Thomas A Kempis Quotes

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.

Too many instances there are of daring men, who by presuming to sound the deep things of religion, have cavilled and argued themselves out of all religion.

Oh, how quickly the world's glory passes away.

Though weary, it is not tired: though pressed it is not straightened; though alarmed, it is not confounded; but as a living flame it forces itself upwards and securely passes through all.

He does much who loves much.

If thou be not busy for thyself now, who shall be busy for thee in time to come?

He is truly great that is little in himself, and that maketh no account of any height of honors.

Our own opinion of ourselves should be lower than that formed by others, for we have a better chance at our imperfections.

Thy peace shall be in much patience.

Have therefore zeal to better thyself and then mayst thou have zeal to thy neighbor.

At the least bear patiently, if thou canst not joyfully.

Is a man one whit the better because he is grown great in other men's esteem?

For they truly know their Lord in the breaking of bread, whose heart within them so vehemently burneth, whilst Thou, O blessed Jesus, dost walk and converse with them.

Whoever would fully and feelingly understand the words of Christ, must endeavor to conform his life wholly to the life of Christ.

Thou shalt ever joy at eventide if thou spend the day fruitfully.

Wherever you go, you will always bear yourself about with you, and so you will always find yourself.

Love longs to be free, a stranger to every worldly desire, lest its inner vision become dimmed, and lest worldly self-interest hinder it or ill-fortune cast it down.

Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from grace.

He does much who loves God much, and he does much who does his deed well, and he does his deed well who does it rather for the common good than for his own will.

The end of all is death and man's life passeth away suddenly as a shadow.

Be therefore thankful for the least gift, so shalt thou be worthy to receive greater.

To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.

There is no man in this world without some manner of tribulation or anguish though he be king or pope.

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

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

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.