Tertia Pars
60. Summa III, Q. 25, Arts. 1–3: One Adoration of Christ, Latria for His Humanity, and Adoring His Image
Class of 2009-11-19
https://berquistcourse.com/course/theology/13-tertia-pars/060-summa-iii-q-25-arts-1-3-one-adoration-of-christ-latria-for/

[0:00] In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the, Holy Spirit, Amen. God, our enlightenment, guardian angels, strengthen the lights of our minds, order and illumine our images, and arouse us to consider more correctly. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelic Doctor, pray for us. and help us to understand all that you've written. Father, Son, and of the, Holy Spirit, Amen.

[0:27] I think I mentioned how in my home parish there, where I grew up, Nativity Parish in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and over the altar there they had, I don't know, called baldachino or something, but it was a wooden one. And one year there, the workmen were painting and you know finishing up there, and they got up there and the thing they said, hey, there are some words here that have faded, right?

[0:55] I mean they're gold, and so you know, so we restored them? yes, That's the pastor said, and of course it turned out to be adoro te devote, the first word from Thomas's things. We were all very excited. We we followed Thomas and that had been put in there, but as I reminded of that little item in my life there from the title of the twenty-fifth question here on the adoration of Christ.

[1:23] Then we're not to consider about those things he says in the premium, which belong or pertain to Christ in comparison to us, right? As distinguished to the Father. And first about the adoration of Christ, by which we adore him.

[1:44] Secondly, about this that he is our mediator to God, and that's going to be the next question, twenty-six, huh? And that will complete the consideration of what those things that belong to him, various of the union, huh? That follow upon union, and then we can get to the things that he he did and suffered, huh?

[2:10] And about this four things are asked, huh? Six things did I say four? Okay. And first, whether by one and the same adoration should be adored the divinity of Christ and his humanity, huh? You got to be careful, those guys. You want to have a separate adoration, like the story is, and so on.

[2:38] And secondly, whether his flesh should be adored by the adoration of latria. Well, latria is an adoration given to God himself. So, what about this flesh then? And third, whether the adoration of latria should be shown to the image of Christ. And four, whether it should be shown to the.

[3:02] Cross of Christ, and then mother got in here now, huh? Who it should be shown to his mother, right? Huh? And then about the what adoration of the relics of the what saints? Of course, the relics of Thomas, I guess, are quite dispersed, huh? I don't know, but the same way for

[3:36] the female St. David doing it, I guess. Oh, Catherine. Catherine, yeah, yeah, yeah. Her head is in one place, and the rest of her body. And another church I've been in has one of her feet, and so on. So, and they used to fight about these things too. And so,

[3:55] to the first one goes forward. Thus, it seems that not by the same adoration ought to be adored the humanity or human nature of Christ and his what divinity, huh?

[4:10] The first objection is very interesting here. The divinity of Christ should be adored, which is common to the Father and the Son. Whence it is said in John chapter five, "All honor the Son as they just as they honor the Father, but the humanity of Christ is not common to Him and the Father. Therefore, not by the same adoration should be adored the humanity of Christ and his divinity.

[4:40] That's an interesting argument. Moreover, honor is properly the reward of virtue, as the philosopher says in the fourth book of Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle set up to what Plato the monument, right? He says the first man to show by both word and deed that the happy life is the virtuous life. That was an honor to the great Plato, huh? Who was the chief philosopher with Aristotle? Okay. Now he merited.

[5:23] Now virtue merits a what its own reward through its act, right? Since therefore in Christ other is the doing of his divine and his human nature, done in the same operation. It seems that by another honor should be adored the humanity of Christ, and another his what divinity.

[5:47] Moreover, the soul of Christ, if it was not united to the Word, ought to be venerated on account of the excellence of his wisdom and the grace which he had, full of grace and truth. But nothing of dignity is taken away from him from this that he is united to the Word. Therefore, the human nature should be adored by its own veneration, apart from the veneration which is shown to his what divinity.

[6:22] Pretty convincing arguments, huh? But here comes the second counterargument, I guess. But against this is what is said in the chapters of the fifth synod. If someone, where one reads thus, if someone says in the two natures Christ should be adored, from which two adorations are introduced, and not by one adoration, the what God, the Word incarnate, with his own what flesh is adored, just as has been handed down from the beginning of the Church of God, such a one's anathema.

[7:07] I think twice about these arguments, huh? That's why Thomas says the three things the angel does for you: he strengthens all out of your mind, he orders your images, and he arouses you to consider more correctly. That sounds pretty correct to me, but apparently isn't.

[7:31] Now Thomas is looking for a distinction, here, right? I answer it should be said that in the one who is honored, we are able to consider two things, to wit, the one to whom honor is shown, and the cause of the honor.

[7:53] For properly speaking, honor is shown to the whole thing that subsists. For we do not say that the hand of a man is honored, but that the man is honored.

[8:09] And if sometimes it happens that there is said to be honored the hand or the foot of someone, this is not by reason that what these parts in themselves are honored, right? But because in these parts the whole is what honored, huh?

[8:32] That's what they have with Francis Xavier in the Church of Rome. They have his arm. It's the arm that baptized thousands. Oh, for that is also the Lebanese expression about I think, your hands. It's like in the unknown soldier all soldiers are honored, right?

[8:55] In which way also some man can be honored in something outside, as in his vestment or in his image or in his messenger. Now the cause of honor is from this that the one who is honored has some excellence. For honor is reverence shown to someone on account of his excellence. So he kind of defines honor by what reverence, huh?

[9:28] And therefore, if in one man there are many causes of honor, for example, his being his prelateship, his knowledge, and his virtue, there will be of that man one honor on the side of the one who is honored,

[9:49] but many on account of the causes of honor. For a man, for the man is the one who is honored, huh? And both on account of his knowledge and on account of his what virtue.

[10:07] Since, therefore, in Christ one only is the what person of the divine human nature, and one hypostasis, and one suppositum. We saw what those words meant before.

[10:25] There is one adoration of him, and one honor of him, from the side of the one who is adored. But on the side of the cause by which he is honored, there can be said to be many what adorations. That by another honor is honored on account of his uncreated wisdom, his divine wisdom, and on account of his what created wisdom.

[11:03] If, however, there was placed in Christ many persons or hypostases, it would follow that simpliciter there are many adorations. So simpliciter loquendo there's only one, there's only one person there, and honor is shown to the person, right? You know, there might be many causes by honor is shown to this person. And this it is that in the synods is reprobated, huh? For it is said in the chapters of Cyril, someone dares to say, huh?

[11:42] Audacia, it's the motto of the enlightenment, so called? Aude sapere, right? Dare to know. Right out of the serpent's mouth. So audacia is a very dangerous thing in the life of the mind. See Chris out it, huh? Someone dares to say, huh? That the what man taken on should be co-adored, right? Adored with

[12:23] with the word God, right? As were other to other, right? As if there should be two adorations of him, right? And not more by one adoration is honored Emmanuel God with us, according as the Word was made flesh. He's anathema. Let him be accursed. Strong words from Cyril, huh?

[12:56] Now, what about that first possible objection? Oh, Thomas makes an interesting point about this. To the first, therefore, it should be said that in the Trinity there are three who are honored, but one is the cause of the honor, namely their what, the divine nature, right?

[13:18] But in the mystery of the incarnation, it is the reverse, And he could be honored as far as the cause is concerned, right? Both from his humanity, right, and from his divinity.

[13:35] And therefore, in another way, is one honored of the Trinity, and another way, one honor of what, Christ? In the case of Trinity, there are three who are honored, right? But one cause of their being honored. huh? But in the case of the incarnation, there is one who is honored, but two reasons why he can be honored, right?

[14:10] He's honorable both because of his divine nature, but also because of his human nature. It's interesting, huh? But there's two mysteries that kind of reverse of each other, huh?

[14:32] Now, what about the second objection that says, "Hey, you get two different operations here." Well, Thomas points out the application of the distinction in the text there, about it. To the second, it should be said that it's not operation that is honored, but that's the reason for the honor, right?

[14:57] So, to give the medal of honor to the thing the soldier did, you don't give it to the soldier. He's the one who's honored, and so it's not what he did that is honored, but it's he who is honored because of what he did.

[15:19] Had a soldier in my class one time, an older man, you know, and had been in the Army for 34 years, whatever it was. He says it should not be called the Congressional Medal of Honor; it's a Medal of Honor. He is very clearly. Not to be vilified by association. Yeah, especially now with the Congressional Medal of Honor, yeah. Assassination by association. Yeah.

[15:48] And therefore, through this, that in Christ there are two operations, is not shown that there are two what adorations. But that there are two causes of adoration.

[16:13] Okay. Now, what about the third objection? Just saying, well, shouldn't his soul be venerated, right? Because of what it has, and it shouldn't be loses adoration because he's been united to.

[16:31] To the third, Thomas says it should be said that the soul of Christ, if it were not united to the Word of God, would be that which is the most chief thing in that man, and therefore to it especially would honor be owed, right? Because a man is what is most puted, right, in him. But because the soul of Christ is united to a more worthy person, to that person especially is owed the honor to which the soul of Christ is united.

[17:13] Nor through this is diminished the dignity of the soul of Christ, but it's actually increased because it's joined to something more noble. I think he'd be through with this, but second article

[17:31] has something to say about humanity. To the second, one proceeds thus: It seems that the humanity of Christ should not be adored by the adoration of what latria. That's kind of the technical name, right, for the what's owed to God, right? Well, it seems you can't worship that humanity, right, that kind of thing. Okay, because on that thing in Psalm ninety-eight, adore the what? Yeah, Adore the footstool of his feet?

[18:13] Of that, because it is holy, the gloss says, the flesh taken on by the Word of God, without impiety, is adored by us, right? Because no one spiritually eats his flesh unless he first what? So you better say that prayer that Thomas said, "Adoro te devote," right? But, I think he said after he consecrated, that's what they say, you know. After he consecrated, he would pause there and and say that prayer, "Adoro te devote."

[18:47] that's the reporting way. So you can adore him before you can receive him. But I do not say by that adoration which is latria, right? This is what the gloss is saying, which is owed to the creature alone.

[19:16] Yeah. Creator, yeah. They said creature, yeah. Half asleep today, yes. But the flesh is a part of the humanity, right? Therefore, the humanity of Christ should not be adored by the adoration of what latria, right? That's an authority then.

[19:44] Moreover, the cultus latria, the worship of latria, is owed to no creature, right? For from this the Gentiles are disproved or reprobated that they worshipped and served the creature, as is said in Romans chapter one. But the humanity of Christ is a creature; therefore, ought not to be adored by the adoration of latria.

[20:17] Sounds convincing. Moreover, the adoration of latria is owed to God in recognition of his greatest what dominion, huh? According to that of Deuteronomy six thirteen, you shall adore the Lord, yeah, and him only shall you serve. But Christ, according as his man is less than the Father, and therefore his humanity should not be adored by the adoration of what latria.

[21:02] Now, but against this is what Damascene says in the fourth book, that the flesh of Christ is adored, the Word of God being what incarnate, none on account of itself, but on account of its being united in hypostasis with the Word of God.

[21:30] And upon that of of the Psalm, adore the what footstool is it of his feet, the glasses. Who adores the body of Christ does not what look upon the earth, but rather that of which it is the footstool, in whose honor he adores the footstool.

[22:00] But the Word incarnate is adored by the adoration of latria. Therefore, also his body or his what humanity. Thomas recalls the distinction he made in the previous body, the body of the previous article. I answer, he says it should be said that has been said above, the honor of adoration is given or owed to the subsisting what hypostasis, the person.

[22:39] Nevertheless, the reason for the honor is able to be something that does not subsist. Now the adoration, therefore, of the humanity of Christ is able to be understood in two ways.

[22:56] In one way, that be of it as of the thing adored, right? And thus to adore the flesh of Christ is nothing other than to adore the Word of God made flesh. Just as to adore the vestment of the King is nothing other than to adore the King. What yeah, I suppose he kisses foot, her shoe, huh?

[23:33] Yeah. And according to this, the adoration of the humanity of Christ is the adoration of what, Latria? Another way can be understood the adoration of the humanity of Christ. It comes about by reason of the humanity of Christ perfected with every gift of the graces.

[24:03] And thus, the adoration of the humanity of Christ is not the adoration of Latria, right? But the adoration of what, Dulia? How they translate the Dulia? That's a technical term, but do they just uh to anglicize the word, or do they have a

[24:25] translation? Yeah. Yeah. Thus, that one in the same person of Christ is adored by the adoration of Latria on account of his what, divinity, and by the adoration of Dulia on account of the perfection of his what, humanity.

[24:58] Nor is this inconvenient, he says, or unsuitable, because to God the Father Himself is owed the honor of Latria, on account of His what, divinity, and the honor of Dulia on account of the dominion by which He governs what, creatures, huh? Whence upon that of Psalm seven, Lord God, my God, in You I have hoped. The gloss says, "He is the Lord of all by His power, to which is owed Dulia, but He is the God of all by creation, to which is owed Latria."

[25:45] What does dulia mean It's honor but not the honor given to God alone Latria is the name that honors it, owed to God alone. Now the first objection. Foot stool objection, right?

[26:08] To the first, therefore, it should be said that that gloss ought not to be thus understood, as worth apart from each other, right? Should be adored the flesh of Christ from his what, divinity, huh? For this could happen only in this way if there was a different what hypostasis of God and man.

[26:35] But because, as Damascene says, if you what divide by subtle thoughts, what is seen by what? What is understood? Not adorable is he as what creature? That is by the adoration of latria. And then, thus understood as separated from the Word of God, there would be owed to it the adoration of doula. Not, however, just a vini, which is commonly shown to other creatures, but a certain more excellent one, which is sometimes called hyper, hyper above, hyperdulia, right?

[27:28] To this also he says is clear the response to the second and third, because the adoration of latria is not shown to the humanity of Christ by reason of what itself, but by reason of the divinity to which is united, according to which Christ is not what less than the Father. So the kind of subtle distinctions.

[28:01] But some say Mary's hyperdulia is St. Thomas saying that to you. Could be. Wait, Thomas, big from stuff. The article about the Virgin, right? I wondered that at first when he said about the word "squash" and so doula about Mary. Well, that seems to say that it's really just behind it. Yeah, but I think it's hyperdulia

[28:29] at the end. No, it's getting even more remote here now. He's come to the image here, right? I don't know what the what the Muslims would think of this third article right now. I don't know what they would have thought of the first two.

[28:54] Well, you might as well just start at the beginning. That's true. We part ways from that. But they're kind of iconoclastic. They don't allow any uh, Yeah. representation of. uh... Yeah. Nothing yeah. The first Protestants. Beside the post office, they now have, uh, The Christmas. one. Christmas stamps, or like seasonal stamps for every every faith. They've got the Kwanzaa one. they've got the Christmas. one, they've got the Muslim one, which is all.

[29:24] Just this age. It's all this, right. It's just an age, just a feast, right? I think the Jewish one. But this Muslim one is just the Arabic word for feast. No image. Well, if we have an nativity scene or something in our in our stamp, probably the Muslim will throw it out when it comes into the the shop. I think they have a special. It is a that's a special feast actually.

[29:52] Yeah, it's is it is it the Isaac one or something? Yeah Yeah Which is well, I didn't I don't know if it's any particular feast, I just know that's the word for feast. Yeah, no, but I mean that's they have a feast or something.

[30:14] Now, to the third one goes forward thus: it seems that the image of Christ should not be adored by the adoration of latria. For it is said in Exodus chapter twenty, verse four, you should not make for yourself something sculptured, I guess, or any likeness, huh? But no adoration should be done against the precept of God. Therefore, the image of Christ doth not to be adored by the adoration of what latria.

[30:44] They said the devil can quote scripture and iconoclast could quote scripture. Moreover, we ought not to communicate with the the doings of the Gentiles, huh? As the Apostle says in Ephesians chapter five. But the Gentiles of this especially are held guilty because they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of the corruptible man. Therefore, the image of Christ doth not to be adored by the adoration of latria.

[31:26] Moreover, Christ the Christ is owed the adoration of latria. By reason of his divinity, not by reason of his humanity, but to the image of his divinity, which is impressed upon the rational soul, is not owed the adoration of latria. Therefore, much less to the image, the bodily image, which represents the humanity of Christ Himself.

[31:59] Moreover, nothing should be seen in the divine what worship to be done except what was instituted by God Himself. Hence, the Apostle says that he has handed down the teaching about the sacrifice, the Mass. Says I have received from the Lord, what I have handed down to you. But no handing down or tradition in Scripture is found about adoring images. Therefore, the image of Christ should not be adored by the adoration of latria.

[32:34] Pretty pretty good arguments I think yeah. Better than better than promises Yeah. So Thomas can attack the faith better than the people who who don't have it, huh? Knowledge is of opposites, right?

[33:02] My brother Mark and I, in politics, we found we could satirize our own position better than the opposite position. I don't know why that is so. You know, we kinda kinda I don't know why we can do this.

[33:17] But against this is what Damascene brings in Basil's saying, "Huh? The honor of the image arrives at the what prototype, which is the exemplar. But the exemplar, to wit, Christ Himself, should be adored by the adoration of latria. Therefore, also his what image, huh? Okay. Well, Basil's pretty pretty big authority.

[33:49] I answer it should be said that as the philosopher says in a book on memory and recalling, yeah, it's one of the little books that follow upon the three books about the soul, yeah. Twofold is the movement of the soul towards an image.

[34:14] In one, it's towards the image itself, according as it is a certain thing. In another way, towards the image, in so far as it is the image of what another.

[34:31] And among these, among these motions, there is this difference: that the first motion, by which someone moves to an image in so far as it is a certain thing, is other from the motion which is in the thing, or to the thing rather. I made it more.

[34:55] English. Yeah. Yeah. But the second motion, which is towards the image in so far as it is an image, is one and the same with that which is in the thing.

[35:11] Thus, therefore, it should be said that to the image of Christ, in so far as it is a certain thing, to wit, a piece of wood sculpted, right or drawn, no reverence should be shown, right? Because reverence should be shown only to a rational nature.

[35:35] It remains, therefore, that there be shown to it reverence only in so far as it is an image, and thus it follows that the same what reverence is shown to the image of Christ and to Christ Himself. Since, therefore, Christ is adored by the adoration of latria, it follows that his image should be adored by the adoration of latria. It's very, very interesting, huh?

[36:13] So sometimes when we see a picture of somebody we don't know the person and we just kind of look at the interesting face, you know, something like that. But if it's somebody we know, then we look at it and go to the person himself, right? We call that person and maybe the scene which this picture was taken, and so on.

[36:37] Then we're rejoicing or groaning, whatever it might be, in the thing itself, right? Through the image. Okay. Now, what about the first objection here from Exodus? Right.

[37:04] I'm sure these texts must have been quoted a lot by the iconoclasts, thrown in our face and. who. Was it was it the some of the Protestants was the Calvinists or the? Yeah, the Huguenots too. The Huguenots they were ferocious. They threw out the relics. They burned all the churches. They were French. They were French Calvinists. Sure, right. Yeah. Well, he, John Calvin, Frenchman. Yeah. Jean Cauvin Little kids were throwing stones at him when he got to Switzerland.

[37:43] Good ecumenical experience I first came to Worcester, and I was told Baxter, you know, and there was a nice little restaurant, you know, it was called the Huguenots Well. I wasn't quite sure if I should go to that restaurant or not, you know. But it's got a nice looking restaurant. As long as there's no communicatio in sacris To the first therefore, it should be said that there is not prohibited by that precept the making of what

[38:18] likeness, but to make it in order to adore it, right? Whence there is joined to that thing, you should not adore it nor what worship it, right?

[38:31] And because it has been said. The same is the motion in the image and to the thing. In that way, adoration is prohibited. By which is prohibited adoration of the thing of which there is a what image. Whence there is understood to be prohibited the adoration of the images which the Gentiles make in the veneration of their gods, right? Namely, the demons, huh? And therefore, there's said before you should not have alien gods before me, huh?

[39:11] But to God, the true God, since He is bodyless, incorporeal, no bodily image can be what can be placed, yeah. Because, as Damascene says, it's of the greatest insipidity, insipidness. You know how Thomas explains the wisdom is sapida scientia, savory knowledge. So it's greatest tastelessness, yeah. An impiety to what make a figure, as it were, what is divine? But because the New Testament God was made man, huh?

[39:56] He is able in his bodily image to be what adored, huh? Remember the Sistine Chapel with God the Father there. Who's Adam. Well, I don't know. We got to watch that. Yeah, those medieval, those Renaissance artists watch them because that was a medieval custom. We never. had any. Yeah, I remember. that, yeah, President Polk before. talked about the God the Father images were.

[40:34] Yeah, that's an image of the Trinity, as it's recorded in Scripture. It's a type typology, yeah. But usually, from what I understand, it was kind of a general custom among medieval artists. They didn't depict God the Father in any way because nobody had ever seen it. That was just a customary. way to do it But Isaiah saw it, didn't he? Seeing well, I'm just reading. about it.

[40:59] He saw something that the angels. figured for him. I was just reading that in uh commentary. on Isaiah. Now the apostle prohibits us from what having in common the fruitless works of the Gentiles, huh? That doesn't mean Aristotle is now fifth book of names now. Fifth book of wisdom.

[41:29] But to communicate with their useful works, huh? The apostle does not prohibit, right? Whatever is good, whatever is true, right? But the adoration of images is counted up among the fruitless works, right? As regards two things. huh? First, as regards this that some of them adore these images as what some things, right? Believing in them there to be something of what divine power, right? On account of the responses which demons gave in them, another admirable, marvelous what effects, right?

[42:16] Heraclitus says to me, "They talk to these statues as if a man should talk to his house. Interesting, the early, early fragments though, You know, when they start to criticize these things,

[42:40] anthropomorphic gods, etc. Secondly, on account of the things of which they are images, right? For they they placed, certain images to some creatures, which in them, right, they venerated by the veneration of latria.

[43:01] But we adore by the adoration of latria the image of Christ, who is true God. Not on account of the image itself, but on account of the thing of which it is a what image.

[43:39] Third objection is the one from the soul. There, to the third, should be said that to the reasonable creature is owed reverence on account of itself, and therefore, if to the reasonable creature in which there is an image is shown the adoration of latria, it can be a occasion of error that the motion of the one adoring the man stops there, right? In so far as it is a certain thing, and is not born towards God, which is an image,

[44:15] which cannot happen in the case of the what? Image sculpted or painted Yeah. So should we adore the? Image of God and other men. Seems to say no. There's a danger in that, right?

[44:52] Now, what about the not having a basis in Scripture, right? To the fourth, it should be said that the apostles, by a familiar instinct of the Holy Spirit, some things they handed down to the churches to be observed, which were not left in the writings, but in the observation of the church are ordered through the succession of the what faithful. Whence he himself says, "Stand firm, right, and hold on to the traditions which you have learned, whether through speech put forth by the mouth or through letter, right, transmitted by writing."

[45:44] And among these traditions is the adoration of the images of what Christ. Whence the blessed Luke is said to have depicted the image of Christ, which is had in what Rome. Rome Yeah He's supposed to the one of Salus Populi Romani I don't know I never heard of a tradition Well, maybe that's what he's referring to He considers it an image of Christ. No Isn't isn't she holding the Christ child?

[46:15] Good Counsel isn't our Lady of Good Counsel? Isn't that the one that's attributed to? Is that in Rome? Yeah. Yeah. That one is. I thought Populi Romani in Rome in uh Saint Mary. Major. He's talking about good council. No, no, yeah. I think I think the good council is something else, but I'm not sure. It's in Italy, I think, but I don't. Maybe it was in Rome at the time of the.

[46:41] The chance to hold is supposed to be by Saint Luke too. He could give that to Saint Luke Yeah. Was it perpetual help supposed to be also by Saint Luke? I think the Redemptors have that.

[46:55] Wouldn't be a surprise. Painters paint the same thing. He beat Henry Ford to the mass effect. We know this thing about, about can a woman be ordained a priest, right? What's that? This question of can a woman be ordained a priest, and and it's under tradition mainly that that the Pope seems to argue against it, right? Yeah. You know, rather than from the written text, you know.

[47:27] Although I always refer to the the lamb that the sacrifice had to have no blemish and be a male, right? A male. So if the lamb, was only a figure, of him, had to be a male, then he'd be a male Yeah. I don't know what do you think of that argument I think there's a lot of arguments from reason too What?

[47:47] Yeah, yeah. Natural reason Of course, the reason Thomas gives you know it would be very much rejected by the feminists today, you know. but uh Father Boulay used to say, "you can't teach the church's doctrine of a woman today." he says. My mother's argument is based on the seal of confession.

[48:20] That's an argument from reason too. Okay.