s in
virtue of the prayer of Christ. Hence it is said pointedly (Matt.
3:16) that "heaven was opened to Him"--that is, "to all for His
sake." Thus, for example, the Emperor might say to one asking a favor
for another: "Behold, I grant this favor, not to him, but to
thee"--that is, "to him for thy sake," as Chrysostom says (Hom. iv in
Matth. [*From the supposititious Opus Imperfectum]).

Reply Obj. 1: According to Chrysostom (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the
supposititious Opus Imperfectum), as Christ was baptized for man's
sake, though He needed no baptism for His own sake, so the heavens
were opened unto Him as man, whereas in respect of His Divine Nature
He was ever in heaven.

Reply Obj. 2: As Jerome says on Matt. 3:16, 17, the heavens were
opened to Christ when He was baptized, not by an unfolding of the
elements, but by a spiritual vision: thus does Ezechiel relate the
opening of the heavens at the beginning of his book. And Chrysostom
proves this (Hom. iv in Matth.; from the supposititious Opus
Imperfectum) by saying that "if the creature"--namely, heaven--"had
been sundered he would not have said, 'were opened to Him,' since
what is opened in a corporeal sense is open to all." Hence it is said
expressly (Mk. 1:10) that Jesus "forthwith coming up out of the
water, saw the heavens opened"; as though the opening of the heavens
were to be considered as seen by Christ. Some, indeed, refer this to
the corporeal vision, and say that such a brilliant light shone round
about Christ when He was baptized, that the heavens seemed to be
opened. It can also be referred to the imaginary vision, in which
manner Ezechiel saw the heavens opened: since such a vision was
formed in Christ's imagination by the Divine power and by His
rational will, so as to signify that the entrance to heaven is opened
to men through baptism. Lastly, it can be referred to intellectual
vision: forasmuch as Christ, when He had sanctified baptism, saw that
heaven was opened to men: nevertheless He had seen before that this
would be accomplished.

Reply Obj. 3: Christ's Passion is the common cause of the opening of
heaven to men. But it behooves this cause to be applied to each one,
in order that he enter heaven. And this is effected by baptism,
according to Rom. 6:3: "All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus are
baptized in His death." Wherefore mention is made of the opening of
the heavens at His baptism rather than at His Passion.

Or, as Chrysostom sa