Summa Theologiae Moralis, vol. I: De Principiis

S. Th. II-II, q. 25, a. 4, 5, 7.

886. A man must love himself, both with natural love, which he also naturally fulfills, since everyone naturally loves his own preservation and happiness (and so to love is common to the good and the wicked); — and with the supernatural love of charity, as is clearly presupposed in the Lord's precept, of loving namely the neighbor as oneself. For although properly so called friendship cannot be had directly toward oneself, but something greater than friendship, nevertheless friendship can be had toward God, and consequently toward others (and ourselves) who are God's. Whence S. Thomas, q. 25, a. 4:

"Since charity is a certain friendship... we can speak of charity in two ways. In one way under the common notion of friendship, and according to this it must be said that friendship is not had properly toward oneself, but something greater than friendship, because friendship imports a certain union... But to each one there is unity with himself, which is more potent than union with another. Whence, just as unity is the principle of union, so the love by which one loves himself is the form and root of friendship. For in this we have friendship toward others, because we are disposed toward them as toward ourselves... In another way we can speak of charity according to its proper notion itself, inasmuch namely as it is the friendship of man toward God principally, and consequently toward those things which are God's: among which is also the man himself, who has charity; and thus among other things which he loves out of charity as pertaining to God, he also loves himself out of charity".

887. How a man must love himself. — By virtue of the divine precept a man is bound, out of love for himself, to love himself supernaturally, for God's sake, not according to his sensitive and corporeal nature considered in itself, and according to the corruption of the exterior man in those things which are repugnant to reason, but according to his rational nature or the interior man, inasmuch as he can be a partaker of divine beatitude according to soul and according to body. This is the most perfect reason and at the same time the unique norm and rule in our love of ourselves: in so far we ought to love ourselves, i.e. soul and body, as we pertain to God. And indeed: 1) Principally the soul, which created by God, has been made by grace a partaker of divine nature, redeemed by the blood of Christ, the temple of divinity and capable of eternal beatitude.

Whence we are bound a) to prefer the salvation of the soul and sanctification before all things (Mt. VI, 33), and to employ the necessary means for salvation, b) to cultivate Christian virtues, c) to do good and meritorious works according to the example of Christ (Mt. VI, 19-20), d) to esteem grace and the means of preserving and increasing it more than all temporal aids, e) and to hate and to fear one sin which turns us away from God. All the goods of the soul however, whether natural such as learning, knowledge, honor, fame, glory, etc., or even supernatural, are not to be loved for themselves but for God.

2) Secondarily and subordinately we must also love the body, not for its own sake but for God's sake, inasmuch as it is the instrument of the soul to render honor to God and to work good (Rom. VI, 13, 19), and the temple of God sanctified by grace and capable in some way of beatitude, which redounds from the glory of the soul into the body (II Cor. VI, 19-20; XV, 42-43).

Whence a) we are bound to employ ordinary means of preserving our own life, the integrity of members and health, procuring for ourselves food, clothing, dwelling, so that the body may be a suitable instrument to serve the soul and to serve God; however b) in seeking the good of the body, e.g. health, pleasure, life, etc., all these we must seek for God's sake, for the glory of God; c) we must restrain the concupiscence of the flesh and inordinate desires out of hatred of sin, and inflict reasonable mortification on the body which weighs down the soul and is prone to rebellion, that namely it may be subjected to the mind and to the service of God (Col. III, 5; I Cor. IX, 27); d) however not afflict the body out of hatred of the body considered according to its nature (as such it is good), nor seek mortification for its own sake (just as neither pleasure for its own sake), nor flee all delights and pleasures, but we may rejoice and enjoy even earthly delights, yet according to right reason.

888. They sin against the love of themselves: a) More by excess, who indulge in inordinate egotism and pursue private advantages principally, more than the good of God, or exclusively, with the glory of God or the salvation and utility of others set aside (Phil. II, 21; II Cor. X, 24; II Tim. III, 1-2). Whence it is understood 1) that this is done in every mortal sin (Ps. X, 6; Tob. XII, 10); 2) that for the sake of no good is it lawful to sin even venially.

b) More by defect: 1) who love exterior or corporal goods so that spiritual goods are despised, namely preferring the good of the body to the good of the soul (Mt. X, 28), or even preferring the goods of fortune to salvation and bodily life;

2) who neglect the necessary means of salvation or the ordinary means of preserving one's own life, bodily integrity or health; or expose themselves without sufficient reason to danger of soul (e.g. by long deferring penance) or of body (e.g. of death or grave illness);

3) who wish evil upon themselves and a fortiori inflict it upon themselves, e.g. directly harming bodily salvation, injuring themselves in the integrity of members, or taking away their own bodily life.

To this malice however by which these sins are opposed to charity toward oneself, special attention is not to be paid in confession, because it is included in every sin; moreover these sins always injure another precept or virtue, and therefore they are to be declared under another species.