Xii. Of The Consequences Of The Incarnation Of God The Son In Relation To His Father; Of His Subjection To The Father; O
XII. OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE INCARNATION OF GOD THE SON IN RELATION TO HIS FATHER; OF HIS SUBJECTION TO THE FATHER; OF HIS PRAYER, AND OF HIS PRIESTHOOD
(A)
As a result of the Incarnation, what were the relations between Christ and God the Father, and conversely?
The consequences of the Incarnation were that Christ was subject to the Father; that He prayed; that He served God the Father by His priesthood; and that, although He was the Son of the Father by nature, not by adoption, He was predestined by the Father (XX.-XXIV.).
How was Christ subject to the Father?
He was subject to the Father by reason of His human nature because this had only participated goodness, whereas the Father is goodness by essence; hence whatever was related to Christ's human life was ruled, disposed, and ordered by the Father.
In Christ there was the most perfect and absolute obedience in respect of the Father (XX. 1).
Was not the human part of Christ also entirely subject to Himself by reason of His divine nature?
Yes, for the divine nature, by reason of which the Father was superior to the Son in His human nature, is common to the Father and the Son (XX. 2).
(B)
In what sense was Christ able and is still able to pray?
In this sense, that the human will being incapable of attaining the fulfilment of its desires independently of the divine will, Christ as man had perforce to address the Father in order that the Father by His all-powerful will might accomplish what the human will was unable to realize of itself (XXI. 1).
Did Christ pray for Himself?
Yes; He prayed for the external glorification of His Body which He had not so long as He was on earth; also in order to give thanks to the Father for all the gifts and privileges bestowed upon His human nature; and in the latter way Christ will pray through all eternity (XXI. 3).
Whilst Christ was on earth were His prayers always heard?
Yes, if by prayer one understands a petition made deliberately by the will; for Christ, who knew perfectly the will of His Father, never wished anything deliberately except what He knew to be in conformity with His Father's will (XXI. 4).
(C)
What is meant by the priesthood of Christ?
By this is meant that it belonged to Him, par excellence, to bring to men the gifts of God; and to stand before God in the name of men to offer their prayers to God to appease Him and to re-establish them in His favour (XXII. 1).
Was Christ both priest and victim?
Yes; because in accepting death for our sakes he became a victim in the threefold sense of sacrifice as established by the Old Law, viz., a victim of sin, a victim of peace, and a holocaust. He has, in fact, made satisfaction for our sins and has blotted them out; He has obtained for us the grace of God which is our peace and salvation; and He has opened for us the gates of heaven (XXII. 2).
Did Christ need to be priest for His own sake?
No, for He Himself could approach God without need of a mediator; further, in Him there was no sin and hence no need of a victim of expiation (XXII. 4).
Will the priesthood of Christ last for ever?
Yes, in the sense that the effect of His priesthood which is the possession of heaven, will remain always, for the attainment of heaven by the blessed is the consummation of Christ's sacrifice (XXII. 5).
Why was Christ a priest according to the order of Melchisedech?
In order to show the superiority of this priesthood over the levitical priesthood of the Old Law, which was only a figure of the former (XXII. 6).