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| Sweet Mary, while my prayers ascend, be thou my Trust, my Hope, my Friend. |
The Passions, in common language, are excessive and perverted impulses towards some particular object; so we speak of the passion of avarice, of gluttony, of lust, etc. Theologically speaking the Passions are the primary bodily emotions which lead us to seek advantages or shun evils which concern our animal and mundane nature. They belong to the divine economy, they are inseparable from our present state, they are good in themselves, and under due guidance, they are for our temporal and spiritual benefit. The Passions are such general impulses as desire, striving, courage, antipathy, avoidance, fear, enjoyment, without reference to any determinate object. These are said to belong to the "sensitive appetite" they are roused by external objects, they affect us through the senses and the brain, and then they excite corresponding movements in the mind and will. Their general purpose is the conservation of life, whether in the individual or in the species. These emotions are the same in character and operation among men as among the lower animals. The fury of the lion, the cruelty of the tiger, the timidity of the hare, the cunning of the fox, the pride of the peacock, are all useful for the conservation of life. Thus you have community not only of origin but of qualities with the beasts. Humble yourself therefore. Take care that these qualities do not lower you to the level of beasts, but utilize them so that they may aid you in attaining the level of the angels.
