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We continue the Commentary of St. Thomas on the Our Father. This work of the great Saint demonstrates the remarkable logical order and systemization found in all his writing, yet we think the reader will be surprised at how easy to understand St. Thomas really is! This series will continue in future issues.
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Who art in Heaven
AMONG THE OTHER things which are necessary to one who prays, confidence is of the highest importance. For he who prays, "ought to ask with faith, without hesitating" (Jam. 1, 6). Hence the Lord, in teaching us to pray, puts first that which ought to give us confidence: the kindness of the Father, hence He is called "Our Father": "For if you, evil as you are, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?"
Another motive for confidence is the greatness of the Father's power; hence the Lord adds, "Who art in heaven." And the Psalm says, "To thee have I lifted up my eyes, who art enthroned in heaven."
This expression, "Who art in heaven," can apply to three different things: first, to prepare the one who prays, for it is said, "Before praying prepare thy soul" (Eccl. 18, 23). Assuredly the thought that our Father is in heaven, that is, in heavenly glory, prepares us to address our petitions to Him.
In the promise of the Lord to His Apostles, "Your reward shall be great in heaven," the words, "in heaven" also mean "in heavenly glory."
And this preparation for prayer must be by the imitation of heavenly realities, for the son must imitate the father. Hence it is written: "As we have borne the image of the earthly man, let us also bear the image of the heavenly man" (I Cor. 15, 49).
Preparation for prayer also requires contemplation of heavenly things, for men are accustomed to think more frequently of the things they love, as it is written (Mt. 6, 21): "Where thy treasure is, there also is thy heart." Hence the Apostle Paul said: "Our conversation is in heaven" (Phil. 3, 20).
Finally we must direct our intention towards the things of heaven, that from He Who is in heaven we ask only the things of heaven, as it is said (Col. 3, 1): "Seek the things that are above, where Christ is."
The words, "Who art in heaven" refer, in the second place, to the ease with which God hears us, being near to us; and so the words: "Who art in heaven" can mean "in the saints," in whom God abides, as it is said "Thou art in us, O Lord" (Jer. 14, 9). For the saints are sometimes called heavens, according to the Psalm: "The heavens announce the glory of God" (Ps. 18, 2).
Now God abides in the saints by faith, hence Eph. 3, 17 speaks of Christ abiding in our hearts by faith. Also by love: "He who abides in charity abides in God, and God in him" (I Jn. 4, 15). God also abides in us by the fulfillment of the commandments (Jn. 14, 23): "If any man loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him."
In the third place, the words "Who art in heaven," call to mind the all-powerful readiness of God to hear us. The heavens, then, would refer to the corporeal heavens, not that God is limited by the physical heaven, as it is written: "Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee" (II Kg. 18, 27).
On the contrary, the words "Who art in heaven," show:
(a) That God regards those who call on Him from high: "The Lord has looked down from His holy height" (Ps. 101, 20).
(b) That He is sublime in His power, as it is written: "The Lord has prepared His throne in heaven" (Ps. 102, 19).
(c) That He is stable in eternity, as the Psalm says (101; 13, 28): "But thou dost abide forever, and thy years shall not fail." Hence it is written also of Christ: "His throne is as the days of heaven" (Ps. 88, 30). And Aristotle the philosopher himself said in his treatise On the Heavens, that on account of the incorruptibility of the heavens, all believed that the abode of the pure spirits was there.
These words, then, addressed to the Father: "Who art in heaven" give us, in our prayer, three reasons for confidence: on account of His power, His nearness to us, and the fittingness of the petition.
The power of Him to whom our petition is addressed is suggested, if by the heavens we understand the corporeal heaven. Although He is not circumscribed by physical places, as it is written (Jer. 23, 24): "I fill heaven and earth"; He is, however, said to be in the corporeal heavens to indicate two things: the excellence of His power and the sublimity of His nature.
This is directed in the first place against those who say that all things are determined by fate, and the motion of the heavens, so that it would be useless to ask anything of God in prayer. But this is a foolish opinion, since God is in heaven as the Lord of the heavenly bodies and the stars, for the Lord hath prepared His throne in heaven.
Secondly, this is directed against those who in prayer make up for themselves corporeal images of God. He is therefore said to be in heaven, so that by what is highest in the order of visible things may be shown the divine sublimity surpassing all things, and even the desire and intelligence of man: hence whatever can be conceived or desired is less than God. Therefore it is said in Job 36, 26: "Behold, God is great beyond our knowledge": and Ps. 112, 4: "The Lord is high above all nations"; and Is. 40, 18: "To whom have you likened God?"
Familiarity with God is indicated if by the heavens we take it to mean the saints. Now some had thought that God, on account of His sublime nature, had no concern about human affairs, but we on the contrary must believe that He is near, and intimately present to us: "For He is said to be in the heavens that is, in the saints, who are called heavens: The heavens announce the glory of God" (Ps. 18, 2), and (Jer. 14, 9): "Thou art in us, O Lord."
This ought to give confidence to those who pray for two reasons: First, because of the proximity of God, as the Psalm says (Ps. 144, 18) "The Lord is nigh unto all those who invoke Him." Hence Matt. 6, 6, says: "But when thou prayest, go into thy room," referring to the heart.
Secondly, because by the intercession of other saints we can obtain what we ask for, as it says in Job 5, 1: "Turn to one of the saints," and James 5, 16: "Pray for each other, that you may be saved."
When we say, "Who art in heaven," this makes our prayer suitable and fitting because by the heavens are understood spiritual and eternal goods, for two reasons.
First, because this excites our desire for heavenly things. For our desire must tend where our Father is, because there is our inheritance: "Seek the things that are above" (Col. 3, 1). St. Peter also speaks of an "unfading inheritance, which is reserved for us in the heavens" (I Pet. 1,4).
This is the first petition, in which we ask that His Name be proclaimed and manifested through us.
The Name of God is admirable, because it performs wonderful works in all creatures: hence the Lord says in the last chapter of the Gospel of St. Mark: "In my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them."
The Name of God is also lovable, for "no other name under heaven is given to men by which we must be saved" (Act 4, 12). Now all men must love salvation. An example is St. Ignatius the Martyr, who so loved the Name of Christ, that when Trajan asked him whether he would deny the Name of Christ, he answered that it could not be taken from his mouth. When the tyrant threatened to cut off his head, and thus take away the confession of Christ from his mouth, he said: "Even if you take it from my mouth, you shall never take it from my heart, for I have this name engraved upon my heart, and therefore I cannot cease invoking it."
Upon hearing this, Trajan wished to find out if it was true, and having beheaded the servant of God, ordered his heart to be taken out, and it was found having the name of Christ written on it in letters of gold—He had placed this name as a seal upon his heart.
The Name of God is also venerable, as St. Paul says (Phil. 2, 10): "In the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth." In heaven—referring to the angels and the blessed; on earth—referring to those living in the world, who do this from the desire of gaining heavenly glory or avoiding punishment; and under the earth—among the damned, prostrate with fright before Jesus Christ.
Finally, the name of God is inexpressible, for no tongue is fully able to describe it. Therefore sometimes it is illustrated by the example of the creatures. It is compared to a rock by reason of its firmness: "Upon this rock I will build my Church" (Matt. 16, 18). It is also called a fire by reason of its purifying power, for just as fire purifies metals, God purifies the hearts of sinners; hence Deut. 4, 24, says: "Thy God is a consuming fire."
The Name of God is also compared to a light, for just as light illuminates shadows, so also the Name of God enlightens the shadows of our minds: "My God, illumine my shadows" (Ps. 17, 29).
We pray therefore that this Name be made manifest, that it be known and kept holy.
The word "holy" means three things. In the first place it means the same thing as firm: hence the blessed who are in heaven are called holy, because they are confirmed in eternal happiness. In this particular sense, nobody in the world would be called holy, for they are continually subject to change. In this vein, Augustine says: "I fell away from thee, O Lord, and wandered on the paths of error; far away did I turn from Thy stability."
Secondly, holy is the same thing as "not of this world." Hence the saints who are in heaven have no earthly affection, as the Apostle Paul says: "I count all things as dung that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3, 8).
Thirdly, holy (sanctum) means "sprinkled with blood" (sanguine tinctum), as the Apocalypse says: "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Sinners on the other hand are represented by the earth. For if the earth is not cultivated, it brings forth thorns and thistles, and likewise if the soul of the sinner is not "cultivated" by grace, it brings forth the "thorns and thistles" (Gen. 3, 18) of sin.
Secondly, the earth represents sinners on account of its natural obscurity and opacity, and similarly the soul of a sinner is dark and shadowy, as Gen. 1, 2, says: "Darkness covered the face of the abyss."
The earth also represents sinners because, if it is not held together by water, it breaks up and becomes dry, for God placed land above water, as Ps. 135, 6 says: "He spread out the earth upon the waters," for the aridity and dryness of the earth is counter-balanced by the humidity of water. Similarly, the sinner's soul is dry and arid, as the Psalm (142,6) says: "My soul is like parched land before Thee."