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Objection 1: It seems that to approach this sacrament with
consciousness of sin is the gravest of all sins; because the Apostle
says (1 Cor. 11:27): "Whosoever shall eat this bread, or
drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body
and of the blood of the Lord": upon which the gloss observes: "He
shall be punished as though he slew Christ." But the sin of them who
slew Christ seems to have been most grave. Therefore this sin,
whereby a man approaches Christ's table with consciousness of sin,
appears to be the gravest.
Objection 2: Further, Jerome says in an Epistle (xlix):
"What hast thou to do with women, thou that speakest familiarly with
God at the altar?". Say, priest, say, cleric, how dost thou
kiss the Son of God with the same lips wherewith thou hast kissed the
daughter of a harlot? "Judas, thou betrayest the Son of Man with a
kiss!" And thus it appears that the fornicator approaching Christ's
table sins as Judas did, whose sin was most grave. But there are
many other sins which are graver than fornication, especially the sin
of unbelief. Therefore the sin of every sinner approaching Christ's
table is the gravest of all.
Objection 3: Further, spiritual uncleanness is more abominable to
God than corporeal. But if anyone was to cast Christ's body into
mud or a cess-pool, his sin would be reputed a most grave one.
Therefore, he sins more deeply by receiving it with sin, which is
spiritual uncleanness, upon his soul.
On the contrary, Augustine says on the words, "If I had not
come, and had not spoken to them, they would be without sin"
(Tract. lxxxix in Joan.), that this is to be understood of the
sin of unbelief, "in which all sins are comprised," and so the
greatest of all sins appears to be, not this, but rather the sin of
unbelief.
I answer that, As stated in the FS, Question 73, Articles
3,6; SS, Question 73, Article 3, one sin can be said to be
graver than another in two ways: first of all essentially, secondly
accidentally. Essentially, in regard to its species, which is taken
from its object: and so a sin is greater according as that against
which it is committed is greater. And since Christ's Godhead is
greater than His humanity, and His humanity greater than the
sacraments of His humanity, hence it is that those are the gravest
sins which are committed against the Godhead, such as unbelief and
blasphemy. The second degree of gravity is held by those sins which
are committed against His humanity: hence it is written (Mt.
12:32): "Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of
Man, it shall be forgiven him; but he that shall speak against the
Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor
in the world to come." In the third place come sins committed against
the sacraments, which belong to Christ's humanity; and after these
are the other sins committed against mere creatures.
Accidentally, one sin can be graver than another on the sinner's
part. for example, the sin which is the result of ignorance or of
weakness is lighter than one arising from contempt, or from sure
knowledge; and the same reason holds good of other circumstances. And
according to this, the above sin can be graver in some, as happens in
them who from actual contempt and with consciousness of sin approach
this sacrament: but in others it is less grave; for instance, in
those who from fear of their sin being discovered, approach this
sacrament with consciousness of sin.
So, then, it is evident that this sin is specifically graver than
many others, yet it is not the greatest of all.
Reply to Objection 1: The sin of the unworthy recipient is compared
to the sin of them who slew Christ, by way of similitude, because
each is committed against Christ's body; but not according to the
degree of the crime. Because the sin of Christ's slayers was much
graver, first of all, because their sin was against Christ's body in
its own species, while this sin is against it under sacramental
species; secondly, because their sin came of the intent of injuring
Christ, while this does not.
Reply to Objection 2: The sin of the fornicator receiving
Christ's body is likened to Judas kissing Christ, as to the
resemblance of the sin, because each outrages Christ with the sign of
friendship. but not as to the extent of the sin, as was observed above
(ad 1). And this resemblance in crime applies no less to other
sinners than to fornicators: because by other mortal sins, sinners act
against the charity of Christ, of which this sacrament is the sign,
and all the more according as their sins are graver. But in a measure
the sin of fornication makes one more unfit for receiving this
sacrament, because thereby especially the spirit becomes enslaved by
the flesh, which is a hindrance to the fervor of love required for this
sacrament.
However, the hindrance to charity itself weighs more than the
hindrance to its fervor. Hence the sin of unbelief, which
fundamentally severs a man from the unity of the Church, simply
speaking, makes him to be utterly unfit for receiving this sacrament;
because it is the sacrament of the Church's unity, as stated above
(Question 61, Article 2). Hence the unbeliever who receives
this sacrament sins more grievously than the believer who is in sin;
and shows greater contempt towards Christ Who is in the sacrament,
especially if he does not believe Christ to be truly in this
sacrament; because, so far as lies in him, he lessens the holiness of
the sacrament, and the power of Christ acting in it, and this is to
despise the sacrament in itself. But the believer who receives the
sacrament with consciousness of sin, by receiving it unworthily
despises the sacrament, not in itself, but in its use. Hence the
Apostle (1 Cor. 11:29) in assigning the cause of this sin,
says, "not discerning the body of the Lord," that is, not
distinguishing it from other food: and this is what he does who
disbelieves Christ's presence in this sacrament.
Reply to Objection 3: The man who would throw this sacrament into
the mire would be guilty of more heinous sin than another approaching
the sacrament fully conscious of mortal sin. First of all, because he
would intend to outrage the sacrament, whereas the sinner receiving
Christ's body unworthily has no such intent; secondly, because the
sinner is capable of grace; hence he is more capable of receiving this
sacrament than any irrational creature. Hence he would make a most
revolting use of this sacrament who would throw it to dogs to eat, or
fling it in the mire to be trodden upon.
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