161. Divine Mission: The Invisible Sending of the Son and Holy Spirit

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

• The Definition of Divine Mission: Mission implies both a procession from another (origin) and a new mode of indwelling in a creature through grace
• Sanctifying Grace as Condition for Mission: Only through grace making one pleasing to God (gratia gratum facientis) can a divine person be sent and indwell a creature in a new way
• Grace as Disposition vs. Divine Person as Gift: Sanctifying grace disposes the soul to receive the divine person (like matter receiving form), while the divine person himself is given and dwells in the soul as its guest
• Why the Father Cannot Be Sent: The Father cannot be sent because mission requires origin from another, and the Father is the unbegotten beginning of the Godhead
• The Invisible Mission of the Son: The Son is sent invisibly according to gifts pertaining to understanding, specifically knowledge that “breathes love” (verbum cum amore notitia), not knowledge without charity
• The Invisible Mission of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is sent according to the gift of charity, which inflames the affections and makes the soul like the Holy Spirit (who is Love)

Key Arguments #

Article 3: Sanctifying Grace and Divine Mission #

Objection 1: If divine person sent only by grace, then only grace is given, not the person himself

• Response: Through sanctifying grace, creature is perfected to enjoy the divine person himself. The divine person is given and dwells in the soul as a guest

Objection 2: The preposition “according to” (secundum) denotes causality, but divine person causes grace, not vice versa

• Response: Sanctifying grace disposes the soul as matter to form; divine person is efficient cause of grace. Different types of causality, not contradictory. Example: The Lord is with Mary because she is full of grace (disposition); she is full of grace because the Lord is with her (efficient cause). Two things can be causes of each other in different ways

Objection 3: Son is known through faith without charity; therefore Son sent through faith, not sanctifying grace

• Response: Though Son can be known through various gifts, He is sent only through sanctifying grace, which alone makes soul suitable subject to receive divine person

Objection 4: Holy Spirit given to Apostles for miracles (gratia gratis data), not sanctifying grace

• Response: Miracles manifest sanctifying grace; grace freely given is a sign of underlying sanctifying grace. Divine person not said to be given simply through gratia gratis data alone

Article 4: Why the Father Cannot Be Sent #

Central Argument: Mission in its definition implies procession from another. Father not from another (He is the beginning without beginning); therefore Father cannot be sent. Only Son and Holy Spirit can be sent, as they proceed from another

Objection 1: Father gives himself freely to creatures to be enjoyed

• Response: If “giving” means free communication, Father does give Himself. But if giving implies origin (notion of mission), only those proceeding from another can be given

Objection 2: Whole Trinity dwells in us through grace

• Response: Effect of grace comes from Father, but He is not from another and therefore not said to be sent

Objection 3: Mission does not signify person or notion; therefore should apply to all three

• Response: Mission implies procession from one sending; includes in its meaning the notion of origin, common to Son and Holy Spirit but not Father

Article 5: The Invisible Mission of the Son #

Central Question: Does Son have invisible mission, or only Holy Spirit?

Objection 1: All gifts pertain to Holy Spirit; therefore only Holy Spirit sent invisibly

• Response: Although all gifts attributed to Holy Spirit as first gift (being Love), some gifts appropriated to Son by particular nature—those pertaining to understanding

Objection 2: Son known through faith without charity; therefore sent through faith alone

• Response: Soul must be conformed to divine person sent. For Son (Word breathing love), assimilation requires knowledge with love, not knowledge alone. Augustine: “The Word is knowledge breathing love” (verbum cum amore notitia). Without charity, Son not said to be sent strictly

Objection 3: Missions distinguished by processions; therefore both being sent seems redundant

• Response: Missions distinguished by origin (generation vs. procession) but united in root of grace. Distinguished in effects: enlightening of understanding (Son) and inflaming of affections/heart (Holy Spirit)

Important Definitions #

• Missio (Mission): A going forward of a divine person from another with a new mode of indwelling in a creature
• Gratia gratum facientis (Grace making one pleasing to God/Sanctifying Grace): The only means by which a divine person is sent and indwells a creature in a new way
• Gratia gratis data (Grace freely given): Gifts like prophecy and miracles that do not sanctify the recipient
• Dispositio (Disposition): The way grace renders soul suitable to receive divine person, as matter is disposed to receive form
• Appropriatio (Appropriation): Attribution of certain divine operations to particular persons (though all three perform all operations)
• Verbum cum amore notitia (Word breathing love/Knowledge breathing love): Experimental knowledge of God with affection; what Augustine calls savory knowledge (sapida scientia)
• Perceptio (Perception): Experimental knowledge, properly called wisdom; knowledge not without perfection of charity

Examples & Illustrations #

• The Hail Mary (Ave Maria): “Full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” Question: Is Lord with her because she is full of grace, or is she full of grace because Lord is with her? Answer: Both in different ways. Her fullness of grace is disposition of soul to receive Him (like matter receiving form); the Lord is efficient cause of the grace that makes her full. Things can be causes of each other in different ways

• The Professor and Student: Recognizing suitable dispositions in a student (like aptitude to learn) is not the same as giving the student instruction, but it disposes them to receive it

• The Book: Professor judges student will profit from book and gives it to him. The judgment about student’s capacity disposes student to receive the gift, but professor is the one giving the book. Analogously, grace disposes soul, divine person is what is given

• The Relic of St. Gertrude: Gift of relic to one with special interest in St. Gertrude. The receiver’s interest disposes them to receive such a gift, but does not cause the giving itself

• Fire Analogy: Augustine’s point that meditation kindles fire within—knowledge of truth ignites the affections (charity), showing inseparability of knowledge and love in the Son’s mission

Notable Quotes #

“The Word is knowledge breathing love” (verbum cum amore notitia) — Augustine, On the Trinity, Book 9

“The Father alone is never said to be sent” — Augustine, On the Trinity, Book 2

“When the fullness of time came, God sent his own Son” — Galatians 4:4

“To him we will come and make our dwelling with him” — John 14:23

“Everyone who has heard from the Father and learned comes to me” — John 6:45

“In my meditation, fire broke out” — Psalm (cited to show knowledge kindling love)

“All these graces are worked by one and the same Spirit” — 1 Corinthians 12

Questions Addressed #

1. Is the divine person given through grace, or only grace itself? The divine person himself is given and dwells in the soul through sanctifying grace, which disposes the soul to receive Him

2. Can the Father be sent? No. Mission requires origin from another (procession), and Father is not from another; He is the unbegotten beginning

3. Is the Son sent invisibly? Yes, according to gifts pertaining to understanding—especially knowledge with love (not knowledge alone without charity)

4. How do missions of Son and Holy Spirit differ? Distinguished by their origin (generation vs. procession) and effects (illumination of understanding vs. inflaming of heart), but both require sanctifying grace as their root

5. What is relationship between grace and indwelling of divine person? Grace is the disposition (on side of subject) and efficient cause comes from divine person. Divine person is what is received and dwells in soul. Grace perfects creature’s capacity to enjoy the divine person

6. Can Son be sent through faith without charity? No. Though Son can be known through faith, He is sent only through sanctifying grace with charity, since He is known as the Word breathing love, requiring assimilation through love, not knowledge alone