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Thomas a Kempis
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471). Born Thomas Hemerken in Kempen, Germany, around 1380, he was a Catholic monk, priest, and mystic whose life centered on spiritual devotion. At 13, he joined the Brethren of the Common Life in Deventer, Netherlands, drawn to their emphasis on personal piety and education. By 1406, he entered the Augustinian monastery of Mount St. Agnes near Zwolle, where he spent over six decades copying manuscripts, including four complete Bibles, and writing works of profound spirituality. Ordained a priest in 1413, he took on minor roles like sub-prior but focused on contemplation and guiding novices. His most famous work, The Imitation of Christ, written in Latin, urges readers to detach from worldly desires and follow Jesus’ humility, proclaiming, “Without the Way, there is no going; without the Truth, there is no knowing; without the Life, there is no living.” This text and his other writings, like meditations and saintly biographies, reflect a quiet faith that avoids worldly acclaim. Living simply, he rarely left the monastery and died there on July 25, 1471. His legacy endures through his universal call to holiness, inspiring Christians across centuries.
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Sermon Summary
Thomas a Kempis emphasizes that God must be the ultimate purpose of our lives to attain true blessing. He warns against the dangers of self-seeking and encourages believers to refer all things back to God, the source of all goodness. Acknowledging God as the giver of all gifts leads to a heart filled with grace, while seeking glory apart from Him results in distress. True joy and virtue come from recognizing that all good is from God, and we must return thanks to Him. Ultimately, divine love is the key to overcoming self-love and envy, leading to a life of true wisdom and joy in God alone.
All Things Should Be Referred to God as Their Last End
THE VOICE OF CHRIST MY CHILD, I must be your supreme and last end, if you truly desire to be blessed. With this intention your affections, which are too often perversely inclined to self and to creatures, will be purified. For if you seek yourself in anything, you immediately fail interiorly and become dry of heart. Refer all things principally to Me, therefore, for it is I Who have given them all. Consider each thing as flowing from the highest good, and therefore to Me, as to their highest source, must all things be brought back. From Me the small and the great, the poor and the rich draw the water of life as from a living fountain, and they who serve Me willingly and freely shall receive grace upon grace. He who wishes to glory in things apart from Me, however, or to delight in some good as his own, shall not be grounded in true joy or gladdened in his heart, but shall be burdened and distressed in many ways. Hence you ought not to attribute any good to yourself or ascribe virtue to any man, but give all to God without Whom man has nothing. I have given all things. I will that all be returned to Me again, and I exact most strictly a return of thanks. This is the truth by which vainglory is put to flight. Where heavenly grace and true charity enter in, there neither envy nor narrowness of heart nor self-love will have place. Divine love conquers all and enlarges the powers of the soul. If you are truly wise, you will rejoice only in Me, because no one is good except God alone, Who is to be praised above all things and above all to be blessed.
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Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471). Born Thomas Hemerken in Kempen, Germany, around 1380, he was a Catholic monk, priest, and mystic whose life centered on spiritual devotion. At 13, he joined the Brethren of the Common Life in Deventer, Netherlands, drawn to their emphasis on personal piety and education. By 1406, he entered the Augustinian monastery of Mount St. Agnes near Zwolle, where he spent over six decades copying manuscripts, including four complete Bibles, and writing works of profound spirituality. Ordained a priest in 1413, he took on minor roles like sub-prior but focused on contemplation and guiding novices. His most famous work, The Imitation of Christ, written in Latin, urges readers to detach from worldly desires and follow Jesus’ humility, proclaiming, “Without the Way, there is no going; without the Truth, there is no knowing; without the Life, there is no living.” This text and his other writings, like meditations and saintly biographies, reflect a quiet faith that avoids worldly acclaim. Living simply, he rarely left the monastery and died there on July 25, 1471. His legacy endures through his universal call to holiness, inspiring Christians across centuries.