Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.

The quote by Thomas Aquinas, "Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand," distinguishes between the concepts of faith and hope while highlighting their interconnected nature. Aquinas explains that faith involves believing in unseen realities—truths or divine promises that cannot be perceived by the senses. On the other hand, hope is about longing and expecting something that is not yet present or accessible, but anticipated in the future.

The origin of this quote comes from Aquinas’s work as a medieval theologian and philosopher, particularly in his influential treatise, the Summa Theologica. Aquinas developed a systematic understanding of Christian theology and the virtues, explaining how faith and hope function in the spiritual life. His distinction clarifies that while faith is a firm belief in divine truths beyond empirical evidence, hope is the confident desire for the fulfillment of those divine promises.

This quote helps to deepen the understanding of spiritual virtues by showing that faith and hope, although related, address different aspects of the believer’s experience. Faith focuses on trust in what is invisible and eternal, while hope centers on the expectation of future blessings or salvation. Both require trust and confidence but apply to different temporal dimensions—the present unseen and the future awaited.

In essence, Aquinas’s words encourage believers to embrace both faith and hope as essential components of a spiritual life. They remind us that faith calls for trust beyond what we see, and hope motivates us to patiently anticipate what is yet to come, creating a foundation for enduring belief and perseverance.