On prayer and the contemplative life · Aquinas, Saint Thomas
3. Lastly, prayer is an act of the contemplative life just in the same
Chapter 94 of 107 · 1 min read
way as is contemplation itself. But prayer, even when one man prays for another, belongs to the contemplative life. Hence it would seem that when one man brings to the knowledge of another some truth upon which he has meditated, such an act pertains to the contemplative life.
But he who prays for another in no way acts upon him for whom he prays; his acts are directed towards God alone, the Intelligible Truth. But he who teaches another does act upon him by some external action. Hence there is no parallel between the two cases.
IV
Does the Active Life continue after this Life?
S. Gregory says: "The active life passes away with this present world; the contemplative life begins here so as to be perfected in our heavenly home."
As already said, the active life makes its end consist in external actions, and these, if they are directed towards the repose of contemplation, already belong to the contemplative life. But in the future life of the blessed all occupation with external things will cease; or if there are any external acts they will be directed towards that end which is contemplation. Hence S. Augustine says, at the close of his Of the City of God: "There we shall be at rest from toil, we shall gaze, we shall love, we shall praise." And he had just previously said: "There will God be seen unendingly, be loved without wearying, be praised without fatigue; this duty, this disposition of soul, this act, will be the lot of all."
Some, however, maintain that the active life will be continued after this life, thus:
