The creator of the heavens obeys a carpenter; the God of eternal glory listens to a poor virgin. Has anyone ever witnessed anything comparable to this? Let the philosopher no longer disdain from listening to the common laborer; the wise, to the simple; the educated, to the illiterate; a child of a prince, to a peasant.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of humility and the value of every individual's perspective, regardless of their social status or education.
Anthony Of Padua highlights the profound truth that wisdom and authority exist in unexpected places, suggesting that even the highest of beings can show humility and listen to those who might seem less significant. This calls for an appreciation of all voices in society, encouraging a mindset that values insights from every level, be it the educated or the uneducated, the rich or the poor, thereby fostering a more inclusive and understanding community.
In practice
In a speech about inclusive education, this quote serves as a reminder to listen to students from all backgrounds.
Men will surrender to the spirit of the age. They will say that if they had lived in our day, faith would be simple and easy. But in their day, they will say, things are complex; the Church must be brought up to date and made meaningful to the day's problems.
Damned money! Alas! How many religious did it blind! How many cloistered religious did it deceive! Money is the 'droppings of birds' that blinded the eyes of Tobit.
The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit.
Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey.
The life of the body is the soul; the life of the soul is God.
Earthly riches are like the reed. Its roots are sunk in the swamp, and its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed, it will snap off and pierce his soul.
I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can't imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That's just not part of my religious makeup.
Everybody sees me as this sullen and insecure little thing. Those are just the sides of me that I feel it's necessary to show because no one else seems to be showing them.
You've seen what you've seen; you've felt what you've felt. Ideology is for people who don't trust their own experiences and perceptions of the world.
You couldn't pretend you had lost nothing... you had to begin there, not let your blood freeze over. If your heart turned away at this, it would turn away at something greater, then more and more until your heart stayed averted, immobile, your imagination redistributed away from the world and back only toward the bad maps of yourself, the sour pools of your own pulse, your own tiny, mean, and pointless wants.
What was wrong with me? I had a decent life. I was healthy. I wasn't starving or maimed by a land mine or orphaned. Yet somehow, it wasn't enough. I had a hole in me, and everything I took for granted slipped through it like sand. I felt like I had swallowed yeast, like whatever evil was festering inside me had doubled in size.
Philosophy is tested and characterised by the way in which it appropriates its history.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.