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State of the question. The difficulty is that, on the one hand, men
are made by adoption brethren of Christ rather than His sons, for the
Apostle says: "That He might be the first-born among many
brethren."[1593] On the other hand, when in the Lord's
Prayer we say, "Our Father, " this refers to the entire
Trinity, equally with "Thy kingdom come, " and "Thy will be
done."
Reply. To adopt is an act that belongs to the whole Trinity.
Authoritative proof. When in the Lord's Prayer we say "Our
Father, " the word "Father" connotes the essence and not the
person.[1594] The same is to be said of "Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done."
Theological proof. Every divine free action ad extra is befitting to
the whole Trinity, because it proceeds from omnipotence, which, like
the divine nature, is common to the three persons. But to adopt is a
divine free action ad extra, for it is the bestowal of grace.
Therefore to adopt is befitting to the whole Trinity.
In other words, whereas the natural Son of God is "begotten not
made,"[1595] the adoptive son is made, for the Evangelist
says: "He gave them power to be made the sons of God."[1596]
Nevertheless the adoptive son is said to be "born of
God,"[1597] on account of the spiritual regeneration that is
gratuitous and not natural.
Reply to second question. "By adoption we are made the brethren of
Christ, as having with Him the same Father who, nevertheless, is
His Father in one way and ours in another. Whence, pointedly our
Lord says, separately: 'My Father, and your
Father.'[1598] For He is Christ's Father by natural
generation, and this is proper to Him; whereas He is our Father by
a voluntary operation, which is common to the three persons."
Hence, when we say, "Our Father, " the word "Father" refers
to the essence and not to the person. It is the opposite when Christ
says, "My Father, " for Christ is not the Son of the Trinity,
as we are. Father Lebreton, S. J., in his recent work on the
Trinity, insists exegetically very much on this point. This
observation is referred to in its proper terms by St. Thomas in the
present article, which is seldom quoted.[1599]
Doubt. Is adoption, although common to the whole Trinity,
appropriated to the Father?
Reply to third objection. "It is appropriated to the Father as its
author, to the Son as its exemplar, to the Holy Ghost as imprinting
on us the likeness of this exemplar."
Adoption is here taken in the active sense, and not in the passive
sense, which is called "a participated likeness of eternal
sonship,"[1600] in a quasi-passive sense.
The reason is that appropriation is a manifestation of the divine
persons by means of essential attributes which enter more closely into
what constitutes this or that person. Thus to the Father, inasmuch
as He is the principle from no principle, omnipotence is
appropriated; to the Son, inasmuch as He is the Word, wisdom is
appropriated; to the Holy Ghost, inasmuch as He is personal love,
is appropriated goodness, sanctification, which is the special effect
of infused charity.[1601]
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