The 60-Second Aquinas
Lesson
"Who proceeds from the Father and the Son..."
Aquinas Lesson for August 6, 1998
What is Love? Roses and sappy poetry? A fluttering of the heart?
Love is usually thought of as an emotion having little to do with the intellect, yet the mind plays a large role in love.
Animals mate out of an appetitive instinct. What makes humans different is the ability to reason. While there is an emotional aspect to love, the fact that it is human love and the elements usually associated with human love – respect, commitment, responsibility – have more to do with the intellect than with emotion.
Aquinas explains: "the presence of the beloved object in the lover is brought about by two factors: the appetitive principle and the intelligible object as apprehended" (Compendium Ch.49).
It has already been said that the Spirit is the love within God. It is clear that this love proceeds from both Father and Son, as is stated in our creed, in that the Word is the Son of God and God the Father of the Word. The intellectual aspect of love necessitates that the Spirit proceeds from both Father and Son.
Explanation of The 60-Second Aquinas Lesson
