St. Thomas on Prudence - Article 1

Ave Maria!  Let us grow in virtue for Our Virgin Queen Mary!  I think it is important to learn about the virtue we are focusing on so it will be in our thoughts.
- Jared

Article 1. Whether prudence is in the cognitive or in the appetitive faculty?

Augustine says (QQ. lxxxiii, qu. 61): "Prudence is the knowledge of what to seek and what to avoid."

I answer that, As Isidore says (Etym. x): "A prudent man is one who sees as it were from afar, for his sight is keen, and he foresees the event of uncertainties." Now sight belongs not to the appetitive but to the cognitive faculty. Wherefore it is manifest that prudence belongs directly to the cognitive, and not to the sensitive faculty, because by the latter we know nothing but what is within reach and offers itself to the senses: while to obtain knowledge of the future from knowledge of the present or past, which pertains to prudence, belongs properly to the reason, because this is done by a process of comparison. It follows therefore that prudence, properly speaking, is in the reason.

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3047.htm#article1

Fr. John A. Hardon on Prudence

Correct knowledge about things to be done or, more broadly, the knowledge of things that ought to be done and of things that ought to be avoided. It is the intellectual virtue whereby a human being recognizes in any matter at hand what is good and what is evil. In this sense, it is the moral virtue that enables a person to devise, choose, and prepare suitable means for the attainment of any purpose or the avoidance of any evil. Prudence resides in the practical intellect and is both acquired by one's own acts and infused at the same time as sanctifying grace. It may be said to be natural as developed by us, and supernatural because conferred by God. As an act of virtue, prudence involves three stages of mental operation: to take counsel carefully with oneself and from others; to judge correctly on the basis of the evidence at hand; and to direct the rest of one's activity according to the norms determined after a prudent judgment has been made. (Etym. Latin prudentia, foresight in the practical order; from providentia, foresight, directive care, providence.)

 

Modern Catholic Dictionary by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
http://www.therealpresence.org/cgi-bin/getdefinition.pl
 

Follow up

I want to try to explain better my vision for the "towns won" concept.  So I was thinking of this as a way to visibly see on a map (sorta like a boardgame), the progress that was being made.  My hope is that the idea of seeing this as a game and adventure would make it fun.  The idea of a map filling up with markers sounds exciting to me. 

It works like this,  if a town of 50,000 is going to be conquered, then 50 acts of the current virtue would have to be completed before it could be said that the town has been conquered.  Each act of virtue is worth 1000 points/people and so another example is that a town of 450,000 would take 450 acts of virtue.  It will take some work keeping track of the number of times you practiced a virtue.  Ask Our Lady to help you practice the current virtue and to judge correctly if it was practiced if you are unsure.  As St. Louis De Montfort would say, "To Jesus through Mary!"

2 Corinthians 9:7
  ...God loveth a cheerful giver.

Mission

Happy feast day of the Assumption of Our Queen Mary!

Our Mission:
We are to pray the Rosary, wear the Brown Scapular, and practice acts of virtue for the expansion of Mary's Reign throughout the world. 

As a way to keep us motivated, we will have a map of our conquest.  To see the map, click the "Lands Won" link on the right.  1 act of virtue = 1000 people.  So a town of 2000 would take 2 acts of the current virtue to conquer.  The number of times the virtue was practiced and town conquered should be reported in the comments, so I can then update the map.  After the town is won a simple prayer such as, "I offer the town of _____ to you Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth" should be made by the victorious knight.

Our 1st virtue is Prudence.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1806 Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going."⁶⁵ "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."⁶⁶ Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.⁶⁷ It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.

In 52 days we will move on to the next virtue.  In a year we will have focused on all of the cardinal and theological virtues. Join us in our battle cry... "For Mary!"