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It is necessary for the perfection of human society that there should be men who devote their lives to contemplation.

Thomas Aquinas

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Thomas Aquinas
Age: 49 †
Born: 1225
Born: February 1
Died: 1274
Died: March 14
Dominican Friar
Philosopher
Priest
Professor
Roman Catholic Priest
Theologian
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Saint Thomas
Tommaso d'Aquino
Thomas of Aquino
St Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas
Necessary
Society
Lives
Human
Humans
Men
Devote
Contemplation
Perfection

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Natural inclinations are present in things from God, who moves all things. So it is impossible for the natural inclinations of a species to be toward evil in itself. But there is in all perfect animals a natural inclination toward carnal union. Therefore it is impossible for carnal union to be evil in itself.
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How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God.
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You change people by delight, by pleasure.
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All my words are but chaff next to the faith of a simple man.
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Future contingents cannot be certain to us, because we know them as such. They can be certain only to God whose understanding is in eternity above time. Just as a man going along a road does not see those who come after him but the man who sees the whole road from a height sees all those who are going along the road at the same time.
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Love follows knowledge.
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I cannot understand how anyone conscious of mortal sin can laugh or be merry.
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Secondly, man sins against nature when he goes against his generic nature, that is to say, his animal nature. Now, it is evident that, in accord with natural order, the union of the sexes among animals is ordered towards conception. From this it follows that every sexual intercourse that cannot lead to conception is opposed to man's animal nature.
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It is not possible to be ignorant of the end of things if we know their beginning.
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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.
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Faith will tell us Christ is present, When our human senses fail.
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Likewise grace and glory are referred to the same genus, since grace is nothing other than a certain first beginning of glory in us.
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If someone knows from experience that daily Communion increases fervor without lessening reverence, then let him go every day. But if someone finds that reverence is lessened and devotion not much increased, then let him sometimes abstain, so as to draw near afterwards with better dispositions.
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The test of the artist does not lie in the will with which he goes to work, but in the excellence of the work he produces.
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Without sanctifying grace it is not possible to refrain long from mortal sin.
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Man is closer to God according to his existence in grace than he is according to his existence in nature.
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Obedience unites us so closely to God that it in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.
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Happiness is secured through virtue it is a good attained by man's own will.
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The servants of God...whether provoked by word or work, by keeping themselves tranquil and peaceful, evince a perfect nobleness of soul.
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To restore man, who had been laid low by sin, to the heights of divine glory, the Word of the eternal Father, though containing all things within His immensity, willed to become small. This He did not by putting aside His greatness but by taking to Himself our littleness.
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