St. Thomas Aquinas: Better to Illuminate than Merely to Shine

St. Thomas Aquinas was a great philosopher, theologian and scholar. Born in 1225, St Thomas was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church. He was born into an extremely influential family, grew up to become a highly learned man and his philosophies have had enormous influence on Christian theology.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Determination

At the age of nineteen, Thomas was determined to join the Dominican Order. His family was not pleased with his decision, to say the least. In their desperate attempt to prevent Thomas from assuming the Dominican habit, his two brothers held him under house arrest for two years. His brothers went to the extent of hiring a prostitute to seduce him. Thomas drove her away with a burning stick. Thomas’s resolve became stronger and finally his mother arranged for him to escape in the darkness of one night.

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Five Ways

St. Thomas is most famous for the “five ways,” or the five theories that served as proof of the existence of God.

Aquinas’ First Proof of The Existence of God: The Concept of Change
St Thomas said that change must be caused by change. Thus, there must be something which is the cause of all change, but which does not change. This is God.

Aquinas’ Second Proof of The Existence of God: The Concept of Series
St Thomas said that causes take place in a series. However, there must be a first cause of the series, else the series would not have originated at all. Thus, there must be something that causes itself. This is God.

Aquinas’ Third Proof of The Existence of God: The Concept of Origin
St Thomas said that worldly things come into being and pass away. So, there would have to have been a time when nothing existed. But if there was a time when nothing existed, then nothing could have come into being, since something cannot come from nothing. Thus, something must have always existed. This is God.

Aquinas’ Fourth Proof of The Existence of God: The Concept of Quality
St Thomas said that all things exhibit varying degrees of quality. For instance, a thing can be more hot or less hot. There must be something that is the maximum or the perfect amount of that quality. This is God.

Aquinas’ Fifth Proof of The Existence of God: The Concept of Purpose
All things aim at some goal or end. However, to be guided by a purpose implies a direction or formulation of that purpose by the mind. An arrow reaches its target because of the direction given to it by the archer. The arrow lacks the intelligence of determining the goal, but achieves the goal as it is being directed by something intelligence. Similarly, some intelligence exists which directs all human beings to their goal or end. This is God.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Some Quotable Quotes

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

• All that is true, by whomsoever it has been said has its origin in the Spirit.

• Because of the diverse conditions of humans, it happens that some acts are virtuous to some people, as appropriate and suitable to them, while the same acts are immoral for others, as inappropriate to them.

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

• By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments.

• Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.

• Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.

• Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man’s own will.

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

• 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.

• If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.

• It is clear that he does not pray, who, far from uplifting himself to God, requires that God shall lower Himself to him, and who resorts to prayer not to stir the man in us to will what God wills, but only to persuade God to will what the man in us wills.

• Man should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need.

• Not everything that is more difficult is more meritorious.

• The things that we love tell us what we are.

• To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.

• We can’t have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.

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

• Wonder is the desire for knowledge.