Charles Williams : The New Christian Year: Thomas Aquinas

This is a reprint of 2 devotionals, "The New Christian Year" (1941) and "The Passion of Christ: Being the Gospel Narrative of the Passion with Short Passages Taken from the Saints and Doctors of the Church" (1939), both chosen by Charles Williams, an English poet, novelist, theologian, literary critic, and teacher. Charles Walter Stansby Williams was most often associated with the Inklings (a group of christian writers including J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis), Williams was also cited as a major influence on W.H. Auden's conversion to christianity and he was a peer and friend of T.S. Eliot, Dorothy Sayers and Evelyn Underhill. These devotionals collect writings from throughout the history of christian thought. His choices were novel at the time, referencing Kierkegaard just as his translations were appearing in english print (Williams helped edit the first translations in England) and drawing upon the little known sermons of the poet John Donne. For each day of the Church year (starting in Advent), quotes will be posted as they appeared in the 1941 edition of "The New Christian Year". They are categorized by the source on the left, so that readers can read more from each author. I will also add links to websites about each source. During lent the "The New Christian Year" will be supplemented by quotes from "The Passion of the Christ". This text has passages from the Gospel accounts of the passion supplemented by quotes from the "Saints and Doctors of the Church".

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1st Wednesday after Trinity

There is no one first principle of evil as there is one first principle of good.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

Creation in the creature is only a certain relation to its Creator as to the principle of its being.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

He loves Himself and every creature by the Holy Ghost, inasmuch as the Holy Ghost proceeds as the love of the primal goodness whereby the Father loves Himself and every creature.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

A gift is properly an unreturnable giving . . . hence it is manifest that love has the nature of a first gift, through which all free gifts are given. So since the Holy Ghost proceeds as Love, He proceeds as the first gift. Gift . . . is the proper name of the Holy Ghost.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

Nothing is due to any one, except on account of something already given him gratuitously by God.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

3rd Wednesday after Easter

The scars that remained in Christ's body belong neither to corruption nor defect, but to the greater increase of glory, inasmuch as they are the trophies of His power; and a special comeliness will appear in the places scarred by the wounds.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

Easter Week Friday

It belongs to God alone to bestow beatitude upon souls by a participation with Himself; but it is Christ's prerogative to bring them to such beatitude, inasmuch as He is their Head and the author of their salvation.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

By His Passion Christ achieved glory, not only of His soul, which He had from the first moment of His conception, but also of His body; . . . to which glory He brings those who follow the footsteps of His Passion.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

God is intelligible light.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

5th Tuesday in Lent

As He was uplifted above others in gifts of graces, so was He lowered beneath others by the ignominy of His sufferings.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

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