hope for our salvation: we have been born anew to a living hope (1 Pet 1:3); hope in him at all times, O people (Ps 62:8). 683. Secundo ponit maiorem, dicens spes autem, id est, res sperata, quae videtur, quasi praesentialiter habita, non est spes, id est, non est res sperata, sed habita. Spes enim est expectatio futuri. Soph. III, 8: expecta me in die resurrectionis meae in futurum. 683. Second, he presents the major premise, saying, but hope, i.e., the thing hoped for, that is seen, as though possessed at present, is not hope, i.e., not something hoped for, but something possessed. For hope is the expectation of something future: wait for me, for the day when I arise (Zeph 3:8). 684. Tertio ponit probationem maioris, dicens nam quod videt quis, quid, id est cur, sperat? Quasi dicat: spes importat motum animae in aliquid non habitum tendentem. Cum autem aliquid iam habetur, non est necessarium ut in id aliquis moveatur. 684. Third, he presents proof of the major, saying, for who sees that which he hopes for? As if to say: hope implies a movement of the soul toward something not possessed. But when something is already possessed, there is no need for one to be moved toward it. Et est notandum, quod quia spes ex fide quodammodo oritur, attribuit spei opus illud quod est fidei, scilicet esse de non visis, secundum illud Hebr. XI, 1: fides est argumentum non apparentium. And it should be noted that because hope somehow springs from faith, he attributes to hope something that belongs to faith, namely, that it is concerned with something not seen: faith is the conviction of things not seen (Heb 11:1). 685. Quarto ponit conclusionem, dicens si autem quod non videmus speramus, sequitur, quod per patientiam expectamus. 685. Fourth, he presents the conclusion, saying, but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Unde notandum est, quod proprie patientia importat tolerantiam tribulationum cum quadam aequanimitate. Infra XII, 12: In tribulatione patientes. Quia vero dilatio boni habet quandam rationem mali, inde est quod etiam diutina expectatio bonorum absentium, cum tranquillitate animi, attribuitur patientiae, sed haec maxime ad longanimitatem pertinent, secundum illud Iac. V, 7: Patientes estote, fratres, usque ad adventum Domini. Utroque autem modo patientia hic accipitur: quia apostoli expectabant aequanimiter gloriam, et cum dilatione et tribulatione. Hence it should be noted that patience, properly speaking, inclines one to tolerate tribulation with a certain evenness of mind: be patient in tribulation (Rom 12:12). But because the postponement of something good has an aspect of evil, even the continued wait for absent goods with evenness of mind is attributed to patience, although these pertain more to long-suffering; be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord (Jas 5:7). But patience is taken in both ways here, because the apostles awaited glory with evenness of mind, along with the delay and tribulation. 686. Deinde cum dicit similiter autem, etc., ostendit quomodo per Spiritum Sanctum adiuvamur in defectibus vitae praesentis. 686. Then he shows how we are helped by the Holy Spirit in the defects of the present life, when he says, likewise, the Spirit. Et primo quantum ad completionem desideriorum; First, for the fulfillment of desires; secundo, quantum ad directionem exteriorum eventuum, ibi scimus autem, et cetera. second, for the direction of external events, at and we know that (Rom 8:28). Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first he does two things. Primo proponit quod intendit; First, he states his proposition; secundo manifestat propositum, ibi nam quid oremus, et cetera. second, he clarifies it, at for we do not know. 687. Dicit ergo primo: dictum est quod per Spiritum Sanctum vivificabuntur nostra mortalia corpora, quando auferetur a nobis nostra infirmitas, similiter autem, et in statu huius vitae, in quo adhuc infirmitati subiicimur, Spiritus adiuvat infirmitatem nostram, et si non totaliter eam tollat. Ez. III, v. 14: spiritus quoque elevavit me, et assumpsit me: et abii amarus in indignatione spiritus mei, quasi infirmitate nondum totaliter cessante, manus enim Domini erat mecum confortans me. Et in hoc spiritus me assumpsit. Matth. XXVI, 41: spiritus quidem promptus est, caro autem infirma. 687. First, therefore, he says: it has been stated that our mortal bodies will be vivified by the Holy Spirit, when our weakness shall be removed from us. Likewise in the present life in which we are still subject to weakness the Spirit also helps our infirmity, even though he does not take it away entirely: the spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heart of my spirit, as though weakness was not yet entirely removed, for the hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me (Ezek 3:14); and in this way he helped me: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41). 688. Deinde cum dicit nam quid oremus, etc., manifestat quod dixerat. 688. Then he clarifies what he had said, when he says for we do not know.