It has been years since I last read any Thomas A Kempis. Yesterday I found myself trying to remember or find a quote that (in my mind at least) was attributed to him. While trying to find the quote I was seeking (no luck there), I came across a good number of other of his edifying thoughts attributed to him. Here are the ten sayings I was readiest to hear:
- "To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love."
- "Constantly choose rather to want less, than to have more."
- "Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will be worthy to receive greater."
- "When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs."
- "Do not anger yourself that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."
- "If we live in peace ourselves, we in turn may bring peace to others. A peaceable man does more good than a learned one."
- "Confidence is the illusion born of accidental success."
- "He who loves with purity considers not the gift of the lover, but the love of the giver."
- "Judge yourself and beware of passing judgement on others. In judging others we expend our energy to no purpose; we are often mistaken and easily sin. But if we judge ourselves our labour is always to our profit."
- "He has great serenity of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be satisfied and at peace, 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."
His best-known writing is Imitation of Christ, originally published in Latin in the early 1400's, and now celebrating (roughly) its 600th anniversary of publication. If he lived today, he might be a blogger.
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