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Concerning Fasting
utrum ad jejunium ab ecclesia institutum
omnes teneantur absque dispensatione.
ad secundum sic proceditur. videtur quod ad Sub-article 1: It would seem that all are obliged
jejunium ab ecclesia institutum omnes
without dispensation to keep the fast instituted by
teneantur absque dispensatione.
the Church.
praecepta enim ecclesiae obligant sicut
praecepta dei; unde apostolis dicitur luc. 10,
16: qui vos audit, me audit. sed ad
praecepta dei omnes tenentur absque
dispensatione. ergo et ad praecepta
ecclesiae.
ulterius. videtur quod justi non teneantur ad Sub-article 2: It would seem that the just are not
jejunium ecclesiae,
held to the Church's fast.
2 corinth. 3, 17: ubi spiritus domini, ibi
Objection 1: (For there is) 2 Corinthians 3:17
libertas. sed justi spiritu dei sunt imbuti. ergo (which states) "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there
liberi sunt ab onere statutorum ecclesiae; et is freedom." But the just are imbued by the spirit of
sic non obligantur ad jejunium ab ecclesia God. Therefore they are freed from the burden of
institutum.
the statutes of the Church, and thus are not obliged
to the fast instituted by the Church.
praeterea, matth. 9, 15, dominus dicit: non
possunt filii, quamdiu cum eis est sponsus,
lugere. jejunium autem ad luctum pertinet.
sed cum justis sponsus ecclesiae christus
spiritualiter est; eph. 3, 17: habitare christum
per fidem in cordibus vestris. ergo cum
spiritualis praesentia corporali praeemineat,
videtur quod non teneantur ad jejunium.
ulterius. videtur quod etiam pueri teneantur Sub-article 3: It would seem that even children are
ad jejunium.
bound to keep the fast.
joel. 2, 15, dicitur: sanctificate jejunium; et
postea sequitur: congregate parvulos, et
sugentes ubera. ergo parvuli ad jejunium
tenentur.
praeterea, pueri plus possunt jejunare quam Objection 3: Furthermore, children are able to fast
(ut videtur) provecti, quia habent plus de
more (it would seem) than those advanced in
humido. sed qui plus habet, magis tenetur. years, since the former have more moisture. But he
ergo pueri magis tenentur ad jejunium quam who has more, is more greatly bound. Therefore,
provecti.
praeterea, videtur quod nec ratione operis Objection 3: Furthermore, one would not seem to
alicujus servilis quis a jejunio excusetur.
be excused from fasting by reason of some sort of
quia lucrum spirituale debet praeponderare servile work, since spiritual gain ought to outweigh
lucro corporali. sed hujusmodi opera ad
bodily profit. But work of this kind is ordained to
lucrum corporale ordinantur, jejunium autem bodily profit, while fasting is ordered to spiritual
ad spirituale. ergo non est jejunium propter gain. Therefore, the fast is not to be left aside on
hujusmodi opera intermittendum.
account of this kind of work.
sed contra, afflictio non est addenda afflicto.
sed omnia praedicta habent de se
afflictionem. ergo aliquo modo excusantur
ab afflictione jejunii.
quae non sunt de se mala et semper; unde themselves and always evil. Hence, in some
in aliquo casu possunt esse bona et
situation they can be good and necessary which
necessaria quae talibus prohibentur
sort are prohibited by precepts. Thus, it was not the
praeceptis; et ideo non fuit intentio
intention of the legislator that his precept always be
legislatoris ut semper observaretur
observed, except in those situations in which the
praeceptum suum, nisi in illis casibus in
good of virtue can be preserved. Thus it is to be
quibus bonum virtutis potest conservari. et said to the first question concerning natural and
ideo dicendum ad primam quaestionem de positive law, that the positive law is said to proceed
jure naturali et positivo, quod jus positivum from the natural law insofar as the way of
a jure naturali procedere dicitur, inquantum observing the natural law is determined through
per jus positivum modus observandi jus
the postive law, since the intention of any legislator
naturale determinatur; quia intentio
is to lead men to virtue, as is said in Book II of the
cujuslibet legislatoris est inducere homines Nicomachean Ethics, which pertains to the natural
ad virtutes, ut dicitur in 2 ethic., quae
law. However, the mode of observing these things
pertinent ad jus naturale. modus autem
which are of the natural law cannot be uniform in
observandi ea quae sunt de lege naturali, all situations because of the differences which are
non potest esse uniformis in omnibus
found among the particulars, just as the same
propter diversitates quae in singularibus
mode of cure cannot be employed for all of those
contingunt, sicut nec idem modus curationis suffering the same illness. Therefore, the legislator
potest adhiberi omnibus laborantibus
cannot impose a precept which does not allow, in
eadem aegritudine; et ideo legislator non
some cases, to be put aside. Nevertheless,
potest aliquod praeceptum ponere quod non considering what occurs for the most part, he
oporteat in casu aliquo praetermitti. tamen determines a law, and in those situations in which
considerans quod frequentius accidit, legem the mode determined by law is not appropriate, he
ponit, in illis casibus in quibus modus
reserves judgment to those to whom it belong to
determinatus per legem non competit
determine this; and this is the dispensation that is
judicium reservans aliquibus qui hoc
given out by prelates with respect to the fast
habeant definire; et haec est dispensatio
instituted by the Church, and with respect to other
praelatis commissa in jejunio ab ecclesia
such precepts.
instituto, et in aliis hujusmodi ecclesiae
praeceptis.
ad primum ergo dicendum, quod praecepta
dei sunt de eo quod est de necessitate
salutis secundum se; et ideo in quolibet
casu observare illa oportet; sed praecepta
ecclesiae quamvis vim obligandi habeant
ex actu praecipientium, non tamen semper
obligant propter materiam in qua
proponuntur.
superior.
I respond to the 2nd question (sub-article 2) saying
that the precept set down by the legislator does not
bind one to observance only at that time when the
observance destroys the intention of the legislator
or impedes it, by which he intends to draw men to
virtue, or the good condition of those for whom he
sets forth the law. For when justice does not hinder
but rather increases the progress of the fast,
because it (the fast) produces to a greater extent
the merit because of which a person is just, then a
person is not absolved from observation of fasts.
Response to the second objection: Fasting is twofold, namely of mourning and of exultation. The
fasting of mourning is so called since it is borne in
the bitterness of sins or the presence of miseries.
The fasting of exultation (is so called) since it
withdraws one from carnal things because of the
enjoyment of spiritual matters. For having tasted of
the spirit, the (desire for the) flesh is insipid in every
way to the just. Therefore, the bridegroom is
always present, spiritually in habitus, but not
always actually. Sometimes, on the other hand, he
is present to them as a judge when they consider
their sins which they have committed or into which
they can fall, unless they restrain their flesh. And
then to these belongs the fasting of mourning.
Sometime, however, he is actually present to them,
as a bridegroom, when they thoroughly enjoy his
sweetness. And then to these belong the fasting of
exultation and not of mourning.
Stephen Loughlin
(sjl1@desales.edu)