Thomas Aquinas

Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.

Most men seem to live according to sense rather than reason.

The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them.

There would not be a perfect likeness of God in the universe if all things were of one grade of being.

Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.

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.

Whatever is received is received according to the nature of the recipient.

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.

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.

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.

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.

Better to illuminate than merely to shine; to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.

Love is a binding force, by which another is joined to me and cherished by myself.

A man has free choice to the extent that he is rational.

How is it they live in such harmony the billions of stars - when most men can barely go a minute without declaring war in their minds about someone they know.

Beware of the person of one book.

How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God.

Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine.

There is within every soul a thirst for happiness and meaning.

God destines us for an end beyond the grasp of reason.

Mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution; justice without mercy is cruelty.