Thomas a Kempis
Thomas a Kempis
Thomas à Kempis, C.R.S.A.; c. 1380 – 25 July 1471) was a Dutch canon regular of the late medieval period and the author of The Imitation of Christ, one of the most popular and best known Christian books on devotion. His name means Thomas "of Kempen", his hometown, and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen. He also is known by various spellings of his family name: Thomas Haemerken; Thomas Hammerlein; Thomas Hemerken and Thomas Hämerken...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionClergyman
CountryGermany
men action intention
Man considers the actions, but God weighs the intentions.
jesus writing miracle
Jesus has many who love the kingdom of God, but few who bear a cross. He has many who desire His comfort, but few who desire His suffering. All want to rejoice with him, but few are willing to suffer for Him. He writes; there are many who admire his miracles, but there are few who follow in the humiliation of the cross.
giving long moments
God often gives in one brief moment that which He has for a long time denied.
heart men sight
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.
spiritual judging judgement
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.
fear heart cutting
Scruples, temptations, and fears, and cutting perplexities of the heart, are often the lot of the most excellent persons.
faith morning pain
He will be with you also, all the way, that faithful God. Every morning when you awaken to the old and tolerable pain, at every mile of the hot uphill dusty road of tiring duty, on to the judgment seat, the same Christ there as ever, still loving you, still sufficient for you, even then. And then, on through all eternity.
wise peace humble
The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does.
strong men weak
Occasions do not make a man either strong or weak but they show what he is.
love-is heaven earth
Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing more courageous, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller nor better in heaven and earth; because love is born of God, and cannot rest but in God, above all created things.
peace firsts tranquility
First keep peace with yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
differences answers doe
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.
self mirrors want
If you want to learn something that will really help you, learn to see yourself as God sees you and not as you see yourself in the distorted mirror of your own self-importance,
peace grief adversity
Patience is necessary in this life because so much of life is fraught with adversity. No matter how hard we try, our lives will never be without strife and grief. Thus, we should not strive for a peace that is without temptation, or for a life that never feels adversity. Peace is not found by escaping temptations, but by being tried by them. We will have discovered peace when we have been tried and come through the trial of temptation.