Whether the Father Can Be Fittingly Sent?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is fitting also that the Father
should be sent. For being sent means that the divine person is given.
But the Father gives Himself since He can only be possessed by His
giving Himself. Therefore it can be said that the Father sends
Himself.
Obj. 2: Further, the divine person is sent according to the
indwelling of grace. But by grace the whole Trinity dwells in us
according to John 14:23: "We will come to him and make Our abode with
him." Therefore each one of the divine persons is sent.
Obj. 3: Further, whatever belongs to one person, belongs to them all,
except the notions and persons. But mission does not signify any
person; nor even a notion, since there are only five notions, as
stated above (Q. 32, A. 3). Therefore every divine person can be sent.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Trin. ii, 3), "The Father alone
is never described as being sent."
_I answer that,_ The very idea of mission means procession from
another, and in God it means procession according to origin, as above
expounded. Hence, as the Father is not from another, in no way is it
fitting for Him to be sent; but this can only belong to the Son and
to the Holy Ghost, to Whom it belongs to be from another.
Reply Obj. 1: In the sense of "giving" as a free bestowal of
something, the Father gives Himself, as freely bestowing Himself to
be enjoyed by the creature. But as implying the authority of the
giver as regards what is given, "to be given" only applies in God to
the Person Who is from another; and the same as regards "being sent."
Reply Obj. 2: Although the effect of grace is also from the Father,
Who dwells in us by grace, just as the Son and the Holy Ghost, still
He is not described as being sent, for He is not from another. Thus
Augustine says (De Trin. iv, 20) that "The Father, when known by
anyone in time, is not said to be sent; for there is no one whence He
is, or from whom He proceeds."
Reply Obj. 3: Mission, meaning procession from the sender, includes
the signification of a notion, not of a special notion, but in
general; thus "to be from another" is common to two of the notions.
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