Chapter — Marc, Institutiones Morales
Chapter I: On the Nature of Hope
St. Thomas, 2.2, q. 20, 21; 3 Sent., D. 26, q. 1, a. 3; St. Alphonsus, II, n. 20; ed. G., I, p. 313; H. Ap., IV, n. 6; Laymann, 2, tr. 2, c. 1; Mazzella, de Virt., p. 622; Lahousse, de Virt. theol., disp. III; Billot, Thes. 25-26.
- DEFINITION. Hope, taken generally, is a movement of the soul tending toward a future, arduous, and possible good (St. Thom., 2.2, q. 17, a. 1). - Theological hope is a divinely infused virtue by which, with certain confidence, we expect eternal beatitude and the means of attaining it, through the help of God (H. Ap., IV, 6). This last, that is, certain and firm expectation, is proper to hope.
I. The primary MATERIAL OBJECT of hope is eternal beatitude, which is God himself to be possessed; but the secondary object is divine graces and our good works, to be carried out by divine help (II, n. 20).
II. Some say the FORMAL object is the mercy of God; others divine omnipotence, as the Thomists commonly hold; others the divine promise. Wherefore St. Alphonsus says: "I think one must conclude that the three aforesaid motives constitute the formal object of hope, namely divine MERCY and OMNIPOTENCE, by which God imparts helps to us for overcoming the enemies of salvation: and St. Thomas expressly teaches these two motives.... I judge besides that a third motive must altogether be added to these two: namely the divine promise, ... or divine FIDELITY concerning the promise which he displayed, of saving us on account of the merits of Christ; otherwise, without this promise, we would not be able to hope for salvation with certain confidence" (II, 21; H. Ap., IV, 6, 7).
And indeed in reality: the formal object ought to be fitted to the proper act of hope, that is, of firm expectation, which tends into God as good, as helper willing to supply our misery, impotence, and hesitation. Moreover, so that all these things may be gathered into one, it can be said: the formal object of hope is the BENEVOLENCE OF GOD, considered as presupposing omnipotence, and as bound to us by fidelity, through the promise of saving us in view of the merits of Jesus Christ (St. Francis de Sales, Theotim., II, c. 15).
III. The SUBJECT of the virtue of hope is the will, not the intellect. All the faithful can elicit an act of hope, not only the just, but also sinners, as is established from Trent (Sess. 6, c. 6). Likewise souls being purified, from the common opinion. Cf. n. 417.
IV. The acts comprehended in hope are: 1. the explicit act of expectation of eternal beatitude, and of those things which conduce to it; 2. love of concupiscence toward God, simple desire, effort or efficacious raising of the soul against occurring difficulties; these acts are virtually included in the proper act of hope; 3. firm confidence of obtaining, and fear of losing, the things which we expect; these acts inseparably accompany the proper act of hope (II, 20; Reuter, n. 61).
- On fear. Fear is distinguished as fourfold, namely: human, servile, initial, and filial (2.2, q. 19, a. 2, 4, and 8).
Human, or worldly, fear is flight from temporal evil through offense of God. It is mortally or venially evil, according as it induces into mortal or venial sin. Hence that saying (Matt. 10:28): Fear ye not them that kill the body.... And (Luke 9:26): He that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him the Son of man shall be ashamed, etc. Yet it does not constitute a peculiar species of vice (Perrone, n. 135, annot.).
Servile fear of God (formally, called by others servilely servile) is that by which the soul fears punishment to be inflicted by God, without pursuing fault with hatred; so that it would wish to sin if punishment did not threaten. This fear is evil and vicious (VI, 442).
Initial fear (or materially, called simply servile by others) is fear by which the soul truly turns away from fault, although on account of punishment, abstracting from what it would do if punishment were absent. This fear corresponds to the virtue of hope, and is good: for it arises from love of oneself well ordered. Whence Christ the Lord (Luke 12:5): I will show you whom you shall fear: fear HIM who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell: yea, I say to you, FEAR HIM. And Trent (Sess. 6, can. 8): "If anyone shall say that fear of hell, through which, by grieving over sins, we flee to the mercy of God or abstain from sinning, is a sin, or makes sinners worse: let him be anathema." - It is called initial, because it belongs to those beginning to walk the way of the commandments of the Lord; whence it is said (Ps. 110:10): The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Polman, 2.2, n. 174).
Filial (or chaste) fear is fear of sinning, for avoiding offense of God. It belongs to sons to fear the offense of a father (2.2, q. 19, a. 2). This fear is best and arises from charity; indeed it grows as charity grows. This fear besides wonderfully assists hope; for we have a greater reason for hoping the more we avoid the offense of God (Pratica d'amar G. C., c. 16).
- Corollaries. I. It is not licit to hope in some creature as in the first cause moving toward beatitude. But it is licit to hope in that creature as in a secondary and instrumental cause. And in this way we turn to the saints (St. Thom., 2.2, q. 17, a. 4), and we call the Blessed Virgin Mary OUR HOPE, indeed "the whole reason of our hope" (St. Alph., Glorie di Maria, c. 3 and 5).
II. On the part of God, our hope is certain and firm. For it rests upon his mercy, omnipotence, and fidelity in the promise of saving us on account of the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Cf. St. Alph., Storia delle eresie, conf. XIV, n. 19-21.
III. On our part, hope is uncertain. For unless we faithfully cooperate with divine grace, we cannot attain salvation, according to that saying of St. Augustine: "He who created you without you will not save you without you." Hence we must always fear, as the Apostle writes (Phil. 2:12): With fear and trembling work out your salvation.
Note. There are two things which are uncertain in us: a) Our justification is uncertain; for man does not know whether he is worthy of love or of hatred (Eccli. 9:1). Yet this uncertainty is morally taken away through the exercise of charity. b) Our perseverance even unto death is also uncertain. For perseverance is a special gift of God, which is strictly owed to no one, which no one can merit for himself de condigno. But this uncertainty also can be taken away in great part, if we implore that great gift of perseverance by DAILY PRAYER, and are true worshipers of the Virgin Mother of God, who is called Mother of perseverance (Op. dogm. in Trid., Sess. 6, n. 48; Appar. alla morte, cons. 9).