Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225. His father, Landolfo di Aquino, was a nobleman of Sicily who had come to Italy during the Fifth Crusade. He is best known for his work as an Italian Dominican priest and philosopher in Roman Catholic theology. Thomas founded the “Angelicum College”, which later became the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).
He is one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in Christianity’s history, and he has been called “the Doctor Angelicus or Doctor Universalis”.
In this blog post, we look at some famous quotes from Thomas Aquinas and implement them in different aspects of our lives.
1. “As a matter of the first importance, we should properly fulfil whatever task lies immediately before us.” – Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas was a man of great focus. He lived almost his entire life in the Vatican and was known to be someone who dedicated himself fully to whatever task was at hand. Many people find it difficult to focus on one thing at a time because they cannot keep their mind from wandering onto other tasks or thinking ahead, or having several things crossed out for different times in the day. This quote is about doing what needs to be done right now and not putting it off until later, when you will probably do something else instead.
2. “You know that in this world, evil flourishes; even so, you must not fail to do good.” – Thomas Aquinas
This is another quote where Thomas Aquinas talks about focus and not getting distracted by evil, but rather focusing on doing good. This quote reminds us to work hard in what we do and not get distracted by other things that will slow down our progress. It’s like the old saying: “How you plan something is how you will do it”, so if you want to do good, focus on doing good.
3. “One must love God above all things, with one’s whole mind and with one’s whole heart.” – Thomas Aquinas
Love is the most powerful thing in the universe. We are all capable of loving. Even though, at times, it can be not easy to express that love. We should never underestimate love, especially when we are speaking about loving God. This quote reminds us how powerful love can be and that there should be no limit to it.
4. “There are two ways of knowledge: one through argument, the other through experience” – Thomas Aquinas
This quote reminds us that there are two ways of obtaining knowledge or information. We can either research it or go out and experience it for ourselves. While the first one might be easier, the latter is more beneficial because you gain a new perspective on things when you are experiencing them yourself.
5. “The human mind is always more inclined to act than to think.” – Thomas Aquinas
This is an important quote from Thomas Aquinas because it is very accurate that most people would rather do something than sit and think about it. The human mind is always active, and when you add a stimulus, the mind becomes even more active. So this quote reminds us that we should take action and not just sit thinking because there is a lot of benefit in taking that step.
6. “The devil rejoices greatly when one sins, even venially.” – Thomas Aquinas
This quote reminds us of the devil or evil’s power over a person. When you give in to temptation and commit even a small sin, the devil is happy, and it gives him power over you. Many people think that committing a little sin cannot hurt, but giving in to temptations can be very dangerous because it only makes things easier for the devil.
7. “Patience is necessary if we are to persevere in doing good.” – Thomas Aquinas
This quote tells us about the importance of patience to obtain anything worthwhile in life. Patience is something that everyone should aim to cultivate because if we can patiently persevere, nothing will stop us from achieving what we want in life.
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