Of Adoration

Of Adoration — St. Thomas Aquinas asks: Whether adoration is an act of latria or religion?; Whether adoration denotes an action of the body?; Whether adoration requires a definite place?.

In due sequence we must consider the external acts of latria, and in the first place, adoration whereby one uses one's body to reverence God; secondly, those acts whereby some external thing is offered to God; thirdly, those acts whereby something belonging to God is assumed.

Under the first head there are three points of inquiry:

Article 1: Whether adoration is an act of latria or religion?

are the words quoted Mat. 4:10: "The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Him only shalt thou serve."

Adoration is directed to the reverence of the person adored. Now it is evident from what we have said () that it is proper to religion to show reverence to God. Hence the adoration whereby we adore God is an act of religion.

Article 2: Whether adoration denotes an action of the body?

A gloss on Ex. 20:5, "Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them," says: "Thou shalt neither worship them in mind, nor adore them outwardly."

As Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iv, 12), since we are composed of a twofold nature, intellectual and sensible, we offer God a twofold adoration; namely, a spiritual adoration, consisting in the internal devotion of the mind; and a bodily adoration, which consists in an exterior humbling of the body. And since in all acts of latria that which is without is referred to that which is within as being of greater import, it follows that exterior adoration is offered on account of interior adoration, in other words we exhibit signs of humility in our bodies in order to incite our affections to submit to God, since it is connatural to us to proceed from the sensible to the intelligible.

Article 3: Whether adoration requires a definite place?

It is written (Is. 56:7): "My house shall be called the house of prayer," which words are also quoted (Jn. 2:16).

As stated above (), the chief part of adoration is the internal devotion of the mind, while the secondary part is something external pertaining to bodily signs. Now the mind internally apprehends God as not comprised in a place; while bodily signs must of necessity be in some definite place and position. Hence a definite place is required for adoration, not chiefly, as though it were essential thereto, but by reason of a certain fittingness, like other bodily signs.