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He who enters religion does not make profession to be perfect, but he professes to endeavor to attain perfection; even as he who enters the schools does not profess to have knowledge, but to study in order to acquire knowledge.
Thomas Aquinas
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A person is disposed to an act of choice by an angel... in two ways. Sometimes, a man's understanding is enlightened by an angel to know what is good, but it is not instructed as to the reason why... But sometimes he is instructed by angelic illumination, both that this act is good and as to the reason why it is good.
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Peace is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as justice removes the obstacles to peace; but it is the work of charity (love) directly, since charity, according to its very notion, causes peace.
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Moral science is better occupied when treating of friendship than of justice.
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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 being in the created as in the subject. Creation is thus said to be a kind of change, according to the way of understanding, insofar as our intellect accepts one and the same thing as not existing before and afterwards existing.
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Charity, by which God and neighbor are loved, is the most perfect friendship.
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All that I have written seems like straw compared to what has now been revealed to me.
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The third principle [way doing good to another may give pleasure] is the motive: for instance when a man is moved by one whom he loves, to do good to someone: for whatever we do or suffer for a friend is pleasant, because love is the principal cause of pleasure.
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God should not be called an individual substance, since the principal of individuation is matter.
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Charity is the form, mover, mother and root of all the virtues.
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Practical sciences proceed by building up; theoretical sciences by resolving into components.
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As Aristotle also points out, the slenderest acquaintance we can form with heavenly things is more desirable than a thorough grasp of mundane matters.
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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.
Thomas Aquinas
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The theologian considers sin mainly as an offence against God; the moral philosopher as contrary to reasonableness.
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By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments.
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To be united to God in unity of person was not fitting to human flesh, according to its natural endowments, since it was above his dignity; nevertheless, it was fitting that God, by reason of his infinite goodness, should unite it to himself for human salvation.
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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.
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If all evil were prevented, much good would be absent from the universe. A lion would cease to live, if there were no slaying of animals; and there would be no patience of martyrs if there were no tyrannical persecution.
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Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
Of His Flesh the mystery sing;
Of the Blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our immortal King.
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Now, my tongue, the mystery telling
Of the glorious Body sing,
And the Blood, all price excelling,
Which the Gentiles' Lord and King,
In a Virgin's womb once dwelling,
Shed for this world's ransoming.
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The highest perfection of human life consists in the mind of man being detached from care, for the sake of God.
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Every judgement of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sins.
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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.
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Three conditions are necessary for Penance: contrition, which is sorrow for sin, together with a purpose of amendment; confession of sins without any omission; and satisfaction by means of good works.
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It is not theft, properly speaking, to take secretly and use another's property in a case of extreme need: because that which he takes for the support of his life becomes his own property by reason of that need
Thomas Aquinas
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No written law has ever been more binding than unwritten custom supported by popular opinion.
Carrie Chapman Catt
Thomas Aquinas
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Born:
January 28, 1225
Died:
March 7, 1274
(aged 49)
Bio:
Tommaso d'Aquino, also known as Saint Thomas Aquinas, is a Doctor of the Church.
Known for:
Summa Theologica
Summa contra Gentiles (1264)
On Being and Essence
Treatise on Law
Aquinas's Shorter Summa
Most used words:
god
man
human
body
reason
love
evil
motion
perfect
nature
charity
perfection
knowledge
sin
contrary
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