The need for prudence

According to Aristotle’s well-known definition, he pursues virtue the golden mean between two extremes. However, it is not easy to find this center. Parents must have a gentle feeling in order to they knew what goodness is that a child must not lack, and what we are already pampering them. Unreasonable frugality becomes greed. No wonder Aristotle declared it the first and necessary condition of all other virtues prudence, common sense, wisdom. He repeats his words
St. Thomas Aquinas: «Prudence to all others virtues helps, it is in all. ”
Even Christian authors praise wisdom and prudence. St. Ambrose compares it to a spring of water, which irrigates garden and allows other virtues to grow and bloom. According to st. Basil, without reason, resembles a ship without a helmsman. The wind also throws the vessel here and there. For that reminds St. Basil of the Asceticism, to be sane in piety: it seems good if it is done x the wrong time or without measure. ”St. Cassian talks about the discussion of monks in the presence of St. Anton the Hermit. Some argued that the most important thing they are all able to deny themselves, others have exalted above all love of neighbor. St. Anton did not want to oppose them directly. Nevertheless, he recalls that he knew many enthusiasts, who zealously began and ended badly. They lacked prudence, which is like the eye of the soul. I st,. Ignatius of Loyola he feared the unreasonable zealots and said that the candle with prudence is better than a great fire without reason.

Definition of prudence
According to Gaudier, prudence is a fundamental virtue or primary; if we have a desire and a real intention to pursue the last, supernatural goal, our mind is given the light to make the right choices about the choice of means (for this goal) … By this practical judgment our will to use those means will also move ». It follows from this definition that a reasonable person, then know mainly by three qualities: 1. can find resources for the goal it seeks to achieve; 2. can deduce practical from general and abstract principles concrete consequences for life; 3. anticipate the difficulties he may encounter and assess his strengths to know whether he can overcome obstacles or avoid them.
We often meet zealots who burn with enthusiasm and tear down many. Later it turns out that they were “fantasies”. They look like a stack of straw that burns huge flame and for a moment only the ashes of disappointment remain. In Florence Academy has four unfinished statues of Michelangelo, so-called seasons. Here you can see how a great artist came out of a specific piece of stone and how he slowly pressed the forms of his ideas into it. Inflamed idealists with a stone
facts do not count. Unfortunately, even very prudent people are very learned. It seems as if their mental energy has been depleted in the study excellent principles and as if they no longer have the strength and time to brought good principles to life. There they are often overtaken by those who are (as they jokingly say about St. Ignatius from Loyola) «people of small principles». If any truth they understand, they immediately see all the consequences that follow from it and the real possibilities for realization Those who conduct, performances, in particular where it can be assumed that subordinates will listen to the word. In this sense, Aristotle writes: “Prudence is the virtue of a superior. Others are common to superiors and subordinates; however, prudence does not suit the listener. ” In this context, the humorous reasoning of St. Bernard about who has
be introduced. Saint? Let him pray! A scholar? Let him study! An ordinary but reasonable person! He is the best! The Jesuits jokingly said they were superior he should not be very holy, nor very learned, nor very healthy. People who excel often fail to lead sensibly ordinary people, they cannot understand the difficulties of the ordinary of life.
Prudence certainly has an innate basis. However, many will learn life and experience. Reasonability presupposes a certain thing properties that can be acquired or at least strengthened. Understandably, the light of faith is the most important thing for Christian prudence. There is not one who tries deeper and to penetrate deeper into the spirit of the Gospel, into the spirit of the universal Church, which has a two-thousand-year tradition and help of the Holy Spirit.

It seems to someone that two different ones contradict each other
attitudes. One wants to believe firmly and the other would like everything he understood, he examined everything, he considered. It is true that they were in history saints who wanted to become fools in the eyes of the world, who considered the wisdom of the murers as vanity and deception (cf. 1 Cor 1:19). They despised caution, prudence, common sense. In Russia, they were called “iopoÄHBbie XpiicTa pajiH” and the people liked to worship them. While we can admire the power of the Spirit in these special cases, however, we do not consider the «juror» to be normal, and the less ideal type of Christian perfection.  The deity of Christ united with perfect humanity. The gift of God’s wisdom should ideally be combined with healthy and a keen ability to reason. Therefore, in a series of canonized saints, most people are very talented and astute.