Epiphany

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Summa Theologia, I-II, 40, 4 and II-II, 17, 1 and II-II, 17 2 were our topics in Chapter, today.  My "cloistered brothers," with the help of Fr.Nic and Dr. Holly Coolman, from Providence College, discussed Hope and Despair.  These subjects are treated a little differently by Thomas Aquinas, than the current definitions of hope and despair.

Despair is not really just the opposite of Hope.  It's more of seeing something as not a good thing.  It's more despair, even depression, and sin.

Hope, according to AQ is wanting to attain something.  This something has to be attainable.  I can't hope to be young; that's impossible.  Hope is also wanting something good.  In this way, Hope is a virtue.

It was in discussing Article 2. "Whether eternal happiness is the proper object of hope?", that I had my epiphany.    You see I never understood 1 Corinthians 13: 13.  Faith, Hope, and Love, and the greatest of these is Love.  This isn't true, if you are talking spiritually. Spiritually would be agape love.  It is necessary to have Faith to have agape love.  So doesn't it make sense, that Faith would be the greater virtue?

Faith to AQ means "see."  Ah!  I see it therefore I believe.  I see God; therefore I believe.  I see what you are saying; therefore I believe.  Hope is wishing for an attainable good.  Hope would be wishing to go to heaven.

The epiphany comes in heaven.  In heaven, I see (faith) God.  I have attained the good (hope.)  What's left?  God Himself (Who is Love.)  

The greatest virtue is Love when you are talking about "presence."  

Related articles

• Thomas Aquinas on Theological Virtues: Summa Theologica (theophilogue.wordpress.com)

Hope

In Dominican Study Group tonight we discussed an article on Hope by Fr. Albert Nolan, OP. The beginning was concerned with the difference between optimism and hope. We went round and round about this, but I like what Tim said best: "Optimism comes from the head, whereas Hope comes from the heart."

What Doc Miller was impressed with, was Fr. Nolan's idea of Christian Hope. Fr. Nolan says, "Our Hope is based upon God and God alone." All my brothers agreed with this concept. I, myself couldn't stop relating our discussion to Jacques Fesch (see post from Dec. 6) If Fesch isn't an example of Hope, then nothing is. Same person, same situation, but look at the difference hope made in his life, once he found God. Fesch was a different person even though he was facing death with or without hope. With Hope, Fesch was living in God's Kingdom. That was why he his attitude changed.