Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that contemplation or meditation is not the cause of devotion. No cause hinders its effect. But subtle considerations about abstract matters are often a hindrance to devotion. Therefore contemplation or meditation is not the cause of devotion.

Objection 2: Further, if contemplation were the proper and essential cause of devotion, the higher objects of contemplation would arouse greater devotion. But the contrary is the case: since frequently we are urged to greater devotion by considering Christ's Passion and other mysteries of His humanity than by considering the greatness of His Godhead. Therefore contemplation is not the proper cause of devotion.

Objection 3: Further, if contemplation were the proper cause of devotion, it would follow that those who are most apt for contemplation, are also most apt for devotion. Yet the contrary is to be noticed, for devotion is frequently found in men of simplicity and members of the female sex, who are defective in contemplation. Therefore contemplation is not the proper cause of devotion.

On the contrary, It is written (Ps. 38:4): "In my meditation a fire shall flame out." But spiritual fire causes devotion. Therefore meditation is the cause of devotion.

I answer that, The extrinsic and chief cause of devotion is God, of Whom Ambrose, commenting on Lk. 9:55, says that "God calls whom He deigns to call, and whom He wills He makes religious: the profane Samaritans, had He so willed, He would have made devout." But the intrinsic cause on our part must needs be meditation or contemplation. For it was stated above (Article 1) that devotion is an act of the will to the effect that man surrenders himself readily to the service of God. Now every act of the will proceeds from some consideration, since the object of the will is a good understood. Wherefore Augustine says (De Trin. ix, 12; xv, 23) that "the will arises from the intelligence." Consequently meditation must needs be the cause of devotion, in so far as through meditation man conceives the thought of surrendering himself to God's service. Indeed a twofold consideration leads him thereto. The one is the consideration of God's goodness and loving kindness, according to Ps. 72:28, "It is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God": and this consideration wakens love which is the proximate cause of devotion. The other consideration is that of man's own shortcomings, on account of which he needs to lean on God, according to Ps. 120:1,2, "I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come to me: my help is from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth"; and this consideration shuts out presumption whereby man is hindered from submitting to God, because he leans on His strength.

Reply to Objection 1: The consideration of such things as are of a nature to awaken our love of God, causes devotion; whereas the consideration of foreign matters that distract the mind from such things is a hindrance to devotion.

Reply to Objection 2: Matters concerning the Godhead are, in themselves, the strongest incentive to love and consequently to devotion, because God is supremely lovable. Yet such is the weakness of the human mind that it needs a guiding hand, not only to the knowledge, but also to the love of Divine things by means of certain sensible objects known to us. Chief among these is the humanity of Christ, according to the words of the Preface , "that through knowing God visibly, we may be caught up to the love of things invisible." Wherefore matters relating to Christ's humanity are the chief incentive to devotion, leading us thither as a guiding hand, although devotion itself has for its object matters concerning the Godhead.

Reply to Objection 3: Science and anything else conducive to greatness, is to man an occasion of self-confidence, so that he does not wholly surrender himself to God. The result is that such like things sometimes occasion a hindrance to devotion; while in simple souls and women devotion abounds by repressing pride. If, however, a man perfectly submits to God his science or any other perfection, by this very fact his devotion is increased.

Articulus 3

Argumentum 1

Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod contemplatio, seu meditatio, non sit devotionis causa. Nulla enim causa impedit suum effectum. Sed subtiles meditationes intelligibilium multoties devotionem impediunt. Ergo contemplatio, seu meditatio, non est devotionis causa.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, si contemplatio esset propria et per se devotionis causa, oporteret quod ea quae sunt altioris contemplationis magis devotionem excitarent. Huius autem contrarium apparet, frequenter enim maior devotio excitatur ex consideratione passionis christi, et aliis mysteriis humanitatis ipsius, quam ex consideratione divinae magnitudinis. Ergo contemplatio non est propria devotionis causa.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, si contemplatio esset propria causa devotionis, oporteret quod illi qui sunt magis apti ad contemplationem essent etiam magis apti ad devotionem. Huius autem contrarium videmus, quia devotio frequenter magis invenitur in quibusdam simplicibus viris et in femineo sexu, in quibus invenitur contemplationis defectus. Ergo contemplatio non est propria causa devotionis.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod in psalm. Dicitur, in meditatione mea exardescet ignis.

Sed ignis spiritualis causat devotionem.

Ergo meditatio est devotionis causa.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod causa devotionis extrinseca et principalis deus est; de quo dicit Ambrosius, super Luc., quod deus quos dignatur vocat, et quem vult religiosum facit, et si voluisset, Samaritanos ex indevotis devotos fecisset.

Causa autem intrinseca ex parte nostra, oportet quod sit meditatio seu contemplatio.

Dictum est enim quod devotio est quidam voluntatis actus ad hoc quod homo prompte se tradat ad divinum obsequium. Omnis autem actus voluntatis ex aliqua consideratione procedit, eo quod bonum intellectum est obiectum voluntatis, unde et Augustinus dicit, in libro de Trin., quod voluntas oritur ex intelligentia.

Et ideo necesse est quod meditatio sit devotionis causa, inquantum scilicet per meditationem homo concipit quod se tradat divino obsequio. Ad quod quidem inducit duplex consideratio. Una quidem quae est ex parte divinae bonitatis et beneficiorum ipsius, secundum illud psalm., mihi adhaerere deo bonum est, ponere in domino deo spem meam.

Et haec consideratio excitat dilectionem, quae est proxima devotionis causa. Alia vero est ex parte hominis considerantis suos defectus, ex quibus indiget ut deo innitatur, secundum illud psalm., levavi oculos meos in montes, unde veniet auxilium mihi. Auxilium meum a domino, qui fecit caelum et terram.

Et haec consideratio excludit praesumptionem, per quam aliquis impeditur ne deo se subiiciat, dum suae virtuti innititur.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod consideratio eorum quae nata sunt dilectionem dei excitare, devotionem causant.

Consideratio vero quorumcumque ad hoc non pertinentium, sed ab his mentem distrahentium, impedit devotionem.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod ea quae sunt divinitatis sunt secundum se maxime excitantia dilectionem, et per consequens devotionem, quia deus est super omnia diligendus. Sed ex debilitate mentis humanae est quod sicut indiget manuduci ad cognitionem divinorum, ita ad dilectionem, per aliqua sensibilia nobis nota.

Inter quae praecipuum est humanitas christi, secundum quod in praefatione dicitur, ut dum visibiliter deum cognoscimus, per hunc in invisibilium amorem rapiamur.

Et ideo ea quae pertinent ad christi humanitatem, per modum cuiusdam manuductionis, maxime devotionem excitant, cum tamen devotio principaliter circa ea quae sunt divinitatis consistat.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod scientia, et quidquid aliud ad magnitudinem pertinet, occasio est quod homo confidat de seipso, et ideo non totaliter se deo tradat. Et inde est quod huiusmodi quandoque occasionaliter devotionem impediunt, et in simplicibus et mulieribus devotio abundat, elationem comprimendo. Si tamen scientiam, et quamcumque aliam perfectionem, homo perfecte deo subdat, ex hoc ipso devotio augetur.