Thomas A Kempis Quotes

He is truly great who hath a great charity.

When comfort is withdrawn, do not be cast down, but humbly and patiently await the visitation of God. He is able and powerful to give you more grace and more spiritual comfort than you first had.

There is no creature so small and abject, that it representeth not the goodness of God.

If you cannot mould yourself entirely as you would wish, how can you expect other people to be entirely to your liking?

Confidence is the illusion born of accidental success.

A man that is well ordered in his soul needeth little the unkind demeanor of worldly people nor yet their proud behavior.

Grant me prudently to avoid him that flatters me, and to endure patiently him that contradicts me.

What difference does it make to you what someone else becomes, or says, or does? You do not need to answer for others, only for yourself.

How should thy patience be crowned in heaven if none adversity should befall to thee in earth? If thou wilt suffer none adversity how mayest thou be the friend of Christ?

Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will be worthy to receive greater.

All His glory and beauty come from within, and there He delights to dwell, His visits there are frequent, His conversation sweet, His comforts refreshing; and His peace passing all understanding.

Whatsoever is done in charity, however small and of no reputation it be, bringeth forth good fruit.

Love is a great thing, a good above all others, which alone maketh every burden light.

Scruples, temptations, and fears, and cutting perplexities of the heart, are often the lot of the most excellent persons.

Habit is overcome by habit.

Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying or meditating or endeavoring something for the public good.

If you bear the cross unwillingly, you make it a burden, and load yourself more heavily; but you must bear it.

Activate yourself to duty by remembering your position, who you are, and what you have obliged yourself to be.

Do not interfere when your opinion is not sought.

Praise adds nothing to your holiness, nor does blame take anything from it. You are what you are, and you cannot be said to be better than you are in God's sight.

What most of all hinders heavenly consolation is that you are too slow in turning yourself to prayer.

The enemy is more easily overcome if he be not suffered to enter the door of our hearts, but be resisted without the gate at his first knock.

All men are frail; but thou shouldst reckon none so frail as thyself.

If we live in peace ourselves, we in turn may bring peace to others. A peaceable man does more good than a learned one.

Anyone who thinks hard work will never hurt you has never had to pay to have it done. Jesus now has many lovers of his Heavenly Kingdom, but few bearers of his cross.

In judging others a man laboreth in vain; he often erreth, and easily falleth into sin; but in judging and examining himself he always laboreth to good purpose.

Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself.

Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

A wise and good man will turn examples of all sorts to his own advantage. The good he will make his patterns, and strive to equal or excel them. The bad he will by all means avoid.

I have sought for happiness everywhere, but I have found it nowhere except in a little corner with a little book.

How sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and as it were to bathe myself in thy love.

Don't flatter the rich, or appear to willing before the great.

Habit is overcome by habit. [Lat., Consuetudo consuetudine vincitur.]

For it is the grace of Christ, and not our own virtue, that gives us the power to overcome the flesh and the world.

And when he is out of sight, quickly also he is out of mind.

Simplicity is the intention, purity in the affection; simplicity turns to God, purity unites with and enjoys him.

By two wings a man is lifted up from things earthly: by simplicity and purity.

Two wings lift a person up from earthly concerns: Simplicity in intention, and Purity in feeling.

What thou art, that thou art; that God knoweth thee to be and thou canst be said to be no greater.

Let not your peace rest in the utterances of men, for whether they put a good or bad construction on your conduct does not make you other than you are.

He that seeks here any other thing but simply God and the salvation of his soul, will find nothing but trouble and sorrow.

A humble knowledge of ourselves is a surer way to God than is the search for depth of learning.

No one is so good that he is immune from temptation. We will never be entirely free from it. . . . There is no order so holy, no place so secret where there will be no temptation.

Out of two evils, the less is always to be chosen.

All earthly joy begins pleasantly, but at the end it gnaws and kills.

The highest in God's esteem are the lowest in their own.

If you wish to live in peace and harmony with others, you must learn to discipline yourself in many ways.

Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible.

Gladly we desire to make other men perfect, but we will not amend our own fault.

O how quickly passes away the glory of the earth.