We can’t have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
Thomas Aquinas
Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him.
Thomas Aquinas
The truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidels if any Catholic, not gifted with the necessary scientific learning, presents as dogma what scientific scrutiny shows to be false.
Thomas Aquinas
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.
Thomas Aquinas
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.
Thomas Aquinas
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.
Thomas Aquinas
Because we cannot know what God is, but only what He is not, we cannot consider how He is but only how He is not.
Thomas Aquinas
Love must precede hatred, and nothing is hated save through being contrary to a suitable thing which is loved. And hence it is that every hatred is caused by love.
Thomas Aquinas
Moral science is better occupied when treating of friendship than of justice.
Thomas Aquinas
Perfection of moral virtue does not wholly take away the passions, but regulates them.
Thomas Aquinas
Law is nothing other than a certain ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the person who has the care of the community.
Thomas Aquinas
Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community.
Thomas Aquinas
The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them.
Thomas Aquinas
Whatever is received is received according to the nature of the recipient.
Thomas Aquinas
Pray thee, spare, thyself at times: for it becomes a wise man sometimes to relax the high pressure of his attention to work.
Thomas Aquinas
Now this relaxation of the mind from work consists on playful words or deeds. Therefore it becomes a wise and virtuous man to have recourse to such things at times.
Thomas Aquinas
It is necessary to posit something which is necessary of itself, and has no cause of its necessity outside of itself but is the cause of necessity in other things. And all people call this thing God.
Thomas Aquinas
The knowledge of God is the cause of things. For the knowledge of God is to all creatures what the knowledge of the artificer is to things made by his art.
Thomas Aquinas
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.
Thomas Aquinas
It is clear that he does not pray, who, far from uplifting himself to God, requires that God shall lower Himself to him, and who resorts to prayer not to stir the man in us to will what God wills, but only to persuade God to will what the man in us wills.
Thomas Aquinas
It is possible to demonstrate God’s existence, although not a priori, yet a posteriori from some work of His more surely known to us.
Thomas Aquinas