Paths of Love

The First Way to Perfection, Which is the Renunciation of Temporal Things Among temporal goods the first we should renounce are external goods, which are called riches, [This renunciation is first, not in the sense of most important, but rather, in the order from imperfect to perfect. It is a basic starting point.] and the [...]

For a brief summary of this and the preceding three chapters, see the earlier post: Aquinas On Degrees of Love For God. The Perfection of Love of God That Falls Under Counsel When St. Paul had said, “Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect,” and, “but I follow after, if I [...]

In another way we love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, if nothing in us is lacking to divine love, if there is nothing which we do not, actually or habitually, refer to God. And a precept is given concerning this divine love. [In the last chapter, St. Thomas described the perfection [...]

[St. Thomas beings to consider the various degrees of divine love possible to creatures. Having shown that only God can love God as much as he deserves to be loved, he concludes that the only mode of loving God perfectly that is possible for a rational creature, is that which is taken on the side [...]

The Perfection of Love of God That Belongs to God Alone [Having concluded that being perfect in the spiritual life means, first of all, loving God perfectly, and secondly, loving one's neighbor perfectly, St. Thomas will take up each of these in turn. And since perfection consists first of all in the love of God, [...]

Perfection Is Found Both According to Love of God and Love of Our Neighbor [Since to be alive spiritually means to love, Thomas concluded that to be perfect in the spiritual life means to be perfect in love. Here he continues to examine what kind(s) of love that is.] Having considered that perfection consists primarily [...]

I will be doing a series of posts commenting on the work On the Perfection of the Spiritual Life by Thomas Aquinas (parallel to the posts on evolution, faith, and theology). Prologue Since certain persons, knowing nothing about perfection, have presumed to speak follies concerning the state of perfection, our purpose is to treat of [...]