Summa summae S. Thomae sive compendium theologiae

Saint Thomas, q. 43.

It is asked, first, whether it belongs to any divine person to be sent.

I answer affirmatively.¹ John 3:17 says: God sent his Son into the world. Ibid., 5:36, Christ says of himself: The works themselves which I do give testimony of me, that the Father has sent me. Likewise, ibid., 6:58: The living Father has sent me. Likewise, ibid., 8:16: I am not alone, but I and he who sent me, the Father. Of the Holy Spirit, ibid., 14:26: The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. And ibid., 15:26: The Paraclete, whom I will send to you from the Father. And so in many places.

The reason is:² In the notion of mission two things are implied, of which one is the relation to him by whom he is sent; the other is the relation of the one sent to the term to which he is sent. For by the fact that someone is sent, a certain procession of the one sent from the sender is shown — either according to command, as a lord sends a servant; or according to counsel and persuasion, as when a counselor is said to send a king to war; or according to origin, as when a flower is said to be sent forth from a tree, or radiance from the sun. Likewise, a relation to the term to which he is sent is shown — either that he should begin to be where before he was not, or that he should begin to be in some new way in which he was not before. Now, although mission cannot belong to a divine person according to command or counsel, it can nonetheless belong according as it implies a procession of origin from the sender. Likewise, although on the part of the term it cannot belong according as it implies being where he was not before, it can nonetheless belong according as it implies a new manner of existing in another: just as the Son is said to be sent by the Father into the world, according as he began to be in the world in a new way through the flesh assumed, and yet before this he was in the world, as is said in John 1:10. Therefore.

Hence you will infer, first, that the mission of the divine persons can be defined thus: The procession of origin of one person from another, together with a new manner of existing in another.

You will infer,³ second, that the Father is not sent, since he proceeds from no one. He can, however, be given; for although no one can send himself, he can nevertheless give himself.

You will infer,⁴ third, that not just any person sends, if mission is taken properly and adequately, but only that person to whom it belongs to be the principle of the one who is sent; because, as has been said, mission taken properly and adequately implies two things, namely, the origin of the person sent from the sender, and the relation to the term to which he is sent. And thus the Son is sent only by the Father; the Holy Spirit, by the Father and the Son. But if mission is taken improperly and inadequately, for the mere relation of the one sent to the term or effect to which he is sent, then it can be that the whole Trinity works this effect. And it is in this sense that Saint Augustine, book 2 On the Trinity, chapter 5, n. 8, must be understood, where he interprets that verse of Isaiah 48:16, Now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit, of the person of the Word, whom he says was sent by the Holy Spirit, that he might be incarnate. Many, however, interpret this of the human nature of Christ, according to which he was sent by the Holy Spirit to preach.

It is asked, second, whether mission should be called eternal, or temporal.

I answer that it must be called temporal only;⁵ because, besides the relation to an eternal principle, it implies a relation to a temporal term through which it is completed in the character of a mission. Therefore it must be called temporal only; just as creation, although its principle is eternal, is nevertheless not called eternal but temporal, because the effect which it connotes is temporal.

It is asked, third, whether the invisible mission of the divine persons is only according to the gift of sanctifying grace.

Note, before answering, that mission, on the part of the term or temporal effect which it connotes, is divided into visible and invisible. Visible mission is that which occurs in some effect or sensible sign manifesting the person sent, as when the Word was sent that he might be incarnate, or when the Holy Spirit was sent upon the Apostles under the appearance of fire. Invisible mission is that which occurs in some spiritual and invisible effect, such as occurs in the justification of a sinner through the gift of grace. Now these missions differ: first, in that in visible mission one person is sent and is manifested without the other; whereas in invisible mission two proceeding persons are sent, and although the Father is not sent, he nevertheless comes and communicates himself to the soul together with the others, according to that word of Christ, John 14:23: If anyone loves me..., my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our dwelling with him; second, in that visible mission can occur through any visible thing, whereas invisible mission occurs only through a supernatural gift produced in the soul. And since there are various supernatural gifts — such as sanctifying grace, actual help, gratuitously given grace, the gift of faith, etc. — the question is whether invisible mission occurs only according to the gift of sanctifying, that is, justifying, grace; or whether it is only through sanctifying grace that the soul is disposed and perfected so as to be a fit temple and dwelling for the divine person sent; for in mission it is not grace alone that is sent, or given, so to speak, but the divine persons themselves. With these points noted, to the question.

I answer affirmatively;⁶ because a divine person is sent precisely when he exists in a new manner in another. But it is through sanctifying grace alone that a divine person exists in a new manner in a human being. Therefore. — The major is clear from the definition of mission. — Proof of the minor. The common manner in which God is in all creatures is through immensity, namely through essence, presence, and power. Besides this common manner, however, there is one special manner which belongs to the rational nature, by which God is said to be in it as the known in the knower, and the beloved in the lover — namely, when a rational creature has God invisibly present to itself through grace and charity, and is made a temple of God and his dwelling. But this occurs only through sanctifying grace and charity, by which a man so has God that he can freely use and enjoy him as a friend possessed. Therefore.

From this gather that a threefold invisible mission of the divine persons occurs in a human being: the first, in the first justification of the person; the second, in every increase of grace; the third, in beatitude, in which God will be in the soul in a new and special manner through the union of his essence as an intelligible species.

It is asked, fourth, whether by invisible mission the divine persons become substantially present to the soul, such that, if per impossibile they were not substantially present through immensity, they would nonetheless be so by reason of the gift of sanctifying grace.

I answer affirmatively.⁷

Proof, first, from sacred Scripture. Romans 5:5 says: The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us. Here a distinction is made between the charity given and the Spirit given. But Sacred Scripture would distinguish between the two in vain, if the Spirit were not substantially present, but present only in the gift of charity.

Second, on account of this kind of presence by reason of the gift of sanctifying grace, the just man is called a temple of God, 1 Corinthians 3:16: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? and immediately after: The temple of God is holy, which you are. This, however, cannot be verified of the gifts of grace, from which a temple does not follow, but only of the divine persons themselves — as of the Holy Spirit, of whom it is said: He dwells in you.

Third, the divine persons, by invisible mission by reason of the gift of sanctifying grace, are present to the soul otherwise than through immensity; otherwise, as often as anything were produced in the soul, it would be said to be sent, since they are substantially present through immensity wherever anything is produced. But unless they are specially and substantially present to the soul by reason of the gift of sanctifying grace, they will be present only through immensity, insofar, that is, as they would produce some effect in the soul. Therefore.

If you object that God is in the just man through grace as the known in the knower and the beloved in the lover, but that the known in the knower and the beloved in the lover is present only objectively, and not substantially: I answer that through sanctifying grace God is in the knower and lover in such a way that the knower and lover is his temple, and freely enjoys him; and for this, objective presence does not suffice, but substantial presence is required.