Whenever God wakes in us, our thinking becomes clear - nothing is missing. Thomas Aquinas More Quotes by Thomas Aquinas More Quotes From Thomas Aquinas Commemoration of Gilbert of Sempringham, Founder of the Gilbertine Order, 1189 Some there are who presume so far on their wits that they think themselves capable of measuring the whole nature of things by their intellect, in that they esteem all things true which they see, and false which they see not. Accordingly, in order that man's mind might be freed from this presumption, and seek the truth humbly, it was necessary that certain things far surpassing his intellect should be proposed to man by God. Thomas Aquinas men order thinking We ought to cherish the body. Our body's substance is not from an evil principle, as the Manicheans imagine, but from God. And therefore, we ought to cherish the body by the friendship of love, by which we love God. Thomas Aquinas substance principles evil The greater the charity of the Saints in their heavenly home, the more they intercede for those who are still on their journey and the more they can help them by their prayers; the more they are united with God, the more effective those prayers are. This is in accordance with Divine order, which makes higher things react upon lower things, like the brightness of the sun filling the atmosphere. Thomas Aquinas journey prayer home Just as in a physical body the operation of one member contributes to the good of the whole body, so it is in a spiritual body such as the Church. And since all the faithful are one body, the good of one member is communicated to another; everyone members, as the Apostle says, of one another [Eph 4:25]. For that reason, among the points of faith handed down by the Apostles, is that there is a community of goods in the Church, and this is expressed in the words Communion of Saints. Thomas Aquinas faithful community spiritual There is nothing in your mind which wasn't experienced before hand. Thomas Aquinas mind hands The blessed in the kingdom of heaven will see the punishments of the damned, in order that their bliss be more delightful for them. Thomas Aquinas punishment blessed order O saving Victim, opening wide The gate of heaven to man below, Our foes press on from every side, Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow. Thomas Aquinas saving men heaven In a false person, sacraments do not produce any effect. Thomas Aquinas effects produce persons As the saints will rejoice in all goods, so will the damned grieve for all goods. Thomas Aquinas saint powerful grieving So, to detract from the perfection of creatures is to detract from the perfection of divine power. Thomas Aquinas divine-power divine perfection For creation is not a change, but that dependence of the created existence on the principle from which it is instituted, and thus is of the genus of relation; whence nothing prohibits it Thomas Aquinas understanding principles way He suddenly announced that he could not write any more since "All that I have written seems like straw to me." Thomas Aquinas straws written writing 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. Thomas Aquinas thanksgiving passion justice ...[sacred] doctrine is especially based upon arguments from authority, inasmuch as its principles are obtained by revelation: thus we ought to believe on the authority of those to whom the revelation has been made. Nor does this take away from the dignity of this doctrine, for although the argument from authority based on human reason is the weakest, yet the argument from authority based on divine revelation is the strongest. Thomas Aquinas christian doe believe Those who are more adapted to the active life can prepare themselves for contemplation in the practice of the active life, while those who are more adapted to the contemplative life can take upon themselves the works of the active life so as to become yet more apt for contemplation. Thomas Aquinas
