Fr. Thomas Joseph White, Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, delves into the transformative power of grace in our lives. He discusses how grace heals our wounded nature and fosters a deeper relationship with God. Exploring the balance between sin and grace, he warns against presumption in confession and highlights the psychological complexities involved. Fr. White emphasizes the importance of a sacramental life in spiritual growth, illustrating that the journey is non-linear and requires continuous divine support.
Grace is essential for true healing and moral elevation, enabling individuals to overcome the limitations imposed by original sin.
Aquinas emphasizes that understanding spiritual truths about God requires grace, as the intellect alone cannot grasp divine realities without divine support.
Deep dives
The Nature of Grace
Grace is defined as the divine life shared with humanity by God, allowing individuals to partake in God's nature. Aquinas explains that grace is both the healing of human nature and the elevation to a higher state, enabling a true relationship with God. He emphasizes that grace is given by God to facilitate faith, hope, and love, likening it to an inward force prompting gratitude and friendship with God. This transformation is essential for understanding the fullness of human potential in relation to the divine.
The Woundedness of Human Nature
Aquinas acknowledges the woundedness of human nature, asserting that although individuals possess significant capacity for good, they cannot heal themselves entirely without grace. He critiques the Pelagian view, which claims that humans can achieve righteousness solely through their efforts, arguing that grace is necessary for true healing and moral elevation. He recognizes the challenges humans face due to original sin including disordered desires and ignorance, which necessitate divine assistance. This duality highlights the balance between the inherent goodness of human nature and the need for grace to rectify its flaws.
Knowledge and the Fall
The intellect, according to Aquinas, retains its natural powers even after the fall, allowing individuals to discern truths about the world and ethical principles. However, he argues that while one can obtain knowledge, understanding spiritual realities, such as the essence of God, requires grace. This distinction underscores that although human beings can engage with natural truths, a complete understanding of divine truth necessitates a relationship with God brought about through grace. Consequently, Aquinas portrays the intellect as capable yet fundamentally limited without divine support.
The Role of Grace in Loving God
Aquinas posits that the ability to love God above all else cannot be achieved without the influence of grace, differentiating this divine love from natural affection. His discussions reveal that the highest form of love, or charity, is a gift from God that enables humans to properly orient their desires toward Him. He cautions against the notion that one can adequately pursue the ultimate good, which is God, by mere natural effort, as sin leads to misaligned loves. Hence, the necessity of grace becomes evident for anyone striving for a deep, transformative love for God.
Fr. Thomas Joseph White is the Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome. Originally a native of southeastern Georgia in the US, Fr. White studied at Brown University, where he converted to Catholicism. He did his doctoral studies in theology at Oxford University, and is the author of various books and articles including Wisdom in the Face of Modernity: A Study in Thomistic Natural Theology (Sapientia Press, 2011), The Incarnate Lord, A Thomistic Study in Christology (The Catholic University of America Press, 2015) Exodus (Brazos Press, 2016), The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism (Catholic University Press, 2017), and The Trinity: On the Nature and Mystery of the One God (Catholic University Press, 2022). He is co-editor of the journal Nova et Vetera, a Distinguished Scholar of the McDonald Agape Foundation, and a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
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