January 28th is the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas. As one of the 33 Doctors of the Church, he is a remarkably influential figure who is viewed as the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood. As a great theologian and philosopher, he left behind some words of wisdom that are still incredibly relevant in today's world. As I was looking through some of his quotes, I found myself surprised by how much a 13th century priest could speak to me. Here are some of my favorite St. Thomas Aquinas quotes:
-Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.
-Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.
-Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.
-Good can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good.
-How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God.
-If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.
-The things that we love tell us what we are.
-There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
-To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
-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.
-Wonder is the desire for knowledge.
