Chapter II

Is the Active Life more Meritorious than the Contemplative?

S. Gregory says[459]: "Great are the merits of the active life, but they are surpassed by those of the contemplative life."

The source of merit is charity. Charity, however, consists in the love of God and of our neighbour; and to love God is, in itself, more meritorious than to love our neighbour. Consequently that which more directly pertains to the love of God is more meritorious in its nature than something that directly pertains to the love of our neighbour for God's sake. The contemplative life, however, directly and immediately pertains to the love of God, as S. Augustine says[460]: "The love of truth asks for a holy leisure; that is the contemplative life," and this truth is the Divine Truth on Which the contemplative life is centred. The active life, on the other hand, is more immediately concerned with the love of our neighbour, it is _busy about much serving_.[461] Hence of its very nature the contemplative life is more meritorious than the active, as is well expressed by S. Gregory[462] when he says: "The contemplative life is more meritorious than the active, for the latter toils in the wear and tear of present work by which it must needs help its neighbour; whereas the former, by a certain inward savour, already has a foretaste of the repose to come"--that is, in the contemplation of God.

It may, however, chance that one man derives greater merit from the works of the active life than another does from his contemplative life; as, for example, when, from the superabundance of the Divine love, in order to fulfil God's will, and for His greater glory, a man is content to be separated for a space from the sweetness of Divine contemplation, as the Apostle says: _I wished myself to be an anathema from Christ for my brethren._[463] On these words S. Chrysostom[464] comments thus: "The love of Christ had so completely taken possession of his heart that he could even despise that which he desired beyond all things--namely, to be with Christ--and that because it was pleasing to Christ."

Yet some maintain that the active life is more meritorious than the contemplative, thus:

1. A thing is said to be meritorious because of the reward. But reward is due to work, as S. Paul says: _And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour._[465] Labour, however, belongs to the active life, repose to the contemplative, as S. Gregory says[466]: "Everyone who is converted to God must needs first labour in toil; he must take Lia--that is, that so he may arrive at 'the vision of the Beginning'--that is, the embraces of Rachel." Whence it seems as though the active life was more meritorious than the contemplative.

But while external toil makes for an increase of accidental
reward, the increase of merit as regards essential reward
consists mainly in charity, one proof of which is external toil
undertaken for Christ's sake; but a much greater proof of this
is given when a man puts aside all that pertains to this life
and delights in giving himself up solely to Divine
contemplation.

2. Again, contemplative life is in some sort the commencement of future bliss; and consequently the words of S. John: _So will I have him to remain till I come_, S. Augustine comments as follows: "This might be more fully expressed thus: May perfect actions, modelled on the example of My Passion, follow Me; but may contemplation begun here on earth remain till I come, to be perfected when I come"[467]; and similarly S. Gregory says[468]: "The contemplative life begins here below to be perfected in our heavenly home." But in that future life we shall not merit, but shall receive the reward of our merits. Consequently the contemplative life seems to have less of the ratio of merit than has the active life; but it has more of the ratio of reward.

But in the state of future bliss a man has arrived at his
perfection and consequently there is no room left for merit; but
if there were room left his merits would be more efficacious
owing to the pre-eminence of his charity. The contemplation of
this present life, however, has some accompanying imperfection,
and consequently there is room for improvement; hence such
contemplation does not destroy the idea of meriting but makes
increase of merit in proportion as Divine charity is more and
more exercised.

3. Lastly, S. Gregory says[469]: "No sacrifice is more acceptable to God than zeal for souls." But zeal for souls means that a man gives himself up to the works of the active life. Whence it seems that the contemplative life is not more meritorious than the active.

But a sacrifice is spiritually offered to God when anything is
presented to Him; and of all man's good things God specially
accepts that of the human soul when offered to Him in sacrifice.
But a man ought to offer to God first of all his own soul,
according to the words of Ecclesiasticus[470]: _Have pity on
thine own soul, pleasing God_; secondly, the souls of others,
according to the words: _And he that heareth let him say:
Come._[471] But the more closely a man knits his own soul, or
his neighbour's soul, to God, the more acceptable to God is his
sacrifice; consequently it is more pleasing to God that a man
should give his soul, and the souls of others, to contemplation
than to action. When, then, S. Gregory says: "No sacrifice is
more acceptable to God than zeal for souls," he does not mean
that the merit of the active life is greater than that of the
contemplative, but that it is more meritorious that a man should
offer to God his own soul and the soul of others than that he
should offer any other external gift whatsoever.

"But thou, our God, art gracious and true, patient, and ordering
all things in mercy. For if we sin, we are Thine, knowing Thy
greatness: and if we sin not, we know that we are counted with
Thee. For to know Thee is perfect justice: and to know Thy
justice, and Thy power, is the root of immortality."[472]