In our second talk for this morning of reflection, we look at some of St Thomas' spiritual reflections especially as found in his sermon on the Angelic Salutation (the Hail Mary) and his sermon for the First Sunday of Advent.
Listen online [here]!
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Pre
Advent Retreat 2024
St Thomas
Aquinas: Spiritual Master
Talk 2: Examples of St Thomas’ Spiritual Theology
We have considered the ways in which St Thomas is a Spiritual
Master, and also looked at how the Summa Theologica is itself a book of the
spiritual life. Now, I want to look at
two specific works that show his mastery of spiritual theology – the commentary
on the Ave Maria, and a sermon of St Thomas for Christmas Ecce Rex Tuus
(Behold, your king comes).
We have commentaries of St Thomas on both the Hail Mary and on
the Creed. We also have the five famous Eucharistic Hymns of St Thomas. And, an area that I myself have not even
begun to study, we have at least 99 sermons of St Thomas (many of which were delivered in the local
dialect of the people) – and these sermons generally also contain an evening
collation, or reflection.
The commentary on the Angelic Salutation, or Hail Mary, is one
of St Thomas’ catechetical sermons.
“There are three things contained in this (angelic)
salutation. The first part comes from the Angel, Gabriel, namely, “Hail, full
of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.” The second part
comes from Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, namely, “Blessed is the
fruit of thy womb.” The Church adds the third part, to wit, “Mary,” for the
Angel did not say, “Hail, Mary,” but rather, “Hail, full of grace.” Still, this
name ‘Mary,’ according to its meaning, befits the Angel’s words, as we shall
see.”
Notice that the Angelic Salutation or Hail Mary at this
time did not yet include the “second half” of the prayer! No “Holy Mary, Mother
of God….” This was not added until around the year 1400. The first written
testimony is from St Bernadine of Siena in 1426!
“That an Angel reverence a man, however, was never heard of
until the Angel reverently greeted the Blessed Virgin, saying, “Hail.” That in
ancient times the Angel did not reverence man, but rather man reverenced the
Angel comes from the fact that the Angel is greater, and this in respect to
three things. [St Thomas explains the three ways angels are greater than men] …
In order to indicate that [The Blessed Virgin Mary] exceeded [the angels] in
these three points the Angel wished to offer her reverence, saying “Hail.” Thus
the Blessed Virgin exceeds the Angels in these three points. And first of all
in the plenitude of grace, which is greater in the Blessed Virgin than in any
Angel. … [St Thomas explains three ways in which Mary’s grace is greater than
the angels’, since she is full of grace in three ways]”
Here, St Thomas explains that Mary was full of Grace in her
soul – and, today, we know this to be the Immaculate Conception, that she was
conceived without original sin and was also preserved from all actual sin.
Further, St Thoams explains that Mary was fully of Grace in
her body: “she was filled with grace with respect to its overflow from the soul
to the flesh or to the body. It is already something great in the saints that
they have so much grace that it sanctifies the soul, but the soul of the
Blessed Virgin was so filled with grace that from her soul grace overflowed
into the flesh, such that from it she conceived the Son of God. That is why
Hugh of St. Victor says, “Since the love of the Holy Spirit was singularly
aflame in her heart, the marvel was accomplished in her flesh, inasmuch as that
which was born of her was GOD and man. ‘For that which is conceived in her is
of the Holy Spirit'””
And again, in a third way, Mary is full of grace as her grace
overflows for all men. “Thirdly,
inasmuch as her plenitude of grace overflowed unto all men. It is something
great in any saint that they have so much grace that it suffices for their own
salvation, but much greater it is when they have so much that it suffices for
the salvation of many. But when anyone should have so much that it suffices for
the salvation of everybody in the world, this is the maximum. And this it is in
Christ and in the Blessed Virgin. For in every danger you can obtain salvation
from the glorious Virgin herself.”
Therefore, in the first place, Mary is greater than the angels
as being full of grace in these three respects.
But St Thomas now continues forward to show two other ways in which Mary
is greater than the angels – remember, Mary is greater than the angels in three
ways, and in the first respect she is greater in three ways as well!
“In the second place, the Blessed Virgin excels the Angels in
divine familiarity. The Angels designated this, saying “the Lord is with you,”
as if to say, “I proffer you reverence, because you are on more intimate terms
with GOD than I am, for “the Lord is with you.” …This expression “the Lord is
with you” is the most noble that can be addressed to anyone. Deservedly,
therefore, does the Angel revere the Blessed Virgin, because she is the mother
of the Lord, and hence, (our) Lady.”
“In the third place she exceeds the Angels with respect to
purity, since the Blessed Virgin was not only pure in herself, but procured
purity for others. She was herself most pure both with respect to guilt, for
she incurred neither Original, nor mortal nor venial sin, nor did she incur any
penalty.”
So, these are the three ways in which Mary exceed the angels –
She is full of Grace, the Lord is with her most perfectly, and she is most
pure.
We have now gone through the words, “Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you.” Now we continue:
Blessed Are you among women. “So she was therefore immune from every
malediction, and consequently “blessed among women,” since she alone took away
the malediction and brought the blessing, and opened the gate of paradise. And
again the name, ‘Mary’ befits her, which is (also) interpreted as ‘Star of the
Sea,’ for as by this star seafarers are directed to port, so are Christians
guided to glory by Mary.”
And, though I have left out much of this sermon, I should say
that St Thoams has throughout been giving commentary on the meaning of the Holy
Name of Mary – from various etymologies!
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. “A sinner sometimes seeks something which he
cannot attain, whereas the just soul attains it. … Thus Eve sought the fruit,
but did not find in it what she sought. The Blessed Virgin truly found in her
fruit everything that Eve had desired.
[and St Thomas speaks of three things that Eve had desired when she took
the fruit – Eve wanted to be like God, and she sought pleasure from the fruit
which was delightful to the taste, and she vainly sought glory since the fruit
was delightful to the eye] … So Eve was not able to find in her fruit, nor can
any sinner find in sin, the things they truly desire. That which we desire,
therefore, let us seek in the fruit of the Virgin.”
The final doxology prayer of the sermon: Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. “This fruit, Jesus, moreover, is blessed by
GOD, since He filled Him with every grace that comes to us. “Blessed be God the
Father who has blessed us in every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph 1,3). It
is blessed by the Angel, who offers Him reverence in Apoc 7,12: “Blessing and
glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our
God,..” And it is blessed by men, “Let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord in the glory of God the Father” (2,2). “Blessed is He Who comes in the
name of the Lord” (Ps 117,26). Blessed, therefore, is the Virgin, Mary, but yet
more blessed is the fruit of her womb, Jesus. Amen.”
The Sermon, Ecce Rex Tuus – A Christmas Sermon on Matthew
21:5, Behold your king comes to you, meek. Note, this line is taken from
the Communion antiphon of the Christmas Mass at dawn; but this sermon was
preached on the First Sunday of Advent.
The larger quote is actually a reference to Palm Sunday, from
Matthew 21: “And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Beth′phage, to
the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into
the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt
with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If any one says anything to you,
you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.”
4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Tell the
daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an
ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass.” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus
had directed them; 7 they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments
on them, and he sat thereon. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the
road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And
the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the
Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the
highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying,
“Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth
of Galilee.””
Yet, St Thomas uses this passage for a wonderful Christmas
sermon, which also is a nice reflection as we are celebrating the Novus Ordo
feast of Christ the King! (I may be
using this in my homily this weekend!)
First, St Thomas begins his sermon by emphasizing the
greatness of the mystery of the Incarnation!
This is why we bow or genuflect at the words “et incarnatum est” in the
Creed!
“Behold, your king comes to you, meek (Matt 21:5). Many are
the wonders of the divine works, as the Psalmist says: wonderful are your works
(Ps 137[138]:14). Yet no work of God is as marvelous as the coming of Christ
into the flesh, because, while in his other works God imprinted his likeness on
the creature, in the work of the Incarnation he impressed his very self, and
united himself to human nature through a unity of person (or united our nature
to himself). And hence, while the other works of God are imperfectly knowable,
this work (namely, the Incarnation), is entirely without reason. Job 5:9: you
do great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. There is one
work that I cannot see: if he should come to me, I would not see him (Job 9:11).
And in Malachi: behold, the lord of hosts comes, and who can know the day of
his coming? (Mal 3:1–2) As though to say: it exceeds the knowledge of man. But
the Apostle teaches who would be able to know the day of his coming, saying:
not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves: but
all our sufficiency is from God (2 Cor 3:5). Therefore, in the beginning we
will ask the Lord that he himself should give me something to say, etc.”
“Behold, your king comes, meek (Matt 21:5). … you should know
that Christ‘s coming is read in four ways. First is that by which he comes into
the flesh. His second coming is that by which he comes into the soul. The third
coming of Christ is that by which he comes in the death of the just. And the fourth
coming of Christ is that by which he comes to judge.”
This is interesting, because we generally speak today of the
Three Advents of Christ – but certainly St Thomas is correct to say there are
four ways in which Christ comes.
“First, I say that the coming of Christ is into the flesh. … And
see how this coming leads to the other coming of Christ, which is into the
soul. It would have profited us nothing if Christ had come into the flesh,
unless he had also entered into the soul, that is, by sanctifying us. … This
coming, which is through justifying grace, frees the soul from fault, though
not from all punishment, because it receives grace, although it does not yet
receive glory. …And because of this the third coming of Christ is necessary, in
which he comes in the death of the saints, when he receives these souls unto
himself. Hence John says: if I should go, to the Passion, and prepare a place
for you, by removing the obstacle, I shall come to you again, namely, in death,
and I shall take you to myself, namely, in glory, that where I am, you also may
be (John 14:3). … The fourth coming of Christ will be to judge, namely, when
the Lord will come as Judge, and then the glory of the saints will overflow
even into the body, and the dead will rise again.”
And now, St Thomas shows a beautiful union of Biblical
Theology, Spiritual Theology, and Liturgical Theology. One of the most
masterful paragraphs!
“And perhaps it is because of these four comings that the
Church celebrates Christ‘s coming over the four Sundays of Advent. It
celebrates the first coming of Christ on this Sunday [the First Sunday of
Advent]: and we can see four things in the words set down above. First, the
coming of Christ is shown at: behold; second, the condition of the one
coming, at: your king; third, the purpose of the coming: comes to you;
fourth, the mode of the coming, at: meek.”
St Thomas preaches at length on the meaning of “behold” – and
then continues his reflections at the evening reflection.
“Behold, your king comes to you, meek. It was said that
in these words we could see the coming shown when it says: behold;
second, the condition of the one coming, at: your king; third, the
usefulness of the coming, at: comes to you; and fourth, the manner of
the coming, at: meek.”
“Now, we said about the condition of the one coming (which is
noted when it says your king) that a person‘s coming requires that he be
expected or announced with solemnity because of his greatness (if he is a king
or a legate), or because of a person‘s friendship and affinity: and these were
in he who came.”
St Thomas affirms that Christ’s coming must be announce both
because he is a great King and also because he is our dearest friend.
But, though we all know that Jesus is a King, why is he called
“YOUR King”? … “First, I say that Christ
is called your king, that is, of man, because of the likeness of his image. … and
while every creature is God‘s, yet there is a special way in which a creature
is God‘s that bears his image: and this is man. … this image is created in man; but it is
blackened and obscured through sin. … Because of this, God sent his Son to
reform that image which was deformed through sin. Therefore, let us strive to
be reformed, … And how are we renewed? Surely insofar as we imitate Christ. For
that same image which is deformed in us is perfect in Christ. Therefore we
ought to bear the image of Christ. … let us imitate Christ. The perfection of
the Christian life consists in this.”
A marvelous example of the Christocentric vision of St Thomas
Aquinas! Holiness is nothing other than the imitation of Christ!
“Second, Christ is called your king, that is, of man, because
of special love. … God loves all that there is, but he loves men in a special
way. … God specially loves human nature. … Therefore, we ought not to be ungrateful for
such great love, but we ought to wholly transfer our love to him. If the king
should love some poor man, that poor man would consider himself wretched if he
should not repay the king his love as much as he could. Out of immense love,
God said to man: my delights are to be with the sons of men (Pro 8:31).
Therefore, we ought to return him this love.”
“Third, Christ is called your king, that is, of man, because
of his singular care and solicitude. It is true that God has care of all things…
Yet men are under divine providence in a special way.”
“Fourth, Christ is called your king, that is, of man, because
of the society of human nature. Thus Deuteronomy 17:15 says: you may not make a
man of another nation king who is not your brother. In this is a prophecy about
Christ. The Lord was ordaining that he should establish the king for men; he
did not want that he should be of another nation, that is, of a different
nature, who would not be our brother.”
“Next, we should consider the usefulness of the coming, which
is noted when he says: comes to you, namely, not compelled by his own
usefulness, but by ours. Now, he came because of four things: First, he came to
make manifest the divine majesty; second, to reconcile us to God; third, to
free us from sin; and fourth, to give us eternal life.”
And then, I love this next line from St Thomas! “But how did he come? I say that he comes meek.
This is important.” THIS IS IMPORTANT!
Jesus is meek!
“For now Christ comes with meekness, and we ought to receive
him with meekness.”
“Notice that we can consider Christ‘s meekness in four things:
first, in his way of life [which was peaceful]; second, in his correction [for
“He bore many taunts from his persecutors, yet nevertheless he did not respond
to them with wrath or strife”]; third, in his gracious reception of men [for “Christ
kindly received sinners, and even ate with them”]; and fourth, in his Passion
[“because he went like a lamb to the slaughter (Acts 8:32)”].
And, having commented on the passage: Behold, your King
comes to you, meek; now St Thomas encourages us to devotion to the saint
who leads us into Advent!
“Saint Andrew imitated [Christ’s] meekness well, for when he
was placed on the cross and the people wished him to come down from the cross,
[he] urged and begged by prayers that they should not take him down from the
cross, but that they themselves might follow him through the passion. Thus it
is fulfilled in him: this man appears the most meek among the people
(Num 12:3). The meek will inherit the blessed land. Thus in Matthew: blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the land (Matt 5:4); which may he
deign to grant us, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, [lives and reigns,
God, forever and ever. Amen.]”
