295. Exchange: bearing one another’s burdens
295. EXCHANGE: BEARING ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS
On the one hand, we are told that only Christ can save us from sin. We cannot save ourselves. On the other hand, we are told that we must participate in Christ’s saving work, and that we must “bear one another’s burdens”—which seems to mean something more, and more spiritual, than merely lifting heavy objects like suitcases. Just what can we do for each other now regarding each other’s eternal goods, and how can our prayers and good deeds help the souls in Purgatory?
Whether one man can fulfill satisfactory punishment for another?
(Objection:) It is written (Gal 6:2): Bear ye one another’s burdens. Therefore it seems that one can bear the burden of punishment laid on another.
Further, charity avails more before God than before man. Now before man one can pay another’s debt out of love for him. Much more, therefore, can this be done before the judgment seat of God.
I answer that . . . Satisfactory punishment has a twofold purpose, viz. to pay the debt and to serve as a remedy for the avoidance of sin. Accordingly as a remedy against future sin, the satisfaction of one does not profit another, for the flesh of one man is not tamed by another’s fast, nor does one man acquire the habit of well-doing through the actions of another. . . . On the other hand, as regards the payment of the debt, one man can satisfy for another . . . because punishment derives its power of satisfaction chiefly from charity. . . . And since greater charity is evidenced by a man satisfying for another than for himself, less punishment is required of him who satisfies for another. . . .
(But) one man does not merit the essential reward for another unless his merit has
infinite efficacy, as the merit of Christ. . . .
. . . [O]ne man can merit for another as regards release from punishment, and one man’s act becomes another’s, by means of charity whereby we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28) (S13,2).
There are two ways no one can suffer for another’s sins. Only Christ can merit “the essential reward”, since no one else’s merits have “infinite efficacy”. So no man can justify another. Second, no man can sanctify another directly, since “the flesh of one man is not tamed by another’s fast”.
But there is indeed a sense—a beautiful sense—in which we can bear one another’s spiritual burdens, i.e., temporal punishments for sins, punishments that are still necessary after the sins have been forgiven. This possibility should give joy and hope to all who love others so much that they would willingly labor and suffer for the ones they love.
To explain how this is possible St. Thomas distinguishes two effects of sin: the objective debt of justice, which must be paid (this is justification), and the subjective effect of spiritual stain on the soul, which must be removed (this is sanctification). Only the Holy Spirit, with the free cooperation of the penitent, can sanctify. But we can participate in Christ’s justifying (cf. Col 1:24).
In fact, we can do more for others, out of charity, than they can do for themselves, and more than we can do for ourselves, because charity (unselfish love for others) is more effective than anything else, including even the best self-love. When we row each other’s boats, when we feed each other, we accomplish more than when we work only for ourselves, precisely because it is done out of charity, which is most powerful to overcome sins. (“Love covers a multitude of sins”—1 Pet 4:8.)
A king once captured twelve of his enemy’s best warriors. They offered to fight for their conquering king, and to find out whether they were trustable he starved them for a week, then sat them down around a food—laden round table with their left arms chained and their right arms able to reach only the plate of the man next to them. He kept only those who fed their neighbors, and executed those who tried to feed themselves.
The basis for our satisfying for others’ sins is our unity in Christ: we are “members”, organs, in Christ’s body (Eph 5:30). There is a spiritual gravity. Why should spirit be less unified than matter?