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Reply. (1) Christ's soul was able by its own power to bring about
absolutely whatever was willed for it; but Christ, in His wisdom,
did not will absolutely that it should by its own power do what
surpassed it, for there could have been no presumption in Christ.
2) Christ's soul, as the instrument of the Word, could do
whatever it absolutely willed was to be accomplished by divine power,
such as the resurrection of its own body. But it could will in this
way only what God had efficaciously decreed, and it knew these
decrees.[1291]
Was Christ's prayer always heard? The prayer He made according to
His absolute will, was always heard, but not the prayer that was
conditional, such as when He said: "If it be possible, let this
chalice pass from Me."[1292]
St. Thomas says farther on: "Christ willed nothing but what He
knew God to will. Wherefore every absolute will of Christ, even
human, was fulfilled, because it was in conformity with
God."[1293]
It is manifestly a sign of imprudence to will absolutely and
efficaciously what certainly cannot come to pass. But Christ, as
stated, certainly knew all future things by the beatific vision.
Therefore He did not will absolutely and efficaciously what was not to
be done either by His own power or by means of others.[1294]
This concludes the question of Christ's power, and now we must
consider antithetically the defects of Christ's human nature inasmuch
as it was passible before the Resurrection.
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