Thomas A Kempis – Quotes and Short Biography

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Thomas a Kempis Is an author and monk whose writings have deeply impacted those followers and sympathizers of the Christian faith. Thomas a Kempis an Augustinian monk, a scribe, and the author of possibly the most influential Christian devotional, The Imitation of Christ. Although Thomas lived between 1380 and 1471, his words are still relevant today. His book The Imitation of Christ still has many readers today, and there are even twitter pages devoted to keeping his message alive. The most notable of which is named after the book The Imitation of Christ and can be found @thomaskempis1.

Thomas’s radical call for the imitation of Christ and his insistency on the Christian virtues of charity and humility are a refreshing breath of air for our climate today. In hopes of making his works more widespread and modern, I have compiled a list of quotes from his writings that I believe highlight the importance and clarity of his works.

Below you will find 30 quotes from the written works of Thomas a Kempis

“The acknowledgment of our weakness is the first step in repairing our loss.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying or meditating or endeavoring something for the public good.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Great tranquility of heart is his who cares for neither praise nor blame.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“At the Day of Judgment, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Occasions of adversity best discover how great virtue or strength each one hath. For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“If you wish to draw profit, read with humility, simplicity, and faith, and never with the design of gaining a reputation for learning.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“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.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“A sure way of retaining the grace of heaven is to disregard outward appearances, and diligently to cultivate such things as foster amendment of life and fervour of soul, rather than to cultivate those qualities that seem most popular.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“He has great tranquillity of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are; neither by word can you be made greater than what you are in the sight of God.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“By two wings is man lifted above earthly things, even by simplicity and purity. Simplicity ought to be in the intention, purity in the affection.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“If you desire to know or learn anything to your advantage, then take delight in being unknown and unregarded. A true understanding and humble estimate of oneself is the highest and most valuable of all lessons. To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Grant me prudently to avoid him that flatters me, and to endure patiently him that contradicts me.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“God hath thus ordered it, that we may learn to bear one another’s burdens; for no man is without fault, no man without his burden, no man sufficient of himself, no man wise enough of himself; but we ought to bear with one another, comfort one another, help, instruct, and admonish one another.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Love is a great thing, yea, a great and thorough good. By itself it makes that which is heavy light; and it bears evenly all that is uneven. It carries a burden which is no burden; it will not be kept back by anything low and mean; It desires to be free from all wordly affections, and not to be entangled by any outward prosperity, or by any adversity subdued. Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility. It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things and warrants them to take effect, where he who does not love would faint and lie down. 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. Love is active and sincere, courageous, patient, faithful, prudent, and manly.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Every time I catch myself trying to figure out other people's motives, I'll stop and ask myself: "What did I say or do that prompted the action? Why did I react to it as I did? Does what happened make a major difference to me, or am I making something big out of a trifle?" Leave off that excessive desire of knowing; therein is found much distraction There are many things the knowledge of which is of little or no profit to the soul.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Jesus has now many lovers of the heavenly kingdom but few bearers of His cross.” ― Thomas à Kempis
“A book has but one voice, but it does not instruct everyone alike.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“As long as you live, you will be subject to change, whether you will it or not - now glad, now sorrowful; now pleased, now displeased; now devout, now undevout; now vigorous, now slothful; now gloomy, now merry. But a wise man who is well taught in spiritual labor stands unshaken in all such things, and heeds little what he feels, or from what side the wind of instability blows.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“All men desire peace, but very few desire those things that make for peace.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of its trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse for impossibility, for it thinks all things are lawful for itself and all things are possible.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside acceptance.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“The acknowledgment of our weakness is the first step in repairing our loss.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying or meditating or endeavoring something for the public good.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Great tranquility of heart is his who cares for neither praise nor blame.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“At the Day of Judgment, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Occasions of adversity best discover how great virtue or strength each one hath. For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“If you wish to draw profit, read with humility, simplicity, and faith, and never with the design of gaining a reputation for learning.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“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.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“A sure way of retaining the grace of heaven is to disregard outward appearances, and diligently to cultivate such things as foster amendment of life and fervour of soul, rather than to cultivate those qualities that seem most popular.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“He has great tranquillity of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are; neither by word can you be made greater than what you are in the sight of God.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“By two wings is man lifted above earthly things, even by simplicity and purity. Simplicity ought to be in the intention, purity in the affection.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“If you desire to know or learn anything to your advantage, then take delight in being unknown and unregarded. A true understanding and humble estimate of oneself is the highest and most valuable of all lessons. To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Grant me prudently to avoid him that flatters me, and to endure patiently him that contradicts me.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“God hath thus ordered it, that we may learn to bear one another’s burdens; for no man is without fault, no man without his burden, no man sufficient of himself, no man wise enough of himself; but we ought to bear with one another, comfort one another, help, instruct, and admonish one another.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Love is a great thing, yea, a great and thorough good. By itself it makes that which is heavy light; and it bears evenly all that is uneven. It carries a burden which is no burden; it will not be kept back by anything low and mean; It desires to be free from all wordly affections, and not to be entangled by any outward prosperity, or by any adversity subdued. Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility. It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things and warrants them to take effect, where he who does not love would faint and lie down. 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. Love is active and sincere, courageous, patient, faithful, prudent, and manly.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Every time I catch myself trying to figure out other people's motives, I'll stop and ask myself: "What did I say or do that prompted the action? Why did I react to it as I did? Does what happened make a major difference to me, or am I making something big out of a trifle?" Leave off that excessive desire of knowing; therein is found much distraction There are many things the knowledge of which is of little or no profit to the soul.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Jesus has now many lovers of the heavenly kingdom but few bearers of His cross.” ― Thomas à Kempis
“A book has but one voice, but it does not instruct everyone alike.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“As long as you live, you will be subject to change, whether you will it or not - now glad, now sorrowful; now pleased, now displeased; now devout, now undevout; now vigorous, now slothful; now gloomy, now merry. But a wise man who is well taught in spiritual labor stands unshaken in all such things, and heeds little what he feels, or from what side the wind of instability blows.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“All men desire peace, but very few desire those things that make for peace.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of its trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse for impossibility, for it thinks all things are lawful for itself and all things are possible.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside acceptance.” ― Thomas a Kempis
“Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book.” ― Thomas a Kempis
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Thomas A Kempis - Quotes and Short Biography
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