Choose a topic from Part 2B:

136. Patience

1. Patience is the virtue by which a man bears up againstthe evils that tend to make him sad and to break his spirit. St.Augustine (De Patientia 1) says that patience is a virtue,and a great gift of God.

2. In estimating the relative excellence of virtues, wesay, first of all, that those virtues which actively incline a manto do good are greater than those which incline him to avoid evil.And, among the virtues inclining a person to avoid evil, those aregreater which check the greatest and strongest impulse to evil. Onthese considerations, we see that patience is not the greatest ofvirtues. Patience ranks after the theological virtues, and afterthe cardinal virtues.

3. Patience, as a virtue, comes from love or charity; thatis, from the grace and friendship of God. We speak, of course, ofsupernatural patience. For patience is possible only when the soulloves something good with a love strong enough to make it bear upunder oppressing evils. Patience cannot be a perfectvirtue unless "the love of God above all" is its core andessence.

4. Patience, as the suffering "with untroubled mind,the evils inflicted by others," is a virtue aligned withfortitude, and it is called a part of fortitude.

5. We bear by patience the heavy trials of life.We bear by long-suffering or longanimity continued, longenduring evils. In both virtues, our strong and steady effortmanifests constancy. Thus, longsuffering and constancyhave much in common with patience. But they are not whollyidentified with it.

"To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself. "
Thomas á Kempis

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"It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides. "
Thomas á Kempis

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"Whoever wants to stand alone without the support of a master and guide will be like the tree that stands alone in a field without a proprietor. No matter how much the tree bears, passers-by will pick the fruit before it ripens. "
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

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