Thomas Aquinas Quotes - Page 6

Characteristics which define beauty are wholeness, harmony and radiance.

The apostles and their successors are God's vicars in governing the Church which is built on faith and the sacraments of faith. Wherefore, just as they may not institute another Church, so neither may they deliver another faith, nor institute other sacraments.

I cannot go on.... All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.

He who does not embrace the teaching of the Church does not have the habit of faith.

The Blessed Eucharist is the perfect Sacrament of the Lord's Passion, since It contains Christ Himself and his Passion.

For in order that man may do well, whether in the works of the active life, or in those of the contemplative life, he needs the fellowship of friends.

Perfection of moral virtue does not wholly take away the passions, but regulates them.

The test of the artist does not lie in the will with which he goes to work, but in the excellence of the work he produces.

The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.

The greatness of the human being consists in this: that it is capable of the universe.

If a man deliberately abstains from wine to such an extent that he does serious harm to his nature, he will not be free from blame.

All the efforts of the human mind cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly.

All my words are but chaff next to the faith of a simple man.

It is a sin to regard the fact that God cannot do the impossible as a limitation on his powers.

Theology is taught by God, teaches God, and leads to God.

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

The soul is like an uninhabited world that comes to life only when God lays His head against us.

Give, expecting nothing there of.

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.

If all the sins of the flesh are worthy of condemnation because by them man allows himself to be dominated by that which he has of the animal nature, much more deserving of condemnation are the sins against nature by which man degrades his own animal nature.

Venial sin becomes mortal sin when one approves it as an end. . .

Sloth is sluggishness of the mind which neglects to begin good...it is evil in its effect, if it so oppresses man as to draw him away entirely from good deeds.

To virginity is awarded the tribute of the highest beauty

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

There is no leisure about politics.