Recent posts

#41

Catholic Resources / Re: Martyn Swain's complete au...

Last post by Geremia - November 23, 2023, 11:12:11 AM

link is not working.

Which one(s)? The isidore.co/calibre one or the isidore.co/CalibreLibrary one?

#42

Catholic Resources / Re: University of Notre Dame C...

Last post by Geremia - November 23, 2023, 11:11:04 AM

Not working

Yeah, they took that down awhile ago. Perhaps someone complained about some or all of the books possibly violating ©.

#43

Catholic Resources / Re: University of Notre Dame C...

Last post by Wenura - November 23, 2023, 10:48:11 AM

Not working

#44

Catholic Resources / Re: Martyn Swain's complete au...

Last post by Wenura - November 23, 2023, 10:43:00 AM

link is not working.

#45

Philosophy / Prudence Question

Last post by tacf - November 22, 2023, 03:57:56 PM

I'm having a hard time understanding how St Thomas classifies the 8 quasi-integral parts of prudence into the 3 acts. (all in Second Part of the Second Part). Would appreciate any explanations.

From Question 48 Article 1 it seems:
Counsel includes Memory, understanding, docility, shrewdness
Judgement includes Reason
Command includes Foresight, Circumspection, Caution

Of these eight, five belong to prudence as a cognitive virtue, namely, "memory," "reasoning," "understanding," "docility" and "shrewdness": while the three others belong thereto, as commanding and applying knowledge to action, namely, "foresight," "circumspection" and "caution." The reason of their difference is seen from the fact that three things may be observed in reference to knowledge. On the first place, knowledge itself, which, if it be of the past, is called "memory," if of the present, whether contingent or necessary, is called "understanding" or "intelligence." Secondly, the acquiring of knowledge, which is caused either by teaching, to which pertains "docility," or by "discovery," and to this belongs to eustochia, i.e. "a happy conjecture," of which "shrewdness" is a part, which is a "quick conjecture of the middle term," as stated in Poster. i, 9. Thirdly, the use of knowledge, in as much as we proceed from things known to knowledge or judgment of other things, and this belongs to "reasoning." And the reason, in order to command aright, requires to have three conditions. First, to order that which is befitting the end, and this belongs to "foresight"; secondly, to attend to the circumstances of the matter in hand, and this belongs to "circumspection"; thirdly, to avoid obstacles, and this belongs to "caution."

From Question 53 Article 2 it seems:
Counsel includes Memory, Docility, Reason
Judgement includes Circumspection, Caution
Command includes Shrewdness, Understanding, Foresight

Secondly, in respect of the quasi-potential parts of prudence, which are virtues connected with it, and correspond to the several acts of reason. Thus, by defect of "counsel" to which euboulia (deliberating well) corresponds, "precipitation" or "temerity" is a species of imprudence; by defect of "judgment," to which synesis (judging well according to common law) and gnome (judging well according to general law) refer, there is "thoughtlessness"; while "inconstancy" and "negligence" correspond to the "command" which is the proper act of prudence. Thirdly, this may be taken by opposition to those things which are requisite for prudence, which are the quasi-integral parts of prudence. Since however all these things are intended for the direction of the aforesaid three acts of reason, it follows that all the opposite defects are reducible to the four parts mentioned above. Thus incautiousness and incircumspection are included in "thoughtlessness"; lack of docility, memory, or reason is referable to "precipitation"; improvidence, lack of intelligence and of shrewdness, belong to "negligence" and "inconstancy."

And from Question 53 Article 3 it seems:
Counsel includes Memory, Understanding, Shrewdness, Reasoning, Docility

Precipitation is ascribed metaphorically to acts of the soul, by way of similitude to bodily movement. Now a thing is said to be precipitated as regards bodily movement, when it is brought down from above by the impulse either of its own movement or of another's, and not in orderly fashion by degrees. Now the summit of the soul is the reason, and the base is reached in the action performed by the body; while the steps that intervene by which one ought to descend in orderly fashion are "memory" of the past, "intelligence" of the present, "shrewdness" in considering the future outcome, "reasoning" which compares one thing with another, "docility" in accepting the opinions of others. He that takes counsel descends by these steps in due order, whereas if a man is rushed into action by the impulse of his will or of a passion, without taking these steps, it will be a case of precipitation. Since then inordinate counsel pertains to imprudence, it is evident that the vice of precipitation is contained under imprudence.

#46

General Discussion / Re: What is the treatment of a...

Last post by tacf - November 22, 2023, 03:52:02 PM

Salpingectomy, salpingotomy, oophorectomy, etc are different surgeries used as treatment for an ectopic pregnancy. Medical texts just generically say something like "medical versus surgical management of an ectopic" to imply methotrexate versus any of the above surgeries.
I didn't hear a generic term other than that during medical school. I'm not OBGyn though.

#47

Catholic Resources / Re: Writings of the saints and...

Last post by kerrysky - November 06, 2023, 03:05:16 AM

Book of the day (Monday, 6th of November 2023)

Books by St Teresa of Avila
https://disk.yandex.ru/d/kG4mF6GcjYAWB/Writings%20of%20the%20Saints/St%20Teresa%20of%20Avila

(In particular, The Interior Castle)

Source: https://freecatholicebooks.wordpress.com/

#48

Anti-Modernism / “Life, liberty, and the pursui...

Last post by Geremia - November 04, 2023, 09:27:24 PM

Grant's CFN article "St. Robert Bellarmine: Herald of Republics? — Part II" mentions:

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," [...] [is] found in Locke's Second Treatise.

This isn't correct. Locke pp. 103-4:

To be sure, Jefferson's formulation [in the Declaration of Independence] is by no means entirely Lockean in content. Locke would, for reasons we will examine presently, be more inclined to speak of rights to one's "life, health, liberty [and] possessions" (T II.6), though the pursuit of happiness is not entirely outside the range of his concern.

#49

Anti-Modernism / Happy feast of Christ the King...

Last post by Geremia - October 29, 2023, 07:32:20 PM

felix festum Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Regis! 🥳 🎉

[ST ISIDORE THE HUSBANDMAN]

#50

Forum-Related / Happy (belated) feast of St. I...

Last post by Geremia - October 29, 2023, 03:08:37 PM

I meant to post this last Wednesday, October 25, as St. Isidore the Farmer (✝1130 A.D.) was named after the archbishop St. Isidore of Seville (✝636 A.D.).
From Fr. Butler's Lives of the Saints PDF pp. 1096-7:

ST ISIDORE THE HUSBANDMAN (A.D. 1130)
In the United States of America this feast is celebrated on 25 October.

The patron of Madrid was born in the Spanish capital of poor parents, and was christened Isidore after the celebrated archbishop of Seville. Although unable to procure educational advantages for their son, his father and mother early instilled into his mind a great horror of sin and a love of prayer. As soon as he was old enough to work, Isidore entered the service of John de Vergas) a wealthy resident of Madrid, as a farm labourer on his estate outside the city, and with that one employer he remained all his life. He married a girl as poor and as good as himself, but after the birth of one son, who died young, they agreed to serve God In perfect continence. Isidore's whole life was a model of Christian perfection lived in the world. He would rise early to go to church, and all day long, whilst his hand guided the plough, he would be communing with God, with his guardian angel or with the holy saints. Public holidays he would spend in visiting the churches of Madrid and the neighbouring districts. Kind and helpful though he always was to others, he did not escape detraction. His fellow workmen complained that his attendance at church caused him to be late in starting work. To test the truth of this accusation, de Vergas hid himself to watch. He saw that Isidore did actually arrive after his fellow labourers, and he was advancing to upbraid him for his irregularity when he was surprised, we are told, to see a second team of snow-white oxen led by unknown figures ploughing beside that driven by Isidore. As he stood watching, rooted to the ground, the strange team disappeared and he realized that supernatural help had supplied all that was lacking. Other people also reported having seen angels assisting Isidore, and John de Vergas came to revere his servant who, it is said, worked miracles for the benefit of his employer and his family.

The saint's liberality to the poor was so great that he was wont to share his meals with them, often reserving for himself only the scraps they left over. On one occasion, when he had been invited to a confraternity dinner, he remained so long in church absorbed in prayer that the feast was nearly over before he made his appearance—followed by a train of beggars. His hosts expostulated, saying that they had reserved for him his portion, but that they could not possibly feed the whole crowd. St Isidore replied that there would be ample for himself and for Christ's poor. So, indeed, it happened, for when the food was produced there was enough and to spare for them all. Amongst the numerous stories told of the holy man is one which illustrates his love for animals. On a snowy winter's day, as he was carrying a sack of corn to be ground, he saw a number of birds perched disconsolately on the bare branches, obviously unable to find anything to eat. Isidore opened the sack and, in spite of the jeers of a companion, poured out half its contents upon the ground. When, however, they reached their destination the sack proved to be still full and the corn, when ground, produced double the usual amount of flour.

St Isidore died on May 15, 1130. His wife survived him for several years and, like him, is honoured as a saint. In Spain she is venerated as Santa Maria de la Cabeza, because her head (Sp. cabeza) is often carried in procession in times of drought. Forty years after the death of St Isidore his body was transferred to a more honourable shrine, and a great impetus was given to his cultus by the report of many miracles worked through his intercession. In 1211 he is said to have appeared in a vision to King Alphonsus of Castile, then fighting the Moors in the pass of Navas de Tolosa, and to have shown him an unknown path by means of which he was able to surprise and defeat the enemy. More than four hundred years later, King Philip III of Spain was taken so ill at Casaribios del Monte that his life was despaired of by the physicians. Thereupon the shrine of St Isidore was carried in solemn procession from Madrid to the sick monarch's room; at the hour the relics were removed from the church of St Andrew, the fever left the king, and when they were brought into his presence he recovered completely. The Spanish royal family had long desired to have St Isidore formally enrolled amongst the saints, and in March 1622 he was duly canonized together with St Ignatius, St Francis Xavier, St Teresa and St Philip Neri. In Spain this holy quintet are commonly spoken of as "The Five Saints".
The foundation document upon which our knowledge of the saint is almost entirely based is a life by "John the Deacon", probably identical with the Franciscan writer Johannes Aegidius of Zamora. It is printed in the Acta Sanctorum, May, vol. iii, but as it was compiled a century and a half after St Isidore's death it cannot be regarded as a very trustworthy record. A critical edition of this Latin text was published by Fr F. Fita, in the Boletín de la Real Academia de la Historia, vol. ix (1886), pp. 102-152. Lives in Spanish (including several poetical settings by Lope de Vega) and in Italian are numerous. The best biography is said to be that by Father J. BIeda (1622), and there is a more modern account in French by J. P. Toussaint (1901). But by far the most satisfactory treatment of the points of interest in the history of St Isidore is that published by Fr Garcia Villada in Razon y Fe, January to May, 1922. He in particular supplies very full details regarding the preservation of the body of the saint: it is mummified, but still entire.