Faith and the Natural order

Pope Pius XII Versus Henri de Lubac:

What is Supernatural?

Henri de Lubac and the Supernatural

Does man have a natural desire for the Beatific Vision?

What can we know from Sacred Scripture on the natural knowledge of God?

What does St. Thomas teach regarding a natural desire to see God?

Does St. Thomas teach that there is "a natural desire for the Beatific Vision"?

What can we know from Catholic Teaching?

Does St. Augustine's affirmation: "Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are anxious, until they rest in Thee" (Confessions, I,1), imply a "natural desire for the Beatific Vision"?

What can we know from theology?

The True Supernatural

"But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things

God hath prepared for them that love Him." (1 Cor. 2, 9)

The "things God hath prepared for them that love Him" are summed up by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church as heaven, Divine Life or the beatific vision. About these things, as Saint Paul reveals, it hath not "entered into the heart of man".

And how could it be otherwise, since it was a "mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God", as Saint Paul explains:

"To me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace, to preach

among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ. And to

enlighten all men, that they may see what is the dispensation of

the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God, who

created all things." (Eph. 3, 8-9) . . . "The mystery which hath been

hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to His

saints. To whom God would make known the riches of the glory

of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the

hope of glory." (Col. 1, 26-27)

The "mystery hidden from eternity in God" is revealed to us by Our Divine Lord, because "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn. 1, 17).

And yet the truth of Saint Paul's words are challenged in these times, most notably, by Père Henri de Lubac and so many others, who believe that man, by his nature, desires the Beatific Vision which, he, independently of Divine Revelation, can, at least in some way, know.

Saint Paul has himself identified things that man, by the use of his reason, can and should know: "For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Rm. 1, 20). It is also true that man, like psalmist David, can desire God: "As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after Thee, O God" (Ps. 41, 2). So while man, by nature can both know God and desire Him, he can not know or desire supernatural life, which no man can know or desire as Our Blessed Lord has taught us:

"No one knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the

Father is, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal Him"

(Lk. 10, 22). "Now this is eternal life: That they may know Thee, the

only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" (Jn. 17, 3).

. . . "For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I

should give testimony to the truth" (Jn. 18, 37). . . "Jesus saith to him:

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the

Father, but by Me (Jn. 14, 6).

While de Lubac does not question that Christ is the "way" to "life", his position denies that Christ is the "way" to "truth". The link between the natural and the supernatural that de Lubac claims to have found by means of a natural desire for the Beatific Vision does not and can not exist without denying the one true mediatorship of Christ, both true God and true man:

"For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man

Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2, 5).

The mediatorship of Christ is one of both "Grace and truth" (Jn. 1, 17):

"All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without

parables he did not speak to them. That it might be fulfilled which was

spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open my mouth in parables, I will

utter things hidden from the foundation of the world" (Mt. 13, 34-35).

Now that which was "hidden from the foundation of the world" is the true Supernatural. Our Blessed Lord did not come into the world in order to reveal the truth that was accessible to human reason, but to reveal the truth that was inaccessible to human reason and "hidden from the foundation of the world".

Men, may, indeed, have a natural desire for endless or eternal life, but in this they "savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men." (Mt. 16, 23). The life without end that they desire is not the Supernatural Life that Our Blessed Lord came to reveal:

"And Simon Peter answered Him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast

the words of eternal life" (Jn. 6, 69).

If it is the true Supernatural that you seek, there is one and only one way that you may be able to find it, and that is through Jesus Christ:

"For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid;

which is Christ Jesus" (1 Cor. 3, 11).

"He that cometh from above, is above all. He that is of the earth,

of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaketh. He that cometh

from heaven, is above all. And what He hath seen and heard,

that He testifieth: and no man receiveth His testimony. He that

hath received His testimony, hath set to His seal that God is true.

For He whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God: for God

doth not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loveth the Son:

and He hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth in the

Son, hath life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall

not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (Jn. 3, 31-36)

Can the Supernatural be known by reason?

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom which

is hidden, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory:

Which none of the princes of this world knew; for if they had known

it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is

written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered

into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that

love Him. But to us God hath revealed them, by this Spirit. For the

Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man

knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So

the things also that are of God no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is

of God; in order that we may know the things that are given us from God.

Which things also we speak, not in the learned words of human wisdom;

but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of

God; for it is foolishness to him, and he cannot understand, because it is

spiritually examined. But the spiritual man judgeth all things; and he

himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord,

that we may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2, 7-16)

"The Spirit of God", "the deep things of God", "the things that are of God", "the mind of God", "the things that are given us from God" (which, according to Saint Paul, would be grace, that is Divine Life) are unknowable to the natural man. In the Old Testament they knew, not only what reason could tell them about God but, many more things revealed to them by God, and yet, in order to know "the mind of the Lord" regarding "what things God hath prepared for them that love Him", of which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man", they has to wait in order to know "the mind of Christ".

We should compare Saint Paul's distinction between "the invisible things of (God)" (Rm. 1, 20) and "the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2, 10). The "invisible things of (God) (which include God's existence, power, and divinity), "from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. (Rm. 1, 20) The "deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2, 10), however, are not accessible to reason, but are revealed by Christ.

Saint Thomas Aquinas in his Commentary on Saint Paul's Epistles explains in detail this passage.

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom which

is hidden, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory:

Which none of the princes of this world knew."

"The secular princes, indeed, did not know this wisdom of God,

because it surpassed the order of human governance (rationem

humani regiminis) . . . Philosophers also did not know it, because

it surpassed human reason (excedit rationem humanam). . .

Princes did not know the wisdom of God, because it was in itself

hidden. . .

The princes of this world did not know the wisdom of God, in that

this was predestined unto the glory of the faithful. . . That glory of

vision is shown in two ways to be unknown by men. Firstly, indeed,

because that does not fall under human senses, from which all

human cognition takes its beginning. . . From there it excludes

intellectual knowledge of it, when it says: 'neither hath it entered

into the heart of man'. . .

The meaning therefore is that that glory not only is not perceived

by sense, but neither by the carnal heart of man, according to that

in John 14, 17: "whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth

Him not, nor knoweth Him". . .

Because therefore the knowledge of that glory is not received by

the senses, but from divine revelation, thus it says specifically

'neither hath it ascended into the heart of man', but descended,

that namely which God prepared, that is, predestined, 'for those

who love Him', because the essential reward of eternal glory is

due to love, according to John 14, 21: 'he that loveth Me, shall

be loved of My Father: and I will love him, and will manifest

Myself to him', in which the perfection of eternal glory consists. . .

Even 'the deep things of God' he perfectly knows. 'Deep things"

is said of that which in God is hidden, and not that which of Him

through creatures, what is, as if, seen to be as far as the surface."

(S. Thomae Aquinatis; SUPER EPISTOLAS S. PAULI LECTURA)

The Image of God

It is clear that, in so far as a Scriptural basis can be found for the idea of a natural desire in man for the Beatific Vision, P. Henri de Lubac considers it to be the passage of Genesis: "Let Us make man to Our image and likeness." (Gen. 1, 26) De Lubac, beginning with a quote from Chenu, writes:

"'. . . Man as God's image, is fitted to enter into communion

with him, in liberty of mind and initiative of love' (M. D. Chenu, O.P.,

L'Evangile dans le Temps (1965), p. 676). This is what we must, if only as a duty

to God, continue to clarify with all the means that this age

places at our disposal. This is the fundamental truth which

we must never allow to be obscured or compromised." (De Lubac;

THE MYSTERY OF THE SUPERNATURAL; N.Y. 1967; P. xiii-xiv)

De Lubac also unites himself to the opinion of Father Dockx regarding the meaning of "the image of God":

"Father S. Dockx, O.P., confirms this in regard to the subject we

are considering here: Cajetan, he said, 'deciding that he cannot

accept that man as God's image, should be ordered to the beatific

vision as his end, alters the reasoning' and even 'the text of St.

Thomas'. Instead of basing his argument on 'the nature of man as

made in God's image', he regards that nature simply as 'elevated

by grace'" (De Lubac; The Mystery of the Supernatural; p. 11-12; Cf: Dockx; Du desir

naturel de voir l'essence divine d'apres saint Thomas in Archives de philosophie,

1964, pp.79-80).

We have given a brief exegesis of this verse of Scripture in order to show that man being created in "the image and likeness" of God does not imply any relation to the substance of Divinity:

To better understand the words of God the Creator: "Let Us make man to Our image and likeness." (Gen. 1, 26), we should compare them with the words of Adam upon seeing the woman fashioned from his rib: "And Adam said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." (Gen. 2, 23)

So while Adam and the woman were of the same substance, man is only in the "image and likeness" of God, much as an artisan fashions an art work according to a certain model or exemplar. His "creation" is not of the same substance as Himself. Similarly man, although created in the "image and likeness" of God, in no way because of that, possesses divine Life, and therefore, despite the enormously important implications of this "image and likeness", cannot form a metaphysical basis for a "natural desire for the Beatific Vision.

Also relevant to our understanding of the meaning of being created in "the image and likeness" of God, are the Words of Our Blessed Lord in the Gospel account of "the coin of Caesar":

"Then the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves

how to insnare Him (Jesus) in His speech. And they sent to

Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying: Master, we

know that Thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of

God in truth, neither carest Thou for any man: for Thou dost

not regard the person of men. Tell us therefore what dost

Thou think, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? But

Jesus knowing their wickedness, said: Why do you tempt

Me, ye hypocrites? Shew Me the coin of the tribute. And

they offered Him a penny. And Jesus saith to them: Whose

image and inscription is this? They say to Him: Caesar's.

Then He saith to them: Render therefore to Caesar the

things that are Caesar's; and to God, the things that are

God's. And hearing this they wondered, and leaving Him,

went their ways." (Mt. 22, 15-22; Cf: Mk. 12, 13-17; Lk. 20, 20-26)

The placing of one's image on a creation does not imply any intention on the part of its creator; quite the the contrary, it distinctly implies that that creation belongs to its creator or maker, and that, in justice, it should be "rendered" to its maker as to its owner.

I believe, moreover, that a definitive and insurmountable refutation of de Lubac's idea that man's creation in the "image of God" implies a desire for the supernatural can be found in the texts where Saint Paul identifies, not all men, but Christ Himself as the "image of God": "The glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4,4).

And:

". . . the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through

His blood, the remission of sins; Who is the image of the

invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For in Him were

all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. . .

all things were created by Him and in Him. And He is before all,

and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body,

the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;

that in all things He may hold the primacy: Because in Him, it

hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell."

(Col. 1, 13-19)

Saint Paul is calling our attention to the important distiction between being the "image of God" and being made in the image of God.

The Necessity of the Incarnation

Our understanding of the Catholic teaching on the "Beatific Vision" is best summarized by two passages of Holy Scripture from Saint John and Saint Paul:

"Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God; and it hath not

yet appeared what we shall be. We know, that, when He shall

appear, we shall be like to Him: because we shall see Him as

He is." (1 Jn. 3, 2)

"We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to

face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am

known". (1 Cor. 13, 12)

If even after Revelation, the truth concerning the Beatific Vision can only be known "in a dark manner", it is evident that, without Revelation, it could not be known.

Between the "knower" and the "known" as between the "desirer" (or the desiree) and the "desired", there must exist a relationship, or as it is called by philosophers: an "adaequatio". Without some relationship between the desirer and the desired, a formulated desire is without effective meaning or real content.

In the theory of a "natural desire for the beatific vision", the desirer is natural man, while the desired is a supernatural end. It is the principal teaching of our faith, that such a relationship between the natural and the supernatural can only exist by means of the Incarnation of the Word of God.

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,

hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of

the glory of God, in the face of Christ Jesus. But we have this

treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the

power of God, and not of us." (2 Cor. 4, 7)

Saint Paul here explains that "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" is "in the face of Christ Jesus". "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God" is "a treasure" held "in earthen vessels", but it is not part of the earthen vessels themselves, in order, as Saint Paul affirms, that "the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us". A "natural desire for the beatific vision" would place "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" not in that "treasure", which is "the face of Christ Jesus" being carried now in the "earthen vessels" of our natural flesh, but in the very clay itself of our natural flesh.

Is there such a thing as "pure nature"?

The heart of de Lubac's study on the Supernatural is a sustained attack on the notion of "pure nature", which he considers of basically late origin (Cajetan), hypothetical (never to have in fact existed), and corruptive of an authentic Christian viewpoint.

The notion of "pure nature", however, is taught or implied by Our Divine Lord:

"Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners." (Mk. 2, 17; Cf. Mt. 9, 12)

The way that you know sickness is by comparison with health. The way you know sin, is by comparison (through the law), with justice (in the case of Gentiles, through the law written in their heart).

"Children of the Promise"

Saint Paul explains the true "seed of Abraham":

"And if you be Christ's, then are you the seed of Abraham,

heirs according to the promise." (Gal. 3, 29). . .

"For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a

bondwoman, and the other by a free woman. But he who

was of the bondwoman, was born according to the flesh:

but he of the free woman, was by promise. Which things

are said by an allegory. For these are the two testaments.

The one from mount Sina, engendering unto bondage;

which is Agar: For Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which

hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is, and is in

bondage with her children. But that Jerusalem, which is

above, is free: which is our mother. For it is written:

Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not: break forth and cry,

thou that travailest not: for many are the children of the

desolate, more than of her that hath a husband. Now we,

brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But

as then he, that was born according to the flesh, persecuted

him that was after the spirit; so also it is now. But what saith

the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the

son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the

free woman. So then, brethren, we are not the children of the

bondwoman, but of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ

has made us free." (Gal. 4, 22-31)

"What shall we say then that Abraham hath found, who is our

father according to the flesh. For if Abraham were justified by

works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what

saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was reputed

to him unto justice. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not

reckoned according to grace, but according to debt. But to him

that worketh not, yet believeth in Him that justifieth the ungodly,

his faith is reputed to justice, according to the purpose of the

grace of God. As David also termeth the blessedness of a man,

to whom God reputeth justice without works: Blessed are they

whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin. This

blessedness then, doth it remain in the circumcision only, or in

the uncircumcision also? For we say that unto Abraham faith was

reputed to justice. How then was it reputed? When he was in

circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in

uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal

of the justice of the faith, which he had, being uncircumcised; that

he might be the father of all them that believe, being uncircumcised,

that unto them also it may be reputed to justice: And might be the

father of circumcision; not to them only, that are of the circumcision,

but to them also that follow the steps of the faithful, that is in the

uncircumcision of our father Abraham. For not through the law was

the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of the

world; but through the justice of faith. For if they who are of the law

be heirs, faith is made void, the promise is made of no effect. For

the law worketh wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there

transgression. Therefore is it of faith, that according to grace the

promise might be firm to all the seed; not to that only which is of the

law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the

father of us all, (As it is written: I have made thee a father of many

nations,) before God, whom he believed, who quickeneth the dead;

and calleth those things that are not, as those that are. Who against

hope believed in hope; that he might be made the father of many

nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed

be. And he was not weak in faith; neither did he consider his own

body now dead, whereas he was almost an hundred years old, nor

the dead womb of Sara. In the promise also of God he staggered

not by distrust; but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God:

Most fully knowing, that whatsoever He has promised, He is able

also to perform. And therefore it was reputed to him unto justice.

Now it is not written only for him, that it was reputed to him unto

justice, but also for us, to whom it shall be reputed, if we believe

in Him, that raised up Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead, Who

was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification."

(Rm. 4)

The reward of the Beatific Vision, is not according to the flesh, but according to promise. There is nothing in nature that would indicate the promise of the Beatific Vision "that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us" (2 Cor. 4, 7) . . . "the flesh profiteth nothing" (Jn. 6, 64).

The story of the Wedding feast of Cana: A figure of the passage between the natural and the supernatural orders.

    After Saint John, "in the beginning" (Jn. 1, 1) of his Gospel, takes us back into eternity, as it were, and to the creation of the universe, he then narrates how John the Baptist points out the "Lamb of God" and a couple of his own followers leave him and begin following Jesus.

    So from the austere desert areas where Saint John was, his disciples leave the River Jordan and the fasting common to the disciples of the Baptist (Mk. 2, 18).   "Can the sons of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast" (Mk. 2, 19). Indeed, within hardly three days, Our Blessed Lord leads them to a Marriage Banquet, a figure of the Messianic Banquet soon to begin, where the Lord has "kept the good wine until now" (Jn. 2, 10).

    The wedding couple are here an image of the first couple, Adam and Eve. But the Mother of Jesus, Mary, upon whom tradition has given the title of the "new Eve" and who, as usual preceeds her Son, was already there. Then after Jesus arrived, whom, as Saint Paul tells us is the "last Adam", Mary tells Him that the wine has run out: "They have no wine" (Jn. 2, 3). This new Adam who has come to bring "Grace and truth" (Jn. 1, 14) replies that "His hour is not yet come" (Jn. 2, 4); so in that sense it is clear why He, seemingly in a harsh manner, responds: "What is that to Me and to thee?" (Jn. 2, 4).

    Without doubting Her Son's compassion toward those in need, Mary tells the stewards: "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye" (Jn. 2, 5). Then Jesus tells the stewards to "Fill the jars with water" (Jn. 2, 7). There are six of these pots. They are not pottery of clay jars, but hewn from stone (Jn. 2, 6).

    Jesus tells us that: "No one puts new wine into old skins" (Mk. 2, 22), so it is unusual that He is going to use stone jars. These six stone pots are an image of the six days of creation, the creation of the natural world and the fact that they are of stone is a figure of the solidness and soundness of the created world as it came forth from the hand of God.   These pots, however, are there "according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews" (Jn. 2, 6), so they have not pure water for drinking, but rather water spoiled from washing. Teaching us how creation, symbolized by the solid jars, was originally "good". It was only spoiled by original sin. "Grace builds on nature", but that nature must be pure and that is why the Incarnation could not take place anywhere else except in the pure womb of the Virgin Mary, preserved from every stain of original sin for this purpose.

    Now one could presume that, if Jesus were going to perform a miracle, He could just as easily change dirty water into wine, as pure water into wine, but, in fact, He orders the stewards to fill the jars with new water. "And they filled them up to the brim" (Jn. 2, 7).

Yes, before we can taste the good wine of divine Grace that Christ came to bring, we must be washed clean by the waters of Baptism. The Grace of the new supernatural order, which Christ would pour into the Sacraments of the new Covenant will include the Grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony which union between a man and a woman, will be restored to it's original purity and given the blessing and sacramental help of Sanctifying Grace. So the old Adam and Eve, figured in the couple of Cana, would now be able, through the new Adam and Eve, to raise up citizens of Heaven.

What can we know from Sacred Scripture on the natural knowledge of God?

         'That which is known of God, is manifest in them. For God',
             declares the Spirit of Truth, 'hath manifested it unto them.
             For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world,
             are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
             made; his eternal power also, and divinity: so that they are
             inexcusable' (Rom. 1, 19-20).

   Thus it is, in the words of Saint Paul, that God the Creator reveals to all mankind the most important truth, His own existence, by means of the most available and obvious of facts: the wondrous beauty and unfathonable order of the world. 'The heavens proclaim the glory of God' (Ps.18,1).

  What does St. Thomas teach regarding a natural desire to see God?

    Refering to this passage of Paul the Apostle, Saint Thomas explains:

         'The Apostle says: "The invisible things of Him are clearly seen, being
          understood by the things that are made" (Rom. 1,20). But this would
          not be unless the existence of God could be demonstrated through
          the things that are made; for the first thing we must know of anything
          is, whether it exists.'

Aquinas then gives to us a philosophical explanation of this natural process:

         "Demonstration can be made in two ways: One is through the cause,
         and is called 'a priori', and this is to argue from what is prior absolutely.
         The other is through the effect, and is called a demonstration 'a posteriori';
         this is to argue from what is prior relatively only to us. When an effect is
         better known to us than its cause, from the effect we proceed to the
         knowledge of the cause. And from every effect the existence of its
         proper cause can be demonstrated, so long as its effects are better
         known to us; because since every effect depends upon its cause, if
         the effect exists, the cause must pre-exist. Hence the existence of
         God, in so far as it is not self-evident to us, can be demonstrated from
         those of His effects which are known to us."

    Saint Thomas teaches that man indeed does have a natural desire to see God:

         "Every intellect naturally desires a vision of the divine substance."
         (SUMMA CONTRA GENTILES; Lib. 3, Cp. 57).

For the proof of this Aquinas refers the reader back to chapter 50 of the same book:

         'From the knowledge of effects is incited a desire toward knowing
         (cognoscendum) the cause. Whence men began to philosophize
         seeking the causes of things (Aristotle, METAPH.; I,2 (982b I2). The desire
         therefore of knowing (sciendi), naturally implaned in all intellectual
         substances does not rest unless, having known the substances of
         effects, they know also the substance of the cause. . . .
         Furthermore nothing finite can set the intellect's desire at rest . . .
         This is proved from the fact that the intellect, given any finite thing,
         strives to go beyond it . . . *
         Moreover, just as there is a natural desire for knowledge in all
         intellectual natures, so there is in them a natural desire to rid
         themselves of ignorance or nescience. . . .
         And however much we know that God is, and other things mentioned
         above, we still go on desiring and seek to know Him in His essence. . . .
         It also clearly follows from this that ultimate happiness is to be sought
         nowhere else but in an operation of the intellect, since no desire
         leads us so high as the desire of knowing the truth. For all our desires,
         whether of pleasure or of anything else that man wants, can be
         satisfied with other things; whereas the aforesaid desire does not
         rest until it has reached God, the supreme cause and maker of all.'

Moreover, in his SUMMA THEOLOGICA, St. Thomas writes:

         'There resides in every man a natural desire to know the cause of any
         effect which he sees; and thence arises wonder in men. But if the
         intellect of the rational creature could not reach so far as to the first
         cause of things, the natural desire would remain void' (I-I, Q.12, art. 1).

From these two passages several things are clearly implied:
1) This 'vision' or 'seeing' refered to, is in fact the intellectual act of knowing.
2) We are dealing with the natural thought process or faculty of the human soul; we are not dealing with a desire for the beatific vision as it is envisioned in Christian eschatology.
3) that in so far, at least, as the intellect of the rational creature does reach the first cause of things, this 'natural desire' would not 'remain void'.

      The natural desire to see God, of which Saint Thomas speaks, is therefore, understood in a purely natural way which is able to harmonizes well with the Church's teaching regarding the supernatural.

         "St. Thomas speaks of a 'natural desire' which arises in man at the sight
         created effects, namely the desire of seeing also their first Cause, God
         in Himself. . . . The desire of which St. Thomas speaks, is really natural;
         not, however, innate (instinctive) but elicited, i.e., dependent on the
         knowledge of created things (effect), from which arises the desire to
         know their Cause (God)." (DICTIONARY OF DOGMATIC THEOLOGY; Parente, Piolanti, Garofalo/
            trans. Doronzo; Milwaukee, 1951)

    This interpretation is also supported at least indirectly by the fact that Saint Thomas bases an argument for the necessity of Divine Revelation on the belief that "man is ordered (directed, ordained) by God to a certain end which exceeds the understanding of reason" (I-I; Q.1; art.1).

"And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father. 7 Therefore now he is not a servant, but a son. And if a son, an heir also through God. 8 But then indeed, not knowing God, you served them, who, by nature, are not gods. 9 But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known by God: how turn you again to the weak and needy elements, which you desire to serve again? 10 You observe days, and months, and times, and years.

11 I am afraid of you, lest perhaps I have laboured in vain among you. 12 Be ye as I, because I also am as you: brethren, I beseech you: you have not injured me at all. 13 And you know, how through infirmity of the flesh, I preached the gospel to you heretofore: and your temptation in my flesh, 14 You despised not, nor rejected: but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 Where is then your blessedness? For I bear you witness, that, if it could be done, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and would have given them to me.

16 Am I then become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? 17 They are zealous in your regard not well: but they would exclude you, that you might be zealous for them. 18 But be zealous for that which is good in a good thing always: and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, of whom I am in labour again, until Christ be formed in you. 20 And I would willingly be present with you now, and change my voice: because I am ashamed for you.

21 Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, have you not read the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a slave-girl, and the other by a free woman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman, was born according to the flesh: but he of the free woman, was by promise. 24 Which things are said by an allegory. For these are the two testaments. The one from mount Sina, engendering unto slavery; which is Agar: 25 For Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But that Jerusalem, which is above, is free: which is our mother. 27 For it is written: Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he, that was born according to the flesh, persecuted him that was after the spirit; so also it is now. 30 But what saith the scripture? Cast out the slave-girl and her son; for the son of the slave-girl shall not be heir with the son of the free woman" (Gal.4, 6-29).

What then is the "allegory"? The supernatural is not given according to nature but according to "PROMISE". It is true that the son of the slave-girl also received from God an inheritance, according to nature, BUT NOT THE PROMISE OF GRACE, SUPERNATURAL LIFE AND THE BEATIFIC VISION. For that it is not sufficient "that you have known God" but "rather are known by God".   If there were "a natural desire for the Beatific Vision", then the promise would be unnecessary and render in vain to no purpose.

All of that can not be the "Mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God" (Ep. 3, 9) and revealed by Saint Paul (To me the very least of all the saints, there was given this grace, to announce among the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten all men as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God).
Why?
Because all of that was revealed in the Old Testament before Saint Paul.
The grace given Saint Paul (as opposed to the Old Testament prophets) was "to enlighten all men" (Jew and Gentile) concerning the mystery of intimate supernatural union with Divine Nature by human nature, through Christ, both God and man, by means of the Incarnation.
Redemption and satisfaction for the offense of Adam against God, could only happen by means of a Divine and human mediator, but, likewise, intimate supernatural union with the Divine Nature by human nature could only happen by means of a Divine and human mediator: Christ, true God and true man.

  Does St. Thomas teach that there is "a natural desire for the Beatific Vision"?

    The truth of the matter is that in Saint Thomas there are various positive affirmations on both sides of this question. Aquinas both affirms and denies the existence in man of a "natural desire for the Beatific Vision. De Lubac unfortunely only quotes the texts of the Angelic Docotr that support his own view and, as a result, one would not get a full and accurate idea of St. Thomas' thinking from de Lubac's writings.

    Father Remigius Ritzler O.F.M. Conv., in his book on the natural desire of Supernatural Beatitude according to St. Thomas, gathered together a more complete collection of relevant Thomistic texts. Let us take a look at the various and admittedly contradictory affirmations of St. Thomas on the subject:

"The end to which the divine liberality has ordered or predestined man, that is the enjoyment of Himself, is completely above the faculty of created nature, because 'neither eye has seen. . .'. Whence, by natural means alone, man does not sufficiently have the inclination to that end. And therefore it is necessary that there be superadded to man something through which he may have the inclination to that end, just as by natural makeup (per naturalia) he has an inclination to the end co-natural to himself" (In III Sent. dist. 23, q. 1, a. 4).

And again and this could not be clearer:

"Man, however, according to his nature is proportionate to a certain end, to which he has a natural appetite, and is able, according to natural powers, to work to the attainment of his end, which is a certain contemplation of divine things (divinorum), which is possible for man according to the faculty of nature, in which philosophers place the ultimate happiness (felicitatem) of man.
But there is a certain end to which man is prepared by God, exceeding a proportion to human nature, that is Eternal Life, which consists in the Vision of God by essence (per essentiam), which exceeds proportion of any created nature whatsoever, existing co-naturally to God alone. Whence it is necessary that man be given something, not only through which he might work to that end or through which his appetite may be inclined into that end, but by which the nature of man may be elevated to a certain dignity according to which such an end may even be enabled."

I believe these texts of Saint Thomas categorically exclude any "natural desire for the Beatific Vision".

III Sententia, Distinction 23, Question 1, Article IV, Solution III

TO THE THIRD QUESTION must be said that all things which act on account of an end, it is necessary that there be an inclination to the end, and, almost (as is - quasi) a certain beginning of the end: otherwise they might never act on account of the end.

The end to which the divine liberality has ordered or predestined man, that is the enjoyment of Himself, is completely above the faculty of created nature elevated, because "eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love HIm" (I Cor. 2, 9). Whence, by natural means alone, man does not sufficiently have the inclination to that end. And therefore it is necessary that there be super-added to man something through which he may have the inclination to that end, just as by natural makeup (per naturalia) he has an inclination to the end co-natural to himself. And those things super-added (superaddita) are said theological virtues (ex tribus).

First to the object;