Choose a topic from Part 2B:
1. The prophetic vision which gives the prophet hisknowledge is not the vision of God in heaven. If a prophet were tosee God in the beatific vision, he would be instantly glorified andconfirmed in grace, and this is impossible to man while he is awayfarer, that is, is living this earthly life.
2. The revelation made to a prophet by divine power issometimes an infusing of new ideas; sometimes, a new arrangement ofideas the prophet already possesses; and sometimes, a light thatshows hitherto unseen implications in old ideas in their oldarrangement.
4. It is possible that the prophet himself should not understandwhat the Holy Ghost means by the prophetic utterance. Davidunderstood that he had prophesied when he said (II Kings 23:2):"The spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me." But Caiphasdid not understand when he prophesied (John 11:51): "And thishe spoke, not ofhimself, but being the high-priest of thatyear, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation."
7. Man forms ideas in the natural way byabstraction which draws intelligible species(that is, understandable essences) from the findings of senserepresented in imagination-images or phantasms. This process is notalways followed in the conveying of prophetic knowledge. Divinelyimparted knowledge is sometimes directly impressed without theservice of senses or phantasms. And sometimes it is an infusedlight which makes manifest what was not known in the naturalprocess of human knowing.
"Spiritual persons ought to be equally ready to experience sweetness and consolation in the things of God, or to suffer and keep their ground in drynesses of spirit and devotion, and for as long as God pleases, without their making any complaint about it."
St Philip Neri
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"A single act of uniformity with the divine will suffices to make a saint."
St Alphonsus de Liguori
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"The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you."
Thomas á Kempis
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