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81. The Sensitive Appetite in Man

1. No appetite is a knowing power, but cognitionalappetite is aroused by knowing. Knowledge lays hold of itsobject; appetite only tends to its object. Hence knowingis sometimes called rest, and appetizing is called movement.

2. Sentient or sensitive appetency is of two kinds. Aconcupiscible appetite is a simple tendency towards what is sensedas good and away from what is sensed as evil. An irascible appetiteis a tendency to overcome difficulty or hindrance in attaining goodand avoiding evil. Thus sentient desire is a concupiscibleappetite; courage or daring is an irascible appetite. These twotypes of appetite or appetency in the sense-order are species ofone genus. They cannot be reduced to one specific kind, forirascible appetency tends to grapple with difficulties from whichconcupiscible appetite tends away.

3. Reason, that is, the thinking mind, can exercise acontrollinginfluence upon the sentient appetency; bythinking, a person can stir up desire or courage; by fixing themind on pacific things, a man can allay anger. The will controlsthe lower appetites by directing the mind's attention toobjects other than those to which the appetites tend. Reason andwill (and these two faculties together are most frequently calledby the simple name of reason) have no absolute or despoticcontrol over the lower appetites; they exercise a politic andpersuasive influence.

"It is better to be burdened and in company with the strong than to be unburdened and with the weak. When you are burdened you are close to God, your strength, who abides with the afflicted. When you are relieved of the burden you are close to yourself, your own weakness; for virtue and strength of soul grow and are confirmed in the trials of patience."
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

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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. "
Thomas á Kempis

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"The greatest glory we can give to God is to do his will in everything."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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