Choose a topic from Part 2B:
1. Prophecy is the certain foretelling of a future eventby a person supernaturally informed of it, and supernaturally movedto announce it. Prophecy consists primarily in theknowledge of future events; this knowledge is beyond thenatural power of creatures to acquire, and is imparted by God tothe prophet. Secondarily, prophecy is the "expression inspeech" of the divinely imparted prophetic knowledge. And, inthe third place, prophecy takes it fullness and perfection from the"certainty of the message" prophetically made. Thiscertainty will have its proof when the event prophesied comes topass, but it is requisite for perfect prophecy to have a backingand guarantee at the time the prophet speaks. This backing andguarantee of certainty is usually afforded by the aid ofmiracles.
2. Naturally acquired knowledge is in a person as anintellectual habit; it is something he has acquired andkeeps; it stays with him, and serves as a permanent mental qualitywhich tends to make the mind better or worse in its operation. Thusnatural knowledge can be used at the knower's will. But theprophet's knowledge is not something he can use at will. It isknowledge specially given, by a special divine light, and given inthe measure that God wills, for utterance as a divine help, guide,or warning to mankind. And, while both the prophet and the peoplewho hear him can remember the prophecy, and in so far can make itan element of their knowledge, neither prophet nor people can workthe prophecy into the common fabric of their natural knowledge tobe pursued, developed, and correlated with other items of naturalexperience.
3. Prophetic knowledge includes more than future freeevents. The prophet may announce timeless things, as Isaiasannounced what was divinely revealed to him of the eternalperfections of God. Sometimes, indeed, a man is called a prophetwhen he tells of the past; so Moses prophesied when he wrote, underdivine inspiration, of the creation of the world. In this way aprophecy is the certain knowledge and pronouncement of what is"remote from human knowledge." However, in its strictsense, prophecy is knowing and foretelling what is to come, thatis, what is remote in time from human experience.
4. A prophet is not in possession of the whole field ofprophecy; he does not know all that can possibly be prophesied. Heknows what God gives him to know, and moves him to make known toothers.
5. The prophet may not always be clear in his own mindabout the precise line which divides the divinely revealed messagefrom his own knowledge. But, as St. Gregory says, the Holy Ghosttakes care that no erroneous human elements are mixed with theprophecy which God wills to have pronounced.
6. Nothing false, therefore, can enter into the prophecyas pronounced; it is a message from God Himself.
"Though the path is plain and smooth for people of good will, those who walk it will not travel far, and will do so only with difficulty if they do not have good feet, courage, and tenacity of spirit.
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St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church
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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.
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St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church
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"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone."
St Albert the Great
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