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Objection 1: It would seem that the saints have no knowledge of our
prayers. For a gloss on Is. 62:16, "Thou art our father and
Abraham hath not known us, and Israel hath been ignorant of us,"
says that "the dead saints know not what the living, even their own
children, are doing." This is taken from Augustine (De Cura pro
Mort. xiii), where he quotes the aforesaid authority, and the
following are his words: "If such great men as the patriarchs knew
not what was happening to the people begotten of them, how can the dead
occupy themselves in watching and helping the affairs and actions of the
living?" Therefore the saints cannot be cognizant of our prayers.
Objection 2: Further, the following words are addressed to King
Joas (4 Kgs. 22:20): "Therefore" (i.e. because thou
hast wept before Me), "I will gather thee to thy fathers . . .
that thy eyes may not see all the evils which I will bring upon this
place." But Joas would have gained no such advantage from his death
if he were to know after death what was happening to his people.
Therefore the saints after death know not our actions, and thus they
are not cognizant of our prayers.
Objection 3: Further, the more perfect a man is in charity, the
more he succors his neighbor when the latter is in danger. Now the
saints, in this life, watch over their neighbor, especially their
kinsfolk, when these are in danger, and manifestly assist them.
Since then, after death, their charity is much greater, if they were
cognizant of our deeds, much more would they watch over their friends
and kindred and assist them in their needs: and yet, seemingly, they
do not. Therefore it would seem that our deeds and prayers are not
known to them.
Objection 4: Further, even as the saints after death see the
Word, so do the angels of whom it is stated (Mt. 18:10) that
"their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father." Yet the
angels through seeing the Word do not therefore know all things, since
the lower angels are cleansed from their lack of knowledge by the higher
angels [FP, Question 106, Article 1], as Dionysius
declares (Coel. Hier. vii). Therefore although the saints see
the Word, they do not see therein our prayers and other things that
happen in our regard.
Objection 5: Further, God alone is the searcher of hearts. Now
prayer is seated chiefly in the heart. Therefore it belongs to God
alone to know our prayers. Therefore our prayers are unknown to the
saints.
On the contrary, Gregory, commenting on Job 14:21, "Whether
his children come to honor or dishonor, he shall not understand,"
says (Moral. xii): "This does not apply to the souls of the
saints, for since they have an insight of Almighty God's glory we
must nowise believe that anything outside that glory is unknown to
them." Therefore they are cognizant of our prayers. Further,
Gregory says (Dial. ii): "All creatures are little to the soul
that sees God: because however little it sees of the Creator's
light, every created thing appears foreshortened to it." Now
apparently the chief obstacle to the souls of the saints being cognizant
of our prayers and other happenings in our regard is that they are far
removed from us. Since then distance does not prevent these things,
as appears from the authority quoted, it would seem that the souls of
the saints are cognizant of our prayers and of what happens here below.
Further, unless they were aware of what happens in our regard they
would not pray for us, since they would be ignorant of our needs. But
this is the error of Vigilantius, as Jerome asserts in his letter
against him. Therefore the saints are cognizant of what happens in our
regard.
I answer that, The Divine essence is a sufficient medium for knowing
all things, and this is evident from the fact that God, by seeing
His essence, sees all things. But it does not follow that whoever
sees God's essence knows all things, but only those who comprehend
the essence of God [FP, Question 12, Articles 7,8]: even
as the knowledge of a principle does not involve the knowledge of all
that follows from that principle unless the whole virtue of the
principle be comprehended. Wherefore, since the souls of the saints
do not comprehend the Divine essence, it does not follow that they
know all that can be known by the Divine essence---for which reason
the lower angels are taught concerning certain matters by the higher
angels, though they all see the essence of God; but each of the
blessed must needs see in the Divine essence as many other things as
the perfection of his happiness requires. For the perfection of a
man's happiness requires him to have whatever he will, and to will
nothing amiss: and each one wills with a right will, to know what
concerns himself. Hence since no rectitude is lacking to the saints,
they wish to know what concerns themselves, and consequently it follows
that they know it in the Word. Now it pertains to their glory that
they assist the needy for their salvation: for thus they become God's
co-operators, "than which nothing is more Godlike," as Dionysius
declares (Coel. Hier. iii). Wherefore it is evident that the
saints are cognizant of such things as are required for this purpose;
and so it is manifest that they know in the Word the vows, devotions,
and prayers of those who have recourse to their assistance.
Reply to Objection 1: The saying of Augustine is to be understood
as referring to the natural knowledge of separated souls, which
knowledge is devoid of obscurity in holy men. But he is not speaking
of their knowledge in the Word, for it is clear that when Isaias said
this, Abraham had no such knowledge, since no one had come to the
vision of God before Christ's passion.
Reply to Objection 2: Although the saints, after this life, know
what happens here below, we must not believe that they grieve through
knowing the woes of those whom they loved in this world: for they are
so filled with heavenly joy, that sorrow finds no place in them.
Wherefore if after death they know the woes of their friends, their
grief is forestalled by their removal from this world before their woes
occur. Perhaps, however, the non-glorified souls would grieve
somewhat, if they were aware of the distress of their dear ones: and
since the soul of Josias was not glorified as soon as it went out from
his body, it is in this respect that Augustine uses this argument to
show that the souls of the dead have no knowledge of the deeds of the
living.
Reply to Objection 3: The souls of the saints have their will fully
conformed to the Divine will even as regards the things willed. and
consequently, although they retain the love of charity towards their
neighbor, they do not succor him otherwise than they see to be in
conformity with the disposition of Divine justice. Nevertheless, it
is to be believed that they help their neighbor very much by interceding
for him to God.
Reply to Objection 4: Although it does not follow that those who
see the Word see all things in the Word, they see those things that
pertain to the perfection of their happiness, as stated above.
Reply to Objection 5: God alone of Himself knows the thoughts of
the heart: yet others know them, in so far as these are revealed to
them, either by their vision of the Word or by any other means.
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