1.1 Mīles a soldier quīdam a certain nōmine by name Mārcus Marcus quī who ā from bellō war redierat had returned mē me adiit approached et and dīxit said —”Magister Master multa many things vīdī I have seen quae which vidēre to see nōllem I wish I had not —urbēs cities dēlētās destroyed —hominēs people quī who in in domibus their houses suīs their own frīgore from the cold moriēbantur were dying quia because hostēs the enemy ea the things quibus by which calēbant they were kept warm dēstrūxerant had destroyed —līberōs children sine without parentibus parents —parentēs parents sine without līberīs” children
1.2 “Et and nunc now quaerō I ask —potestne is it possible homo for a man beātus happy esse to be in in mundō a world tālī?” such as this
1.3 Gravis a weighty quaestiō question —et and quae one which nōn not leve a light responsum answer merētur deserves
2.1 Prīmum first distinguendum a distinction must be made est is —nam for multī many hominēs people beātitūdinem happiness quaerunt seek in in rēbus things quae which beātitūdō happiness nōn are not sunt are
2.2 Quīdam some in in dīvitiīs riches —sed but dīvitiae riches mediae are means sunt are nōn not fīnis an end —et and quī he who medium a means prō for fīne an end habet takes numquam never ad at fīnem the end pervenit arrives
2.3 Quīdam some in in honōre honour —sed but honor honour nōn is not est is in in eō him quī who honōrātur is honoured sed but in in eō him quī who honōrat honours —et and quod what in in alterō another est is nōn cannot potest be esse to be beātitūdō the happiness tua your
2.4 Quīdam some in in potestāte power —et and hīc here attende pay attention Mārce Marcus —nam for bellum war quod which vīdistī you have seen hoc this maximē most of all dēmōnstrat demonstrates
3.1 Quī those who bellum war gerunt wage ut in order to dominium domination acquīrant acquire beātitūdinem happiness in in potestāte power quaerunt seek
3.2 Sed but spectā observe quid what potestās power eōrum their efficit produces —urbēs cities dēlet it destroys —hominēs people occidit it kills —līberōs children ā from parentibus their parents dīvellit it tears —ea those things quibus by which hominēs people in in hieme winter vīvunt survive dēstruit it destroys
3.3 Potestasne can tālis such a thing beāta happy esse? be —absit far from it —nam for potestās power quae which aliōs others miserōs wretched facit makes nē not even habentem the one who has it quidem even beātum happy facere to make potest is able
3.4 Nam for beātitūdō happiness est is bonum a good perfectum perfect —quod but what autem however aliōrum of others malō at the expense comparātur is acquired perfectum perfect esse be nōn cannot potest it —quia because malum the evil quod which aliīs to others facis you do ā from tē you nōn is not sēparātur separated —homō a man enim for sōlitārius solitary nōn is not est is sed but sociālis social —et and bonum the good commūne common bonum a good proprium a proper one ēius his est is
4.1 “Sed but tunc” then —inquit he said Mārcus Marcus —”nūlla no beātitūdō happiness in in hāc this vītā life possibilis possible est?” is
4.2 Hīc here rūrsus again distinguendum a distinction must be made est is —nam for beātitūdō happiness dupliciter in two ways dīcitur is spoken of
4.3 Est there is beātitūdō a happiness perfecta perfect quae which in in hāc this vītā life habērī be had nōn cannot potest can —haec this est is vīsiō the vision Deī of God in in quā which intellēctus the intellect omnem all vēritātem truth videt sees et and voluntās the will in in omnī all bonō good requiēscit rests
4.4 Est there is autem however et also beātitūdō a happiness imperfecta imperfect quae which in in hāc this vītā life habērī be had potest can —et and haec this cōnsistit consists in in operātiōne the activity virtūtis of virtue et and cōntemplātiōne contemplation vēritātis of truth
4.5 Neque nor enim indeed bellum war neque nor frīgus cold neque nor famēs famine hanc this beātitūdinem happiness omnīnō entirely dēstruere to destroy possunt are able —nam for virtūs virtue etiam even in in adversīs adversity operātur is active —immō indeed in in adversīs adversity maximē most of all
5.1 Dīc tell mihi me Mārce Marcus —in in bellō the war illō that nūllumne was there no bonum good vīdistī? that you saw
5.2 Tacuit he was silent —deinde then dīxit he said —”vīdī I saw mīlitem a soldier quī who līberōs children aliēnōs strangers’ per through ruīnās the ruins portāvit carried —vīdī I saw mulierem a woman quae who aquam her water suam her own cum with vīcīnīs her neighbours dīvīsit shared —vīdī I saw medicum a doctor quī who sine without stipendiō pay vulnerātōs the wounded cūrābat” was tending
5.3 Hoc this est is quod what dīcō I am saying —haec these est this is beātitūdō the happiness imperfecta imperfect —nōn not gaudium joy plēnum full —nōn not absentia the absence dolōris of pain —sed but operātiō the activity virtūtis of virtue in amidst mediīs the midst of malīs evils
5.4 Et and haec this beātitūdō happiness imperfecta imperfect quamvīs although it is sit is —vēra true est it is —et and ad towards perfectam the perfect beātitūdinem happiness tendit it tends sīcut just as sēmen a seed ad towards arborem the tree
6.1 Quod the fact that autem moreover tū you Mārce Marcus dolēs grieve —quod the fact that mundus the world tālis such as it is tibi seems to you intolerābilis intolerable vidētur it seems —hoc this ipsum itself signum a sign est is
6.2 Signum a sign est it is quod that dēsīderium a desire tuum your māius is greater est is quam than quod what mundus the world dare to give potest is able —nam for sī if mundus the world iste this tē you satiāre to satisfy posset were able nōn you would not dolērēs grieve
6.3 Dēsīderium the desire autem moreover quod which nūllō by no bonō good creātō created satiātur is satisfied nōn is not potest able satiārī to be satisfied nisi except ā by bonō the good increātō uncreated —id that est is ā by Deō God
6.4 Et and ideō therefore dolor the pain tuus your nōn is not est is dēspērātiō despair —sed but spēs hope quae which sē itself ipsam itself nōndum not yet agnōscit recognises
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1.1 Mīles quīdam nōmine Mārcus quī ā bellō redierat mē adiit et dīxit: “Magister, multa vīdī quae vidēre nōllem — urbēs dēlētās — hominēs quī in domibus suīs frīgore moriēbantur quia hostēs ea quibus calēbant dēstrūxerant — līberōs sine parentibus — parentēs sine līberīs.”
1.2 “Et nunc quaerō — potestne homo beātus esse in mundō tālī?”
1.3 Gravis quaestiō — et quae nōn leve responsum merētur.
2.1 Prīmum distinguendum est — nam multī hominēs beātitūdinem quaerunt in rēbus quae beātitūdō nōn sunt.
2.2 Quīdam in dīvitiīs — sed dīvitiae mediae sunt nōn fīnis — et quī medium prō fīne habet numquam ad fīnem pervenit.
2.3 Quīdam in honōre — sed honor nōn est in eō quī honōrātur sed in eō quī honōrat — et quod in alterō est nōn potest esse beātitūdō tua.
2.4 Quīdam in potestāte — et hīc attende, Mārce — nam bellum quod vīdistī hoc maximē dēmōnstrat.
3.1 Quī bellum gerunt ut dominium acquīrant beātitūdinem in potestāte quaerunt.
3.2 Sed spectā quid potestās eōrum efficit — urbēs dēlet — hominēs occidit — līberōs ā parentibus dīvellit — ea quibus hominēs in hieme vīvunt dēstruit.
3.3 Potestasne tālis beāta esse? Absit — nam potestās quae aliōs miserōs facit nē habentem quidem beātum facere potest.
3.4 Nam beātitūdō est bonum perfectum — quod autem aliōrum malō comparātur perfectum esse nōn potest — quia malum quod aliīs facis ā tē nōn sēparātur — homō enim sōlitārius nōn est sed sociālis — et bonum commūne bonum proprium ēius est.
4.1 “Sed tunc,” inquit Mārcus, “nūlla beātitūdō in hāc vītā possibilis est?”
4.2 Hīc rūrsus distinguendum est — nam beātitūdō dupliciter dīcitur.
4.3 Est beātitūdō perfecta quae in hāc vītā habērī nōn potest — haec est vīsiō Deī in quā intellēctus omnem vēritātem videt et voluntās in omnī bonō requiēscit.
4.4 Est autem et beātitūdō imperfecta quae in hāc vītā habērī potest — et haec cōnsistit in operātiōne virtūtis et cōntemplātiōne vēritātis.
4.5 Neque enim bellum neque frīgus neque famēs hanc beātitūdinem omnīnō dēstruere possunt — nam virtūs etiam in adversīs operātur — immō in adversīs maximē.
5.1 Dīc mihi, Mārce — in bellō illō nūllumne bonum vīdistī?
5.2 Tacuit — deinde dīxit: “Vīdī mīlitem quī līberōs aliēnōs per ruīnās portāvit — vīdī mulierem quae aquam suam cum vīcīnīs dīvīsit — vīdī medicum quī sine stipendiō vulnerātōs cūrābat.”
5.3 Hoc est quod dīcō — haec est beātitūdō imperfecta — nōn gaudium plēnum — nōn absentia dolōris — sed operātiō virtūtis in mediīs malīs.
5.4 Et haec beātitūdō, imperfecta quamvīs sit, vēra est — et ad perfectam beātitūdinem tendit sīcut sēmen ad arborem.
6.1 Quod autem tū, Mārce, dolēs — quod mundus tālis tibi intolerābilis vidētur — hoc ipsum signum est.
6.2 Signum est quod dēsīderium tuum māius est quam quod mundus dare potest — nam sī mundus iste tē satiāre posset, nōn dolērēs.
6.3 Dēsīderium autem quod nūllō bonō creātō satiātur nōn potest satiārī nisi ā bonō increātō — id est ā Deō.
6.4 Et ideō dolor tuus nōn est dēspērātiō — sed spēs quae sē ipsam nōndum agnōscit.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ab Aquīnāte per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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