Choose a topic from Part 1:
1. Bodies act upon other bodies. Fire burns wood; foodsupports living substance; a horse pulls a wagon; wind erodes amountain; water moistens earth. Every bodily substance, by itsbeing what it is, by its actuality, has an activity by which itaffects other bodies, and is in potentiality to be affected byother bodies.
2. Living bodies bear the germs or seeds of offspringwhich they tend to move into existence. Nonliving bodies haveaptitude to be moved or affected by other bodies. In a word, allbodies exhibit a basic fitness or aptitude for the movement of bodyby body.
3. The heavenly bodies, and notably the sun, produceeffects in inferior bodies. Each inferior body receives, accordingto its nature, the action of a superior body. The movement ofearthly bodies is referred to movements of the heavenly bodies.
4. The heavenly bodies cannot directly affect the higherpowers ofman, that is, the intellect and the will. They may,however, exercise an indirect influence on the intellective powersthrough the senses of the human body. It is impossible that theheavenly bodies should be the direct cause of human actions.
5. The heavenly bodies can have no effect at all upon thedemons or bad angels; these angels are spirits, and no influence ofextraneous bodies on spirits is possible.
6. Nor is the direct influence of heavenly bodies onmatter always and necessarily effective.
"This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. "
Thomas á Kempis
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"There is nothing which gives greater security to our actions, or more effectually cuts the snares the devil lays for us, than to follow another person’s will, rather than our own, in doing good."
St Philip Neri
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"Before a man chooses his confessor, he ought to think well about it, and pray about it also; but when he has once chosen, he ought not to change, except for most urgent reasons, but put the utmost confidence in his director."
St Philip Neri
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