Question IV: What the chief exercises of the active life are

ABOVE we distinguished the works of the active life into merely bodily exercises, and those mixed with the spiritual. The former are reduced to seven by D. Bonaventure de 7. Donis, de Dono pietat. cap. 1., and they are common to all men insofar as the ability to exercise them is available. The first work of the active life in relation to one's neighbor (for in relation to oneself it is rather the active life as a way to contemplation, by chastising oneself from vices, and exercising oneself in other exercises, whether penitential or bodily) is the visiting of the sick. Second, the giving of drink to the thirsty. Third, the feeding of the hungry. Fourth, the redemption of captives. Fifth, the clothing of the naked. Sixth, the gathering in of pilgrims. Finally the seventh work is the burial of the dead; all of which the others commonly gather up with D. Bonaventure 3. part. Centil. sect. 46. in this verse:

Visito, poto, cibo, redimo, tego, colligo, condo.

THE sufficiency of these is next assigned by D. Bonaventure here: Since each one is bound to love his neighbor as himself; just as each one considers himself wholly in his bodily needs, he ought with like measure also to weigh his neighbor's needs: Now every man is first an animated substance, and consequently consists of a vegetative part, in need of restoration of the warm and the dry, which is done by food, and also of restoration of the cold and the moist, which is done by drink: Furthermore man is a sentient substance, on account of which he needs a twofold covering to repel the same number of exterior harms; the first remote covering is a Roof, through which shelter is given to repel the injury of the night; the second, proximate, is clothing, to cover nakedness simply. Again, man is a rational substance, and weak, and hence born liable to lose his liberty, by servitude in prison, or by infirmity in bed. Against the first there is redemption, against the second visitation. Finally, man is mortal, and consequently subject to death; after which he needs burial, and so seven helps are numbered, which laboring Charity can minister to him.

SEVEN also are the spiritual works which the Seraphic Doctor enumerates in the places cited above, and of which we have touched somewhat in the treatise on Almsgiving, disp. 10. where, in common with the Seraphic Doctor and others, we rendered them in this verse:

Instrue, Consule, Castiga, Solare, Fer, Ora.

The sufficiency of these also the Saintly Doctor gathers in the place cited: There are in man certain defects which can be removed by God alone; to aid which prayer is necessary; others are defects of the cognitive power, such as ignorance of things to be known, to lighten which instruction suffices; if it is ignorance of things to be done, counsel supplies it: Some defects also are in the affective power; and these are fault or punishment: if fault, it was committed in yourself or in others; if in yourself, forgive; if in others, correct, and this is correction: if finally it is punishment, it is to be relieved by the word of consolation, or the deed of support; which two are signified by those particles: Solare, Fer.

Of both sorts of work, spiritual and corporal, D. Bernard speaks briefly thus, serm. 12. super cantica, as cited by the Seraphic Doctor in the meditations on the life of Christ, cap. 42. You too, if you gladly impart to us your companions the gift you have received from above, if you show yourself everywhere among us dutiful, affectionate, grateful, approachable, humble, you will have the testimony from all that you breathe, and are yourself as the best of ointments: Every one among us who patiently bears with the fraternal infirmities both of bodies and of souls, and moreover, if he is permitted and able, helps them with his services, comforts them with his words, instructs them with his counsels; and if he cannot do this because of his discipline, at least does not cease to solace the sick one with anxious prayers; every one, I say, who does such things spreads a good odor among us.

ALTHOUGH the spiritual exercises of the active life are numbered as seven, common to all in various ways, yet they can be more briefly reduced to the three states of men upon whom it falls by office to exercise them toward those committed to them. These are Prelates, Preachers, and Confessors, as the Saintly Doctor indicates in the cited meditation quaest. 45. Concerning Prelates we have seen disp. praecedenti; concerning Confessors we shall see in the 3. part, where we treat of the Sacrament of Penance; here therefore something remains to be said of Preachers.