Whether in God the essence is the same as the person?

When we say the “person” of the Son, we mean nothing else but the substance of the Son. When we say the “person” of the Holy Spirit, we mean nothing else but the substance of the Holy Spirit. When we say the “person” of the Father, we mean nothing else but the substance of the Father. This is because of the Divine Simplicity of God. Now, because of the Divine Substance (Godhead/Holy Trinity), and although the Divine Persons are multiplied because of their real relations (Paternity to Filiation identifies the Person of the Father, while Filiation to Paternity identifies the Person of the Son, and Common Spiration (From the Father and Son) identifies the Person of the Holy Spirit), they maintain their unity of essence in relation to one another because of the supreme order to which it is likened to. In humans and in creatures this is not so because we are beings in potentiality (we live through God’s life giving agency) who are multiplied into many persons throughout history with separate essences of our being (This is Joe. This is Sally. This is Tom. This is Rob. This is Nancy. This is Phil. This is Ronda, etc.). This is why we should never reduce God alone down to the rules and laws of our own species, for what is of a separate order has separate rules and to apply the rules of what is lesser to what is above would not be proper or even accurate. 

Whether it must be said that the three persons are of one essence?

The Church Fathers agree that the Holy Trinity, Who is God, are Three Persons in One Essence. Furthermore, The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit are mentioned all throughout scripture as being One, while it is also that of what the faithful are baptized into (the starting line of a Christian). This is a mystery but not completely unattainable to understand, although we do not understand it fully because what is finite (the human intellect) cannot comprehend everything that is in infinity (Godhead from the Divine Substance). The mysteries of Creation are supposed to be received by faith; for we hope in what is not seen, thus merit (which the Saints earned as wages for their labor and were highly glorified for) is credited to our account. Those who maintain their faith even without signs, afford themselves much merit because of loyalty.   

Whether essential names should be predicated in the singular of the three persons?

There are different ways to describe the essence of God depending upon the context which is used: One, a descriptive term signifying the essence directly which addresses the substance. When this is done, God is signified in the singular and not the plural. For example; God is supremely One or God is One Supreme Being.  Two, a descriptive term signifying the subject which addresses an imperfect way to describe something which is infinite, but can be understood through human reason which falls into the categories of order. When this is done, God is signified in the plural and not the singular. For example, in God, there are Three Powerful, Intelligent, and Good Beings whom we know as Persons - the Godhead (which signifies plurality in God, even though God is One). These are modes of expression in language. Some have taken these terms the wrong way by way of the heresy of Modalism which believes in different modes of God and not persons. Some have also denied the Three Persons while only acknowledging God the Father as being God (the heresy of Arius).   

Whether the concrete essential names can stand for the person?

Yes, absolutely! As the creed says - WHAT WE BELIEVE:

The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe

Whether abstract essential names can stand for the person?

Abstract forms cannot stand in place for the person when using modes of expression to describe things. For example, the abstract name of “essence” signifies what is abstract and not distinct. This is so for several reasons: One, when we say “A person’s essence,” we are referring to the essence of that specific person. We do not say “An essence’s essence,” for that would imply another essence distinct from the original essence (the bat’s bat (now two bats), the ball’s ball (now two balls), the car’s car (now two cars)) or it could imply the same thing (the bat’s bat (one bat), the ball’s ball (one ball), the car’s car (one car)) by way of improper use of words - thus causing confusion. Two, it would be false to say that there are multiple essences in the Holy Trinity, for there is only One Divine Essence who are Three Persons, not one divine essence who are three essences, for this would imply three separate essences or multiple gods which is false. Three, if we were to replace personal names with abstract essential names, then the error of our words would imply multiple gods, thus nullifying scripture (Mark 12:29, Deuteronomy 6:4, Ephesians 4:6, James 2:19, Galatians 3:20), 2,000 year old Church teaching on theology, our creeds which are the professions of our faith (The Apostle and Nicene Creed), and the articles of faith found in our Catechism.  

Whether the persons can be predicated of the essential terms? 

The names of God which signify His essence (substance) which are known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Godhead) through the divine simplicity of the Three Persons are accurate and true, as the Church boldly proclaims. 

Whether the essential names should be appropriated to the persons? 

The essential attributes and names of God should be given to the Divine Persons for the manifestation of truth. When we describe something in matter, we choose words which most accurately describe the thing being described according to our intellect as this is the basis for communication which conveys something that is true. If we were to call a horse a cat, then we would be wrong. If we were to call a horse an animal, then we would be correct but vague in our description of what is being described. If we were to call a horse a horse (of course), then we would be using an essential name that is being properly appropriated to what is being described. So it is for the essential names which describe the Divine Persons in the Holy Trinity for the sake of the truth and they are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which is also known as the Holy Trinity and God which is owed the highest reverence and due worship. Now, in the Moderni Age, there are those preachers with a following in digital and public spaces who use improper names to describe God which sows confusion and division. For example, clergy who choose to refer to the Holy Spirit as “she” or “her” in an attempt to confuse the faithful and lead them to scandal (spiritual death). It is important to use the proper essential names when referring to God in order to avoid the destructive appearance of trinitarian heresy through the improper use of words. 

Whether the essential attributes are appropriated to the persons in a fitting manner by the holy doctors? 

The attributes and knowledge of God must be described to men in similitude of creatures in order for us to understand what is being described. For although men did know God according to their own limited ability (because the Lord always makes His presence known by the things made and through creatures), they did not know everything about Him. Of course, The Son who is divine came into the world in our human nature to bring us into deeper union and knowledge of The One Who Formed Us by way of our own understanding by taking on a body just as ours so we could understand Him better by the example of creature, although The Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity (Christ Jesus) is more than just a creature. Furthermore, this lesson of knowledge in knowing Him continues through the Saints and Doctors of the Church who have described Him accurately in different ways among various contexts, metaphors, authoritative interpretations and the like. They are to be trusted and true because they have the seal of Christ’s Church which was brought into the world by the Divine Will for the building up of society and salvation for all mankind so that what was written shall come to pass. We also know this to be true because the Lord has not ceased to reach out to His people through others constantly throughout the past 2,000 years the Church has endured the trials and tribulations of the world nor has He denied the spreading of His Word (Son) throughout the entire world. This too is self-evident by the things made from creatures such as Churches in the city, the suburbs, and the isolated countryside including cityscapes seen from a distance which bears the cross and hospitals that hold the names of biblical figures and the Saints. Surely, a Just God who loves truth, would not allow lies and untruth to spread for too long, nor would He glorify those Holy Doctors and Saints who have supposedly lied (as some falsely proclaim to their own destruction) about Him when describing His effects and attributes; but rather He glorified them through miracles both in life and after death - this too is another seal of approval that He and His flames of fire (ministers) can be deemed tried, trusted, and found true by the faithful! Now, Saint Thomas Aquinas outlines the four considerations when determining what creature is. 

They are:

-Consideration one; what something is shall be considered in being.
-Consideration two; this being is considered as one.
-Consideration three; the being’s intrinsic power of operation.
-Consideration four; the beings’ ability to cause effects in itself, others, and its surroundings and what that relationship means.

Understanding these four points leads us to understanding who God is by our own intellect and limited understanding. To the first point, we as creatures know the difference between finite and infinite; for we as human beings are finite in our bodily lives and our understanding of things while the Holy Trinity (Godhead) is infinite in the one essence of their being and understanding of all things; in other words - God is pure, true, ultimate beauty, eternal, and perfect in every way for if this wasn’t so then He wouldn’t be God and we would be describing a creature. The Doctors of the Church have used these essential terms for our own understanding to accurately describe The God of Everything throughout the ages. Second point, as the Saints proclaim - God is Three Persons in One Essence, therefore God is One, as the Holy Scriptures proclaim to all flesh in the world. These essential terms that were used are accurate, true, and is what is needed for us to hear in order for us to understand what the finite mind attempts to grasp which is the infinity of God. Third point, we understand God’s authority by way of His power, His wisdom, and His design which always brings about the highest good for all things in being. These too are words given by the holy Doctors and Saints of the Church to introduce to men most accurately the deeds and capability of the Hand Who Formed Them so mankind should know that there is always a Higher Authority above them whom they must account to (so their actions and words should be considered carefully in relation to others to whom their decisions affect). Fourth point, God works in the world by way of Paternity (Father), Filiation (Son), and Love (Holy Spirit) which spirates from both Father and Son; for nobody can receive the Holy Spirit without acknowledging the Father’s Son and accepting the First Principle without a Principle (Father) for who He is, and through these means, His relation to creatures and the things in matter by way of His wisdom bring people to the knowledge of the truth according to His will. Simply put; God may give the power of speech to a man to convert someone in spiritual poverty, or God may use the wind to teach a wicked city a lesson, or He may allow evil for a time so good may come of it, He may allow war to proceed to purify the sins of men, and He may also give us those who are suffering so we may learn how to love so as to turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh and to practice the virtue of charity so our souls may be healed from corruption and selfishness. The Saints have used these words in the past to describe His effects in the world in relation to creation and they are to be trusted. After all, why reinvent the wheel?

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether “Gift” is a personal name?

A Divine Person can be given as a gift to a human person; as the Word of the Living God boldly proclaims to the entire world! The word “gift” is also a personal name proper to the Holy Spirit, so therefore it is a personal name. Now, a gift can be rejected, misused, or ignored according to the freewill of the receiver. Today, we see those who reject The Gift, which is the Holy Spirit, instead they exchange it for the ungift, which is the unholy spirit. So there is a Spirit of Love and Truth in the world; so there is a spirit of hate and untruth also in the world, and the man gets to choose which one he shall receive by his words and his conduct.  

Whether “Gift” is the proper name of the Holy Spirit?

Gift is the proper name to the Holy Spirit because it is truly given to humans freely because of God’s love for them. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is known as the First Gift through which all free gifts are given because of Love. When we love somebody and give them something freely we do it out of love for them in that we wish it may go well with them. From this Gift of Love (Holy Spirit), it also follows that many other spiritual gifts are portioned out to the Body of Christ.  

I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether “Love” is the proper name of the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit itself is love. As a personal name, the word “Love” is the proper name of the Holy Spirit. Remember, there are two processions in God; first, by way of the intellect which is the procession of the Word (Lord Jesus Christ who is Son). Second, by way of the will which is the procession of Love. Now, in the Moderni Age in babylon, the word “love” is used for many reasons and purposes; ownership, sexual immorality, lust, idolatry, covetousness,  manipulation, deceit, property rights, familial duties, and the like. But what the failed wisdom of this age does not realize is that in the things they claim to “love” but do not love, they actually hate, while going about their hatred under the false pretense they labeled as “love.” For what this place does and its many abominations it carries out is the exact opposite of love, and in its radical faithlessness, atheism, and relativist morality (liberalism) it leads others in the opposite direction of goodness, which is darkness that is opposed to the Holy Spirit which is a movement of the will and love throughout the entire world in all humans whom it wishes for all to come to faith and the truth for the Salvation of Souls in Christ Jesus. Those who are lacking in true love are also lacking in the Holy Spirit. Those who resist the Holy Spirit cannot love. And just because a place or a people became really clever in language arguments and calling their sins (non-being) love so as to put a bow and lipstick on a dead skunk (their sins), does not mean that the awful things they have grown to accept will ever be recognized by the Holy Spirit (Who is a movement of love) as an action of love. For the Spirit of Truth also knows what Love truly is (Itself) and what it is not!

Whether the Father and the Son love each other by the Holy Spirit?

In God, to love is understood in two ways: One, it essentially means that the Father and the Son love one another not just by the Holy Spirit alone, but by The One Essence (Three Persons, One Divine Essence). Second; in the notional sense, it means to “spirate love,” which in another way is to say that to throw a football is to play football, and to sit in the driver’s seat of a car is to drive a car - so we say in the notional sense as it pertains to the Father and the Son loving each other, that they spirate love to one another through the unity of The One Essence in Three Persons. 

​​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether this name “Holy Spirit” is the proper name of one divine person?

The two words “Holy” and “Spirit” together are an expression applicable to the Holy Trinity. For this word “Spirit” is that of the Divine Substance, that which is immaterial and invisible. As for the word “Holy,” this signifies the Divine Goodness and purity of what is set apart (holy). However, in the Church, when taken as one word, it is meant to distinguish the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity (Who Is One Divine Essence) who is also the procession of Love and impulse/movement of the will which proceeds from the Father and Son by the real relation of common spiration. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the proper name of a Divine Person. 

Whether the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son?

The Holy Spirit is from both the Father and the Son as proceeding through the real relation of common spiration; not made (creature), created (matter and nature), begotten (which is Son) or unbegotten (which is Father). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit does not beget another, while at the same time it is not the image of the Father or the Son because there cannot be two things in one image, for that would be impossible, nor can there be an image of an image. Now, since the Son proceeds by way of the Intellect as the Word Proceeding, and the Holy Spirit proceeds by way of the will as Love, it must also follow that the Holy Spirit must proceed (because of love) from the Word which comes forth from the Intellect which is the Son. See for yourself; before you tell your spouse or your loved one that you “love” them, or display an action of “love” towards them, the mind and the heart (intellect or soul) must feel it and then identify where this love must go. From there, once you make the decision to express this love either by word or deed, that love then proceeds to that person in the form of a loving expression/action, word, or many words such as a poem or loving sentence. So, in the same way, the movement of Love which is the Holy Spirit must come from an Intellect proceeding through the Word which is the Son, as our faith confesses. If someone were to claim the opposite, in that the Son proceeds from the Holy Spirit, then that would be a heretical statement and false. For we know the Divine Persons by their real relations. In the same way, think of  a child tracing with a stick the outline of a figure in a sandbox which was hidden beneath the sand. The borderlines of the figure are the real relations between the figure which manifests and the sand which it borders. Once the real relation is identified, the figure is identified as well - so in this way, we know the Divine Persons by their real relations.    

Whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son?

The Holy Spirit spirates from the Father through the Son which is also another way to say that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son. The word “through” represents authority. In this case, a Divine Authority (Godhead), which is The Source of all authorities (human laws, princely classes, thrones, dominions and principalities). 

Whether the Father and the Son are one principle of the Holy Spirit?

As stated earlier, the Father and the Son are one principle of the Holy Spirit. This is so for several reasons: One, the word “principle” signifies a property in things created. Two, Father and Son are one in the unity of form through the word “God,” which is proper to creation, because they are from the Divine Substance (Godhead). Now; because of this, they are one principle of the Holy Spirit by the unity of form in the property signified by this word “principle.” In another way, when we use the word “principle” in this regard, we are referring to Two Divine Persons: Father, and Son - which are the principle of the Third Divine Person who is Holy Spirit, even though all three Divine Persons are One Essence.

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether image in God is said personally?

Image in God is said personally. For an image portrays something similar to another's form, species, and accurate idea of them which manifests into its depiction which is identified by other intellects who observe the image. For this man or that woman will see the same image and know what it is without consulting one another. In this way, the image in God is a personal relation. Heretics in the Moderni Age accuse the faithful of worshipping such images as if those in the faith believed the images to be a god in itself. However, this is only true if one directs the highest level of reverence (divine worship) to the image as a cause for itself as if the image itself were God. In another way, if I were to look at your pen and say “this here is my god,” then that would be idolatry. However, if I looked at the your pen and said, “this reminds me of when an apostle wrote a part of the gospel, praise be to God,” then this would not be idolatry; for the pen becomes a vessel of honor which reminds our spirit to give due praise and worship to the One Creator.  

Whether the name of Image is proper to the Son?

The Son is the image of the Father in the truest sense for that which is begotten and of generation is the most perfect image of what something is in similitude from that to which it came from (The Son is begotten of the Father who is of paternity). In another sense, man is the image of God in a less perfect way in comparison to the Son because relation between creature to Creator is of a different order. It also follows that the Father and the Son are one principle of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit is not the image of the Father. Only the Son alone is the image of the Father in the proper sense because there cannot be an image of an image (as in Holy Spirit), for then there would be two images in the Holy Spirit depicting both Father and Son thus being impossible (for no one image is the image of two things at once). Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not called the Image, although it receives likeness from The Father.  

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether Word in God is a personal name?

The name of “Word” in God is a personal name and not an absolutely necessary name we must use to describe God, even though it does indeed describe Him (John 1:14). Now, there is a nature of personal terms in God which signify real relations; just as a Father is identified between the real opposite relations of paternity and filiation, or the Son is identified between the real opposite relations of filiation and paternity, so in a similar way, Son is also identified by the concept of the intellect which proceeds from another - from Father to Son, who is the Word Proceeding and Word Made Flesh. So, when we say that the Son is the Word, we distinguish His personhood personally and not essentially, because there are many ways to describe God through use of words in relation to other words; some which are closer to the truth and others that are further from the truth. 

Whether “Word” is the Son’s proper name?

The Son alone is properly called Word in God. This is because when we use the term “Word” to describe the Son (Second Person of the Holy Trinity), we are speaking of the scriptures to which the Son was made manifest in the flesh. Furthermore, the Son as Word (when described in this way) is also known as an abstract but perceptible thing which originates from a source intellect which we know as the The First Principle (First Person of the Holy Trinity), whose will and intellect are one in the same because of His divine simplicity which is known by the real relation of paternity (property of innascibility and being unbegotten). This procession of the intellect from Father to Son by the real relation of filiation (Father to Son) is known as procession of the Word, which is also a procession of the intellect, and is also called generation (means something which springs forth from another with its likeness and similar attributes). Now, some abuse the literal Word in many ways; throwing out bibles, cherry picking scripture to justify sinfulness, being irreverent with the Word of the Living God, using Holy Writ as an object for their earthly pursuits in politics and in business, and staged public mockeries like reenacting the last supper with drag queens posing as apostles in the midst of children being sexualized. They also carried out such blasphemies in the presence of actors posing as pagan gods prancing themselves around in such a way they believe they are going to get away with it (they won't). This is just one example of an abuse of The Word which occurred during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris (tell us you want nuclear war without telling us you want nuclear war). So, in like manner, just as many abuse the Eucharist (which is the real presence of Christ in material matter), so many overlook Christ being present in The Word in like manner! In fact, in modern day babylon, there are activists in the street who openly eat pages of The Word in public in open defiance to Christ and Christendom while their supporters boast of it! Not even Sodom committed such a most grievous offense and they were punished for less.  

Whether the name “Word” imports relation to creatures?

The “Word” of God implies relations to creatures because every creature comes from His Word. Simply put; He says it, it comes to be, and since everything comes from God who is The First Principle, there is nothing He does not know or have not known, because by one act of knowing, God knows all things that could have been, will be, and ever shall be - including creatures who come forth from this knowing which belongs to Him supremely. For He is Knowledge to the Highest Degree. In another way; the source of knowledge knows all knowledge, so if the source says it then the knowledge which comes from that source must also understand and agree with itself and it so happens that God fully understands Himself and knows Himself through His divine simplicity. Finally, in the Word it is implied the effect and function of what He creates; thus the universe, the stars, the light and the darkness, the Heavens, the seas, and the spiritual and bodily creatures (good and evil) who dwell in them who came forth from His ideas and words as described through The Word (Son and scripture). 

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether it belongs to the Father to be the principle?

Another (Son and Holy Spirit) proceeds from the Father, thus He is rightly called “Principle,” for He is the principle of the entire Godhead since He is unbegotten. The Son is begotten of the Father. Furthermore, another proceeds from the Son to which we know as the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit does not beget another. Therefore, with all things considered, the Father is the Principle, also known as the First Principle, the Unmoved Mover who puts all things into motion from His initial movement. 

Whether this name “Father” is properly the name of a divine person?

All throughout scripture, He Who Is of Paternity, which we know as Father, is proclaimed as He  revealed Himself to mankind for our sake. This was no secret or matter of hidden knowledge, for He revealed Himself as a Father to the Patriarchs, the Prophets, through the Son, and the Apostles of the Church you know today. If this wasn’t so, then that means He would be a liar; but He is truth to the Highest Degree. Now, as we see with some in the Moderni Age, the wicked and unbelievers with malice try to attack His paternity through the false use of confusing words, such as referring to God the Father as “she” or “her.” Radical feminism  along with their male spiritual concubines who support them in their wickedness, brought on by faithless marxism, with a dab of materialism, atheism, and modernist thinking has created a generation of feminist  ideological militants so enraged and proud that they aim to actually make their Creator like them, a woman in their own image. Yet, this is not so and can never be, because God revealed Himself to mankind as a Father. The truth of who the Lord is does not change just because mankind grows more wicked, darkened, and demented in their thinking. Therefore, those who peddle language arguments in order to lead holy souls astray while proclaiming new age strange theories and false teachings of sex and gender are not correct when they misuse the proper Name of the Father for their own purposes. They greatly harm themselves and others when they deny the known truth that was revealed to them. 

Whether this name “Father” is applied to God, firstly as a personal name?

Remember, there are three ways to look at existence: One, through time which is temporal - subject to birth and death and beginning to end - the realm of matter where the human soul which is wrapped in the flesh and bone of a body dwells. Two, aeviternity which has a beginning but no end and is the proper dominion of the angelic substances (spirit but no body). Three, eternity, also known as infinity, where there is no beginning and end and no subjection to time, corruption, or decay. This is what is proper to the Divine Substance (Godhead). Therefore, what is eternity (God) comes before what is temporal (us) and in the same way God the Father of eternity is also the Father of the Son in that same eternity, so in this way He is personally the Father of the Son in a more intimate and higher way than us as creatures. Finally, creatures can say that God the Father who is the First Principle of everything in existence is also their Father in the sense that He created all of them; however, it is in a less personal way than the direct paternity and filiation as the real relations between God the Father and His Only Begotten Son Lord Jesus Christ.  

Whether it is proper to the Father to be unbegotten?

It is proper for the Father to be known as “unbegotten,” because He is not from another and is known by paternity (The Father of the Son) and common spiration (The Holy Spirit comes from Him). This title unbegotten is proper to Him because of the property of innascibility as was mentioned before. 

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether the trinity of the divine persons can be known by natural reason?

God can be known by natural reason, for as the Apostle Paul says: Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. Although we cannot see God directly, we know He is there, just like when we see the effects of something but not the something directly, our natural reason identifies the cause through the evidence of the effect. The belief or unbelief in the cause of something has to do with human ignorance and misunderstanding, because the thought of a man cannot nullify what something is out of existence, even though the man cannot perceive it or understand it. Now, as it pertains to the persons of the Holy Trinity (God), this knowledge cannot be found through the use of natural reason, but is an article of faith (as the 2,000 year old Apostolic Roman Catholic Church proclaims to the entire world) and can only be attained through the teaching and preaching of creatures (those who are sent out). The creative power in God is of the unity of essence of the Godhead and is an effect of what it does, for one who does not recognize or know the Three Persons in God can easily believe that God (however they understand Him) does create things and sets the universe into motion, even though the faith to receive the Three Persons as He revealed to the entire world may not be present in the man who does not understand or can receive it at the moment. For as was stated before, the mind is finite and can only come to the understanding of things through parts as they are subjected to time (the measure of start to finish, birth and death). For example; if the man learns how to pop open the hood of the car, then the man will also learn how to jump start his car battery shortly after. Now, the Holy Trinity is infinite and is of eternity - beyond human understanding and faculties of reason through the corporeal senses. This truth must be received by faith, because as the Apostle also said: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. However, this does not mean that we are justified by faith alone, for faith is not the only thing which is required of a people (see the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes) as the gospel message and the old testament proclaims. Finally, it is most important to pick and choose correct battles that can actually be won distinctively, for if one were to debate an article of faith improperly, this failed method could lose more converts rather than gain, because the ridiculousness of the claims turn those considering the faith completely off from discovering the truth and thus finding salvation (which is the highest good for any person). For example, when sola scriptura/fide protestants deny the existence of dinosaurs and revealed science, such as the age of rocks and evidence of the surpassing time throughout the universe for the sake of promoting scripture, this brings more harm than good to the faith, and only leads others to mock the faith. Rather, one could simply remind the unbeliever that science is also the work of God’s hands and that the books of the Holy Bible are the human account of His creation as it pertains to Adam and Eve. Logically speaking, just because somebody doesn’t mention something, it does not mean that it never happened. It just simply means that it was never brought up in the account. This too is supposed to be received through faith (scripture), but when taught improperly, one strays from the faith, especially when it is taught by those with no authority (self-proclaimed teachers and shepherds who called themselves and laid hands upon themselves - which is an abomination). For when we take the next step and leap so as to prove the faith to another, we point to authority and the source of its power (The Church to which Christ Jesus is the head).   

Whether there are notions in God?

There are notions in God. We can accept this because of what Holy Scripture revealed to us notionally; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Even though The Holy Trinity and the Godhead was not mentioned specifically in the bible; notions do exist in God nonetheless. The use of demonstrating abstract terms to better describe God to others is not wrong. Since God is simple, where His intellect and will are one in the same, and because He is actual existence as opposed to creatures who are existence in potentiality (we exist through the agency of God), and since we can only identify the Persons of the Holy Trinity by their real relations to one another, paternity (Father), filiation (Son), and spiration of procession (Holy Spirit) through the notion and medium of our own understanding in knowledge to human affairs and relationships, the notions that are in God help people draw closer to Him for the building up of Heaven where there is eternal life and salvation. We can only understand Him to the extent of our own finite limits and qualities because He is infinity and what is limitless (Him) cannot be contained by what is limited (us), so when the Church demonstrates notions and divine things in God through its teaching because of its authority, it signifies simple forms with abstract terms, and signifies subsistent things with concrete terms, and it describes divine things through abstract names to express the simplicity of God which is divine while conveying its subsistence and completeness through concrete names. In conclusion, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas’ discourse, he says that “A notion is the proper idea whereby we know a Divine Person.” Therefore, since we know there are Three Persons in God, we obtain the proper idea as it relates to a Divine Person which comes forth from a notion in God which is received by faith which is taught by the authority of the Church (those in communion with the Seat of Peter, The Pope) and preached by those who are sent out. 

Whether there are five notions?

The Divine Essence of God is a reality. The Three Persons of the Divine Essence of God is also a reality. The notions in God are ideas of the Persons. Since there is One Essence of God and Trinity of Persons in God, the five notions in God do not equate to five persons, but rather make the Three Persons of the One Divine Essence in God clearer for us to understand in ways some words alone cannot describe completely. Think of a sandbox  that has hidden items underneath its sand with no intelligible form that is visible on the surface. For us to find the object so as to identify what they are, we must poke the sand around the object’s border until a form appears to us for eyes to see and comprehend. In the same way, notions in God help us to better understand the real relations in God which signified the Three Persons. There are five and they are:

-Innascibility: Means the idea that the Father is unbegotten and from no one. The First Mover who puts all things into motion from His initial movement. This is not a relation, but an idea. 
-Paternity: Being the source of another, the Father’s paternity can be known in two ways; through Filiation (He has an Only Begotten Son) and Common Spiration (because the Holy Spirit is from Him). This is also a real relation. 
-Filiation: The Son who is known to be begotten by The Father. Moreover, the Person of the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son as well (and the Father). This is also a real relation. 
-Common Spiration: The Person of the Holy Spirit can be known by the fact that He is from the Son and the Father (to which the Holy Spirit proceeds from both). This is also a real relation. 
-Procession: The Person of the Holy Spirit can be known by the fact that He proceeds from the Son. The person of the Holy Spirit can be known by the fact that He proceeds from the Father. However, the Person of the Holy Spirit does not have a Divine Person proceed from Him as The Father and Son does. This is also a real relation.  

Furthermore, there are three personal notions in God which signify a Divine Person, they are Paternity (The Father), Filiation (The Son), and Procession (The Holy Spirit) which we know as The Holy Trinity. However, the two notions of Persons are known as Innascibility (the idea of a person which is unbegotten) and Common Spiration (belonging to Two Divine Persons). .   

Whether it is lawful to have various contrary opinions of notions?

The notions in God are not articles of faith like belief in The Holy Trinity, the divinity of the Person of the Son, or the virgin birth of Lord Jesus Christ. There can be contrary opinions to the notions, just as long as it does not stray away from faith. For example, a false contrary opinion of notion that is heresy (determined by the authority of the Church, not an individual person’s interpretation) is believing that the Person of the Son is not divine, but a created being like humans or the angels. This would be an example of denying the faith directly. An example of a varying permissible notion in God that is not heretical could be different understandings and meanings within the parables that were taught in the gospel message. In another example, a false contrary notion in God that leads to heresy is not believing in what the scriptures tell us, such as in the slaughter of the innocents during the birth of Christ, or that John the Baptist never existed, thus calling scripture and the Word of God a liar. This would be an example of denying the faith indirectly. Furthermore, what may have been accepted in the past as up for debate, such as varying notions in God, in the absence of the Church making a definitive decision on the matter, finally becomes matters that have been decided upon and determined later in time as its consequences to the faith are made manifest, then it falls into the sphere of heresy when one strays from this decision and consensus by the Church (who have this authority through apostolic succession) by remaining in their belief and refusing to change on the matter in light of the known truth. 

​​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether there is trinity in God?

The number of persons in God is signified by the word “Trinity.” This word “Trinity” also signifies the one essence of three persons which was revealed to the whole world by divine teaching and revelation. Although we can only understand the Holy Trinity to a certain extent as mortal creatures, unbelievers and heretics have attempted throughout the ages to confuse others on the matter through misuse of words, false contradictions (misunderstandings, denial of the truth, or ignorance on their part), while often enough attempting to point would be believers or known believers to one extreme or the other. For example, the atheist could say, “If god made all things good, why is there flesh eating bacteria?” in an attempt to challenge the Divine Goodness of the Holy Trinity, or “The Trinity contradicts itself because the human mind cannot understand it,” in a vain attempt to assert that human beings (who are mortal creatures with finite understandings) are the purveyors and authors of truth and efficient causes and therefore if any human being is not capable of understanding something fully in its completeness, then it cannot possibly exist, while the pantheist says “Although my son died at such a young age, we are sure he returned back to the universe in the form of energy, atoms, and particles - so in this way he returns to the circle of life as in everything before him, and in this way he lives!” in another attempt to attribute the goodness of creation to mere chance and accidental occurrence.  In another example, the heretic might say, “God is a woman. This is what she said,” so as to spread confusion, and “The father is the son and the son is the holy spirit,” as in the heresy of modalism which falsely asserts the different modes of God which deny the Three Distinct Persons of God within One Essence (The Godhead). Now, if men could fully understand all of the known mysteries of the Trinity, then God would be a human invention, because what is infinite (God which is the Holy Trinity) cannot be contained within what is finite (the human mind). It’s like trying to empty and dump a lake into a dish bowl! This is why the Church proclaims to the world the Sacred Mysteries which mentions the Incarnation, the Sacraments, and the Holy Trinity not as something that should be received or proven through conventional means as if one was trying to find someone guilty in a court of law through evidence (although there is much evidence which proves God’s existence), but the mystery of all creation and being meant to be received through faith which offers the fullness of worship and truth by way of the gospel message of salvation for all mankind both near and far.     

Whether the Son is other than the Father?

Words to describe the Three Persons in the One Essence of God (Holy Trinity) can be used correctly or misused incorrectly. To avoid heresy and the spreading of confusion, words should be used carefully to avoid error when attempting to describe God. This should be done as if we were walking a tightrope while avoiding falling off either to the right or the left:

-Diversity: Word that is linked to the error of Arius who was the author of the arian heresy (believed Christ was made as a creature and not begotten). The word “DISTINCTION” is used instead in order not to take away from the unity of the essence in the Godhead.   
-Difference: Linked to the error of Arius. The word “DISTINCTION” is used instead in order not to take away from the unity of essence in the Godhead. 
-Separation: Should be avoided so as not to take away from the simplicity and singleness of the Divine Essence. 
-Division: Should be avoided so as not to take away from the simplicity and singleness of the Divine Essence. 
-Disparity: Should be avoided because it removes the quality of what is being described. Implies discrimination and injustice in the Moderni Age and not proper when describing the Holy Trinity.
-Alien: Should be avoided because it removes the quality of what is being described. Furthermore, there is a thought pattern in the Moderni Age (brought on by pop culture and faithlessness in general) which believes the Persons of the Holy Trinity are extraterrestrial beings from other planets who colonized earth who maintain continuous contact with parts of the human race. False beliefs such as this negate the divine quality of The Godhead and reduce it down to that of a created being which is simply located in a different part of the universe, thus reducing the quality of what is being described as stated earlier.  
-Discrepant: Should be avoided because it removes the quality of what is being described. Implies contradiction, but in God, there is no contradiction found because in Him there lies truth to the highest degree. 
-Singularity: We avoid this word to describe God because of the error of Sabellius who authored the heresy of modalism which believes there is only one person in God who reveals Himself in three different modes (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). 
-Only: When we say “God’s only Son,” we are correct, because there is no plurality of sons that are from God the Father. However, we do not use the word “only” as an adjective to describe God (without clarifying further) because the persons in God are several.
-Confused: What is one and whole is not confused, for there is no unity in confusion. Now, there is unity in God to the highest degree. 
-Solitary: Should be avoided because what is solitary or alone implies isolation, just as solitary confinement in a prison would mean one person sits in the cell, as the human mind would understand it. Since there are Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, it would be improper to infer that One of Them are isolated from another. 

Now, the word “Other” identifies the distinction of another person and hypostasis (individual substance of a rational nature or PERSON) when we rightfully proclaim that “the Son is other than the Father.”

Whether the exclusive word “alone” should be added to the essential term in God?

The word “alone” could be used in both the absolute or relative sense. If this word “alone” were to be used in the absolute sense in reference to God, then it could be mistaken by others that we mean that God as a Person is alone, void of the Person of the Son and the Person of the Holy Spirit. This should be avoided when referring to God. However, if we were to use it in the relative sense like most people do when referring to God in ordinary circumstances (Christians who believe in the Holy Trinity), by other words around the term “God alone,” we would come to the understanding of what an author meant because of its context and purpose. This would be acceptable because it does not deny the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity to which God (Who Is One Essence) revealed to all mankind. 

Examples:

Absolute Sense:

“There is no one other than God the Father, for all we need for salvation is God alone.”
“God alone is all that is needed.” (no more context to clarify, including no other texts clarifying the author’s positions on the matter)
“There is the Father, who is God alone.”
“God is not interested in human affairs, for He is up there in the Heavens alone and nobody is with Him.” (something a pagan author might say)
 “Faith alone, God alone.” (an author who says this who does not believe in the Holy Trinity, such as Jews, Muslims, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses)

Relative Sense:

“We need to put our trust in God alone.”
“Worship God alone.”
“Only God alone can save us now!”
“God alone is the truth.”
“My faith is in God alone.” (notice, we do not say “My faith is in God, who is alone,” which would not be proper)

We could also say that “God, who is seated on His throne in the Heavenly Kingdom, is not alone because He is with the Angels and Saints.” Although this statement is true, as it pertains to the Holy Trinity, it wouldn’t be clear enough to others if the statement was referring to the unity of essence, the denial of the Three Persons within The One Essence, or if it were just a literal statement which was not meant to address the concept of the Holy Trinity. More context would be needed. 

Whether an exclusive diction can be joined to the personal term?

As it pertains to the Holy Trinity, the Son and the Holy Spirit are other Persons of the Father, but not another thing. However, in the way we speak as people in our own languages, the word “alone” can be taken to exclude other people and things. Now, because of this, it is important to understand the context of what is being said in reference to the Holy Trinity along with its valid senses (absolute or relative). It should not always be taken literally because most people do not always speak strictly in the literal sense. Furthermore, knowing the position of the author beforehand also helps with the context of what is being said. For example, if a Catholic Bishop is speaking to a crowd about “God alone,” it can be logically inferred that he is not speaking out against the Holy Trinity as if he were denying both the Son and the Holy Spirit, but that in “God alone,” he is conveying a message pertaining to the faith (because Catholics believe in the Holy Trinity). Finally, when we refer to God as being the only true God, we are referring to the Holy Trinity who is ONE ESSENCE but in THREE PERSONS, even though we may not always mention the Divine Persons or the Divine Essence exclusively.

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether there are several persons in God?

There is only One God (One Essence) who is Three Persons (by relation). We know this because God revealed Himself to all mankind through His Patriarchs, Kings, Prophets, His Only Begotten Son, His Apostles, through His Saints, and those whom He chose to reveal Himself to, even little children! Now, He revealed Himself as The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  We recognize these persons by their real relations; by Paternity (Fatherhood), Filiation (Sonship), Spiration (Proceeding from the Source of Paternity and Filiation), and Procession (The Word (Jesus Christ), Holy Spirit (movement of the will through Love)). Furthermore, these relations are signified through the realities within the subsistence of the divine nature, not human nature (us). Now, the heretics and the blasphemers use language arguments to confuse and mislead, so as to trick others into professing a plurality of essences or different persons. Some go so far as to say the person of the Son is a creature and not divine (Muslims and Mormons etc.). Neo-Pagans of the Moderni Age view the Holy Trinity as one God among many along with their own backgrounds, history, and abilities. Theistic and non-theistic satanists go so far as to proclaim the chief fallen angel satan as the good god who received an ill portion from an unloving Father. But in truth, there is only One Living God who revealed Himself to the world and we know Him as The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit; The Name to which all the Christian faithful are baptized into!    

Whether there are more than three persons in God?

It may seem since there are four relations in God - Paternity (Father), Filiation (Son), Procession (There are only two possessions - The Word Made Flesh (Son) and Love (The Holy Spirit)), and Spiration (Impulse of the Will and Spirit of Truth which comes forth from both the Father and the Son), it may also seem good for someone to believe that there are four persons in God. However, this is false because SPIRATION cannot be separated from the person of the Father or the Son, but belongs to both. Furthermore, although SPIRATION is a real relation in God, it so happens not to be a personal relation in God which belongs solely to one or the other (Father or Son); rather, IT BELONGS TO BOTH. Thus, those who receive the Holy Spirit must acknowledge both the Father and the Son because The Spirit of Truth belongs to both of them. Think of it this way; can someone win the gift (in this sense, ACCIDENT) of the lottery without filling out the required numbers on the ticket? Absolutely not, for the chances and probability of one winning the lottery without filling out all of the assigned spaces to enter numbers is zero, for this lotto ticket would not be valid. It is important to understand that I am referring to ordinary circumstances in individuals; those who choose to remain in mortal sin (UNBELIEF is the highest mortal sin one can commit) and defile the temples of their bodies which create an unsuitable place for the Holy Spirit to dwell; just as antibodies reject organ donation and attack it, so does a defiled temple of the body and unconfessed mortal sin reject the Holy Spirit and attack it as well. So, some may say, “Well I don’t have to be baptized, I already have the Holy Spirit,” or “Us Jews just need the Father, for we do not need to acknowledge His Son because we are chosen,” and “Us Muslims believe Christ was just a prophet,” the failure to fully acknowledge who God truly is and how He revealed Himself to the world through His Church (the one with authority), places the soul in a type of spiritual poverty which deprives itself of the truth and ultimately salvation and the gift of the Spirit of the Living God to which all mankind is capable of receiving. To conclude, SPIRATION (the relation pertaining to God the Holy Spirit) is not a person as the Holy Spirit (Procession) is. It is simply a relation as in a property belonging to two other persons (as if both names were on the title of a vehicle, thus proving ownership). To clarify further; the three relations; which are Paternity, Filiation, and Procession signifies the persons of the Holy Trinity which are identified as the personal properties that declare personhood. As Christ Jesus, the Apostles, the Church Fathers, the Saints, and the visible Church (Roman Catholicism) that was left on earth which is the foundation and pillar of the truth who has proclaimed the gospel and message of salvation to the entire world since the 1st century since it was created by the Divine Will says; The Lord is One who we know as Three Persons, God The Father (Paternity), God The Son (Filiation), and God The Holy Spirit (Procession which is the person of the Holy Spirit Proceeding).     

Whether the numeral terms denote anything real in God?

The term “One” consists of what is indivisible and multitude. “One” is the idea and principle of a thing that is numbered or realized. It is also being, for there is only one of you and not many. Furthermore, one of you as a species is many and therefore are multitude, as there are many humans among the earth’s surface and in this way that too is also “One.” Multitude is the measure of what things are measured by which consists of incremental units. For example, when we refer to the term “One,” and we say The Lord Is One, we mean there is ONE GOD, BUT THREE PERSONS. Secondly, when we refer to the term “Multitude,” we say THE HOLY TRINITY, God The Father, God The Son, and God the Holy Spirit who are Three Persons within the multitude of The Holy Trinity under The Godhead WHO IS ONE. Now, when referring to multitude, this cannot be applied to God such as species and quantity as if we were referring to types of reptiles or primates within a genus and species because the terms ONE and MULTITUDE when referring to God transcends our understanding of substance and relation, so all we have left to ponder are examples within the material principle (matter, the universe, earth, and creatures) which fall short in explaining The Godhead fully because what is finite (the human mind) cannot ponder what is infinite (the Divine Mind) fully and with complete accuracy. Nonetheless, we try to understand God so as to draw closer to Him in closer union. As for numeral terms when referring to God, they are not real relations in God but just relations in as much as we as humans can understand and describe them (as when we refer to the Three Person of God in One Essence). Everything which follows from that is simply negation and only has negative meanings (so as to take away from what God isn’t so you can identify him better for Who He Is, for example - you wish to find a seashell underneath a pile of stones, so you remove the stones until the seashell becomes visible). Numeral terms denote something real in creatures such as identifying classes, species and taxonomy, but this does not apply to God. 

Whether this term “person” can be common to the three persons?

What a “person” is, is common to them. So, if we can call a human creature a PERSON, an angelic being a PERSON, all the more it is proper and right to refer to the PERSONS (The Holy Trinity) who created them both as PERSON. So, when somebody asks in reference to God, “Three what?” The Church says, “Three Persons.” This word person signifies the name of a reality that the name of “person” is common to the idea of the Three Divine Persons which subsist distinctively from one another in the divine nature. 

​​​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The definition of “person?”

Human beings can master things. For example, the mechanic can master the diesel engine, in that through a lifetime of study and experience, he can understand all of the parts which go to the diesel engine as he would know where they belong, how to replace them, and how to get them working together in unison. The mechanic masters the diesel engine because it is a human invention; a man-made construct, for the diesel engine contains a finite quantity of parts in the material principle to which humans are subjected to. Not so for the Holy Trinity, for the Holy Trinity is not a creature or an invention of man, nor is the Holy Trinity subjected to the material principle alone (like material creatures are such as birds, insects, and fish). Furthermore, The Holy Trinity is  not of the same genus as human, nor is the Holy Trinity of the same substance as the creature or of the same order as human beings. For if the human could master the Holy Trinity and know all of its mysteries, which is infinite, eternal, and immeasurable, then the Holy Trinity would be a human invention and not Divine. However, this is not the case, and is why no human person can understand the Holy Trinity in its fullness; for if any creature could understand the Holy Trinity in its fullness, then the Holy Trinity would not be God, but a human invention like a diesel engine! However, this is not the case, for the Holy Trinity definitely is God which consists of One (essence) in Three Persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and Three Persons in One (divine), for God is truly One, as the Lord proclaimed to every living creature through His Word (Son). Now, to understand the Holy Trinity in a more accurate way (according to our likeness as creature), and in a way we can understand it through parts (quantity), specific distinctions should be made with their definitions in an effort to define what “person” is, in the language of Saint Thomas Aquinas’ discourse:

-Essence: What something is. Found in a particular. 
-Form: The boundary and shape around the essence of something  Also found in a particular.  
-Universal: Through the whole, consisting of many particulars. 
-Particular: Things that exist in relation to one another, such as “a bush,” and “a cat.” 
-Singular: Consists of the universal and particular. 
-Order: The arrangement or disposition of things in relation to one another.
-Genus: A group or class of something consisting of many categories.
-Species: Within a genus and a more specific category of many kinds, such as human or bird. 
-Individual: Same kind, autonomous in number. Many of the same things. Like a pile of stones.  
-Individualized: Distinctive or more apparent. 
-Substance: Where the individual is found individualized distinctively. Also found in a genus.   
-Rational Substance: Substances that act on themselves with dominion over their own actions. 
-Individual Substance: A thing that is distinct, but not rational. For example; “this rock.”
-Hypostases: Known as first substances. Individuals of the genus substance. Like a human who has a body that receives a soul fashioned to it, thus one person, not two. 
-Subject: The formal perspective of what something is through use of the intellect. Also, a being situated in relation to other things that exist outside itself (everything exists within God because of God), so the term subject pertains to things not of God. 
-Accident: Potentiality, such as the decisions of the freewill which is not attributed to God. 
-Nature: The essence of something in matter completed by its form. 
-Rational Nature: What is proper to a rational substance by its natural inclination. 
-Person: Individual substance with an added rational nature (rational substance) signified by the singular. For example, “this is Karen,” or “meet my friend Joe,” and “Archangel Michael, defend us in battle!”

It is important to note that the Holy Trinity which is divine and God does not consist of subject or accident, for there are no accidents in God, because He is actual being. For humans (and angels), we are being in potentiality, in that we are non-existence that partakes in the giving life and agency of God who is actual existence, and it so happens that He has given humans and angels a freewill as a gift because of election and dominion, so what follows from this is that the decisions of the freewill by their subjects is what becomes an accident and in this way the evil that creatures do (falling short or not adding up to what they were made for) is not attributed to God who made all things good and where nothing is an accident through him, but only in creatures by their freewill who are beings in potentiality as stated earlier. Now, it is also important to remember that God is simple and not consisting of any parts, but for humans, we consist of many parts of the body that wrap around an intellect (a soul or spirit), and this is what we call a composite being in potentiality (in that we have our existence through His actual existence). Finally,  the soul of a person belong to its species, and although it may be separate from the body as a part not linked to an organ (quantity), it cannot be classified as a separate individual substance because it belongs to the first substance of the body (hypostases) until the first death (referring to the body which is inevitable), as the second death pertains to the spirit (which is optional), just as a foot cannot be designated as a person because it does not meet the full definition of what is being described.     

Whether “person” is the same as hypostasis, subsistence, and essence?

Depending how these words are being used, language arguments can come into play which draw confusion on the matter. Even more so, those within beliefs other than Christian along with heretical sects have used such words for their own purposes to spread confusion and heresy for their inward causes. For example, the Mormons who believe they can become God and divine do not acknowledge (by faith) the essence of the Holy Trinity, for they believe The Only Begotten Son (Filiation and Christ Jesus) of God the Father (Paternity and Unbegotten) is a mere creature (the Arian heresy) and not divine. In this way, they profess a different essence, thus falling short in accepting the truth of the divine essence which is One in Three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). For those who cling to these errors - how can they worship and be at peace in the spirit in Heaven with God forever, if they themselves believe they are to be on the same level as Him? For God does not have competitors, nor are those who subscribe to the non-Christian belief of Mormonism could ever stand in the presence of a High King if they too believed they would be such a thing so as to compete with Him! It is as if a stranger on the street walked into the White House and expected to be listened to, revered, and honored as the President who already reigns in the office! Now, the twofold and threefold senses of hypostasis, subsistence, and essence within their own context adds to the confusion (brought forth by heretics) and are used for the purposes of the self-condemned to lead many souls to perdition. Finally, it should be said that hypostasis, subsistence, and essence are the essential principles of what makes up a person in creatures and in God, but they must be used in a correct manner in the proper sense and context. For more clarity upon this matter, I would suggest reading the text in Saint Thomas Aquinas’ own words while in a state of grace with a humble and faithful disposition. 

See: 

Summa Theologiae I, Q. 29, A. 2

https://www.newadvent.org/summa/1029.htm

Whether the word “person” should be said of God?

The dignity of man and angelic beings are held in high regard because of the rational nature of their substances (personhood). Now, the Lord Who is God of man and angel along with everything in being has the dignity of the divine nature which excels all dignities of creatures, matter, and form which is also most perfect than all other natures; so in this way, the word “person” ultimately and pre-eminently belongs to God to the highest degree - He Who Is the Source of Everything. Heretics and neo-pagans (enemies of God) in the Moderni Age have used confusing language to deny the one essence of God with its Three Persons while often tricking those who are misinformed about God into professing several essences, or even seeking to promote creatures as divine, as we see with those who worship the demons as false gods (to their own destruction). Now, because of this, It is most perfect, right, and accurate to use the word of “person” when pertaining to God, for He is the First Intellect, the Highest Intelligence, and the sum of everything that is good and righteous, for there is no knowledge, happening, or becoming that He is not aware of while at the same time there is nothing which can subject Him to anything because everything is subjected to Him (literally, not metaphorically). So, if the creature (human and angel) is afforded the dignity of personhood by those who mention them, all the more for The First Person who created all of them into existence who is deserving of the highest dignity and honor by all creation which is subjected to Him!

Whether this word “person” signifies relation?

The distinction of the Three Persons in the Godhead (Holy Trinity) is made by the relation of origin. In so far as we are speaking of a person and what we know of a person, a relation is identified to another person as it pertains to the one person being mentioned. For example, one could say “the police officer arrested him?” Arrested who? The criminal. In another way, it can be said, “The doctor prescribed the medication to her before she was discharged.” Who was discharged? The patient. Now, we know the Son is the Son of the Father because He comes forth by way of Filiation, for He is truly begotten of the Father, and is the Word Made Flesh, as the Word of God boldly proclaims. We also recognize the distinction of the Father from the Son by way of Paternity, for the Father is truly unbegotten, as He alone is the First Principle. Furthermore, we know the Holy Spirit by way of its Spiration from the Father and the Son, for whoever denies the Father and the Son cannot receive the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Truth and is also a movement of Love which proceeds unto creatures who receive this gift, for the Three in One and One in Three are One Essence and not merely just modes of God. The divine essence subsists within itself and its personhood signifies their relations to one another by their real relations. Another way to understand this; it could be said that we know what is cold because of what hot feels like, thus our minds can identify that hot and cold are not the same, but two different things (because of their relations to one another which are real relations). In the same way, we can say that we know there is a daughter to a mother because of the real relationship that exists between the two, for this distinction distinguishes the two as separate persons (plurality) and not as a single person (singular). 

​​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether there are real relations in God?

There are real relations in God. The Father is from paternity while the Son is from filiation. In other words, The Father is not begotten of anyone or anything, because He is the First Mover, He Who Puts all Things into Motion and who Himself is unmoved. Furthermore, everything in existence springs forth from Him, as there is nothing prior or before Him. As for Son, who is the Word Made Flesh as the apostle John proclaimed in His gospel, The Son comes from the Father as begotten from a conjoined living principle; representing the nature of the Father (Divine), who is God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. These relations are real and in the literal sense. It is not a metaphor, as some have falsely suggested when they consider the Son as a high level manager, prophet, or messenger who is that of a creature and not Divine or from the same substance as the Father.  

Whether relation in God is the same as His essence?

Everything that is not of the Divine Essence is a creature and not worthy of the highest worship which is only reserved for the Godhead which is truly One Essence; One in Three and Three in One, The Father (intellect, first principle, not begotten), The Son (intellect, begotten by an eternal generation, and word), and Holy Spirit (impulse of the will, procession of Love, Truth, and Advocate which comes forth from the Father and Son by an eternal procession). 

Whether the relations in God are really distinguished from each other?

The relations in God between Father (intellect, not begotten, the first principle), Son (intellect, begotten, procession of the word) and Holy Spirit (will, procession of love, truth, and advocate) are clearly distinguished from one another. The Father is by paternity, as He is the First Principle, and the Son is by filiation, as He is the Word Made Flesh, begotten (in the literal sense); for example, in a way we can understand this - as a human son (who is creature) comes from a human father (who is also creature) from the same substance as the father in the same likeness with the same attributes and traits as observed through the human family in accordance with natural law as we see in the material principle which is subjected to time (birth and death). From spiration, in that the Holy Spirit which is WILL and IMPULSE proceeds into the world by way of LOVE and TRUTH from both the Father (pure intellect, source of everything) and Son (intellect and word). We also see this in the Kings and Prophets of Israel who received the Holy Spirit before Pentecost and before when Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth in His human nature; for they too knew Him, acknowledged Him, and wrote about Him, even though the rest of the world did not know Him or could even bring themselves to accept Him. Finally, we distinguish them by their processions as when the bible is read in a solemn assembly and when a composite of flesh and spirit (a human), by sanctifying grace, establishes their holy body as a proper temple and dwelling place for the Holy Spirit as when the Holy Spirit illuminates the consciousness and mind of the person to confess their sins, testify truthfully, and to keep a pledge; come what may!  

Whether in God there are only four real relations-paternity, filiation, spiration, and procession?

There are only four real relations in God. Furthermore, there are two ways to understand real relations; one, by its parts as they relate to one another (quantity), two by the action in relation to one another (doer to the deed). For example, the rider of a horse to the horse, a driver of the car to the car, so this is how we understand relations to one another - through their parts (quantity) and the one who does something (the deed). Now, God does not consist of many parts (quantity) because as was stated before, He is simple and whole (eternal with no beginning or end), for His intellect and will are one in the same, and He understands all things in existence, not in existence, or could be in existence by one simple act of knowing (because He is the source of all of it in a way we do not understand as creatures). Therefore, we can not understand the relation in God through His quantity of parts, for no such thing exists in Him. Now, we as creatures understand real relation in other things that are not God to quantity and parts because of our own subjection to time (start to finish, birth to death, corruption and decay), for we understand one thing by way of another, and from that knowledge we discover new knowledge of a thing that pertains to it, and in this way, by successive movements (time) we understand things. So, in order for us to understand real relations in God it must be linked to an action. These actions are the procession of the intellect (Son) which is also the Word (scripture) and is also known as generation which is proper to life and living things. The second action of procession is that of the will (Holy Spirit) which is also love. Now, considering these two processions of God, opposite relations exist; the First Principle (God the Father) to which all life originates from is of paternity, while the Word (Son and Begotten) proceeds from this First Principle where the relation is filiation. As for the procession of Love (Holy Spirit), the relation is to the Father and Son which is called spiration because it proceeds from them, for anyone who receives the Holy Spirit must acknowledge both the Father and Son (as when one performs the action of the sign of the cross as a show of faith). Finally, we know the four relations by their two processions, not by their parts or quantity, because no creature could understand the Holy Trinity by way of parts or quantity, for such is immeasurable, but we can somewhat know the Holy Trinity by their actions (proceeding by way of Word and Intellect and by way of Love and Will). 

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether there is procession in God?

There is a procession of God. This is understood as proceeding FROM a source (God) TO a calculated end (goodness) by an Undiminished Primary Substance (also God), but not as we understand it in the material principle, as if a fourth of July parade were marching through the streets in an orderly fashion from start to finish. In another way, when we start a burner and place a pot over it with water, the heat from the fire transfers to the pot and boils the water. From there, we pour the water into a cup and it becomes something else (like a cup of tea). This is an orderly movement which originated from a source (the will of the one making tea) and we best can understand its procession by its effects (a cup of tea to drink). The fire does not become the tea, nor does the pot become the boiling water. Now, we can not apply these examples in the material principle to the procession of God fully with accuracy, because God is above all things, and it is improper to understand God truly by the procession of creatures, similitudes which fall short, or lower things in nature which cannot equal Him. Rather, it would be more appropriate to say that what comes forth and proceeds from God does not leave Him, but still remains in Him as belonging to Him. In this way, the First Principle is unchanging, as He is the First Mover who puts all things into motion, who Himself is unmoved. Where some have fallen into error, they believed the Son and the Holy Spirit came from the Father as a primary creature (like a high level angel or the highest level manager giving reports back to the owner of a business) rather than from the same substance equal to the Father, thus reducing God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to a creature of their own likeness as human (limited and bound to their own understanding) while shifting from the First Principle to another as if effects could nullify causes, which is impossible. Even more so, those who fell into error and who have strayed away from the fundamental belief which makes one a Christian (The Holy Trinity), remained in the false belief that the procession which takes place from the Source of Life (God who is One in Three and Three in One) became a mere effect, thus denying the Divinity of whom God revealed to us as True God/True Man (Son) and the Spirit Advocate (Holy Spirit). Finally, the Word of God uses names and descriptions to help us understand His procession and in this way the voice and letter of what we hear or read aligns with what is already present in our heart but was silent because God has given all humans, who are rational beings like the angels, the intellect to know Him and receive Him, even if they still choose to use their own freewill to reject Him which is another way of succumbing to hatred of self and others, for if someone cannot love the Source of Everything, this one cannot even love others around them as they should, nor can this one even love oneself! 

Whether any procession in God can be called generation?

Procession in God can be called generation. This has two layers: the first layer means the transition from non-existence to existence, non-being to being, and nothingness (not the state of death) to life. The second layer is coming forth by generation into existence from a conjoined living principle to which we know as being brought into the world by way of resembling someone or something else. For example, a husband and wife have a child and that child comes out of the womb with fingers and toes, hair, two eyeballs, a face, limbs, and skin which is similar to the newborn baby’s parents. Human springs forth from humans, while reptiles spring forth from reptiles, but the source of all of them is the First Living Principle which we know as God; conjoined by a similar likeness/image/trait/spirit, as the Lord said “let us make man in our image according to our likeness.” On the other hand, it would not be proper to call a parasitic worm in the stomach a begotten son or a pimple upon the skin surface an extension of one’s being. Nor would it even be proper to say that a toe, since it is part of your body, could be in comparison to a child which also springs forth from one’s body. Would the parent equate the same value to the child as the toe, the pimple, or the parasitic worm found in the stomach? Absolutely not, for these things mentioned which are part of the body are not worthy of sonship because they do not reflect the same nature of the one whom the generation came forth. Furthermore, while containing one layer, they ultimately lack both layers of what we know to be generation in the sense of life springing forth from a conjoined principle resembling the source. Now, as it is for God and the procession of the Word, which is The Son (who is The Word made flesh), we see that it is rightly called generation as The Word proceeding from The Father is rightly called Son (Lord Jesus Christ).

Whether any other procession exists in God besides that of the Word?

There are two processions in God: First, the procession of The Word which is rightfully called Son and Begotten (to which we know as The Christ or Messiah); Second, the procession of Love which is also known as the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, and The Helper as the Holy Apostle John proclaims from his gospel in John 14:16 where he quotes the direct words from Lord Jesus Christ Himself as an eye witness.   

Whether the procession of love in God is generation?

As the Church fathers have stated plainly so as to make clear to everyone; the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son as proceeding forth into the world by a movement of Love and is not begotten as the Son is. Now, to expand upon this distinction, one must plainly understand the differentiation of intellect and will. By way of the intellect, generation occurs in that what springs forth by an intelligible action (birth, works, intelligent operations) resembles the likeness of the intellect from which the generation occurred and this is known as begotten. As for the movement of the will which springs forth from the intellect, this must be known as an impulse or willful movement towards an object for a set purpose while not becoming the same procession as we see in the Son as begotten, but rather a different procession known as Love which is the Spirit of Truth.  To elaborate further, to receive the Holy Spirit in fullness without diminishment, one must not only acknowledge the Father, but also acknowledge His Son because nobody who denies either the Father or the Son can receive The Holy Spirit which proceeds from both the Father and the Son. 

Whether there are more than two processions in God?

There are only two processions in God coming forth from the intellect and the will; the procession of the Son who is begotten (intellect), and the procession of Love (the Spirit of Truth) which is the Holy Spirit (will). Remembering that God is in the fullness of understanding of all things in existence or could exist by one simple act while also willing all things into existence that do exist by this same act. The Oneness of His actions in creation through His Word (Son) and Love (Holy Spirit) are sufficient and made whole. Therefore, there are only two processions in God and they are sufficient for what is needed.

I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 27-49 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether beatitude belongs to God?


Beatitude belongs to God in the highest degree. This is to attribute what is perfect, glorious, intelligent, possessing every excellent virtue and manner, the maximum of love and charity, and the climatic state of being. All of this rightly and justly belongs to the Living God who is all of these things.


Whether God is called blessed in respect of His intellect?


To be and to understand is one in the same with God, for He is simple. For all things move to attain happiness by way of its nature, so as to find rest in its calculated end, and it just so happens that beatitude is the perfect good of an intellectual nature. Furthermore, the intellect as we know it is the soul wrapped in a human body. But God is the First intellect, to which all intellects spring forth from. In this, He is the maximum of all things, and so it is rightly said that we should call Him blessed in respect to His intellect.
 
Whether God is the beatitude of each of the blessed?


Beatitude is said to be the supreme good in an absolute manner. Since life in the spirit is of an intellectual existence and being, it can be said that beatitude is of an intellectual attainment and state of glory. The calculated end for the intellectual being is rest and glory in Him, and it could be understood that everyone is blessed from the occurrence that someone knows and understands God, and in another way, the act of understanding this through the created is what beautifies creatures. However, in God, this is uncreated, and has always been there from the beginning. So, the Lord for the Lord’s sake, as who is the Reward of all rewards, fulfills what is sought in the created who seeks it, and in this way, God is the beatitude of the blessed.


Whether all other beatitude is included in the beatitude of God?


What is beautiful, attractive, and worthy of admiration and exaltation is found in God who pre-exists all things that are desirable to the highest degree. For what riches may attain, God has through complete self-sufficiency. For what is sought out after fame, God obtains this in that everything living admires and moves to Him (even when rejecting Him, unbelievers and those in denial know the idea of Him is something beyond them, and in this way they also admire Him). For what is power on earth in the material principle, is omnipresence and might in God to the highest degree throughout the universe in what exists, doesn’t exist, and could exist. For what is ownership, possession, property, and false “love” to creatures (equating what is love with sexual immorality and decadence); in God it is Fathership to ownership, the breaking of a yoke to what is owned and controlled, good stewardship in what someone is responsible and accountable for, and the wishing of the ultimate good for the sake of another out of love to what is sexual immorality. So, in all of these things humans and creatures seek on earth and in the material principle His presence, and are led back to the Divine Beatitude which is in God who are all these things to the highest degree at the height of His maximum.

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether there is power in God?


God is power to the highest degree. Power can be thought of in two ways: one, passively which is not in God (the governments, authority, influences, and rules of men); two, active power in God which is the maximum of all power set forth into existence. It is important to realize that God is simple, He alone is Actual Being (as opposed to creatures who are potential being), the maximum of all perfections, of His own Divine Essence which is His will, His knowledge, His wisdom, and His Intellect, the Unmoved who is The First Mover who puts all things into motion, the Primary Cause of all causes - for secondary contingent causes are allowed by His agency, and of course the First and Last Principle of all things. Furthermore, what is the principle of something is the cause of something, for something cannot be something without this leading it to its calculated end. Now, because of this, He truly is power that is of its own order to which nothing compares, and in this way there truly is power in God.
 
Whether the power of God is infinite?


Active power exists in something as much as it can be measured. For example, a flame thrower being used to clear out enemy machine-gun emplacements on a beachhead will be received in the measure according to its likeness, in that scorching hot flame shall reach upwards of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit at a distance of twenty to thirty feet charring everything in its path until its fuel is expended. In this, the flamethrower being put into service in wartime has a finite use and purpose and its power is demonstrated for a time as it is employed correctly. Now in God, who is infinite, there can not be a measure in comparison to anything we understand, nor is there anything (both items, natural bodies, creatures of spirit and flesh) that can receive or comprehend His infinity. For His measures are the stars, the laws of the universe, and all causes and happenings start to finish. These things can not be manipulated by creatures or anything we truly can measure in our own perception of understanding. Therefore, in this way, God’s power is truly infinite.


Whether God is omnipotent?


God is said to be omnipotent in that nothing shall escape His sight or Essence of knowing, which is one aspect of omnipotence. For when a tick enters a deer, He knows it. When a fly is squished up against a wall, He knows it. When the evil man fosters schemes in his heart to oppress his neighbor so as to extract sorted gain for himself, He knows it. Furthermore, it is said that God can do all things absolutely according to His will and that His purposes shall never fail, for the building up and ordering of the universe. Also in these ways, God is known to be omnipotent as we can understand it. Finally, the true infinite form of His omnipotence is not perceivable by creatures in any measurable sense, so another proper word to describe the omnipotent perpetual state of God is infinity, to which He has power alone absolutely, which is immeasurable and inconceivable by anything which is set forth into existence from Him by way of His Agency.
 
Whether God can make the past not to have been?


A contradiction is impossible in the Divine Essence of God. To think something can be undone which has been done implies a contradiction, because what has been or not been in the past, so as to do or undo it, does not fall under the Divine Power. In the same way, someone who has been forgiven of past sins is forgiven and must move forward. That person has still sinned, and just because they are forgiven, does not mean they have not sinned in the past, for such a thing which had occurred in reality cannot be removed, nor is it the prerogative of God to undo what has already been done. This should not be confused with His mercy, which is greater than His wrath, because He is happy to forgive and pardon those who are truly contrite of their offenses towards Him so they may receive eternal life in Him, but in no way does it mean the thing which occurred never occurred, for this would be a contradiction and a lie. In more serious terms, a subjective reality based on untruth, and it so happens that God is objective, reality itself, and the truth to the highest degree, and there is no lack of being in Him, for He is the maximum of all perfections as we know them.


Whether God can do what He does not?


God does what He does in accordance with His absolute power. His power does not come forth from His will, but from His very nature, and in this God does what He wills to do because He can do whatever He wills so as to achieve the Divine Goodness which exceeds beyond the measure of creation. Even if He does not do something, this does mean he was incapable of doing it, but rather by way of His will, His actuality, His Divine Essence, His wisdom, His Divine Power and His Providence - which are all one in the same simply, He chose to simply not do what He could have done or put off what might be done in order for secondary causes to be utilized to which He allows within His Primary Causes of things for the just ordering and building up of the universe and beautification of His holy ones and creation. Surely, He could have done what He did not do, but by way of His wisdom which is carried out by His will, He chose to do what He has done. Therefore, God can do what He does not.
   
Whether God can do better than what He does?


In what is good or could be better, it could be understood in two ways: one, the essence of something is in accordance with its likeness (a tree must be a tree, and if it were cut down and changed into lumber for the building up of a house, it would no longer be a tree), for if this were altered, then the thing would seize to be the thing for which it was meant to be, and would become something else, and this is impossible (in that something wasn’t made as it was supposed to be in its natural state that it is in); two, attaining betterment for something that is already in the state it is in, so as to achieve greater goodness and beatitude, for God can make better what He has already created. Indeed, God can do better than what He does in this sense, in that He shall instill virtue and wisdom into the unbeliever by way of the Holy Spirit and Providence so this one shall be in a better state than before, ready for any good work for building up of the Kingdom of God, and preparing the soul for glory in His presence from a state that was otherwise detestable or dying by way of its free will choices to sin and do what is improper.

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether the book of life is the same as predestination?


The Book of Life and Predestination are one in the same, but in different aspects. For anyone who is being called up for service, a record of such is kept with their names listed, so as to identify who is set apart for what type of service or use. Furthermore, God determined those for eternal life by His will, which comes forth from His Ideas and Intellect which are simple. So, for a book to have names ascribed to it for its set purpose is a sign in Him for those who are brought to eternal life. In a different sense, the book of life can be attributed to the Divine Energy which works in the heart and mind of the one being saved, in that His laws and precepts are written on their hearts and in their minds by way of Supernatural Grace, as the Lord promised His people would when those who were subjected to the Law of Moses did not carry out the Law of Moses because of their continuous efforts of falling short and making themselves displeasing in the sight of the Lord their God. It is also a common practice of the Church every year to have its Catechumens (those entering the Church/candidates for baptism) sign the book of life (also called the book of the elect) during Lent before their baptisms at Easter Vigil, as a sign to those of the Church and to God of their intentions to belong to Him.


Whether the book of life regards only the life of glory of the predestined?
 
The end state of something should be what was intended from the beginning. For example, if you hire a roofer to fix your roof, then your roof should be fixed when he is complete with his work. So it is for those who attain glory through God’s Predestination, for He will always achieve the end for which He began. To place in a more concrete way, the end of glory “shall exceed human nature,” as Saint Thomas Aquinas puts it boldly. Furthermore, the life of Grace is the aspect of an end which directs it, but is not the end within itself. For those who go so far as to draw closer to God but choose to turn back slightly (not fully) by their own freewill, may have some participation in eternal life in a relative manner, but not fully - as the Holy Apostle Paul mentioned to the Corinthians the multiple levels of heaven. Keep in mind, this in no way implies those that are destined for hell by their deeds and free will choices are to share in the glory of the just and righteous.


Whether anyone may be blotted out of the book of life?


Some opinions of men, as in the universalist sects, believe nobody will be blotted out of the book of life because a “loving god” is not capable of condemning a soul to eternal punishment. This notion is false because the good men think they do or observe in others at the present time, come to the realization of their fallen state at the point when they are blotted out of the book of life by way of mortal sin. For what is inscribed or removed on a roll of names in the book of life is not a matter of the opinion of men, but is a reality of God who is also a God of Justice and who gives each and everyone justly according to what their deeds deserve. Furthermore, the book of life is the inscription of those who are destined for eternal life in two ways: one, through Divine Predestination which has a certain trajectory that will not fail; two, from grace, for whoever has grace has been fitted in the garments of eternal life (in a relative manner). However, by mortal sin and the free will choice to do wrong and fall short by way of unchecked sin (deficiency), the one fitted in the Holy white garments of eternal life by grace can choose to remove those garments, and when they do so, they fall from grace. So, in this, it just so has it that those predestined for eternal life by God’s will are inscribed in the book of life simply, and those who are written down in the book of life by grace are said to inherit eternal life relatively, in as much as they remain in grace by way of the free will and refrain from mortal sin so as to not stumble and be blotted out of the book of life. 

 ​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether men are predestined by God?
 
Everything is subjected to the Divine Providence of the Living God. Therefore, it is proper for people to be predestined by God. Now, this is separate from the calvinist view of “double predestination” which was a product of the protestant reformation in that a sign of worldly success through material possessions confirmed in their own minds that they were saved and were going to heaven, or other views of predestination which negates the free will of man and pushes the false narrative that God has already predetermined our reward and punishment, thus there is nothing we can do better or worse so as to please Him or do good to those around us. As mentioned earlier, God allows for Primary and Secondary causes by way of the freewill so as to lead back to His end which is rest in Him. Rather, the predestination that Saint Thomas Aquinas mentions has two parts which finds its rest and end in God; one, eternal life in a state where our intellect (soul) is raised up to see Him and have the knowledge of Him in glory. The second end, reaching beyond the proportion and faculties of nature by the power of its own nature. If by the power of the creature’s own nature cannot reach for what it was meant for by its own ability, skill, knowledge, or understanding, then it must be guided to it through assistance, just as a rock on a sling is pulled back and aimed at a target. Surely, the rock (the person meant for eternal life) makes a good projectile and can damage its target (eternal life in the presence of God in glory), but that is not enough and it can not do it on its own. It needs something more; in this case, a slingshot (Providence) and someone to aim it and release it (God’s will for that soul to be saved - predestination). So it is for predestination in that God’s intellect and will, He directs men by His Providence, the just ordering of things, to glory in eternal life even if they are lacking the ability to currently do so at the moment because of sin, ignorance, disobedience, confusion, and the like. Thus there is the illuminating light from the Spirit of Grace which raises up the intellect to the knowledge of the Truth, and to which guides its projectile on to target where it should so as to experience eternal life in the realm of the living. This concept also applies to angels, as God predestined them to know Him and have no end. So it is for people, whom He gives His grace to so they are preserved.      


Whether predestination places anything in the predestined?


To predestine someone or something is to have the idea of what should occur in the mind of the one who is making the decision. For example, a man purchases lumber for the purpose of building a shed. He predestines the purchased lumber to be cut and measured by calculated dimensions and forms to be assembled into something which shall store his desired goods. In this case, the becoming of a shed for storage made of wood is the calculated end of the purchased lumber which the builder predestines use of. In this action, nothing is in the lumber as if the decision to turn it into a shed was its own, for that resides in the builder’s mind (Predestination) and will which guides the pieces of wood in an orderly fashion to be assembled into a functional shed (Providence). Now, for the Divine Mind of God, the execution of His Providence is what we know as government, as was stated earlier, and this is a function carried out passively (as in a secondary causality allowed by God). For it was stated that God correctly orders things to their end and rest in Him, often directly (from Him actively), and by way of others through their choices and actions (from Him passively). This is what we call Providence. Now, from Providence we get Predestination, which is a type of ordering of some person’s eternal salvation. This does not belong to the person being saved, but only to God. For those who lack the ability to be saved will be given what they need to be saved as they may receive directly the Grace of God’s gifts, or  receive passively from Him through others when someone hears a heart wrenching speech, intercessory prayers by devout Holy People, experience in the penal system, trials in warfare, or a series of unfortunate events that may bring the heart back to God so as to endure, survive, or go on living through the trauma experienced which may become unbearable to the soul which does not have assistance in attaining salvation through Him. Hence, God makes good come from evil, even though He doesn’t cause the evil that occurred through the actions of the free will in creatures; while even in this He carries out the decision of Predestination for others through His Providence.
  
Whether God reprobates any man?


God does reprobate some, but not on account of necessity as if this person were to be damned from birth, but on condition in that they do what they ought not to do in full knowledge of wrongdoing while also still refusing to repent or change their ways, so as to fall away from an end that would have resulted in their glory and beatitude. Furthermore, as Predestination falls under Providence which brings creation into glory, while also allowing for defect in them, so it is for reprobation which also belongs to Predestination in that they do not achieve that glory because of the condition they chose by their freewill. So it is for the Predestined to be glorified, it is also for the reprobate to be permitted to fall into sin and receive the punishment of damnation on account of those sins. Thus we all shall account for our deeds and motives, and the martyrs died to bring salvation to those in darkness; because if salvation exists, so must damnation exist all the more, and if nobody were accountable for their actions, then there would be no reward or punishment, nor would there be free will, or a crown of glory or a whip of chastisement.


Whether the predestined are chosen by God?


The Predestined are subjected to God’s election and love. In this way, it can be said that they are “chosen” by God in that He wills a good for them in a different way than someone else. So, in this way, they are Predestined for this good that was meant for them. Providence is also known as prudence because in another way it can be described as a plan existing in someone’s intellect for the correct ordering of something for the purpose of a calculated end. Furthermore, how can something be directed to an end, if an end was never established for that something from the beginning? For in the will, a plan is devised and its end is carried out, some necessarily (active action of God) and others conditionally (passive action of God) as was stated earlier, so it is what we call Providence; and from this, those presupposed for eternal salvation are Predestined because there is a formulated end for them by way of prudence (the plan and ordering of the will). Now, in the order of reason, Predestination must be before election, and election before love while all of this is belonging to Providence (the correct ordering of things). Now, as for love, it can be said God “loves'' the Predestined because He wills a specific good for them higher or lower than others who may also receive their own type of good from Him according to His love; for when we love someone (not as God loves someone), it is because we recognized a good in them, thus we are incited to love that good which already exists and as a result we end up loving someone. But for God, His love is the kind that causes goodness in others, for our own love does not cause good in others and in this way “election” precedes love in us. As for election to God, as He wills a good for others and takes active steps to further carry out that end state of goodness, He also reprobates others who fail the condition (free will choice to neglect what was meant for them) leading to Glory and Beatitude, thus permitting them to fall further into sin and ultimate damnation.  Additionally, it is important to realize that election and love is ordered differently in God as compared to people in reverse order. So, for God, love is before election, and election comes before Predestination (all still continuing to fall under Providence) because by way of God’s great love, He is the cause of goodness in all, and those whom He loves He also elects (calls), and for those who He loves through election is also the same ones whom He Predestined according to His Divine Providence. See for yourself, when you yourself “love” something, is your belief or feeling the cause of the goodness in the thing you identified worthy of your love? No, it already existed there, and you are now coming to the realization of its presence and you cannot help but to love that quality or attribute you see to which attracts your senses (both physically and spiritually). Know this, it is really God who put that there, for His love causes goodness in others, and although the act you may think which is love being directed towards another, what you are actually doing is loving God in a lesser state or form of worship, for you see His work and presence, but you do not acknowledge it as such. Nonetheless, you love what you see and seek to be in its presence!


Whether the foreknowledge of merits is the cause of predestination?


Some in the past believed that the good deeds we may have committed in a former life are now being made manifest to us in this life on the basis of past merits. Also, there are some who have believed that the different states based on the merits of work in a past life has given us a diversity of different states of grace that are received in the present, as if Predestination were dependent upon the freewill of man to act accordingly and be rewarded in kind. Furthermore, others have said that the effects following Predestination are the reason why it occurred. This is all false, because an act (doing something) which comes forth from the free will (thinking about it) cannot happen before the free will devises the decision to carry out an act, and in this way, it cannot be said that anything began in us of our own accord which led to the effect of Predestination, or that the free will now becomes a separate flow from what is Predestination and the will of God who manifests Grace as an effect flowing from Predestination. Rather, it is one flow which is from God, whose Primary Causes allow for secondary causes, and not that they are separate or their own sources of effects, but that they are the same in that they all flow from Him as the source. So, when grace is inferred upon the individual by way of Predestination, and ultimately leading to eternal salvation and glory, the freewill is neither diminished or increased, nor is the grace being poured out from the source of the free will in the one whom is being saved, but in that all of the effects of grace, salvation, and good works are literally the effects of Predestination as God wills it. Just as the Holy Apostle Paul once said to the Romans and the Corinthians in summary: We are not sufficient to think anything of ourselves as if it came from ourselves and in a great house, there are many vessels, some for honorary use and others for dishonor. Just as God made things in their likeness; some for water, some for the air, and others by fire, so it is for the glory or shame of others according to His will. For who can question God on why a bird may have feathers or why a reptile may have scales, unless one wishes to fall into error or reprobation.  
 
Whether predestination is certain?


The effect of Predestination will occur as it is supposed to; either by necessity (Primary Causes of God) or contingency (Secondary Causes of God) as the Lord allows according to the Divine Will. So as Predestination is of Providence, so is the order of Providence incapable of being wrong or making mistakes because of Intelligent Design which comes forth from God’s wisdom, which calls for the just and effective ordering of things as they are meant to be. Furthermore, this could be understood in two ways; one, God predestines someone to be glorified because of a decision He decided to act upon for the salvation of a soul, so the effect of this decision will occur. Second, by the merits which come forth from God’s Grace, which puts it in our hearts to have the idea of the good, to seek the good, and to carry out the good for others out of unselfishness and love for God alone. Some of this is what we choose to do, and belongs to us in a way according to what the free will allows for and accounts for, but in another way, acknowledging the power of the Living God who allows for such a spirit to persist in doing His will so as to attain glory as a gift which belongs to God alone who is the source of all righteousness found in someone who carries out good works that are visible to others. However, this can be lost by way of the free will choice to freely engage in mortal sin to which an accounting must be rendered. In this way, some who were meant for glory have fallen from glory, and that same glory which was meant for them has passed on to another so as to glorify those who value it, keep it, honor it, seek it, and who can bring themselves to preserve it.


Whether the number of the predestined is certain?


The numbers of those who are predestined for salvation are certain to God in that He alone knows what His effects in the universe shall require by way of number for the just ordering of things. For example, the number of species which are driven by their senses, such as birds and fish maintain the numbers they need to sustain their populations so as to sustain other dependent life forms interacting in nature by preserving them through His Divine Providence. But for the rational creature, and especially the mortal intellect which is the soul wrapped in bone, blood, and vessels, God preordained a number for the ultimate good of the universe, incorruptible and destined for eternal joy and glory, because of His special love and great interest in them by way of Predestination, even at the opposition of the rebellious angels who believed spirit was enough rather than spirit wrapped in flesh. As for the existence of the reprobate, those who are allowed to fall are also pre-ordained in a way that serves the good of the elect, for what is bad or evil is used for good by God so as to glorify, rebuke, correct, and guide those onto the correct path towards salvation and beautification.


Whether predestination can be furthered by the prayer of the saints?


This could be understood in two ways; one, the effect of divine ordination in that God elects someone for the purpose of salvation so that what He intends to accomplish is done. In no way is this the effect of a secondary cause, which would be the prayers or prompting of the created. Rather, it is God’s primary cause (direct action) being carried out, and this belongs to Him alone. Second, by way of contingency (secondary causes), Predestination which comes from Providence is helped along by way of good works from an intermediary or another, by way of prayer, speech, evangelization, conversation, acts of love, bravery, caring, and many more actions someone could carry out by prompting of the Holy Spirit. These things are allowed in the order of the Primary Cause within the Universal Form (the out of bounds limits which contain secondary causes). Keep in mind, actions such as prayers and good deeds of the created are not the source of Predestination, only God is, rather they are helped along by its effects. Finally, it is important to note that the Predestined must strive to do good works and seek God in prayer so the order of Predestination in others may be fulfilled in its entirety. This is accomplished through alms giving, acts of spiritual charity, feats of bravery, acts of love, and the blood and testimony of the martyrs and Saints, which are effects made perfect in those who are Predestined for the edification of the elect.

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​​Whether providence can suitably be attributed to God?


Providence, which is the divine care and protection of God, is most suitable to God and attributed to Him because of the Divine Goodness of God which was stated earlier. For God made all things good - even creatures like the devil who have chosen to become evil (deficient) by their own free will to do wrong (accidents not attributed to God). Furthermore, the care of providence has two important distinctions; one, “the reason of order,” which is justly called providence, is eternal and divinely inspired by the will of God which springs forth from His intellect, design, Primary Cause, Universal Cause, Primary Form, and infinitude of ideas of what things should be, ought to be, could be, is, will be, and ever shall be.  Second, is the execution of order which is a government that establishes an order by way of a law that is handed down to it. These are your secondary causes within the secondary forms that provide contingent effects by their execution (somebody steals something, so a judge orders restitution be paid out to the victim by the perpetrator) subordinate to the Primary Cause within the Universal Cause and form which is from God and attributed to God. Hence, Providence is attributed to God. See for yourself, although unbelievers like to point out the sufferings and horrors within the world, where mankind is partially separated from God’s presence, while denying the actions and responsibility of the free will of people who willingly choose to do what is wrong so as to harm others, they freely attribute the actions and causes of God, which is always good, to what is evil and improper. For some of their false claims is that since God may allow something, then He alone is the direct cause of this, which is a false notion. Fact is, the Lord does not interfere with the free will of His creatures, because if He did, then nobody would be worthy of punishment or reward. Within this, it also so happens that He alone ordains that everyone shall be judged in accordance with their deeds, and when this comes to pass, either a reward or punishment shall be carried out because of the Lord’s Justice. Even in this, unbelievers who deny these facts, still falsely associate suffering, hatred, evil, and the horrors of this life to God alone - even though they enjoy their freedoms and make choices everyday so as to draw closer to Him or further away, they still refuse accountability for their ways and the ways of creatures who are given the gift of freewill, so in their darkness and hatred for their Creator, they attribute all of this evil to Him, so as to distract from their own responsibilities and shortcomings. While this happens, in their blatant ignorance, they still forget that the evil and horrors they did not experience, is rightly attributed to God because of His Divine Providence, who protects them from things they do not even perceive. Take the evil spirits for example; although they are stronger and smarter than humans, the Lord puts them in check, and permits them to only exercise themselves in areas of action that He warned us not to engage in such as witchcraft, divination, idol worship, sinful conduct, magic arts, necromancy, demon worship and the like. There are consequences for their actions, and if the evil spirits could manifest themselves at will at any given time, more than likely they would not waste a second to slit all of our throats and commit unspeakable horrors against us, because that which is spiritual and condemned hates all flesh that shall be saved through faith in Him, so in their damnation and despair, they war with the human soul which is made in the likeness and image of God. While in their spiritual combat, they strive to separate the human soul from its inheritance through temptations, lies, vanity, evil influence, confusion, ignorance, hatred, unreasonable anxiety, sexual lusts, lawlessness, perversions, genital mutilation, transgenderism, war, abominations, unspeakable crimes, blasphemies, and the like. Even in this, the Lord takes what is evil and makes good come from it by way of His Divine Will which comes forth from His wisdom that is sourced from His intellect which we attribute to His Providence.


Whether everything is subject to the providence of God?


Providence is the order of things towards their calculated end. Furthermore, all things that exist are subjected to the Divine Providence of the Living God because He is the first agent which all agencies in existence spring forth from. Not only do things that participate in existence carry out their agency by way of His agency through His guidance, protection, laws of nature, wisdom, ideas, and Universal Cause; but while also participating in existence they also demonstrate the principles of goodness the Lord has bestowed upon them according to their likeness in as much as they partake in existence through His Divine Guidance which we also attribute to His Providence. When the creature strays from the correct path of God’s goodness by way of deficiency (sin), providence may be reduced by way of the Lord’s wisdom. Additionally, He may remove the spiritual care and protection He has bestowed on somebody so as to correct them by way of suffering. In this way, even in disobedience, living things are subjected to His Providence. Not to punish His creation cruelly as a wicked master to his slaves would, but to reprove and correct all for the order and spreading of His goodness which He strives to spread through Primary (Him) Causes and secondary (us) causes as a father would towards a child he loves through the medium of discipline.  


Whether God has immediate providence over everything?


There are two parts of God’s Divine Providence; one, the order of things and happenings to their calculated end. Two, the execution of this order by way of government such as the law of man which is carried out through the secondary causes of the freewill, but not independent of God’s Primary Cause. So, in this, think of God’s Providence as a football field with “out of bounds” markers and two neutral zones which is the beginning (one side of the field where a team can score a touchdown) and the calculated end (the other side of the field where another team can also score a touchdown). The teams can move about freely within the boundaries of the field, according to the “rules” (second part of Providence which speaks of execution by government) of the game by way of their freewill to choose to throw the ball, run the ball, or punt the ball back to the opposing team. Furthermore, God has immediate Providence over everything in the first aspect because He alone assigns effects to His creatures and in nature while also giving them the power to produce those effects and carry them out according to their likeness by way of His just ordering of things (the first part of His Divine Providence). For a bird shall have wings and fly, and a bear shall hibernate for the winter and survive off fat reserves. In no way can humans do these things by their natural faculties. In the second respect, as Providence pertains to execution of government, by way of God’s will which springs forth from His wisdom, He assigns intermediaries to carry out execution of justice, order, goodness and the like so as to spread His Divine Goodness by way of secondary causes (free will choice of creation) along with their contingent effects. In this way, He builds us up for what we are about to receive, which is Divine Beatitude and rest in Him. For those entrusted with power are given their power not by their own hand, but from above, for the Lord gives them this power according to His will and Divine Providence. Some may say, “well this person is wicked and evil, and he should not be in charge of anyone because of his recklessness.” Maybe true; however, realize that being subjected to wicked leaders and lawlessness, while also experiencing the horrors of warfare and injustice is the consequence of unchecked sin and vice (as a whole, not always individuals alone), and by way of God’s wisdom through His Divine Providence, He knows how to guide humanity back onto the right course as to lead back to Him, which is good. For who can appreciate what they have unless they experience losing it all? For who knows how something should taste sweet, unless they never tasted what is bitter? How can you identify what is warm and hot, unless one gets burned? How can someone love the right way, unless they experience loss of those they love? In the same way, God’s Divine Providence immediately and through intermediaries is His way for our good which shall lead back to Him, even if we do not understand it clearly at the moment. Now, in no way does this mean that the wicked and evil things that are carried out by people with authority are good in any way, or should be mimicked so that a good may result. Rather, it is better not to know the ways of evil and wickedness or imitate it in any manner because the human inclination towards evil by way of the will is subjected to such a descent. On the other hand, God, who cannot be thrusted into evil, nor can He be perverted by such temptations, knows evil and wickedness fully and completely; however, it is impossible that His will may turn to evil. Not so for the created.    


Whether providence imposes any necessity on things foreseen?


Providence is to order things to their end. Now, it just so happens that the Divine Providence of God imposes what is necessary on some things and not so much on other contingency causes. For the ultimate goal is the goodness in general and perfection of the universe so as for all things to find their calculated end and rest in Him. Some are taken to this end by necessity or how God sees fit directly, and others by the secondary free will choices of creatures to which God allows to occur through them according to His wisdom which comes forth from His will by way of design which we also happen to call Divine Providence (the correct ordering of things through God). As we see with nature, what works in unison with its elements and creatures, held together by Providence, what God allows as primary or secondary shall not reduce the other, but simply allow for so as to lead back to His intention for them. To clarify this point, migration patterns shall be a source of food for far distant animal populations as seasons rotate in different regions, and the destruction of an island due to volcanic eruption shall benefit its proportional land mass over time. Through this, the ordering of things occurs either directly or through secondary events. This is also true in people by way of choice in accordance with His wisdom, for a natural event may lead a fallen away believer back to Him (necessity/directly), or another person may do this as well by their free will choice to evangelize (contingent/secondary).

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether there is justice in God?


Justice comes forth from a law which is given. But God is a law unto Himself, because there is no higher power which shall hand a law down to Him, for He alone is justice for what is just and right pre-exists in Him as the source of what we know as justice. Furthermore, God apportions to each their own what is justly due by way of His wisdom. For a bear shall have claws, a fish shall have gills, and a human shall have hair; their due. This is called distributive justice. Even more so, God, who is justice, guides mankind throughout the ages so as to show him what is right or wrong so they can become aware of sin and how to avoid it, as we see with the Law of Torah which was fulfilled in Lord Jesus Christ and how its precepts influence modern society with the concept of marriage, divorce, property ownership, deeds to homes and lands, bankruptcy, weights and measures and the like. So, by His guidance, He influences the metrics of justice in human affairs - in some societies greater and in other societies lesser depending on how close to the hearts of men He is by way of their freewill to choose the good or bad. The concept of giving and receiving for the purposes of exchange such as mutual benefit or trade and the like is known as commutative justice and this is not attributed to God, but man; for the Lord gives freely and expects nothing in return.  

Whether the justice of God is truth?


Where the mind (the intellect) and the knowledge of things (as they are actual) intersect at equilibrium, the mind identifies the truth as it can recognize it. As the mind is the measure of what is false or true based on the knowledge it understands, so is the work of the carpenter said to be true when his actions and work are suitable to his trade. In the same way, a punishment is said to be suitable for the crime when it comes forth from the law which administers justice. Furthermore, the justice of God comes forth from His wisdom, which is THE law of justice, which is true. Thus, the justice of God is truth.   
        
Whether mercy can be attributed to God?


Indeed, mercy is attributed to God. For the effect of mercy is to feel the misery and despair of another like oneself. In this, measures are taken to relieve the suffering of the person by way of forgiveness and remission, and in this way, the act of mercy becomes a gift to the other. Mercy does not take away from justice, rather, it is the fulfillment of justice, just as Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law, and as God alone is the fulfillment of all causes both primary and secondary - delivering all creatures to their calculated end as the First and Last Cause. So it is for mercy, as the Holy Apostle James says, “...mercy triumphs over judgment.” 


Whether in every work of God there is mercy and justice?


The works God carries out according to His wisdom, ideas, design, and will can be attributed to justice and mercy more forcefully in some, and less than others. For justice may be worked more into someone whose deeds merit such justice, while mercy may be given more to in a person because of the intentions or circumstances leading up to the deeds which were carried out, even though warranting justice in a specific degree, but also requiring a level of mercy appropriate to the correct ordering of things either by design, grace, primary/secondary cause, and by way the wisdom of The One who distributes such effects according to design. Furthermore, it can be said that the gentiles, who did not know His ways by blood or direct familial connection,  received the gifts and graces of God by way of His mercy, and for the Jews who received conversion and grace from God by way of His justice because of the promises to their righteous Fathers such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Patriarchs, and King David. So, in this way, justice and mercy isn’t completely attributed to what someone has done or shall do, but solely upon the decision of God, who may allow for a secondary cause (such as someone’s free will choice to choose a path to Him) or His direct action alone according to what He shall carry out by way of instrument or person or cause He prefers. In no way is God bound by any human rule, decision, or created will, in that simply we dilute His power down to a mechanical function where something is typed or punched in and a response is given. Additionally, justice and mercy is even seen distributed to the just in the world who suffer afflictions so as to cleanse their lesser faults, and in this way, as the Divine Physician prescribes the medicine of suffering, we are drawn closer back to God, and not the allurements of pleasure and idols of the world that make us forget God, who is forever. ​

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Whether love exists in God?


In God there is love to the highest degree, because love is the first movement of the will and every appetite for which a will pursues. It is natural for the creature to seek the good both in itself and another as its first act of the will in pursuit of the appetites (wanting). For what is alive loves to do the things it does, such as eating, sleeping, multiplying its genetic structure with a partner and the like. As was stated earlier, God is the First Mover who puts all things into motion, and whom by way of His will, intellect, ideas, and Essence (which are all one thing because He alone is simple), pre-exists all elements, feelings, perfections, attributes, qualities, happenings, causes, thoughts, acts of kindness, caring, goodness, LOVE, and the like. For as it was stated earlier, God is the maximum of all things, not in the same genus or order as anything which is created. For if the creature can “love,” as we understand love, so God can do this all the more. Furthermore, as Saint Catherine of Siena once heard God explain to her how one must understand His love from The Dialogue, in summary; “I am the One who is, you are the one who is not.” This simply means that God loved both you and me so much that He took what did not exist and put it into existence. How can a human or animal love something to which they never knew existed? It would be impossible for them. But for God, this is possible, for He is the maximum of love in the highest degree, for the qualities or attributes a human displays, as mentioned earlier, is a mere fraction of what God can do or perform in the highest degree. See for yourself, in the Moderni age in Babylon, the word love is being used as a banner for sin (death), sexual immorality, perversion, decadence, depravity, ownership, servitude, oppression and the like. Love leads to life, joy and happiness and ultimately manifests itself as the pursuit and goodness of another or neighbor; turning them into another self while straying away from selfishness and vanity. But sin and disobedience leads to death, selfishness, despair, and wretchedness; so for the ones who support these things, they are not acting in love, but they are acting in hate. For what is more hateful than leading someone to death by encouraging them to do what is improper so that they perish? Even those who do not do such actions, but are lukewarm in their faith, hold distorted views of love both in their households and in their common relationships, for the lukewarm citizen of Babylon, whose country is his church, and who has turned his house and many possessions into his altar where he worships, prays, and puts his false hope into - views love as something to which someone provides material possessions to family members for, whose worth/value is linked to their productivity, and the good or protection one displays for other family members and friends is rooted in ownership and pride, not for the purpose of genuine love, but for the fact that one “protects mine,” as many put it, or someone who only does good for another so as to be seen by others or bolster their own ego and self image. Additionally, the actions of parents who only view their children as an extension of their pride/reputation/good name, or spouses who view their partners as status symbols/trophies and not as husband or wife whom by God’s Divine union established them as one flesh for the purpose of children so as to fill the heavens with souls. In all of this, humans and creatures demonstrate a lower level of love or involvement in their interests which concern their self-worth as they know it while calling it love, when nothing to which they do is truly love in the purest sense as which is found in the Living God, who loves without ulterior motive or for-profit transaction in the purest most perfect form. 
   
Whether God loves all things?


God loves things that are in existence, because He alone made all things good. It is important to understand that the will of God is the cause of all things because He loves everything that exists. Not so for the creature, the man, or the angelic substance. Why? Simply put, the will of creatures is not the cause of the goodness in things, for when we show goodwill and loving kindness towards someone or something, it is not us that is moving it or becoming the cause of goodness, but it is us who are being moved by the object of love, which pre-exists in God before the word “love” was ever invented or established in any language or thought/feeling in the human will. In this way, God is the cause of love and the goodness of love to which created things experience and it so happens that He loves all things to which He brought forth into existence. For the faithless man deluded in his own works and allurement of self-pride, he believes he is truly good and a cause for goodness in others by his own will and act. Furthermore, he genuinely believes God does not make him good and that he alone, by his own hand, makes himself good and is a source of his own light. The devil also believed this, so we see his agency in others who are his disciples by way of pride, which was the first sin/offense committed towards God. 
  
Whether God loves all things equally?


God wills GOOD to His creatures in various degrees according to His wisdom and care. In another way, to bring goodness to something by way of the will is to love it. It is said that understanding the love of God can be described in two ways; One, God loves all things by the act of His will in a simple fashion which has nothing to do with the intensity of love for one or another because He put all things into existence from nothing EQUALLY - Two, it can be said people wish different things and greater goods for others, according to their unique likeness as they see fit. All the more for God, who wills a greater good for some and a lesser good for others according to the likeness to which He ordained them to be. The varying degrees of goodness someone wills for another is separate from that will, for although we wish a sports athlete to go to college on a tuition, which is a good, we also wish for a Soldier who enters the military to be successful in her career and come out alive and unharmed. In comparison, the will for the two do not change in that someone may wish them both good things, protection, and success, but in the same way, varying degrees of goodness is sought for the both of them, and in this sense it can be said that God may love another more so because of the goodness or greatness He bestows upon someone. Hence some stars shine brighter than others, and some Holy Ones are beautified less than others.   


Whether God always loves more the better things?


Indeed, God loves the better things more because He wills a greater good for something He alone chooses according to its likeness. The reason why someone is better than another is because God wills for them a greater good. This is evident through His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, whose Name He alone has exalted above the lower regions, the creatures subject to the principle of matter and time in the material universe and here on earth, and the angelic substances who dwell in the heavens. In this way it can be said that God “loves” Christ more than all things in existence, because He willed the greatest good for Him, in as much as He is true God and true Man and that all things have been entrusted to Him as a Father puts His Son over His household and possessions in order to carry out responsibilities as One Authority equal to the Father. 

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether there is will in God?
 
As there is intellect in the human who was made as an intelligible being, so there must follow a will from that same intellect. If this is the case for the created, then all the more shall it be for the Creator - the One alone who fashions the intellect so as to make a hospitable environment for the will. Because of this, God must have a will, because He also has a Divine Intellect which pre-exists all intellects that have come forth into being by His intellect and will which called his creation forth into existence. For what is natural and living exists by way of its form, so intelligence shall exist by way of its intelligible form. In the same way, there has to be a will in God because there is intellect in Him and it so has it that God’s intellect is also His will and existence.
 
Whether God wills things apart from Himself?
 
God wills Himself and other things apart from Himself. This is so for the following reasons: One, natural things experience their own inclination to their own proper good and when that proper good is achieved, the thing finds rest in it. When the natural thing is still seeking its own proper good and has not yet achieved it, then the natural thing must be inclined to move towards it until it is found so as to achieve rest in it. The most basic example is hunger, for the woman athlete must feed herself and nurture her body in order to perform at the level which is expected of her. Additionally, her body must heal after the competition through rest and proper nutrition, for this is the proper good of her body - to feed herself and rest so as to heal her body in order to do it all over again for as long as she wills it. Second, once the proper good is achieved, it is in the heart of the created to spread that proper goodness with others so those around them can share in its goodness. For example, the woman athlete competes in a sport and takes first place through her hard work and efforts. It is expected that those around her such as her family and friends will witness her accomplishment and find joy in it for its own sake. Thirdly, just as it is for natural things and the woman athlete who won the competition to enjoy their proper goodness so as to spread it to others, so it is for the Divine Will which is God, who wills it that the goodness of God be spread to others according to His likeness as well so the joy of His creation may be made complete through God in order to achieve beatitude, which is all of creation’s ultimate end and cause which finds its rest in God as the only start and finish to which God ordains and wills to be so other things partake in His glory. 
 
Whether whatever God wills He wills necessarily?
 
If a man is to protect his muscles, organs, veins, and nervous system, then it must be absolutely necessary that he has a protective layer of skin over his body. In the same way, a computer monitor must have a screen so the user can see what the computer is doing in order for the user to guide its actions. In these examples, what is necessary is absolute. In another way, what is necessary can be by supposition, in that the man can decide whether or not to cover his body with a jacket or a long sleeve shirt and for the computer user to decide which type of monitor he shall use in order to use his computer. For the computer to be put into use, using a monitor is necessary. For the man to protect his body, he must wear a protective layer of something. Furthermore, while keeping these examples in mind as it pertains to the will of God necessarily, it follows that since God wills His own absolute necessity, such as His goodness and His calculated efficient cause and purpose for all creation while providing His creatures with joy, happiness, food, and ability to multiply themselves through offspring, the laws of nature and the universe, gravity, orbital cycles, sense of smell to the nose, and sense of feeling to the touch, He does not necessarily will whatever He wills. Through necessity by supposition, God wills that things or causes are ordered to His own goodness as their end so as by way of another will (His creatures), the choice can be made to arrive at the calculated end as they see fit, so as long as it is ordered to Him as their end in truth. For example - which path shall you choose? The long hard bumpy road of despair and sin which can be navigated successfully through faith, penance, and endurance, or the long hard smoother road of denying oneself so as to do what He says as opposed to what others say? Regardless of which - trials and tribulations are on every path, so it seems for most. However, in this, His perfection stands that no other perfection can add up to the height of His maximum, and that through His wisdom and will, which is unchangeable, He allows for His will which is necessary while also allowing the wills of creatures to reach their final end which is in Him, and in turn this becomes His will which is necessary by supposition (creatures choosing which path to follow that is allowed by God in order to lead back to Him).
 
Whether the will of God is the cause of things?
 
The Divine Being of God is not limited to form, shape or any boundaries such as the created, and within Himself contains the fullness of perfection in being. Through this, the effects of His infinite perfection by way of His will and intellect guides the bullet from the rifle to the target, whereas the rifle becomes His will, and the target becomes its intended effect or calculated end, and the bullet which is fired from the rifle being the other wills of His creation as they are acting in potentiality (freedom to choose by their own will)  through the agency of ACTUALITY - which is God, who is true being and true existence, first in the order of intellect where everything created in idea and material matter pre-exist in Him by way of his ideas of them, not attributed to or of a lesser order than anything in existence. In this way, God’s intellect and will is what causes something to be, do, or know and not the necessity of His nature. Although God does not always act by necessity through His will in others, by supposition we see His effects and intended trajectory (such as the flight path of a bullet heading towards its target). In this way, either directly or indirectly, the will of God, and not the nature of God (because God is intellect and will), is the cause of things.
 
Whether any cause can be assigned to the divine will?
 
Causes and happenings can be secondary to the Primary Cause, which is the Divine Will that is God’s, whose ordered causes set forth in motion throughout the universe spreads forth in a reasonable fashion, and therefore allows for secondary causes to be on the account of another. The problem where one shall go wrong or stray from truth in error, is to believe their secondary causes and effects to God’s Divine Will is above His Primary Cause, or not related or attributed to it in any way through effects that come forth from God by way of His Divine Will which allows for the secondary cause to occur. For example, the man believes he can become a mother and breastfeed his adopted or surrogate child. The Primary Cause through the Divine Will ordained that man shall carry seed for the woman, so as to impregnate her and bring forth life. The man shall not bear young and produce milk for them as a mother would. However, by secondary cause, and the error of the man who denies the Divine Will’s primary cause, which is His genetic makeup and what the man is by nature, as willed by the Life Giving Spirit which is God, the man denies the truth and earnestly believes he can produce milk as a mother could. When it does not occur, because of its impossibility both to logical reasoning and the laws of nature, the man who wants to be a mother and produce milk is thrusted into despair. In his confusion, he attributed his secondary cause, which was rooted in ignorance, to the Primary Cause, which is chiefly sourced in God, who says that man is man and shall carry seed, and that woman is woman and shall bear young and provide milk for her babies. As we see, the will comes forth from the intellect in the man, who believes in something false, but wills it anyway that he should engage in such an action that cannot occur. In the same way, the Divine Intellect belongs to God, which pre-exists and is above all created intellects, and it just so happens that His will which is PRIMARY springs forth from that same intellect, while also allowing the effects of His Primary Intellect to be seen and witnessed and experienced in secondary causes that are not directly attributed to Him, while others receive no effects whatsoever, as we see with the man who tries to produce breast milk as a mother would and cannot perform the task. However; on the other hand, the Primary Effects from God’s Divine Will is seen in the secondary cause which came forth from the woman, who decided to have children and produce milk for her young. The effects of God’s will in the secondary cause by way of the woman’s will is that she produces milk which was ordained by God’s Will alone, which is Primary and not secondary.   
 
Whether the will of God is always fulfilled?
 
The will of God must always be fulfilled; either now, in the future, or in the end, when all causes and creatures, by way of sin, who strayed away from the Divine Will, are called back into order by the Universal Cause which pre-exists all other causes (human secondary actions initiated by the freewill) by way of JUSTICE through punishment. For what must be reordered to the Universal Form in the end is what we know as justice, thus making right what is wrong, and equal what is imbalanced. 
 
Whether the will of God is changeable?
 
The will of God is an immovable rock, and it does not change. Rather, it is God’s will that certain things should change, in that what is created in a certain likeness shall later become a better or different likeness as He originally intended through His will. When the Lord uses words as we understand them to say that He “regrets” or “repents” of something, it must be taken metaphorically because it is a similitude that addresses change in a way we as humans can better understand Him according to our own likeness and understanding. This should not come as a surprise when somebody really ponders this reality about God, for man creates things all the time in his environment for the intentions of tearing it down or changing it. For example; temporary bridges for military use, ammunition, disposable diapers and the like. Furthermore on a grander scale, change throughout faith history can be witnessed from the original grace/covenants/promises through the Patriarchs to the Law of Moses and ultimately the new covenant through the Blood of Christ. In another way, just because the artist makes an ice sculpture for other people to witness and admire, only to have it melt in the heat later on, does not mean that the artist never intended by way of her will to create a piece of art. Rather, the will of the artist was immovable and unchangeable from the moment her intellect conjured the contemplative idea of what the ice sculpture shall appear to be, and by way of her will, transferred the idea to her hands, thus transitioning her idea to the material principle (which is her ice sculpture) viewable by everyone around her. For the artist, her work has twelve hours of existence for all to enjoy. On the other hand, for the viewer, this might only be ten minutes of existence as they perceive it, when they only take a glance at the work of art and move about their business. In this way, since time is relative in this sense, it would appear the will of the artist for her ice sculpture to exist lasted much longer than the viewer who simply glanced at the piece of work and simply forgot about the idea shortly after. So it may appear because something lasts for a long period of time, that it should not change, or that God never willed it. However, if God willed that it should change, then it will change, thus rendering His will in the end from which was intended from the beginning. Thus the will of God is unchangeable. However, this does not mean that God’s will shall not allow for inferior intermediate causes which produce effects by way of the freewill. For example, the Universal Cause for salvation ordains that His Son shall be glorified, and that we shall go through Him to the Father. How a believer does this through their choices has many effects, and exists in many forms interior to the superior form of God’s will, such as BAPTISM, the SACRAMENTS of the Church as a means of grace, and our DEEDS, for which everyone shall render an account to their Creator.  
 
Whether the will of God imposes necessity on the things willed?
 
The universe must be built up and contain things for its ordering. This is not an accident, nor a series of random chance events, occurrences, or happenings as the atheist believes and at the same time preaches to others around him. No, God’s intellect and ideas are perfect. Furthermore, He alone is capable of carrying them out by way of His Divine Will, which shall never fail. It just so happens that the way God orders the universe and causes to happen by way of His Universal Form, which is the Primary Cause according to His will, allows for secondary causes (by will of creatures) which have contingent effects. God wills that some things are carried out by His necessary will and Primary Cause and also through secondary causes with attached effects that shall ultimately lead back to His Primary Cause in a different way. Simply put, if the Lord wills it to be this way, then it shall be that way, all for the good ordering of the universe which shall contain its end or rest in Him.
 
Whether God wills evils?
 
God neither wills evil to occur or not occur, rather, he permits it for a greater good according to His will. For example, there is justice because of punishment. For those who do wrong, an imbalance occurs. The wrong which may have been done was more than likely executed for a purpose the person thought was a greater good, even though an evil occurred (such as the crime for which the punishment is due). God, even though permitting it, did not cause the evil of the crime to occur, rather, He makes good come of it by way of justice and punishment in order to balance what is imbalanced. In the same way, secondary causes as a result of the person’s actions shall manifest around those who are exposed to the specific crime or conviction of it, and ultimately come out of it with something new (either understanding or material event) that wasn’t realized before the evil occurred. In another way, it can be said that the crime which was committed was evil, but according to the one who committed the crime, he did it for what he deemed as a greater good (money, stolen goods etc.). In this way, the evil that is brought on is by accident (the one who committed the crime used freewill to make a decision) as it pertains to the freewill and cause of evil, not in the sense that the criminal is innocent of something he did which clearly occurred. Furthermore, as it was said earlier, God made all things good, and it is not natural for things to become evil or do evil, rather, it is by way of accident that evil occurs in the pursuit of something. Now, in all of this, God sees the decision making of mankind (accidents), by way of their free will in pursuit of the good by way of their appetites, and as a result, He also witnesses evil being done, which is the absence of good - thus he makes good come out of evil that is incurred by the freewill and in this way he neither wills or wills what evil may occur, but rather He takes what is evil by way of accident (freewill of creatures) and turn it into a cause for good according to His design by way of His will which shall never fail. 
 
Whether God has free-will?
 
God necessarily wills His own Goodness, for He alone made all things good. As stated earlier, evil comes from the good by way of accident (choices) in the freewill. When creation engages in causes and decisions which are improper to the Universal Cause (which is God’s intentions for them), deficiency (sin) occurs. It is important to remember that even though God allows a secondary cause within His Primary Cause (His Goodness in general), it is permitted for the purpose of the secondary cause to experience effects which shall ultimately lead back to an end within Him where the created finds its rest. In other words, God has a free will to go about such things in a way He deems proper according to His design which allows for a Universal Cause and secondary causes which originates in the freewill of the created. Finally, on no occasion does God will evil or sin, for such occurrences and decisions are the opposite of His Being, which is life itself, as opposed to sin, which is death - for all who hate Him love death. Rather, He makes good come from evil, and abundance comes from what is absent (put another way; sin is the lacking or absence of fullness in something as it were meant to be). 
 
Whether the will of expression is to be distinguished in God?
 
Expressions of God in scripture and on the tongue are either conveyed by way of metaphor or in the literal sense in accordance to the emotional state or feeling of the one who is demonstrating the message or describing the event. For example, humans have an expression of anger when something unjust is occurring, so in that anger, punishment is described by way of words so as to better express the severity of context in what is being said. As for God and man, there is will and passion, and when a human trait or emotion is used to describe God carrying out or willing an action, the words used are more of a reflection of our own passion and is never fully expressed in God properly to its fullness. Furthermore, it must be distinguished that there is God’s will in the proper sense, and His will by metaphor. Saint Thomas Aquinas differentiates this concept by calling the proper sense of God’s will “the will of good pleasure” and God’s will metaphorically taken as “the will of expression.”
 
Whether five expressions of will are rightly assigned to the divine will?
 
The five expressions of the will are prohibition, precept, counsel, operation, and permission. Through these expressions, we demonstrate to those around us our intentions and will. Furthermore, this can be demonstrated either DIRECTLY, INDIRECTLY, or ACCIDENTALLY. When someone approaches another and gives that person an order, the will of that person is being demonstrated directly. When someone fails to prevent an action from occurring willingly, or allows private space for an event to happen, there is omission (by way of allowing an action). Additionally, permission by way of granting someone else the right to do something on your property is the expression of will by accident, in that the owner of the property removes an obstacle in place for you so as to carry out your own will, and in this case - allowing a venue for an event that may convey or support positions the owner of the property does not support or condone, but gladly allows so as to receive a profit for the rented space. Saint Thomas Aquinas calls this removal of an obstacle to the freewill an “accidental mover” and should not be confused with the concept of “The First Mover (God),” who puts all things into motion from His initial movement which was stated earlier. Going forward, a person shall declare his will by means of an agent or a hired hand so as to perform a function in accordance with the originator’s will and this is by precept. Prohibition is in opposition to precept in that someone may hire a woman to do the work, but give her instructions on what not to do in accordance with that work, and in this way, prohibition and precept work hand and in hand together so as to setup boundaries and blueprints for the intentions of another by way of their will to have something performed or carried out. Finally, persuasion is found in counsel in that a group of advisors renders calculated/educated opinions to the decision maker so as to persuade Him to follow through upon their suggestions for a stated purpose. Now, taking all of this into account, the will of the man is made known. As for the Divine Will, these points can be delegated and denominated in accordance with the Universal Form which is God’s will, which allows for secondary contingent causes (free will decisions of creatures) which shall lead back to Him so that the creature finds rest in their calculated end through God, who is the First and Last Cause. From here, we enter OPERATION, which can be referred to as the Goodness of God either in the present or future by way of the expressions of the will in creatures, and to which Saint Thomas Aquinas also describes as “the will of Good Pleasure” as stated earlier in which the Divine Will transfers itself through the freewill of creatures by way of their denominated wills (counsel, precept, permission, and prohibition) manifesting themselves into an operation so as to carry out the goodness of God’s will in accordance to His design. It is important to remember that rational creatures have freewill (which is the intellect or soul), and that they shall account for their ways and decisions because of their special election by God; this includes humans and angels. Keeping this in mind, it so happens that God has granted them special expressions (as stated earlier) of the Divine Will (which are denominated unto them) which shall be assigned to their actions and deeds. Other lower creatures/material objects who act by sense (such as the animals who move for hunger) or objects such as branches and rocks demonstrate movement solely by way of the moving things around them are subjected to the Divine Operation which also allows things (permission) or disallows (prohibition) by way of function; for example a tree swaying by the wind is permitted to rock back and forth, but it isn’t permitted to remove itself into the air and float. In conclusion, it is important to point out that the evil of sin is not in unison with the Divine Will and because of this the only expression to which it is assigned is PROHIBITION, in that someone should not do what is improper or opposed to the will of God such as murder, robbery, lying, genital mutilation, consulting the dead, cursing others by way of mouth and divination, oppression and the like. 

I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether to live belongs to all natural things?


The act (free will decision) of an imperfect being (humans, animals, angels, spirits etc.) in potentiality (accidents or actions not attributed to God) is called movement. What determines whether something is alive is the act of movement within itself. In other words, if a living thing moves - it must act within itself to move and not by something else. For example, running water moves because something other than the water moves it in nature - this does not mean the water is alive literally, but alive by the quality or state of something similar to being alive when the motion of a current which moves through the water simulates life to the viewer’s perception. In the same way, it is God who gives all life the source or starting point for movement - their very breath, cause, purpose, and calculated end by way of His agency. Furthermore, there also exists living things that are alive in varying degrees. For instance; plants, which are alive to a lesser degree as compared to higher beings, are restricted to areas and environments which they themselves can move around in order to adapt with assistance from natural causes (such as wind, temperatures, and seismic events). Animals are more alive in a higher way as compared to the plant, for within themselves they initiate motion by their free choices (not to be compared to the concept of the First Mover which puts all other things into motion). However, they are not what we consider rational beings, for they do not possess the same intellect as humans or angels which are alive and living in a more higher way because of election by God. As for humans - the composite of spirit (the intellect which shall surpass the life of the body) wrapped in flesh, bone, cartilage, and hair - known as the body, which is subject to time (beginning and end), death and decay, was made in the image and likeness of God, and throughout the ages God has taken mankind by the hand to guide, protect, to counsel, and to also discipline, as we see through His Church, scripture, the sacraments, the prophets, those who were called to service for the sake of another, and the sacrifice of The Lamb who spilled His blood for the redemption of the world. This is sufficient evidence to indicate election, in that the composite being known as human is closer to God in ways different from the angels, and higher than the plants or animals, in that men and women shall cohabitate, and the father shall be like His true Father in heaven as a minister to His family, and that the mother shall be like our true Mother in Heaven who bore God Himself within Her own flesh so as to bring salvation to everyone. Additionally, man is known to be closer to God than the animal - who roams the environment for food and engages in lower intellectual activities as compared to the human - so in this way, it could be said that the human is more alive to a higher degree than the animal. Now, what we bear witness to in the Moderni age, is BEAST like MAN, and MAN like BEAST - when we see dogs being dressed up as people for the emotional nourishment and encouragement of their human owners, receiving inheritances in legal wills, and being more well provided for than other humans who are suffering and in need. To go even further, by way of sexuality, activity, dignity, and time or effort - we see humans entering into inappropriate relationships with animals, whether sexual or emotional, and replacing the love that should be for others (people who were made in the image of God) with that of the animal. By way of activity, we see movements springing up to advocate for the abolishment of meat and production of food on a grand scale, even at a detriment to others who face food shortages and hunger. By way of dignity, we see more attention and respect given to the pet than the child, and more attention and care given to the dog than the niece or nephew. Through time and effort, we see the pursuit of pet to owner relationships by way of trips, walks, errands, and lifestyles based around the pet, so far as people begin to label themselves as “dog mom” or “dog dad” as if their pet were like real human children, and the passing up of charity such as hospital or prison visits, providing for the needs of others who are in bad situations, or giving general kindness to everyday people they encounter for the sake of their pet. Even the ancient pagan philosophers warned of the moral ramifications in treating animals better than people around them. These are clues to the spiritual state of humanity which turns from the providence and protection of God to pursue inflated vanities and hopeless pursuits of self and reinforced by temptations of the devil and evil spiritual influence. In conclusion, the elements and weather events are not alive within themselves, and moving water is not alive in that it shall move by way of a current, because none of them initiate movement within themselves like things that are alive to a higher degree in comparison such as plants, animals, people, angels, and spirits who use their impulses, desires, needs, rationality, and intellect to guide their decisions.
   
Whether life is an operation?


As was mentioned before, the intellect of the rational creature recognizes the essence of something as its proper object by way of sense, thus gaining proper knowledge of what something is. From there, the free will is used by way of that knowledge achieved by sense (identifying the essence of something) to achieve accidents (actions carried out by creatures not attributed to God). When the senses identify the essence of an object, such as a chair being a true chair, and a knife being a blade for cutting, we apply a proper name to it to properly identify it. Even in this, we can take those same names and apply them to meanings of other things which are not exactly the same thing by essence. For example, the body of a man is a man. But if I told you the “body” of a rifle company were moving into our sector, then you as a Soldier would understand to take up defensive positions so as to brace yourself for a large assault. You would also understand that I was not talking about a single man as in the prior example. In the same way, it can be said of life and things that are living - as names are given to it by way of external appearances and movements attributed to outside factors (such as a current moving water and someone calling that water “living”) and self-movements attributed to the true conscious self of living in a state of freewill and decision making (the woman comes to the realization of her interests and passions and decides to change her life in order to pursue them). Furthermore, to truly be alive is what exists in nature to things that are truly living, such as plants, the animals, humans, angels, and spirits. Among these, some are considered more or less alive in varying degrees by way of movement and intellect. Thus we say a cactus is more alive than a fallen tree branch, and that a firefighter or rescue team shall rescue a baby boy from a burning building before a cat, and that God loved the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, but despised the children of the disobedient angels (The Watchers) who cohabitated with women.


Whether life is properly attributed to God?


Life is in God to the highest degree compared to everything else that is perceived as “living” to another creature or being - even the creature or being itself. For the creature or being, although able to make free will choices by way of the intellect and movements innate within itself through self-prompting, still must attribute its existence and very life to the initial agency of God, who solely by Himself is pure act (the One who is in Himself by thought, intellect, knowledge, ideas and actions - an Essential Being without potentiality which are created things). For He is the perfection of all things, and not of the same order or genus of the creature or created, thus where what is “living” is found to be perfect more than all other things which is known to be “living” in a higher degree by way of what something can do freely without the initiation, prompting, influence, movement, or command of another factor outside of itself, God is alive more so than everything else in the highest degree in the most perfect way, because God is truly in Himself, void of any admixture, potential influence, outside factor or control - hence the beginning statement “Life is in God to the highest degree…” used to accurately describe how life is most properly attributed to God. The order of movement and what is moved shows us that the end (efficient cause) for what is living is directed by the form of the creature itself and a higher agency beyond its experience (God guiding people and causes to their calculated end). God acts through the form of His creatures inherent to their likeness; for example, the movement of a plant is growth and eventually decay. Additionally, the virtue God instills upon His creatures is from His agency (the Principal Agent) and not from the creature, and in this way God is with us always and guides our actions. For example, the good works of an Apostle healing the legs of a crippled man - for the man who is the Apostle cannot do something like this by his own power, but only by the power of God working and flowing through Him. The man who is the Apostle made his body a proper dwelling place for the Holy Spirit by way of virtue, thus rendering God to rest His spirit upon the Apostle and use him for the good works God chooses to engage in. To be alive and living is proper in God, and is the maximum to all things that are perceived/considered to be living  - from life of the lowest degree such as prokaryotic cells that move according to their inherent nature to fulfill their life cycles to a higher degree of animals who use their sense by way of their form to execute their movements in order to achieve self-preserving/sustaining actions such as hunting and sleeping, and carry out their end by their inherent nature which is natural to them, even though they lack rational intelligence in comparison to humans and purely spiritual beings. Beyond this, there is to be found the rational intellect (the soul or spirit) existing in humans who are made in the likeness and image of the Living God, but are wrapped in flesh and organs, which we call a composite being (mixture of spirit and material matter). To go even further, there are purely spiritual beings such as the angels who were created before mankind and who were made eternal with a higher intellect of knowing things, such as the existence of God who dwells in the spirit. Angels also use their rational thoughts innate in them to guide their actions in order to serve God and to love Him, as well as carrying out His will in obedience. By these facts alone, it is apparent that the rational creature who uses his intellect to guide his movements and actions are said to be living in a higher way than things that are living to a lesser degree, including the fact that as the act of living is carried out in them, their movements and decisions are less dependent upon the movement and guidance of external agents which guides them to their calculated end. Finally, the intellect moves itself to various things, but not all things, which some is guided by nature, innate first principles given to it which the creature cannot deny - for if it were to deny its first principles of its being and existence, then the creature wouldn’t be able to live as it was meant to be (thus invoking self-hatred and destruction of itself). If one who is living uses the act of their understanding in accordance with its own very nature, this one is said to be living to the highest degree. This is best found in God, and as was mentioned earlier, is the maximum of all perfections, especially life and what it means to be alive. Therefore, life is most perfectly attributed to God and is proper to Him in the highest degree.


Whether all things are life in God?


It can be said that the living things God created are in Him in multiple ways. One, their bodies, intellect, thoughts, and spirit are held together by His divine power and authority - for He wills it that His creatures take a form (the body) and to carry out what is inherit to that form’s nature as He ordained it when He set forth the natural order of things from His ideas into material matter for His creation to interact with. For when the form of the body acts in accordance with its nature set out before it by God, in unison with the spirit (intellect) given to the man so as to know God and engage in rational decision making and actions (void of the deficiency and contagion that is sin) so as to be pleasing in the sight of the Creator; in this example, human beings carry out what is both natural and what God intended for them - so as to enter into relationship and knowledge of Him by way of which comes natural to them according to their likeness (walking with God in the flesh before the spirit returns home to where it belongs). Second, becoming the proper idea of what God made of His children, and bringing it to the fullness of what it should be in accordance with the life giving idea of them which originated from the One who formed them, and carrying out that idea so as to achieve the calculated end for which it exists. In this, it is said that what is proper in idea to God and what the creature becomes by way of that idea is one in God and not separate from the Divine Essence. This perfection or beatitude is truly life itself in God, and not simply a measure of movement so as to go from one state of being to another so as to go on a journey, for to be in God truly is to live in the highest degree. 

I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether falsity exists in things?


It is necessary to find what is false so what is true can be recognized or identified. In things and objects, neither what is true or false can be found without relating it to the intellect of someone. What is artificial by way of accident (human freewill choices to do or create something), such as the art of a man who paints snowscapes and other depictions of nature, may fall short to previously accepted standards of artwork either in himself prior in time or other works of more renowned artists in comparison. We know what is false as compared to what is true, for the one who observes the man’s art knows what a false work ought to be. Now that same intellect also recognizes what are natural things in accordance with the Divine Intellect and artificial things which are the work of humans. For example, the alignment of the stars and the planets receiving their day and night cycles in unison with one another; example from the works of the Divine Intellect, which causes celestial bodies to come into order amidst a sea of chaos and explosions - tasks which are impossible for man or any created being because these kind of occurrences and happenings are dependent upon God alone, in whom there is nothing false that can be found. For what comparison do we have to what God creates, since He alone created it and is One, within His own order and self, giving everything else which exists cause and purpose through His knowledge and wisdom? There is no other. Therefore, He is the ultimate truth, because nothing else besides Him put such a work of creation in motion, for He is the First and Only Standard to which all works align and compare beneath His providence, but never surpassing it. Furthermore, creatures who possess the gift of freewill, such as angels and humans, possess the voluntary power of the intellect to pursue what is true - which is virtuous deeds and being obedient to the order of the Divine Intellect, for which they were made to carry out its purpose; also possessing the ability to pursue falseness which is the evil (deficiency) of sin (non-being). Lying (hating the truth) and vanity (inflated sense of self) are examples of what is false and opposed to the Divine Intellect, to which such creatures can freely accept or reject, either to their destruction or eternal life. Additionally, in relation to the intellect and natural things humans have the ability to recognize false and truthful things in the relative sense: one, by way of identifying the worthiness of a cause or belief according to their values or what they know by way of knowledge in accordance with those values. Two, a quantity or thing which is obviously lacking in something - for example, an icecream cone purchased at a snack stand lacking the ice cream, but only consisting of the cone. The customer could say, “I purchased an ice cream but only got this ice cream cone.” He would be correct in that his purchase and offer was false. Three, a person believes in harming others for sordid gain. To the person, this action seems profitable and feasible, and the deficiency of his moral being, which is false as compared to what is true, just, and good, allows him to commit such acts willingly and without remorse (until he is caught). Finally, the intellect knows what is to be true by recognizing what it should be. In the same way, the intellect shall know what is false by recognizing what it should not be. As evil and faithlessness increases and the operation of the demon becomes more widely accepted throughout social circles, media channels, and institutions, we shall see in many that the confused will grow more confused, and that what is true shall become false, and what is false shall become true, and what is good shall become evil, and what is evil shall become good to those who choose to reject the Divine Intellect, which is God, to follow the doctrines and teachings of damned angelic beings and their influence throughout the world by way of negativity and anything/everything opposed to God.


Whether there is falsity in the senses?


The senses, such as the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, and the sense of touch apprehend sensible things around them truly. For example, the nose can smell food that has gone foul, indicating that the meat is rotten and not fit for human consumption. Not that the nose knows truth or is truth, but that the nose signals to the human intellect a true apprehension of something in as much as the intellect of the person can perceive it - in this case, the smell of tainted meat indicates danger to one’s health, so by way of the intellect, the person decides to avoid the food for the sake of one’s health. Going further with this, it can be said that the likeness of a thing can exist in the senses in three ways: One, prime to its own nature; in other words, seeing the color blue as blue, or recognizing a triangle’s three points and identifying the triangle accurately for what it is - a triangle. Second, of its own nature alone and not prime, as in smell the likeness of similar things, or identifying many shapes and sizes common to many senses. Third, neither prime nor of its own nature, but accidentally, such as staring at a pile of garbage alongside the road through thermal imaging devices and seeing many objects present that do not exist in the area that is being perceived, even though the many shapes and contrasts made the appearance of such objects falsely. Taking these points into account, it can be concluded that sense has no false knowledge as it detects its objects properly, but by way of accident, the senses may receive improperly by way of distortion, confusing other colors, objects, tastes, and odors with things it recognizes elsewhere, or rendering a false judgment, such as when a person is sick and they cannot taste anything, even though what they may be eating may be full of abundant flavorful. In the same way, it can be said that not all things in reality are sensed or seen in the world around us. For the corporeal eye cannot see what is spirit by its normal action alone because it is in accordance with the material principle which is subject to time (beginning and end, life and death). As for the atheist, who relies upon sense alone and the material principle, he fails to realize that once his senses give out, and the materials that make up his fleshly body fail and die, the material principle for him shall be non-existent in his reality, and now he would find himself as a bodiless spirit; intellect alone, roaming about back and forth trying to make sense of it all - fully coming to the realization of “knowing” that he spent his earthly life rejecting his spirit which was made eternal, while putting all that time and effort into his body and worldly things, which are temporary and subject to death. At this point, there is no turning back, but to only go forward. 


Whether falsity is in the intellect?


So as the sense of smell is to the nose, which truly apprehends many different smells and odors, so does the intellect truly apprehend the essence of something by way of knowledge that is proper to it. In the same way sense can be distorted or subjectively false, in that the nose may be stuffed up and unable to smell specific odors at the moment, so can the intellect experience falsity in its operation accidentally by way of improper knowledge, a poor spiritual/emotional disposition, or innate bias by way of sin which leads to lying and manipulation to satisfy vice, greed, and lower pleasures or desires. The intellect judges and dissects concepts and ideas reasonably and accurately through the essence of something so as to find a truthful disposition. For example, the process of a prosecutor, defense lawyer, judge, and jury. All of them dissect the case at hand, which are the actions of the defendant to find whether or not he is at fault truthfully in order for a just judgment to be rendered. Carving up timelines and events of the act in question by many different parties who shall scrutinize the facts and events, including testimony of witnesses, victims, and the accused - many intellects involved in the trial shall expose the essence of what is being scrutinized. Even in this, the essence of something could be corrupted by way of how the intellect apprehends it. For example, we see that bias is always meant to be rooted out when selecting a jury - such as radical affiliations, racism, and other warning signs of a compromised individual judging a case fairly and truthfully. These biases shall distort the correct judgment of the intellect upon the case at hand that is to be judged (the essence of the act in question). In conclusion, the intellect truthfully apprehends the essence of things, just as the senses truthfully apprehend objects of sense such as smell or hearing. However, both are subject to distortion and some level of falsity by way of accident (free will choices to distort or corrupt by way of sin, foreign influence or agent, innate bias, vice, etc.).


Whether true and false are contraries?


True and false are opposed to one another. Indeed, they are contrary to one another. What is true is not the same as affirmation, for affirmation simply is in agreement with something, or provides emotional encouragement. One can still be wrong and provide bad advice and false encouragement while calling it the “truth.” For what is false, is opposed to the truth and is its opposite. With negation, nothing is asserted, and in other words can be described as the absence of something. Contraries assert something specifically by way of their subjects. To reinforce this concept; they take firm positions regarding something while defending it from anything in opposition to it. For example; the woman says the ocean has water. This would be true. On the contrary, a man says there is no water in the ocean. This would be false. The truth says there is a proper apprehension of something as identified by the intellect (the soul) of a person or angel (which is pure spirit). Even in this, God is the first and only truth, and is the very standard of it in a much higher way than what the intellect of the human spirit or angel can apprehend. What is false is opposed to this, thus we see that what is opposed to God such as the evil spirits, the rebellious angels, and the human spirits who follow them, act in a manner contrary to what is Holy (set apart). For example, as we see in the Holy Mass of the Church which is carried out everyday around the world, there is also the black mass of the satanic church in contrary to it, with their own ministers and vestments acting in the opposite of what the Holy Mass offers so as to be in opposition of Christ’s Body - which is the Church. Additionally, we see this with satanic inversion (mockery of God) with the six color rainbow flag as opposed to the true seven colors of the rainbow, demonic hour where spirits are more active at 3:00 AM in opposition to when Lord Jesus Christ died at 3:00 PM on the cross, challenging the sanctity of marriage between men and women for the purpose of children and replacing it with same sex unions that are not capable of being recognized by God as a covenant, transgender mutilation from man to woman, and woman to man, and the many prayers of the Church that are used and replaced with salutation to the chief fallen angel by satanic and occultist groups opposed to God (these examples could be summed up as the ordinary actions of satan and evil working through others commonly/everyday in the world). Furthermore, it could be said that what is true is goodness, life, and from God alone, while what is false is not-being, sin, opposed to life - which is death, and is what could also be called evil. To go even further, what is true can be found in things, for a coconut is truly a coconut, but when the truth of that coconut is apprehended by the intellect (soul), it can also be said that this is the truth of the intellect where truth resides as prime. Since evil comes from the good (for God made all things good, but creatures chose to become evil), and evil was said to be sin or falsity (not quite adding up to what is supposed to be whole), falsity may reside in truth or goodness in this way as an absence of or lacking in something. As for God alone, there is nothing contrary in respect to His goodness, truth, and intellect where there is nothing false found, for as it was said earlier - He is of His own order as there is nothing like Him. However, there are apprehensions (false opinions or thoughts not reflecting reality) of Him that are opposed to Him by lower creatures such as humans who are opposed to Him and angels who choose to disobey and rebel against their own nature, thus inflicting self-hatred upon themselves because they never added up to what they were supposed to be. In addition to this, there are false idols that people worship that are also contrary to God by apprehension in the intellect of the worshiper who worships what is false; so even in this, the idol is false for it cannot stand on itself alone as a God, nor does it possess such power. As some have said, “my gods speak to me,” although their idols may speak, this is not proof of a god as they claim, but is either wishful thinking, mental illness, or evil spirits attaching themselves to their false idol so as to pose as gods in order to influence the idol worshiper to pursue the sin of idol worship like what was seen in pagan Rome and many parts of the world throughout history, thereby violating the second commandment - which is to have no other gods before Him and not to worship graven images. Finally, there is nothing which compares to God that He is not aware of, for if there were such a challenger, then He wouldn’t be God! So, God is truth, and what is opposed to God, is false, hence true and false are contrary to one another, for God is what we know as truth, and everything which came forth from Him in the likeness He ordained (with the exception of freewill accidents implemented by creatures).

I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether truth resides only in the intellect?
 
A thing is true because it simply “is.” Not because a thing is true. Truth is not the truth for its own sake, but that it is absolute and void of another’s relative opinion based on limited knowledge or innate bias. Things that are understood to be true are known essentially or accidently. For example, the inventor knows her invention, and the idea of it is essential to her even as it is in a form created for all to observe, see and use. As for those who use her invention, they know it to be true by accident, because although the idea is not essential to them, nonetheless - they make use of her invention and have knowledge of it in the practical sense. Primarily, truth resides in the intellect - mainly the Divine Intellect, which all living creatures have a share in as far as their intellect can perceive its likeness. Second, the truth resides in things as they are related to the intellect in principle. For example, everyone knows a mother shall love her children regardless of what they do, however, not every mother loves her children regardless of what they do. The truth of the principle is “motherly love,” which is primal and innate, but based on individual factors, there are variables that shall diminish this. Truth cannot be universal or relative, but absolute - requiring the knower who is lacking in knowledge or understanding to either be wrong, correct, or a mixture of both. For example, if nobody else on earth were alive, and therefore the sun could no longer be seen or observed - would the sun cease to exist? Absolutely not, for the sun does not need the approval of mankind to exist, nor does it require humans to observe it with their intellect to be in existence, for the Divine Intellect of the Living God put it into being through His idea, which is true. Therefore, the truth is absolute.
 
Whether truth resides only in the intellect composing and dividing?
 
In its primary aspect, the truth resides in the intellect just as long as the knower can recognize the form of the truth being displayed in the likeness it can perceive it. In another way, something may be known by sense up to a certain degree, however, for that sense to recognize what it is experiencing it must divide and compose the attributes it is experiencing so as to weigh it against the intellect and understand what is being observed; ultimately coming to the truth of something. Sense alone cannot do this. The conclusion of truth must be reached by way of composing and dividing concepts and knowable things so as to interpret with the intellect what is being observed. 
 
Whether the true and being are convertible terms?
 
What is true and what is being are convertible terms. Something that simply IS, must be true. The “IS” that is being referred to here is the term BEING. For something that is in “being,” it shall be observed by someone or something at some point - either in the material or spiritual principle. Even if nobody knows of the thing that is in being by their own knowledge, since no idea or knowledge is hidden from God, He can give this knowledge of being, which is true, to someone who normally would not have such knowledge - according to His will and purpose. We see this with the Saints, prophets, and blessed throughout history who have been given knowledge of events and circumstances in time periods they were never in nor would they have any knowledge of unless it wasn’t for a third party agency. In this case, the ultimate agency, which surpasses and is above all agencies - The Living God who is One. We also see that in the example of the Saints and chosen, truth is related to knowledge in so far as it refers to recognizing what is or was in being at some point. Furthermore, what is GOOD is also convertible to being, for the Lord made all things “good.” In addition to this, what is true also adds further to the intellect which is an operation of the soul and not linked to any specific corporeal organ as compared with the sense of taste to the tongue. 
 
Whether good is logically prior to the true?
 
As it was said earlier that what is truth and goodness are convertible to being, because what is being shall contain the two, it must also be said that they both differ in idea. For what is true comes before the good, for in order for something to be good, it must exist or be, thus we have what is true manifesting before what is good. Said in another way, what is true is more closely related to being than what is good, for what is true occurs immediately in a simple fashion. A more appropriate seat or placement of the good is to understand that what is good must come before what is desirable - for example, the man knows the fish and vegetables are good for his body and shall fulfill his appetite and sustain his bodily functions, so as a result he desires to eat these things because they are good in itself and for him as well. 
 
Whether God is truth?
 
As it was said earlier, truth is found in the intellect according to its ability to understand and perceive something accurately as it is in reality absolutely, also being observable to others around it who can also concur its absoluteness, even though this is not within the capability of everyone who observes the same thing. Recognizing the truth by way of the intellect absolutely, as opposed to relatively, is to recognize the truth to a higher degree. Objective truth is higher than subjective truth, because it takes all things into consideration as opposed to subjective truth, which does not take all things into consideration, but chooses to ignore specific variables or other truths as it relates to the truth which is being observed. Even in this, the truth as it relates to the intellect is found in the greatest and highest degree in God, who is the maximum of all intellects and truths, for His being isn’t only a part of His intellect, but is the very act of His intellect for what He chooses to do with His intellect is the measure and cause of every created intellect which springs forth from His intellect. So, in this way, it is why we say that “nothing is hidden from His sight,” and that “whatever qualities, attributes, perfections, or knowings of the intellect that is observed in a creature, can be found more perfect in the highest degree in God, whom is the source of such quality, attribute, perfection, and knowledge of the intellect.” Literally, God is “truth,” for He sets the measure for all things to bump off from - the First and Last Cause, and the One who brings all intellects, creatures, causes, beings, and happenings to their calculated end according to His will by way of His intellect. As for sin, this is not attributed to God, because sin is “not-being,” and a deficiency within the realm of potentiality (freewill choices not attributed to God) by way of an accident in which there is no truth. To reinforce this concept, there is no “truth” in non-being and deficiency; therefore, it is more accurately described as “something missing the mark” or “void of truth” and “not quite adding up to what something was meant to be,” by way of sin. Although it is “true” that someone may commit sin, to say that this person “sins by way of God '' is a fallacy involving the misrepresentation of the freewill, actuality, potentiality, essential being, potential being, and accidents. In other words, God's action is Actuality, and He is an Essential Being who made all things good, for in Him there are no accidents. By way of His agency, people come into being, thus people are beings in potentiality. People are also given a freewill as a gift by God to choose, and the choices they make are what we call "accidents," which can also be sinful. As it was stated earlier, sin is non-being, thus the more someone sins and refuses to rectify it, the more subject they become to non-existence, and when the freewill action of non-being matures or reaches its terminal illness phase, death enters the equation, because death itself is also non-being, as opposed to life, which is God and life in the spirit. For in summary by way of scripture it is said: "You will die in your sin." Many nonbelievers and opponents to the free will confuse this critical intersection and understanding, or they do not understand the basic elements and components of it, hence they enter into a fallacy of accidents as Saint Thomas Aquinas mentions.
 
Whether there is only one truth, according to which all things are true?
 
As it was stated earlier, truth exists primarily in the intellect, and secondarily among things in accordance with the Divine Intellect which is from God alone (for He has given us the ability to see the truth in the things He ordains to exist in our natural environment). When speaking of truth in the human mind in accordance with a created intellect, there can be many truths a human is aware of by way of the things known to him in the degree or level he can understand them. Furthermore, we know the Divine Intellect from God knows all things because it is literally the source of the truth that is to be had, which is absolute. He has given every intellect in existence a share of the divine intellect, although not every creature can apprehend it to the same degree. Some have a higher degree of knowing by way of the divine intellect, while others have a lesser degree of knowing and recognizing truth by way of that same intellect. In this sense, all things that are true are one. In another way, we know they vary in degrees as each intellect can perceive them. Also, in a different way, how we apply analogical and equivocal concepts may have elements of the truth for a stated purpose, but may not display the fullness of what something is true in the literal sense. For example, telling someone “it's hotter than hell out here,” or “my name is mud,” takes elements of truthful things and concepts to portray an artistic state of being one wishes to convey to another. Now that it is established that there is only one truth which many kinds of truths in varying degrees can formulate, it is also important to take notice of subjective truths, which is not in the realm of absoluteness. For if someone lies about another, and speaks falsehood, even if they believe in their own lies, the truth shall remain unaltered. Even if other people were to believe a lie or falsehood from another, it would not make it the truth - even if a mob with pitchforks and burning torches threaten to put someone to death over a statement or belief which is contradictory to the truth, and if that subjected person were to say what the mob preferred him to say under duress so as not to execute him, it will not mean that the truth they are being forced to manipulate now becomes altered in any way, nor does this mean the lie they have grown to accept will now somehow become more true. For as mentioned earlier, God is the Highest Principle, and the First and Last Cause, to which all truth flows from. He would know what the truth is, regardless of what the mob says or how violent the mob may become. Even in the same way, if there were elements of the truth in the mob’s false position, but were still false in what they believe or say, their version of the truth would never become “THE” truth to God, who is above all creatures, species, genuses, created things of spiritual and corporeal matter, and who is of His own Order. For as it was stated earlier, sin is an accident caused by the free will choices of creatures, and for when a creature decides to engage in what is non-being (sinful actions), such as lying or manipulation of the truth, that creature no longer has the light of truth in them, but the opposite, which is darkness and death. For the Lord hates those who lie and pursue falsehood, because He is the truth and the light, and for whoever cannot accept the truth or draw near to it, they shall oppose the truth and pull further away from it into darkness, where their falsehoods shall remain and not be exposed to the unbearable searing truth of light which is His presence.   
 
Whether created truth is eternal?
 
Things that are professed and announced upon the lips for everyone to hear is a product of the intellect which is also the spiritual soul. For a woman’s intellect deems something to be true, and then it follows that she must proclaim the truth to other people around her so as her intellect apprehends what is being said with the tongue. Although humans can create their own ideas and thoughts by the freewill, these thoughts shall not be eternal (as in everlasting in the pool of divine intellect) outside of something that God already foreknew. It is impossible that a created intellect could fashion an idea that was not already knowable to God in pre-existence through His Divine Intellect, which alone is eternal, and before any created intellect that came into existence.  Created truths that endure and are absolutely true and shall be eternal are chiefly sourced in God, who already knew the truth that would be professed and proclaimed upon the tongues of mortals for all to witness and hear. In conclusion, the truth in the divine intellect alone has eternity, and as it was mentioned earlier, the intellects of creatures and mortal beings such as humans have varying shares of this which they are able to contemplate, profess, understand, and formulate in varying degrees according to their intellect as they have the ability to apprehend it, thus some stars shall shine more brightly than others, and some mortals shall be less beautified than others when all is accomplished. 
 
Whether truth is immutable?
 
The truth upon the created intellect may vary as new knowledge is brought to light so far as the intellect can recognize it and apply it going forward. In the same way, the opinion of someone can change from true to false, and false to true, often alternating its positions based on variable factors revealed to the intellect at later times (light of grace, new knowledge, clash of wills in debate proving an argument wrong and demonstrating the humility to accept fault so as to change a position, and manipulation). Now, the created intellect is subject to a lack of knowing some things while also having the ability to know many things. However, there also exists an intellect that has no alternation of opinion and contains the knowledge of which nothing can escape or remain hidden from, and this is what we know as the immutable truth which is the divine intellect. In other words, it is the “gold standard” of truth, which nothing else shall surpass in value or truthfulness, and in this way, the truth of the divine intellect is immutable. Furthermore, in the divine intellect, true and false cannot change, as by way of the created intellect which experiences mutable truths to it by way of the forms it encounters and recognizes or is not familiar with. Truth in the divine intellect is immutable.

​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

​Whether there are ideas?


Ideas must exist in the divine intellect. In order for something to spring forth in matter or become observable to others in nature - the idea must preclude the practical outcome. The form of things and concepts other than themselves (as in physical matter) are ideas in the creature, which pre-exist in God. Also, the purpose of an idea is known for two ends: the form in itself and the principle of knowledge in it. Things generated at random and by chance are not the calculated end directed by guidance from another as we see with creation of the world, the universe, and creatures, as well as humans - who all work together in their own way to a calculated end. This is because the concept of man, creatures, the world which was purposefully put here for us and the universe originated in the divine intellect of God, who presupposes all of these things in idea, and springs them forth into matter as He wills it, and guides them all to their calculated end. Therefore, there are ideas which result in form and principle of knowledge, for all things purposefully created by design and an agent (God) work towards their calculated ends through their forms and their knowledge which was given to them by the Divine Essence - all originating in the ideas and intellect of God.  


Whether ideas are many?


There is a plurality of ideas in both God, man, and creature. For God, His Essence is not the idea, but the source from which ideas are formulated and understood. Understanding the form of something and its many parts in accordance with the idea that sprang forth from the artist, shows us that not only does the artist understand his work such as a painting, but that he also understands that he understands it - thus demonstrating that the artist fully comprehend the idea of what he makes and why he makes it, in a way that nothing of the art that the man creates is hidden from his sight as the man knows his art’s very essence. In the same way, God understands many things, and just not in a general way, but a more higher and intimate way - to include the parts of what is being understood, and the self-awareness through His own Divine Essence that He understands that He understands what is known, thus understanding the idea and essence of what is being observed as knowable to Him truly in fullness. For in the Divine Mind there exists proper ideas of all things as they were made in their own likeness apportioned by God as good and not in need of changing. In other words, God made what He did through the idea of what that thing or creature ought to be. Denial of this is faithlessness and lack of trust in God’s providence. His knowledge and wisdom also comes forth from His Divine Essence in the form of many ideas. God is fully aware of all the parts to an idea that form it, and He knows the best outcome for them even if He shall fashion freewill decisions (accidents existing in potentiality) to creatures, who often make the wrong decisions (things opposed to what God ordained for them). For every creature has its own proper species which acts in accordance with the Divine Essence in the degree of its likeness it has been apportioned. The ideas of secular society which are opposed to God in every way work in direct contradiction to the ideas of the Divine Essence - as we see playing out in the secular school systems which have driven out God from their presence. The disorder of sin (deficiency or not quite meeting the mark), which denies everything God has planned for them, which is the highest good, is self-evident in the teachers who are carrying improper messages to students in the classroom about sexual immorality, gender theory, self-mutilation, and false morality and self-centered egotistical ethics. Even at the opposition of parents, activist teachers who do not know God or His ways, radicalize their classroom, and enforce their system of false beliefs upon vulnerable children which only seeks to make them moving parts attributed to the machine of the secular state while often receiving backing from politicians and higher power structures which were originally implemented to render justice and fairness and prevent these type of manipulations on the institutional level, but have now failed to achieve their started purposes. As we can see, the idea of justice and righteousness, which is God inspired, is dwindling at the foot of radical secular humanism brought on by faithless individuals who pursue their sins and lower pleasures. They are filled with hatred for God and neighbor, and prefer to push their violent and aggressive agendas at all costs - even to the detriment of society and oppression of those whom they disagree with. Therefore, in all of this, it is apparent there are many ideas in the world, but the essence of each is known purely and completely in God because He sees them through His own Divine Essence, where there is no lack of knowledge or understanding. In the creature, he knows ideas as well, but not as many as God, and he understands them in a lesser way as opposed to the Divine Intellect which springs forth from the Essence of God. 


Whether there are ideas of all things that God knows?


There are different types of ideas existing in the mind of God. In God, these ideas are proper as they should be, lacking in nothing as the Divine Essence formulated the thought of them. Therefore, God has the idea of things in their fullness within Him as He knows them.

​​I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
​
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission.
 
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.