Choose a topic from Part 2B:
1. Contention is discord that finds expression in words.It is bickering, unreasonable arguing, without regard to charity,and often without regard to truth. Contention is sinful, and it ispossible for it to be mortally sinful.
2. Contention, like discord, is a daughter of vainglory.For the contentious man clings pridefully to his own way and hisown opinion, arguing stubbornly even in the face of evidence andthe manifestation of truth.
"Try to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
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Thomas á Kempis
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"The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. Our conduct in such instances is the measure of our love of God."
St Alphonsus de Liguori
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"Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.
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Thomas á Kempis
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