The MOST Theological Collection: Grace, Predestination and the Salvific Will of God: New Answers to Old Questions
"Epilogue"
507. Perhaps someone may object: "Is it not presumptuous for an ordinary man to think he can see the solution that was obscure or unknown to the great Saints and Doctors of the Church?"
The answer is: No. For many reasons.
1) Because of the progressive clarification of revelation, according to the providential plan, it is to be expected that men in later ages will be able to see more than those in earlier ages. Even a child can see farther than a giant, if he stands on the shoulders of the giant. We see this verified under our eyes today in the natural sciences. Many boys in high school know far more about the natural sciences than did the giants of earlier centuries.
2) Actually, the main elements of our solution are found elsewhere, especially in St. Thomas and St. Francis de Sales, even though some points were still obscure from certain difficulties which divine providence permitted, according to the plan of the gradual clarification of revelation.
3) But especially: Whatever good there may be in this work came from our good Father through the hands of our Spiritual Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For God, as St. Paul tells us, often likes to use worthless, contemptible instruments. Also, the divine decision as to who should find the answer to this problem (and other problems) is a matter of the external economy. But in the external economy, God assigns His gifts not according to human merits, but in other ways. Whatever is deficient in this work is entirely mine.
Finally, we readily submit all these things to the judgment of the Church, being ready to modify it not only according to solemn definitions, but also according to the teaching of the ordinary magisterium of the Church.
However, even after this, at least one thing will always remain true-for we have received that from the Church herself: Whatever be the truth about the distribution of graces, it must always, in each individual case, be such as to be fully pleasing to the most loving heart of Mary, our Spiritual Mother, who is also the Mediatrix of all graces.1
Most hearty thanks, then to our good Father, whose inexpressible love has given us such a Mother: for He is love.
END NOTES
| 1 | Cf. note 7 on chapter 6. |
