404 Quotes by Thomas Aquinas

If there were some solitary or feral man, the passions of the soul would be sufficient for him; by them he would be conformed to things in order that he might have knowledge of them. But because man is naturally political and social, there is need for one man to make his conceptions known to others, which is done with speech. So significant speech was needed if men were to live together. Which is why those of different tongues do not easily live together.

Whenever God wakes in us, our thinking becomes clear - nothing is missing.

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.

The celestial bodies are the cause of all that takes place in the sublunar world.

The meaning of what is said is according to the motive for saying it: because things are not subject to speech, but speech to things. Therefore we should take account of the motive of the lawgiver, rather than of his very words.

Do not wish to jump immediately from the streams to the sea, because one has to go through easier things to the more difficult.

An act of love always tends towards two things; to the good that one wills, and to the person for whom one wills it.

Concerning perfect blessedness which consists in a vision of God.

The human race was in need of salvation because of the perversity of sin. For when people who are ill are cured from their illness, they are called "saved." Therefore, the Lord says: "Your faith has saved you.