Joe Versus the Volcano: Feast of St Andrew - Aquinas on today's Epistle

Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Feast of St Andrew - Aquinas on today's Epistle

Today's Epistle (for the feast of St Andrew, is Romans 10:9-18). Verse 10 reads "For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved".

In his Commentary on Romans, St Thomas Aquinas explains the three ways in which we confess Christ with our lips:

First, the confession of one’s own iniquity: “I said: ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’“ (Ps 32:5), which is the confession of the repentant.

The second is that by which a man confesses the goodness of God mercifully bestowing His benefits: “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things (Ps 98:11) and this is the confession of one giving thanks.

The third is the confession of divine truth: “Every one who confesses me before men, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32) and this is the confession of the believer, about which the Apostle is now speaking.

Commentary on Romans, ch. 10, lect, 3, n. 832.

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Cyril of Alexandria

"After Christ had completed his mission on earth, it still remained necessary for us to become sharers in the divine nature of the Word. We had to give up our own life and be so transformed that we would begin to live an entirely new kind of life that would be pleasing to God. This was something we could do only by sharing in the Holy Spirit....When the time came for Christ to ascend to his heavenly Father, it was necessary for him to be united through his Spirit to those who worshipped him, and to dwell in our hearts through faith."

Basil of Caesarea

"Just as when a sunbeam falls on bright and transparent bodies, they themselves become brilliant too, and shed forth a fresh brightness from themselves, so souls wherein the Spirit dwells, illuminated by the Spirit, themselves become spiritual, and send forth their grace to others. Hence comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of all, the being made God."

Benedict of Nursia

"We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that ‘the eyes of the Lord are looking on the good and the evil in every place’. But we should believe this especially without any doubt when we are assisting at the Work of God. To that end let us be mindful always of the Prophet's words ‘Serve the Lord in fear’, and again, ‘Sing praises wisely’, and ‘In the sight of the Angels I will sing praise to Thee’. Let us therefore consider how we ought to conduct ourselves in the sight of the Godhead and of His Angels, and let us take part in the psalmody in such a way that our mind may be in harmony with our voice."