Inspirational Quotes by Thomas Aquinas

“It must be said that charity can, in no way, exist along with mortal sin.”

“The existence of a prime mover- nothing can move itself; there must be a first mover. The first mover is called God.”

“The blessed in the kingdom of heaven will see the punishments of the damned, in order that their bliss be more delightful for them.”

“I receive Thee ransom of my soul. For love of Thee have I studied and kept vigil toiled preached and taught…”

“Thus the sun which possesses light perfectly, can shine by itself; whereas the moon which has the nature of light imperfectly, sheds only a borrowed light.”

“to make peace either in oneself or among others, shows a man to be a follower of God,”

“It has become the fashion to talk about Mysticism, even to pose as Mystics, and—need it be said?—those who talk the most on such subjects are those who know the least.”

“The slenderest knowledge that may be obtained of the highest things is more desirable than the most certain knowledge obtained of lesser things.”

“There would not be a perfect likeness of God in the universe if all things were of one grade of being.”

“I answer that, As Augustine says (De Moribus Eccl. vi), "the soul needs to follow something in order to give birth to virtue: this something is God: if we follow Him we shall live aright.”

“knowledge depends on the mode of the knower; for what is known is in the knower according to the measure of his mode”

“Friendship makes you feel as one with your friend.”

“The truth can be perceived only through thinking, as is proven by Augustine.”

“our manner of knowing is so weak that no philosopher could perfectly investigate the nature of even one little fly.”

“Man cannot live without joy. That is why one deprived of spiritual joys goes over to carnal pleasures.”

“Temperance is simply a disposition of the mind which set bounds to the passions”

“Yet through virtuous living man is further ordained to a higher end, which consists in the enjoyment of God, as we have said above. Consequently, since society must have the same end as the individual man, it is not the ultimate end of an assembled multitude to live virtuously, but through virtuous living to attain to the possession of God.”

“It is absurd and a detestable shame, that we should suffer those traditions to be changed which we have received from the fathers of old.”

“It is better to illuminate than merely to shine. Maius est illuminare quam lucere solum.”

“[I]t is to be borne in mind, in regard to the philosophical sciences, that the inferior sciences neither prove their principles nor dispute with those who deny them, but leave this to a higher science; whereas the highest of them, viz. metaphysics, can dispute with one who denies its principles, if only the opponent will make some concession; but if he concede nothing, it can have no dispute with him, though it can answer his objections. Hence Sacred Scripture, since it has no science above itself, can dispute with one who denies its principles only if the opponent admits some at least of the truths obtained through divine revelation; thus we can argue with heretics from texts in Holy Writ, and against those who deny one article of faith, we can argue from another. If our opponent believes nothing of divine revelation, there is no longer any means of proving the articles of faith by reasoning, but only of answering his objections — if he has any — against faith. Since faith rests upon infallible truth, and since the contrary of a truth can never be demonstrated, it is clear that the arguments brought against faith cannot be demonstrations, but are difficulties that can be answered.”