Choose a topic from Part 2B:
1. The active life is given to works rather thanto contemplation. Since the moral virtues are mainly pertinent tooperation, they belong essentially to the active life.
2. And the virtue of prudence, which isspeculative in essence and practical in many of its applications,is, as a practical or moral virtue, directly pertinent to theactive life.
3. Teaching as actively exercised belongs to the activelife. St. Gregory (Hom. xiv in Ezech.) says that"the active life is to feed the hungry, and to teach words ofwisdom to the ignorant." Yet the teacher, considering truth inhis own mind and loving it, is contemplative. Therefore teachinghas a twofold aspect, one active, one contemplative.
4. The life of external action ends with earthlyexistence. If there be any external actions at all in heaven, theywill have contemplation as their aim and end, and thus will belongto contemplation itself. St. Gregory says (Hom. xiv inEzech.): "The active life ends with this world, but thecontemplative life begins here and is perfected inheaven."
"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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"It is not God's will that we should abound in spiritual delights, but that in all things we should submit to his holy will."
Blessed Henry Suso
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"God has no need of men."
St Philip Neri
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