Dist. 17, Art. 2, Q. 1
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/3/d/17/q/bon-sent-III-d17-a2-q1
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### Article II. *On the prayer of Christ.*

Next, inquiry is made concerning the prayer of Christ. And concerning this, three questions are asked. First it is asked, whether it was fitting for Christ to pray. Second it is asked, whether in all his prayer he was heard. Third it is asked, whether that prayer, by which he prayed in the passion, was of the sensuality, or of the reason.

### Question I. *Whether it was fitting for Christ to pray.*

Concerning the first, one proceeds thus, and it is asked, whether it was fitting for Christ to pray. And that it was so, it seems.

1. *Luke* the sixth: *He went out into the mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer of God*; but Christ did nothing except what was fitting for him: therefore it was suitable that he should pray.

2. Likewise, to him to whom it belongs to offer sacrifice, to the same it belongs to pray; but to Christ above all it belonged to offer the sacrifice for the salvation of the human race: therefore to him above all it belonged to pray.

3. Likewise, to no one does it belong to pray more than to him who is high priest and priest; but Christ was our high priest and priest, according to what is said to the *Hebrews*: therefore to him above all prayer belonged.

4. Likewise, prayer pertains to the perfection of the contemplative life; but it was fitting for Christ to have perfection in each life: therefore etc.

5. Likewise, none is more befitted to pray than he who is worthy to be heard and can more easily obtain; but no one is more worthy of being heard than Christ: therefore it seems that the use of prayer most of all befits him.

**On the contrary:** 1. Augustine, *On Correction and Grace*: « No one seeks from another what he can do by himself »; but Christ could do all things by himself: therefore he ought to seek nothing from another, therefore neither to pray.

2. Likewise, prayer is the act of an inferior person with respect to the one whom he prays to; but the person of Christ is equal to the Father: therefore it was not fitting for Christ to pour forth prayer to God.

3. Likewise, « prayer is the ascent of the intellect into God »; but the intellect of Christ was always on high, as united to God, and in a continuous act of fruition: therefore it does not seem that the use of prayer belonged to him.

4. Likewise, « the works of the Trinity are undivided », therefore the fulfilment of petitions pertains to the whole Trinity, therefore whoever asks something from one person, asks also from all; but it is not fitting for Christ to ask something from himself — for no one prays to himself, or asks something from himself — therefore it does not seem that it was fitting for Christ to obtain anything from the Father through prayer.

5. Likewise, the will of Christ the man was in all things conformed to the will of the Father, therefore he asked nothing except what he knew the Father willed: therefore even if he did not ask, nevertheless what he asked would be fulfilled: therefore he asked something in vain. But it was fitting for Christ to do nothing in vain: therefore it was not fitting for Christ to pray.

> **Conclusion.** It was beyond doubt fitting for Christ to pray, above all in the days of his flesh.

**I respond:** It must be said that beyond doubt it was fitting for Christ to pray, above all *in the days of his flesh*. — And the ground of this fittingness can be assigned as fourfold, namely on account of merit, on account of the example of virtue, on account of the argument of truth, and on account of the office to be discharged.

On account of *merit*: because by his petition and supplication he merited for us, who were less fit for the reception of the benefits of God. — On account of *example*, namely that he might invite his disciples, and consequently others, to the pursuit of prayer, in whose exercise the adversary is most of all overcome; on account of which the Lord said to the disciples, *Matthew* the twenty-sixth: *Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation*. — On account of the *argument of truth*, that he might show himself to be a true man and truly sent by God; on account of which it is said in *John* the eleventh: *I give thanks to thee, Lord, that thou hast heard me; and I knew that thou hearest me always; but on account of this people who stand around, I have said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me*. — On account of *office*, because Christ had the dignity of priest and high priest; whence just as it belonged to his office to offer sacrifice for sins, so also to pray earnestly for sinners. Whence to the *Hebrews* the fifth: *Every high priest taken from among men is constituted for men in the things that pertain to God*; and afterward, below in the seventh: *Such a one it was fitting that he should be our high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens*. — For these causes, therefore, it was congruous and fitting that the use of prayer be found in Christ; whence also the reasons adduced to this effect are to be conceded.

1. To that which is objected, that no one seeks from another, if he can himself fulfil what he asks; it must be said that this is true insofar as the petition and the fulfilment are attributed to the same one by reason of the same nature; but it is not so in the case at hand. For to ask and to pray belongs to Christ according to the assumed nature; but the ability to fulfil is owed to him according to the assuming nature. — Or it can be said otherwise, that just as motion is sometimes on account of supplying one's own

priam need, sometimes on account of supplying another's need; so also petition and prayer. But when someone prays on account of supplying his own need, what Augustine says is true: « No one asks from another what he can fulfil by himself ». But when he asks on account of supplying another's need, there is not required a defect of power in the one petitioning, but a defect of power, or of fitness, in the one for whom it is asked, which defect indeed is supplied from the merit of the prayer itself. For when someone worthy prays for one unworthy, he in some way acquires fitness for him from the merit of his prayer.

2. To that which is objected, that prayer is the act of an inferior person; it must be said that this is true by attributing inferiority to the person according to that nature, according to which prayer belongs to him. For prayer is an act befitting a person by reason of a nature; and thus it has no force as an instance in the case at hand, because, although the person of Christ by reason of his Divinity is equal to the Father, nevertheless according to his humanity he is less than the Father, according to that of *John* the fourteenth: *The Father is greater than I*.

3. To that which is objected, that prayer is the ascent of the intellect into God, according to the Damascene; it must be said that ascent can be spoken of *broadly*, or *strictly*. According as it is said *broadly*, thus the intellect can be said to ascend into God when it is borne into him who is above it, imploring mercy, which is above it, or relieving misery, which is below it; and taking it in this way, it belongs not only to us, but also to Christ; and thus it falls within the definition of prayer. In another way, ascent into God denotes a new consideration of God, inasmuch as it denotes an elevation of our intellect to God, proceeding step by step from the consideration of the creature to the consideration of the Creator. And in this way it does not fall within the notification of prayer except according to the state of the wayfarer. Taking ascent in the first way, it was in Christ; but taking it in the second way, in some way it was, and in some way it was not. It was indeed, as to this, that Christ in the act of prayer recalled himself from the occupation of the active life, that he might be wholly intent on the operation of the contemplative life. But as to this, that Christ was continually a comprehensor, whether he was free for action, or ceased from action; thus there is not said to have been in him a renewal of ascension by that mode by which it is in us.

4. To that which is objected, that the petition of prayer regards the whole Trinity; it must be said that this is true consequently, although certain prayers are directed to the Father, certain to the Son. — But as to what is added, that no one asks something from himself; it must be said that this is true in one who is of only one nature; but one who is of diverse natures can well ask something from himself, in such a way that according to one nature he is the one petitioning, and according to the other he is the one hearing. And so it is in Christ, who was the Priest petitioning according to the human nature, and was the King and Prince hearing according to the divine.

5. To that which is objected, that Christ asked nothing except what he knew God willed; it must be said that this is true; but Christ well knew that God willed certain things, because he knew that Christ would obtain them for us through his prayer; and therefore, by praying and asking what God willed, he did not pray in vain, because this very thing which God had disposed, he obtained for us by his prayer. For when God disposes or wills to do something, he does not dispose it for every outcome, but with congruous antecedents presupposed; just as he disposes to save us, provided nevertheless that we are willing to acquire salvation by good merits; so also in the case at hand it must be understood.