Thomas Aquinas Quotes
-
But man is freer than all the animals, on account of his free-will, with which he is endowed above all other animals.
-
God himself would not permit evil in this world if good did not come of it for the benefit and harmony of the universe.
-
Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.
-
He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust.
-
The truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidels if any Catholic, not gifted with the necessary scientific learning, presents as dogma what scientific scrutiny shows to be false.
-
The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them.
-
The soul is like an uninhabited world that comes to life only when God lays His head against us.
-
The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.
-
The custom of the Church has very great authority and ought to be jealously observed in all things.
-
The test of the artist does not lie in the will with which he goes to work, but in the excellence of the work he produces.
-
I cannot understand how anyone conscious of mortal sin can laugh or be merry.
-
Man has free choice, or otherwise counsels, exhortations, commands, prohibitions, rewards and punishments would be in vain.
-
A thing is lovable according as it is good. But God is infinite good. Therefore He is infinitely lovable.
-
Prostitution in the towns is like the cesspool in the palace; take away the cesspool and the palace will become an unclean and evil smelling-place.
-
It is altogether unlawful to kill oneself... Wherefore suicide is contrary to the inclination of nature, and to charity whereby every man should love himself... Life is God's gift to man, and is subject to His power, Who kills and makes to live. Hence whoever takes his own life, sins against God... for it belongs to God alone to pronounce sentence of death and life.
-
To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer.
-
The splendor of a soul in grace is so seductive that it surpasses the beauty of all created things.
-
When the devil is called the god of this world, it is not because he made it, but because we serve him with our worldliness.
-
We can open our hearts to God, but only with Divine help.
-
The existence of a prime mover- nothing can move itself; there must be a first mover. The first mover is called God.
-
The fire of hell is called eternal, only because it never ends. Still, there is change in the pains of the lost... Hence in hell true eternity does not exist, but rather time.
-
If someone knows from experience that daily Communion increases fervor without lessening reverence, then let him go every day. But if someone finds that reverence is lessened and devotion not much increased, then let him sometimes abstain, so as to draw near afterwards with better dispositions.
-
Affirmative precepts are distinguished from negative whenever one is not comprised in the other; thus, that of honoring parents does not comprise that of not killing, and vice versa.
-
The apostles and their successors are God's vicars in governing the Church which is built on faith and the sacraments of faith. Wherefore, just as they may not institute another Church, so neither may they deliver another faith, nor institute other sacraments.