Choose a topic from Part 1:
1. The human soul is not an outpouring or sharing of thesubstance of God. God is pure actuality and absolute simplicity.His substance, therefore, cannot be divided or parceled out. Thehuman soul is not a thing eternally existing in God's being. Itis a creature. It is a thing made.
2. The soul is made by God's creative act. It iscreated; it is made out of nothing. It is a spirit, having initself no material element nor any essential dependence upon whatis material. Now, such a spiritual being can have no possibleorigin but by the direct creative act of God.
3. Since creation is an act proper to God alone, in whichno creature can serve as a medium (such as an instrumental cause ora ministering cause), the soul must be created immediately byalmighty God.
4. The human soul is not created and held in readiness forunion with its body. For every soul is the soul of one definitehuman being, and not just a soul, suitable for any one ofa number of bodies. Thesoul bears a definite real relation toits own body, that is, the body which it is to constitute as theliving body of one individual human being. There is nopre-existence of human souls. Soul and body together make onesubstantial thing, one essence and nature; the soul begins to existwhen this one nature begins to exist. Therefore, the human soul isnot produced before the body.
"Lord, here burn, here cut, and dry up in me all that hinders me from going to You, that You may spare me in eternity."
St Louis Bertrand
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"A tree that is cultivated and guarded through the care of its owner produces its fruit at the expected time.
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St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church
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"As the flesh is nourished by food, so is man supported by prayers"
St Augustine
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