Friday, June 23, 2006

Q23 A8: Whether predestination can be furthered by the prayers of the saints?

Yes. Predestination is said to be helped by the prayers of the saints, and by other good works because providence, of which predestination is a part, does not do away with secondary causes but so provides effects that the order of secondary causes falls also under providence.

But predestination is not furthered by the prayers of the saints as regards the preordination.

Yet God is helped by us inasmuch as we execute His orders (1 Cor. 3:9: "We are God's co-adjutors.")

Nor is this on account of any defect in the power of God, but because He employs intermediary causes, in order that the beauty of order may be preserved in the universe; and also that He may communicate to creatures the dignity of causality.