1 Objection 1: It seems that God is the beatitude of each of the blessed. For God is the supreme good, as was said above Question 6, Articles 2, 4). But it is quite impossible that there should be many supreme goods, as also is clear from what has been said above Question 11, Article 3). Therefore, since it is of the essence of beatitude that it should be the supreme good, it seems that beatitude is nothing else but God Himself.
1 Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod Deus sit beatitudo cuiuslibet beati. Deus enim est summum bonum, ut supra ostensum est. Impossibile est autem esse plura summa bona, ut etiam ex superioribus patet. Cum igitur de ratione beatitudinis sit, quod sit summum bonum, videtur quod beatitudo non sit aliud quam Deus.
2 Objection 2: Further, beatitude is the last end of the rational nature. But to be the last end of the rational nature belongs only to God. Therefore the beatitude of every blessed is God alone.
2 Praeterea, beatitudo est finis rationalis naturae ultimus. Sed esse ultimum finem rationalis naturae, soli Deo convenit. Ergo beatitudo cuiuslibet beati est solus Deus.
3 On the contrary, The beatitude of one is greater than that of another, according to 1 Cor. 15, 41: Star differeth from star in glory. But nothing is greater than God. Therefore beatitude is something different from God.
3 Sed contra, beatitudo unius est maior beatitudine alterius, secundum illud I Cor. XV, stella differt a stella in claritate. Sed Deo nihil est maius. Ergo beatitudo est aliquid aliud quam Deus.
4 I answer that, The beatitude of an intellectual nature consists in an act of the intellect. In this we may consider two things, namely, the object of the act, which is the thing understood; and the act itself which is to understand. If, then, beatitude be considered on the side of the object, God is the only beatitude; for everyone is blessed from this sole fact, that he understands God, in accordance with the saying of Augustine Confess. v, 4): Blessed is he who knoweth Thee, though he know nought else. But as regards the act of understanding, beatitude is a created thing in beatified creatures; but in God, even in this way, it is an uncreated thing.
4 Respondeo dicendum quod beatitudo intellectualis naturae consistit in actu intellectus. In quo duo possunt considerari, scilicet obiectum actus, quod est intelligibile; et ipse actus, qui est intelligere. Si igitur beatitudo consideretur ex parte ipsius obiecti, sic solus Deus est beatitudo, quia ex hoc solo est aliquis beatus, quod Deum intelligit; secundum illud Augustini, in V libro Confess., beatus est qui te novit, etiam si alia ignoret. Sed ex parte actus intelligentis, beatitudo est quid creatum in creaturis beatis, in Deo autem est etiam secundum hoc, aliquid increatum.
5 Reply to Objection 1: Beatitude, as regards its object, is the supreme good absolutely, but as regards its act, in beatified creatures it is their supreme good, not absolutely, but in that kind of goods which a creature can participate.
5 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod beatitudo, quantum ad obiectum, est summum bonum simpliciter, sed quantum ad actum, in creaturis beatis, est summum bonum, non simpliciter, sed in genere bonorum participabilium a creatura.
6 Reply to Objection 2: End is twofold, namely, objective and subjective, as the Philosopher says Greater Ethics i, 3), namely, the thing itself and its use. Thus to a miser the end is money, and its acquisition. Accordingly God is indeed the last end of a rational creature, as the thing itself; but created beatitude is the end, as the use, or rather fruition, of the thing.
6 Ad secundum dicendum quod finis est duplex, scilicet cuius et quo, ut philosophus dicit, scilicet ipsa res, et usus rei, sicut avaro est finis pecunia, et acquisitio pecuniae. Creaturae igitur rationalis est quidem Deus finis ultimus ut res; beatitudo autem creata ut usus, vel magis fruitio, rei.