Thomas Aquinas Quotes
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The greatness of the human being consists in this: that it is capable of the universe.
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It is appropriate that the Body and Blood of Christ be truly present in this Sacrament because of the perfection of the New Covenant. The sacrifices of the Old Covenant contained the true sacrifice of Christ's Passion only in symbol....Therefore it was necessary that the sacrifice of the New Covenant, instituted by Christ, have something more, namely, that it contain Christ Himself who has suffered and contain Him not only in symbol but in reality.
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If... the motion of the earth were circular, it would be violent and contrary to nature, and could not be eternal, since ... nothing violent is eternal .... It follows, therefore, that the earth is not moved with a circular motion.
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Far graver is it to corrupt the faith that is the life of the soul than to counterfeit the money that sustains temporal life.
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Love is a binding force, by which another is joined to me and cherished by myself.
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A man does not always choose what his guardian angel intends.
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Human salvation demands the divine disclosure of truths surpassing reason.
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If forgers and malefactors are put to death by the secular power, there is much more reason for excommunicating and even putting to death one convicted of heresy.
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There would not be a perfect likeness of God in the universe if all things were of one grade of being.
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It must be understood that prime matter, and form as well, is neither generated nor corrupted, because every generation is from something to something. Now that from which generation proceeds is matter, and that to which it proceeds is form. So that, if matter or form were generated, there would be a matter for matter and a form for form, endlessly. Whence, there is generation only of the composite, properly speaking.
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Temperance is simply a disposition of the mind which binds the passion.
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To disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to contemning the command of God.
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The highest perfection of human life consists in the mind of man being detached from care, for the sake of God.
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Humility is the mark of a genuine disciple.
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The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in His divinity, assumed our nature, so that He, made man, might make men gods.
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Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give us an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give us an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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There is no leisure about politics.
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Wonder admiratio astonishment, marvel is a kind of desire for knowledge. The situation arises when one sees an effect and does not know its cause, or when the cause of the particular effect is one that exceeds his power of understanding. Hence, wonder is a cause of pleasure insofar as there is annexed the hope of attaining understanding of that which one wants to know. ... For desire is especially aroused by the awareness of ignorance, and consequently a man takes the greatest pleasure in those things which he discovers for himself or learns from the ground up.
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What can be accomplished by a few principles is not effected by many. But it seems that everything we see in the world can be accounted for by other principles, supposing God did not exist. For all natural things can be reduced to one principle, which is nature, and all voluntary things can be reduced to one principle, which is human reason, or will. Therefore there is no need to suppose God's existence.
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Miracles are signs not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.
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The theologian considers sin mainly as an offence against God; the moral philosopher as contrary to reasonableness.
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There is, therefore, a more perfect intellectual life in the angels. In them the intellect does not proceed to self-knowledge from anything exterior, but knows itself through itself.
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It is possible to demonstrate God's existence, although not a priori, yet a posteriori from some work of His more surely known to us.
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It is necessary for the perfection of human society that there should be men who devote their lives to contemplation.