Voices and influences
Thomas Aquinas
He wrote the most careful theology of the Middle Ages, then saw something of God and called all of it straw.
Summary
This site quotes Thomas Aquinas 295 times across 17 books, and lists 0 works.
- Lived died 1274.
- Quoted here most in Isaiah: 111 of 295.
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Thomas Aquinas
- Lived
- died 1274
- Tradition
- Patristic
5 of 295 quotations
Own words
Quoted at 50 words or fewer, because Thomas Aquinas's works are in copyright.
Next he sets forth the manner; hence he says, "Their fatness." Fatness in Scripture is sometimes taken in a good sense, sometimes in a bad sense. In a good sense, insofar as it signifies devotion of mind: Ps. 62: "Let my soul be filled as …
Psalms 17:10 They have closed their callous hearts; their mouths speak with arrogance. BSB
"They surrounded me." Here the necessity of deliverance is set forth. And first he shows the magnitude of deliverance. Second, the prayer he pours forth to God in tribulation. Third, he sets forth the hearing of his prayer, "he heard." Note that these three -- …
Psalms 18:4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. BSB
Next he applies the remedy, namely of divine help. Where first he proposes the remedy. Second he explains it. He says therefore, "Within myself." Another reading has, "From myself my soul was disturbed." The first is better; as if to say: what is the reason, …
Psalms 42:6 O my God, my soul despairs within me. Therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon— even from Mount Mizar. BSB
"Therefore we will not fear." Ps. 26: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" As if to say: I will fear no one. And rightly, because he himself is "our God, a refuge and strength, a helper in the tribulations …
Psalms 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, BSB
Fourth, in the fear of their enemies, for they will tend the mountains and abandon the plains: and as for the hills: and all her cities shall be wastes (Jer 49:13), and: you endeavor to lay hold on the height of the hill (Jer 49:16).
Isaiah 7:25 For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample. BSB
Influence, on the record
This site quotes Thomas Aquinas 295 times across 17 books.
This site’s own count of what it does with the voice
The life, in order
The life told as one accountfrom this site's record
Thomas was born about 1225 at Roccasecca, between Rome and Naples, the youngest son of the count of Aquino. His family sent him at five to the great Benedictine abbey of Monte Cassino, expecting him eventually to be its abbot — a rich and respectable position for a younger son. He studied at Naples instead, met the Dominicans, and joined them. The Dominicans were beggars. His family reacted by having him kidnapped on the road and held in the family castle for about a year. His brothers, according to the early accounts, put a prostitute in his room to break his resolve; he drove her out with a burning stick. His mother finally let him go. He went north to Cologne and Paris and studied under Albert the Great. He was large and silent, and the other students called him the dumb ox. Albert told them that the bellowing of this ox would be heard around the world. He taught at Paris, at the papal court, at Naples. He wrote at enormous speed, sometimes dictating to several secretaries at once on different subjects. The project of his life was to show that reason and revelation do not contradict each other. The works of Aristotle had recently come back into Europe through Arabic and Greek translations, and they looked dangerous — a complete, powerful account of the world built without Scripture. Some churchmen wanted them banned. Thomas took them up instead and argued that truth found by reason and truth given by revelation come from the same God, and cannot finally conflict. Grace, he wrote, does not destroy nature but perfects it. The Summa Theologiae is the result: thousands of questions, each stated, each answered first by the strongest objections against his own position, then decided, then the objections answered one by one. He wrote it, he said, for beginners. He also wrote the Summa Contra Gentiles, and commentaries on most of Aristotle and on much of Scripture — Job, the Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew, John, and all of Paul. The Eucharistic hymns Pange Lingua and Adoro Te Devote are his. On 6 December 1273, while saying Mass at Naples, something happened to him. He stopped writing. His secretary Reginald pressed him to finish the Summa, and Thomas answered: I cannot, because everything I have written seems like straw to me compared to what I have seen. He never wrote another line. The Summa is unfinished. He died on 7 March 1274 at the abbey of Fossanova, on the road to a church council, about forty-nine years old. Sources: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles; William of Tocco, Vita Sancti Thomae Aquinatis; G. K. Chesterton, St. Thomas Aquinas; Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. V.
295 quotations across 17 books
Where this voice is quoted
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.
“This condition is also necessary, because without it there is no remission of sins; hence: But if you will not forgive, etc. Nor is this surprising, because no sin can ever be forgiven without charity: "Charity covers all offenses" (Pr 10:12).”
so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen.
“That thou appear not to men to fast. This is the reason. It should be understood of individual fasting, not of communal fasting.”
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“Consequently, he adapts: If then the light that is in thee be darkness, namely, the light of reason, the darkness itself how great shall it be! Of this light, the Psalm says: "The light of your countenance is signed upon us" (Ps 4:6).”
But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout the land.
“But they, not unmindful of the gift received, went about and published it, as it says in Isaiah (63:7): "I will recount the Lord's mercies." But did they sin by acting contrary to the Lord's command?”
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
“The blind see..., and this literally. Then if you ask when he will come: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has sent me to preach to the meek" (Is 61:1), and this is signified when he says the poor have the Gospel…”
He who has ears, let him hear.
“And so that they might understand that he was speaking in a mystical way, he adds, he who has ears to hear, let him hear, i.e., he that has ears spiritually, let him hear and understand.”
But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
“But I tell you: it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.”
How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
“Secondly, the comparison is made: Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! Incomparably, because all things are for man; for dominion over all things has been entrusted to man, as it says in Genesis (1:26): "Let us make man to our…”
But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
“The third is the destruction of the fruit, because if one loves riches more, when the time of tribulation comes, one clings to what one loves more. Hence, when the sun was up they were scorched etc., namely, through powerlessness.”
Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
“But someone might say: it was foolishness on the part of the sower. It can be said that if this were about sensible earth, it would be true; but it is about spiritual earth, and so the objection does not hold, because it is turned…”
In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
“Consequently, the authority of the prophet Isaiah is introduced. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who says: by hearing you shall hear and shall not understand etc., which is written in Isaiah 6:9; but there it is stated imperatively, here predictively.”
The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
“The field is the world, which he himself created; hence above he said, in his field; John 1:11: he came unto his own, etc. Likewise ibid.: the world was made by him.”
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.
“But what proceeds out of the mouth: it has already been said that by the mouth is understood the mind. Come forth from the heart, and those things defile a man: because the sins of the heart are thoughts and affections; Isa.”
Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
“And taking the seven loaves: in which is signified that whatever spiritual things have been administered to others was first in Christ; hence Acts 1:1: Jesus began to do and to teach. All spiritual things were in him.”
Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
“Do you not remember the five loaves, and the five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? Cannot he then who fed so many, feed you?”
the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
“Likewise, they desire reverence; hence he says, and salutations in the marketplace, i.e., that they be greeted and honored by men, that the hood be removed before them, and that knees be bent before them; and they desire to be called by men, Rabbi, i.e.…”
Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
“Likewise, neither be ye called masters, for one is your master: Christ. Hence Christ attributes mastership to himself, because Christ is the Word; and therefore it belongs to him to teach, because no one teaches except through the Word.”
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
“Then he assigns the reason: and whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Hence in the canticle of the Virgin, Luke 1:52: he has put down the mighty from their seat, and has exalted the humble.”
Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
“But amen I say to you, that all these things shall come upon this generation. But how can it be that all these things come upon this generation? Is one punished for another? Ezekiel 18:20: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.”
This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.”
“Hence they say, to what purpose is this waste? But why did they say this? They had heard the Lord greatly commend mercy; above, 19:21: if thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor.”
But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward
“And they found none, whereas many false witnesses had come in. Behold the failure, in which the innocence of Christ is designated, so that he could say: I have walked in my innocence.”
“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
“"The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done?" Here he appeals to his innocence, intending to free him, as if employing what is said at Jeremiah 2:5: "what iniquity have your fathers found in me?"”
But the others said, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.”
“And it may be that this man was moved by compassion; hence he wished to bring him aid, but the others did not wish it, and therefore they said: "let be; let us see whether Elias will come to deliver him."”