Quotes from Thomas Aquinas

Most men seem to live according to sense rather than reason.

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.

By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments.

The happy man in this life needs friends.

A man does not always choose what his guardian angel intends.

But man is freer than all the animals, on account of his free-will, with which he is endowed above all other animals.

Man has free choice, or otherwise counsels, exhortations, commands, prohibitions, rewards and punishments would be in vain.

It [covetousness] is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.

Faith will tell us Christ is present, When our human senses fail.

True peace consists in not separating ourselves from the will of God.

Justice is in subjects as well as in rulers.

One will observe that all things are arranged according to their degrees of beauty and excellence, and that the nearer they are to God, the more beautiful and better they are.

A thing is lovable according as it is good. But God is infinite good. Therefore He is infinitely lovable.

All men are equal in nature, and also in original sin. It is in the merits and demerits of their actions that they differ.

Charity is love; not all love is charity.

First, I say that he draws near to those who make peace with him. For God is the One who brings about peace; and where else should peace dwell than in peace?

God has no need for our worship. It is we who need to show our gratitude for what we have received.

Natural inclinations are present in things from God, who moves all things. So it is impossible for the natural inclinations of a species to be toward evil in itself. But there is in all perfect animals a natural inclination toward carnal union. Therefore it is impossible for carnal union to be evil in itself.

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.

Eternity is called whole, not because it has parts, but because it is lacking in nothing.

Man is closer to God according to his existence in grace than he is according to his existence in nature.

Even as in the blessed in heaven there will be most perfect charity, so in the damned there will be the most perfect hate. Wherefore as the saints will rejoice in all goods, so will the damned grieve for all goods. Consequently the sight of the happiness of the saints will give them very great pain.

The highest perfection of human life consists in the mind of man being detached from care, for the sake of God.

God is not related to creatures as though belonging to a different "genus," but as transcending every "genus," and as the principle of all "genera."