40 Thomas Aquinas Quotes

Thomas Aquinas quotes

1. Pange, lingua, gloriosi Corporis mysterium Sanguinisque pretiosi, Quem in mundi pretium Fructus ventris generosi Rex effudit gentium.

2. Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail; Lo! o'er ancient forms departing, Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail.

3. Thus Angels' Bread is made The Bread of man today: The Living Bread from Heaven With figures doth away: O wondrous gift indeed! The poor and lowly may Upon their Lord and Master feed.

4. 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.

5. I answer that, It was necessary for woman to be made, as the Scripture says, as a 'helper' to man; not, indeed, as a helpmate in other works, as some say, since man can be more efficiently helped by another man in other works; but as a helper in the work of generation. This can be made clear if we observe the mode of generation carried out in various living things. Some living things do not possess in themselves the power of generation, but are generated by some other specific agent, such as some plants and animals by the influence of the heavenly bodies, from some fitting matter and not from seed: others possess the active and passive generative power together; as we see in plants which are generated from seed; for the noblest vital function in plants is generation. Wherefore we observe that in these the active power of generation invariably accompanies the passive power. Among perfect animals the active power of generation belongs to the male sex, and the passive power to the female. And as among animals there is a vital operation nobler than generation, to which their life is principally directed; therefore the male sex is not found in continual union with the female in perfect animals, but only at the time of coition; so that we may consider that by this means the male and female are one, as in plants they are always united; although in some cases one of them preponderates, and in some the other. But man is yet further ordered to a still nobler vital action, and that is intellectual operation. Therefore there was greater reason for the distinction of these two forces in man; so that the female should be produced separately from the male; although they are carnally united for generation. Therefore directly after the formation of woman, it was said: 'And they shall be two in one flesh' (Gn. 2:24).

6. Law: an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community.

7. Concerning perfect blessedness which consists in a vision of God.

8. Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.

9. Reason in man is rather like God in the world.

10. As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active power of the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of a woman comes from defect in the active power.

11. 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.

12. Abuse does not rule out use.

13. Beware the man of one book.

14. Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.

15. Music is the exaltation of the mind derived from things eternal, bursting forth in sound.

16. One cannot use an evil action with reference to a good intention.

17. Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine.

18. Sure, for all our blindness; secure, for all our helplessness; strong, for all our weakness; gaily in love, for all the pressures on our hearts.

19. The most hopeful people in the world are the young and the drunk. The first because they have little experience of failure, and the second because they have succeeded in drowning theirs.

20. The reason, however, why the philosopher may be likened to the poet is this: both are concerned with the marvellous.

21. 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.

22. That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell.

1. Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it.

2. Justice is in subjects as well as in rulers.

3. Unbelief is the greatest of sins.

4. When fear is excessive it can make many a man despair.

5. To convert somebody go and take them by the hand and guide them.

6. By the divine providence [animals] are intended for man's use... Hence it is not wrong for man to make use of them, either by killing or in any other way whatsoever.

7. The image of God always abides in the soul, whether this image be obsolete and clouded over as to amount to almost nothing; or whether it be obscured or disfigured, as is the case with sinners; or whether it be clear and beautiful as is the case with the just.

8. Charity, by which God and neighbor are loved, is the most perfect friendship.

9. Beauty adds to goodness a relation to the cognitive faculty: so that "good" means that which simply pleases the appetite; while the "beautiful" is something pleasant to apprehend.

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

11. It is necessary for the perfection of human society that there should be men who devote their lives to contemplation.

12. Miracles are signs not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.

13. If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.

14. In a false person, sacraments do not produce any effect.

15. The world of pure spirits stretches between the divine nature and the world of human beings; because divine wisdom has ordained that the higher should look after the lower, angels execute the divine plan for human salvation: they are our guardians, who free us when hindered and help to bring us home.

16. Humility is the mark of a genuine disciple.

17. He suddenly announced that he could not write any more since "All that I have written seems like straw to me."

18. How is it they live in such harmony the billions of stars - when most men can barely go a minute without declaring war in their minds about someone they know.