Thomas Aquinas Quotes
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It is not theft, properly speaking, to take secretly and use another's property in a case of extreme need: because that which he takes for the support of his life becomes his own property by reason of that need.
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To be united to God in unity of person was not fitting to human flesh, according to its natural endowments, since it was above his dignity; nevertheless, it was fitting that God, by reason of his infinite goodness, should unite it to himself for human salvation.
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He that obstinately denieth the truth before men upon earth, wilfully refuseth his soul's health in heaven.
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The things that we love tell us what we are.
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Faith does not quench desire, but inflames it.
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Whenever God wakes in us, our thinking becomes clear - nothing is missing.
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To the Everlasting Father, And the Son who made us free And the Spirit, God proceeding From them Each eternally, Be salvation, honour, blessing, Might and endless majesty.
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Likewise grace and glory are referred to the same genus, since grace is nothing other than a certain first beginning of glory in us.
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It is only God who creates. Man merely rearranges.
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In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on account of sin. For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health; and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance.
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Reason in man is rather like God in the world.
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The blessed in the kingdom of heaven will see the punishments of the damned, in order that their bliss be more delightful for them.
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I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it. I would hope to act with compassion without thinking of personal gain.
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It would seem that the ingratitude, whereby a subsequent sin causes the return of sins previously forgiven, is a special sin. For, the giving of thanks belongs to counter passion, which is a necessary condition of justice. But justice is a special virtue. Therefore this ingratitude is a special sin. Thanksgiving is a special virtue. But ingratitude is opposed to thanksgiving. Therefore ingratitude is a special sin.
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In the realm of evil thoughts none induces to sin as much as do thoughts that concern the pleasure of the flesh.
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Art is right reason in the doing of work.
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To pretend angels do not exist because they are invisible is to believe we never sleep because we don't see ourselves sleeping.
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It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.
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The Cross to me is certain salvation. The Cross is that which I ever adore. The Cross of the Lord is with me. The Cross is my refuge.
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The human mind may perceive truth only through thinking, as is clear from Augustine.
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Because of the diverse conditions of humans, it happens that some acts are virtuous to some people, as appropriate and suitable to them, while the same acts are immoral for others, as inappropriate to them.
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If there were some solitary or feral man, the passions of the soul would be sufficient for him; by them he would be conformed to things in order that he might have knowledge of them. But because man is naturally political and social, there is need for one man to make his conceptions known to others, which is done with speech. So significant speech was needed if men were to live together. Which is why those of different tongues do not easily live together.
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It is due to neither impotence nor ignorance on God’s part that evils occur in the world, but it is owing to the order of his wisdom and to the greatness of his goodness, whence come the many and divers grades of goodness in things, many of which would be lacking were he to allow no evil to exist. Thus there would be no good of patience without the evil of persecution, nor the good of the preservation of its life in a lion, without the evil of the destruction of the animals on which it lives.
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Man should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need.