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Objection 1: It would seem that no religious order should be
established for the works of the active life. For every religious
order belongs to the state of perfection, as stated above (Question
184, Article 5; Question 186, Article 1). Now the
perfection of the religious state consists in the contemplation of
divine things. For Dionysius says (Eccl. Hier. vi) that they
are "called servants of God by reason of their rendering pure service
and subjection to God, and on account of the indivisible and singular
life which unites them by holy reflections," i.e. contemplations,
"on invisible things, to the Godlike unity and the perfection beloved
of God." Therefore seemingly no religious order should be
established for the works of the active life.
Objection 2: Further, seemingly the same judgment applies to canons
regular as to monks, according to Extra, De Postul., cap. Ex
parte; and De Statu Monach., cap. Quod Dei timorem: for it is
stated that "they are not considered to be separated from the
fellowship of monks": and the same would seem to apply to all other
religious. Now the monastic rule was established for the purpose of
the contemplative life; wherefore Jerome says (Ep. lviii ad
Paulin.): "If you wish to be what you are called, a monk,"
i.e. a solitary, "what business have you in a city?" The same is
found stated in Extra, De Renuntiatione, cap. Nisi cum pridem;
and De Regular., cap. Licet quibusdam. Therefore it would seem
that every religious order is directed to the contemplative life, and
none to the active life.
Objection 3: Further, the active life is concerned with the present
world. Now all religious are said to renounce the world; wherefore
Gregory says (Hom. xx in Ezech.): "He who renounces this
world, and does all the good he can, is like one who has gone out of
Egypt and offers sacrifice in the wilderness." Therefore it would
seem that no religious order can be directed to the active life.
On the contrary, It is written (James 1:27): "Religion
clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the
fatherless and widows in their tribulation." Now this belongs to the
active life. Therefore religious life can be fittingly directed to the
active life.
I answer that, As stated above (Article 1), the religious state
is directed to the perfection of charity, which extends to the love of
God and of our neighbor. Now the contemplative life which seeks to
devote itself to God alone belongs directly to the love of God, while
the active life, which ministers to our neighbor's needs, belongs
directly to the love of one's neighbor. And just as out of charity we
love our neighbor for God's sake, so the services we render our
neighbor redound to God, according to Mt. 25:40, "What you
have done to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me."
Consequently those services which we render our neighbor, in so far as
we refer them to God, are described as sacrifices, according to
Heb. 13:16, "Do not forget to do good and to impart, for by
such sacrifices God's favor is obtained." And since it belongs
properly to religion to offer sacrifice to God, as stated above
(Question 81, Article 1, ad 1; Article 4, ad 1), it
follows that certain religious orders are fittingly directed to the
works of the active life. Wherefore in the Conferences of the
Fathers (Coll. xiv, 4) the Abbot Nesteros in distinguishing the
various aims of religious orders says: "Some direct their intention
exclusively to the hidden life of the desert and purity of heart; some
are occupied with the instruction of the brethren and the care of the
monasteries; while others delight in the service of the guesthouse,"
i.e. in hospitality.
Reply to Objection 1: Service and subjection rendered to God are
not precluded by the works of the active life, whereby a man serves his
neighbor for God's sake, as stated in the Article. Nor do these
works preclude singularity of life; not that they involve man's living
apart from his fellow-men, but in the sense that each man individually
devotes himself to things pertaining to the service of God; and since
religious occupy themselves with the works of the active life for
God's sake, it follows that their action results from their
contemplation of divine things. Hence they are not entirely deprived
of the fruit of the contemplative life.
Reply to Objection 2: The same judgment applies to monks and to all
other religious, as regards things common to all religious orders: for
instance as regards their devoting themselves wholly to the divine
service, their observance of the essential vows of religion, and their
refraining from worldly business. But it does not follow that this
likeness extends to other things that are proper to the monastic
profession, and are directed especially to the contemplative life.
Hence in the aforesaid Decretal, De Postulando, it is not simply
stated that "the same judgment applies to canons regular" as "to
monks," but that it applies "in matters already mentioned," namely
that "they are not to act as advocates in lawsuits." Again the
Decretal quoted, De Statu Monach., after the statement that
"canons regular are not considered to be separated from the fellowship
of monks," goes on to say: "Nevertheless they obey an easier
rule." Hence it is evident that they are not bound to all that monks
are bound.
Reply to Objection 3: A man may be in the world in two ways: in
one way by his bodily presence, in another way by the bent of his
mind. Hence our Lord said to His disciples (Jn. 15:19):
"I have chosen you out of the world," and yet speaking of them to
His Father He said (Jn. 17:11): "These are in the world,
and I come to Thee." Although, then, religious who are occupied
with the works of the active life are in the world as to the presence of
the body, they are not in the world as regards their bent of mind,
because they are occupied with external things, not as seeking anything
of the world, but merely for the sake of serving God: for "they .
. . use this world, as if they used it not," to quote 1 Cor.
7:31. Hence (James 1:27) after it is stated that "religion
clean and undefiled . . . is . . . to visit the fatherless and
widows in their tribulation," it is added, "and to keep one's self
unspotted from this world," namely to avoid being attached to worldly
things.
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