Predestination (Aquinas 101)

“He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be Holy and blameless before Him. He predestined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4-6)

This text expresses something very mysterious but also very beautiful about the Christian faith, and Saint Thomas studied it deeply and with great insight. The point is not that our free choice is an illusion or that we live in a deterministic world, but rather that God has a plan for our salvation. A plan by which he sweetly and strongly provides for us to follow him in freedom.

Predestination (Aquinas 101) - Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P.

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[tropifiori]

I did my catechism in the early 1970s when Vatican 2 changes hadn’t quite settled in and the old Boston Catechism had been put aside. It was all pretty sketchy. I am a scientist by training with no real basis in Theology or Philosophy and find it all hard to understand despite me trying to read more about my Faith. These lectures are immeasurably helpful and I hope you can do more of them.
Frank

[Samuel-dtik]

It seems quite true that a lot of modern Catholics balk at the idea of predestination. As a convert, when I first listened to a lecture on Catholic predestination by Fr Thomas Joseph White it blew my mind!

[davidrasch]

Predestined we are. Our mission is to make choices consistent with His will for us. That is the hard part for me.

[bestpossibleworld]

You guys do a great job. Ironically, St. Thomas may be the one who bridges between faithful Catholics and Protestants that are Classical Theists.

[donfrazier]

As a Reformed Protestant this channel has rocked me on my heels. The theologians presenting this material obviously love God and the Holy Scriptures and are striving, with all their might, to convey the truths of the Christian faith. While I don't fully agree with some of their conclusions I am convinced that they are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and are doing what Christ commanded - making His disciples. I have signed up for the Aquinas 101 course and look forward to better understanding the teachings of Thomas Aquinas.

[trebmaster]

Thank you for clarifying to the reformed Calvinist crowd that Aquinas is not one of them. They are now claiming that.

[raquelcastillo]

"It is important to cooperate with this grace!"

[jakechilton]

I remember when I was in Catholic high school dating a girl that was Calvinist. I was lead to believe I was going over to her elders house to eat dinner and visit one night but as I arrived was sat down to challenge my Catholic faith in an attempt to convert me and predestination was the topic at the dinner table among 4 of their church elders. Because I had an amazing aplogietics teacher at my Catholic high school I was able to stand my ground and defend our faith. My teacher asked me to look at it this way, imagine you are at the bottom of a maze or spider web. Because God loves us so much to allow us free will imagine the spider web as a choices through our free will as paths that we decide to take. At the very end of that spider web is the end of your life and God. thank God for that moment because I dug into our faith further and because I dug in discovered more and more beauty and truth in waves that sealed my faith through our churches teachings.

[amaraheising]

Thank you Father Legg, the clearest explanation I have listened to. Thank you Father for your saying yes to God, choosing to give your talents and time to Him and us in the Church vs the legal world, which I acknowledge needs intelligent, ethical, men, but their loss has been our great gain.

[johnmceachern]

Another thumbs up! These videos help immensely in understanding Saint Thomas Aquinas. I wish you all every good thing God has planned for you!

[weareanalog]

God bless you dear brother thank you so much for this. May you persevere, pray for me, Daniel

[alberijh]

Muchas gracias por el video. Dios los bendiga, saludos desde Argentina.

[ryanpatrickjones]

VERITAS! Keep these videos coming. Can't wait for the next one.

[superdavidss]

I enjoy so much your channel. It's great blessing of knoweledge.

[StephenAkers]

An image that runs through my mind thinking about this is one of a GPS. It seems like predestination might in a sense be that every human is destined for God, but is allowed to turn away, or "go off course, " but God always provides aid (grace) or "guidance" (e.g. "rerouting") which can help someone to choose him and course-correct. Does this seem like a fair analogy?

[RockSmithStudio]

John 15:16 NRSV "You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name."

[maryjohnstone]

A wonderful video, puts one straight as well to knowing what our responsibility is towards living the Christian life.thsnks as always.

[disguisedcentennial]

I’m a Protestant, but I love these videos. I don’t agree with the original sin concept, but I love Thomism’s unification of faith and logic. I’ve been studying Aquinas recently because my friends often speak of him in our Christian circles(we are made up of many different branches, debating and discussing with each other to find the ultimate truths).

[mcgrathbissaillon]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I believe St. Thomas Aquinas would have some helpful insight on the role angels and demons have in the moving of an individual's will and thus, reception of God's grace. I hope I don't sound radical, but I am trying to recover a devotion to my guardian angel, one that my grandparents clung to ardently throughout their entire lives'. They were devout Catholics. I watched the Thomistic Institute's video on angels and demons, but I think one that dives deeper into prayer and the purpose of one's guardian angel would be beneficial. As always, GO FRIARS!

[kristindreko]

Thank you for this video!
May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you!