Part III (Secunda Secundae) Part 211 (1/2)

lxxii] (ccx.x.x, de Tempore)): ”Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one's flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of l.u.s.t, kindles the true light of chast.i.ty.”

Reply Obj. 1: An act that is virtuous generically may be rendered vicious by its connection with certain circ.u.mstances. Hence the text goes on to say: ”Behold in the day of your fast your own will is founded,” and a little further on (Isa. 58:4): ”You fast for debates and strife and strike with the fist wickedly.” These words are expounded by Gregory (Pastor. iii, 19) as follows: ”The will indicates joy and the fist anger. In vain then is the flesh restrained if the mind allowed to drift to inordinate movements be wrecked by vice.” And Augustine says (in the same sermon) that ”fasting loves not many words, deems wealth superfluous, scorns pride, commends humility, helps man to perceive what is frail and paltry.”

Reply Obj. 2: The mean of virtue is measured not according to quant.i.ty but according to right reason, as stated in _Ethic._ ii, 6.

Now reason judges it expedient, on account of some special motive, for a man to take less food than would be becoming to him under ordinary circ.u.mstances, for instance in order to avoid sickness, or in order to perform certain bodily works with greater ease: and much more does reason direct this to the avoidance of spiritual evils and the pursuit of spiritual goods. Yet reason does not retrench so much from one's food as to refuse nature its necessary support: thus Jerome says:* ”It matters not whether thou art a long or a short time in destroying thyself, since to afflict the body immoderately, whether by excessive lack of nourishment, or by eating or sleeping too little, is to offer a sacrifice of stolen goods.” [*The quotation is from the Corpus of Canon Law (Cap. Non mediocriter, De Consecrationibus, dist. 5). Gratian there ascribes the quotation to St. Jerome, but it is not to be found in the saint's works.] In like manner right reason does not retrench so much from a man's food as to render him incapable of fulfilling his duty. Hence Jerome says (in the same reference) ”Rational man forfeits his dignity, if he sets fasting before chast.i.ty, or night-watchings before the well-being of his senses.”

Reply Obj. 3: The fasting of nature, in respect of which a man is said to be fasting until he partakes of food, consists in a pure negation, wherefore it cannot be reckoned a virtuous act. Such is only the fasting of one who abstains in some measure from food for a reasonable purpose. Hence the former is called natural fasting (_jejunium jejunii_) [*Literally the 'fast of fasting']: while the latter is called the faster's fast, because he fasts for a purpose.

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SECOND ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 147, Art. 2]

Whether Fasting Is an Act of Abstinence?

Objection 1: It would seem that fasting is not an act of abstinence.

For Jerome [*The quotation is from the Ordinary Gloss, where the reference is lacking] commenting on Matt. 17:20, ”This kind of devil”

says: ”To fast is to abstain not only from food but also from all manner of l.u.s.ts.” Now this belongs to every virtue. Therefore fasting is not exclusively an act of abstinence.

Obj. 2: Further, Gregory says in a Lenten Homily (xvi in Evang.) that ”the Lenten fast is a t.i.the of the whole year.” Now paying t.i.thes is an act of religion, as stated above (Q. 87, A. 1). Therefore fasting is an act of religion and not of abstinence.

Obj. 3: Further, abstinence is a part of temperance, as stated above (QQ. 143, 146, A. 1, ad 3). Now temperance is condivided with fort.i.tude, to which it belongs to endure hards.h.i.+ps, and this seems very applicable to fasting. Therefore fasting is not an act of abstinence.

_On the contrary,_ Isidore says (Etym. vi, 19) that ”fasting is frugality of fare and abstinence from food.”

_I answer that,_ Habit and act have the same matter. Wherefore every virtuous act about some particular matter belongs to the virtue that appoints the mean in that matter. Now fasting is concerned with food, wherein the mean is appointed by abstinence. Wherefore it is evident that fasting is an act of abstinence.

Reply Obj. 1: Properly speaking fasting consists in abstaining from food, but speaking metaphorically it denotes abstinence from anything harmful, and such especially is sin.

We may also reply that even properly speaking fasting is abstinence from all manner of l.u.s.t, since, as stated above (A. 1, ad 1), an act ceases to be virtuous by the conjunction of any vice.

Reply Obj. 2: Nothing prevents the act of one virtue belonging to another virtue, in so far as it is directed to the end of that virtue, as explained above (Q. 32, A. 1, ad 2; Q. 85, A. 3).

Accordingly there is no reason why fasting should not be an act of religion, or of chast.i.ty, or of any other virtue.

Reply Obj. 3: It belongs to fort.i.tude as a special virtue, to endure, not any kind of hards.h.i.+p, but only those connected with the danger of death. To endure hards.h.i.+ps resulting from privation of pleasure of touch, belongs to temperance and its parts: and such are the hards.h.i.+ps of fasting.

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THIRD ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 147, Art. 3]

Whether Fasting Is a Matter of Precept?

Objection 1: It would seem that fasting is not a matter of precept.

For precepts are not given about works of supererogation which are a matter of counsel. Now fasting is a work of supererogation: else it would have to be equally observed at all places and times. Therefore fasting is not a matter of precept.

Obj. 2: Further, whoever infringes a precept commits a mortal sin.

Therefore if fasting were a matter of precept, all who do not fast would sin mortally, and a widespreading snare would be laid for men.

Obj. 3: Further, Augustine says (De Vera Relig. 17) that ”the Wisdom of G.o.d having taken human nature, and called us to a state of freedom, inst.i.tuted a few most salutary sacraments whereby the community of the Christian people, that is, of the free mult.i.tude, should be bound together in subjection to one G.o.d.” Now the liberty of the Christian people seems to be hindered by a great number of observances no less than by a great number of sacraments. For Augustine says (Ad inquis. Januar., Ep. lv) that ”whereas G.o.d in His mercy wished our religion to be distinguished by its freedom and the evidence and small number of its solemn sacraments, some people render it oppressive with slavish burdens.” Therefore it seems that the Church should not have made fasting a matter of precept.

_On the contrary,_ Jerome (Ad Lucin., Ep. lxxi) speaking of fasting says: ”Let each province keep to its own practice, and look upon the commands of the elders as though they were laws of the apostles.”

Therefore fasting is a matter of precept.