Svatý Tomáš Akvinský citáty

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„Nič nie je cennejšie na tejto zemi ako skutočné priateľstvo.“

„Láska je priateľstvo človeka s Bohom.“

„Posledný cieľ človeka je tam, odkiaľ vyšlo prvé dobro.“

„Voči pochybovačom a neveriacim mám dôkaz, ktorý nikdy nemôžu odsunúť stranou: ešte sa nestalo, žeby niekto na smrteľnej posteli oľutoval, že bol kresťanom.“

„Boh má právo nielen na vonkajší kult, ale aj - a na prvom mieste - na vnútorný kult viery, nádeje a lásky.“

„Láska nepozná hranice v raste, pretože má účasť na nekonečnej láske, ktorý je Duch Svätý.“

„Kto je dokonalý v láske, je dokonalý v duchovnom živote.“

„LÁSKA – LÁSKA JE CESTA, PO KTOREJ SA DOSTANEME NAJBLIŽŠIE K BOHU.“

„Pokiaľ milujem dobro len pre svoje potešenie, je to láska dychtivá, keď ma láka úžitok z nejakého dobra, je to láska užitočná a ak milujem pre jeho hodnotu bez ohľadu na osobné výhody je to láska priateľská.“

„Kristus je nazývaný Baránkom trojmo: pre čistotu života, pre tichosť smrti a pre zničenie hriechov.“

„O čo je nazeranie niečím vyšším než činný život, o to ako sa zdá, činí pre Boha viac ten, kto dobrovoľne obmedzí svoje milované nazeranie, aby kvôli Bohu slúžil blahu blížneho.“

„V činnom živote s mnohými povinnosťami je menej blaženosti, než v rozjímavom živote, ktorý sa zaoberá jedným, tj. nazeraním na pravdu.“

„Bože, daj mi pokojnú myseľ, aby som prijal veci, ktoré zmeniť nemôžem. Daj mi silu, aby som zmenil veci, ktoré zmeniť môžem. A daj mi múdrosť, aby som rozlíšil jedno od druhého.“

„Žena je nepodarený muž.“

„Nádej má štyri predpoklady: dobro, neľahké, budúce, možné.“

„Ukážte sa vždy príjemnými a láskavými bez toho, aby ste sa priveľmi niekomu zdôverili, pretože za prílišnou dôverou nasleduje pohrdnutie.“

„Je dokonalejšie svietiť ako svetlo len vidieť.“

„Daň - dovolený prípad lúpeže.“

„Boh stvoril dokonalý svet, zlo nepochádza od Boha, nemá vlastnú skutočnosť, je len nedostatkom dobra.“

„Pane môj, osvieť moju myseľ a pamäť, aby som ti mohol rozumieť. A pomôž mi, aby som to, čo som od teba dostal, mohol rozumne a jasne podávať ďalej iným.“

„Rozum vlastní nebezpečné, otravné ostne, ktoré mu treba nebadane vytiahnuť a potom ho už možno zapojiť do služieb viery.“

„Svätosť nespočíva vo veľkom poznaní, vo veľkom rozjímaní či vo veľkom premýšľaní. Tajomstvom svätosti je veľmi milovať.“

„Svätosť je to, čím myseľ človeka seba a svoje úkony spojuje s Bohom.“

„Tam, kde je duchovné poznanie, je aj slobodná vôľa.“

„Oveľa väčšiu zásluhu má ten, kto verí bez toho, žeby videl, než ten, kto vidiac verí.“

„Jedine Bohu je známy počet vyvolených. Niektorí hovoria, že bude spasených toľko ľudí, koľko padlo anjelov.
St. TA I q. 23 a 7.“

„Viera stojí nad rozumom.“

„Všetky bytosti sa domáhajú dobra, no nie všetky poznávajú pravdu.“

„Pre človeka je prirodzené, že zmyslami dosahuje duchovné poznanie.“

„Almužna oslobodzuje živých od smrteľného hriechu, totiž uchránením a uspôsobením k milosti.“

„Človek nemôže vyčkávať so založenými rukami. Božie kráľovstvo je ako šíre more - treba nám rozprestrieť siete. Je ako vzácna perla - ale túto perlu musíme nájsť my. Božie kráľovstvo je ako skrytý poklad - no my ho máme vykopať.“

„Sudca má súdiť podľa dokladov a dôkazov, hoci i proti pravde, ktorú sa dozvie ako súkromná osoba.“

„Radosť značí živočíšne potešenie a to najviac vábi k zraku. Ale potešenie prirodzené - zmyslové, najviac patrí hmatu.
St. TA II/I q. 31 a.6“

„Blažení, ktorí budú v sláve nebudú mať súcit so zavrhnutými.“

„Ak sú kacíri úplne vykorenení smrťou, neprotirečí to príkazom Nášho Pána.“

„Byť vďačný znamená priznať, že sme získali dobrodenie, pamätať naň, vyjadriť slová uznania, a pokiaľ možno, odvďačiť sa skutkom.“

“For creation is not a change, but that dependence of the created existence on the principle from which it is instituted, and thus is of the genus of relation; whence nothing prohibits it being in the created as in the subject. Creation is thus said to be a kind of change, according to the way of understanding, insofar as our intellect accepts one and the same thing as not existing before and afterwards existing.”

“Man cannot live without joy. That is why one deprived of spiritual joys goes over to carnal pleasures.”

“If forgers and malefactors are put to death by the secular power, there is much more reason for excommunicating and even putting to death one convicted of heresy.”

“To scorn the dictate of reason is to scorn the commandment of God.”

“With regard to the abuse of authority, this also may come about in two ways. First, when what is ordered by an authority is opposed to the object for which that authority was constituted (if, for example, some sinful action is commanded or one which is contrary to virtue, when it is precisely for the protection and fostering of virtue that authority is instituted). In such a case, not only is there no obligation to obey the authority, but one is obliged to disobey it, as did the holy martyrs who suffered death rather than obey the impious commands of tyrants. Secondly, when those who bear such authority command things which exceed the competence of such authority; as, for example, when a master demands payment from a servant which the latter is not bound to make, and other similar cases. In this instance the subject is free to obey or disobey.”

“The order of authority derives from God, as the Apostle says [ in Romans 13:1-7]. For this reason, the duty of obedience is, for the Christian, a consequence of this derivation of authority from God, and ceases when that ceases. But, as we have already said, authority may fail to derive from God for two reasons: either because of the way in which authority has been obtained, or in consequence of the use which is made of it. There are two ways in which the first may occur. Either because of a defect in the person, if he is unworthy; or because of some defect in the way itself by which power was acquired, if, for example, through violence, or simony or some other illegal method.”

“All admit that indulgences have some value; for it would be blasphemy to say that the Church does anything in vain.”

“It must be said that charity can, in no way, exist along with mortal sin.”

“Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
Of His Flesh the mystery sing;
Of the Blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our immortal King.”
Pange, lingua, gloriosi Corporis mysterium Sanguinisque pretiosi, Quem in mundi pretium Fructus ventris generosi Rex effudit gentium.

“Reason in man is rather like God in the world.”

“Law: an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community.”

“Whether God can make the past not to have been?
Objection 1: It seems that God can make the past not to have been. For what is impossible in itself is much more impossible than that which is only impossible accidentally. But God can do what is impossible in itself, as to give sight to the blind, or to raise the dead. Therefore, and much more can He do what is only impossible accidentally. Now for the past not to have been is impossible accidentally: thus for Socrates not to be running is accidentally impossible, from the fact that his running is a thing of the past. Therefore God can make the past not to have been.
Objection 2: Further, what God could do, He can do now, since His power is not lessened. But God could have effected, before Socrates ran, that he should not run. Therefore, when he has run, God could effect that he did not run.
Objection 3: Further, charity is a more excellent virtue than virginity. But God can supply charity that is lost; therefore also lost virginity. Therefore He can so effect that what was corrupt should not have been corrupt. On the contrary, Jerome says (Ep. 22 ad Eustoch.): "Although God can do all things, He cannot make a thing that is corrupt not to have been corrupted." Therefore, for the same reason, He cannot effect that anything else which is past should not have been.
I answer that, As was said above (Q[7], A[2]), there does not fall under the scope of God's omnipotence anything that implies a contradiction. Now that the past should not have been implies a contradiction. For as it implies a contradiction to say that Socrates is sitting, and is not sitting, so does it to say that he sat, and did not sit. But to say that he did sit is to say that it happened in the past. To say that he did not sit, is to say that it did not happen. Whence, that the past should not have been, does not come under the scope of divine power. This is what Augustine means when he says (Contra Faust. xxix, 5): "Whosoever says, If God is almighty, let Him make what is done as if it were not done, does not see that this is to say: If God is almighty let Him effect that what is true, by the very fact that it is true, be false": and the Philosopher says (Ethic. vi, 2): "Of this one thing alone is God deprived---namely, to make undone the things that have been done."
Reply to Objection 1: Although it is impossible accidentally for the past not to have been, if one considers the past thing itself, as, for instance, the running of Socrates; nevertheless, if the past thing is considered as past, that it should not have been is impossible, not only in itself, but absolutely since it implies a contradiction. Thus, it is more impossible than the raising of the dead; in which there is nothing contradictory, because this is reckoned impossible in reference to some power, that is to say, some natural power; for such impossible things do come beneath the scope of divine power.
Reply to Objection 2: As God, in accordance with the perfection of the divine power, can do all things, and yet some things are not subject to His power, because they fall short of being possible; so, also, if we regard the immutability of the divine power, whatever God could do, He can do now. Some things, however, at one time were in the nature of possibility, whilst they were yet to be done, which now fall short of the nature of possibility, when they have been done. So is God said not to be able to do them, because they themselves cannot be done.
Reply to Objection 3: God can remove all corruption of the mind and body from a woman who has fallen; but the fact that she had been corrupt cannot be removed from her; as also is it impossible that the fact of having sinned or having lost charity thereby can be removed from the sinner.”

“Whatever is in motion must be put in motion by another. If that by which it is put in motion be itself put in motion, then this also must needs be put in motion by another, and that by another again. But this cannot go on to infinity, because then there would be no first mover, and, consequently, no other mover; seeing that subsequent movers move only inasmuch as they are put in motion by the first mover; as the staff moves only because it is put in motion by the hand. Therefore it is necessary to arrive at a first mover, put in motion by no other; and this everyone understands to be God.”

“We can open our hearts to God, but only with Divine help.”

“The fire of hell is called eternal, only because it never ends. Still, there is change in the pains of the lost…Hence in hell true eternity does not exist, but rather time.”

“God is the most noble of beings. Now it is impossible for a body to be the most noble of beings; for a body must be either animate or inanimate; and an animate body is manifestly nobler than any inanimate body. But an animate body is not animate precisely as body; otherwise all bodies would be animate. Therefore its animation depends upon some other thing, as our body depends for its animation on the soul. Hence that by which a body becomes animated must be nobler than the body. Therefore it is impossible that God should be a body.”

“Muhammad seduced the people by promises of carnal pleasure to which the concupiscence of the flesh goads us. His teaching also contained precepts that were in conformity with his promises, and he gave free rein to carnal pleasure. In all this, as is not unexpected, he was obeyed by carnal men. As for proofs of the truth of his doctrine, he brought forward only such as could be grasped by the natural ability of anyone with a very modest wisdom. Indeed, the truths that he taught he mingled with many fables and with doctrines of the greatest falsity. He did not bring forth any signs produced in a supernatural way, which alone fittingly gives witness to divine inspiration; for a visible action that can be only divine reveals an invisibly inspired teacher of truth. On the contrary, Muhammad said that he was sent in the power of his arms—which are signs not lacking even to robbers and tyrants. What is more, no wise men, men trained in things divine and human, believed in him from the beginning, Those who believed in him were brutal men and desert wanderers, utterly ignorant of all divine teaching, through whose numbers Muhammad forced others to become his followers by the violence of his arms. Nor do divine pronouncements on the part of preceding prophets offer him any witness. On the contrary, he perverts almost all the testimonies of the Old and New Testaments by making them into fabrications of his own, as can be seen by anyone who examines his law. It was, therefore, a shrewd decision on his part to forbid his followers to read the Old and New Testaments, lest these books convict him of falsity. It is thus clear that those who place any faith in his words believe foolishly.”

“Not everyone who is enlightened by an angel knows that he is enlightened by him.”

“Concerning perfect blessedness which consists in a vision of God.”

“One who liberates his country by killing a tyrant is to be praised and rewarded.”

“Anything done against faith or conscience is sinful.”

“Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.”

“It was necessary for our salvation that there be a knowledge revealed by God, besides philosophical science built up by human reason. Firstly, indeed, because the human being is directed to God, as to an end that surpasses the grasp of his reason. "The eye hath not seen, O God, besides Thee, what things Thou hast prepared for them that wait for Thee" (Isaiah 64:4). But the end must first be known by men who are to direct their thoughts and actions to the end. Hence it was necessary for the salvation of man that certain truths which exceed human reason should be made known to him by divine revelation.”

“O saving Victim, opening wide
The gate of heaven to man below,
Our foes press on from every side,
Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.”

“The image of God always abides in the soul, whether this image be obsolete and clouded over as to amount to almost nothing; or whether it be obscured or disfigured, as is the case with sinners; or whether it be clear and beautiful as is the case with the just.”

“Love takes up where knowledge leaves off. ”

“If man of himself could in a perfect manner know all things visible and invisible, it would indeed be foolish to believe what he does not see. But our manner of knowing is so weak that no philosopher could perfectly investigate the nature of even one little fly.”

“The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A being that is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.”

“The Jews should not be allowed to keep what they have obtained from others by usury; it were best that they were compelled to worked so that they could earn their living instead of doing nothing but becoming avaricious.”