R.S. Thomas Quotes

He smiled at her. And it hit her like a mallet to the temple, the realization that she was in love with him. Stupidly, dreadfully in love with him.Overnight, she'd become a fool.

Never mind what a man says; watch what he does.

Every flower of the field, every fiber of a plant, every particle of an insect carries with it the impress of its Maker and can-if duly considered-read us lectures of ethics or divinity.

This is the right time, and this is the right thing.

In our prayer and meditation we hope for fulfilling ordinary life.

Faith, Fanatic faith, once wedded fast to some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last.

Most, if not all, problems brought to therapists are issues of love. It makes sense that the cure is also love.

To love you was pleasant enough. And, oh! 'tis delicious to hate you!

When Time who steals our years away Shall steal our pleasures too, The mem'ry of the past will stay, And half our joys renew.

Like the stain'd web that whitens in the sun, grow pure by being purely shone upon.

The measure of every man’s virtue is best revealed in time of adversity - adversity that does not weaken a man but rather shows what he is.

If you cast away one cross, you will certainly find another, and perhaps a heavier.

If you bear the cross gladly, it will bear you.

In the morning fix thy good purpose; and at night examine thyself what thou hast done, how thou hast behaved thyself in word, deed, and thought.

O Lord, you know what is best for me. Let this or that be done, as you please. Give what you will, how much you will, and when you will.

Do not read to satisfy curiosity or to pass the time, but study such things as move your heart to devotion.

Forasmuch as many people study more to have knowledge than to live well therefore ofttimes they err and bring forth little fruit or none.

Ah, Lord God, thou holy lover of my soul, when thou comest into my heart, all that is within me shall rejoice.

Thou shalt rest sweetly if thy heart condemn thee not.

If thou hadst a good conscience thou wouldst not greatly fear death.

We are often moved with passion and think it to be zeal.

As iron cast into fire loses its rust and becomes glowing white, so he who turns completely to God is stripped of his sluggishness and changed into a new man.

He is truly great who is little in his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest

Peace and happiness are what you covet, but these are only to be obtained by labor.

I have often heard, that it is safer to hear and to take counsel, than to give it.

What thou art, that thou art.

If thou wilt receive profit, read with humility, simplicity and faith, and seek not at any time the fame of being learned.

So fixed are our spirits in slothfulness and cold indifference that we seldom overcome so much as one evil habit.

Sweet shall be your rest if your heart does not reproach you.

It is better to feel repentance, than to be able to define it.

O Lord, self-renunciation is not the work of one day, nor children's sport; yea, rather in this word is included all perfection.

What canst thou see elsewhere which thou canst not see here? Behold the heaven and the earth and all the elements; for of these are all things created.

Whoever puts his confidence in men or in any creature is very foolish.

To be able to live peaceably with hard and perverse persons, or with the disorderly, or with such as go contrary to us, is a great grace.

Wheresoever we seek our own, there we fall from love.

Man proposes, but God disposes.

Few spirits are made better by the pain and languor of sickness; as few great pilgrims become eminent saints.

If thou may not continually gather thyself together, do it sometime at least once a day, morning or evening.

Old custom is hard to break and scarce any man will be led otherwise than seemeth good unto himself.

He does much who loves God much, and he does much who does his deed well.

Bodily exercises are to be done discreetly; not to be taken evenly and alike by all men.

It is no little wisdom for you to keep yourself in silence and in good peace when evil words are spoken to you, and to turn your heart to God and not to be troubled with the judgment of others.

The glory of the good is in their consciences, and not in the tongues of men.

The intention which is fixed on God as its only end will keep people steady in their purposes, and deliver them from being the joke and scorn of fortune.

We are sometimes stirred by emotion and take it for zeal.

Count not thyself to have found true peace, if thou hast felt no grief; nor that then all is well if thou hast no adversary; nor that this is perfect, if all things fall out according to thy desire.

Of two evils, the lesser must always be chosen De duobus malis, minus est semper eligendum

Why seekest thou rest, since thou art born to labor? [Lat., Cur quaeris quietem, quam natus sis ad laborem?]

No one can obtain from the Pope a dispensation for never dying. [Lat., Nemo impetrare potest a papa bullam numquam moriendi.]

Thou wilt always rejoice in the evening, if thou spend the day profitably.