Choose a topic from Part 1:
1. Everything has an inclination towards what accords withits nature; this inclination or tendency is called appetency orappetite. Things that lack knowledge have naturalappetency only; this is exampled in the tendency of a plant togrow, of a body to cohere, of a stone to fall to the ground. Livingbodies that have knowledge (animals and men) have, in addition tonatural appetency, tendencies that are roused in them by theirknowing, by their cognition; these are cognitionalappetites. Cognitional appetency is of two orders: the order ofsense, and the order of intellect. Sentient or sensitive appetencyinclines animal or man towards what is sensed as good or desirable,and away from what is sensed as evil or harmful. Intellectualappetency inclines intelligent creatures (angels and men) towardswhat is intellectually understood as good, and away from what isunderstood as evil. The intellectual appetency or appetite iscalled the will.
2. The will is a faculty distinct from the sentientappetite, for it belongs to the intellective order, not thesensitive order. These two appetites sometimes conflict, as, forexample, when a Catholic has hunger (i.e., sentient appetite) formeat on Friday, but wills not to eat it.
"Happy is the youth, because he has time before him to do good. "
St Philip Neri
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"Try to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
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Thomas á Kempis
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"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone."
St Albert the Great
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