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What the <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fathers</strong> Say<br />

VOLUME 3<br />

About.<br />

By <strong>Fr</strong>. <strong>George</strong> W. <strong>Grube</strong>


More —<br />

Wpat tl?e cl?urcl? <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

Say About...<br />

VOLUME 3<br />

Compiled by PR.GEORGE W.GRUBE<br />

Reflections by <strong>Fr</strong>. <strong>George</strong><br />

%<br />

n<br />

O<br />

LIGHT AND LIFE PUBLI/HING<br />

MINNEAPOLIS MINNE/OTA


Light & Life Publishing Company<br />

P.O. Box 26421<br />

Minneapolis, MN 55426-0421<br />

Copyright © 2007<br />

Light & Life Publishing Company<br />

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a<br />

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,<br />

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the written<br />

permission of Light & Life Publishing Company. The only exception is<br />

brief quotations in printed reviews.<br />

ISBN No. 1-933654-09-0


Dedication<br />

To my students over thirty-seven<br />

years, wl)o taugfat me more tban<br />

I will ever know in t(?is life.<br />

- iii -


INTRODUCTION<br />

The <strong>Church</strong> depends on Holy Tradition for her teachings. Contributing to this<br />

Tradition are writings of venerable men and women throughout the ages.<br />

These writers present us with the living Faith of our ancestors-those who<br />

have gone before us in the sure knowledge of the Truth. The <strong>Fathers</strong>, and Holy<br />

Women of the <strong>Church</strong> weave a tapestry of unchangeable Truth, and secure for<br />

us continuity with the early <strong>Church</strong> of the apostles and martyrs. In the most<br />

limited sense the <strong>Fathers</strong> are identified with the first days of Christianity.<br />

However, we cannot relegate the teachers of the Faith solely to the earliest<br />

era of Christianity. We must also recognize the same Faith of the <strong>Fathers</strong> in the<br />

words of a few pre-Christian texts and in the writings of contemporaries, even<br />

if they speak to us through the echoes of the last few centuries. To do otherwise<br />

would be to admit that the Holy Spirit has left us bereft and impoverished in<br />

these present times. The Holy Spirit lives in the <strong>Church</strong> and speaks to us this<br />

very day. “Harden not your hearts and learn the truth of the Lord... Fear not,<br />

here is your God, He comes to save you" (Isaiah 35:4).<br />

This collection of sayings is gleaned from many sources-over many years.<br />

Some of the quotations herein have been slightly modified to make them more<br />

understandable to the modern reader, without doing violence to the original<br />

meaning. Since they were collected from various places, over such a long span<br />

of time, it may be possible that a few come from copyrighted sources although<br />

the compiler has taken pains to assure that this has not happened. If so, kindly<br />

notify the publisher so that future editions may be corrected and proper credit<br />

given.<br />

+ + +<br />

“ The friends of Christ love all truly, but are not themselves loved by all; the<br />

friends of the world neither love all nor are loved by all. The friends of Christ<br />

persevere in love to the end; the friends of the world persevere only until they<br />

fall out with each other over some worldly thing."<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor 580-664 A.D.<br />

- iv -


INCLUDES TEACHINGS ON:<br />

CHRISTIAN LIVING MIRACLES<br />

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT GOD’S MERCY<br />

WORLDLY GOODS AND MATERIALISM ATTAINING HOLINESS<br />

LUST<br />

HABITUAL SIN<br />

PUNISHMENT FOR SIN<br />

DEPRAVITY<br />

TRUTH<br />

LYING<br />

GOSSIP/FALSEHOODS<br />

RUMORS<br />

SINS OF THE TONGUE<br />

ANGER<br />

HATRED<br />

REVENGE<br />

SELF-DISCIPLINE<br />

OBEDIENCE<br />

PERFECTION<br />

TEMPTATION<br />

FREE-WILL<br />

SELF-ESTEEM<br />

DEATH<br />

GRIEF<br />

THE AFTERLIFE<br />

THE CHURCH<br />

WORSHIP<br />

EUCHARIST<br />

ILLNESS<br />

SUFFERING<br />

FEAR OF LOSING GOD<br />

ETERNAL LIFE<br />

HAPPINESS<br />

GOOD WORKS<br />

PATIENCE<br />

CHARITY<br />

- v -<br />

GRACE (GOD’S HELP)<br />

HOPE<br />

VIRTUE<br />

DESPAIR<br />

OPPORTUNITY<br />

TALENTS<br />

HUMILITY<br />

PRIDE<br />

VANITY<br />

MARTYRDOM<br />

SALVATION<br />

FORGIVENESS<br />

GOODNESS<br />

MERCY<br />

LOVE<br />

REPENTANCE<br />

DIVINE MERCY<br />

SIN<br />

POVERTY<br />

RICHES<br />

EXCESS<br />

IDLENESS<br />

SATAN<br />

DEMONS<br />

ANTICHRIST<br />

IGNORANCE<br />

OLD AGE<br />

WISDOM<br />

DUTIES OF PARENTS<br />

RAISING CHILDREN<br />

DIVORCE<br />

MARRIAGE


BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES OF SOME CHURCH FATHERS<br />

ST. CLEMENT OF ROME -101 A.D. - Clement was a disciple of the Apostles<br />

Peter and Paul. He was a martyr for the Christian Faith. Commemorated on<br />

November 25th, his works are among the earliest Christian writings.<br />

ST. IGNATIUS of ANTIOCH - 107 A.D. - Second bishop of Antioch after<br />

St. Peter. His feast is commemorated on December 20th and January 29th.<br />

Ignatius was martyred in Rome.<br />

ST. JUSTIN MARTYR - 165 A.D. - The leading Christian apologist (defender)<br />

of the 2nd century. Commemorated on June 1st.<br />

THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH - 180 A.D. - Sixth bishop of Antioch. He was a<br />

convert from paganism and wrote works defending Christianity from pagan<br />

attacks.<br />

ST. IRENAEUS OF LYONS - 202 A.D. - Disciple of St. Polycarp of Smyrna.<br />

His chief work was “Against Heresies”, a defense of <strong>Orthodox</strong> Christianity and<br />

a response to the Gnostics. Commemorated on August 23rd.<br />

ST. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA - c.223 A.D. - Convert from paganism, head<br />

of a school of catechumens in Alexandria, Egypt. Clement was a father of the<br />

allegorical school of theology and tried to define Christian knowledge vis-a-vis<br />

paganism.<br />

TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE - c. 230 A.D. - Pagan lawyer in Rome. He was<br />

a great defender of Christianity against the Gnostics. His writings tell much of<br />

early Christian life, teaching and practices. Tertullian joined the Montanists, a<br />

heretical sect, in 207 A.D. Although he left <strong>Orthodox</strong> Christianity his writings still<br />

have value for what they tell of the early Faith.<br />

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM - c. 347-407 A.D. - One of the most beloved and<br />

celebrated of the early <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fathers</strong>. Born at Antioch, his great talent in<br />

public-speaking earned him the name “Golden-mouthed”. St. John was<br />

Patriarch of Constantinople and known for his charity and frequent calls for<br />

<strong>Church</strong> reform. St. John angered the governing powers and was exiled for his<br />

calls that the powerful avoid worldliness. His homilies on the Scriptures are<br />

among the best of early Christian teachings.<br />

- vi -


ST. BASIL THE GREAT- c. 330-379 A.D. - A great teacher and leader of<br />

monasticism, St. Basil established many communities and wrote rules for<br />

monastics. He was a staunch opponent of Arianism, an early heresy which<br />

taught that only God the Father was Divine. Six members of St. Basil’s family<br />

have been proclaimed saints. St. Basil was a bishop at Caesarea. His feast<br />

is commemorated on January 1.<br />

ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA - 378-444 A.D. - St. Cyril was the most<br />

outstanding Christian theologian of the early 400’s. St. Cyril formulated the<br />

Christian doctrine of the Incarnation, re: Jesus’ Divinity and humanity. He<br />

vigorously attacked former Christian heretics and pagans with great vigor.<br />

ST. CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE - An African of noble birth. His early life was<br />

less than inspiring but he converted to Christianity, was ordained a priest and<br />

made Bishop of Carthage. Cyprian desired martyrdom for the Faith which<br />

resulted in his death in 258 A.D. He was surrounded at the end of his life by<br />

many faithful followers.<br />

ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM - Born near Jerusalem about 315 A.D. St. Cyril<br />

wrote instructions for the newly-baptized. His writings give us an intriguing<br />

insight into early Christian teachings about the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments).<br />

He was driven from his Episcopal See as bishop and persecuted by the Arians.<br />

Note: A few of the writings contained in this book are from ancient Christian<br />

writers such as Tertullian and Origen whose late teachings are not entirely<br />

<strong>Orthodox</strong>. Nevertheless, those of their words which are authentically within<br />

the <strong>Orthodox</strong> Tradition deserve to be heard.<br />

- vii -


TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />

wfaat the <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

Christian Living and Conduct ............................................ 1<br />

Worldy Goods and M aterialism........................................11<br />

Lust, Habitual Sin, and Depravity ....................................20<br />

Truth, Lying, Falshoods, Rumors,<br />

and Other Sins of The Tongue ........................................30<br />

Anger, Hatred, and Revenge............................................ 39<br />

Discipline, Obedience, Perfection,<br />

Temptation, <strong>Fr</strong>ee Will, and Self-Esteem ......................... 48<br />

Death, Grief, and The Afterlife..........................................57<br />

Miracles and God’s M ercy................................................ 67<br />

Attaining Holiness, Grace (How God Helps Us),<br />

Hope, and Virtue ...............................................................73<br />

Despair, Talents, and Opportunity....................................83<br />

Humility, Pride, and Vanity................................................ 92<br />

Martyrdom, Salvation, Atonement,<br />

and The Sacrifice of Christ ............................................ 102<br />

Goodness, Forgiveness, Mercy,<br />

Love, and Repentance.................................................... 112<br />

The <strong>Church</strong>, Worship, Holy Scripture,<br />

and The Eucharist (Part 1) ............................................ 119<br />

The <strong>Church</strong>, Worship, Holy Scripture,<br />

and The Eucharist (Part 2) ............................................ 129<br />

Illness and Suffering (Part 1 ) .......................................... 136<br />

Illness and Suffering (Part 2 ) .......................................... 145<br />

Happiness, Works, Patience, and C harity.....................150<br />

Marriage, Divorce, and the Raising of Children ...........161<br />

About Old Age, Wisdom, Ignorance,<br />

and Fear of The Lord.......................................................169<br />

Eternal Life, Punishment, and Divine M ercy.................179<br />

Sin-Living Life Apart <strong>Fr</strong>om God ....................................186<br />

Poverty, Riches, Excess, and Idleness......................... 194<br />

Satan, Demons, Anti-Christ, and<br />

Punishment for Sin .........................................................200<br />

- viii -


W yat tpe Cywrcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

CHRISTIAN LIVING AND CONDUCT<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Lactantius<br />

St. joljn Chrysostom<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

St. Basil the Great<br />

St. Isaac tf?e Syrian<br />

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

... and others


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. In every hour of the day<br />

reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me<br />

to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with a<br />

firm conviction that Your will governs all.<br />

In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen<br />

events let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and<br />

wisely, without embittering or embarrassing others. Give me the strength to<br />

bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will and<br />

teach me to pray. Amen.<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> St. Matthew 5:1-12 > Ephesians 4:31<br />

> St. Matthew 5:13-48 > 1 Peter 1:13-16<br />

> St. Matthew 6: 1-34 > Philippians 4:8<br />

> St. Matthew 7:1-27 > 1 John 2:6<br />

> St. Mark 7: 6-23 > Romans 8:38-39<br />

> St. Mark 12:28-31 > Romans 12:1-21<br />

> St. Luke 12:22-34 > Romans 6:1-23<br />

> St. John 12:35-36 > 1 Corinthians 13:1-13<br />

> St. John 12:44-50<br />

The Christian life is a series of steps to perfection. It is a journey to the Lord.<br />

Yet it can often be a path on which there are many detours and wrong turns.<br />

These detours to our eternal destiny are often simple and, at times, un-noticed<br />

in the racket and distractions of daily life. These simple detours, such as<br />

procrastination, gossip, skepticism, lying and the like, can actually threaten<br />

our relationship with the Lord and our steady direction in life.<br />

There is an old axiom that we do daily penance for daily faults. Just as a forest<br />

path can be littered and made impassible by small bits of untrimmed debris and<br />

overgrowth, so our lives can be clogged by seemingly innocuous faults that<br />

eventually accumulate to form an impenetrable barrier to God. The more<br />

innocent these sins may seem, the more danger they can bring to us. We<br />

seldom are afraid of that which looks innocent or puny.<br />

“Simple” sins such as putting off doing good which should be accomplished<br />

NOW , telling “little white lies” to avoid an unpleasant situation, arguing, holding<br />

grudges, cheating, viewing pornography, jealousy, gossip and the like, can<br />

prevent you from obeying God until “later”, when it is usually too late.<br />

-2-


Spreading gossip, or listening to unproven “stories” about others can easily<br />

lead to calumny or libel. Telling “little white lies” often reaches the point of being<br />

untruthful with ourselves and eventually affects our relationship with Almighty<br />

God. While we tell ourselves all is well with God we stray even further from His<br />

will for us.<br />

Also, skepticism can affect your ability to pray. Do you look at prayer as<br />

ineffective or doubt that it is even real? Refusing to believe in anyone, or<br />

anything, begins with simple doubts about that we cannot see or touch.<br />

We should look to the habits we are forming now, and root out the harmful ones<br />

no matter how small or insignificant, so that new growth will occur in fertile soil<br />

and a well-tended garden.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ For if we think little things about God, we can only hope to receive small<br />

things from Him.<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ How must we confess God? Namely in doing those things that he told us to<br />

do, not disobeying His commandments, by worshipping Him not only with our<br />

lips, but with all our heart and all our mind. For God says in Isaiah, “This people<br />

honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ”<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ Let us also have a mutual sense of one another’s sufferings, and not be<br />

covetous of money, but let us, by our good works, confess God and not by<br />

anything otherwise.<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ Brethren. Let us confess the Lord by our works, by loving one another, in not<br />

committing adultery, not speaking evil against others, not envying one another,<br />

but by being moderate, temperate and good.<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ So we, while we are in this world, should repent with our whole heart for<br />

whatsoever evil we have done in the flesh, while we yet have time for<br />

repentance, that we may be saved by the Lord.<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ We should select and possess what is useful out of all cultures.<br />

-St. Clement of Alexandria


+ To be subjected to our lusts, and to yield to them, is the most extreme form<br />

of slavery. To keep those lusts in subjection is the only liberty.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Loving your enemies is not the same as loving wickedness, ungodliness,<br />

adultery or theft. Rather, it refers to loving the thief, the ungodly, and the<br />

adulterer.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ We are commanded to be masters not only of the wild beasts outside of us,<br />

but also over the wild lusts within ourselves.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ We were not given eyes with which to lust after others, nor the tongue for<br />

speaking evil of others.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ The more you are inclined to maliciousness the more likely and ready you<br />

are to believe evil.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Among Christians, he who is most just is the man or woman who is most<br />

religious.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ Christians do not speak great things, we live them.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ Christians are philosophers-not merely in words-but in deeds. We do not<br />

speak marvelous things, we actually live them.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ Men either adopt religion and pay no heed to wisdom, or else they devote<br />

themselves to wisdom alone, and pay little attention to religion. However, one<br />

cannot be true without the other.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ The very things you teach will not, and cannot, have any weight unless you<br />

are the first to practice them.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ The most foolish men and women are those who think it is criminal to die for<br />

God-yet, extol to the heavens, with the utmost praise, the person who is willing<br />

to die for a man.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

- 4 -


+ Let us honor the aged among us.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

+ Let us keep away from insulting others. For this is the originator of true<br />

contentiousness, and enmities burst forth from insults. As I have noted before,<br />

insult is the servant of drunkenness. So a man is not judged solely by his deeds<br />

but also by his words.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Jealousy has no limits. It is like an evil that continually endures. It is like a sin<br />

without end.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ The lower in status your neighbors may be, Christ comes to you in them all<br />

the more. For those who seek and receive the so-called “great” do it out of<br />

vainglory. But those who receive the simple do it purely for Christ’s sake.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The minds of good people aren’t empowered by the deceitful spirit of the<br />

Devil. For the angel of peace guides their souls. They don’t gaze passionately<br />

on corruptible things or gather riches for their pleasure. They don’t delight solely<br />

in pleasure. They don’t hurt their neighbors. They don’t gorge themselves with<br />

food. They don’t sin through prideful eyes, for the Lord is their portion. The good<br />

mind doesn’t accept the glory and dishonor of people and it doesn’t deceive, lie,<br />

fight, or curse. For the Lord dwells in these people and lights up their souls.<br />

They are always joyful towards everyone. The good mind doesn't have two<br />

tongues of blessing and cursing, insult and honor, sorrow and joy, quietness and<br />

trouble, hypocrisy and truth, or poverty and wealth but they have one frame of<br />

mind toward everyone; pure and uncorrupted. They don’t have double-hearing<br />

or double-sight because in everything they do, speak, or see, they know the<br />

Lord is watching their souls. They cleanse their minds so they won’t be<br />

condemned by God or other people.<br />

- "Testimonies” of the Ancient Prophets<br />

+ Live in such a way that won’t blaspheme the Holy Name of God. On the one<br />

hand, don’t care about human reputation. On the other hand don't give reason<br />

for others to speak poorly of you. Be moderate on both issues.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ We should go about as angels among people, as adults among children,<br />

as spiritual people among those who are natural. In this way we become as<br />

seeds bearing copious fruit. There is no need to speak if we live exemplary lives<br />

and our works shine in the darkness. There is no need for teachers if we<br />

demonstrate our faith through our works. There would be no unbelievers if we<br />

were the Christians we should be. Everyone would convert to godliness if we


generally kept the commands of Jesus Christ, suffered through insults, allowed<br />

others to take advantage of us, bless when we are cursed, and did good things<br />

when treated poorly.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ For if our enemies find us to be weak and cowardly, they increase our terror<br />

by delusions and threats; the unhappy souls are then tormented by these<br />

things. But if they see us rejoicing in the Lord, contemplating future bliss,<br />

mindful of the Lord, regarding all things to be in His hands, and knowing that<br />

evil has no strength against Christians, nor power over anyone-our enemies are<br />

defeated and turned back by the strength of these thoughts.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ There are some people who, like worms wallowing in marshes and mud, feed<br />

on foolish and useless pleasures. People are like pigs. For pigs, it is said, like<br />

mud better than pure water. Let us not, therefore, be enslaved or become like<br />

pigs. Instead, as true children of the light, let us raise our eyes and seek the<br />

things from above, lest the Lord discover us to be superficial. Therefore, let us<br />

repent and move from ignorance to knowledge, from foolishness to wisdom,<br />

from self-indulgence to self-restraint, from unrighteousness to righteousness,<br />

from godlessness to God.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Christians are not distinguished from the rest of mankind either in locality or<br />

in speech or in customs. For they dwell not somewhere in cities of their own,<br />

neither do they use some different language, nor practice an extraordinary kind<br />

of life. Nor again do they possess any invention discovered by any intelligence<br />

or study of ingenious men, nor are they masters of any human dogma as some<br />

are. But while they dwell in cities of the Greeks and barbarians as the lot of<br />

each is cast, and follow the native customs in dress and food and the other<br />

arrangements of life, yet the constitution of their own citizenship, which they<br />

set forth, is marvelous, and confessedly contradicts expectation. They dwell in<br />

their own countries, but only as sojourners; they bear their share in all things<br />

as Citizens, and they endure all hardships as strangers. Every foreign country<br />

is a fatherland to them, and every fatherland is a foreign country. They marry<br />

like all other men and women and beget children; but they do not cast away<br />

their offspring.<br />

They have their meals in common, but not their wives. They find themselves in<br />

the flesh, and yet they live not after the flesh. Their very existence is on earth,<br />

but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, and they<br />

surpass the laws in their own lives. They love all men, and they are persecuted<br />

by all. They are ignored, and yet they are condemned. They are put to death,<br />

and yet in dying they are endowed with life. They are poor, and yet they make<br />

many rich. They are in want of all things, and yet they abound in all things.<br />

They are dishonored, and yet they are glorified in their dishonor. They are<br />

- 6 -


slandered, yet they are vindicated. If they are reviled, they bless; they are<br />

insulted, and they respect. Doing good they are punished as evildoers; being<br />

punished they rejoice, as if they were thereby given new life. The Jews war<br />

against them as heretics, and the Greeks persecute them, although none of<br />

those that hate them can tell the reason of their hostility.<br />

In a word, what the soul is to the body, so are Christians to the world. The soul<br />

is spread through all the members of the body, and Christians through the<br />

diverse cities of the world just as the soul has its abode in the body and yet<br />

is not of the body, so Christians have their abode in the world and yet they<br />

are not of the world. The soul, which is invisible, is guarded in the body, which<br />

is visible; so Christians are recognized as being in the world, and yet their<br />

religion remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul and wars against it, though<br />

it receives no wrong, because it is forbidden to indulge in pleasures; so the<br />

world hates Christians, though it receives no wrong from them, because they<br />

oppose its pleasures. Nevertheless, the soul loves the flesh and its members<br />

in spite of this hatred: so, too, Christians love those that hate them. The soul<br />

is enclosed in the body and yet holds the body together, Christians are<br />

confined within the world as in a prison house, and yet they are the ones who<br />

hold the world together. The soul, though it is immortal dwells in a mortal<br />

tabernacle; so Christians sojourn amidst perishable things, while they look for<br />

the imperishability that is in heaven. The soul when hardly treated in the matter<br />

of food and drinks is improved; so Christians when punished, increase more<br />

and more. So great is the office for which God has appointed them, and<br />

which it is not lawful for them to decline.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Second Century Epistle of Mathetes “To Diognetus”<br />

+ Peacefulness, humility, and the tranquility of a life well-lived is appropriate for<br />

all Christians according to the word of the Lord. He regards only those who are<br />

“poor and of a contrite spirit, and who tremble” at His word. ...(A Christian's)<br />

character should provoke everyone to imitate your life and conduct. ...Your<br />

good works are, indeed, the greatest part of you. They are improved by the<br />

honor of your confession itself; guard and preserve your confessions by<br />

peaceful and virtuous lives.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ The true Christian ought not to grudge another’s reputation, nor rejoice over<br />

other man’s faults. He ought, in Christ’s love, to grieve and be afflicted at his<br />

brother's faults, and rejoice over his brother’s good deeds. He ought not to be<br />

indifferent or silent before sinners. He who shows another to be wrong ought<br />

to do so with all tenderness, in the fear of God, and with the object of converting<br />

the sinner. He who is proved wrong or rebuked ought to take it willingly,<br />

recognizing his own gain in being set right.<br />

- St. Basil the Great


+ In writing to a young man, a holy bishop defined the ultimate spiritual<br />

question facing all Christians in this way : “Within you there arises the enormous<br />

question; Christ or the world?”<br />

- A <strong>Church</strong> Father<br />

+ A greedy soul is deprived of wisdom, but a compassionate soul is made wise<br />

by the Spirit.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ One stone doesn’t make an entire tower any more than obeying just one<br />

Commandment lifts the soul to the required height of perfection.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ Be persecuted, rather than persecute.<br />

Be crucified, rather than be a crucifier.<br />

Be treated unjustly, rather than treat others unjustly.<br />

Be oppressed, rather than be an oppressor.<br />

Be gentle, rather than zealous.<br />

Lay hold of goodness, rather than justice.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Let us love one another, and we shall be loved by God. Let us be<br />

longsuffering toward one another, and He will be longsuffering toward our sins.<br />

Let us not render evil for evil, and He will not render to us according to our sins.<br />

We shall find remission of our sins in forgiving our brethren; for God’s mercy<br />

toward us is concealed in our mercifulness toward our neighbor. This is also<br />

why the Lord said, “Forgive and you shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). and, “If you<br />

forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”<br />

(Matthew 6:14). After this, our salvation is already in our power.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ “If love does no ill to one’s neighbor” (Romans 13:10), then does not he who<br />

envies his brother, who begrudges him his good reputation, and who tarnishes<br />

him with libel - make himself alien to love and liable to eternal condemnation?<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ If you give something to a person in need, then let a cheerful face precede<br />

your gift, along with kind words and encouragement for his suffering.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ A person who, while having God in mind, honors everyone, will find everyone<br />

to be his helper, thanks to the hidden will of God.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Whoever gives a hand to help his neighbor is helped by God’s own hand.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

-8-


+ Let it be known that those who are not living by Christ’s teachings are not<br />

Christians at all-even though they might profess His teachings with their lips.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ It is better for a man to be silent and yet be a Christian, than to talk and not<br />

be one.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ When you converse with another be aware that God is listening.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ The Lord withdraws when He is denied.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ Christians are lambs of the royal flock.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Christians are not born, but made.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Be pleasing to Him whose soldiers you are, and whose pay you receive. May<br />

none of you be found to be a deserter. Let your baptism be your armament;<br />

your faith, your helmet; your love, your spear; your endurance, your full suit of<br />

armor.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Each day examine yourself. What have you sown for the age to come: wheat<br />

or weeds? Having tested yourself, arrange to become better the next day, and<br />

spend the rest of your life in that manner.<br />

In the event you spent today badly:<br />

You did not honestly pray to God<br />

You did not once feel contrition for your sins<br />

You did not practice humility<br />

You gave no alms and did no act of charity<br />

You did not refrain from anger<br />

You did not fast or measure your intake of food or drink or,<br />

You sank your mind in unclean thoughts<br />

Then, honestly examine all of this, condemn yourself for your laxity, and firmly<br />

resolve that tomorrow you will be more careful to do good and avoid evil.<br />

- Elder Moses


+ God created us in His image and likeness; and every Christian is obligated to<br />

keep himself, and to preserve and honor in himself God’s image, and to be<br />

sanctified by good works.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ He who does not acknowledge his sinfulness, his fall, his perdition - cannot<br />

accept Christ, cannot come to believe in Christ, and cannot be a Christian.<br />

- St. Ignatius Brianchaninov<br />

+ All they that commit iniquity and act against their conscience do not keep<br />

their Baptismal vows. These include fornicators, adulterers, and all defilers,<br />

robbers, thieves, brigands, the sly and crafty, deceivers, the guileful, revilers,<br />

men of evil speech, drunkards, fault - finders, the hateful and the malicious:<br />

they that live in the pride and pomp of this world, and all that do not fear God.<br />

They have all lied to God and have not kept their vows, and are outside the<br />

Holy <strong>Church</strong>, though they may even go to churches, pray and receive the<br />

Mysteries. They may also build churches and adorn them and display other<br />

signs of a Christian. Since they shall be powerfully put to the test at the<br />

Judgment of Christ and tormented more there than Turks and idolaters, avoid<br />

these deeds, Christian, and do not imitate the aforementioned doers of iniquity,<br />

lest you be condemned with them...by the just judgment of God, where “their<br />

worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched ” (Mark 9:44,46,48). By all<br />

means endeavor so to live and act as the word of God teaches, as was said<br />

above. Keep in mind those vows of yours, and this will guide you toward the<br />

Christian life and restrain you from every evil and do you good. If you notice<br />

that you do not keep those vows, then repent and begin the Christian life anew,<br />

lest you appear before God in a lie, and perish with liars.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

- 10 -


W pat tpe Cyurcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

WORLDLY GOODS AND MATERIALISM<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

Leo, EIder of Optina<br />

Lactantius<br />

St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

St. Gregory Palamas<br />

St. Symeon tye New Theologian<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

...and others<br />

-11 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Prayer of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow<br />

My Lord, I do not know what I ought to ask of You.<br />

You, and You alone know my needs.<br />

You love me more than I am able to love You.<br />

0 Father, grant unto me, Your servant, all which I cannot ask.<br />

For a cross I dare not ask, nor for consolation:<br />

1 dare only to stand in Your presence.<br />

My heart is open to You.<br />

You see my simple needs of which I myself am unaware.<br />

Behold and lift me up!<br />

In Your presence I stand, awed and silenced by Your will and Your judgments,<br />

into which my mind cannot penetrate.<br />

To You I offer myself as a sacrifice.<br />

No other desire is mine but to fulfill Your Holy Will.<br />

Teach me how to pray.<br />

Do Yourself pray within me.<br />

Amen.<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> Job 20:15<br />

> St. Matthew 16:26<br />

> St. Matthew 13:22<br />

> St. Mark 10:23<br />

> 1 Timothy 6:17-19<br />

> James 5:1-6<br />

> Psalms 37:16, 49:6-9<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

, 52:7, 62:10<br />

> St. Matthew 23:1-36<br />

> Proverbs 11:4, 11:28, 22:1, 22:4, 23:5<br />

> 1 Peter 4:3-4<br />

> Galatians 6:6-10<br />

> St. John 12:25<br />

In our present society everyone from governments, social organizations and<br />

even the <strong>Church</strong>, is concerned with the quantity and quality of the things men<br />

and women possess. Organizations seem to compete with each other in<br />

offering monies outside their accepted purview of responsibility, i.e. loans and<br />

grants of every kind, payments for sundry programs, research, subsidies, etc.<br />

and they are given to as many people as is humanly possible. Even when<br />

money is tight, massive payments in kind are made at every level of society and<br />

government. A Midwestern governor recently stated, while slashing payments by<br />

the state to thousands of programs, that “The cash cow is dead.” He added that<br />

government could no longer afford to fund all segments of society and their<br />

needs, simply to feel good, respond to demands of every group, or “buy” votes.<br />

Why? Simply because the abundant life, or massive amounts of money, are<br />

equated with the “good life”. Today we place little value on spiritual poverty.<br />

- 12 -


We think that if a man has enough things he will be happy, and at peace, free<br />

from all problems and wants.<br />

This concept is directly at odds to what Christ taught: “Seek ye first the Kingdom<br />

of God” , He said, and “all these things will be added unto you. ” Notice Christ<br />

did not say, seek first money and contentment - and all other things will be<br />

added .<br />

However, we go blithely along, offering everyone security in the form of things.<br />

Then we look surprised when things are not enough to keep people from<br />

suicide, drugs, alcohol, rampant crime and truly empty, directionless lives.<br />

We are called to minister first to the spiritual element of men, their souls, and<br />

then to their temporal needs. When the spiritual needs of a person are met then<br />

a natural joy of living will come from a firm bond with God followed by purpose<br />

and meaning, which eventually leads to a full, abundant and happy life.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Prayer is a great weapon, a rich treasure, a wealth that is never exhausted,<br />

an undisturbed refuge, a cause of tranquility, the root of multiple blessings and<br />

their source.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ A man whose head is under water cannot inhale pure air, so a man whose<br />

thoughts are plunged into the material cares of this world cannot absorb the<br />

sensations of a new , spiritual world.<br />

St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ One of his disciples asked the Elder, “How have you acquired the spiritual<br />

gifts we see in you?” The elder answered, “Live simply, and God will not forsake<br />

you and will show you His mercy.”<br />

- Leo, Elder of Optina Monastery<br />

+ A holy monk tells us that he was taught the following by an Elder, “Taking<br />

pride in not accepting money from others leads to far worse sins than greed.<br />

Accepting money too willingly from others leads to pride and greed. This is why<br />

it is said that evil is rooted in money.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om a Desert Father<br />

+ If anyone thinks that clothes, jewels, and other material things (that men<br />

esteem as being precious) are valued by God, he is altogether ignorant of<br />

what God is.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

- 13-


+ Glory is like the human shadow; if you follow, it runs away, if you run away,<br />

it follows.<br />

- St. Martin of Braga<br />

+ Make Christ a partner with you in your earthly possessions, so that He may<br />

also make you a fellow- heir with Him in His heavenly Kingdom.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ He who chooses transient things will be without eternal things. He who<br />

prefers earthly things will not have heavenly things.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Rather than laying down our souls for money , we lay down our money for<br />

our souls.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Those who glory in their looks, not in their hearts, dress to please others.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Christians have no country on earth, and this enables us to scorn earthly<br />

possessions.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ If someone who shows excessive love of money gets gold and silver, his<br />

need for it grows, and the more it flows in, the more it increases his desire.<br />

The whole world might just satisfy one greedy, power- hungry man, but then<br />

again, it might not.<br />

- St. Gregory Palamas<br />

+ Guard yourself from that mother of all vices, which is self- love or a mindless<br />

love for the body. For it gives birth ...to the three , and major, impassioned<br />

thoughts. I mean those of gluttony, avarice, and self- esteem, which take as<br />

their pretext some imagined need of the body. All other vices are generated<br />

by these three. You must therefore be on your guard, and fight against self- love<br />

with great vigilance. For when this vice is eradicated, all the others are wiped<br />

away too.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ We must pray that we may be constantly and firmly assured in our hearts<br />

that everything we have-both of soul and body, in both prosperity and<br />

adversity-comes from God, from His power, and not from nature, chance,<br />

or from ourselves.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

- 14-


+ When you find your intellect occupied with material things, and become fondly<br />

attached to conceptual images of them, then you may be sure that you love<br />

these things more than God. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will<br />

be also” (Matthew 6:21).<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Be firmly persuaded that your life is not just money and food, but is grounded<br />

in love for Almighty God. Remember that God is love, uniting all things<br />

animated by the laws of love, and bringing forth life from the union of love.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Earthly riches, when distributed, are diminished. Yet the more the heavenly<br />

riches of God’s grace are distributed, the more they increase in him who<br />

distributes them.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ It is not food that is evil but gluttony, not the begetting of children but<br />

unchastity, not material things but avarice, not esteem but unbridled selfesteem.<br />

This being so, it is only the misuse of things that is evil, and such<br />

misuse occurs when the intellect fails to cultivate its natural powers.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ There are three things that produce a love of material wealth. These are<br />

self- indulgence, excessive self-esteem and a lack of faith. The last, an absence<br />

of faith, is more dangerous than the other two.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ He who seeks fame and pleasure, as well as a love of riches that exists<br />

because of them and which increases them, cannot avoid occasions of anger.<br />

And he who does not cut off these desires cannot attain perfect love.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ We see many men who are moved by the desire for transitory things and<br />

willing to endure many toils and labors. They will travel great distances and<br />

even disregard wife and children and every other glory and enjoyment. They<br />

prefer nothing to their purpose in order that they may secure the attainment<br />

of their goal. If, then, there are some who make every effort to attain these<br />

transitory and temporal ends, even to the point of laying down their very lives,<br />

can we not deliver our souls and bodies, even to death, for the sake of the<br />

“King of Kings, and Lord of Lords” (1 Timothy 6:15), the Creator and Sovereign<br />

of all things.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

- 15-


+ What is “the world”? What are “the things that are in the world”? Listen! It is<br />

not gold, silver, horses or mules. All these things that serve our physical needs<br />

we possess ourselves. It is not meat, nor bread, nor wine, for we partake of<br />

these things and eat them in moderation. It is not houses, or public facilities,<br />

nor fields, nor vineyards, nor suburban properties...Therefore, what is “the<br />

world”? It is sin, my brothers and sisters, and the attachment to material things<br />

and passions. Let John the Theologian, the beloved disciple, speak of “the<br />

things that are in the world”. He says, “Do not love the world or the things of<br />

the world.. .for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the<br />

eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:15).<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Why do we trouble and torment ourselves because we have not received<br />

some treasure we desired, or fear losing it? Because that which we expected or<br />

which we have lost was the idol of our heart, because our heart has withdrawn<br />

from the Lord, the Source of Living Waters, who alone can fill and give peace<br />

to it. Let us cling to God with our whole heart, and then no earthly loss, or<br />

disappointment at not receiving earthly goods such as money or honors, which<br />

are...perishable things, will grieve us. Let us learn to live an inward life. Let us<br />

turn our thoughts to the highest blessings, to the heavenly recompense which<br />

alone is desirable and true. This alone makes those who obtain it, truly happy.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Nothing that is God’s is obtainable by money.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ It is possible that gold may never be in your possession, even though you<br />

desire it. But God will possess you as soon as you desire Him.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ In the fashioning of our clothes, we must keep clear of all strangeness, so<br />

that in the use of them we will avoid all extravagance.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ If you despise riches, you will be radiant in the House of the King.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Don’t let the desire to possess things take hold of you. For what do we gain<br />

by acquiring things we cannot take with us?<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ In great households, the servants who disregard their own interests and<br />

zealously and promptly promote their master’s interests are favored.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 16 -


+ Always remember that we have renounced the world and are living here as<br />

guests and strangers in the meantime.<br />

- Sf. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Don’t let the desire to possess things take hold of you. For what do we gain<br />

by acquiring things we cannot take with us? Why not get the things we can take<br />

with us instead - namely wisdom, justice, self- control, courage, understanding,<br />

love, kindness to the poor, faith in Christ, freedom from wrath, and hospitality?<br />

If we possess these things, they will prepare a welcome for us in the land of<br />

the humble.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Wealth will not stand in the way of a rich man, if he makes good use of it;<br />

and poverty can be no recommendation to the poor if in the midst of squalor<br />

and want, he fails to keep clear of doing wrong to his neighbor.<br />

- Sf. Jerome<br />

+ There is no fault to be found with money; but be cautious not to make a bad<br />

use of what is good.<br />

- Sf. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ Earthly riches are full of poverty.<br />

- St. Augustine of Hippo<br />

+ No matter how wealthy one might be in this life, one is still God’s beggar...Is it<br />

not so that many have laid down as wealthy men, and risen up as paupers?<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The lust which commits fornication with gold becomes an idol.<br />

- St.. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ It is the glory of the bishop to make provision for the needs of the poor, but it<br />

is the shame of clergy to amass private fortunes.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ If a monastic talks to you always, or nearly always, about money...treat him<br />

as a broker rather than a monk.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The wealthy man does not see, poor wretch, that his life is but a gilded<br />

torture, that he is bound fast by his wealth, and that his money owns him rather<br />

he owns it.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Your purse ought not to remain full while I am in want.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

- 17-


+ Show forth all your wealth in giving.<br />

- Commodianus<br />

+ The Christian prefers to despise wealth rather than possess it.<br />

- Minucius Felix<br />

+ It is not he who has and keeps, but he who gives away, that is rich.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ How can anyone be considered poor who does not feel any want, who does<br />

not covet what belongs to others, who is rich in God's eyes.<br />

- Minicius Felix<br />

+ The only true wealth is the poverty of desire.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Faith and love, which are gifts of the Holy Spirit, are such great and powerful<br />

gifts that a person who has them can easily, with joy and consolation, go the<br />

way Jesus Christ went. Besides this, the Holy Spirit gives man the power to<br />

resist the vain delusions of the world so that, although he makes use of earthly<br />

goods, he uses them as a temporary visitor, without attaching his heart to them.<br />

But a man who has not yet gotten the Spirit, despite all his learning and<br />

prudence, is always more or less a slave and worshipper of the world.<br />

- St. Innocent of Irkutsk<br />

+ Jesus teaches us not only that riches are to be despised, but that they are full<br />

of danger. They are the root of seducing evils and deceive the blind human<br />

mind by hidden deception.<br />

However, the Lord tells us that those who sell their possessions and distribute<br />

them for the poor become perfect and complete. In doing so, they lay up<br />

treasures for themselves in heaven. He says that those who follow Him...and<br />

aren’t ensnared by worldly possessions ...accompany their possessions which<br />

are delivered directly to God.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Those who reject not only everything they have, but everything they hoped to<br />

possess, truly give up everything.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Don’t trust in riches, for such things are left here on earth. Only faith will<br />

accompany you. Righteousness will also go with you if faith has led the way.<br />

Why do riches entice you? Christ said, “You are not redeemed with gold and<br />

silver”. Nor are we saved with grand possessions or silk garments, or with vain<br />

conversation, but with the precious blood of Christ.<br />

- 18 -


Don’t reject a poor man. For when Christ was rich, He became poor. He<br />

became poor because of you so that, by His poverty, He could make you rich.<br />

Silver and gold I have not, but I have faith in abundance. I am rich enough in<br />

the name of Christ, which is above every other name... I don’t have silver and I<br />

don’t need any. I don’t have gold and I don’t desire it. But I have what the rich<br />

don’t have. I have what even you would consider more valuable and I give it to<br />

the poor. If you want to be rich, you must become poor.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ How great and wonderful is the joy of Christian generosity we obtain when,<br />

in obedience to the Gospel of Christ, we cheerfully sacrifice what the rich man<br />

grieved over and refused to give up.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Simplicity provides for sanctity.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Clothe yourself with the silks of honesty, the fine linen of righteousness, and<br />

the royal purple of chastity. Thus adorned you will have God for your partner.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ My child, do not become a lover of money, nor puffed up with vanity. For out<br />

of these thefts are born.<br />

- The Didache<br />

+ It is not a virtue to be frugal. This word beguiles and deceives under the<br />

appearance of virtue ...<strong>Fr</strong>ugality is a vice in this respect: that it arises from the<br />

love of possessing. In contrast, we should both abstain from pleasures and yet,<br />

by no means withhold money. To use money sparingly, that is, moderately, is a<br />

form of weakness of the mind. It reveals someone fearing lest he will be in<br />

need. Or, it revels someone who despairs of being able to recover it, or<br />

someone incapable of expressing contempt for worldly things.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Someway, or another, those who please the world most are those who please<br />

Christ least.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

- 19-


W pat tye Qnwcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

LUST, HABITUAL SIN AND DEPRAVITY<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Lactantius<br />

Ven. Epfaraim tlje Syrian<br />

St. J o(?n Chrysostom<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

St. Isaac tlbe Syrian<br />

Abba Poemen<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

St. Theodore of Edessa<br />

St. Anatoly of Optina<br />

T^e Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

...and otfaers<br />

-20 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

In my foolishness, O God, I plead with You for many and great things.<br />

Yet I am ever- mindful of my wickedness, my baseness, my vileness and my<br />

disobedience in sin.<br />

O God, have mercy on me. Cast me not away from Your presence because<br />

of my presumption. Grant unto me, the worst of men, to love You as You have<br />

commanded, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, with all my<br />

strength; with my whole being.<br />

Establish me in the path of Your Commandments, and to my last breath let<br />

me not stray from the light of Your ordinances, that Your Commandments<br />

may become the sole law of my being on this earth and all eternity.<br />

Lord, I pray to You, have pity on me. Spare me in my affliction and my misery<br />

and hide not the way of salvation from me.<br />

Amen.<br />

- Archbishop Sophronios<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Jeremiah 6: 27-30 > Romans 1:28-32<br />

> St. St. Matthew 5:28 > 1 Corinthians 5:1-13<br />

> Romans 13:11-14 > 2 Timothy 3:1-8<br />

> 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 > Titus 1:16<br />

> 2 Timothy 2:22-26 > Job 14:16-17, 20:4-7, 33:27-28<br />

> Galatians 5:16-26 > Psalms 32:5, 39:1-13, 51:1-19<br />

> Titus 3:3-8 > St. Matthew 12:31-32, 18:21-35<br />

> James 4:1-6 > St. Mark 4:13-20<br />

“Whoever knows what is right to do, and fails to do it...for him it is sin”<br />

(James 4:17).<br />

Sin is not simply an act - it is also an attitude, a mindset. It is an attitude borne<br />

of pride. Sin can be an omission, i.e. failing to do the right things, as well as a<br />

commission, or committing a disobedient act itself. When we realize that a thing,<br />

or series of things, are morally or physically wrong, and yet continue to do them<br />

- then our disobedience becomes sin. And we cannot fail to understand that our<br />

indifference in failing to do something we know is right, is also sin. We must<br />

also know the effect of guilt (due to sin) on a man or woman. When one feels<br />

guilty his entire attitude about life changes. One becomes difficult, defensive,<br />

irritable or mean- spirited in everything they do and say. Sin, and the attendant<br />

guilt it engenders, soon affects our dealings with all those around us.<br />

When we continue in our sin we are sometimes asked to pay a price. How<br />

- 21 -


much is one willing to pay, and do we stand ready to accept the sometimes<br />

tragic results of our prideful disobedience? Because of sin we can risk our<br />

relationships with family, friends, all those we love-and more importantly-with<br />

Almighty God. Is this price too high, or don’t you care about the stresses and<br />

strains of your sin? Is sinning worth the wasted energy, worry, or the emotional<br />

strain it enacts?<br />

Sin, and the attendant guilt for sin, wastes our energies and abilities. Therefore,<br />

before one continues to make poor choices, or selfishly holds on to so- called<br />

“individual freedom” you might want to count the cost of sin. It may be worth<br />

more than one is willing to pay.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ A young monk sadly told his holy elder: “My body, Abba, has been weakened<br />

by ascetic practices, but my passions do not yield.” The wise elder replied,<br />

“The passions, my son are similar to tough thorns. In the process of uprooting<br />

them, you hands will definitely bleed.”<br />

- Wisdom of the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ It is a general practice not to speak of sins against purity, as if this matter<br />

does not require confession. People say, “These are private concerns.’’Many<br />

people living in illicit liaisons do not even speak of them, considering this<br />

situation quite natural.<br />

- Alexander Elchaninov<br />

+ Many people, tempted by pleasures of the body, commit fornication, not in<br />

their bodies but in their spirit, while preserving bodily virginity. They, in fact,<br />

commit prostitution in their soul. Thus it is good to do that which is written,<br />

and for each one to guard his own heart with all possible care.<br />

- Abba Gerontius of Petra<br />

+ If you wish to leave sinful desires and avoid foul language, then do not make<br />

foolish choices. Avoid all circumstances in which these weaknesses arise.<br />

- A Desert Monk<br />

+ There is no tyranny so unbearable as a sinful habit. It is with true wisdom that<br />

it is called “second nature”.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Immoral habits are like shackles, they deprive man of his moral freedom and<br />

forcibly keep him in the stinking swamp of the passions.<br />

- St. Ignaty Brianchaninov<br />

-22-


+ Some are ashamed and blush when it is necessary to tell your sins to a priest<br />

at confession. It is better to be ashamed to sin than to confess. Consider this:<br />

if confession is not offered here, then everything will be confessed there (at the<br />

judgment) before the whole world. Where is there more torment? Where is there<br />

more shame? In doing the deed, we are bold and shameless, but when we<br />

ought to confess, then we are ashamed and slow.<br />

- St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ Chastity comes from a spiritual heart and spiritual wisdom.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ The beginning of evil is indifference.<br />

Abba Poeman<br />

+ How much better it is for men not to desire forbidden things from the start,<br />

than to obtain their desires.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The rewards of evil are temporary, the rewards of godliness are eternal.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Let no man trust in riches, nor in symbols of authority, nor even in places of<br />

royalty. For none of these things make a man immortal.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ When wicked thoughts begin to war within me, I do whatever a traveler would<br />

do if he were walking in the wilderness and suddenly noticed a wild beast<br />

pursuing him; find a tall tree and climb to the top, so that you will be saved.<br />

And so likewise, when chased by temptation I flee to God in prayer and escape<br />

the attack of wicked thoughts.<br />

- Abba John the Short<br />

+ “Wine makes the heart of man glad” (Psalm 104:15). But to you who have<br />

expressed sorrows and grief should turn away from such gladness and rejoice<br />

instead in spiritual gifts. If you take refuge in too much wine, you will live with<br />

shameful thoughts and distress will surely overcome you.<br />

- St. Theodore of Edessa<br />

+ Those who seek the heavenly bread must first rule the belly, which is beneath<br />

heaven.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Abbot Pambo journeyed to the city on a mission from the Patriarch<br />

Athanasios. The first person he met when entering the city was a woman<br />

dressed up to ensnare her victims. Seeing her, the elder became tearful.<br />

-23-


“Why are you crying, Father?" the young brother accompanying him asked.<br />

“For two reasons,” the elder replied, “First for the loss of her soul, and then<br />

because I do not take as much care to please my Lord as she does to please<br />

depraved men.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ There are quite a few people who refrain from becoming Christians-not<br />

because they are afraid of losing their lives-but because they are afraid of<br />

losing their pleasures.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ The eyes of pigs have a natural configuration which makes them turn towards<br />

the ground, so that they can never gaze into heaven. So is the soul of one who<br />

lets himself be carried away by vice. Once the soul is allowed to sink into the pit<br />

of carnal pleasures, it can no longer get out again.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the “Apop(h)thegmata Patrum”<br />

+ All sin is due to sensual pleasure, all forgiveness to hardship and distress.<br />

- St. Thalassius<br />

+ You cannot destroy passions on your own, simply ask God and He will<br />

destroy them, if this is profitable to you.<br />

- St. Anatoly of Optina<br />

+ Our wickedness shall not overpower the unspeakable goodness and mercy of<br />

God. Our dullness shall not overpower God’s wisdom, nor our weakness God’s<br />

omnipotence.<br />

The more resolutely, the more constantly, your heart is turned towards God and<br />

His saints, the more it will be enlightened, purified and vivified.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ As a handful of sand thrown into the sea, so are the sins of all flesh as<br />

compared with the mind of God.<br />

Just as a strongly flowing fountain is not blocked up by a handful of earth, so<br />

the compassion of Our Creator is not overcome by the wickedness of His<br />

creatures.<br />

Someone who bears a grudge while he is at prayer is like a person who sows<br />

seeds in the sea yet expects to reap a harvest.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Sinners are delivered to Satanic forces to destroy the flesh. Although the<br />

serpent can lick the dust of their flesh, he can’t hurt their souls. So then,<br />

our flesh must die to lusts. It must be captive to and subdued by, and not war<br />

-24 -


against, the law of our mind. Instead it must die as a slave to a good service.<br />

For the flesh dies when the Spirit swallows its wisdom. Then it no longer has a<br />

taste for the things of the flesh, but for the things of the Spirit. I want to see my<br />

flesh weakening. I don’t want to the dragged into captivity to the bondage of sin.<br />

I don’t want to live in the flesh, but in the faith of Christ! So then, there is greater<br />

grace in the body’s pain than in its health.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ You shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven if you will not become a king over<br />

your lust and thoughts.<br />

- Abba Dorotheus<br />

+ We must not pursue foolish, vain or worldly things, or yield to fear in the<br />

midst of trouble. We are, no doubt, flattered by deception and weighed down<br />

by troubles, but because “the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.” ... So then,<br />

whether we fight against the world’s ambition, the lusts of the flesh, or against<br />

the darts of heresy, we must always arm ourselves with the Lord’s Cross.<br />

- Pope Leo of Rome<br />

+ If our physician, God in Christ, having rescued us from our desires, regulates<br />

our flesh with His own wise and temperate rule, it is evident that He guards it<br />

from sins because it has a hope of salvation, just as physicians do not allow<br />

people whom they hope to save, to indulge in whatever pleasures they desire.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ He who is ruled by lust of money is judged covetous, even though he<br />

possesses nothing at all. He who lusts after many and costly dishes is a<br />

glutton, even though he, on account of poverty, feeds on nothing but bread<br />

and water. He who is an adulterer or fornicator, who attaches himself to his<br />

imaginations, is so defiled, even though he has never seen the face of anyone.<br />

So too, he who says in his heart, “This has been done badly, and has not<br />

turned out right, and “Why has this happened? Why hasn’t this happened?”<br />

-le t him not deceive himself. He is a slanderer and will be judged as one who<br />

condemns, even though he does not utter a single word with his tongue and<br />

no one hears his voice.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Of course, it would be easier to get to paradise on a full stomach, all snuggled<br />

up, as in a feather- bed, but what is required is to carry one’s Cross along the<br />

way, for the Kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles,<br />

but many!<br />

- Anthony, Elder of Optina<br />

+ Do not pay attention to fantasies or dreams, but be guided by trust in the<br />

all- powerful grace of Christ.<br />

- Elder Moses of Optina<br />

-25-


+ A young monk confessed to his elder, “My unclean thoughts are about to kill<br />

me.”<br />

The elder replied, “Do you know what mothers do when they want to wean their<br />

young babies? They put a bitter herb on their breast. Likewise for you, instead<br />

of some bitter substance keep the memory of death and eternal damnation<br />

before you and you will immediately cut- off any unclean thought.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ If you are friendly with someone who happens to commit the sin of fornication,<br />

offer him your hand, if you can, and deliver him from it. But if he falls into heresy<br />

and you cannot dissuade him from abandoning his false beliefs, separate<br />

yourself quickly from him, in case, if you delay, you too may be dragged down<br />

with him into the pit.<br />

-Abba Theodore<br />

+ We truly love God and keep His Commandments if we restrain ourselves<br />

from our pleasures. For he who still gives himself to unlawful desires certainly<br />

does not love God, since he contradicts Him in his own intentions...Therefore,<br />

he loves God truly, whose mind is not conquered by consent to evil delight.<br />

For the more one takes pleasure in base things, the more he is separated from<br />

heavenly love.<br />

- St. Gregory, Pope of Rome<br />

+ Though I have left the city’s haunts, the source of innumerable temptations<br />

and ills, yet I have not yet learned to leave myself.<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

+ For souls become purer the more they rise to spiritual things. They rise<br />

more to spiritual things the more they die to things of the flesh. So while we<br />

are absent from the Lord and walk by faith instead of sight, we should see<br />

the flesh of Christ. By that very faith we stand on the solid foundation and rock<br />

of faith and we observe it from a safe watch tower. For we come to love to see<br />

the face of Christ even more as we recognize how much Christ first loved us in<br />

His flesh.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ If you want to do something good, do it! And if you cannot do it, then<br />

resolve to do it, and you will have achieved the resolution even if you do not<br />

fulfill the action itself. Thus a habit, whether good or bad, can gradually and<br />

spontaneously be overcome. If this were not the case, no criminals would<br />

ever be saved, whereas in fact not only have they been saved, but many<br />

have become conspicuous for their excellence. Think what a great gulf<br />

separates the criminal from the saint; yet resolution finally overcame habit.<br />

- St. Peter of Damascus<br />

-26-


+ If rulers don’t terrify those who do good works, how will God, who is by nature<br />

perfect, terrify those who don’t sin ?<br />

Healthy people don’t need doctors when they are strong, but those who are sick<br />

need a doctor’s skill. In the same way, we who are sick from shameful lusts,<br />

excesses and other flames of passion need the Savior. And He administers not<br />

only mild, but also stringent medicines.<br />

All of humanity stands in need of Jesus so that we may not remain as obstinate<br />

sinners to the end, and be condemned.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Let us toil, carrying each other’s burden, as Christ carried our diseases in His<br />

body without flinching. If Christ is truly our master, then let us imitate Him and<br />

bear His injuries, lest in the age to come we be separated from our brothers<br />

who suffered afflictions. Such was also the fate of others because they wanted<br />

to give themselves not to virtue but rather to vices.<br />

- St. Pachomius<br />

+ Vice is the incorrect use of our conceptual images of things, which leads us<br />

to misuse the things themselves. In relation to women, as an example, sexual<br />

intercourse, rightly used, has as its purpose, the begetting of children. He,<br />

therefore, who seeks in it only sensual pleasure uses it wrongly, for he reckons<br />

as good that which is not good. When such a man has intercourse with a<br />

woman, he misuses her. The same is true with regard to other things and our<br />

conceptual images of them.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Almost every sin is committed for the sake of sensual pleasure, and sensual<br />

pleasure is overcome by hardship and distress arising either voluntarily from<br />

repentance, or else involuntarily as a result of a sincere, God- inspired change<br />

of mind. “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but when<br />

we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, so that we should not be<br />

condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:31- 32).<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ The Lord reigns everywhere, in the whole visible world (being in every place)<br />

and in all the angelic hosts. He also reigns by His infinite power and Truth over<br />

the spirits of evil, and over evil and unrighteous men ...But He, the truth, does<br />

not reign in demons and in unrighteous men by His Truth because falsehood is<br />

in them. He does not reign in them by His love, because malice is in them. He<br />

does not reign in the unrighteous by faith, neither by hope, but He reigns in<br />

them by the strict fulfillment of His laws.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

-27-


+ An anchorite who, going to a spring for water, fell into sin with a woman at<br />

the spring, and returning to his cell acknowledged his sin, and began to lead an<br />

ascetic life as before...The Lord revealed this incident to a certain father, and<br />

commanded him to glorify the brother who had fallen into sin, for such a victory<br />

over the Devil.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Do not steal anything from anyone, and take nothing, and be content with<br />

what you earn by your own labors. Be diligent and avoid idleness. For as<br />

diligence is pleasing to God, so idleness is the source of every evil, and a<br />

sin which is very offensive to God. Never lie, but always tell the truth. For all<br />

falsehood and deceit are the most harmful of all vices, and the customary<br />

work of the Devil.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ We make ourselves a ladder out of our vices if we trample the vices<br />

themselves underfoot.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ No one administers drugs until he has rubbed the rim of the cup with honey.<br />

So too, vice puts on the semblance of virtue, the better to deceive us.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Human desires are tempted only by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,<br />

or the pride of life. The Devil tempted the Lord by these three.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ “Everyone who looks lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart”<br />

(Matthew 5:28), and again, “You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor’s”<br />

(Exodus 20:17). Thus it is clearly proven that, even if one is deprived of<br />

everything and commits no sin whatever in action, but merely likes it and favors<br />

it and, so to speak, is attached to it, he is an enemy of God. Thus John says,<br />

“If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). So<br />

the Lord Himself says, “You must love the Lord your God with all your mind,<br />

and with all your strength, and with all your soul” (Matthew 12:30) .<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ If we have the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of our<br />

thoughts, how shall we be able in their midst to escape from any kind of sin,<br />

without in any way being harmed by its sting? I know well that many of the<br />

saints of old guarded themselves from this, and those of the present still do so.<br />

They spend their lives in the midst of the things of this life, its concerns and its<br />

cares, and yet complete their lives in perfect holiness.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

-28 -


+ Every man who loves purity and chastity becomes a temple of God.<br />

- St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ Offer to the Lord the weakness of your nature, fully acknowledging your own<br />

powerlessness, and imperceptibly you will receive the gift of chastity.<br />

- St. John Climacus<br />

+ O Lord Our God...stop the rushing of passions, and quench the burning of<br />

bodily tension. Grant us to live chastely in word and act, that we may live a life<br />

of heroic virtue and not fall away from Your promised blessings.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the “Evening Prayers”<br />

+ I write to you in the midst of life, yet in love with death, for my love (eros) has<br />

been crucified. There is within me no fire of material longing, but living water<br />

within me and springing up, crying aloud , “Come to the Father”.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

-29-


Wlpat th)e cbrwrcl) <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

TRUTH, LYING, FALSEHOODS, RUMORS<br />

AND OTHER SINS OF THE TONGUE<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Hilary of Poitiers<br />

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

St. Ambrose<br />

Bishop Tlfeophan the Recluse<br />

St. John climacus<br />

St. John chrvsostom<br />

St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

...and others<br />

-30-


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Christ Our God, Who is worshipped and glorified at all times, and in every hour<br />

in heaven and earth; Who is most patient, loving and kind; Who loves the just<br />

and shows mercy to sinners; Who calls all to salvation through the promise of<br />

the blessings to come. Lord, at this time, receive our prayer and direct our lives<br />

according to Your will. Bless our souls and bodies. Correct our thoughts and<br />

purify our minds. Protect us from all evil and distress. Surround us with Your<br />

Holy Angels, that guided and guarded by them, we may attain the unity of the<br />

Faith and the knowledge of Your unapproachable glory, for You are blessed<br />

forever and ever. Amen.<br />

(Here add your own private prayer and intercessions...)<br />

Through the prayers of our Holy <strong>Fathers</strong>, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have<br />

mercy on us and save us. Amen.<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Job 5:21<br />

> Psalm 34:19<br />

> Proverbs 15:4<br />

> 1 Corinthians 14:20-40<br />

> James 1:26, 3:1-18<br />

> 1 John 3:18-23<br />

> 2 Corinthians 11:10<br />

> 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12<br />

> 1 Timothy 2:3-4<br />

> Psalm 31:18, 109:2, 119:29,163<br />

> Proverbs 6:16-19,13:5, 21:6<br />

> Isaiah 30:9<br />

> Jeremiah 8:4-6<br />

> Ephesians 4:25-27<br />

> Exodus 18:21<br />

> Psalm 15:2, 25:5, 43:3, 86:11, 117:2<br />

> Proverbs 12:17-22<br />

> 1 Peter 3:10<br />

We are aware that not all men and women necessarily tell the truth, no matter<br />

how intelligent or persuasive they may seem. All of us are capable of lying. It is<br />

a major human flaw. And yet, we seek the truth in all things.<br />

What was the truth that Christ spoke? Well, we have His words in the Gospels.<br />

We know what He said and what it reveals about Him. We must also realize that<br />

the more we read these words of the Lord the deeper our understanding of the<br />

true Christian Faith.<br />

A friend may describe someone to you and give you as much information as is<br />

possible about his or her personality, attitudes, and deeds. Yet, until you hear a<br />

person speak, or watch what they do, or spend time with them-you really do not<br />

know them. This is also true about Our Lord, Jesus Christ.<br />

- 31 -


While we cannot meet Christ in the flesh, the more we read about His words<br />

and deeds, and solidify His words in our hearts - the more the Holy Spirit will<br />

make Him come alive for us. The Lord comes to us in the Eucharist, of course,<br />

and He becomes part of us, to strengthen us, and become food for our earthly<br />

journey. Still we are not able to sit down and converse with Him, so we rely on<br />

His words to make Him real. Christ will become a reality because the Spirit acts<br />

on our minds and hearts to bring Him to us. We will trust Him because, in<br />

Christ, truth becomes real!<br />

It is no accident that a phrase has come down to us in the English language,<br />

“The Gospel truth”. The Gospels are Truth itself and the spiritual wisdom within<br />

their pages is as precious as gold. In its pages read what Christ says, follow His<br />

word, let the Spirit act on your consciousness, and you will put yourself in<br />

Christ’s presence. Answer within your own mind the same questions He asks of<br />

His disciples, pay close attention to what He says about important issues in life.<br />

Nothing in this life will give you greater understanding, greater hope, or more<br />

assurance than the ultimate Truth one finds in Jesus Christ.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Our confession must not contain lazy or deliberately vague words. There<br />

must not be any space between our heart and lips, lest what should be the<br />

confession of true reverence becomes a mask for evil.<br />

- St. Hilary of Poitiers<br />

+ Hold your tongue in check with a tight rein. Restrain it and call it back to<br />

moderation.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ In suffering, we should not threaten in return. When we are verbally assaulted,<br />

we should not abuse in return. Instead, we should bless those that curse us<br />

and commit ourselves to God in all things. For God judges righteously. Those<br />

who do this conform themselves to the Gospel. They will have a part with Christ<br />

(and) will become imitators of apostolic conversation.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Restrain your tongue from speaking evil. Put the bridle of law on your mouth<br />

so that, if you speak, you will speak only when it would be sinful to remain<br />

silent.<br />

Accustom your tongue to always speak good about people. Use you ears to<br />

hear the praises of good people rather than their condemnation. Make sure that<br />

all your good actions are done for God’s sake. Let every good and pious deed<br />

-32-


e done only for God’s sake, since every good deed brings a reward if done out<br />

of fear and love for Him.<br />

- Sulpitius Severus<br />

+ He who has become aware of his sins has learned to control his tongue. Yet,<br />

a talkative person has not come to know himself as he should.<br />

- St. John Climacus<br />

+ If Moses, who was a god to Pharaoh, was shut out of the Promised Land<br />

because of one word, how much more will the evil words from our tongue, by<br />

which we offend God and abuse our fellow men, shut us out of heaven?<br />

- St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ Many abstain from meat, milk and other food which God has not forbidden<br />

and even gave as a blessing to people - who have learned the truth and know<br />

how to “partake of these things with thanksgiving”, (1 Timothy 4:34). But these<br />

same devout people, give scandal by their actions, and spread scandal with<br />

their tongue like a roaring fire.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ In general, excessive wordiness opens the doors of the soul, and the warmth<br />

of the heart escapes. Empty talk does the same, but even more so...Empty talk<br />

is the door to criticism and slander, the spreader of false rumors and opinions,<br />

the sower of discord and strife. Empty talk stifles the taste for mental work and<br />

almost always serves as a cover for the absence of sound knowledge.<br />

- Bishop Theophan the Recluse<br />

+ Slander is an offspring of hatred, a subtle, yet course disease, a leech lurking<br />

unfelt, wasting and draining the blood of love. It is, simulation of love, the patron<br />

of a heavy and unclean heart, the ruin of chastity.<br />

- St. John Climacus<br />

+ Wherefore, not those that are slandered, but the slanderers, have need to<br />

be anxious, and to tremble. For the former are not constrained to answer for<br />

themselves, touching the evil things which are said of them, but the latter will<br />

have to answer for the evil they have spoken, and over the slanderer hangs the<br />

whole danger.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ For everything give thanks to God, because thanksgiving intercedes before<br />

God for human weakness.<br />

- <strong>Saint</strong>s Barsanuphius and John<br />

+ Let there be a door on your mouth so that it can be shut when necessary. Let<br />

it be closed carefully so that no one can rouse your voice to anger and make<br />

-33-


you pay back abuse with abuse. You have heard it read, “Be angry but do not<br />

sin.” Therefore, although we are angry (as a result of our nature, not our will),<br />

we must not utter one evil word with our mouths, lest we fall into sin.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ Nothing pains the soul more than slander, whether directed against one’s faith<br />

or one’s manner of life. No one can be indifferent to it except those who, like<br />

Susanna, have their eyes fixed on God. For only God has the power to rescue<br />

from danger, as He rescued her, to convince men of truth, as He did in her<br />

case, and to encourage the soul with hope.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ If anyone reproaches, grieves or offends you in any way, do not become<br />

angry with that brother, but going away, pray to God for him in this way, “O Lord<br />

forgive him, and ascribe this insult to the Devil, for it is a demon who teaches us<br />

to offend one another.”<br />

- Elder Hilarion of Sarov<br />

+ The unjust person, or the malicious person, or the slanderer, is no different<br />

from the Devil.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ To speak evil of the righteous is a sin not easily pardoned.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The sin of the man who tells a lie to help another is not so heinous as that<br />

of the man who tells a lie to injure another.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ There is a difference between lying and being a liar. A man may tell a lie<br />

unwillingly, but a liar loves to lie, and inhabits in his mind the delight of lying.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Since by lying - eternal life is lost, never for any man’s temporal life must a<br />

lie be told.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The tongue is to be moderately bridled, not to be bound immoderately.<br />

- St. Gregory of Rome<br />

+ Make it your object, therefore, to keep your tongue chaste as well as your<br />

eyes.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Blessed are the lips, which never utter what they would wish to recall.<br />

- Sulpitius Severus<br />

-34-


+ The man who cannot restrain his tongue is most like an open city ...it is much<br />

easier to overcome, because it fights against itself with useless talk, helping the<br />

adversary.<br />

- St. Gregory of Rome<br />

+ If you are ever slandered and your innocence is subsequently revealed, do<br />

not be arrogant. Serve the Lord with humility and thank Him for freeing you from<br />

the calumnies of men, observing His Commandments faithfully and from the<br />

heart.<br />

- Sf. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ “With great difficulty I work to control my tongue”, a young monk confessed to<br />

Abba Nistheros.<br />

“When you talk, do you find peace?”<br />

“Never.”<br />

“Then why do you talk? Learn to be silent. When it is a matter of something of<br />

profit, it is better to listen to others than to speak.” the wise elder advised him.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Many lies are apparently told out of kindness, not malice, the object being<br />

someone’s safety or advantage. Such were the lies told by the midwives in the<br />

Book of Exodus who gave a false report to Pharaoh in order to save the male<br />

infants of Israel from death.<br />

But even here what is praiseworthy is not the lie but the reason the lie was told.<br />

Not the act but the motive.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ There are two kinds of lies which are no serious sin, but not free from all sin,<br />

the lie spoken in jest, and the lie spoken to offer some service.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The supreme act of worshipping God is praise toward Him from the mouth of<br />

a righteous person.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ When passion blows hard and storms rage, people throw out words without<br />

knowing how to be appropriate and measured in speech. But when the passion<br />

has ceased, they remember the kinds of words they spoke. They consider the<br />

loss and cannot be at peace. They remember the words that have disgraced<br />

them. They are robbed, not of money, but of self- control and gentle character.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 3 5 -


+ It is useless to try to teach what you don’t know, and is worse still to be<br />

ignorant of your ignorance.<br />

- Theodoret<br />

+ Let us discipline our tongues to administer the Spirit’s grace and empty our<br />

mouths of every trace of bitterness, malice and disgracefulness. For we have<br />

the power to make each part of our bodies to be instruments of wickedness or<br />

righteousness.<br />

We see the same thing with our mouth. Those with mouths full of filth and<br />

wickedness are accused. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. But<br />

this isn’t the case with the righteousness man: “My mouth will speak of wisdom<br />

and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding” (Psalm 49:3).<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Just as mischievous boys lock out their teacher, false teachers shut out true<br />

teachings from their <strong>Church</strong>, looking at them with suspicion. In fact, they stitch<br />

together a mass of lies and fabrications so that they may appear as though they<br />

are acting reasonably by not admitting the Scriptures. So then, they do not<br />

practice piety since they are uncomfortable with the promptings of the Holy<br />

Spirit. They are deprived of the faithful counsel of God, the traditions of Christ,<br />

and are bitter like wild almonds. Their doctrine (except for the evident truths<br />

they could not discard or conceal) begins with themselves.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ It is an old saying, “Liars are disbelieved even when they speak the truth.”<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ It is, beyond all doubt, worse to swear falsely by the true God than to swear<br />

truly by the false gods.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ For the guarding of the inner man, one must strive to restrain the tongue from<br />

much idle talk.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Truth always shines brighter when thoroughly ventilated.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ It is in our power, when we are examined, to deny that we are Christians;<br />

but we could not live by telling a lie.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ Seek for yourself, O man - search for your true self. “He who seeks shall find<br />

himself in God.”<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

-36-


+ A certain monk was slandered by another who was perceived to be a very<br />

holy man. The slandered monk was puzzled and fell into such despair that even<br />

his health began to suffer. He asked himself, “How is it that this so- called holy<br />

man, respected by others, could have such little comprehension and hurt<br />

another person, under the guise of protecting the Faith. After all, the slandered<br />

monk thought, “I am being attacked for supposed personal immorality, not<br />

heresy.” The torment of being attacked overtook the monk’s mind.<br />

Finally, a very wise monk, a man with great spiritual discernment, told the monk,<br />

“If your attacker were really holy, he would probably not cause you this great<br />

spiritual and physical harm. However, if you judge him in return and proclaim<br />

that he is not really holy, then the spiritual harm to you would be much greater.<br />

Leave the final judgment to God alone!”<br />

- The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Hell itself bubbles up with rumors and slander.<br />

- Commodianus<br />

+ A fire of straw quickly dies out and a spreading flame soon expires if fuel is<br />

not added to the fire.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ It is not lawful for you to patiently listen to evil- speaking against another,<br />

inasmuch as you would not wish that to be done by others against yourself.<br />

- Sulpitius Severus<br />

+ Beware of babbling tongues and itching ears. Don’t gossip about others or<br />

listen to gossips. “You sit” says the psalmist, “and speak against your brother;<br />

you slander your own mother’s son. These things have you done quickly and I<br />

kept silence; you thought wrongly that I was such a one as yourself, but I will<br />

reprove you and set them in order before your eyes.”<br />

Keep your tongue from frivolously expressing disapproval and watch over your<br />

words. Know this; when you judge others, you are sentencing yourself. For you<br />

are also guilty of the things of which you accuse them. Isn’t it an excuse to say,<br />

“If others tell me things, I cannot be rude to them ?” No one wants to talk to an<br />

unwilling listener.<br />

An arrow never lodges itself in a stone. Instead, it often recoils on its shooter.<br />

Therefore, let the gossip learn not to be so quick to gossip because of your<br />

unwillingness to listen. Solomon says, “Meddle not with them that are given to<br />

gossip for their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knows the destruction of<br />

them both?” That is, the person who knows the destruction of the gossip and of<br />

the person who listens to this gossip.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

-37-


+ For the preservation of peace of soul one must...by every means flee from<br />

the judgment of others.<br />

- Sf. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Do not speak evil of your brother, even if you see him transgressing all<br />

the Commandments. Otherwise, you yourself will fall into the hands of your<br />

enemies.<br />

- St. Anthony the Great<br />

+ Because of the words of the serpent, Eve was expelled from paradise - such<br />

also is speaking of one’s neighbor. It destroys the hearer and destroys also the<br />

soul of the speaker.<br />

- Abba Agathon<br />

+ For an offense, whatever kind may have been given, one must not avenge<br />

oneself, but on the contrary must all the more forgive from the heart, even<br />

though it may resist this, and must incline the heart by conviction of the word<br />

of God: “If you do not forgive men of their trespasses, neither will your Father<br />

forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15).<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ A monk of a large monastery, who was somewhat lax in spiritual matters,<br />

became seriously ill and was nearing death. The brothers of the monastery<br />

gathered around to give him courage in his last hours, and noticed that the<br />

brother was facing death with great calmness.<br />

The abbot said, “My son, we all know that you were not always diligent in your<br />

spiritual duties. How is it that you leave this life for the other with such<br />

courage?”<br />

“It is true, Abba”, murmured the dying monk, “that I was often negligent, and not<br />

a good monk. I have, however, observed one thing with exactness in my life.<br />

I never judged anyone. Because of this, I intend to plead my case before my<br />

Divine Master and say, ‘Lord you said, do not judge in order not to be judged’,<br />

and I hope that He will not judge me strictly.”<br />

The abbot said in wonderment, “Go in peace on your eternal journey my<br />

brother. You have succeeded without toil in saving yourself.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ It is more virtuous to eat meat and drink wine than to consume the flesh of<br />

one’s brethren through slander.<br />

- Abbot Hyperechius<br />

+ A monk of our day said, “One commandment could cure the ills of those who<br />

cause turmoil in the <strong>Church</strong> today, ‘Judge no one!’ should be the motto of those<br />

who hold firm to the ancient <strong>Orthodox</strong> tradition.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om a Commentary<br />

- 3 8 -


W pat tl)e Cyurcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About,<br />

ANGER, HATRED AND REVENGE<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Metropolitan philaret of Moscow<br />

St. Isaac t^e Syrian<br />

Abba Isidoros<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

St. clement of Rome<br />

Abba Poemen<br />

The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

... and others<br />

- 39 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Dear Lord, the storms of life are sweeping down on me, the winds and rains<br />

of adversity, guilt, hurt, misunderstanding, failure, insecurity, hardship, anxiety,<br />

tension, doubt, rejection. They are pummeling me like hailstones in an open<br />

field. I feel so threatened, lost and alone.<br />

0 Lord, please hear my prayer and save me or I perish, for there is salvation<br />

only with You, for You only can still the storms and bring me tranquility. Please<br />

help me to relax in Your loving care and keeping.<br />

1 know You are Lord of the Universe and Master of our lives. And I know that I<br />

am infinitely precious in Your sight. Give me the strength to understand that<br />

nothing will happen to me except if it passes through Your knowledge and will.<br />

Be my shelter and preserver through every storm I may face and bring me, by<br />

Your strong hand, to a place of peace, through Him who is my peace, My Lord<br />

and Savior Jesus Christ.<br />

This I ask through the prayer of Our Holy and Almighty Father, and that of Our<br />

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, have mercy o me and save me. Amen.<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Psalm 37:8, 103:8-10, 94<br />

> Proverbs 15:18, 19:11, 15:1, 27:4<br />

> Psalm 34:21, 35:19, 97:10, 101:3<br />

> Proverbs 1:22, 1:29,6:16- 19,13:5<br />

> Isaiah 35:4<br />

> St. Matthew 5:44<br />

> St. Luke 6:22<br />

> Colossians 3:8, 3:21<br />

> Ephesians 4:31<br />

> Hebrews 10:30-31<br />

> 1 John 2:9, 3:15, 4:20-21<br />

> Romans 7:15<br />

> St. John 3:20<br />

Just how does a believing Christian keep from succumbing to the vices of<br />

anger, fear and hatred in this age when the world seems to drift aimlessly,<br />

morally bankrupt, and heading for what seems sure to be generations of<br />

terrorism and fear?<br />

We look around us, at schools, government, even in some <strong>Church</strong>es and<br />

it appears that the front lines of defense have crumbled and we are left<br />

alone - deserted in a world gone mad! Simple values such as peace-making,<br />

forgiveness, truthfulness, dependability, and concern for the welfare of others<br />

seem swallowed up in a culture of selfishness and greed. We would rather<br />

sue than solve problems in a conciliatory spirit. The fort seems deserted, and<br />

it appears that we are left alone!<br />

-40-


It is very natural for a Christian to feel he is alone on this devastated human<br />

wasteland. One cries out in desperation, “Lord, help me!” or “My God, why have<br />

You forsaken me?” This desperation has been felt before in Holy Scripture,<br />

figures such as Elijah, David and even Our Lord Himself called out the familiar<br />

cry of anguish, “My God, why have You forsaken me?”<br />

Often, in the pages of Scripture we see that evil must be allowed to ferment and<br />

“come to a head”. Farmers do not harvest until a crop is ready, physicians will<br />

not lance an abscess until the infection has localized - and God will not deal<br />

with the evil in this world until it is ready to be neutralized and destroyed forever.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ He who sufficiently knows and judges himself does not have time to judge<br />

others.<br />

- Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow<br />

+ Someone who speaks up in defense of a person suffering injustice, will find<br />

an advocate in his Creator.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ A man prone to anger, even if he is capable of raising the dead, will not be<br />

received into the Kingdom of Heaven.<br />

- Abba Agathon<br />

+ The person who accuses his brother for committing evil deeds, will find God<br />

as his accuser.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ If you feel that hatred has overwhelmed you, remain silent. Say nothing until,<br />

by ceaseless prayer and self- recrimination, you have calmed your heart.<br />

- St. Hilarion<br />

+ How many trifling and incessant pretexts the Devil offers us for hating our<br />

neighbor, so that we are almost constantly angry with others, almost constantly<br />

bearing malice against others - and living in accordance with his infernal<br />

all- destructive will. Do not chase his phantoms, put aside all enmity, and love<br />

everyone, for love is of God.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ To bear a grudge in hate and attempt to pray, means to sow seed on the sea<br />

and expect a harvest.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

-41 -


+ Even if we are entirely despised in the eyes of men, let us rejoice that we are<br />

honored in the eyes of God.<br />

- Abba John<br />

+ A complaining, vindictive monk, prone to anger, cannot exist. That is to say<br />

that, anyone who has such faults is not actually a monk, even if he wears the<br />

great habit.<br />

- Abba Poimen<br />

+ An enemy must be aided, so that he won’t continue to be an enemy.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

+ If anyone abuses you, bless him. If he accepts the blessing, it is good for both<br />

of you. If, however, he does not accept it, you receive a blessing from God and<br />

the abuse rests on him.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ A rebuke stemming from envy is a poisoned arrow.<br />

- St. Isaac to Syrian<br />

+ When malice against anyone is roused within you, then believe that this is<br />

the work of the Evil One working in your heart. Hate him and his brood and the<br />

malice will leave you. Do not acknowledge it as anything of your own, and do<br />

not sympathize with it. This is from experience.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ When anyone is disturbed or saddened under the pretext of a good and<br />

soul- profiting matter, and is angered against his neighbor, it is evident that this<br />

is not according to God. For everything that is of God is peaceful and useful for<br />

perfection, which leads a man to humility and judging himself.<br />

- St. Barsanuphius<br />

+ Do not make things worse for those who are bitter, lest you be scourged by<br />

the same rod that they are; then you will seek someone to console you, but you<br />

will find no one.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ When we see a person who has committed serious sins and crimes escaping<br />

with impunity, we react with indignation. We want to see that person answer<br />

for his crimes and punished. We feel anger when this does not happen. But at<br />

moments such as these we should reflect on our own misdeeds: indeed we<br />

should turn that sense of indignation inward against ourselves. Each of us<br />

should ask, “How many sins have I committed against others, when I have<br />

escaped with impunity?” There are, no doubt, many examples in all our cases.<br />

Recognizing this fact will cause our anger, directed towards others, to melt<br />

away. More importantly, it will make us turn to God and ask forgiveness of these<br />

-42 -


sins. It may be due, however, to a difference between our own sins and the sins<br />

we notice in others. Our own sins are probably quite subtle and inconspicuous,<br />

whereas the sins of others are obvious and gross. Should we, therefore,<br />

regard our own sins as less important or dire? On the contrary, we should<br />

realize that subtle sins are frequently most harmful. Obvious sins, such as<br />

burglary and manslaughter, are easily recognized, and so can be guarded<br />

against by physical means. The more subtle sins, such as lying or slander,<br />

and power- mongering, are frequently hard to spot and so difficult to prevent.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Irritability of temper proceeds from a want of self- knowledge, from pride,<br />

and also from the fact that we do not consider the great corruption of our<br />

nature, and know little about the meek and humble Jesus.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Dislike, enmity, or hatred should be unknown among Christians, even by<br />

name. How can dislike exist among Christians? Everywhere you should see<br />

love, everywhere you should breathe the fragrance of love. Our God is the<br />

God of love. His Kingdom is the kingdom of love. Out of love for us He did not<br />

spare His only- begotten Son, but delivered Him up to die for our sake, to be a<br />

propitiation for our sins.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ When someone wishes to repay evil- with evil, he can injure his brother’s<br />

soul even by a single nod of the head.<br />

- Abba Isaiah<br />

+ A monastic who had quarreled with another monk went to an elder and<br />

confessed to him, “A brother greatly embittered me and the thought of seeking<br />

revenge plagues me. What shall I do?” The wise elder replied, “Lock yourself in<br />

your cell and do not cease, day or night to pray for him. Only in this way will you<br />

be released from the passion that seethes inside you.”<br />

The brother obeyed and, within one week, he found peace in his soul.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ One day, the brothers were sitting in front of the church and consulting an<br />

elder about their thoughts. An elder told Brother John, “Your vessel is full of<br />

poison.” Abba John said, “That is very true, and you have said that when you<br />

see only the outside, but if you were able to see the inside, too, what would<br />

you say then?”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

-43-


+ The wrath of man is a terrible, unnatural phenomenon deep inside him: it is<br />

often aroused in the heart by the most unimportant causes - mostly through<br />

the self- love or pride concealed in our heart. We must recall the words of Holy<br />

Scripture, “The wrath of man does not work to the righteousness of God”<br />

(James 1:20).<br />

- St. John Kronstadt<br />

+ Most people think that idolatry is only burning incense, sacrificing a victim,<br />

committing to sacred ceremonies or priesthoods. Similarly, some believe that<br />

adultery consists only in kisses, embraces and actual fleshly contact, or murder<br />

only in the shedding of blood and the actual taking of life. But the Lord looks<br />

at these crimes in much wider terms. He proclaims that adultery exists even in<br />

lustful thoughts or desires, “If one shall cast an eye lustfully on another...” He<br />

sees murder even in a curse or reproach, in every impulse of anger, and in the<br />

neglect of kindness toward a neighbor. As St. John teaches, “He who hates his<br />

neighbor is a murderer" (1 John 3:15).<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Anger is foolish, fickle and senseless. Now folly gives birth to bitterness,<br />

bitterness to anger, and anger to frenzy. This frenzy, the product of so many<br />

evils, ends in great and incurable sin. For when all these spirits dwell in one<br />

vessel, in which the Holy Spirit also dwells, the vessel cannot contain them<br />

but overflows.<br />

- “The Shepherd of Hermas”<br />

+ God isn’t pain, He is pleasure<br />

He isn’t cowardice, but boldness.<br />

He isn’t fear, anger, or any other emotion that sways the unguided soul.<br />

But, as the Apostle Paul says, “God is Wisdom, Sanctification, Truth, Joy,<br />

Peace, and everything in their realm.”<br />

- St. Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ Resist anger and bitterness, and you will be found in company with the purity<br />

which is loved by the Lord.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Concerning God’s love and mercy, we shouldn’t be bitter, cruel or inhuman<br />

toward sinners. Instead we should mourn with those that mourn, weep with<br />

those that weep, and raise them up by the help and comfort of our love as much<br />

as we can. We should be neither too rigorous in rejecting their repentance nor<br />

too lax in allowing communion.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Every day we should consider what we have done that day and night. If we<br />

have sinned, we must stop. But if we haven’t, we must not be full of false pride.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

-44 -


+ People don’t look at what happens to others in the same way as what<br />

happens to them. So when the disciples saw others benefiting and not<br />

themselves, they became apathetic. Because they couldn’t see or enjoy<br />

their own blessings from Him, Christ allowed the storm. Then, by their<br />

deliverance from it, they could gain a better perception of their benefits.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Fear isn’t caused by approaching trials, but by weakness of the mind.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Envying is even worse than fighting, since those who fight end their hatred<br />

when the cause of the war ends. But those who hold grudges would never<br />

become our friends.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ It is natural for one to be angry because generally there is good reason.<br />

However, it is our duty to restrain anger. We must not be carried away by fury<br />

like a lion, unable to settle down. We must not spread tales or make family<br />

quarrels worse, for it is written, “A wrathful man digs up sin.” One who is<br />

double- minded won’t be consistent. Therefore, even though we are angry, we<br />

must only admit that our emotion is natural and must not sin.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ Hatred is evil, because it always tolerates lying or speaking against the truth;<br />

it makes small things great, considers darkness to be light. It calls sweet things<br />

bitter, and teaches slander, war, violence, and evil. It fills every heart with<br />

devilish poison.<br />

Righteousness negates hatred and humility destroys hatred. For if one is<br />

righteous and good, he will be ashamed to do wrong. Righteous men aren't<br />

rebuked by someone else, but by their own heart, because the Lord sees their<br />

motives. They don’t speak against anyone, because their fear of the Most High<br />

overcomes hatred. Because they fear offending the Lord, they won’t do anything<br />

wrong to anyone, even by their thoughts.<br />

- “Testimony” from the Ancient Prophets<br />

+ If we detect any trace of hatred within our hearts, against any man, for<br />

committing any fault, we are utterly estranged from love for God, since true<br />

love for God absolutely precludes us from hating any man.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ He who is insolent towards men is insolent towards God, as many of us are.<br />

Respect in mankind the grand, inestimable image of God and be forbearing<br />

towards the faults and errors of fallen man, so that God may be forbearing<br />

towards your own, because the enemy of God and of mankind, being unable<br />

to vent his malice upon God, endeavors to vent it upon His image-man, - as<br />

- 4 5 -


well as his impurities, his darkness, pride, envy, hatred, etc. Respect, therefore,<br />

man and save him; watch yourself also, do not become irritable, nor malicious,<br />

do not envy, do not offend, do not retaliate, do not commit adultery, do not steal,<br />

do not harbor hatred, and so on.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt.<br />

+ For an offense, whatever kind may have been given, one must not only refrain<br />

from avenging himself, but on the contrary must forgive from the heart, even<br />

though it may resist this, and must incline the heart by conviction of the word of<br />

God, “If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive<br />

your trespasses” (St. Matthew 6:15).<br />

- St. Gregory the Theologian<br />

+ One should nourish the soul with the word of God, for the word of God is<br />

angelic bread, by which souls who hunger for God are nourished. Most of all,<br />

one should be occupied with reading the New Testament and the Psalter, and<br />

this should be done while standing.<br />

- Sf. Gregory the Theologian<br />

+ “I have never gone to sleep with a grievance against anyone, and, as far as<br />

I could, I have never let anyone go to sleep with a grievance against me.”<br />

A man who is angry, even if he were to raise the dead, is not acceptable to God.<br />

- Abba Agathon<br />

+ One must, by every means, strive to preserve peace of soul and not to be<br />

disturbed by others, for this, one must strive to restrain anger in every way and<br />

by means of attentiveness to keep the mind and heart from improper feelings.<br />

If, however, it is impossible not to be disturbed, then at least one must strive to<br />

restrain the tongue, according to the Psalmist, “I was troubled, and did not<br />

speak” (Psalm 76:5).<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ When you are insulted by someone or humiliated, guard against angry<br />

thoughts, lest they arouse a feeling of irritation, and so cut you off from love<br />

and place you in the realm of hatred.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ When anyone is disturbed or saddened under the pretext of a good and<br />

soul- profiting matter, and is angered against his neighbor, it is evident that this<br />

is not according to God. For everything that is of God is peaceful and useful<br />

and leads a man to humility and judging himself.<br />

- St. Barsanuphius the Great<br />

-46 -


+ “If you are troubled by evil spirits”, a desert Father said, “reveal them in<br />

confession, so as to be released from them quickly. Just as a snake is<br />

destroyed as soon as it comes out of hiding, so too an evil thought comes to<br />

ruin as soon as it is open expressed and exposed.”<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ A brother was tormented by carnal desire. For many years, he labored alone,<br />

but saw no profit to himself. Finally, in order to conquer his passion, he stood in<br />

the middle of the church one Sunday after Divine Liturgy and said loudly, so that<br />

all the monks could hear; “Pray for me brothers, that God may have mercy on<br />

me, because for fourteen whole years I have warred against the flesh.”<br />

Saying these things, he felt immediately freed from the passion. What he could<br />

not do with years of toil and asceticism, confession accomplished in one<br />

moment.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

-47-


Wlyat tbe C \)w c\) <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

DISCIPLINE, OBEDIENCE, PERFECTION,<br />

TEMPTATION, FREE WILL, AND SELF-ESTEEM<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Elder Paisios<br />

St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

St. Cyril of Alexandria<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

St. Simeon the New Theologian<br />

Monks Callistus and Ignatius<br />

St. Gregory Nazianzen<br />

...and others<br />

-48-


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

O Lord, by Your Holy Spirit, teach me good judgment, knowledge, self-<br />

discipline, and obedience. Grant me to know Your truth before I go down into<br />

the grave. Maintain my life in this world until I may offer unto You worthy<br />

repentance.<br />

Take me not away in the midst of my days, nor while my mind is still blind from<br />

sin. When You shall be pleased to bring my life to an end, forewarn me that I<br />

may prepare my soul to come before Your heavenly throne.<br />

Be with me, O Lord, at that dread hour and grant me the joy of salvation.<br />

Cleanse me from secret faults, from all temptation and iniquity that is hidden in<br />

me, and give me a right answer before Your judgment- seat.<br />

Lord, of Your great mercy and immeasurable love for mankind grant me pardon<br />

and remission of my sins and give me peace. Amen.<br />

- Archbishop Sophronios<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Job 36:10, 11:7, 28:3 > Romans 5:19, 16:19<br />

> Corinthians 13:9 > Hebrews 5:8-10<br />

> James 1:17, 2:22 > Hebrews 6:1-3<br />

> Romans 15:18 > 1 Peter 5:10-11<br />

> 1 Peter 1:13-14 > St. Matthew 6:13, 26:41<br />

> St. Luke 8:13 > 1 Timothy 6:9<br />

> 2 Peter 2:9<br />

A young child dashed in front of a speeding car as her mother cried out, “Stop”<br />

and the youngster halted immediately just inches from being killed.<br />

A bystander exclaimed, “How lucky you are that the child obeyed you.” The<br />

shaken mother replied, “ That was not just chance, it was habit. My daughter<br />

has been taught to obey first and ask questions afterward.”<br />

This is a lesson that most Christians need to learn. How often we wait to<br />

obey God until we contemplate the consequences and weigh the decision.<br />

Most times we wait too long and thus God’s will is thwarted, and our lives are<br />

permanently altered or damaged.<br />

Sometimes our firm obedience to God could mean spiritual life or death.<br />

A sudden jolt of conscience that we ignore could bring immediate disaster on<br />

us, or our family/friends. Obedience then, is an act of the will that we are able<br />

-49 -


to perform or refuse. An example of this is the neglect of necessary prayer- a<br />

deliberate act of the will, whereby we could experience a serious breakdown in<br />

our intimate relationship with Almighty God.<br />

Real obedience is not just agreement, it is a free response to legitimate<br />

authority out of respect, honor or love. True obedience acts without questioning,<br />

and it is one of the most essential qualities in maintaining spiritual harmony with<br />

God. God cannot be paramount in our lives, and cannot function there without<br />

obedience to Him anymore than a parent, civic society, or other type of<br />

community unit can succeed if obedience to authority is missing, or ignored.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ There is nothing that hinders us from finding faith. If we heartily desire it, faith<br />

at once becomes active. It is a gift of Our Master and a natural thing, even<br />

though it remains subject to our own freedom of choice.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Earthly service is a test, an obedience, a preparatory service for our heavenly<br />

home. We remember the words of Christ, “You have been faithful over a few<br />

things; I will make you ruler over many things” ( St. Matthew 25:21).<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Temptation is like a raging winter stream that is difficult to cross. Those who<br />

aren’t overwhelmed by temptations pass through. They show themselves to be<br />

excellent swimmers and aren’t swept away at all. Those who are not competent,<br />

however, enter into the waters of temptation and are lost. As an example, Judas<br />

entered into the temptation of loving money. He didn’t swim through it but was<br />

overpowered, and both his body and spirit were strangled.<br />

- St. Cyril of Alexandria<br />

+ We do not reach the final stages of spiritual maturity through Divine power<br />

and grace alone, without making any effort ourselves. But neither, on the other<br />

hand, do we attain the final measure of freedom and purity as a result of our<br />

own diligence and strength alone, apart from any Divine assistance. “If the Lord<br />

does not build the house, and protect the city, in vain do the watchmen keep<br />

awake, and in vain do the laborer and the builder work” ( Psalm 27:1- 4).<br />

- St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

+ The holy elder said, “It is not freedom when we say to people that everything<br />

is permitted. That is slavery. To improve one must have difficulties. Let’s look<br />

at an example. We have a small tree, we take care of it. We place a stake<br />

and tie it with a rope. Naturally we don’t tie it with wire because that way we<br />

would injure it. With that method we would not constrain the tree, and it<br />

-50-


would not develop properly. Now look at the child. We limit his freedom from<br />

the beginning. When he is first conceived the poor thing is limited to his<br />

mother’s womb, and remains there the whole nine months. Later he is born<br />

and immediately they wrap him in a blanket, they tie him up, and as soon as<br />

he begins to grow they set a railing, etc. All of this is necessary for him to grow.<br />

It appears to take away freedom, but without these protective measures the<br />

child will die in the first moment.”<br />

- Elder Paisios<br />

+ The new man, in Christ, finds pleasure in obedience, while the old man<br />

wishes to resist...Therefore, 0 Lord, Your will be done. I accept, as an<br />

expression of Your Will, all that is required of me by the authorities set over<br />

me, all that others do to me ( patience ), all that happens to me, for nothing<br />

happens without You. You are in everything, throughout all and everything.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Every affliction reveals the disposition of our will, whether it inclines to the<br />

right or to the left. An affliction is therefore called temptation, because it puts<br />

to the test the man afflicted by it, proving his inner strength and obedience.<br />

- Monks Callistus and Ignatius<br />

+ There is a good reason why everything is attributed to God. For no matter<br />

how much you run, or how much you wrestle, you need someone to give you<br />

a reward. If the Lord didn’t construct the house, those who build it have labored<br />

in vain. If the Lord doesn’t watch over the city, those who watch over it, protect<br />

it in vain. “I know”, Solomon says, “that the race isn’t to the swift, or the battle to<br />

the strong, the victory to the fighters, or the harbors to the good sailors. But it is<br />

God who brings about victory. He brings the ship safely into the good harbor. ”<br />

- St. Gregory Nazianzen<br />

+ It is impossible for us to reach the other side unless we have endured the<br />

temptations of waves and hostile winds.<br />

- Origen<br />

+ I don’t know what temptations I can resist, and which ones I can’t. But there<br />

is hope because You are faithful O Lord. You won’t allow us to be tempted<br />

beyond what we are able to endure, but will always make a way to escape<br />

the temptation so that we can bear it.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Those who are rebuked when chastised must not become angry, for we<br />

are all human and have faults. Those who rebuke must not rejoice over the<br />

person and make a scene, but do it privately and with gentleness. Those who<br />

rebuke need to be very gentle, in order to persuade the rebuked to bear the cut.<br />

Don’t you see how gently surgeons treat their patients when they must cut<br />

them? Those who rebuke must act in this way even more. For rebukes are<br />

-51 -


even sharper than fire and knives. They make people react. As a result,<br />

surgeons take great care to make their patients bear the cutting well. So should<br />

we offer rebukes so that the rebuked do not run away.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ When a man comes to know that he can fall away from God as a dry leaf<br />

falls from a tree, then he knows the power of his soul.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ It is for love’s sake that he who is in a state of obedience obeys what is<br />

commanded; and it is for love’s sake that he who is rich and free sheds his<br />

possessions and becomes a servant, surrendering both what he has (and<br />

him self) to whoever wishes to possess them. Likewise he who fasts does so<br />

for love’s sake, so that others may eat what he would otherwise have eaten.<br />

In short, every work rightly done is done out of love for God or for one’s<br />

neighbor. The things we have spoken of, and others like them, are done out of<br />

love for one’s neighbor, while vigils, psalmody and the like are out of love for<br />

God. To Him be glory, honor and dominion through all the ages.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ When people say that it is impossible to attain perfection, to be once and for<br />

all free from the passions, or to participate fully in the Holy Spirit, we should cite<br />

Holy Scripture against them, showing them that they are ignorant and speak<br />

falsely and dangerously. For the Lord has said, “Become perfect, as your<br />

Heavenly Father is perfect” (St. Matthew 5:48).<br />

- St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

+ The tongue is a dangerous thing if it is not governed by reason. Believe<br />

that listening is always safer than talking. Worship a little through words, but<br />

even more by your actions. Worship more by keeping the Law than by admiring<br />

the Lawgiver. Show your love for God by running from wickedness, pursuing<br />

righteousness, living and walking in the Spirit, drawing your knowledge from<br />

Him, and building on the foundation of faith.<br />

- St. Gregory Nazianzen<br />

+ Abba Anthony said to Abba Poemen, “This is the great work of a man, always<br />

to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his<br />

last breath.”<br />

He also said, “Whosoever has not experienced temptation cannot enter the<br />

Kingdom of Heaven.” He then added, “Without temptation, no one can be<br />

saved.”<br />

Again he said, “I saw all the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world<br />

and I said groaning, what can get one through such snares? Then I heard a<br />

voice saying to me, humility.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

-52-


+ Abba Rouphous says that a greater glory awaits the monk who is obedient to<br />

an elder than to the hermit who lives by his own will in the solitude of the desert.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ A holy woman said, “While a person is in a monastery, obedience is preferred<br />

to ascetic practice. The former teaches humility, the latter teaches pride.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Take away temptations and no one will be saved.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Discretion is the greatest of all the virtues.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Sound doctrine does not enter the heart that is hardened and disobedient.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ Even though the <strong>Fathers</strong> often reduced their practice of bodily discipline<br />

because of age or lack of physical strength, they never relaxed their practice<br />

of the moral virtues at all. For in the place of bodily asceticism they had bodily<br />

weakness, which is able to constrain the flesh. But we cannot keep the soul<br />

sinless so that the intellect may be illumined unless we practice the virtues of<br />

the soul.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ The love of God lies in the love of people, and there is no other way. At the<br />

Last Judgment I shall not be asked whether I was successful in my ascetic<br />

exercises, how many bows and prostrations I made in the course of prayer.<br />

I shall be asked, Did I feed the hungry? Clothe the naked? Visit the sick and<br />

the prisoners? That is all I shall be asked. About every poor, hungry and<br />

imprisoned person the Savior says “I”: “I was hungry and thirsty, I was sick<br />

and in prison.” To think that He puts an equal sign between Himself and anyone<br />

in need...I always knew it, but now it has somehow penetrated into my sinews.<br />

It fills me with awe!<br />

- Mother Maria<br />

+ One must be in obedience to a superior; for through that he who is obedient<br />

prospers mightily in the formation of his soul: and in addition he obtains by this<br />

means understanding of things, and comes to heartfelt contrition.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ There are three things especially pleasing to God. Illnesses suffered with<br />

patience, works done without ostentation and for His love only, and submission<br />

to a spiritual elder with perfect self- denial. The last thing will gain the greatest<br />

crown.<br />

- Abba Joseph the Thebite<br />

-53-


+ He that is freed owes obedience to his deliverer. Therefore, we who desire to<br />

be Christians should imitate what Christ said and did.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ There is no obedience beyond obedience to the <strong>Church</strong>. And if we only wipe<br />

the floor in the Lord’s house with a rag, this is set by God higher than any other<br />

work. There is no obedience higher than to the <strong>Church</strong>. And everything done<br />

in it, no matter what (both as you go in and go out) everything must be done<br />

with fear and trembling and with unceasing prayer, and nothing should ever<br />

be spoken in that sacred place, save that pertaining to that which is absolutely<br />

necessary.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ If a man does not say in his heart, in the world there is only God and myself,<br />

he will not gain peace.<br />

- Abba Alonius<br />

+ Complete freedom from cares lies in complete obedience, in faith, to one’s<br />

spiritual father.<br />

- Nikon of Optina<br />

+ If someone were especially dear to me, but I realized that he was causing me<br />

to do something less than good, I should put him far from me.<br />

- Abba Agathon<br />

+ Even a pious person is not immune to spiritual sickness if he does not have<br />

a wise guide - either a living person or spiritual writer. This sickness is called<br />

“p r e ie s ior spiritual delusion, imagining oneself to be near to God and to the<br />

realm of the Divine and supernatural. Even zealous ascetics in monasteries are<br />

sometimes subject to this delusion, but of course, laymen who are zealous in<br />

external struggles (podvig) undergo it much more frequently. Surpassing their<br />

acquaintances in struggles of prayer and fasting, they imagine that they are<br />

seers of Divine visions, or at least of dreams inspired by grace. In every event<br />

of their lives, they see special intentional directions from God or their guardian<br />

angel. And then they start imagining that they are God’s elect, and often try to<br />

foretell the future. The Holy <strong>Fathers</strong> armed themselves against nothing so<br />

fiercely as against this spiritual sickness -pretest.<br />

- Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky<br />

+ For Christians above all men are forbidden to correct the mistakes of sinners<br />

by force-it is necessary to make a man better not by force, but by persuasion.<br />

We neither have authority granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor, if it were,<br />

should we know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are kept<br />

from evil, not by force, but by choice.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 54 -


+ Do all in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall. But if you<br />

do, get up again at once and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand<br />

times because of the withdrawal of God’s grace, rise up again each time, and<br />

patiently keep on doing this until the day of your death. For it is written, “If a<br />

righteous man falls down seven times”-that is, repeatedly throughout his life-<br />

“seven times shall he rise up again” (Proverbs 24:16).<br />

- John of Karpathos<br />

+ No one may call himself a Christian but he who perseveres even to the end.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ All people love those who love them. It is peculiar to Christians alone to love<br />

those who hate them.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ No man has been entrusted with great things without having first been tried<br />

in small ones.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ He who does not acknowledge his sinfulness, his fall, his perdition, cannot<br />

accept Christ, cannot come to believe in Christ, cannot be a Christian.<br />

- Hierarch Ignatius Brianchaninov<br />

+ Tend to yourself, and it is enough.<br />

- Elder Joseph of Optina<br />

+ One does not notice that he loves, just as one does not notice that<br />

he breathes.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ When God wishes to take pity on a soul and it rebels, not bearing anything<br />

and doing its own will, he then allows it to suffer that which it does not want, in<br />

order that it may seek him again.<br />

- Abba Isaiah<br />

+ A man becomes a Christian, he is not born one.<br />

- A Desert Father and Tertullian<br />

+ A pious, God-loving ascetic without compassion, is a tree that bears no fruit.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ We have put the light burden on one side, that is to say, self-accusation, and<br />

we have loaded ourselves with a heavy one, that is to say, self-justification.<br />

- Abba John<br />

-55-


+ The Lord helps us amid sorrows and temptations. He does not free us from<br />

them, but imparts to us the power to bear them easily, even to ignore them.<br />

- Nikon of Optina<br />

+ I think that for those living in community, obedience is a greater virtue than<br />

chastity, however perfect. Chastity carries within it the danger of pride, but<br />

obedience has within it the promise of humility.<br />

- Holy Father Syncletia<br />

+ If someone has faith in another and hands himself over to him in complete<br />

submission, he does not need to pay attention to God’s Commandments but<br />

he can entrust his whole will to his father. He will suffer no reproach from God,<br />

for He looks for nothing from beginners as much as renunciation through<br />

obedience.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ Obedience responds to obedience. When someone obeys God, then God<br />

obeys his prayer requests.<br />

- Abba Mios of Belos<br />

+ An inexperienced monk consulted a certain holy elder regarding what rule<br />

of fasting he should follow. “Avoid excesses, my child ”, he advised him. “Many<br />

have tried to fast beyond their powers and did not endure for very long.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Without temptations it is impossible to acquire a strong constitution of the<br />

soul. But again, to withstand them is not in our power. How could perishable<br />

clay withstand the action of water unless the Divine fire makes it strong? If we<br />

submit to the yoke of God’s will and pray with constant desire and humility, then,<br />

through patience, we also shall receive everything from Our Lord Jesus Christ. -<br />

- Monks Callistus and Ignatius<br />

+ When temptation comes upon you, do not seek where it came from or why,<br />

but be concerned about enduring it thankfully, without sorrow and without<br />

remembering evil.<br />

- St. Mark the Ascetic<br />

-56-


W(?at t\)e Cyurcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

DEATH, GRIEF, AND THE AFTERLIFE<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Metropolitan Pl^ifflret of Moscow<br />

Optina EIders<br />

The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong> and Mothers<br />

St. Ambrose<br />

St. Athanasios the Great<br />

St. Jol^n Chrysostom<br />

St. Simeon the New Theologian<br />

Monks Callistus and Ignatius<br />

...and others<br />

- 5 7 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

An Athonite Prayer<br />

O Lord, my God, help me to see the insignificance of everything earthly, the<br />

majesty of the heavenly, the shortness of time and the duration of eternity.<br />

Cause that I would prepare myself for death, that I would fear Your judgment,<br />

that I would escape Hades and that I would enter into the paradise of eternai<br />

blessedness; so that all Your saints and Your Apostles might rejoice over my<br />

salvation, and glorify Your name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy<br />

Spirit. Amen.<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Psalm 23:4, 55:4-8, 56:15-16 > Hebrews 13:17<br />

> Psalm 116:8, 118:18-20 > St. Luke 1:69, 1:77, 3:6, 19:9<br />

> Proverbs 8:36 > Acts 16:17<br />

> Acts 2:24-28 > 2 Corinthians 7:10<br />

> Hebrews 13:17 > St. John 14:27-30<br />

> Isaiah 53 > Ephesians 2:1-10<br />

> Psalm 31:10-13 > St. Matthew 25:13<br />

> Ephesians 5:15-16<br />

In <strong>Orthodox</strong> belief there is no separation between the living and those who have<br />

gone on to be with the Lord. All are members of the <strong>Church</strong> and loved equally<br />

by the Father. Those here on earth and beyond, as members of the <strong>Church</strong>,<br />

have an obligation to share the burdens of one another. With this in mind, we<br />

can see the common sense of praying for both the living and the dead,,while<br />

asking the prayers of these same faithful members of Christ's <strong>Church</strong>. In doing<br />

so, we fulfill the obligation of mutual concern and caring. We ask prayers of the<br />

living and the faithful departed and offer our loving prayers in return. Practically<br />

we show that the bonds of brotherly love cannot be separated by death and<br />

why we must continue to maintain this golden link which holds us together as<br />

a <strong>Church</strong>, a <strong>Church</strong> existing both on earth and in heaven.<br />

<strong>Orthodox</strong> Christians know the value of prayer for the departed and we are<br />

confident that our prayers help those who have reposed. Although we cannot<br />

know exactly what the state of the dead may be at any particular time, we are<br />

sure that our humble prayers are beneficial for their spiritual progress in the<br />

afterlife. We know the dead who reach the portals of heaven do not suffer and<br />

that their progress is in the hands of a loving God. We know from the majority<br />

of the <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fathers</strong> that our gracious God exacts no expiatory penalty once<br />

we go on to be with Him in paradise, yet we must not be caught up in the<br />

intricate details of just how this happens, or when. We are reminded of<br />

-58-


St. Anthony of Egypt who was found contemplating the mercy and providence<br />

of Almighty God concerning the departed, when a voice was heard saying,<br />

“Anthony, care for yourself, for the state of the dead are the judgments of God,<br />

and it is not for you to know them.”<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ If you wish to be delivered from grief, do not become attached in heart to<br />

anything, or anyone.<br />

- Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow<br />

+ One should always endure any grief, or trial, for the sake of God and with<br />

gratitude. Our life is a single minute in comparison with eternity, and therefore,<br />

according to the Apostle Paul, “...the sufferings of this present time are<br />

not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us”<br />

(Romans 8:18).<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ The Lord helps us amid sorrows and temptations. He does not free us from<br />

them, but imparts to us the power to bear them easily, even to ignore them.<br />

- Optina Elders<br />

+ A wise Father said, “Most people fear the loss of a loved one because, not<br />

attending to their own salvation, they have time to waste thinking about the<br />

salvation of others.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ As a wrestler constantly engages in bodily exercises, so also the pious<br />

struggler ought to exercise himself in every good work to prepare for death.<br />

- St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ The Christian sees the grave as the mystical door that leads us to the new<br />

world, the world of heaven. He sees the grave as a sweet mouth, in spite of its<br />

apparent ugliness, through which the earth will exchange the kiss of love with<br />

heaven.<br />

- The Brotherhood of <strong>Orthodox</strong> Theologians<br />

+ Death is not only an evil but also a good thing. For we see that death is<br />

advantageous and life is a penalty. Therefore, St. Paul says, “To me, to live is<br />

Christ and to die is gain.” What is living to Christ but the body’s death and the<br />

breath of life? We must die with Him in order to live with Him. So then, let us<br />

daily practice and incline ourselves toward dying.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

- 59 -


+ The constant welcome expectation of death should be a necessary practice<br />

of silence. A man who embraces silence without this thought cannot endure<br />

what we have to bear and suffer at all costs.<br />

- Monks Callistus and Ignatius<br />

+ Before Christ nothing was stronger than death, and nothing was weaker<br />

than us. Now the opposite is true, nothing is weaker than death and nothing is<br />

stronger than us.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ In Adam, death was not the separation of the soul from the body, but the flight<br />

of the Holy Spirit from the immortal soul.<br />

- Nickodimos of the Holy Mountain<br />

+ As the death of the body is its separation from the soul, so also the death of<br />

the soul comes when the grace of the Holy Spirit of God is removed from it.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ It is precisely through undergoing many trials and temptations, through<br />

grief and suffering, and through patiently enduring them, that a man acquires<br />

experience. As a result he comes to know both his own weakness and the<br />

power of God. In becoming aware of his own weakness, and ignorance, he<br />

recognizes that he has now learned what once he did not know. This allows<br />

him to see that just as he used not to know these things, and was unaware<br />

that he did not know, so there are many other things which he may later be<br />

able to learn.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ The resurrection of the dead appeared contrary to nature, whereas...it is not<br />

contrary to nature but transcends nature. This, at least, is how it appears to us.<br />

However, in God's eyes the resurrection of the dead does not transcend nature,<br />

but is quite natural.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ Ever since the God- Man was resurrected and ascended, all the faithful can<br />

trample death as if it did not exist. They prefer to die rather than deny their faith<br />

in Christ. Now there are no dead. Now the only dead one is the Devil, who in<br />

the past used to boast about the death of men. The Devil is the only one truly<br />

dead, since the “pangs of death have been loosed”, (Acts 2:24). Therefore,<br />

the proof of this is the following: People who were once afraid of death before<br />

believing in Christ, once baptized and members of the <strong>Church</strong>, despised death<br />

so much that they would readily rush toward it and become martyrs. Death<br />

became so weak that (those) who were at first deceived by it in the person<br />

of Eve, can now mock death as something truly eliminated and altogether<br />

weakened.<br />

- St. Athanasios the Great<br />

-60-


+ Though you may be dead for a little while, God reserves an inheritance for<br />

you when you are tamed. He will raise you to life again. He will restore your<br />

body to you, down to every hair. He will place you with the angels forever,<br />

where you won’t need His taming hand anymore. You will only need His<br />

abundant mercy. For God will then be “all in all”. Unhappiness won’t drive us<br />

to exhaustion, but happiness alone will feed us.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ “The hour of death will come upon us. It will come, and we shall not escape it.<br />

May the prince of this world and of the air” (St. John 14:30, Ephesians 2:2),<br />

discover that our misdeeds are few and petty when He returns, so that He will<br />

not have good grounds for convicting us. Otherwise, we shall weep to no use,<br />

“For that servant who knew his Lord’s will, and did not do it as a servant, shall<br />

be beaten with many stripes”, (St. Luke 12:47).<br />

- St. Hesychius, Presbyter<br />

+ Plato seems to have learned from the prophets not only the doctrine of the<br />

judgment, but also of the resurrection, which the Greeks refused to believe.<br />

For his saying that the soul is judged along with the body, proves nothing more<br />

clearly than that he believed in the doctrine of the resurrection. Since how could<br />

certain individuals have undergone punishment in Hades, if they left on earth<br />

the body, with its head, hands, feet and skin? For certainly they will never say<br />

that the soul has a head, hands, feet, or skin. However Plato, having fallen in<br />

with the testimonies of the prophets in Egypt, and having accepted what they<br />

teach concerning the resurrection of the body, teaches that the soul is judged<br />

in company with the body.<br />

- Justin’s “Address to the Greeks”<br />

+ Human life is the “shadow of death”. If then, anyone is with God and God<br />

is with him, clearly such a man can say, “For though I walk in the midst of the<br />

shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, O Lord” (Psalm 23).<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ When you undertake to begin any task, whatsoever, ask yourself this<br />

question: “If I were visited by the Lord at this moment, what would I do?”<br />

Take care to listen well what your conscience says to you. If it reproves you,<br />

immediately forsake what you have decided to do and begin some other task<br />

of which it approves and which is intrinsically rewarding. The virtuous worker<br />

must at every moment be ready to face death.<br />

- A Desert Elder<br />

+ When you fall into your bed to sleep, or get up from sleep, when you eat or<br />

work, when you are thinking or your mind is idle, constantly say to yourself,<br />

“If the Lord were to call me at this moment, would I be ready?” Listen also with<br />

care to what your conscience tells you and do not fail to comply with its<br />

directions. Your heart will, indeed, assure you that God has had mercy on you.<br />

- A Desert Elder<br />

-61 -


+ A Christian has great difficulty in attaining three things. They are, grief over<br />

one’s sins, tears, and the continual memory of death. Yet these three contain all<br />

the other virtues.<br />

- Abba Isaias the Anchorite<br />

+ Of the remembrance of death specifically, he who succeeds in saying to<br />

himself each day, “Today is the last day of my life”, will never willingly sin<br />

before God. He, however, who expects to have many years to live, without fail,<br />

entangles himself in the nets of sin. God sanctifies the soul which is always<br />

prepared to give an accounting for its deeds. Whoever forgets the judgment<br />

remains in bondage to sin.<br />

- Abba Isaias the Anchorite<br />

+ When Arsenios the Great fell ill and understood that, at last, he had reached<br />

the end of his earthly life, he began to cry.<br />

“Are you afraid, Abba?" his disciple asked with perplexity.<br />

“This fear, my child, has never left my heart, since the time I became a monk,”<br />

Arsenios answered, and this great friend of God closed his wise lips forever.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ A certain Father taught that the man who succeeds in having death continually<br />

before his eyes will conquer faint- heartedness. One day, while spinning, he<br />

said, “I have brought death to mind as many times as this spindle has turned,<br />

up to the present.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ The business of the Christian is nothing else than to be always preparing<br />

for death.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ Discipline your soul with the constant thought of death, and through the<br />

remembrance of Jesus Christ concentrate your wandering intellect.<br />

- St. Philotheus of Sinai<br />

+ The greater our trials and grief, the greater our rewards.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Why do you cause anxiety for yourself in a house that is not your own?<br />

Let the sight of a dead man be an instructor for you - concerning your<br />

departure from here.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ The Lord’s Day is a mystery of the knowledge of the truth that is not received<br />

by flesh and blood, and it transcends speculations. In this age there is no eighth<br />

day, nor is there a true Sabbath. For he who said, “God rested on the seventh<br />

-62-


day”, signified the rest of our nature from the course of this life, since the grave<br />

is also of a bodily nature and belongs to this world. Six days are accomplished<br />

in the maintenance of life by means of keeping the commandments; the seventh<br />

is spent entirely in the grave, and the eighth is the departure from it.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian.<br />

+ It is better for me to die on behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the<br />

ends of the earth.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ A hermit who was living the ascetic life in the desert, had not been tempted by<br />

the Devil for many years. This emboldened him to say that the Devil would only<br />

tempt the lazy and negligent, not those who were “strugglers” in piety. Once the<br />

Devil appeared to him and said, “What have I done to you that you play me<br />

down so? Did I ever tempt you?”<br />

“Get out of here, evil spirit”, the hermit yelled, picking up a staff to strike the<br />

Devil. “You have no right to bother the servants of Christ. Go to those who invite<br />

you with their inattentiveness.”<br />

“So that is what you think?” the Devil replied maliciously. “Do you think I will not<br />

find an opportunity, in the forty years you still have to live, to prove you wrong?”<br />

Sure, now that all the bait had succeeded, the Devil became invisible, leaving<br />

a bone- chilling laugh in the air. <strong>Fr</strong>om that time on, the hermit’s thoughts were<br />

confused.<br />

“Forty more years of life, oh that is an awfully long time!” he said to himself<br />

continually. Then, after a while he said , “Should I go into the world to seek<br />

my relatives?, Should I give my tormented body a rest?, When I return, I will<br />

continue my ascetic life. I have years before me - forty years, in fact.”<br />

He came to a decision and one morning, with staff in hand, he set out for the<br />

city. But God, in His infinite mercy, regretting the possible loss of so many years<br />

of labor, sent an angel to stop him.<br />

“Where are you going, Abba?” the angel asked, stopping him on the road.<br />

“To the city”, the hermit replied.<br />

“Dear man, you are now at the end of your life. You let the Devil deceive you.<br />

He is the Father of Lies, so return to your hut and bemoan your foolishness,<br />

before it is too late for you.”<br />

Embarrassed by the setback, the old hermit returned to his cell and died three<br />

days later.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

- 63-


+ We view the water of a river flowing without stopping and passing away,<br />

and all that floats on its surface, trash or limbs of trees, all pass by. Be assured<br />

Christian, so does our life!...I was an infant, but that era is gone. I was an<br />

adolescent, and that has passed. I was a young man, and that too is left behind<br />

me. The strong and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white,<br />

I give in to age, but that too passes. I approach the end and will go the way of<br />

all flesh. I was born in order that I might die. I die that I may live. Remember<br />

me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom!<br />

- St. Tikhon of Voronezh<br />

+ Abba Macarius, while in Egypt, saw a man who owned a beast of burden<br />

engaged in plundering Marcarius’ goods. So he came up on the thief as if he<br />

were a stranger and helped the man to load the animal. He saw him off in great<br />

peace of soul saying, “We have brought nothing into this world, and we cannot<br />

take anything out of this world" (1 Timothy 6:7). “The Lord gave and the Lord<br />

takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Now that the Lord has risen, death isn’t terrible anymore. For anyone who<br />

believes in Christ tramples over death.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Daily expecting death we will abandon wealth, forgive everyone for<br />

everything, and won’t harbor lust for anyone. We will turn from it as past<br />

and gone, always working and looking forward to the Day of Judgment.<br />

If we live as though dying daily, we won’t sin.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Death is destroyed. The Cross has triumphed over it! It no longer has any<br />

power but is truly dead. This is why all of Christ’s disciples despise death and<br />

no longer fear it. Before the Savior came, death was terrible to the saints.<br />

Everyone wept for the dead as though they perished. But now that the Savior<br />

has risen, death isn’t terrible anymore. For everyone who believes in Christ<br />

tramples over death. They would rather die than deny their faith in Christ.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Do you believe in the inevitability of your death? Not only do you believe,<br />

but you know for certain. Well then, does this tell powerfully upon the character<br />

of your life? Or does it not tell in the least?<br />

- Desert Wisdom<br />

+ We should seek after the things the Lord says to seek after with the strongest<br />

love. For after we set aside the remaining burden of our flesh in death, we will<br />

be perfected. Every part of us will be perfected into the purity we have strained<br />

every nerve to obtain.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

-64-


+ Knowing how all possessions ebb and flow, foolish people might stop putting<br />

their confidence in what is short- lived and fleeting - and fix their hopes upon<br />

the Giver of all good.<br />

For nothing human is stable. Nothing is lasting - not beauty, nor wealth, health,<br />

dignity, or any of the things most people value.<br />

- Theodoret<br />

+ By thinking that you are safe, even though you fluctuate between Christianity<br />

and the world, you go on your way stripped of self- control and broken down by<br />

luxury. You are looking forward to so many things in vain. Why do you seek evil<br />

things? For you will account for everything you do when you die.<br />

- Commodianus<br />

+ The death of our body is not inflicted on us by the law of nature, in which<br />

God made no death for man, but that it is inflicted as the just deserts of sin.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ And of what consequence is it what kind of death puts an end to life, since he<br />

who has died once is not forced to go through the same ordeal a second time?<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Death is not to be judged an evil which is the end of a good life; for death<br />

only becomes evil by the retribution which follows it. They, then, who are<br />

destined to die, need not be anxious to inquire what death they are to die, but<br />

into what place death will usher them.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ We are not created to die, but we die by our own fault.<br />

- Tatian<br />

Death begins at birth.<br />

- St Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ As soon as man is born he begins to sicken. He only terminates his<br />

sickness by his death.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ If we meditate on the fact that God did not make death, but only after man fell<br />

into the disgrace of guilt and deception, shall we discover that death is the end<br />

of sin. If we were to live longer our guilt would only be the greater.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ Live well that you may not die ill.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

-65-


+ He is not worthy to receive consolation in death who has not reflected that<br />

he was about to die,<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ As a servant of God, you ought, even in death, attempt to please God.<br />

Alas, that the lifeless body should be adorned in death. A mind enchained to the<br />

world, not even in death is devoted to Christ.<br />

- Commodianus<br />

-66-


Wpat tpe Cyurcl) <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

MIRACLES AND GOD’S MERCY<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Hkromonk Barlaam<br />

Eher Moses<br />

St. Dorot^ews of G aza<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

St. Augustine<br />

Elder Leo of Optina<br />

The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

...and others<br />

-67-


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Prayer of St. Basil the Great<br />

0 God and Lord of the Powers, and Maker of all creation, Who because of<br />

Your clemency and incomparable mercy, did send Your Only- begotten Son,<br />

and Our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, and with His venerable<br />

Cross did tear asunder the record of our sins, ...receive from us sinful people, O<br />

merciful Master, these prayers of gratitude and supplication, and deliver us from<br />

every destructive and gloomy transgression, and from all visible and invisible<br />

enemies who seek to injure us. Nail down our flesh with fear of losing You, and<br />

let not our hearts be inclined to words or thoughts of evil, but pierce our souls<br />

with Your love, that ever contemplating You, being enlightened by You, and<br />

discerning You, the inapproachable and everlasting Light, we may unceasingly<br />

render confession and gratitude to You, the eternal Father, with Your Only-<br />

begotten Son, and with Your All- Holy, Gracious and Life- giving Spirit, now and<br />

ever, unto ages of ages. Amen.<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> St. Mark 9:39<br />

> St. John 2:23, 11:47<br />

> 1 Corinthians 12:10<br />

> Galatians 3:5<br />

> Acts 8:6<br />

> St. Luke 1:50, 1:72<br />

A young farm boy was making a half- hearted attempt to chop some wood, to<br />

set- by for the approaching winter. It was not going well when his father noticed<br />

the boy’s obvious difficulties. The father remarked, “Son, you had better ask<br />

God for strength and perseverance to finish the job by nightfall.” The young<br />

lad replied, “Father, I am not planning to ask God for perseverance because<br />

He might grant it, and then I would have to finish the work myself. Instead I am<br />

going to ask God for a miracle, and ask Him to stack the wood for me. He is<br />

known for granting prayer and making things happen in an instant. ”<br />

We’re all somewhat like this. “Lord, grant me a miracle, save me from having to<br />

persevere and dig in to get things done.” Rarely do we pray for perseverance-<br />

because this is not an escape, but a commitment to finish what we have started.<br />

Self- discipline in tackling and finishing the dreary, humdrum jobs we all have<br />

to face is what makes one strong and directed in life. It makes mature men<br />

out of children. Those of us who learn the secret of doing every job well, and<br />

staying the course of even the most menial task, will be the ones who succeed<br />

at the grandest, most strategic tasks given us in our lives.<br />

-68-<br />

> Romans 12:11<br />

> 2 Corinthians 1:3<br />

> 1 Timothy 1:13<br />

> 2 Timothy 1:18<br />

> Titus 3:5


WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

+ As a handful of sand thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of all flesh as<br />

compared to the mind of God.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Just as a strongly- flowing fountain is not blocked up by a handful of earth,<br />

so the compassion of the Creator is not overcome by the wickedness of His<br />

creatures.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Abba Pachomius said, “A sinner such as I does not ask God that he may<br />

see visions, for that is against His will and wrong. Hear about an equally great<br />

miracle : If you see a man pure and humble then that is a great vision, for then<br />

you see the invisible God in His temple, a visible man.”<br />

- Abba Pachomius<br />

+ Someone who bears a grudge while he prays is like a person who sows<br />

seeds in the ocean and expects to reap a harvest.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ A miracle does not happen contrary to nature, but contrary to what we know<br />

about nature.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ It is agreed that Christ performed all those miracles which He wrought without<br />

any aid from external things, without the observance of any ceremonial, without<br />

any definite mode of procedure, but solely by the inherent might of His authority.<br />

- Arnobius<br />

+ Let him not desire to beg God’s mercy for the sins of others, who is not<br />

disgraced with his own.<br />

- Pope Gregory of Rome<br />

+ One of the brotherhood asked the elder, “Batiushka, how have you acquired<br />

the spiritual gifts we see in you?” The elder answered, “Live simply, and God<br />

will not forsake you and will show you His mercy.”<br />

- Leo, Elder of Optina<br />

+ As the flame of a fire cannot be prevented from ascending upwards, so the<br />

prayers of the compassionate cannot be held back from ascending into heaven.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Knowing that God is faithful and mighty, have faith in Him and you will share<br />

what is His. If you are depressed, you do not believe. We all believe that God<br />

-69-


is mighty and, know that everything is possible with Him. As for your own affairs,<br />

believe with faith in Him about them too, for He is able to work miracles in you<br />

also.<br />

- Abba Euprepios<br />

+ In truth, it is a greater miracle to root out from one’s own flesh the<br />

incentives to sin than to cast out unclean spirits from the bodies of others.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ If you are prone to righteousness, impute it wholly to God’s mercy. But if you<br />

are prone to sin, ascribe it totally to your own iniquity.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ In the family of the just man who lives by faith...even those who rule serve<br />

those whom they seem to command; for they do not rule from a base love of<br />

power, but from a sense of the duty they owe to others...not because they are<br />

proud of authority, but because they love mercy.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Go and have mercy on all, for through your pity, one finds freedom of speech<br />

before God.<br />

- Abba Palumbo<br />

+ Abba Macarius was asked, “How should one pray?” the old man replied,<br />

“There is no need at all to make long discourses, it is enough to stretch out<br />

one’s hands and say, ‘Lord, as you will, and as you know, have mercy.’ And if<br />

the conflict grows fiercer say, ‘Lord, help!’ God knows very well what we need<br />

and in return, He shows His mercy.”<br />

- Abba Macarius<br />

+ We know that God’s mercy is given freely, without any expectation in return,<br />

to those to whom it is given at all.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Divine mercy is such that it aids anyone who is willing.<br />

- Sf. Hilary of Poitiers<br />

+ One hope, one trust, one firm promise, is Your mercy O Lord.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Since we sin many times each day, we need much of God’s love each day.<br />

Therefore, we need to show much mercy. Much and little aren’t measured by<br />

the quantity of things given, but by the giver’s means.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Let us be inclined to show mercy and all other blessings will follow. For those<br />

who have a spirit of love and mercy will give money away if they have it. If they<br />

-70-


see anyone in distress they will weep. If they encounter people who have been<br />

wronged, they will stand up for them. If they see others treated maliciously,<br />

they will reach out their hand to them. For those who have a treasure house<br />

of blessings, a loving and merciful soul will make it overflow to meet all of their<br />

neighbor’s needs. Such people will enjoy all the rewards God has prepared.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Here is a great misery, a proud man! Yet there is greater mercy, a humble<br />

God!<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The Lord doesn’t allow unthankful people to have peace. “For there is no<br />

peace for the wicked, they work in pain and grief.” says the Lord. The Lord<br />

didn't even forgive the one owing ten thousand talents. For this man, who<br />

had been forgiven of great things, forgot to be kind in little things. Therefore,<br />

he paid the penalty even for his previous debt. This was definitely fair. For<br />

having experienced kindness himself he should have shown mercy to his<br />

fellow servant.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ We must not only learn the majesty of the Son of God only by the miracles<br />

He did in the flesh. For these are small compared to the greatness of His other<br />

work. But look up to heaven! Behold its glories! Transfer your thoughts to the<br />

wide compass of the earth, and the watery depths! Embrace with your mind the<br />

whole world, and when you have realized His extraordinary nature, learn that<br />

these are the true works of Him who came down for you in the flesh.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The all- merciful and giving Father lovingly gives good things to those who<br />

come to Him with a trusting mind.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

+ The Devil appeared to a monk, disguised as an angel of light, and said to<br />

him, “I am the Angel Gabriel and I have been sent to you.” But the monk said,<br />

“See if you have not been sent to someone else since I am not worthy to have<br />

an angel sent to me.” And at once the Devil vanished.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ It was said of an old monk that while he was resting in his cell and at prayer,<br />

he saw demons around him and he scorned them and chastised their activities.<br />

The Devil, seeing himself overcome, came and showed himself to the monk<br />

saying, “In fact, I am Jesus Christ.” When he saw this imposter, the old monk<br />

closed his eyes and the Devil said to him, “Why are you closing your eyes? I am<br />

Christ.” The old man answered him, “I do not want to see Christ here below.”<br />

Immediately, the Devil vanished.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

- 71 -


+ Three monks met unexpectedly at the river bank and one of them said.<br />

“I ask as a gift from God that we should arrive at our destination without fatigue<br />

in the power of the Spirit”. Scarcely had he prayed when a boat was found<br />

ready to sail together with a favorable wind and in a twinkling of an eye they<br />

found themselves at their destination, although they were traveling upstream.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

-72-


Wlpat tl)e Cfaml) <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

ATTAINING HOLINESS,<br />

GRACE (HOW GOD HELPS US),<br />

HOPE, AND VIRTUE<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Augustine<br />

St. John Cassian<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Jerome<br />

St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

...and others<br />

- 7 3 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Prayer to the Divine Tutor<br />

Be kind to Your children, O Lord. Be a gentle teacher, patient with our weakness<br />

and stupidity. Give us the strength and discernment to do what You tell us, and<br />

to grow in Your likeness and holiness.<br />

May we all live in the peace that comes from You. May we journey towards Your<br />

city, sailing through the waters of sin untouched by the waves, borne serenely<br />

along by the Holy Spirit. Night and day may we give You praise and thanks,<br />

because You have shown us that all things belong to You, and all blessings<br />

are gifts from You. To You, Lord, the essence of wisdom, the foundation of<br />

Truth, be glory for evermore.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> St. Luke 6:20-26<br />

> Philippians 4:8-9<br />

> 2 Peter 1:3-4, 1:1<br />

> St. Luke 1:68-79<br />

> Hebrews 6:9-12, 11:1-3<br />

> 2 Corinthians 7:1-12<br />

> Psalm 30:4, 33:12, 33:18,<br />

38:15, 47:1-9, 60:6, 93:1-5<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

Of Batteries and Sponges<br />

> Isaiah 35:1-10<br />

> Proverbs 13:12<br />

> Exodus 15:1-18<br />

> Romans 5:1-5<br />

> Colossians 1:19-29<br />

> Titus 2:11-15, 3:1-8<br />

> Acts 3:11-26<br />

A priest was once asked by a parish member, “What must I do to be holy?” He<br />

answered, “Be a battery!” The priest was not being flippant. He went on to say<br />

that batteries supply power to other things, or else they’re “dead”. A battery that<br />

sits un-utilized goes bad within a time and must be re-charged or discarded.<br />

So too, we must be vessels of God’s grace and comfort, and like a battery, give<br />

back what we get. Otherwise, we sit under-utilized, stale and of little use or<br />

power. God charges us with His gifts. If they remain unused, ignored or wasted,<br />

then we have ignored a free gift from God. And yet, that is exactly what many of<br />

us do with God’s gracious and life-giving gifts of love, comfort, compassion and<br />

tolerance. We allow them to die a slow death of ignorance and sloth.<br />

As Christians, we are called to be “ministers” to one another, and to be a truly<br />

significant minister, one must attend to others and take care of their needs.<br />

That simply is what holiness is about! Oh yes, one must regularly worship<br />

Almighty God, sing His praises in prayer and learn to live a balanced and fruitful<br />

-74-


life, “You will know them by their fruits" (St. Matthew 7:16), but when we are<br />

asked by God how we lived our lives on earth, we should be ready to answer,<br />

“I lived it for others.” God gives us life, talents, opportunities and grace not to<br />

absorb them like a sponge for our own personal use, but to scatter our gifts<br />

among as many people as humanly possible. Like a battery we must radiate<br />

power and use these precious gifts, not to allow these great graces to dry up<br />

like an unused sponge.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Oh, how great is the loving-kindness of God! On those who have defected<br />

from Him, and who are in the throes of wickedness, He has bestowed such an<br />

amnesty for their wicked deeds and so great a sharing in grace that they may<br />

even call Him Father.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ What is grace? It is something which is given “gratis”. What is given gratis?<br />

That which is bestowed rather than paid as owed.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Where virtue is there are many snares.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Prize virtue and do not be a slave of glory; for the former is immortal, while<br />

the latter quickly fades.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ Do not be afraid when you hear of virtue. For virtue is not far from us; it is not<br />

external to us. The work is in us, and it is easy, if we but have the will.<br />

- St. Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ For the grace of God would not be grace in any way unless it were gratuitous<br />

in every way.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ We plainly assert our unconditional opinion that the grace of God is<br />

abounding, and sometimes overflows the narrow limits of man’s lack of faith.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Man, even though he strives with all his might for God’s grace, cannot<br />

become master of what is good unless he has acquired it simply by the gift<br />

of Divine bounty, and not by efforts of his own toil.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

-75-


+ No sense of virtue can possibly be raised in our soul unless, first, the<br />

foundations of true humility are set in our hearts.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Virtue has need of our will, since it is within us and springs from us...If we<br />

remain as we were made, we remain in a state of virtue. But if we surrender<br />

our minds to base things, we are noted as evil.<br />

- St. Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ <strong>Fr</strong>om God comes all virtue. <strong>Fr</strong>om God comes our life and power.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Try to obtain the virtues you see missing in others.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ We do not think that grace is given to anyone because of his own merits,<br />

nor do we suppose that anyone is punished except on account of his own sins.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ It is not enough for me that God has given me grace once, but He must<br />

give it continually. I ask, that I may receive, and when I have received, I ask<br />

again. I am covetous of receiving God’s bounty...the more I drink the more<br />

thirsty I become.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Just as a writing-pen or a dart has need of one to employ it, so also does<br />

grace have need of believing hearts. It is God’s part to confer grace, but yours<br />

to accept and guard it.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ “If salvation is by grace,” someone will say, “why is it that we are not all<br />

saved?” Because you did not will it. For grace, even though it be grace, saves<br />

the willing, not those who are not willing , and who turn away from it and who<br />

constantly fight against it and oppose themselves to it.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ If you want to be cast forth from grace, brag about your merits.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The glory of fortitude does not reside in the power of one’s body or arms, but<br />

rather on the courage of the mind.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ The heart does not receive leadership from virtues displayed among men.<br />

Virtue that a man shows before men does not have the power to cleanse the<br />

soul. All the same, it is accepted by God, in order to receive its wage and<br />

-76 -


eward. But perfection, effected in a man by himself, is suitable for the one and<br />

the other. It is accepted for his reward and it arranges cleansing. Therefore, lay<br />

aside the former and cleave to the latter. And if you will not cleave to the latter,<br />

to abandon the former means manifestly to deny God. But the latter fills up the<br />

place of the former.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ The blacksmith, who pounds a piece of iron has previously thought about<br />

what he wants to make - a sickle, a knife, an axe - and works accordingly.<br />

And so let the man of God ponder in advance which virtue he wishes to acquire,<br />

in order not to toil aimlessly.<br />

- St. Antonios the Great<br />

+ Virginity may be lost even by a thought.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Our souls are influenced by outward observances, and is shaped and molded<br />

according to its actions.<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

+ Virtue is nothing but well-directed love.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Virtue is not the knowing of good and evil. Rather, virtue is the doing of good<br />

and not the doing of evil.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Nothing is more harmless than the man who is perfect in virtue.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ There are three things which enable men to control their faults. Either the<br />

fear of hell or of laws even now imposed, or the hope and desire of the<br />

Kingdom of Heaven, or the liking for goodness itself and the love of virtue.<br />

- Sf. John Cassian<br />

+ We make a ladder to heaven of our vices if we trample them underfoot.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ It takes much time to make a moral virtue effective in ourselves, while what<br />

has been achieved with so much time and effort can be lost in a single instant.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ By genuine holiness, the people of God cast out the enemy of godliness.<br />

They do so by rejecting him, not by pacifying him. And they overcome all of<br />

the enemy’s temptations by praying to God against him. For the Devil can only<br />

conquer or master those who are allied with sin. Therefore, he is conquered in<br />

-77-


the name of the One who became human but lived without sin...For God, in His<br />

goodness, has given us all the holiness we might have.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ No duty is more urgent, or pressing, than that of returning thanks.<br />

- Sf. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ The virgin soul that desires to be united to God must keep itself pure not only<br />

from overt sins like unchastity, murder, theft, gluttony, backbiting, falsity, avarice,<br />

greed and so on. But, to an even greater degree it must keep itself pure from<br />

sins that are hidden, such as desire, self-esteem, love of popularity, hypocrisy,<br />

love of power, wiliness, malice, hatred, unbelief, envy, self-love, affectation and<br />

other things of this kind. According to Scripture, these concealed sins of the soul<br />

are just as pernicious as the overt sins.<br />

- St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

+ The virtues are born with tears and through them forgiveness is given.<br />

But when we cry, we must not raise the voice of our groaning in order to be<br />

heard by others. Let not our left hand, that is, our vanity, know what our right<br />

hand, the sorrow of the heart, does.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Today, when there is so little external monasticism, most monks must live<br />

within themselves. This means that there is no brother to admonish you or to<br />

be your example. You must admonish yourself and set an example for yourself.<br />

All of the goals, all of the rewards, and all of the standards have become<br />

internal. And while this may seem tragic, it is probably merciful.<br />

- A Contemporary Monk<br />

+ There is no vice so completely alien to our nature that it obscures all traces<br />

of nature.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Our Holy <strong>Fathers</strong> have renounced all other spiritual work and concentrated<br />

wholly on this one doing, that is, on guarding the heart, convinced that, through<br />

this practice, they would easily attain every other virtue, whereas without it not<br />

a single virtue can be firmly established.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Are you trying to bend the mercy of God, which is always pure, so that it may<br />

mirror the perversity of yours?<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ You can tell a man’s interior condition from his outward appearances and<br />

actions. By these signs, then, does pride reveal itself. In conversation the man’s<br />

voice is booming; in his silence there is bitterness; in his joy the laughter is<br />

-78-


noisy and overbearing; when he is sober he is unreasonably morose; in his<br />

replies there is rancor; he is too free with his tongue, his words gushing out at<br />

random without being thought through. He is utterly lacking in patience, and<br />

without generosity; impudent in offering insults to others, faint-hearted in bearing<br />

them himself; full of trouble in displaying obedience, except where his own<br />

desires correspond with his duty; unforgiving in receiving admonition, weak in<br />

sacrificing his own wishes; very stubborn about yielding to others, always trying<br />

to secure his own ends, and never ready to think of other’s needs. As a result<br />

he is incapable of giving advice, still in everything he prefers his own opinion to<br />

that of others.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ “Why does the Devil battle monks so passionately?” the brothers asked a<br />

spiritual elder. “How does he have such effrontery?”<br />

“If monks knew immediately how to raise defensive weapons such as humility,<br />

poverty, and patience, the Devil would never dare to approach them,” the elder<br />

replied.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ He who conquers himself in the little things, will also do so in the great ones.<br />

- Abba Isaiah<br />

+ The more inclined one is to maliciousness, the more ready he is to<br />

believe evil.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Abba Theodore of Scetis said, “A thought comes to me which troubles me<br />

and does not leave me free. But not being able to lead me to act, it simply stops<br />

me progressing in virtue, but a vigilant man would cut it off and get up to pray.”<br />

- The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Virtue is not accounted virtue if it is not accompanied by difficulty and labors.<br />

That is why all those who live in the fear the Lord will suffer affliction.<br />

For Christ says, “Whoever wants to follow me, let him deny himself and take<br />

up his Cross . If anyone wishes to save his life in comfort he will lose it; and if<br />

anyone shall lose his life for my sake, he shall find it’’ (St. Matthew 16:24- 26).<br />

For this reason, then, Our Lord placed before you the Cross, that you might<br />

sentence yourself to death, and then send forth your soul to go after Him.<br />

- Sf. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our<br />

confidence in being heard must be based on God’s mercy and His love<br />

for men. Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that<br />

we shall be saved.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom - 79 -


+ If you live in the noisy world, however much you may toil in scattering seed<br />

on the path that you walk , not a green leaf will grow. As well, as much as you<br />

labor to cultivate a heart weighed-down with worldly cares, you toil in vain. It is<br />

impossible to foster virtues there. For this reason the <strong>Fathers</strong> chose to leave<br />

this world.<br />

When the Hebrews ceased being occupied with labors for the Egyptians, and<br />

lived in tents, they learned to worship God. Ships do business and make profits<br />

in the harbor, not on the open seas. It is the same with the soul. If it does not<br />

cease being occupied with worldly things and does not stay in a quiet place, it<br />

neither finds God nor acquires virtues.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ A life of spiritual endeavor is the mother of sanctity, from it is born the first<br />

experience of perception of the mysteries of Christ - which is called the first<br />

stage of spiritual knowledge.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Always cut off the passions while they are still young, before they take root<br />

and become stronger, and begin to depress you: for then you will have to suffer<br />

much from them. It is one thing to yank up a small blade of grass, and another<br />

to uproot a large tree.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ One must strive to encourage the spirit of a disturbed man by a word of love.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Consider, Christian, what vows you made and to Whom. It is a grievous thing<br />

to lie to a man; how incomparably more grievous it is to lie to God. “God is not<br />

mocked, (Galatians 6:7).” When a Christian does not stand on his promises and<br />

does not keep them, what mercy, then, should he expect from God, to Whom he<br />

lied? He that keeps his promises shall find himself in God’s mercy and in His<br />

Kingdom. He remains faithful to God, and God will hold him in mercy and in His<br />

protection as His own. And this is what the prophet sings to God. “With the holy<br />

man will You be holy, and with the innocent man will You be innocent. With the<br />

elect man will You be elect, and with the perverse will You be perverse”<br />

(Psalm 17:26-27).<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ You cannot cast out malice with malice. Thus, if your brother does you some<br />

wrong, try to repay him with good. Only goodness can conquer malice.<br />

- St. Poimen<br />

+ Think good thoughts about what is good by nature, and think well of<br />

every man.<br />

- St. Thalassius<br />

-80-


+ When we lay bare the hidden meaning of history, Holy Scripture is seen to<br />

teach that the birth which distresses the tyrant is the beginning of the virtuous<br />

life. I am speaking of the kind of birth in which free will serves as the midwife,<br />

delivering the child amid great pain. For no one causes grief to his antagonist<br />

unless he exhibits in himself those marks which give proof of his victory over<br />

the other.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ Holiness is the fruit of man’s efforts and the gift of the Holy Spirit.<br />

- St. John Maximovitch<br />

+ Holiness, my brethren, is the virtue that encompasses all the other virtues.<br />

A saint, a mere man, is adorned through it with all the virtues. If a man is a man<br />

of prayer and is not compassionate, he cannot be called a saint, and if a man<br />

endures all things but does not have faith and hope, he does not belong among<br />

the saints. If a man is full of compassion but is without faith in God, truly such a<br />

man cannot be reckoned among the saints.<br />

- Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich<br />

+ A saint cannot be a saint in only one part of his life, but must be so in the<br />

whole of it. We must be holy in every part and particle of our lives, so that we<br />

may be counted among the saints, among the people who are conformed to the<br />

Lord Jesus Christ, the Prototype of the <strong>Saint</strong>s and the Primal Image of Man.<br />

- Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich<br />

+ We shouldn’t be concerned that our worldly resources will decrease while we<br />

practice the virtues. For Christian poverty is always rich because what it has is<br />

more valuable than what it doesn’t have.<br />

- Pope Leo I of Rome<br />

+ For God, who produces and gives breath to people, desired that all should<br />

be equally matched. He has placed the same life conditions on everyone; He<br />

has given everyone wisdom. No one is prevented from receiving His heavenly<br />

benefits. For He gives light, water, food, and the most pleasant rest of sleep to<br />

everyone. In the same way, He grants everyone equity and virtue. In His eyes,<br />

no one is a slave and no one is a master. For, if we all have the same Father,<br />

by an equal right we are all His children. No one is poor in God’s sight except<br />

the unrighteous. No one is rich except those who are filled with virtue.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ There are virtues of the body and virtues of the soul. Those of the body<br />

include fasting, vigils, sleeping on the ground, ministering to other’s needs,<br />

working with one’s hands so as not to be a burden or in order to give to others<br />

(cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:9, Ephesians 4:28). The virtues of the soul include love,<br />

long- suffering, gentleness, self- control and prayer (cf. Galatians 5:22). If as a<br />

result of some constraint or bodily condition, such as illness or the like, we find<br />

- 81 -


we cannot practice the bodily virtues mentioned above, we are forgiven by the<br />

Lord because He knows the reasons. But if we fail to practice the virtues of the<br />

soul, we shall not have a single excuse for it is always within our power to<br />

practice them.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ He who combines the practice of the virtues with spiritual knowledge is a man<br />

of power. For with the first he withers his desire and tames his angers, and with<br />

the second he gives wings to his intellect and goes out of himself to God.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ We are renewed day by day by making progress in our righteousness and<br />

true holiness through the knowledge of God. For those who do so transfer their<br />

love from temporal things to eternal things, from visible things to invisible things,<br />

from fleshly things to spiritual things.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Eat and drink with moderation, as befits the children of God.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ To be perfect, pour out your mercy on all, and be moderate in all things.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

-82-


wfaat tlye Clyurcl? <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

DESPAIR, TALENTS AND OPPORTUNITY<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

St. Gregory of Palarnas<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

St. Simeon the New Theologian<br />

St. Peter of Damascus<br />

St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

...and others<br />

-83-


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Increasing the Talent of Grace<br />

Come, you faithful, and let us serve the Master eagerly, for He gives gifts and<br />

riches to His servants. Each of us according to the measure we have received,<br />

let us increase these talents of grace. Let one gain wisdom through good<br />

deeds; let another celebrate the Liturgy with splendor; let another communicate<br />

the word to those untaught; let another give his wealth to the poor. So shall we<br />

increase what is entrusted to us, and as faithful stewards of His grace we shall<br />

be counted worthy of the Master’s joy. Bestow this joy upon us, Christ Our God,<br />

in Your love for mankind.<br />

- Prayer sung during Holy Week<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 > 2 Timothy 1:6<br />

> Deuteronomy 1:21 > James 1:17<br />

> Colossians 3:21-22 > 1 Peter 4:10-11<br />

> I Timothy 5:13 > Galatians 6:6-10<br />

> Proverbs 31:27-31 > Philippians 4:10-19<br />

> Acts 2:38, 11:17 > 2 Corinthians 1:11, 9:10-15<br />

> Romans 1:11, 6:23<br />

Christ calls each of us to be “fishers of men". That is, he asks us to use our<br />

God- given talents to make His Kingdom known to others. He needs as many<br />

types of fishers as there are fish!<br />

We find among us countless gifts and talents. Some have the patience and skill<br />

to bring in a small fish, while others have the gift or endurance and power to<br />

wrestle with a giant fish of the sea. Still others are satisfied to wait for hours<br />

hauling in a catch to distribute among the crowds. Fishermen range from those<br />

who ply the seas looking for whales to the everyday fisherman who wades into<br />

a stream to catch a few good fish for dinner.<br />

God has adorned us with an unbelievable variety of gifts and talents. God wants<br />

all kinds of good men and women. He wants those who can move crowds to<br />

repentance and tears, yet He also calls those who can inspire one person by<br />

their example and faithfulness. Each of us is ordained for a specific task no<br />

matter how little significance we may impart to our own gifts and talents.<br />

Whatever your talent or personality, somewhere there is someone who will<br />

respond to you better than to anyone else.<br />

-84 -


The key is to recognize that we have certain gifts and not to be discouraged that<br />

we don’t fit our own self- made ideas. God measures what is great and glorious,<br />

not we. Most of us are destined to do amazing things, no matter how small and<br />

trite they may seem to us at the moment. If each of us used the gifts God has<br />

imparted to the fullest we could do wondrous things . It is our privilege to bring<br />

men and women to the Kingdom. We may be responsible for bringing someone<br />

closer to God simply by a kind act, our good example, or profoundly truthful<br />

words . We are all capable of simple things that have everlasting rewards.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ When you stand praying, burdened with many sins and overpowered with<br />

despair, begin to pray with hope, with a fervent spirit, and remind yourself that<br />

“The Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be<br />

uttered” (Romans 8:26)! When you remember with faith this action of the Spirit<br />

of God within us, then tears of emotion will flow from your eyes, you will feel in<br />

your soul peace, sweetness, justification, “and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans<br />

14:17), and you will cry in your heart, “Abba Father”.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Nothing is so strong as desperation. It knows no defeat at the hand of any,<br />

whether on the right hand or the left.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ When someone has despaired of all hope of life, no one is more daring than<br />

he; no foe can face him, no rumors of affliction can weaken his purpose, for any<br />

affliction which may come is less than death, for he has resolved that death is<br />

inevitable.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ If, in every place and in every circumstance, and on every occasion you<br />

resolved to set your mind’s sight on toil and affliction, then you will find yourself<br />

courageous in facing all difficulties.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Through the power of deliberation, the timidity that resides in those who seek<br />

only a life of comfort will take flight.<br />

Not only this, but all difficult and hard things which you may encounter will<br />

appear easy and light for you.<br />

Indeed, it can often happen that your affairs turn out in opposite ways to what<br />

you expected.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

-85-


+ When despair seizes us, let us not give in to it. Rather, fortified and protected<br />

by the light of faith, let us with great courage say to the spirit of evil, “What are<br />

you to us, you who are cut off from God, a fugitive from heaven, and a slave of<br />

evil? You dare not do anything to us. Christ, the Son of God, has dominion over<br />

us and over all. Leave us, you thing of death. We are made steadfast by the<br />

uprightness of His Cross. Serpent, we trample on your head."<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ The soul that really loves God and Christ, though it may do ten thousand<br />

good deeds, esteems itself as having accomplished nothing, by reason of its<br />

insatiable aspiration after God. Though it should exhaust the body with fastings,<br />

with watchings, its attitude towards virtue is tinged with despair, as if it had not<br />

yet even begun to labor for them.<br />

- St. Macarius the Great<br />

+ What toil we must endure, what fatigue, while we are attempting to climb hills<br />

and the summits of mountains! With what efforts must we ascend to heaven?<br />

If you consider the promised reward, what you endure is less. Immortality is<br />

given to the one who perseveres, everlasting life is offered, and the Lord<br />

promises His Kingdom.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ A person must strive to goodness first, by purifying his body from the actual<br />

committing of sin, and then purge his soul of every form of desire or anger.<br />

His moral impulses need to be disciplined by good habits, so that he does not,<br />

in despair or lack of opportunity, do anything through his five senses that is<br />

contrary to the purpose of his intellect, nor does his inner self- consent to any<br />

such thing. It is then, when finally he becomes in control, that God makes all<br />

things subject to him through dispassion and by the grace of the Holy Spirit.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ Do not fall into despair because of your stumblings. I do not mean that you<br />

should not feel pain because of them, but that you should not consider them<br />

incurable. For it is better to be wounded than to be dead.<br />

There is indeed a healer, He who on the Cross asked for mercy on those who<br />

were crucifying Him, who pardoned murderers as He hung on the Cross.<br />

Christ came on behalf of sinners, to heal up the broken- hearted and to bind up<br />

their wounds.<br />

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, He says; for that reason He has anointed<br />

me in order to proclaim good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the<br />

broken-hearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captive, recovery of sight to<br />

the blind, and to strengthen the bruised by forgiveness’’ (Isaiah 61 and St. Luke<br />

4:18-19).<br />

-86 -


And the Apostle says in his letter, “Jesus Christ came into the world to save<br />

sinners. ” And his Lord also testifies, "I am not come to call the righteous, for<br />

they who are in good health have no need of a doctor, only those who are sick”<br />

(St. Matthew 9:13).<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Christ, then, is the beginning of our righteousness, therefore do not despair<br />

for He is our beginning and ultimate end. He is the beginning of purity. He<br />

taught maidens not to seek men’s embraces, but to serve the Holy Spirit<br />

rather than a husband with the purity of their minds and bodies. Christ is the<br />

beginning of frugality, for He became poor even though He was rich. Christ is<br />

the beginning of patience, for when He was abused verbally, He didn’t lash<br />

back. When He was struck, He did not strike back. Christ is the beginning of<br />

humility, for He took the form of a servant even though He was equal with God<br />

the Father in the majesty of His power.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ We shouldn’t be afraid that our worldly talents will decrease when we practice<br />

mercy. For Christian poverty is always rich because what it has is more valuable<br />

than what it doesn’t have.<br />

- Leo, Pope of Rome<br />

+ For the value of our opportunities is determined by the sincerity of our<br />

feelings. And those who show mercy and love to others won’t ever lack mercy<br />

or love for themselves.<br />

- Leo, Pope of Rome<br />

+ When the evil spirit of despair seizes the soul, it fills it with distress and<br />

unpleasantness. Thus, it does not allow one to pray with the necessary<br />

diligence. It hinders one from reading the Scriptures with proper attention,<br />

it deprives one of meekness and deference in one’s relations with others, and<br />

it produces an aversion for every kind of conversation. For the soul that is filled<br />

with despair and sorrow becomes as if mad and delirious and is unable to<br />

calmly accept good advice or to reply meekly to questions asked of it. It flees<br />

people as if they were the cause of the sorrow and fails to understand that the<br />

cause of the affliction is in oneself. He who overcomes the passions has also<br />

overcome sorrow. But he who has been overcome by the passions will not<br />

escape the chains of sorrow.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ The person who is dedicated to Jesus Christ is equally faithful in small things<br />

as in great.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Words would be unnecessary if we had deeds to speak for them.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

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+ Be true to yourself and no one can harm you. And equally, no one can harm a<br />

man who does himself no wrong.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ When you are praying alone, and your spirit is dejected, and you are wearied<br />

and oppressed by your loneliness, remember then, as always, that God the<br />

Trinity looks upon you with eyes brighter than the sun: also, all the angels, your<br />

own Guardian Angel and all the saints of God. Truly they do, for they are all one<br />

in God, and where God is, they are there also. Where the sun is, in that<br />

direction are directed all its rays. Try to understand what this means.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Let us always take the opportunity to forsake all the other things that belong<br />

to this transitory life, such as vainglory, envy, mutual strife, deceit, complaining,<br />

intrigue - all the things that turn us away from God and imperil the soul. Let us<br />

long with all our soul for the opportunities to embrace things God commands<br />

us to embrace, spiritual poverty, which the world calls humiliation, constant<br />

mourning by night and day, from which there wells forth the joy of the soul<br />

and the hourly consolation for those who love God. By this means all who<br />

strive in truth succeed in attaining meekness. Those who hunger and thirst for<br />

righteousness and seek it at all times will obtain “the Kingdom of God, which<br />

surpasses all human understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Further, one becomes<br />

“merciful, pure in heart, full of peace, a peacemaker, and courageous in the<br />

face of trials (Matthew 5:3-11)”.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Should we fall, we should not despair and so estrange ourselves from the<br />

Lord’s love. For if He so chooses, He can deal mercifully with our weakness.<br />

Only we should not cut ourselves off from Him or feel oppressed when<br />

constrained by His Commandments, nor should we lose heart when we fall<br />

short of our goal...let us always be ready to make a new start. If you fall, rise<br />

up. If you fall again, rise up again. Only do not abandon your Physician, lest<br />

you be condemned as worse than a suicide for your despair. Wait for Him and<br />

He will be merciful, either reforming you, or sending you trials, or through some<br />

other provision of which you are ignorant.<br />

- St. Peter of Damascus<br />

+ Nothing false or artificial is really pleasing.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ How many have despaired and suffered, and still suffer because their hearts<br />

were not firm in their good inclinations, because they imprudently looked with<br />

impure eyes, because they heard with ears unaccustomed to discern between<br />

good and evil, because they tasted greedily. The senses of the sin- loving,<br />

greedy flesh, unrestrained by reason and by God’s Commandments, have<br />

drawn them into worldly passions, have darkened their minds and hearts,<br />

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deprived them of peace of heart, and taken away their free-will, making them<br />

the slaves of these senses. Thus you see how necessary it is to look, listen,<br />

taste, smell and feel prudently; or rather, how necessary it is to guard your<br />

heart so that through your outward senses, as through a window, no sin may<br />

steal in, and the author of sin himself - the Devil - may not darken and wound<br />

that heavenly fledgling, our soul, with his poisonous and deathly arrows.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Just as it is impossible for some engaged in business to make a profit on the<br />

basis of faith alone, so it is impossible for anyone to attain spiritual knowledge<br />

and repose before he has labored in thought and action to acquire the virtues.<br />

- St. Peter of Damascus<br />

+ Just as businessmen always fear bankruptcy and hope for gain, so should<br />

we, until our last breath. And as businessmen exert themselves not only when<br />

they reap a profit, but also after suffering loss and taking risks, so should we,<br />

as well, knowing that the idle man will not eat from the fruit of his own labors<br />

and so will become a pauper, perhaps even falling heavily into debt.<br />

- St. Peter of Damascus<br />

+ We have wandered from God and are in deep despair. If we want to return<br />

to our Father’s house, this world must be used and not enjoyed, so that the<br />

invisible things of God may be clearly seen and understood by the things that<br />

are made. By means of material and temporary things, we may grasp that<br />

which is spiritual and eternal. But the true objects of enjoyment are the Father,<br />

Son and Holy Spirit.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Almost all of us at times find ourselves unable to sleep at night. We lie awake<br />

during the dark, silent hours. This rarely happens when our hearts and souls<br />

are at peace; it usually happens when we are in despair. For this reason do not<br />

curse your lack of sleep. These times of wakefulness have been sent by God<br />

as a sign that something is wrong, and as a period of reflection. So, when you<br />

cannot sleep, allow the thoughts that lie deepest in your heart to rise up to the<br />

surface. Often these thoughts are a reproach, telling you of a sin you have<br />

committed or an act of charity you failed to perform.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ If you have confessed your many sins and made amends for past failures,<br />

then you must assure yourself that God has forgiven you, so that you can sleep<br />

in peace. However, if you have not confessed and made amends then take the<br />

opportunity now so that you can admit to God the precise nature of your sins<br />

while asking forgiveness. Following this you must plan how you might take the<br />

time to right your wrong. But do not worry, your mind and body will eventually<br />

sleep when your soul is at rest.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 89 -


+ As long as you have bad habits do not reject hardship, so that through it you<br />

may be humbled and eject your pride.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ It sometimes happens that a man is in such a spiritual state that it seems<br />

to him that it would be easier to be annihilated or to be totally without<br />

consciousness or feeling than to remain any longer in this debased and<br />

painful state. One must come out of it quickly. Guard against the feeling<br />

of despondency, for from it issues every kind of evil.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ If you are offended by anything, whether it is intended or not, you do not<br />

yet know the way of peace.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ We must vigilantly guard our heart from unfitting thoughts and impressions,<br />

according to the word of the author of Proverbs; “Keep your heart with all<br />

diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Compunction (i.e. remorse) are the fruits of practice and the means whereby<br />

the fruits are obtained. Compunction produces virtues, it creates them, as all<br />

Scripture bears witness. Therefore, he who wishes to rid himself of the fruits<br />

of the passions, or attain virtues, must diligently seek compunction.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ With one’s neighbor one should behave kindly, giving not even the<br />

appearance of offending. When we turn away from a neighbor, or offend<br />

them, it is as though a stone were laid on the heart.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ If you wish to progress in what is good, do not associate with a person of<br />

ill will.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ One should not undertake any ascetic labors beyond one’s measure, but<br />

one should take every opportunity to make our friend, the flesh, faithful and<br />

capable of performing virtues.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ The opportunities for supporting the life of our soul are always in abundance-<br />

its spiritual food, drink, and raiment - in God the Trinity. Being wholly in every<br />

place, like air, or mental light, the Lord stands ready at every moment of our life,<br />

according to our faith, and on account of the prayerful disposition of our soul -<br />

to support our spiritual talents by His all-active grace, to be the uninterrupted<br />

light of our mind and heart; the air by which our soul breathes, the food by<br />

-90 -


which it is nourished and strengthened, the life-giving warmth by which it is<br />

comforted, and the garment with which it not only covers its sinful nakedness,<br />

but with which it also adorns itself as with royal purple, that is, the garment of<br />

Christ’s justification.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Men take every opportunity to love one another, for good or ill, for the<br />

following five reasons. Either for the sake of God, as the virtuous man loves<br />

everybody and as the man, not yet virtuous, loves the virtuous. Or by nature,<br />

as parents love their children, and children their parents, or because of self<br />

esteem, as he who is praised loves the man who praises him, or because of<br />

avarice, as with one who loves a rich man for what he can get out of him, or<br />

because of self-indulgence, as with a man who serves his belly and his genitals.<br />

The first of these opportunities is commendable, the second is neutral, the rest<br />

are dominated by passion.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

-91 -


Wyat tv)e Cyurcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

HUMILITY, PRIDE AND VANITY<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Gregory of Sinai<br />

St. Hesycfcus tl)e Presbyter<br />

Martyrius of Edessa<br />

Pope Gregory of Rome<br />

T^e Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

St. Simeon t(je New Theologian<br />

St. Joljn of Kronstadt<br />

...and others<br />

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PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

The Resurrected Life<br />

Lord, I am morally nothing without You. I have really not one true thought or<br />

good feeling, and can do no good works without Your help. I cannot drive away<br />

any sinful thought, any passionate feeling such as malice, envy, fornication, or<br />

pride. You Lord, are the accomplishment of everything good I think, feel or do.<br />

O, how boundlessly wide is Your grace acting in me. You Lord are everything<br />

to me, and so clearly, so constantly. Mine - is only my sinfulness; mine are only<br />

my infirmities. O, how we ought to love You, O Lord who was pleased to call us<br />

into existence from non-existence, to honor us by Your image and likeness,<br />

to establish us in a paradise of delights, to subdue all the earth unto us. And<br />

who-when we did not keep the Commandments, but were allured by the<br />

enticement of the Devil, and immeasurably offended You by our ingratitude,<br />

and assimilated unto ourselves all the qualities of the tempter (pride, vanity,<br />

envy, ingratitude) and all his evil arts, which he taught us as his prisoners-did<br />

not reject us forever but deigned to redeem us from sin. You freed us from the<br />

curse and death into which we had fallen through sin, and did appear on earth,<br />

having taken our nature upon Yourself. You became my teacher, my healer, my<br />

worker of miracles, my Savior. You bore the punishment for us, died for us in<br />

order that we should not be eternally lost. You rose from the dead in order to<br />

raise us too, after death. You ascended into heaven, in order that we too, should<br />

ascend, we who had fallen so low through sin., and You became everything to<br />

us-food, drink, light, purification, health-and the power that protects, saves,<br />

preserves, and has mercy upon us.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt (“My Life In Christ”)<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Deuteronomy 8:2 > 1 John 2:15-17<br />

> 1 Kings 21:29 > 1 Timothy 3:6<br />

> 2 Kings 22:19 >St. Mark 7:17-23<br />

> 2 Chronicles 7:14 > Jeremiah 13:17<br />

> Job 22:29-30 > 1 Peter 5:6<br />

> James 4:6,4:10 > St. Matthew 18:4, 23:12<br />

> Proverbs 16:19, 29:23<br />

> Psalm 9:12, 10:10-12, 10:17, 34:2, 35:13, 69:32, 113:4-6<br />

> Psalm 10:2-4,31:17-18,59:12-13, 73:6, 14:3<br />

Many years ago, in a religion class, a friend of mine asked the priest - “If God<br />

forgives everyone - why didn’t He forgive the Devil for his sins?” I was old<br />

enough to understand that this was a very profound question and vainly<br />

believed that the priest was never going to come up with an answer. Of course<br />

he did - without batting an eye. The priest responded - “God never forgave the<br />

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Devil for his sins because the Devil never asked to be forgiven.” Those of<br />

us looking for loopholes (at the time we all thought we were the world’s greatest<br />

sinners - a form of extreme pride) were gravely disappointed. The priest had<br />

answered the question in a flash and there was no wiggle room left for us<br />

seeking shortcuts in our moral lives. To this day, some fifty years later, I<br />

remember this answer because it was short, to the point and yet theologically -<br />

right on target.<br />

The Devil is the “Father of Pride”. He fell because he thought the world was all<br />

about him. And when he fell, he was incapable of recognizing that his sin was<br />

totally his fault, and his only! Adding to his great sin, he then refused to<br />

acknowledge any culpability for his actions. We know that Holy Scripture says,<br />

“Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16). All serious sins contain pride at<br />

their core. Pride warps the conscience and allows us to set ourselves as demigods.<br />

Pride allows us to center all things on ourselves. We begin to think that<br />

we are the center of the universe and all that is done, or said, is relative to our<br />

particular well-being and comfort. Pride forgets everyone else and we begin to<br />

think that, in this complicated cosmos, only we matter! That is why, even when<br />

we think we are pious or holy, we must continually guard against thinking that it<br />

is through our own efforts that we are so, and give all glory to God alone for this<br />

great gift. God is the center of the universe - to think that He is not and that we<br />

are the reason the sun rises and sets, is the great sin of pride - and the<br />

beginning of our own personal fall!<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Imitate the donkey in his love for his master.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ A holy bishop told a monk that even when his spiritual children kiss his hand,<br />

he imagines himself under their feet.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ “Humility, my child, is always to feel yourself sinful and worse than all<br />

other people”, an elder explained. “This is great and difficult feat. But you can<br />

accomplish it by applying yourself with unceasing labor.”<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ If you ask me about the most important things in religion, I will answer that the<br />

first, second and third things are humility.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Act as if you are a sojourner in any new experience, and wherever you are,<br />

understand that your words may not have an impact. Then you will be at peace.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

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+ This is the true mark of a Christian - however hard a man may work, and<br />

whatever number of religious acts he performs, to feel that he has done nothing.<br />

While fasting he says, “This is not real fasting,” and in praying, “This is not real<br />

prayer,” and in perseverance at prayer, “I have exhibited no real perseverance;<br />

I am only just beginning to practice and to struggle”; and even if he is righteous<br />

before Almighty God, a man should say, “I am not righteous, not I; I do not<br />

struggle, but only make a beginning each day.”<br />

- St. Macarius<br />

+ Do not get a big head if you have served well, because you have only done<br />

what you are required to do.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ How shall we acquire humility, abandoning the deadly elevation of pride? We<br />

obtain humility by practicing some act of humility in each and everything we do.<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

+ Chase after humility with all your heart, as one in love with it. Fall in love with<br />

humility, and it shall glorify you.<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

+ The more familiar you become with a person, the more it wastes away<br />

admiration.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ A man filled with pride does not know himself. If he really knew himself and<br />

his own stupidity, he would not be puffed up with pride.<br />

- St. Mark the Hermit<br />

+ One cannot obtain the goal of perfection and purity except through true<br />

humility, shown initially to one’s brothers, and shown also to God in one’s<br />

inmost heart. For without God’s protection and aid extended to everyone at<br />

every instant, one cannot obtain the perfection he seeks.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Self- accusation before God is something we must do continuously. It is very<br />

necessary. Humility of the heart is advantageous to our welfare, above all at the<br />

time of prayer. This is because prayer requires great attention and needs a<br />

noble awareness, otherwise it will become unacceptable and rejected, and it will<br />

be “turned back empty” to our bosom.<br />

- Martyrius of Edessa<br />

+ An old man inquired of an elder, “How may I find God?” The wise elder<br />

replied, “In fasting, in awareness, in work, in devotion, and, above all, in<br />

discernment. I tell you, many have wracked their bodies without discernment<br />

and have gone away from us having achieved nothing. Our mouths smell badly<br />

- 95 -


through our fasts, we know the Holy Scriptures by heart, we recite the entire<br />

Psalter of David, but we lack that which God seeks; charity and humility.”<br />

- Apophthegmata Patrum<br />

+ We should zealously cultivate watchfulness, my brothers. When our mind,<br />

is purified in Jesus Christ we are exalted by the vision it confers. We should<br />

review our sins and our former life, so that shattered and humbled at the<br />

thought of them we may never lose the help of Jesus Christ our God in the<br />

invisible battle.<br />

- St. Hesychius the Presbyter<br />

+ Many people have the virtue of humility in some circumstances. Then they<br />

succumb to “demands” of their social stature or profession and, under the<br />

guise of “social necessity” or “professionalism", become arrogant in other<br />

circumstances. This is much like mixing soil and water in a container. When the<br />

container is untouched and at rest, the soil will settle and the water will remain<br />

sweet. But if the container is agitated, then the water and soil are mixed and<br />

become mud. The mud then dries, the water evaporates, and only soil is left.<br />

Thus only a person of true peace, incapable of agitation, can actually maintain<br />

humble virtue, meanwhile tolerating in himself any ostensibly worldly behavior.<br />

- A Desert Elder<br />

+ “I, too, will go to the place to which the Devil will be condemned,” Abba<br />

Poimen said, humbling himself.<br />

At another time he said, “Man needs humility and the fear of God as much as<br />

he needs the air which he breathes.”<br />

On still another occasion, he said: “The most useful tools for the soul are<br />

humility, self reprobation, and distain for one’s own will.”<br />

- Abba Poimen<br />

+ The Devil appeared to a very humble monk as an angel of light and told him,<br />

in order to pull him down into arrogance: “I am Gabriel and I came to salute you,<br />

for you have many virtues and are worthy.”<br />

“Look, you must have made a mistake,” the humble monk answered, without<br />

losing his composure. “I am still living in sin, and for this reason I am not worthy<br />

to see angels.”<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ A young novice told his elder, “I am especially prepared for the spiritual life,<br />

since my family has a history of mystical gifts.”<br />

The elder replied, “Apparently the only thing that your family has inherited is the<br />

condemning pride of Adam. This is the legacy they have willed to you.”<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

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+ The humbler our opinion of ourselves, the more swiftly our prayer rises to<br />

God. So as soon as we lose humility, each and every ascetic effort is nullified.<br />

If pride is active in us, or fault- finding, or unfriendliness, the Lord stands remote<br />

from us.<br />

- Archimandrite Sophrony<br />

+ Spiritual poverty consists in esteeming oneself as though you did not exist,<br />

in honoring God’s words above everything in the world, and not sparing any<br />

effort to fulfill them, (even to losing one’s own life); to placing God’s will above<br />

all else and entirely renouncing our own will.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Don’t you see how those who attend an earthly king regard it as a great<br />

honor, that they are proud of it, and are considered as objects of envy by those<br />

who know them? If ,then, this is true in vain and transitory matters, how much<br />

more should we, who have been made members of the army of the Heavenly<br />

King, and have taken His service upon ourselves, rejoice and be joyful to be<br />

taken into His service and called upon to render worship to His name?<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Humble yourselves and you will see the glory of Almighty God in yourself.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ When I wish to open my mouth and expound on the theme of humility, I am<br />

filled with dread and foreboding, like someone who is aware that he is about to<br />

speak with his own imperfect and inadequate words concerning Almighty God.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ A monk in the desert asked his elder, “What thing is there in life that is so<br />

good that I may do it and live?” The elder replied, “God alone knows what is<br />

good ...the Scriptures say that Abraham was blessed with hospitality and God<br />

was with him; David was humble and God was with him. Therefore, what you<br />

find your soul desires in following God, do it and keep your heart set on him.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Abba Poimen told his monks that Abba John compared saints to a grove<br />

of trees, each bearing different fruit, but watered from the same source. The<br />

practices of one saint differ from those of another, but it is the same Spirit that<br />

works in all of them.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ ...That man is of noble character and an elevated spirit who never grows<br />

conceited and haughty towards those he knows well and avail themselves of<br />

his gifts. Such a man does not neglect them in any respect, does not look down<br />

on them in his thoughts, but continuously esteems them. As often happens, we<br />

begin to become conceited and proud towards those who have become close to<br />

us, and becoming accustomed to them, we speedily grow tired of them and<br />

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eckon them as nothing. Often, we place a man lower than a beloved animal or<br />

prized possession.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ “Humility is the gateway to dispassion ”, said St. John Climacus, and<br />

according to St. Basil the Great, “the fuel of humility is gentleness”. It is this<br />

that gives man constancy, so that regardless of whether a situation is pleasant<br />

or unpleasant he is always the same. Such a man is indifferent to both honor<br />

and dishonor, joyfully accepting things sweet and painful, and remaining<br />

unperturbed.<br />

- St. Peter of Damacus<br />

+ While still a young monk, Abba Poimen asked Antonius the Great what he<br />

should do to secure his salvation.<br />

“Acknowledge your faults with a broken heart,” Antonius replied, “and humble<br />

yourself before God. Also, endure patiently the temptations that come your way<br />

and you can be sure that you are saved.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Just as night follows day and winter follows summer, so distress and pain<br />

follow self- esteem and sensual pleasure, either in this life or after death.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ The circumstances of our lives are directed by a higher providence and often,<br />

with little or no effort on our part. By God’s help we have stayed out of reach of<br />

many great passions, delivered by His sympathy for our weakness. We should<br />

acknowledge the gift and humble ourselves before the Giver, and not become<br />

puffed up with pride.<br />

- St. Gregory Palamas<br />

+ As in all things to the good, God is prepared to help man acquire humility.<br />

Yet man must take care of himself. The Holy <strong>Fathers</strong> say, “Render up blood<br />

and receive the Spirit.” This means struggle even to the point of giving up your<br />

blood, and you will receive a spiritual gift. While you seek after and ask for<br />

spiritual gifts, you are unwilling to shed your blood. That is, you want everything,<br />

but do not want to be bothered or disturbed by anyone.<br />

- Venerable Elder St. Amvrossy<br />

+ Humility consists of seeing oneself as the worst of all, not only of people, but<br />

even of dumb beasts, even the evil spirits themselves. And then, when you are<br />

disturbed by others, you become aware that you cannot stand it, and you<br />

become angry with people; involuntarily, you will then consider yourself to be a<br />

bad person. If in the process you regret being bad, and reproach yourself as<br />

incorrigible and if you truly repent before God, then you will already be on the<br />

path to humility. But, if no one bothers you and you were to live in tranquility,<br />

-98-


how could you become conscious of your badness? If they are trying to demean<br />

you, they want to humble you. You yourself are asking God for humility. Why<br />

then should you lament over others?<br />

- Venerable Elder St. Amvrossy<br />

+ Why does humility lead up to the heights of righteousness, whereas self-<br />

conceit leads down to the depths of sin? Because anybody who thinks he is<br />

something great, even before God, is rightly abandoned by God, as one who<br />

thinks that he does not need God’s help. Anybody who despises himself, on the<br />

other hand, and relies on mercy from above, wins God’s sympathy, help and<br />

grace. As it says, “The Lord resists the proud, but He gives grace to the lowly”<br />

(Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6).<br />

- St. Gregory Palamas<br />

+ It was said of a certain elder that he held a special affection for those who<br />

despised him and in any way dishonored him.<br />

“These are our friends," he used to say, “because they lead us to humility.<br />

Those who honor and praise us do injury to our souls. The Holy Scriptures<br />

say, “Those who regard you well, will seduce you.” (Luke 6:26)<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ One does an injustice to himself and to his neighbor, but more importantly<br />

to God-when he ascribes his own achievements to himself. For if a man<br />

believes that any good thing he does, or talent he possesses, is due to himself,<br />

then what he thinks he possesses will be taken from him.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ Those who have longed to see the “land of promise’’ (Hebrews 11:9), which<br />

the eyes of the meek, the humble and the poor have been granted to see, then<br />

gratefully accept every trial and tribulation.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Unless humility and love, simplicity and goodness regulate our prayer, this<br />

prayer, or rather this pretense of prayer-cannot profit us at all. And this applies<br />

not only to prayer, but to every work and hardship taken for the sake of virtue,<br />

whether this be virginity, fasting, vigils, reading the Psalms or any good service<br />

to men.<br />

- St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

+ Neither fasting, nor vigils, nor human effort, nor any praiseworthy effort<br />

pleases God as much as a soul that is humble, simple and good.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Discrimination comes from seeking advice with humility and from criticizing<br />

oneself and what we think and do.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

- 99 -


+ Our most dire enemy is pride. Its power is immense. Pride drains our every<br />

aspiration, and corrupts our every endeavor. Most of us fall prey to its dangers.<br />

- Archimandrite Sophrony<br />

+ The proud man wants to dominate and to impose his will on others, so conflict<br />

arises between brothers. This is contrary to revelation concerning the Trinity in<br />

whom there is no greater, no lesser, and where each person possesses<br />

absolute fullness of Divine Being.<br />

- Archimandrite Sophrony<br />

+ It is said by the <strong>Fathers</strong> of Abba John the Persian that evil- doers once<br />

entered his hut with the intent of killing him. Abba John prepared a basin and<br />

stooped down to wash their feet, as he always did for his friends. Seeing this<br />

the malefactors, embarrassed, left him alone and departed.<br />

- The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Let no one think that is a simple, easy thing to become humble. It is<br />

something beyond the natural powers of man. It is true to say that the more a<br />

person is gifted the more difficult it is for him to attain humility. It presupposes<br />

great judgment and endurance in the face of the trials and evil spirits that<br />

oppose us: for humility eludes all their snares.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ You must know that you have been greatly benefited when you have suffered<br />

deeply because of some insult or indignity. For because of this indignity this<br />

self- esteem has been driven from you.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Arrogance and cowardice-although they seem to be contradictory-are both<br />

caused by weakness. Arrogance pulls one upwards and is startling and<br />

frightening, like some powerless bear, while cowardice flees like a chased dog.<br />

No one who suffers from either of these two passions puts his trust in God, and<br />

therefore he cannot stand firm in battle. But “the righteous man is as bold as a<br />

lion” (Proverbs 28:1).<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ He who has realized love for God in his heart is tireless in the pursuit of the<br />

Lord. He bears every hardship, reproach and bodily insult nobly, never thinking<br />

evil of anyone.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ As soon as a man understands and truly feels his weakness, he immediately<br />

puts a restraint on the vanity in his soul, which blocks out reason, and thus he<br />

gains protection.<br />

- Monks Callistus and Ignatius<br />

- 100 -


+ When a man is about to pray, he must humble his proud heart while casting<br />

every earthly vanity from it, and must bring into it living and undoubting faith.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ The vainglorious man is an idolater, although he is called a believer. He<br />

believes that he is giving worship to God, but in fact he is pleasing not God,<br />

but men.<br />

- St.John of the Ladder<br />

- 101 -


W pat uie Cv)vwc\) <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

MARTYRDOM, SALVATION, ATONEMENT,<br />

AND THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

St. Joseph of Volokolamsk<br />

St. Cyril of Alexandria<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

St. Gregory of Nyssa<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Augustine<br />

St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

St. Athanasius<br />

St. Gregory Palamas<br />

St. I renaeus<br />

...and others<br />

-102 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Lord Jesus Christ, whose will all things obey; pardon what I have done and<br />

grant that I, a sinner, may sin no more. Lord, I believe that though I do not<br />

deserve it, You can cleanse me from all my sins. Lord, I know that man looks<br />

upon the face, but You see the heart. Send Your Spirit into my inmost being, to<br />

take possession of my soul and body. Without You I cannot be saved, with You<br />

to protect me, I long for Your salvation. And now I ask for Your salvation and for<br />

wisdom. Deign of Your great goodness to help and defend me. Guide my heart,<br />

Almighty God, that I may remember Your presence day and night.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Revelation 2:13, 17:6<br />

> Acts 5:28<br />

> Acts 4:12<br />

> Ephesians 1:7-12<br />

> 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10<br />

> Romans 5:9-11<br />

> 2 Peter 1:10-11<br />

> Philippians 2:12-13<br />

> Titus 1:1-3<br />

> 2 Corinthians 7:10<br />

> Colossians 3:12-17<br />

> Colossians 1:9-14, 1:19-20<br />

> Romans 13:11-14<br />

> St. Matthew 24:22, 24:24-25, 24:31<br />

> St. Luke 1:68-75, 1:76-77, 3:4- 6 , 19:9<br />

> Romans 9:11, 11:7-11:15, 11:28-32<br />

There are times when a Christian feels that he lives in a society that is both<br />

alien and dangerous. One feels almost like a missionary in a foreign land.<br />

Christians are interested in salvation, the secular world is interested and<br />

maintained by “pleasure” or “what’s in it for me! ”<br />

Christians must learn to translate what they know to be true about salvation into<br />

actions, words and phrases that people can understand. But in doing so, they<br />

risk the sometimes cruel judgments of those who have become secularized to<br />

an alarming degree. Believers must respond with a tender, compassionate<br />

understanding that is also foreign to the tenor of the times. This makes them<br />

available targets and the butt of scorn and derision.<br />

Perhaps the world- at- large has no interest in salvation but it understands<br />

completely the desire to be “saved” from a life of futility and failure, from<br />

uselessness and guilt. While secularists may not use the word “sin”-they have<br />

experienced loneliness, emptiness, and alienation from God, as have all men.<br />

Secularists may not comprehend “eternal life” - but you can believe they fear<br />

death, and what awaits them, if they even believe in an afterlife.<br />

- 103 -


People of the world do not understand the message of Christ, and how He can<br />

be Divine, but they desperately want a personal God who cares about them and<br />

looks after their welfare.<br />

As Christians we are called to understand these “People of the World,” these<br />

secularists. And if we make love the aim of our being, we will find the door that<br />

will open the reality of God for our friends, for Our Lord is the answer to every<br />

man’s hunger and every man’s need.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ In partaking of Christ we are partaking of the Father, because the Word<br />

(Christ) is the Father’s own.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Christ was made man, that He might deify us in Himself. He was born<br />

of a woman, and begotten of a virgin, in order to offer Himself to an erring<br />

generation, that we may become ever more a holy race, and “partakers<br />

of the Divine Nature”, as is written in 2 Peter 1:4.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Who is Jesus Christ? He is the Word of Truth, the Word of Incorruption that<br />

generates mankind by returning them to the Truth. He is the goad that urges<br />

us to salvation, expels destruction and pursues death, He who builds up the<br />

edifice of God in mankind and causes God to take up an abode in men.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Because of His great love for mankind, the Word of God, Jesus Christ,<br />

became what we are in order to make us what He is Himself.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ Christ saved men not by mighty storms from above but as a crying babe<br />

in a manger and as a willing and silent victim upon the Cross.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ His compassion for us compelled Christ to be born in a human body<br />

at Bethlehem.<br />

- St. Methodius of Olympus<br />

+ The Sacrificial Victim was offered for all mankind, and was sufficient to save<br />

all, but it is to believers only that the bounty is available.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ After His public ministry, He did not eat of the lamb, but became the true,<br />

suffering Lamb in the Paschal Feast.<br />

- St. Peter of Alexandria mA


+ Moved by love the Apostles ran that unending race and cast on the whole<br />

world the fishhook and net of the Word to drag it up from the depths of idolatry<br />

and bring it safely home in the port of the heavenly Kingdom. Moved by love,<br />

the martyrs shed their blood that they might not lose Christ. Moved by it, our<br />

God- bearing <strong>Fathers</strong> and teachers of the world eagerly laid down their lives<br />

for the catholic and apostolic <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Christ’s natures are unified and their respective attributes belong to both<br />

natures. Just as Our Lord received the lashes and scars of the servant, the<br />

servant is glorified with the honor of the Lord. For this is why the Cross is called<br />

the Cross of Glory and why every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord,<br />

to the glory of God the Father.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ God has placed older believers as a lighthouse for those of us live around<br />

them.Many of them were young men in their prime, but have grown gray by<br />

their consistent patience of self- control and restraint.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ Isaiah said, “The Spirit of God will rest upon Him", (Isaiah 11:2). For the<br />

beginning it was given to the first- fruits of our race, that is, to Adam. But he<br />

became careless about observing the commandment given to him, neglected<br />

what he had been instructed to do, and sank into the abyss of sin, with the<br />

result that the Spirit found nowhere to rest among men. “For all have turned<br />

aside, together they have gone wrong, no one does good, not even one”<br />

(Romans 3:12). Then the only- begotten Word of God became man, even<br />

though He did not cease being God. Since He was not consumed by sin even<br />

though He became as we are, the Holy Spirit rested on human nature, first on<br />

Him as<br />

the second first- fruits of our race, that it might also rest on us and remain<br />

henceforth dwelling in the minds of believers. .<br />

- St. Cyril of Alexandria<br />

+ Never, therefore, is sin spared, because never is it forgiven without having<br />

been avenged.<br />

- Pope Gregory of Rome<br />

+ The Devil dragged the human race into a perpetual captivity by the<br />

burdensome debt of inherited liability that Adam willed to his posterity, as their<br />

inherited debt. The Lord Jesus Christ came and offered His death in place of<br />

the death of all, and poured out His Blood in place of the blood of everyone.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ Let us put off the old man with its deeds and, sharing in Christ’s birth, let us<br />

defy fleshly works. Christians, acknowledge your dignity. As you become a<br />

- 105-


partner in God’s nature, refuse to return to the old, wicked behavior. Remember<br />

the Head and the Body of which you are members. Remember that you were<br />

rescued from the power of darkness and brought out into God’s light and<br />

kingdom.<br />

- Pope Leo of Rome<br />

+ Christ loved me so much that He gave Himself over to a curse laid for me.<br />

What can compare to this? If servants only receive praise from their masters,<br />

who they are bound as kin by nature, and are elated by it, how much more<br />

must we boast, when our Master, God Himself, isn’t ashamed of the Cross<br />

Christ endured for us.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The blessed Eulogius saw an angel distributing gifts to some monks while<br />

at prayer. To one he gave a gold piece with the image of Our Lord, to another<br />

a silver piece with the Cross, to another a copper piece, to another a bronze<br />

piece, to another he gave nothing. The brothers who remained, left the church<br />

empty- handed. It was revealed to Eulogius that the ones who had obtained the<br />

gifts are those who toil at vigils, are diligent in prayers, supplications, psalms,<br />

chants, and readings. Those who received nothing, or who left the church<br />

empty- handed are those who remain unmindful of their salvation, enslaved to<br />

vainglory or the clamors of life, and stand feebly and lazily at their prayers while<br />

they whisper and jest.<br />

- St. Joseph of Volokalamsk<br />

+ But to you who do not believe that the dead are raised. When the resurrection<br />

shall take place, then you will be believed, whether you will or not, and your<br />

faith shall be reckoned for unbelief, unless you believe now.<br />

- Theophilus of Antioch<br />

+ Whoever says that there is neither a resurrection nor judgment for our<br />

salvation, such a one is the first- born of Satan.<br />

- St. Polycarp<br />

+ Wherever God promises salvation, there He gives the promise to the flesh.<br />

For what is man but a reasonable animal composed of body and soul? If, then,<br />

neither of these is by itself man, but that which is made up of the two is called<br />

man, and God has called man to life and resurrection, He has called not a part,<br />

but the whole, which is the soul and the body.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ We do nothing without the body. We blaspheme with the mouth, with the<br />

mouth we pray. We fornicate with the body, with the body we are chaste.<br />

We rob with the hand, with the hand we bestow alms. Since in all things the<br />

body has been our agent, it too shall in the future share in the fruits of what has<br />

been done.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem - 10 6 -


+ Even if we have thousands of acts of goodness to our credit, our confidence<br />

in being saved must be based on God’s mercy and His infinite love for mankind.<br />

Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we will be<br />

saved.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The salvation of the soul would be the final goal of only a part of the human<br />

being, not of the whole. In order that the final goal can be realized, the body<br />

must be united with the soul, which is possible only through resurrection.<br />

- St. Athenagoras<br />

+ If Christ had no need of the flesh, why did He heal it?<br />

St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ We have formed the belief that our bodies rise again after death. For although<br />

they go to corruption, they do not perish, for the earth, receiving the remains,<br />

preserves them, even like fertile seed mixed with more fertile ground.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ If Christ, the Lord who saved us, though He was originally spirit, became flesh<br />

and in this state called us, so also shall we receive our reward in the flesh.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

+ It is impossible that God, who holds perfect excellence, should not also<br />

possess perfect patience.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ The Christian life is the true Jacob’s Ladder on which the heavenly beings<br />

ascend and descend. Meanwhile the Lord stands above, holding out His hands<br />

to those who slip, sustaining by His mercy the weary steps of those who are<br />

climbing.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The finger of Your justice, O Lord, most gently touches the wounds of him<br />

who is to be healed.<br />

- St. Ephrem of Syria<br />

+ Some say, considering how vile and despicable the flesh is, is it not vile<br />

(some say) that God should raise it ...since it is not worthy of the resurrection?<br />

The truth is that “God took dust of the earth, and made man” (Genesis 2:7).<br />

It is evident, therefore, that man made in the image of God was of flesh.<br />

Is it not then absurd to say, that the flesh made by God in His own image is<br />

contemptible, worth nothing?<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

- 107 -


+ Some say the flesh is a sinner, so much so, that it forces the soul to sin along<br />

with it...<br />

But in what instance can the flesh possibly sin by itself, if it does not have the<br />

soul going before it and inciting it to sin? For as in the case of a yoke of oxen,<br />

if one or another is loosed from the yoke, neither of them can plough alone, so<br />

neither can soul or body alone effect anything, if they be unyoked from their<br />

communion.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ Why rely on your own efforts and fall? Cast yourself into His arms. Don’t be<br />

afraid. He will not let you slip. Cast yourself in confidence. Christ will receive<br />

you and heal you.<br />

- Sf. Augustine<br />

+ For a believer’s prescribed food and drink, let them have the New Testament<br />

of the Lord, for exercises, the Commandments; for elegance and adornment,<br />

the beauty of love, faith, hope, knowledge of the truth, gentleness, humility,<br />

compassion, and dignity. Then, when the last trumpet signals the race and<br />

departure from the stadium of life, they may, with good consciences, present<br />

themselves victorious to the Judge, who gives the rewards.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ I am safe if I am not ashamed of my Lord. Christ says, “Whosoever is<br />

ashamed of Me, of him will I also be ashamed” (St. Mark 8:38).<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ The happenings of the Passion of Christ and His resurrection from the<br />

dead-who can fittingly recount them? Yet not one of them can be compared to<br />

the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of Blood renew the whole world, and<br />

do for all men what the rennet does for milk: joining us and binding us together.<br />

- St. Gregory the Theologian<br />

+ The Word of God Himself, the Great Remedy for grave sin, bowed the<br />

heavens and came down. Having “become like us in everything but sin",<br />

(Hebrews 4:15), He abolished sin in Himself. By giving us strength He dulled<br />

its sting, and on the Cross He put to shame its rulers and fellow- workers,<br />

that “through death He might destroy Satan who had the power of death “<br />

(Hebrews 2:14).<br />

- St. Gregory Palamas<br />

+ If someone wants to be saved let him come into this house so that he may be<br />

able to obtain his salvation ... Let no one, then, be persuaded otherwise, nor let<br />

anyone deceive himself; outside of this house, that is, outside of the <strong>Church</strong>, no<br />

one is saved, for if anyone should go out of it, he is guilty of his own death.<br />

- Origen<br />

- 108 -


+ If Christ died and did not rise, how is it that those in the account who fled<br />

from impending danger while He was yet alive, surrounded themselves with a<br />

thousand dangers for His sake when He was dead?<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ If earth and heaven are renewed, why should we doubt that man can be<br />

renewed, when it is on his account that earth and heaven were made?<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ It is through death and resurrection that God in His generosity has given us<br />

the Kingdom, incorruptibility, the totality of eternal life with Him, Given these<br />

conditions we partake of the wondrous things to come, incorruptible, immortal,<br />

sons of God, sons of the light and day and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven,<br />

because we carry the Kingdom within.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ He who does not believe is judged already.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ We are justified by our works and not our words.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

+ It is our hope that He may both hear you, and perceive by your works that you<br />

are indeed members of His Son.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Therefore, brethren, by doing the will of the Father, and keeping the flesh<br />

holy, and observing the Commandments of the Lord, we will obtain eternal life.<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ Only those who fear the Lord and keep His Commandments have life with<br />

God; but as for those who do not keep His Commandments, there is no life<br />

in him.<br />

- Shepherd of Hermas (c.150)<br />

+ Each man goes to everlasting punishment or salvation according to the value<br />

of his actions.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ If men, by their works, show themselves worthy of His design, they are<br />

deemed worthy of reigning in company with Him, being delivered by corruption<br />

and suffering. That is what we have received.... Those who choose what is<br />

pleasing to Him are , on account of their choice, deemed worthy of incorruption<br />

and of fellowship with Him.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

- 109 -


+ He who does not believe in God is cheated of his own hope. And he does<br />

not believe God, who does not what God has commanded.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Sinners are called enemies of God-enemies that is, of the Commandments<br />

they do not obey. In contrast, those who obey become friends of God. The one<br />

group-friends-are named so from their fellowship, the others from their<br />

estrangement, which is the result of free choice.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ It is well- pleasing to Him that we should be saved. And salvation is effected<br />

through both well- doing and knowledge.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The tree is recognized by its fruit. So those who profess themselves to be<br />

Christians will be recognized by their conduct ... it is better for a man to be<br />

silent and be a Christian, than to talk and not be one.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ This then is our reward if we will confess Him by whom we have been saved.<br />

But in what way will we confess Him? We confess Him by doing what He says,<br />

in not transgressing His Commandments, and by honoring Him not only with our<br />

lips, but with all our heart and all our mind. Let us then not only call Him “Lord”,<br />

for that will not save us. For He says, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord,<br />

Lord, will be saved but he that works righteousness" (St. Matthew 7:21). Let us<br />

then confess Him by our works, by loving one another.<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ Therefore brethren, by doing the will of the Father, and keeping the flesh holy,<br />

and observing the Commandments of the Lord, we will obtain eternal life.<br />

- Second Epistle of Clement<br />

+ Let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood not to be<br />

Christians, even though they profess with the lips the teachings of Christ.<br />

For it is not those who make profession, but those who do the works who<br />

will be saved.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ If you do not guard yourself against anger, you and your house will lose all<br />

hope of salvation.<br />

- Shepherd of Hermas<br />

+ Since all things are seen and heard by God, let us fear Him and forsake those<br />

wicked works that proceed from evil desires. By doing that, through His mercy,<br />

we may be protected from the judgments to come. For where can any of us flee<br />

from His mighty hand.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

- 110 -


+ To refrain from doing wrong is the beginning of salvation.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Salvation is from a change due to obedience; it is not from nature.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The Son of God taking the form of a servant, was made obedient unto death<br />

so that He might teach obedience to those who could not obtain salvation other<br />

than by obedience.<br />

- Origen<br />

-111 -


Wyat tl)e Cyurcl) <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

GOODNESS, FORGIVENESS,<br />

MERCY, LOVE AND REPENTANCE<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

WITH EXCERPTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF:<br />

St. J o(?n climacus<br />

St. Basil tl)e Great<br />

St. Isidore of Seville<br />

The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

St. Isaac of Syria<br />

St. Anthony tl;e Great<br />

St. Gregory Palamas<br />

... and others<br />

- 112 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Since You came into the world for all people, My Savior, therefore You came<br />

for me. Since You came into the world to save sinners, therefore You came<br />

to save me. Since You came to find those who are lost, You came to find me.<br />

O Lord my God, I should have come to You, I should have cast myself before<br />

You as a miserable sinner, I should have tried to find You. But I was so proud<br />

and so stubborn that You had to come to me. You came to earth as a tiny baby,<br />

enduring poverty, discomfort and danger, in order to reach me. You had to walk<br />

dusty lanes, enduring insults and persecution, in order to reach me. You had<br />

to suffer and die on the Cross, in order to reach me. Forgive me my stubborn<br />

pride that I have put you to such trouble and such pain on my behalf.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> Genesis 32:10, 50:17 > St. John 20:23<br />

> Exodus 34:5-9<br />

> Colossians 3:12-17<br />

> Daniel 9:19<br />

> 2 Corinthians 2:9-11<br />

> Isaiah 55:7<br />

> Ephesians 5:8-14<br />

> Micah 7:18-19<br />

> Galatians 5:22-26<br />

> 1 Samuel 15:25<br />

> Romans 8:28-30, 12:9-21<br />

> Act 2:38, 1:34-43<br />

> St. Mark 1:4, 2:7<br />

> St. Luke 1:77, 7:47, 17:3-4<br />

> St. Matthew 5:43-48, 7:15-20, 10:32-33, 26:28<br />

> Psalm 31:19, 33:5, 52:1,25:18, 85:2, 86:5, 25:11,<br />

13:5, 25:6, 36:5, 89:1, 100:1-5<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

Exactly what is repentance?<br />

Repentance is a genuine sorrow for some isolated act, or a spectrum of sinful<br />

behaviors, we have committed in our lives. Repentance is for a time when we<br />

could have acted but didn’t, or an entire pattern of living, something theologians<br />

call “our fundamental option.”<br />

But repentance is still more! It is the fact that, even when we turn from the<br />

wrongful past, yet stumble and fall again, our eyes remain on God and we<br />

continue our path toward Him, undaunted and determined. An elder was once<br />

asked what monks do in a monastery and he replied, “We fall and get up again,<br />

we fall and get up again.” That is repentance. It’s keeping your eye “on the<br />

prize” - on Almighty God and His all- embracing love. No athlete is concerned<br />

about the ups and downs of his training period, he knows these do not affect<br />

his ultimate destination. It is losing one’s direction or choosing the wrong path<br />

that is the ultimate danger.<br />

-1 1 3 -


This is the way it should be with us. As long as the path remains narrow and<br />

does not deviate we need not fear the daily faults and failures along the way.<br />

While they may cause us pain or sorrow, in the end we enter into the love of<br />

the Lord because we have been faithful in our quest - no matter how imperfect<br />

it may be. We must stay on the path of obedience to the Lord .He alone sees<br />

our heart and knows our desires. He watches over us because we are infinitely<br />

precious in His eyes. And those who believe, who walk in His way- will<br />

ultimately be led to Him, the source of all being!<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Repentance has been given to the human race as a “grace beyond grace”.<br />

Repentance is a second birth from God, of which we have received a baptism -<br />

and we receive this second baptism by means of repentance.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Repentance is the gateway to mercy which is open to all who seek it. By way<br />

of this gate we enter into Divine mercy, and apart from this entrance one cannot<br />

find salvation.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Repentance imitates God and disappoints Satan.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ “Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and humbled heart God will not<br />

despise” (Psalm 50:17).<br />

When a man strives within himself to have his heart humbled and his thought<br />

not agitated, but peaceful, then all the snares of the enemy are without effect<br />

and there resides the Lord Himself. “His place is in peace” (Psalm 75:3).<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ A penitent purchases humility. It is a continual distrust of bodily comfort, a<br />

self- condemning reflection, and a joyful self- care.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

+ Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair.<br />

A penitent is an un- disgraced convict and one who reconciles with the Lord<br />

by the practice of good deeds contrary to their sins.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

+ Repentance is a purification of conscience and the selfless endurance of all<br />

afflictions. A penitent inflicts his own punishments.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

-114 -


I<br />

+ Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul<br />

into an awareness of its sin.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

+ An insult is either nurtured or destroyed - not by the disposition of those who<br />

insult, but by the attitude of those who bear it.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ “For all have sinned” according to Divine Scripture, and “all are justified freely<br />

by grace" (Romans 3: 23- 24). Repentance is the second grace and is born in<br />

the heart as a result of faith and fear.<br />

- Sf. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ It was said of a brother that his thoughts suggested to him. “Relax today and<br />

repent tomorrow.” But he retorted, “No, I am going to repent today and may the<br />

will of God be done tomorrow.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ As good parents always do, you have readily granted pardon after being<br />

asked. Had you forgiven before being asked, it would not have been<br />

forgiveness you offered but approval of their conduct.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ If you have anything against anyone, forgive it. You come to this church to<br />

receive forgiveness of your sins, and you, too, must forgive him who sinned<br />

against you. Or how will you say to the Lord, “Forgive my many iniquities”,<br />

if you have not yet forgiven your brother for his sins, however slight.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ If you do not receive your brother who repents, because you have no mercy,<br />

you sin against the Lord Him self: for you do not obey Our Lord and God in<br />

acting as He acted .<br />

- Teaching of the Twelve Apostles<br />

+ The power of love works in two ways; it torments those who have sinned,<br />

just as happens among friends here on earth, but to those who have observed<br />

its duties, love gives delight.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Blessed is the person who has eaten of the bread of love, which is Jesus.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ He who would be saved should ever have his heart disposed to repentance<br />

and broken, according to the Psalmist: “Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a<br />

broken and humbled heart God will not despise” (Psalm 50:17).<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

- 115 -


+ In a brokenness of spirit a man can easily pass securely through the artful<br />

snares of the proud Devil, whose whole care consists in agitating the human<br />

spirit, and in agitation sowing his tares, in accordance with the words of the<br />

Gospel; “Lord, did You not sow good seed in Your field? <strong>Fr</strong>om where have the<br />

weeds come? And He said to them, “An enemy has done this” (St. Matthew<br />

13:27- 28).<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ The deadly wound consists of every sin that is not repented and confessed,<br />

and then of falling into despair. This depends on our choice and will. If we do<br />

not yield ourselves to the pit of carelessness and despair the Devil cannot<br />

overpower us.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ To rise again and fight after being wounded and slain (i.e. steeped in sin)<br />

belongs to the noblest and bravest-it is worthy of great praise and most<br />

admirable.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ To become either mortal or immortal depends on us, for if we do not despair<br />

we shall not die and “death will have no dominion over us” (Romans 6:9).<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ For some there is salvation by fear; we contemplate the threat of punishment<br />

in hell and so avoid evil. But the person who is hastening to spiritual perfection<br />

rejects fear. Such a disposition is servile, and the person with this disposition<br />

does not remain with the Master out of love. He stays put out of fear of being<br />

scourged.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ No one lost Christ by confessing Him.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Confession of sins may abase the man, but it raises him, it may cover him<br />

with squalor, but it renders him more clean, it may accuse but it excuses, while<br />

it may condemn it surely absolves. The less excuse you give yourself, the more<br />

God will give to you in return.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ There is no time for confession in the place of the departed.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ Let no one cheat himself, let no one deceive himself. The Lord alone can<br />

have mercy. He alone can bestow pardon for sins which have been committed<br />

against Himself.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

- 116-


+ He who despairs of pardon for his sin, damns himself by despair rather than<br />

by the crime he has committed.<br />

- St. Isidore of Seville<br />

+ The gift of love is more precious than knowledge, more glorious than<br />

prophecy, more honored than all the other charismatic gifts.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ It is told that Abba Agathon used to say, “I should like to find a leper, give him<br />

my body and take his in exchange”. The brethren knew this was perfect love.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Do we forgive our neighbors when they trespass against us? If so, God<br />

will also forgive us in His great mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will<br />

refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us.<br />

The forgiveness of your sins or non- forgiveness, which determines your<br />

salvation or destruction, depend man on you! For without forgiveness of<br />

sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how terrible it is.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ A soldier once asked Abba Mios if God accepted repentance. The wise old<br />

man answered, “Tell me, if you tear a precious cloak do you throw it away?”<br />

The soldier replied, “No I mend it and use it again.” Abba Mios said, “If you<br />

are so careful about your cloak, will not God be equally careful about His own<br />

creation?”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ David shows us by his actions that anyone who considers himself guilty<br />

before God and repents must believe that the reproach and contempt of others<br />

towards him is just and to be endured.<br />

- St. Gregory Palamas<br />

+ If we love someone, then we always think of that one and we strive to please<br />

that person. Day and night our heart is preoccupied with that object. Is it in this<br />

way that you love God? Do you turn to Him, do you always remember Him,<br />

do you always pray to Him and fulfill His Holy Commandments? For our good,<br />

for our happiness, at least let us give a vow to ourselves, that from this day,<br />

from this hour, from this minute, we shall strive above all else to love God and<br />

to fulfill His holy will!<br />

- St. Herman of Alaska<br />

+ I seek those tears shed, not for display, but in repentance. I want those that<br />

trickle down secretly and in closets, out of sight, softly and noiselessly. I desire<br />

those that rise from depth of mind, those shed in anguish and sorrow, those<br />

which are for God alone.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 117 -


+ Christ, who is the Good Shepherd, goes in quest of one who wanders and is<br />

lost in the mountains. He calls this one back when it runs from Him, and when<br />

He has found it, troubles Himself to carry it on His shoulders.<br />

- St. Dionysius of Alexandria<br />

+ Do not reject those who wish to return in repentance. Instead, receive the<br />

lost gladly, count them again among the faithful, and make up what is defective<br />

in them.<br />

- St. Dionysius of Alexandria<br />

+ The forgetting of wrongs is a sign of true repentance. But he who dwells on<br />

them and thinks that he is repenting, is like a man who thinks he is running<br />

while he is really asleep.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

+ God never turns His face away from a sincere repentance.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ God accepts and welcomes anyone who has become wicked to the greatest<br />

extreme and chooses to return towards the path of holiness. He does everything<br />

to restore such people to their former position. But God shows an even greater<br />

mercy; for those who demonstrate incomplete repentance, He still will not pass<br />

by their small and insignificant turn.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 118 -


Wlyat tl)e Cyurd) <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

THE CHURCH, WORSHIP,<br />

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND THE EUCHARIST<br />

(PART 1)<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Augustine<br />

St. Macarius of Coring<br />

St. Cyril of Alexandria<br />

St. Simeon the New Theologian<br />

St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

St. c(ement of Alexandria<br />

...and others<br />

- 119 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Prayer of Hippolytus of Rome (2nd-3rd century A.D.)<br />

Almighty God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we beg You that when<br />

we receive the sacred mystery of the Eucharist it may bring us blessing. May<br />

Christ’s Body and Blood not bring condemnation upon us, but rather ennoble<br />

all who receive it.<br />

Eternal God, to whom that which is invisible is as clear as that which is visible;<br />

before You , we bow our heads, submitting to You our hard hearts and unruly<br />

bodies. Send down blessings from Your glorious dwelling on all men and<br />

women, lending to their prayers a ready ear. Hold them upright with Your strong<br />

hand, controlling all their evil passions. Preserve their bodies and souls, filling<br />

them with faith in Your Gospel and awe at Your majesty. Now and always unto<br />

ages of ages. Amen.<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> St. Matthew 16:18-19, 28:20<br />

> St. John Chapter 6<br />

> James 2:5-7<br />

> 1 Thessalonians 2:12<br />

> Galatians 5:16-26<br />

> Colossians 1:18<br />

> 1 Timothy 3:15-16<br />

> Hebrews 2:10-13<br />

> Acts 2:47, 5: 9-11, 11:22-26,<br />

> St. Matthew 3:2-3, 4:23, 5:3,<br />

10:7-15, 13:37-43, 21:43<br />

REFLECTION :<br />

> Romans 12:2, 16:5<br />

> Acts 24:14-16<br />

> 1 Corinthians 12:27-31<br />

> St. John 4:24,18:36, 4:23-24<br />

> Ephesians 1:22, 4:4, 5:25-33<br />

> 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 12:27,14:40<br />

> St. Luke 17:20-21, 12:32-34<br />

> St. Matthew 4:10, 15:8-9<br />

12:5, 20:28-31<br />

5:19-20, 6:33,<br />

“Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no city to dwell in; Hungry and thirsty,<br />

their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the Lord, in their trouble... He<br />

led them... to a city in which to dwell.”<br />

Millions today are lonely, even in the midst of crowds, having a hunger that<br />

nothing seems to satisfy, a thirst that never is quenched.<br />

The <strong>Church</strong> stands ready to fill the loneliness by offering Christ’s Body and<br />

Blood to feed the hungry soul. It offers a foretaste of heaven here on earth<br />

in the Liturgy and nourishes the hearts and minds of all believers with the<br />

message of the Gospel. It stands as a beacon on a hill for the lost and a<br />

haven for those tossed by the world’s vain pleasures.<br />

The <strong>Church</strong> does not offer false “solutions”. The loneliness it cures is not<br />

- 120-


physical. If it were, alcohol and drugs would suffice. Loneliness is not a mental<br />

alienation or knowledge alone would do the trick. The <strong>Church</strong> offers Christ in<br />

the flesh to cure the disease which makes men restless and alone.<br />

The <strong>Church</strong> and the Eucharist are a haven for the restless spirit, a place to find<br />

God. The man or woman who finds God, comes to this “place of refuge”-and<br />

upon finding it discovers that the desert is not “around us”, but within us. St.<br />

Augustine noted that “Our hearts are restless O Lord, until they rest in thee."<br />

Look around and see the wisdom of this quote. The <strong>Church</strong> is the answer<br />

because we know God is there. It is the place where we are made whole.<br />

In His <strong>Church</strong> “God satisfies him who is thirsty and the hungry He fills with<br />

good." It is the city in which to dwell.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ There is nothing wrong or misleading written in the pages of Holy Scripture.<br />

- St. Clement<br />

+ The Kingdom of Heaven consists in partaking of the Holy Spirit, for this is<br />

what the saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21), means.<br />

So we must endeavor to receive the Holy Spirit within ourselves and to keep<br />

Him there.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ It is a great blessing from God that some parts of Holy Scripture are clear<br />

while others are not. By means of the first we acquire faith and ardor and do<br />

not fall into disbelief and laziness because of our utter inability to grasp what is<br />

said. By means of the second we are roused to enquiry and effort, thus both<br />

strengthening our understanding and learning humility from the fact that<br />

everything is not intelligible to us.”<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ In every particle of the Body and every drop of the Blood of Christ I receive<br />

Christ wholly.<br />

- Sf. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ The Lord is wholly in every temple, and as <strong>Orthodox</strong> churches are to be found<br />

throughout the world, our Lord is present upon the whole earth...communicating<br />

Himself to believers, and bringing forth sweet fruits in them.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ The Sacred Scriptures come from the fullness of the Spirit, so that there is<br />

nothing in the Prophets, or the Law, or the Gospel, or the Epistles, which does<br />

not descend from Divine majesty.<br />

- Origen<br />

- 121 -


+ It behooves us to do all things in order, which tne Lord has commanded us to<br />

perform at sacred times. He has commanded that offerings be presented, and<br />

services be performed. These things are not to be performed thoughtlessly or<br />

irregularly, but at the appointed times and hours.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

+ We are commanded to reverence and honor the Lord, being persuaded that<br />

He is Word. We do not just do this on special days, rather we do this continually<br />

in our whole life, and in every way...in every place-even if we are by ourselves.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The Sacred Mysteries (Sacraments), are very few in number, very easy to<br />

observe, and most sublime in meaning.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Once we have been set free from sin we can proceed without hindrance to<br />

the practice of God’s Commandments and “serve Him with fear and trembling”<br />

(Psalm 2:11), not as though we were doing Him some favor, but as receiving a<br />

benefit by being admitted into His service.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ The person who is dedicated to Christ is equally earnest in small things<br />

as in great.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ We often understand a certain passage of Holy Scripture in the course of our<br />

contemplation, grasping one or two of the senses in which it was written, then<br />

after a while our intellect may increase in purity and be allowed to perceive<br />

other meanings, superior to the first. As a result, in bewilderment and wonder at<br />

God’s grace and ineffable wisdom, we are overcome with awe before the God<br />

of knowledge.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ The farther Christians remove themselves from the spirit of their Faith,<br />

the more they become divided by self- love, the more they are absorbed in<br />

themselves, the lesser participation they have in spiritual and material blessings<br />

-especially of material ones with those in want-love becomes exhausted in<br />

them, and mankind more distressed.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Plato says, “Ivory is not a pure offering to God.” What then? Are embroidered<br />

and costly textures? No, rather nothing is a pure offering to God that can be<br />

corrupted or taken away secretly.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Our words would be unnecessary if we had deeds to show for them.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 122 -


+ If anyone thinks that vestments, jewels, and other things that are considered<br />

precious by men are valued by God, he is altogether ignorant of exactly who<br />

Almighty God is. Only that which is spiritual may be offered to God, for He<br />

accepts this. His offering is purity of soul. His sacrifice is praise and hymns.<br />

Since God is not seen He should be worshipped with things that are not seen.<br />

Therefore, the chief ceremonial in the worship of God is the praise from the<br />

mouth of a just man directed toward God.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ The custom of not bending the knee on Sunday is a symbol of the<br />

resurrection, through which we have been set free by the grace of Christ.<br />

Now this custom took its rise from Apostolic times, as the blessed Irenaeus,<br />

of Lyons, declares in his work, “On Pascha”.<br />

- Eusebius<br />

+ In the evening we needed Him, and exalted Him in worship. In the morning,<br />

when the need was no more, we rejected Him. When necessity left us,<br />

faithfulness left us.<br />

- St. Ephraim of Syria<br />

+ Nothing artificial in worship is really pleasing.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ To be grounded in faith and holy in living, this is the kernel of Christianity.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Love Holy Scripture and the wisdom in her pages will love you. Love her,<br />

and she will protect you. Honor her, and she will encompass you.<br />

- Sf. Jerome<br />

+ The world is like a sea on which the <strong>Church</strong> sails. It is like a ship tossed<br />

in the deep, but not wrecked. This is because the <strong>Church</strong> has as its pilot,<br />

Jesus Christ.<br />

- St. Hippolytus of Rome<br />

+ With righteous conduct and irreproachable deeds, make ready the Way of the<br />

Lord, smooth out a path for Him so that the Word of God may act within you<br />

without hindrance and give you knowledge of His mysteries and of His coming.<br />

- Origen<br />

+ What seems bread is not bread (though bread by taste); but the Body of<br />

Christ. What appears to be wine is not wine (though taste will make it so); but<br />

the Blood of Christ.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ What reason is there in going to prayer with hands washed, but the spirit foul?<br />

- Tertullian<br />

- 123 -


+ I will honor the king but only God will I worship.<br />

- St. Theophilus of Antioch<br />

+ By what image am I to represent God, since rightly considered, man himself<br />

is the image of God? What temple am I to erect to Him, since the whole of the<br />

world which has been fashioned by Him, is unable to contain Him?<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ The food that has been made “Eucharist” by the power of His Word, and<br />

which gives life to our flesh and blood by assimilation, is both the Body and<br />

Blood of Jesus Christ who was made flesh at His incarnation.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ To be ignorant of Holy Scripture is to be ignorant of Christ!<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Holy Scripture is sufficient for teaching. However it is praiseworthy to exhort<br />

one another in the Faith and instruct one another with our explanations.<br />

- St. Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ One who looks for the <strong>Church</strong> seeks Christ.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ A man who is well- versed in the teachings of the Scriptures is the<br />

fortification of the <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The Bible is a stream in which an elephant may swim and any lamb<br />

may wade.<br />

- Pope Gregory of Rome<br />

+ The Lord Jesus Himself, proclaims; “This is My Body” (St. Matthew 26:26).<br />

Prior to the blessing of the heavenly words, another nature is spoken of; after<br />

the consecration, the Body is made real. Our Lord Himself speaks of His Blood.<br />

Before the consecration it is known by another name; afterward it is called<br />

Blood. The faithful say, “Amen”, that is, “It is true.” Let our hearts confess<br />

what our mouths utter; let the soul feel what the voice announces.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ Give yourself over to the reading of Holy Scripture. Apply yourself. For those<br />

of us who read God’s word need much foundation, lest we should say or think<br />

something much too rash about them.<br />

- Origen<br />

+ There is nothing frivolous or idle in the Divine Scriptures. What is said within<br />

its pages is there for some useful purpose.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 124 -


+ Any monk who desires a knowledge of Holy Scripture should not spend time<br />

on the works of commentators, but should keep all the attention of his mind<br />

and the desires of his heart set on purifying himself from bodily passions. For<br />

once these passions are driven out, suddenly the eyes of the heart will begin<br />

to naturally gaze on the sublime mysteries of Holy Scripture.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Our flesh feeds on the Body and Blood of Christ, that the soul may grow<br />

healthy on God Himself.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Whoever claims that the <strong>Church</strong> is only a small portion of the world is in error.<br />

The <strong>Church</strong> is the whole world.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Not only ought we know the Lord, but we ought to hold Him in our hands,<br />

eat Him, set our teeth upon His flesh, and be united with Him in a most<br />

intimate way.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Only the universal <strong>Church</strong> is the Body of Christ. Outside of this body, no one<br />

is ennobled by the Holy Spirit.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ There is no salvation outside the <strong>Church</strong> of Christ.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Christ gave us His flesh, by which the faithful are nourished, like little children.<br />

- St. Hippolytus of Rome<br />

+ One cannot have Almighty God for his Father, who does not have the <strong>Church</strong><br />

for his mother.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ O wondrous mystery! God is the Father of all, Christ also the Word of all, and<br />

the Holy Spirit is one and the same everywhere. And there is also one mother.<br />

She is the <strong>Church</strong>!<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The <strong>Church</strong> is our mother, and supplies all our needs in plenty. We are born<br />

from her womb, by her milk we are fed, by her spirit we are animated.<br />

- Sf. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ If someone inquires as to how bread is changed into the Body of Christ,<br />

I respond: “The Holy Spirit overshadows the bread and operates in the same<br />

way in the elements which He effected in the womb of the Virgin Mary.”<br />

- Sf. John of Damascus<br />

- 125-


+ Where the <strong>Church</strong> is, there also is the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of<br />

God abides, there you will find the <strong>Church</strong>, and all grace. Let it be known that<br />

this Spirit is Truth.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ The <strong>Church</strong> is a faithful and watchful guardian of the teachings that have<br />

been given to it. In this sacred deposit, she changes nothing and takes nothing<br />

away, nor adds anything to it.<br />

- St. Vincent of Lerins<br />

+ The Old Testament proclaimed the Father clearly, but the Son was more<br />

darkly portrayed. The New Testament clearly revealed the Son, but only<br />

indicated the Divinity of the Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit dwells among us and<br />

makes His manifestation to us more certain.<br />

- St. Gregory Nazianzen<br />

+ If you believe what you like in the Gospel and turn aside from that which<br />

doesn’t please you, it is not the Gospel you believe, but only yourself.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ This is the holy <strong>Church</strong>, the one <strong>Church</strong>, the true <strong>Church</strong>, the universal<br />

<strong>Church</strong> which fights against all errors. She may be assailed, but she cannot<br />

be overcome. The gates of hell shall not prevail against her.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The one and only holy, catholic and apostolic <strong>Church</strong> can never be destroyed,<br />

though the whole world may seek to make war against it. It is victorious over<br />

every unseemly revolt of the heretics who rise up against it.<br />

- St. Alexander of Alexandria<br />

+ If someone gave you small grains of gold, would you not protect them<br />

zealously, and be extremely careful not to misplace any? Will you then keep<br />

watch most carefully that not a crumb of the Eucharist, more precious than<br />

gold and precious stones, not fall from your hands?<br />

- Sf. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ Do not absent yourself from Communion; do not deprive yourselves, by the<br />

stain of sin, of the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ The study of inspired Holy Scripture is the chief way of finding our duty in life.<br />

For in Scripture we find both instruction about our conduct and the lives of holy<br />

men and women delivered in writing, as real, breathing images of Godly living.<br />

These teachings are examples for imitating their good works.<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

- 126 -


+ When heretics attempt to avail themselves of the prophetic Scriptures, in<br />

the first place they will not make use of all the writings, and then they will fail<br />

to quote them in full, nor as a body of prophecy. But selecting ambiguous<br />

selections they mold them to their own opinions, mentioning a few selections<br />

here and there, not looking to the full sense , but making use in the mere words.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ We request that the Bread be given to us daily, so that we who are close to<br />

Christ, and receive the Eucharist regularly as the food of salvation, may not by<br />

serious sin...be prevented from partaking of the heavenly Bread, or torn from<br />

Christ’s Body.<br />

- Sf. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Believe as true that the same banquet takes place now as when Christ<br />

reclined at table, and know that this banquet, in the Eucharist, is in no way<br />

different.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ If anyone should ask a man who is truly wise why he was born, the wise man<br />

will answer without trepidation or hesitation, that he was born to worship God.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ The Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist demands pure, believing souls and<br />

not costly garments.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Every soul that partakes of the bread come down from heaven is a “house<br />

of Bread” or “Bethlehem”(in Hebrew), the “Bread of Christ”, which is nourished<br />

and strengthened by the support of that heavenly Bread that dwells within.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ Just as there are many rays from the Sun, making one light, thus also the<br />

<strong>Church</strong>, radiant with the light of Christ, sheds her rays over the entire world,<br />

yet remains one light that is spread everywhere.<br />

- Sf. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Remember this, all you faithful, the elect of the <strong>Church</strong> of God. The people<br />

were previously named “People of God,” and “a holy nation.” Therefore all of<br />

you are the holy and sacred <strong>Church</strong> of God, with names inscribed in heaven,<br />

a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a chosen people, a bride adorned for the<br />

bridegroom, Our Lord, a great <strong>Church</strong>, a faithful <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”<br />

+ We are a people knit together by a common religious profession, by a unity<br />

in discipline, and by the bond of common hope.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

- 127 -


+ Follow the custom of the <strong>Church</strong> in whatever area you happen to be.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ Piety is the recognition of God as Father.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ God does not need our worship, or desire to see the homage of so many<br />

thousands laid at His feet. Worship is for our benefit, and works to our<br />

advantage.<br />

- Arnobius<br />

+ No one may whisper, nor sleep, nor giggle, nor nod, for, at worship, all<br />

ought to stand wisely, seriously, attentively, while having their attention fixed<br />

upon the Word of the Lord.<br />

- “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles’’<br />

+ In previous times, God being without form or body, could not be represented.<br />

But today, since God has come to us in the flesh and lived among us, I can now<br />

represent what is visible in God. I do not worship matter but I do worship the<br />

creator of matter who became matter for my sake...and who, through these<br />

things, accomplished my salvation.<br />

- St. John of Damascus<br />

- 128 -


Wpat tpe Cyurcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

THE CHURCH, WORSHIP,<br />

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND THE EUCHARIST<br />

(PART 2)<br />

- 129-


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Remember, Lord, Your <strong>Church</strong>. Deliver it from all evil and perfect it in Your love.<br />

Gather it as one from the four winds-the <strong>Church</strong> that has been sanctified-into<br />

Your Kingdom which You have prepared for it from all eternity.<br />

- Teaching of the Twelve Apostles<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

Christians with even a passing knowledge of Holy Scripture, remember how<br />

confused and bewildered the disciples were after Jesus’ crucifixion . They could<br />

not understand why He had been sacrificed and not stayed around to build up<br />

a powerful physical Kingdom on earth. After all, that is what they wanted and<br />

expected, a powerful king at the head of a menacing army, one that men would<br />

learn to fear and obey!<br />

However, they forgot that Christ had said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.”<br />

By this He meant that it would not be composed of mere physical things. It<br />

was to be a spiritual Kingdom, made up of men and women who knew the<br />

importance of living by God’s law and who understood that happiness did not<br />

depend on material possessions but on the love one had for others, and that to<br />

live was to prepare for eternal life.<br />

If Christ had wanted a physical Kingdom what would become of it after all the<br />

members had died and their earthly wealth had to be left behind?<br />

Yet, we must admit that it is the spiritual we look for, and need, in one another?<br />

An infant responds to the love its mother displays and a child respects his<br />

father’s wisdom and strength. These are the very values one needs when<br />

lonely or frightened. When adults are confused, lonely, frightened, depressed<br />

or diseased they seek God alone! Their need for God’s love and compassion<br />

supercedes anything one can find on earth where the cold, meaningless<br />

material things of the world offer nothing!<br />

Once men and women understand the importance of the need for God and the<br />

immortality of the soul, then the Kingdom of God becomes real and realized!<br />

SAYINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ The Scriptures were spoken and written by God, through the hands and<br />

hearts of those who spoke of God.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

- 130-


+ To whom was the Blood of Christ paid out, and why was it shed? We were<br />

in bondage to the Evil One, sold under sin, and receiving pleasure in exchange<br />

for wickedness. If a ransom belongs not to someone else but to him who holds<br />

in bondage, I ask you then, to whom was this paid, and for what reason? If it<br />

was paid to the Evil One, O, what an outrage! ...If it was paid to the Father, first<br />

I ask, how can that be? For we were not being detained by Him, and secondly,<br />

why would He be delighted by the Blood of His Only- Begotten Son? Surely it<br />

is evident, that the Father did receive the Sacrifice of His Son, though neither<br />

asking or demanding it, but because of His design of redemption and so that we<br />

might be sanctified by the humanity of God.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nazianzus<br />

+ The Sacred Scriptures come from the fullness of the Spirit, so that there is<br />

nothing in the writings of the Prophets, or the Law, or the Gospels, or the<br />

Epistles, which does not descend from Divine majesty.<br />

- Origen<br />

+ His word cannot deceive, but our senses are easily cheated. His word<br />

has never failed, however our senses err most of the time.<br />

- Sf. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Seek and find, and realize that the truth does not lie openly on the surface.<br />

- St. Clement<br />

+ He who does not assemble with the <strong>Church</strong>, has displayed his pride,<br />

and he has condemned himself.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Wherever the bishop appears, let the congregation be there also, For<br />

wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the universal <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Study in your heart the light of Holy Scripture, and you will know within the<br />

pages of Holy Writ who you were, who you are, and who you ought to be.<br />

- Fulgence of Ruspe<br />

+ Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of souls, the Governor of our bodies,<br />

and the Shepherd of the universal <strong>Church</strong> throughout the world.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the “Martyrdom of Polycarp”<br />

+ The world is driven and tempest- tossed by sin. Therefore, God has given to it<br />

assemblies-holy <strong>Church</strong>es-in which survive the doctrines of Truth.<br />

- Theophilus<br />

- 131 -


+ The <strong>Church</strong> is the salt of the earth. It has been left behind within the confines<br />

of the earth, and it is subject to human suffering. And even though entire<br />

members are often taken from it, the pillar of salt endures. This typifies the<br />

foundation of the Faith that makes Christians strong and sends children forward<br />

to their Father.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ The <strong>Church</strong> preaches the Truth everywhere, and she is the seven- branched<br />

candlestick that bears the light of Christ. Those then, who abandon the <strong>Church</strong>,<br />

call in question the wisdom of the presbyters. We should flee to the <strong>Church</strong>, be<br />

brought up in her bosom, and be nourished with the Lord’s Scriptures. For the<br />

<strong>Church</strong> has been planted as a garden in this world.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+The earthly <strong>Church</strong> is the image of the heavenly <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The Lord, by transplanting us into His <strong>Church</strong>, has united us to Himself.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ <strong>Fr</strong>om what has been said from the beginning, I believe that the true <strong>Church</strong><br />

(the one that is really ancient) is one. In it are enrolled those who are just,<br />

according to God’s purpose.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ There is one God. Furthermore, Christ is one, and there is but one <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

There is also one chair founded upon “the rock,” the “rock” being Peter’s<br />

confession of Faith by the word of the Lord. Another altar cannot be constituted.<br />

A new priesthood cannot be made in addition to the one altar and the one<br />

priesthood. Whoever gathers elsewhere, scatters.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Because we see that there are tares (weeds) in the <strong>Church</strong>, we ourselves<br />

should not withdraw. Rather, we should labor that we may be wheat. In that<br />

manner, when the wheat begins to be gathered into the Lord’s barns, we may<br />

receive fruit for our labors.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ He who has not been ordained in the <strong>Church</strong> can neither have, nor hold to,<br />

the <strong>Church</strong> in any way. For the Faith of the Sacred Scripture sets forth that the<br />

<strong>Church</strong> is not outside, nor can it be separated and divided against itself. Rather,<br />

it maintains the unity of an inseparable and undivided house.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ The <strong>Church</strong>, which is the true temple of God, does not consist of walls.<br />

Rather, it consists of the heart and faith of the men who believe in Christ and<br />

are called “faithful”.<br />

- Lactantius 1 09


+ Lord, You gave food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give<br />

thanks to You. But to us You freely gave spiritual food and drink, and life eternal,<br />

through Your Servant Christ Jesus.<br />

- “The Didache”<br />

+ Take care to have only one Eucharist. For there is only one flesh of Our Lord<br />

Jesus Christ, and one cup to the unity of His Blood.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Breaking one and the same Bread, which is the medicine of immortality,<br />

and the antidote to prevent us from dying, so that we should live together in<br />

Jesus Christ.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ I desire the “Bread of God”, the “Heavenly Bread,” the “Bread of Life”-which is<br />

the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And I desire the drink of God, namely<br />

His Blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ The wine and bread having received the sacred Word of God, become the<br />

Eucharist, which is the Body and Blood of Christ.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of God, the Most High, gave bread<br />

and wine, providing consecrated food as a type of the Eucharist.<br />

- St Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist but those who have been baptized<br />

into the name of the Lord.<br />

- “The Didache”<br />

+ When they wish to repent, we receive pagans into the <strong>Church</strong> to hear the<br />

Word of God. However, we do not receive them into communion until they have<br />

received the seal of Baptism and are made complete Christians.<br />

- “The Apostolic Constitutions”<br />

+ Sacrifices do not sanctify a man. For God does not stand in need of<br />

sacrifices. Instead, it is the conscience of the one who offers it that sanctifies<br />

the sacrifice when it is pure. This moves God to accept it as from a friend.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ The oblation of the <strong>Church</strong> (i.e. Eucharist), for which the Lord gave<br />

instructions to be offered throughout all the world, is considered by God to be a<br />

pure sacrifice, and it is acceptable to Him. For by this gift, both honor and<br />

affection are shown forth to the King.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

- 133 -


+ Only the priest who imitates that which Christ did (i.e. using wine mixed<br />

with water) is the one who truly discharges the office of Christ. He only offers<br />

a true and full sacrifice in the <strong>Church</strong> to God the Father when he proceeds to<br />

offer it in the manner that he sees Christ Himself to have offered it.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ The Eucharist is to be received with fear and honor. As St. Paul relates,<br />

“Whoever will eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be<br />

guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27).<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ He who cultivates innocence, supplicates God. He who cultivates justice,<br />

makes offerings to God. He who abstains from fraudulent practices, wins over<br />

God...These are our sacrifices, these are our rites of God’s worship.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ In our Faith there is no place even for a slight and ordinary offense. If anyone<br />

comes to a sacrifice without a sound conscience, he hears what threats God<br />

denounces against him.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ You shall not abandon the Commandments of the Lord but you shall keep<br />

what you have received, adding nothing to it, nor taking anything away.<br />

- “The Didache”<br />

+ Do not be lead astray by winning words and clever arguments about the<br />

Scriptures. Even to me, who tell you these things, do not give ready belief,<br />

unless you receive from the Holy Scriptures the proof of the things I announce.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ Seek and find, and realize that the truth does not lie openly on the surface.<br />

- St. Clement<br />

+ The hearer of God’s Word ought to be like those animals that chew the cud;<br />

one ought not only feed upon it, but meditate and bring it forth to action.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ We ought not to suspend ourselves from the Holy Eucharist because we<br />

confess ourselves to be sinners, but should more and more eagerly hasten to<br />

it for the healing of our soul.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ This is the body which He gave us both to hold in reserve and to eat, which<br />

was appropriate to intense love; for those whom we kiss with abandon we often<br />

bite with our own teeth.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 134 -


+ Make no mistake about it. If anyone is not inside the sanctuary, he lacks<br />

God’s Bread.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Nothing will so avail to divide the <strong>Church</strong> as the love of power.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ He cannot possess the robe of Christ who rends and divides the <strong>Church</strong><br />

of Christ.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ The unity of the <strong>Church</strong> is proved by the intensity of the greetings of peace,<br />

by the use of the term “brother”, and by mutual hospitality.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ If any man follows him that separates from the Truth, he shall not inherit the<br />

Kingdom of God, and if any man does not stand aloof from the preacher of<br />

falsehood, he shall be condemned to hell. For it is obligatory neither to separate<br />

from the godly, nor to associate with the ungodly.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ The <strong>Church</strong> herself, which should be the appeaser of God in all things,<br />

what is she but the one who provokes God?<br />

- Salvian<br />

+ The Holy Scriptures were spoken and written by God, through men who<br />

spoke of God.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Like gold refined in a furnace, the Faith has only been made to shine the<br />

more under the storms of persecution.<br />

- Theonas of Alexandria<br />

+ Just as with the vine, when someone cuts away the fruit- bearing parts it<br />

grows up again and puts forth other branches both flourishing and fruitful-so it<br />

happens the same way with the <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

- 135-


What tl^e <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About,<br />

ILLNESS AND SUFFERING<br />

(PART 1)<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

New M artyr Archbishop John of Riga<br />

St. Ephrem of Syria<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Isidore of Seville<br />

Lactantius<br />

Minucius Felix<br />

St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

St. Jerome<br />

St. Augustine<br />

St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

Pope Gregory of Rome<br />

...and others<br />

- 136 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Make Us Clean<br />

You, Lord, brought us into the everlasting fabric of the universe; You wove the<br />

tapestry of life. <strong>Fr</strong>om one generation to another You are constant and righteous<br />

in Your laws, wise and prudent in Your actions. To look around is to see Your<br />

goodness, to trust You is to know Your generosity, to confess to You is to<br />

receive Your forgiveness.<br />

Make us clean with the strong soap of Your truth. Make us whole and<br />

healthy with the powerful medicine of Your grace. Show us the light of Your<br />

smile. Protect us with Your mighty arm. Save us from all wrong- doing by Your<br />

outstretched arm. Deliver us from all those who hate us without cause. And to<br />

us, and all mankind, grant peace and concord.<br />

To You, who alone can grant to us those and all good things, we offer up our<br />

praise through Jesus Christ, the High Priest and guardian of our souls.<br />

- St. Clement of Rome<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Genesis 3:16-19<br />

> James 5:16<br />

> Book of Job 1-42<br />

> 2 Corinthians 11:25-27<br />

> St. John 15:18, 16:2-3,33<br />

> St. Luke 4:38-39, 5:17-26,<br />

> 1 St. Peter 3:13-22<br />

> St. Matthew 8:1-4, 12:9-14, 16:21-23<br />

> St. Mark 1:31, 10:46-52<br />

> Romans 8:17-22<br />

6:1-11, 10:25-37, 16:19-31<br />

A question people have asked throughout the ages is, “Why does a good<br />

God allow the innocent to suffer?” It is true that some good and decent people,<br />

through no fault of their own, endure much suffering and hardship. Others,<br />

not so good, seem to have everything go their way with gifts of good health,<br />

possessions, intelligence and seemingly carefree lives.<br />

This doesn’t seem like the work of a good God who wants all His children to be<br />

treated equally. And it would not be, if our stay on this planet was all there was<br />

to our life. That, in fact, is the number one reason for a belief in an afterlife—this<br />

is not all there is!<br />

When Christ told His disciples to “Ask and it shall be given to you.” He was not<br />

speaking about things that affect our life here on earth. If we pray for money,<br />

fame, possessions, a lucky lottery ticket, a new spouse, or cure for our illness<br />

and expect immediate action by God, we will be sorely disappointed. If God<br />

- 137-


operated in this way He would become nothing but a genie in a magic lamp,<br />

granting wishes here and there, willy-nilly, with no plan or purpose. Instead<br />

what God will grant us is enough grace to lead our lives in a good and moral<br />

way, so that eventually we will gain eternal life with Him. If we seek Him in<br />

prayer, we will find Him by acknowledging our deep dependence on His<br />

goodness - although we may not know the ways in which He will act to save us!<br />

And sometimes God may act in direct opposition to our wishes, simply because<br />

it is the best way for us - even though our finite minds will not recognize His<br />

goodness in this regard. The old adage, “God writes straight with crooked lines!”<br />

still stands true.<br />

If you are suffering it may not be the result of something you did, but simply<br />

the way this world is. The real gift from God, the way He answers prayers, is to<br />

believe this as His will and not question His Divine Wisdom. Everyone suffers,<br />

some a little, some a great deal. The thing we can do is to accept our suffering<br />

with patience and grace. The more we suffer and continue talking with God in<br />

faith, the greater will be our reward. Therefore, you must know that suffering is<br />

never in vain and is always a prelude to something better, something glorious<br />

and true.<br />

Seek help from people who might assist you, understand that God does not<br />

deal in magical solutions, and do not lose faith in Him, even though you may<br />

not appreciate the cross He has sent you. It’s OK to be disappointed, and want<br />

things to get better, however it's not OK to turn away from God because you<br />

think He is not granting your immediate needs.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ No person on this earth is able to avoid affliction; and although the afflictions<br />

which the Lord sends us are not great, men imagine them beyond their strength<br />

and are sometimes crushed by them. The reason for this is that they will not<br />

humble their souls and commit themselves to the will of God. But the Lord<br />

Himself gives His grace to those who submit to His will. They will endure all<br />

things with fortitude for the sake of God whom they love, and with whom they<br />

wish to be glorified forever. It is impossible to escape tribulation in this world but<br />

the man who gives himself over to the will of God bears all tribulation easily,<br />

viewing it as putting trust in their Lord, and so the tribulation passes.<br />

- Archimandrite Sophrony<br />

+ Living this life, let us be carefully on guard and “with all watchfulness, keep<br />

our heart” (Proverbs 4:23). For we have enemies, powerful and crafty - the<br />

wicked demons, and it is against these that we wrestle.<br />

- St. Anthony of Egypt<br />

- 138 -


+ The Evil One cannot comprehend the joy we receive from observing a healthy<br />

spiritual life. It is for this reason that he becomes jealous of us. As a result he<br />

envies us and sets traps for mankind, so that we become sorrowful and fall. We<br />

must struggle, therefore, because without struggles we do not possess virtue.<br />

- Elder leronymos of Aegina<br />

+ Christ's athlete, as long as he is in his body, is never lacking a victory to be<br />

gained in contests. However, as he grows by triumphant successes, so does a<br />

more severe kind of struggle confront him.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ The knowledge of Christ’s Cross is concealed in the sufferings of His Cross.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ The wise man, seeing recovery in the Divine decrees, receives with gratitude<br />

the misfortunes which they bring; they have, he tells himself, no other cause<br />

than his own sins.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ If an occasion demands it, a truly wise man will offer his entire body up to<br />

death for the sake of Christ. So too, this same man is not affected in spirit or<br />

broken with bodily pain if his health leaves him. He is consoled therefore, by<br />

his struggle for perfection in the virtues.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ Let your afflictions be books to admonish and teach you.<br />

- St. Ephrem of Syria<br />

+ Whether God brings upon us any famine, war, or calamity- let it be known that<br />

He does so out of His exceeding great care and loving kindness.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Even a pious person is not immune to spiritual malaise if he does not have<br />

a spiritual father and guide-either a person living or a renown spiritual writer.<br />

This spiritual sickness-called prelest-or spiritual delusion, is one where a<br />

person imagines himself to be very near to God and to the realm of the Divine.<br />

Even zealous monastics are subject to this delusion-although laymen who<br />

struggle (podvig) undergo it much more frequently.<br />

- Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky<br />

+ Those afflicted with spiritual delusion (prelest) imagine that they surpass<br />

others in struggles of prayer and fasting, and imagine themselves to be seers of<br />

Divine visions, or dreams inspired by grace. In every event of their lives, they<br />

see special intentional directions from God or their guardian angel. Soon they<br />

begin imagining that they are God’s elect, and often try to foretell the future.<br />

- 139-


The Holy <strong>Fathers</strong> of the <strong>Church</strong> armed themselves against nothing so fiercely<br />

as against this spiritual sickness.<br />

- Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky<br />

+ Evil spirits and demons, since they can do nothing to the righteous person,<br />

are but as an actor in a play, changing their shapes and frightening children by<br />

their mischievousness, tumult, and make believe.<br />

- St. Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ The body is a slave, while the soul is supreme, and therefore it is due to<br />

God’s mercy that a body becomes worn- out by illness. For in illness and<br />

suffering the passions are weakened, and a man comes to grips with<br />

himself-indeed physical illness itself is sometimes initiated by the passions.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ This seems to me to be one principal reason why the good are chastised<br />

along with the wicked. This is not because they have spent an equally corrupt<br />

life, but because the good as well as the wicked, though not equally with them,<br />

love this present life; while they ought to hold it cheap, that the wicked, being<br />

admonished and reformed by the example of the good, might lay hold of life<br />

eternal. And if they will not be the companions of the good in seeking life<br />

everlasting, they should be loved as enemies.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Being weak in health as you may be, I cannot fail to feel much sympathy for<br />

your plight. But Divine goodness is not only wiser than we, it is also more wise<br />

in a different way. It is this thought that must sustain us in all our trials, for it is<br />

consoling, more so than other thoughts.<br />

- Elder Macarius of Optina<br />

+ God measures out affliction according to our need.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ I was allowed the luxury of suffering hardship with you.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nazianzus<br />

+ The Christian Faith is not simply a system of beliefs but a way of restoration<br />

for fallen man.<br />

- Bishop Theophan the Recluse<br />

+ The violence of affliction proves, purifies and melts the good, while it<br />

condemns, wastes and casts- out the evil.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Do not seek the perfection of the Law through human virtues, for perfection is<br />

not found in them. Perfection is found in the Cross of Christ.<br />

- St. Mark the Ascetic<br />

- 140 -


+ Like a thunderclap from the sky, so was the impression made upon the<br />

disciples by the revelation of the Lord regarding the sufferings which awaited<br />

Him. Earlier, He had told them that His path was also their path. “You will be<br />

hated for my name’s sake.”, “The servant is not greater than his master.”, “He<br />

who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” In the lives<br />

of Christ’s true disciples there is a time of suffering, the Passion, when each of<br />

us must enter his own Jerusalem, ascend his own Gologtha and the fateful<br />

Cross, and take- up the fateful cup-even unto death.<br />

- Archbishop John of Riga<br />

+ Show in your ascetic exercise that your heart is strong. Cleanse your vessel,<br />

that you may receive grace more abundantly.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ All the sons of this world have their Golgotha. Unforeseen and uninvited,<br />

suffering enters one’s house. You must suffer whether you like it or not. This is<br />

the “bitter m ust.<br />

- Archbishop John of Riga<br />

+ Great endeavors and difficult struggles await those who are converted, but<br />

afterwards there is inexpressible joy. If you want to light a fire, you are annoyed<br />

first by smoke, and your eyes water. But in the end you achieve your goal. Now<br />

it is written, “Our God is a consuming fire.” So we must light the Divine fire in us<br />

with both tears and struggle.<br />

- Amma Syncletica<br />

+ The misfortune of evils does not destroy you but instructs you. The<br />

suffering associated with adversity does not degrade you but exalts you.<br />

Human tribulation teaches you but it does not destroy you.<br />

- St. Isidore of Seville<br />

+ Let us strive to enter the Kingdom by the narrow gate. Just as the trees, if<br />

they had not stood before the winter’s storms cannot bear fruit, so it is with us.<br />

This present age is a storm, and it is only through many trials and temptations<br />

that we can obtain an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven.<br />

-Amma Theodora<br />

+ Unfurl your sails, attach the Cross as a symbol on your prow. The calm that<br />

you speak of, is itself a tempest.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The Cross of suffering frightened even Jesus. In His soul is heard the voice<br />

of St. Peter; “Be merciful to yourself, do not let this happen, defend yourself.”<br />

And this is not surprising, for after all, the Great Sufferer Himself prayed, “If it<br />

be possible, take this cup from me” (St. Mark 14:36). This is an altogether<br />

necessary “must” and we are powerless to stand against it.<br />

- Archbishop John of Riga<br />

- 141 -


+ When a trial comes upon you suddenly, do not react against him through<br />

which it comes, but find out its object, and then you will find a way of benefiting<br />

from it. <strong>Fr</strong>om wherever it may have come, you would still have to empty the<br />

bitter cup of God’s decrees.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Sorrow is given to us with a purpose, to cure us of sin.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ “The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force”<br />

(St. Matthew 11:12), since “it is through many tribulations that we must enter the<br />

Kingdom” (Acts 14:22).<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Fortitude is strengthened by infirmities, and calamities are often the discipline<br />

of virtue.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ The natural desire of man’s heart is to live at peace with everyone. Youthful<br />

hearts often make a decision for an unconcerned faith within themselves. I want<br />

to get along with everyone, I must not antagonize anyone. But even the most<br />

well-intentioned man soon realizes that this is impossible. But even the meekest<br />

lamb is sure to meet a ferocious wolf who says, “You are a thorn in my side.” He<br />

who believes must confess his Faith. He who desires to serve God in the world<br />

must act accordingly to his Faith, but every confession inevitably arouses<br />

antagonism, and every action is sure to meet with hostility.<br />

- Archbishop John of Riga<br />

+ Some never remember God unless they are in trouble.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Once we have been set free we can proceed without hindrance to the practice<br />

of His Commandments and “serve Him with fear and trembling” (Psalm 2:11),<br />

not as though we were doing Him some favor, but as receiving a benefit by<br />

being admitted into His service.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ In the servant of God , the glory of the wounds made the victory, the memory<br />

of the scars preserves that glory.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Why are there so many traps in life? The answer is-so that we will not fly low,<br />

but seek the things that are above.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ It is not the actual suffering, but the cause, that makes men martyrs.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

- 142 -


+ He who fears to suffer cannot belong to Him who suffered.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Blessed are those who bear afflictions with thankfulness.<br />

- Sayings of the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Order your soul. Reduce your desires. Live in charity. Mingle within Christian<br />

community. Obey the laws. Trust in Almighty God.<br />

- Sf. Augustine<br />

+ Voluntary pain is a higher thing than involuntary comfort.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nazianzus<br />

+ What saint has ever gained his or her crown without first contending for it?<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The beginning of my life has been well- ordered. Now, may I win God’s grace<br />

to race to the end of my life without hindrance.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Each of us who enter the arena of the Faith are committed to contend against<br />

evil spirits.<br />

- Pope Gregory of Rome<br />

+ Demons only injure those who fear them. However, the demons fear the<br />

righteous, the worshipers of God.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Do not be surprised if you fall every day; do not abandon hope, but stand<br />

your ground courageously. And surely the angel who protects you will honor<br />

your patience.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

+ Our enemy is sealed up within ourselves; an internal warfare is waged daily<br />

by us. If we are victorious, all external things will be made weak, and everything<br />

will be made peaceful and subdued for the soldier of Christ.<br />

- Sf. John Cassian<br />

+ Wipe away from your mind every earthly care, for you are now contending for<br />

your soul. You should utterly abandon all the things of this world. The things you<br />

forsake are insignificant, but great is what the Lord gives. Forsake what is in the<br />

present, and put your trust only in what is to come.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ Christ’s athlete, after gaining victory over his rebellious flesh, after casting it<br />

underfoot - is carried aloft as triumphing on high.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

- 143-


+ Live each day as if you were dying.<br />

- St. Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ It is true when they say that a man tolerates least of all his own well-being.<br />

Days of happiness, days of success, when everything goes according to one’s<br />

wishes - how many times have such days woven a fatal net which captures<br />

man’s soul?<br />

- Archbishop John of Riga<br />

+ If a man is unable to check the unnecessary desires of the appetite, how will<br />

he be able to extinguish the fires of carnal lust?<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Do not concern yourselves in the affairs of this life, for you are fighting<br />

for God.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ As St. Peter wrote in his letter, “When you suffer for righteousness sake,<br />

blessed are you, for you will become sharers in the sufferings of Christ”<br />

(1 Peter 3:14,4:13).<br />

- St, Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Do not feel disgust at the loathsomeness of different illnesses, for you too are<br />

clothed in the flesh.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ If, while performing bodily fasts, we are entangled in the most dangerous<br />

vices of the soul, our humiliation of the flesh in fasting, will do us no good<br />

whatsoever.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Just as healthy people are not sinless, so too, God sometimes allows truly<br />

righteous ones to experience suffering “as a model for the weak”.<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

+ What toil we must endure, what fatigue, while we are attempting to scale<br />

hills and the peaks of mountains. Why? So that we may ascend to heaven!<br />

If you consider the promised reward, what you endure is less. Immortality is<br />

given to the one who perseveres, eternal life is offered to you, the Lord<br />

promises you His Kingdom.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

- 144 -


W hat the <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

ILLNESS AND SUFFERING<br />

(PART 2)<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. John Cassian<br />

Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov<br />

St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

Elder Ambrose of Optina<br />

...and others<br />

- 145-


PRAYER:<br />

Christ, give me strength; Your servant is not well. The tongue that praised You is<br />

made silent, Struck dumb by the pain of sickness. I cannot bear not to sing Your<br />

praises. 0, make me well once more, make me whole, That I may again<br />

proclaim Your greatness. Do not forsake me, I beseech You. Let me now return<br />

to Your service.<br />

- St. Gregory of Nazianzus<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

The mysterious veil which divides the present from the future is mercifully<br />

ordained by God. We are to learn to take each day as part of the great whole,<br />

and are not to reason or question , but believe.<br />

No incident of our lives, however pleasant or unpleasant comes by chance;<br />

as we use it, as we receive it, so does it lend a color to the unseen future.<br />

God would have it blend beautifully with the whole.<br />

The child at school, the boy in the office or the youth at university cannot, if he<br />

would, separate one day, or one hour, from the life appointed him by God.<br />

Let us see to it that we take all - joy, trouble, pain, labor, rest, crosses , and<br />

smooth places - from Him; for He truly appoints our lot in life, and by His grace<br />

that lot is the one of all others suited to our individual need, and destined, if we<br />

will have it so, to work out for us that which our mortal eye does not see, nor the<br />

heart of man conceive.<br />

- Emma Marshall <strong>Fr</strong>om “Daily Family Devotional”<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ God leads you to a high place to that love which is free of fear. Through<br />

this, you are able to begin naturally to observe all those things you originally<br />

observed out of fear of God and punishment. However, now you do them no<br />

longer from fear of punishment, but from the very love of goodness itself, and<br />

you delight in virtue.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ “For we know that all creation groans and travails in pain until now”,<br />

(Romans 8:22). Additionally, “ Wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leads<br />

to destruction, and there are many who go in by it” (St. Matthew 7:14).<br />

This is shown forth by Our Lord’s holy example and His holy teaching. The Lord<br />

taught His disciples and followers that in the world, that is, during their earthly<br />

life, they would have tribulation (St. John 16:33, 15:18, 16:2- 3). <strong>Fr</strong>om this it is<br />

-146 -


clear that affliction and suffering are appointed by the Lord for His true slaves<br />

and servants during their life on earth.<br />

- Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov<br />

+ In the very beginning, there existed no pain, no suffering, no illness, or death.<br />

Man was a stranger to sin, sorrow, cares, and difficult circumstances”.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ We should not dread any human affliction, save sin alone; we do not fear<br />

poverty, disease, insult, neither malicious treatment, humiliation, nor death.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The saints know that the greatest reward of all is to be able to love and serve<br />

God. Thus, God wishing to show that it was not for reward that His saints serve<br />

Him, stripped Job of all his wealth, gave him over to poverty, and permitted him<br />

to fall into terrible diseases. And Job, who was not living for any reward in this<br />

life, still remained faithful to God.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Earthly life-this brief existence-is given to man by the mercy of the Creator<br />

in order that man may utilize it for his salvation, that is, for the restoration of<br />

himself from suffering and death.<br />

- Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov<br />

+ When man has been deceived and beguiled by the wicked demons, God<br />

comes to him as a physician comes to a man suffering from an illness. For God,<br />

when He finds a sinner, desires not that he pay the penalty for his sins, but<br />

rather, how He may amend him and make him well again.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The Blessed Apostle Peter openly calls it a gift for someone to be ready in<br />

faith for suffering for the sake of his hope in God. Thus he says, “To you it has<br />

been granted by God not only to believe in Christ, but to also suffer for His<br />

sake” (Philippians 1:29).<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ He who has given to the poor and has endured troubles with thankfulness<br />

of soul and persevered in difficulties, and feels all the bitterness and pain of<br />

sufferings, keeps his mind pure in the present time. In the life to come he has<br />

great reward, in that he has imitated the sufferings of Christ and patently waited<br />

for Him in the days when temptations and trials assailed him.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ When you are at ease and enjoyment do not rejoice, and when tribulations<br />

come upon you, do not be sullen or consider this as something alien to the way<br />

of God.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

- 147 -


+ God has shown how close He is to those who are willing to endure trials<br />

for His sake, and who do not abandon virtue out of cowardice because of the<br />

suffering involved.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ As for trials, love them as a means of obtaining every blessing. Tell me what is<br />

more beautiful than a soul undergoing tribulation, which knows that by enduring<br />

it will inherit joy in all things?<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ What is more courageous than a “humble and contrite heart" (Psalm 51:19)1<br />

Without difficulty it routs the massed troops of devils and pursues them to<br />

their end.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Our sufferings are the sign that we are Christ’s, and the more we suffer,<br />

then the more we “are not of the world”. Why did all the saints, following Christ,<br />

suffer so much? Contact with this world and immersion in it gives pain to<br />

Christ’s followers, while only the children of this world feel no pain. This is like<br />

an infallible chemical reaction.<br />

- Alexander Elchaninov, Presbyter<br />

+ When the intellect is gladdened by the remembrance of God, then it forgets<br />

the afflictions of this world, places its hope in Him, and is no longer troubled or<br />

anxious.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ If a man has a friend and he is absolutely certain that his friend loves him,<br />

and if that friend does something to cause him suffering and be troublesome<br />

to him, he will be convinced that his friend acts out of love and he will never<br />

believe that his friend does it to harm him. How much more must we be<br />

convinced about God who created us, who drew us out of nothingness to<br />

existence and life, and who became a man for our sake and died for us, and<br />

who does everything out of love for us?<br />

- Abba Dorotheos<br />

+ If you are not willing to repent through freely choosing to suffer, unsought<br />

sufferings will providentially be imposed on you.<br />

- St. Thalassios<br />

+ Suffering cleanses the soul infested with the filth of sensual pleasure and<br />

detaches it completely from material things by showing it the penalty incurred<br />

as a result of its affection for them. This is why God in His justice allows the<br />

Devil to afflict men and women with torments.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

- 148 -


+ Not knowledge that you learn, but knowledge that you suffer; that is <strong>Orthodox</strong><br />

spirituality.<br />

- Gerontissa Gabriella<br />

+ Persecution is the fan which even now cleans the Lord’s threshing floor, the<br />

<strong>Church</strong>. I mean winnowing the mixed heap within, which the persecuted cannot<br />

escape, for they carry the enemy everywhere within themselves.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Most grievous and painful is this persecution which arises from within the<br />

“believers”, and separates the grain of the martyrs from the chaff of the deniers.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ If we are not ready to die into Christ’s sufferings, His life is not in us.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ Some want to go to the resurrection without going by way of Golgotha.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ If you suffer with one who is suffering you will be reckoned among the<br />

martyrs.<br />

- Moses, Elder of Optina<br />

+ Blessed is he who bears affliction with thankfulness.<br />

- Abba Copres<br />

+ As it is impossible for one suffering from a long illness to receive health in<br />

one instant, so it is impossible in a short time to vanquish the passions, or<br />

even a single one of them.<br />

- Venerable John of the Ladder<br />

+ Christians have a glory and a beauty and a heavenly wealth which is beyond<br />

words, and it is won with pains, sweat, trials and many conflicts, all by the grace<br />

of God.<br />

- St. Macarius the Great<br />

+ The <strong>Church</strong> is full of those persons-chaste women as well as men-who all of<br />

their life have contemplated the death that rouses up to Christ.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ How beautiful is the spectacle to God when a Christian does battle with pain!<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ By means of the sin of our first parents, we were all brought into bondage<br />

by being made subject to death.<br />

- St, Irenaeus of Lyons<br />

- 149 -


W^at tf?e cl?u rcl? <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

HAPPINESS, WORKS, PATIENCE AND CHARITY<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Nectarios of Optim<br />

Abba Xanthias<br />

Abba Isaias<br />

St. Moses of Optim<br />

St. Simeon the New Theologian<br />

St. John of the Ladder<br />

The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

St. Jerome<br />

St. John Cassian<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

...and others<br />

- 150 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

0 Lord Eternal and Creator of all good things, Who of Your inscrutable<br />

goodness called me to this life. Who bestowed on me the grace of Baptism and<br />

the seal of the Holy Spirit; Who imbued me with the desire to seek You, the one<br />

true God; hear my prayer.<br />

1 have no life, no light, no joy or wisdom; no strength except in You, O God.<br />

Because of my unrighteousness I dare not raise my eyes to You. But You said<br />

to Your disciples, “Whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”<br />

And “Whatsoever you ask in my Name, that I will do.”<br />

Wherefore I dare to invoke You. Purify me from all taint of flesh and spirit.<br />

Teach me to pray aright. Bless this day which You give to me, Your unworthy<br />

servant. By the power of Your blessings enable me at all times to speak and to<br />

act to Your glory with a pure spirit, with humility, patience, love, charity,<br />

gentleness, peace, courage and wisdom.<br />

In my foolishness, O God, I plead with You for many and great things. Yet, I am<br />

ever mindful of my wickedness, my baseness, my vileness. Have mercy on me.<br />

Cast me not away from Your presence because of my presumption. Rather<br />

increase in me this presumption , and grant unto me the worst of men, to love<br />

You as You have commanded, with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with<br />

all my mind, and with all my strength; with my whole being.<br />

Establish me in the path of Your Commandments and to my last breath let me<br />

not stray from the light of Your ordinances, that Your Commandments may<br />

become the sole law of my being on this earth and all eternity. Yes, Lord, I pray<br />

to You, have pity on me, spare me in my affliction and my misery, and do not<br />

hide the way of salvation from me.<br />

- Archimandrite Sophronios<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> Job 5:17 > Philippians 2:12-13<br />

> Romans 5:1-5, 15:4-6 > Psalm 127:1-5, 144:11-15, 146:5-10<br />

> Ephesians 2:9-10 > Proverbs 3:13-18, 14:21, 16:20-21, 28:14<br />

> St. Luke 8:11-15, 21: 10-19 > James 2:14-18 , 5:11-12<br />

> Romans 4:6 > St. Matthew 5:16, 16:27, 18:26, 23: 1-36<br />

> 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 > Galatians 2:14-16, 5:19-26<br />

> 1 Peter 4:8-11, 5:14 > Revelation 2:19<br />

> Colossians 3:14-17 > Titus 2:2-9<br />

> 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10 > 1 Timothy 1:5-7<br />

> 3 John 1:2-8 > Jude 1:2<br />

> 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, 13:1-13, 14:1-5,16: 13-14<br />

- 151 -


REFLECTION:<br />

Much of contemporary Christian’s anxiety and unrest wells up from a deep<br />

frustration as one views Creation and the very real mess that it is in. Every man<br />

and woman asks , “What can I do about this?”, or “How can I make this all go<br />

away?”<br />

The patience that Christ asks of us seems so out- dated and feeble. We are<br />

accustomed to quick answers and even quicker results in everything we do.<br />

Minute meals, this in 10 seconds that in 5 seconds! God seems so slow, and<br />

Satan seems so fast in their methods. When Christ was tempted in the desert,<br />

Satan offered Him everything NOW, not down the road or in a few years or<br />

decades. Christ could have had everything NOW, if He would just worship<br />

Satan-the master of the micro- waved 3- minute meal!<br />

Satan offered Our Lord the world and mobs of people, whereas Christ was<br />

content to win men to Himself one soul at a time. Imagine what Jesus could<br />

have escaped if He would just do as Satan asked! Today we are tempted by<br />

Satan to do things the “easy way” with no suffering attached! God, however,<br />

offers us the long road to peace, the daily battle for personal salvation, yet<br />

nothing easy or fake.<br />

This is reminiscent of the true story of a young woman who dreamed of<br />

becoming a great actress. She auditioned and received a part in an important<br />

new play. The part however seemed insignificant and she read the lines<br />

carelessly and with no interest or emotion. A second actress read for the same<br />

part and delivered the lines with so much sincerity and sensitivity that the acting<br />

company broke into spontaneous applause. The second actress got the part.<br />

The first young lady learned much from this incident and eventually became a<br />

great actress. Later in life, she recounted this incident and remarked, “Nothing<br />

is beneath the dignity of perfection.” The less significant the situation the more<br />

skill and delicacy is required to make it outstanding. If you are frustrated or in<br />

despair about things, remember, never let dislike for the present “insignificant”<br />

tasks you are asked to perform rob you of the great potential that may lie within<br />

them. Do not despair and do not give up, no matter how small the item may<br />

seem. Jesus said, “Because you have been faithful in a very little I will give you<br />

authority over great things” (St. Luke 19).<br />

It’s hard for us not to give in, isn’t it? It's very discouraging not to have things<br />

go according to our timetable and not God’s. We get frustrated when things<br />

aren’t the way we want them to be. Jesus saw the dilemma. He wept for<br />

Jerusalem and those who would be lost because they lacked patience and<br />

refused to follow God’s timetable. Don’t let Him weep over you!<br />

-152-


WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

+ One must not demand of a fly that it do the work of a bee. Every man should<br />

give according to his own measure. Everyone cannot do the same thing.<br />

- St. Nectarius, Elder of Optina<br />

+ We are philosophers, not in words, but in deeds. We do not wear our wisdom<br />

in our garb, but in our deeds.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ What we need is a little labor! Let us endure with good works that we may<br />

obtain mercy.<br />

- Sf. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Anyone who shows charity to his brother had best do so as though he were<br />

showing charity to himself. Such acts of charity bring a man near to God.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ When you show charity to your poor brother do not call on him to help in your<br />

work, in order not to lose the reward for your benefaction.<br />

- Abba Isaias<br />

+ God created us in His image and likeness, and every Christian is obligated to<br />

keep himself, and to preserve and honor in himself of God’s image, and to be<br />

sanctified by good works.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Nourish your soul daily with the words of life, with prayer, and with every good<br />

work-just as we nourish the body with various kinds of food and drink, by<br />

means of which our exhausted strength is renewed and our life is preserved.<br />

- St. Moses of Optina<br />

+ To have faith in Christ means more than simply despising the delights of<br />

this life. It means we should bear all our daily trials that may bring us sorrow,<br />

distress or unhappiness, and bear them patiently for as long as God wishes<br />

and until He comes to visit us. For it is said, “I have waited for the Lord and He<br />

came to me. ” (Isaiah 25:9)<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Do not be surprised that you fall every day, but do not give up. Stand your<br />

ground with courage. Then, assuredly, the angel who guards you will honor<br />

your patience.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

- 153 -


+ There was in the monastery an old man called Apollo. If someone came to<br />

find him doing a work of charity, he would set out joyfully, saying, “I am going<br />

to work with Christ today, for the salvation of my soul, for that is the reward He<br />

gives.”<br />

- The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ The thief was on the Cross and he was justified by a single word. Judas<br />

who was among the apostles lost all that he labored for in one single night and<br />

descended from heaven to hell. Therefore, let no one boast of his good works,<br />

for all those who trust only in themselves will fall.<br />

- Abba Xanthias<br />

+ Do not presume to teach anyone in words what you have not already<br />

performed in deed. For Our Lord “began to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1).<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+lt is true that those who do good cannot escape notice altogether. Indeed the<br />

Lord said, “Let your light shine before men.” (St. Matthew 5:16), though here it<br />

is understood that we do good for the glory of God and not for our own glory or<br />

because we desire men's praise. If this is not the case, then we are lacking in<br />

faith, as the Lord makes clear when He says, “How can you have faith when<br />

you receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes<br />

from Almighty God” (St. John 5:44).<br />

- St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

+ All my happiness and unhappiness are contained in the thoughts and<br />

inclinations of my heart. If the thoughts and inclinations of my heart are in<br />

accord with God’s truth or with the will of God, then I am at rest, filled with<br />

Divine light, joy and blessedness. If not, I am uneasy, filled with spiritual,<br />

soul- corrupting darkness, heaviness and despondency.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Perish the thought that there is any true virtue in anyone who is not just.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ We actively manifest love in forbearance and patience towards our<br />

neighbor, in genuinely desiring his good, and in the right use of material things.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ We contend here on earth, we are crowned elsewhere.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ In the business of the Christian life the main point is not merely to pray or do<br />

some other good deed. If we understand the Commandments of Christ and of<br />

the apostles aright, our business as Christians consists not in increasing the<br />

number of our good deeds, which are the only means of furthering the purpose<br />

- 154 -


of the Christian life, but in deriving from them the utmost profit, that is, in<br />

acquiring the most abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit.<br />

- Sf. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Those very works, which are said to have been done prior to faith, although<br />

they appear to men to be praiseworthy, are really in vain. It seems to me that<br />

they are like the great power of the swiftest swimmer, whose race, however, is<br />

on the wrong track.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Praise God continually with spiritual hymns and always remain in meditation.<br />

In this way you will be able to bear the burden of the temptations that come<br />

upon you. A traveler who is carrying a heavy load pauses from time to time<br />

and draws in deep breaths; it makes the journey easier and the burden lighter.<br />

- Abba Hyperichius<br />

+ What else is it to live happily, except to know that one has something<br />

eternally?<br />

- Sf. Augustine<br />

+ Our soul is like a lamp with good works for oil.<br />

- St. Gregory of Paiamas<br />

+ Happiness is found in the practice of virtue.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The light of God’s care and love departs from those who leave virtue and put<br />

love to flight. God has turned His face from them and they are stirred up against<br />

one another. As David said, “God hides His face, and they are troubled”<br />

(Psalm 104:29).<br />

- St. Gregory Paiamas<br />

+ Happy is he who makes daily progress and who considers not what he did<br />

yesterday, but what advance he can make today.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Do not only do your work when you wish to, but do it especially when you<br />

do not wish. Understand that this applies to every ordinary worldly matter, as<br />

likewise, and especially, to the work of the salvation of your soul-to prayer,<br />

to reading God’s word and other salutary books, to attending Divine Services,<br />

to doing good works, whatever they may be, and to preaching God’s Word.<br />

Do not obey the slothful, deceitful, and the most sinful flesh; it is eternally ready<br />

to rest and lead us into everlasting destruction through temporal tranquility and<br />

enjoyment.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

- 155 -


+ In all your works, either at home or the place of your service, do not forget<br />

that all your strength, your light and your success are in Christ and His Cross;<br />

therefore do not fail to call upon the Lord before beginning any work, saying,<br />

"Jesus, help me! Jesus enlighten me! ” Thus your heart will be supported and<br />

warmed by lively faith and hope in Christ, for He is the power and the glory unto<br />

ages of ages.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ Pleasure is the fruit of decent living.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ The Lord uses all His Divine means to give a man, in return for his good<br />

works, the opportunity not to lose his reward in the future life.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Unhappiness is the inseparable companion of wickedness.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Patient endurance is required before anything can come about; and once<br />

something has come about, it can be sustained and brought to perfection only<br />

through such endurance.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ The highest degree of happiness is, not to sin, the second, to acknowledge<br />

our sins.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ It is those lacking endurance who, in their ignorance, impetuously hurry on to<br />

seize what they have not yet been given, failing to realize that “one day in the<br />

eyes of the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a single day”<br />

(Psalm 90:4). But he, who by enduring patiently has gained experience of the<br />

Devil’s machinations will fight and strive forward with patience so as to reach<br />

the goal, as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24- 26.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ God has granted the ability to do good to anyone who wishes to do it,<br />

wherever he may be.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ Above all, we ought to endure everything for God’s sake so that He may<br />

also endure us.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ The practice of the moral virtues is effectuated by meditating on what has<br />

happened during the day, so that during the stillness of the night we can<br />

become aware of the sins we have committed and can grieve over them.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

- 156 -


+ This is the mark of true Christianity-however much a man toils, and however<br />

many righteous acts he performs, to feel that he has done nothing. In fasting<br />

it is to say, “This is not fasting”, and in praying ,”This is not prayer”, and in<br />

perseverance at prayer, “I have shown no perseverance; I am just beginning to<br />

practice and to take pains”, and even if he is righteous before God, he should<br />

say, “I am not righteous, not I; I do not take pains, but only make a beginning<br />

every day.”<br />

- St. Macarius the Great<br />

+ A wise desert father compares one who teaches only with words, without<br />

doing good works, to trees that have leaves, but bear no fruit.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ The extensive projects of the younger generation designed to aid the whole<br />

of humanity may be compared to the dreams of a schoolboy who, not having<br />

finished his secondary education, already thinks that he can be a professor and<br />

a great educator at a university. On the other hand, one must not think that<br />

because we cannot help the whole of humanity to advance, it is therefore<br />

useless to labor at all. This is another extreme. It is the duty of every Christian,<br />

according to his strength and circumstances, to labor on behalf of others,<br />

mindful of the proper time and order for such activity as mentioned above,<br />

and attributing any success in such endeavors to God and His holy will.<br />

- Elder John of Valaam<br />

+ No one can say, “I am poor and hence I have no means of giving alms.<br />

’’For even if you cannot give as the rich gave their gifts into the temple treasury,<br />

give two farthings as the poor widow did, and from you God will consider it a<br />

greater gift than the gifts of the rich. And if you do not have as much as two<br />

farthings? You can then take pity on the sick and give alms by ministering to<br />

them. And what if you cannot do even this? Then you can comfort your brother<br />

by your words. “A good word is better than the best of gifts.”<br />

- Abba Dorotheus<br />

+ There is no place anywhere where one is unmolested; and, because of this,<br />

without patient endurance it is impossible to find peace.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ Every day you provide your bodies with good to keep them from failing. In the<br />

same way your good works should be daily nourishment of your hearts.<br />

- St. Gregory, Pope of Rome<br />

+ Your bodies are fed with food and your spirits with good works. You aren’t<br />

to deny your soul, which is going to live forever, what you grant to your body,<br />

which is going to die.<br />

- St. Gregory, Pope of Rome<br />

- 157 -


+ Happiness consists in not regarding things as our own, but as entrusted to<br />

us by God for the benefit of our fellow servants. It consists in scattering them<br />

abroad generously with joy and magnanimity, not reluctantly, or under<br />

compulsion.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ We should do works of mercy with a good disposition of soul, according to<br />

the teachings of St. Isaac the Syrian who said: “If you give to one who asks,<br />

let the joy of your countenance precede your gift, and comfort his sorrow with<br />

good words.”<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ A holy woman tells us; “Imitate the publican and you will not be condemned<br />

along with the Pharisee.”<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ God does not leave men forever either in unhappiness, so they would not<br />

grow weak, or in happiness, so that they would not become careless, but by<br />

divers means He arranges their salvation.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ As a pilot calls on winds and a storm- tossed mariner looks homeward, so the<br />

times call on you to win your way back to God. As God’s athlete, be sober, the<br />

stake is immortality and eternal life.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ If we want to do something but cannot, then before God, who knows our<br />

hearts, it is as if we have done it. This is true whether the intended action is<br />

good or evil.<br />

- St. Mark the Ascetic<br />

+ Thrice- blessed is the monk who endures labors and trials, being thankful<br />

to God.<br />

- Abba Kopris<br />

+ The Lord said, “When you have done all that is commanded you, say: “We<br />

are useless servants; we have only done what was our duty” (St. Luke 17:10).<br />

Thus the Kingdom of Heaven is not a reward for works, but a gift of grace<br />

prepared by the Master for His faithful servants.<br />

- St. Hesychius the Presbyter<br />

- 158 -


PRAYER OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM -<br />

According to the Hours of the Day and Night<br />

Editors note: The following prayer was composed by St. John Chrysostom-and<br />

divided into 24 statements-one to be said each hour with a meditation on its<br />

meaning. Since this is impossible for most, the Prayer may be divided into<br />

sections, perhaps over an eight hour period, or whatever other arrangement<br />

meets your particular schedule.<br />

HOUR PETITION<br />

1. O Lord, deprive me not of Your heavenly blessings.<br />

2. O Lord, deliver me from eternal torment.<br />

3. O Lord, if I have sinned in my mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me.<br />

4. O Lord, deliver me from every ignorance and heedlessness, from pettiness<br />

of the soul and stony hardness of heart.<br />

5. O Lord, deliver me from every temptation.<br />

6. O Lord, enlighten my heart darkened by evil desires.<br />

7. O Lord, I, being a human being, have sinned; You, being God, forgive me<br />

in Your loving kindness, for You know the weakness of my soul.<br />

8. O Lord, send down Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your<br />

Holy Name.<br />

9. O Lord, Jesus Christ inscribe me, Your servant, in the Book of Life, and<br />

grant me a blessed end.<br />

10. O Lord my God, even if I have done nothing good in Your sight, yet grant<br />

me, according to Your grace, that I may make a start in doing good.<br />

11. O Lord, sprinkle on my heart the dew of Your grace.<br />

12. O Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, Your sinful servant, cold of<br />

heart and impure, in Your Kingdom.<br />

13. O Lord, receive me in repentance.<br />

14. O Lord, leave me not.<br />

15. O Lord, save me from temptation.<br />

- 159 -


16. O Lord, grant me only pure thoughts.<br />

17. O Lord, grant me tears of repentance, remembrance of death, and a sense<br />

of peace.<br />

18. O Lord, grant me mindfulness to confess my sins.<br />

19. O Lord, grant me humility, charity, and obedience.<br />

20. O Lord, grant me tolerance, magnanimity, and gentleness.<br />

21. O Lord, implant in me the root of all blessings and the fear of losing You<br />

in my heart.<br />

22. O Lord, vouchsafe that I may love You with all my heart and soul, and<br />

that I may obey Your will in all things.<br />

23. O Lord, shield me from evil persons and devils and passions and all<br />

other lawless matters.<br />

24. O Lord, who knows Your creation and that which You have willed for it, may<br />

Your will also be fulfilled in me, a sinner, for You are blessed forevermore.<br />

Amen<br />

- 160 -


Wyat tye Cyurcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About..<br />

MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, AND<br />

THE RAISING OF CHILDREN<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Gregory the Theologian<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

Elder Macarius of Optina<br />

St. Ambrose<br />

St. John of the Ladder<br />

St. clement<br />

St. Jerome<br />

The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

St. Hilary of Poitiers<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

.... and others<br />

- 161 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

With You Lord, the darkness is driven away.<br />

Life is restored everywhere.<br />

The gates of heaven are thrown open. In You, Risen Jesus, those already dead<br />

rise to new life, affirming the good news of eternal life.<br />

Now Your promise has been fulfilled.<br />

Now the earth is singing and dancing.<br />

Pascha is our marriage ceremony.<br />

At Pascha, Dear Jesus, You make us Your brides,<br />

sealing the union with the Spirit.<br />

The great marriage hall is full of guests,<br />

all dressed for the wedding.<br />

No one is rejected for want of a marriage garment.<br />

We come to You as spiritual virgins,<br />

our lamps are fresh and bright, with ample oil,<br />

the light within our souls will never go out.<br />

The fire of grace burns in us all.<br />

- St. Hippolytus of Rome<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> Psalm 113:7- 9 > Genesis 1:27- 28, 2:18- 24, 33:5<br />

> Psalm 127:3- 5 > Deuteronomy 4:10, 24:1-5<br />

> Psalm 128:1-6 > 1 Corinthians 7:36- 40, 7:8- 40<br />

> Proverbs 17:6 > Ephesians 5:25- 33, 6:1- 4<br />

> 1 Timothy 5:1-16 > Romans 7:1- 6<br />

> Hebrews 13:4 > St. Luke 14:26<br />

> St. Mark 9:37 > St. Matthew 5:31- 32, 7:11, 19:7- 10, 22:2- 14,<br />

24:38<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

Our lives are filled with mountains and valley...ups and downs. Some are more<br />

extreme than others and a few can be devastating. Yet we manage, somehow,<br />

to get through them although we occasionally hide our humiliation and despair<br />

from others. To most of those around us, we seem self- sufficient and durable.<br />

Some of us, though, must go through our humiliations in a more public way<br />

where our hurt and agony is open for all to see. The respected executive who<br />

is caught in a business scandal, a politician who has a secret life from his public<br />

one, or the rising talent in an organization who falls from grace and power due<br />

to circumstances beyond his or her control. Some devastations are less public<br />

such as the mother who thought her family was intact only to have it ripped<br />

apart by divorce, a child who becomes ravished by illegal drugs, or a father<br />

who loses his job and is unable to provide for his family. These are life's little<br />

catastrophes and are private agonies families must endure alone.<br />

- 162 -


There are so many instances where we feel betrayed by life and, like Job in<br />

the Old Testament, we cry aloud "Why me Lord, why me?" In these times of<br />

crisis it is good to have a solid family unit on which to depend. That is why we<br />

are called to constantly bolster our family defenses against outside influences<br />

that may weaken its foundation. Family prayer, so neglected by most, is a way<br />

to remind ourselves from "whence comes our help"- and that is, the Lord! In<br />

times of good and plenty, we must prepare for times of want. When we are<br />

"riding high", feeling sufficient unto ourselves, we cannot push God into the<br />

background. He is not like some good suit that we take out only on occasions<br />

of need! God must be the priority in our lives at all times, first and foremost,<br />

not because He needs us- but because we need Him- as our only hope and<br />

our sole source of strength.<br />

God must be an unseen, yet real and ever- present member of our family- so<br />

that when we need His strength we know where He is and can easily turn all<br />

our thoughts and energy heavenward.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ The state of wedlock does not estrange us from God, but rather ties us<br />

more closely to Him, for it brings forth a greater impetus to turn to Him. Even<br />

under a light breeze, a small boat moves forward...a light breeze will not move<br />

a great ship...Thus, those not burdened with secular concerns have less need<br />

of help from Almighty God, but one who has responsibilities, who looks after<br />

his beloved spouse, his estate and children, traverses a broader sea of life,<br />

and has greater need of God's help. In return (for that help), he himself comes<br />

to love God even more.<br />

- St. Gregory the Theologian<br />

+ It is essential to call the priests to confirm, with prayers and blessings, the<br />

couple in their life together, so that the groom's love may intensify, the bride's<br />

chastity of mind be strengthened, and everything work to ensure that the virtues<br />

settle into their home. In this way, the evil doings of Satan will be scattered,<br />

and the couple, united with God’s help, will spend their life in joy.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Marriage is more than human; it is a miniature kingdom, which is the little<br />

house of the Lord.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The husband must always remember that his deeds and words should<br />

engender piety in his home. The wife must look after the house. However,<br />

she must, in addition to that occupation, attend to another more pressing<br />

concern - that the whole family strive to attain the Heavenly Kingdom.<br />

- St John Chrysostom<br />

- 163-


+ Many parents teach their children the arts that serve the temporal life, and<br />

spend no small sum on it, but they neglect the Christian teaching and are<br />

remiss in instructing their children to live as Christians. Such parents beget<br />

their children unto the temporal life, but close the door to the eternal.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ Nothing so cements our life together as the love of a husband and wife,<br />

for this, many will lay aside even their arms, for this they will give up life itself.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Parents who neglect to bring up their children as Christians, are the most<br />

heinous murderers of children.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Our lord went to the wedding feast at Cana to make holy the beginnings of<br />

human life.<br />

- St. Clements of Alexandria<br />

+ Christ's resurrection is able to abolish bodily death, but nothing can overturn<br />

spiritual destruction. Therefore parents, listen to the word of the Lord, "Bring up<br />

your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ Parents-have great care of your children. We live in a time when much<br />

freedom is given to the expression of thought, but little care is taken that<br />

thoughts should be founded on truth. Teach them to love truth.<br />

- Elder Macarius of Optina<br />

+ Many teach their children about worldly politics, others teach them to speak<br />

foreign languages...others endeavor to teach them commerce and other arts.<br />

But hardly anyone teaches them to live in a Christian manner. However, without<br />

this, all learning is nothing and all wisdom is madness! For what does it profit<br />

a Christian to speak Italian, <strong>Fr</strong>ench, and German if he lives in an ungodly<br />

manner? What use is it to be skilled in commerce and the arts if one lacks the<br />

fear of God? God will not ask you whether you taught your children <strong>Fr</strong>ench,<br />

German or Italian or the politics of social life-but you will not escape Divine<br />

reprobation for not having instilled goodness into them. I speak plainly but I<br />

tell the truth: if your children are bad, your grandchildren will be worse, and the<br />

evil will thus increase...and the root of all this is a thoroughly bad education.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ Who are the "two or three gathered" in the name of Christ, in whose midst<br />

is the Lord? Aren't they man, wife, and child-because husband and wife are<br />

joined by God?<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

- 164 -


+ There is hardly anything more serious than to be joined in marriage to a<br />

stranger (i.e. an unbeliever), when the instigations both of lustful appetite and<br />

of disharmony and the shameful crimes of sacrilege are welded together. For if<br />

marriage itself needs to be sanctified by the priestly veil and blessing, how is<br />

it possible to speak of a marriage where there is no agreement in faith?<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ How shall we ever be able to adequately describe the married state, which<br />

the <strong>Church</strong> arranges, the Liturgy strengthens, upon which the blessing sets a<br />

seal, at which angels are present to stand as witnesses, and to which the<br />

Father gives His consent?<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ The husband and wife must lay down virtue, and not passion, as the<br />

foundation of their love, that is, when the husband sees any fault in his wife,<br />

he must nudge her meekly, and the wife must submit to her husband in this.<br />

Likewise when a wife sees some fault in her husband, she must exhort him,<br />

and he is obliged to hear her. In this manner their love will be faithful and<br />

unbroken, and thereby having mutually composed their happiness, they shall<br />

take pleasure in virtue.<br />

- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk<br />

+ An intelligent, discreet and pious young woman is worth more than all the<br />

money in the world. Tell her that you love her more than your own life, because<br />

this present life is nothing, and that your only hope is that the two of you pass<br />

through this life in such a way that, in the world to come, you will be united in<br />

perfect love.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Ponder the truth of Christian marriage; man and wife are one flesh! Does it<br />

not follow that they must share all their possessions? And yet, you two haggle<br />

over this property! And why? Because of words!<br />

- St. Macarius of Optina<br />

+ How beautiful the marriage of two Christians, two who are one in hope, one<br />

in desire, one in the way of life they follow, one in the religion they practice.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ If anyone leading a life of virginity for the Lord should regard married persons<br />

in a scornful manner, let him be anathema!<br />

- A Canon of an Early <strong>Church</strong> Council<br />

+ If you truly love your children, if you show them the sweetness of love, you<br />

ought to be more charitable, that by your righteous works you may commend<br />

your children to God.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

- 165-


+ If any woman should abandon her husband and wish to depart, or any man<br />

abandon his wife and wish to depart, let them be anathema!<br />

- A Canon of an Early <strong>Church</strong> Council<br />

+ You will find among us Christians both men and women growing old, living in<br />

chastity, in the hope of living in closer communion with God.<br />

- St. Athenagoras of Athens<br />

+ When we teach our children to be good, to be gentle, to be forgiving, to<br />

be generous, to love their fellow man, to regard this present age as nothing<br />

(all these are attributes of God); we install virtue in their souls, and reveal the<br />

image of God within them.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Our task is to educate both ourselves and our children in godliness, otherwise<br />

what answer will we have before God's judgment seat?<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Christ, Himself, although a virgin in the flesh, was in spirit a monogamist,<br />

having only one wife, the <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Let us be greatly concerned for our wives and our children, and for ourselves<br />

as well. The good God Himself will bring this work to perfection, so that all of us<br />

may be counted worthy of the blessings He has promised.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Marriage, as a sacred bond, must be kept pure from anything that might defile<br />

it. We should rise from our slumber with the Lord, and retire to sleep with<br />

thanksgiving and prayer.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The wife who loves her husband must be furnished similarly to her husband to<br />

travel through this life. If she carries simplicity and chaste seriously, she has<br />

sufficient provisions for the journey to heaven.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ A life lived in the world can be as good, in the eyes of God, as one spent in a<br />

monastery. It is indeed only the keeping of God's Commandments, love of all,<br />

and a true sense of humility that matter, wherever we are.<br />

- Elder Macarius of Optina<br />

+ Love can turn to hate if there creep in too many reasons for disrespect.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ If the Lord had commanded virginity, it would have seemed as though He<br />

condemned marriage.<br />

St. Jerome


+ For he who seeks only sexual pleasure will turn his marriage into fornication.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Hear this fathers and mothers, that your bringing up of children shall not lose<br />

its reward. It was on account of his children that Eli perished. For he ought to<br />

have admonished them, and indeed he did admonish them, but not as he ought;<br />

but from unwillingness to give them pain he destroyed both himself and them.<br />

Hear this, fathers, bring up your children with great, great care in the nurture<br />

and admonition of the Lord. Youth is wild, and requires many governors,<br />

teachers, directors, attendants, and tutors; and after these, it is a happiness if it<br />

be restrained. For as a horse not broken in, or a wild beast untamed, such is<br />

youth. But if from the beginning, from the earliest age, we fix in it good rules,<br />

much pain will not be required afterwards; for good habits formed will be for<br />

them as a law. Let us not suffer them to do anything which is agreeable but<br />

injurious; nor let us indulge them as being but children. Let us admonish them.<br />

Let us employ sometimes advice, sometimes warnings, sometimes threatening.<br />

In children we have a great charge committed to us. Let us bestow great care<br />

upon them, and do everything that the Evil One may not rob us of them.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The glory of fathers is the holiness of their children.<br />

- "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles"<br />

+ If one knows himself, he will know God; and knowing God, he will be made<br />

like God.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Wives, be subject to your husbands in the fear of God; and you virgins, to<br />

Christ in purity, not counting marriage an abomination, but desiring that which is<br />

better not for the reproach of wedlock, but for the sake of meditating on the law.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ What we suggest by way of counsel we do not command as a precept. We do<br />

not so much blind the widow as encourage her. We do not prohibit second<br />

marriages, but neither do we recommend them. Consideration of weakness is<br />

one thing, the grace of chastity another.<br />

- St. Ambrose<br />

+ Do we condemn second marriages? Not at all; but we praise first marriages.<br />

Do we expel those in a second marriage from the <strong>Church</strong>? Far from it, but we<br />

urge the once- married to continence.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Wives are to be loved by their husbands even as Christ loved the <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

And wives should love their husbands also, as the <strong>Church</strong> loves Christ.<br />

- Novatian<br />

- 167 -


+ Marriage is honorable above all, and the bed undefiled, but God will judge<br />

fornicators and adulterers (Hebrews 13:4). Speak to my sisters, that they love<br />

the Lord and be satisfied with their husbands, both in the flesh and in the spirit.<br />

In like manner also, exhort my brothers, in the name of Jesus Christ, that they<br />

love their wives, even as the Lord loves the <strong>Church</strong>.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

+ It becomes both men and women who marry to form their union with the<br />

approval of the bishop, that their marriage may be according to God, and not<br />

after their own lust.<br />

- St. Ignatius of Antioch<br />

- 168 -


wfaat tl)e clyurcl') <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About<br />

ABOUT OLD AGE, WISDOM, IGNORANCE<br />

AND FEAR OF THE LORD<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

T^e Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

Lactantius<br />

St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

St. Irenaeus<br />

St. Justin Popovich<br />

St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

Abba Anthony of Egypt<br />

...and others<br />

- 169 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

We bless You, O most high God and Lord of mercy. You are ever doing<br />

numberless, great and inscrutable things for us, most glorious and wonderful.<br />

You grant to us sleep and rest from our infirmities, and repose from the burdens<br />

of our much- toiling flesh. We give thanks that You have not destroyed us<br />

with our sins, but have loved us as ever. And though we are sunk in despair,<br />

You have raised us up to glorify Your power. Therefore, we implore Your<br />

incomparable goodness, enlighten the eyes of our understanding and<br />

raise our mind from the heavy sleep of indolence; open our mouths and fill<br />

them with Your praise, that we may be able undistracted to sing and confess<br />

You. You are God, glorified in all and by all, the eternal Father, with Your only-<br />

begotten Son, and Your all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the<br />

ages of ages. Amen.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Prayer Book<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> Job 12:12-17<br />

> James 1:5<br />

> Romans 11:25, 16:27<br />

> Ephesians 4:17-19<br />

> 2 Peter 3:8<br />

> 2 Corinthians 7:1<br />

> Romans 11:20-25<br />

> Titus 2:2-5<br />

> Colossians 3:22-25<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

In today's "enlightened" philosophy of life it is not "cool" to be afraid-even to<br />

have a healthy fear of God. Man has become a god unto himself and has no<br />

need of a heavenly "bogeyman".<br />

Yet, to the poor souls who espouse this philosophy-the fact that God is love,<br />

and perfect love casts out fear, is elusive. So, building on their secular and<br />

empty philosophy of self, the "Evil One" does everything in his power to create<br />

an unhealthy fear of God in mankind.<br />

To this end, Satan makes us afraid in several ways:<br />

> Proverbs 2:1-9, 3:13-18, 10:31<br />

> 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, 3:19-23<br />

> Acts 3:17-18, 17:30-31<br />

> 1 Peter 2:15-17<br />

> 1 Corinthians 14:36-38<br />

> St. Luke 1:50, 18:2-8, 23:40-42<br />

> Acts 9:31, 10:22, 10:35, 13:16<br />

> Ephesians 5:17-21<br />

1) He instills in us anxiety over the future-and we cannot argue for or against it,<br />

because we do not know the outcome of events in advance. This paralyzes us<br />

with fear at times and if we decide to worry about it then no amount of logic will<br />

help. Therefore, we are bound by an unhealthy, irrational fear.<br />

- 170 -


2) Satan fears those who know God, and His gracious plan for our salvation, so<br />

the Evil One gravitates towards those who live alienated from God's love. Satan<br />

knows they will be fearful of everything. He understands that those who are<br />

ignorant of God's love will be fearful of everything. He understands that those<br />

who are ignorant of God's forgiveness and grace will live in terror of dying, of<br />

conflicts, of loneliness and being forgotten. After all, nothing is more frightening<br />

than fear of the unknown.<br />

3) Satan instills rebellion. Rebellion grips those who do not know God and they<br />

become fearful of what is, or may be, while pursuing lives alienated from God's<br />

immense love. Those who live in sin know they will eventually have to suffer<br />

consequences. These people keep putting off the eventual day of reckoning.<br />

They do not seek forgiveness because they do not know how to approach a<br />

loving God. Fear and ignorance stifle any movement to God and His loving<br />

care. They reject the truth that a good healthy "fear of the Lord'-which means a<br />

fear of losing God-makes us knowing, secure and blessed.<br />

Satan hates a security grounded in God's love so he sows confusion and<br />

ignorance to keep us in fear, rather than permitting us to trust in God's<br />

providence and care.<br />

Are you held in captivity by any of these irrational fears? If so, you will fear God<br />

in an unhealthy manner, which will keep you from receiving the abundant riches<br />

of His gracious love.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ The power of Divine wisdom is so great that, when infused into one's heart, it<br />

expels foolishness (the mother of all faults) by one impulse, once and for all.<br />

This wisdom doesn't need payment, books, or nightly studies, to come about.<br />

But the results are accomplished freely, easily and quickly, if only the ears are<br />

opened and the heart thirsts for wisdom. Don't be afraid, we don't sell water or<br />

offer the Sun as a reward.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Epiphanius, the bishop, said: "The acquisition of Christian books is necessary<br />

for those who can use them, for the very sight of them renders us less inclined<br />

to sin and incites us to believe more firmly in righteousness."<br />

- The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ The Kingdom of God is within. The goodness that is in us asks only the<br />

human mind.<br />

- The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

- 171 -


+ An intelligent use of concepts (images) and their corresponding physical<br />

objects produces self- restraint, love and spiritual knowledge; an unintelligent<br />

use produces licentiousness, hatred and ignorance.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Through fulfilling the Commandments the intellect strips itself of the passions.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Let us not desire to learn by mere words that which is beyond utterance. It is<br />

equally impossible both for those who teach about such matters and for those<br />

who listen to them.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ A zealous person never achieves peace of mind, and he who is deprived of<br />

peace is deprived of joy. If, as it is said, peace of mind is perfect health, and<br />

zeal is opposed to peace, then a person stirred up by zeal is ill with a grievous<br />

sickness.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ The beginning of Divine wisdom is the serenity acquired from generosity of<br />

soul and forbearance with human infirmities.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ The lever that controls all our activities is the heart. Here are formed the<br />

convictions and sympathies which determine the will and give it strength.<br />

- Igumen Chariton of Valamo<br />

+ No one has the power to command the heart. It lives its own special life. It<br />

rejoices of itself, it is sad of itself, and no one can do anything about this. Only<br />

the Master of all, holding all in His right hand, has power to enter the heart, to<br />

put feelings into it independently of its naturally changing currents.<br />

- Igumen Chariton of Valamo<br />

+ A pure intellect sees things correctly. A trained intelligence puts them in order.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Those who sit in the darkness of passions and whose minds are blinded by<br />

ignorance, or, rather, those who have not acquired "the mind of Christ" (1<br />

Corinthians 2:16), think that he who has the mind of Christ is foolish, and that<br />

he who has it not is sensible. Of these the prophet David rightly states, "The<br />

ignorant and foolish perish together" (Psalm 49:11). Therefore such men twist<br />

the whole of Scripture according to their own desires (cf. 2 Peter 3:3, 16) and<br />

corrupt themselves in their own passions. But it is not Divine Scripture that<br />

suffers from this, but those who disfigure it.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

- 172 -


+ Just as the earth becomes cloddish if the farmer does not work it, so our<br />

intellect becomes course and obtuse if we do not devote ourselves to prayer<br />

and reading, making this our chief task. And just as the earth, even when<br />

moistened by rain and warmed by the Sun, yields nothing unless the farmer<br />

sows and cultivated it, so our intellect cannot keep possession of spiritual<br />

knowledge unless it is cultivated and warmed by the sun of constant prayer.<br />

- St. Peter of Damaskos<br />

+ In Christianity truth is not a philosophical concept nor is it a theory, a teaching,<br />

or a system, but rather it is the living...historical Jesus Christ (cf. John 14:6).<br />

Before Christ men could only conjecture about the Truth since they did not<br />

possess it. With Christ as the incarnate Divine Logos the eternally complete<br />

Divine Truth enters into the world. For this reason the Gospel says; "Truth came<br />

by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).<br />

- St. Justin Popovich<br />

+ God always has something to teach, and man always has something to learn<br />

from Him.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ If the end of the wise man is contemplation, those who are still philosophers<br />

aim at it, but never attain it, unless by the process of learning it receives the<br />

prophetic utterance which has been made known.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Always have the fear of God before your eyes. Remember He who grants<br />

death and life. Hate the world and all that is in it. Hate all peace that comes<br />

from the flesh. Renounce this life, that you may be alive to God. Remember<br />

that which you have promised God, for it will be required of you on the Day of<br />

Judgment. Suffer hunger, thirst, nakedness: be watchful and sorrowful, weep<br />

and moan in your heart. Test yourselves, to see if you are worthy of God,<br />

despise the flesh, so that you may preserve your souls.<br />

- Abba Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ Our life and death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother we have gained<br />

God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ.<br />

- Abba Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ Just as fish die if they stay out of water too long, so monks who loiter outside<br />

their cells or pass time with men of this world lose the fervor of inner peace.<br />

So, like a fish going toward the sea, we must hurry to reach our cell, for fear<br />

that if we tarry outside we will lose our interior watchfulness.<br />

- Abba Anthony of Egypt<br />

- 173-


+ There is a knowledge that precedes faith, and there is a knowledge born<br />

of faith. Knowledge that precedes faith is natural knowledge, and that which<br />

is born of faith is spiritual knowledge. What is natural knowledge? Knowledge<br />

is natural that discerns good from evil...without being taught. God has implanted<br />

this in rational nature, and with teaching it receives growth and assistance; there<br />

is no one who does not have it.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ When the intellect begins to advance in love for God, the demon of blasphemy<br />

starts to tempt it, suggesting thoughts such as no man but only the Devil, their<br />

father, could invent. He does this out of envy, so that the man of God, in his<br />

despair at thinking such thoughts, no longer dares to soar up to God in his<br />

accustomed prayer. But the demon does not further his own ends by this means.<br />

On the contrary, he makes us more steadfast. For through his attacks and our<br />

retaliation we grow more experienced and genuine in our love for God.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ The person who loves God values knowledge about God more than anything<br />

created by God, and pursues such knowledge ardently and ceaselessly.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ Let us kindle the light of knowledge and not plant among thorns. You know<br />

what thorns are, even though I haven't told you. For you often heard the Lord<br />

call the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches by this name. For just<br />

as thorns tear up those who handle them, so do the passions. Just as thorns<br />

catch on fire easily and are hated by farmers, so are things of this world. Just<br />

as wild beasts, snakes and scorpions hide in thorns, so do they hide in the<br />

deceitfulness of riches. But let us kindle the fire of the Spirit to burn up these<br />

thorns, drive away the beasts, and make the field clear for the farmer.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ This then, is wisdom. Forgive wicked offenses so that you can receive a royal<br />

pardon for your own offenses. The greater the wrongs you forgive, the greater the<br />

pardon you will receive. Therefore, we have been told to say, "forgive us, as we<br />

forgive."This teaches us that the measure of our forgiveness begins with us.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ He is not far from wisdom, who begins to understand how ignorant he is.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Scripture says, "the fear of God is departure from evil". It also says, "and<br />

depart from all evil." Such is the discipline of wisdom. It cause pain in order to<br />

produce understanding and restores peace and eternal life.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Let some holy book be ever in your hand.<br />

- Sf. Jerome<br />

- 174 -


+ You are not much different from cattle, except that you have intelligence;<br />

so do not glory in anything else. Do you claim to be strong? You will be beaten<br />

down by beasts. Do you claim speed? Flies are faster. Do you claim beauty?<br />

What great beauty there is in a peafowl's feathers! How are you better, then,<br />

than these? By the image of God. And where is God's image? In your mind,<br />

in your intellect?<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The poverty of human intelligence is often involved in lengthy discussions<br />

because questions require more words than answers.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The Savior teaches nothing in a merely human way, but teaches His own<br />

with Divine and mystical wisdom. Therefore, we must not listen to His words<br />

with worldly ears. We must search out and learn the meaning hidden in them.<br />

For what the Lord seems to have simplified for the disciples requires even more<br />

attention than puzzling statements because of its overabundance of wisdom.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Keep your knowledge in its proper place. Do not be ignorant of the things that<br />

are really good or seek to rise above God Himself, for He cannot be surpassed.<br />

Neither seek after anyone above the Creator, for you will not discover anyone<br />

greater than God because your Maker cannot be contained within limits.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ We must not trust in our own wisdom but in the Lord alone. For He directs a<br />

person's steps. We are also called to show Him our ways, to reveal our plans<br />

to Him. For they aren't made straight by our own work, but by His assistance<br />

and mercy.... "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not upon your<br />

understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your<br />

paths." (Proverbs 3:5- 6).<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ If some students cannot learn through more difficult subjects, a kind, caring<br />

teacher will come down to their level and teach them by simpler means. Christ,<br />

the Word of God, did this. St. Paul said, "For seeing that in the wisdom knew<br />

not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the word<br />

preached to save them that believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21).<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ It is better and more profitable to belong to the simple and ignorant class...<br />

than by imagining ourselves learned and skillful, to be found among those who<br />

blaspheme against their own God by making up another god as the Father. As<br />

St. Paul said, "Knowledge puffs up but love edifies" (1 Corinthians 8:1).<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

- 175-


+ instead of searching after no other knowledge than the knowledge of Jesus<br />

Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for us, such a person falls into impiety<br />

by subtle questions and hair- splitting expressions.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ We must not detract from the virtues of our opponents...but neither must we<br />

praise the defects of our friends.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The wise man must be useful to many, so that he who is useful only to himself<br />

cannot be wise.<br />

- St. Hippolytus<br />

+ He is not wise enough to think little of himself.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ In educating, it is extremely dangerous to only develop the understanding and<br />

intellect, and not pay attention to the heart. We must, above all, pay attention to<br />

the heart, for the heart is life, but life corrupted by sin. It is necessary to purify<br />

this source of life, to kindle in it the pure flame of life, so that is should burn and<br />

not be extinguished; and should direct all the thoughts, desires and tendencies<br />

of a man throughout his life.<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ The beginning of evil is heedlessness.<br />

- Abba Poemen<br />

+ Spiritual reading, vigils and prayer bring the straying intellect to stability.<br />

- Evagrios the Solitary<br />

+ Wisdom is to know when to talk and know what to say. Appear to be ignorant,<br />

in order to save yourselves many pains. He who thinks himself very learned has<br />

many fruitless worries. Do not boast of great learning, for the things you do not<br />

know are more than those things that you have learned.<br />

- Abba Isaias the Anchorite<br />

+ Why is reading the lives of saints so important? Amid the endless spectrum of<br />

paths to God revealed in the various lives, we can find our own path, receive<br />

help and an indication of how to get out of the thicket of our tangled human<br />

sinfulness onto the path toward the light.<br />

- Alexander Elchaninov<br />

+ It is enough to know yourself.<br />

Come to love work, and soon God will send you peace.<br />

What you sow in youth, you will reap in old age.<br />

I fear three things. When I will die, how I will die, and where I will find myself.<br />

- 176 -


Truly wise is he who teaches not in words but in deeds.<br />

Do not abandon the will of God in order to serve the will of man.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om "Recollections of Glinsk Hermitage"<br />

+ Enter into yourself, live within yourself, in the quiet of your interior self, with a<br />

temperate and pure soul, with a calm and humble spirit.<br />

- Venerable St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ Blessed is the man who realizes his weakness, for his knowledge becomes<br />

the foundation, the root and the beginning of every boon. For as soon as a man<br />

understands and truly feels his weakness, he immediately puts a restraint on<br />

the vain pride of his soul which obscures reason, and thus he gains protection.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ A man who has taken upon himself to travel the path of internal mindfulness<br />

must have above all the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

+ Real self-knowledge is the clear vision of one's deficiencies and weaknesses<br />

to such a degree that everything is filled to overflowing with them.<br />

- St. Theophane the Recluse<br />

+ Insofar as the soul has been freed from the bonds of the flesh, to the same<br />

extent the gates of knowledge are opened before her.<br />

- Sf. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Mankind considers it extremely important to know earthly and heavenly things.<br />

However, it is far greater to have knowledge of ourselves. The man who is<br />

conscious of his personal failings is much more worthy of praise than is he who<br />

searches and understands the paths of the stars, but does not know the path to<br />

salvation.<br />

- Sf. Augustine<br />

+ God not only permits, but demands of a man that he grow in knowledge.<br />

However, it is necessary to live so that not only does knowledge not ruin<br />

morality, but that morality does not ruin knowledge.<br />

- St. Nectarius of Optina<br />

+ The very best instruction is useless without a learner with a hearing ear.<br />

- St. Clement<br />

+ There is no more pleasant food for the soul than the knowledge of truth.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ People tend to accept something as true simply because it is boldly asserted.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

- 177 -


+ He who knows himself is a man.<br />

- Abba Poimen<br />

+ To see perfection in oneself is the beginning of error.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ It is the course of wisdom to acquire those things that neither humans, nor<br />

death itself, can take away.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Just as oil nourishes the flame of a lamp, so by compassion knowledge is fed<br />

in the soul.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ A greedy soul is deprived of wisdom, but a compassionate soul is made wise<br />

by the Spirit.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ When the soldiers of the Emperor are standing at attention, they cannot look<br />

to the right or left; it is the same for the man who stands before God and looks<br />

towards Him in fear at all times: he cannot then fear anything from the enemy.<br />

- Abba Serapion<br />

+ Something can sound very logical and still be false.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ There is more weight in a small number of wise men than in a great number<br />

of ignorant persons.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Wisdom is virtue melded with knowledge.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ A foolish counselor is a blind watchman; a wise counselor is a wall of<br />

confidence.<br />

- St Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Where is wisdom? It consists in thinking neither that you know all things,<br />

which is the property of God; nor that you are ignorant of all things, which is the<br />

way of the beast. Man's place is, rather, somewhere in the middle.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Patience is the companion to wisdom.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Most common people have sometimes more wisdom, because they are only<br />

as wise as is necessary.<br />

- Lactantius * 7Q


W hat the <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

ETERNAL LIFE, PUNISHMENT AND DIVINE MERCY<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Shepherd of H ermas<br />

St. Justin M artyr<br />

Tatum<br />

St. At henagoras<br />

St. Irenaeus<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

Tertullian<br />

Mark Minucius Felix<br />

St. Hippolyutus<br />

Origen<br />

St. Cyprian<br />

Lactantius<br />

...and others<br />

- 179 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

PRAYER AGAINST TEMPTATION<br />

Spare O Lord, spare me a sinner, and although everlasting punishment is my<br />

due, for that I am so constantly offending You, grant I beseech, that what I<br />

deserve as a punishment may become the means of correction. And grant, that<br />

I may confess it to be the effect of Your mercy alone that the temptations of the<br />

Devil, which so often have prevailed over me because of my sins, now no<br />

longer assault me.<br />

- Prayer of the Western <strong>Church</strong>, circa. 10th century<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> St. Mark 9:47 > St. Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43, 16:26, 25:34, 41, 46<br />

> St. John 14:2 > Book of Revelation 20:14-15, 21:7-8, 22: 4-5<br />

REFLECTIONS:<br />

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own<br />

soul?<br />

- St. Matthew 16:26<br />

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the<br />

things which God has prepared for those who love Him.<br />

- 1 Corinthians 2:9<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Even though we have countless acts of virtue to our credit, one's confidence<br />

in being heard must be grounded in the mercy of God and His infinite love for<br />

mankind. For even though we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy<br />

that we shall be saved.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The way of darkness is crooked, and it is full of cursing. It is the way of<br />

eternal death with punishment.<br />

- Barnabas<br />

+ Everyday we are in the process of change, every day we are dying, and yet<br />

we fancy ourselves eternal.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

- 180-


+ It is most impossible that He who possesses perfect excellence should not<br />

also possess perfect patience.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ You should fear what is truly death, which is reserved for those who will be<br />

condemned to the eternal fire. It will afflict those who are committed to it, even<br />

to the end.<br />

- Letter to Diognetus<br />

+ The Christian life is like Jacob's Ladder on which the heavenly angels ascend<br />

and descend. Meanwhile, the Lord stands above, stretching out His hand to<br />

those who slip, sustaining by His vision the weary steps of those who climb<br />

heavenward.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Apart from the knowledge of God, what solid happiness can there be, since<br />

eventually death must come upon us? Like a dream, happiness slips away<br />

before it is grasped.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ Sinners will be consumed because they sinned and did not repent.<br />

- Shepherd of Hermas<br />

+ Those who know that God's voice is gentle and pleasing are surely those who<br />

have welcomed the grace of the Holy Gospel.<br />

- St Gregory of Nyssa<br />

+ What is dying? It is the same as taking off a garment. For the body wraps the<br />

soul as a garment, and after laying this aside for a short time by means of<br />

death, we shall take it up again with more splendor.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Those who have not known God, and do evil, are condemned to death.<br />

However, those who have known God and have seen His mighty works, but still<br />

continue in evil, will be chastised doubly, and will die forever.<br />

- "Shepherd of Hermas"<br />

+ Why rely on yourself and fall? Cast yourself on Christ's arm. Be not fearful.<br />

He will not let you slip. Cast yourself on Him in confidence. He will certainly<br />

receive you and heal you.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ What is death? It is like a journey for a season; a sleep which is longer than<br />

usual. If you fear death, you should also be afraid of sleep.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

- 181 -


+ If one man should suffer all the sorrows of the entire host of saints in the<br />

world, they are not equal to one hour's glory in heaven.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Gehenna is a place where those who have lived wickedly will be punished.<br />

(Ed. Gehenna is a term signifying a place of eternal punishment.)<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ A body in a tomb is like trees that hide their foliage in winter with a deceptive<br />

dryness. Why are you so impatient for it to spring back to life while the winter is<br />

still raw? We, too, must wait for the springtime of the body.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ Christ foretold that Satan would be sent into the fire with his host, along with<br />

the men who follow him, and they would be punished for an endless duration.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ There are many people who show greater care for their bodies than they do<br />

for their soul. But they should devote a greater concern for their soul, wherein<br />

lies the image of God. When the flesh, which some love so much, begins to be<br />

devoured by worms in the grave, the soul is presented to God by the angels in<br />

heaven.<br />

- Caesar of Arles<br />

+ The unjust and the intemperate will be punished in an external fire.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ The upright, good, wise and righteous neither fear death, nor tremble at its<br />

mention because of the great hope that is before them. And at all times they are<br />

mindful of death, their exodus, and of the final day, when the children of Adam<br />

will be all be judged.<br />

- Aphrahat<br />

+ We shall live in intimacy with God in heaven, our souls steadfast and free<br />

from passion. Even if we have flesh, it will not appear so, since we will have<br />

heavenly spirits.<br />

- St. Athenagoras<br />

+ Some are sent to be punished unceasingly into judgment and condemnation<br />

of fire. Others will exist in immortality, with freedom from suffering, from<br />

corruption, and from grief.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ Rusticus, the prefect, said: "Do you suppose that you will ascend into heaven<br />

to receive some recompense?" Justin replied, "I do not just suppose it, but I am<br />

fully persuaded of it."<br />

- "Martyrdom of Holy Martys"<br />

- 182 -


+ The faithful will enjoy the immortal fruit of the resurrection. A blessed time<br />

awaits them. They will be joyful for an eternity, without suffering, living again<br />

above with the fathers."<br />

- "Second Clement"<br />

+ God has prepared heaven, but He has also prepared hell.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Roman clergy to St. Cyprian<br />

+ God fashioned hell for the inquisitive.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Eternal fire was not originally prepared for man, but for him who beguiled<br />

mankind and caused it to sin. I repeat, it was prepared for him who is the chief<br />

of the apostasy, and for those who followed him unto apostasy. Indeed, those<br />

angels will justly feel that fire, too. For, like him, they continue in works of<br />

wickedness, without repentance, and without returning.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ As the soul even now finds it impossible to desire unhappiness, so in heaven<br />

it shall be wholly impossible for it to desire sin.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The unrighteous, the idolaters, and the fornicators all perished...So it is, for<br />

the Lord declares that such people are sent to the eternal death.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ Divine mercy is such that it assists those who are willing.<br />

- St. Hilary of Pointiers<br />

+ The perpetual death of the damned will proceed without end and will be the<br />

lot of all, regardless of what sentimental ideas people conjure up.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ One hope, one trust, one firm promise. Your mercy, O Lord!<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ The Lord will say, "Depart from me, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire"<br />

(Matthew 25:41). These persons will be damned for eternity. However, He will<br />

say to others, "Come you blessed of my Father. Inherit the Kingdom prepared<br />

for you for all eternity" (Matthew 25:34). These receive the Kingdom forever,<br />

and they make continual advancement in it.<br />

- Sf. Irenaeus<br />

- 183-


+ Those, therefore, who cast away these aforementioned things (ed. "life with<br />

God") because of apostasy are, in fact, destitute of all good. So, theyexperience<br />

every kind of punishment. Now, good things are eternal and without end with<br />

God. Therefore, it follows, that the loss of such things is also eternal and without<br />

end.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ We know that God's mercy is gratuitously given to whom it is given at all.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ There are various "mansions" (in heaven) according to the worth of those who<br />

have been faithful.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ All souls are immortal, even those of the wicked. However, it would be better<br />

for them if they were not deathless. For they are punished with the endless<br />

vengeance of quenchless fire. Since they do not experience death, it is<br />

impossible for them to have an end put to their misery.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ To the lovers of wickedness there will be given eternal punishment. And the<br />

unquenchable fire, which never ends, awaits them. So does a kind of fiery worm<br />

that does not die and does not consume the body, but continues bursting forth<br />

from the body with unending pain. Sleep will not offer them rest, no night will<br />

soothe them, no death will deliver them from punishment. The voice of friends<br />

interceding on their behalf will not profit them. For the righteous are not seen<br />

by them any longer, nor are they worthy of remembrance. Rather, the righteous<br />

will remember only the righteous deeds by which they reached the heavenly<br />

kingdom-in which there is no sleep, no pain, no corruption, no worry, no night,<br />

nor day measured in time...There will be no more heaven inaccessible to men.<br />

The way of its ascent will no longer be impossible to find, and there will be<br />

no more soil uncultivated or toilsome for men. Rather, it will be a place that<br />

produces fruit spontaneously in beauty and order. There will be no further<br />

generations of wild beasts, nor the bursting substance of other creatures.<br />

Nor with man will there be birth again. For the number of the righteous remains<br />

perfect with the righteous angels and spirits.<br />

- St. Hippolytus<br />

+ Let no one be less good because God is more so, by repeating his sins as<br />

many times as he is forgiven. Otherwise, be sure he will find an end of escaping<br />

when he shall not find one of sinning.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

- 184-


+ The teaching since the time of the Apostles is that the soul, after its departure<br />

from this world, will be recompensed according to its deserts. It is destined to an<br />

inheritance either of eternal life and blessedness (if its actions have procured<br />

such) or to be delivered up to eternal fire and punishments (if the guilt of its<br />

crimes will have brought it to this end).<br />

- Origen<br />

+ If you are righteous, impute it wholly to God's mercy; but if you are a sinner,<br />

ascribe it to your own sinfulness.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ In my opinion, the so- called "outer darkness" is not to be interpreted as some<br />

dark atmosphere without any light. Rather, it refers to those persons who, being<br />

plunged into the darkness of profound ignorance, have been placed beyond the<br />

reach of any light of understanding.<br />

- Origen<br />

+ For here is great misery, proud man! But there is greater mercy, a humble God.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Brethren, how great will that last day be at its coming. The Lord will begin to<br />

count up His people and to recognize the labors of each person by the use of<br />

His Divine knowledge. He will send the guilty to Gehenna. He will set on fire<br />

those who persecute us with the perpetual burning of a penal fire. However, He<br />

will pay the righteous the reward of our faith and devotion. How great will be the<br />

glory, and how awesome will be the joy, to be admitted to the presence of God!<br />

...When that day comes, when the glory of God shines upon us, we will be<br />

happy and joyful...as the others remain wretched and full of guilt. For, as either<br />

deserters from God or as rebels against Him, they have done the will of the<br />

Devil. Therefore, it will be necessary for them to be tormented with the Devil<br />

himself in unquenchable fire.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ On your departure from this world, God promises to you immortality and<br />

eternity. So, do you doubt?<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ As the presbyters say, those who are deemed worthy of eternal life in heaven<br />

will go there, others will enjoy the delights of Paradise, and others will possess<br />

the splendor of the heavenly city. For everywhere the Savior will be seen<br />

according to the worthiness of those who see Him. There is a distinction between<br />

the habitation of those who produce a hundred- fold, and the habitation of those<br />

who produce sixty-fold and the habitation of those who produce thirty-fold. For<br />

the first group will be taken into Heaven, the second will dwell in Paradise, and<br />

the last will inhabit The City. For it is this reason that Our Lord said, "In my<br />

Father's house are many mansions" (St. John 14:2).<br />

- Papias<br />

- 185-


W yat tye Cyurcv} <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

SIN-LIVING LIFE APART FROM GOD<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

St. John of Kronstadt<br />

St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

St. Seraphim of Sarov<br />

St. Thalassios the Libyan<br />

St. Makarios of Egypt<br />

St. John Cassian<br />

Lactantius<br />

St. clement of Alexandria<br />

...and others<br />

- 186-


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

Prayer to Obtain Sorrow For Sin<br />

O almighty and most merciful God, who, when Your chosen people did thirst,<br />

brought water from a rock, the fount of living water-now allow tears of sorrow to<br />

well up from my hard heart, that I may truly weep for my sins, and through Your<br />

mercy receive pardon.<br />

- Prayer from the 10th century<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

> Proverbs 14:9 > Psalm 39:1, 41:4, 51:1-19, 79:9<br />

> Isaiah 1:18, 38:17 > St. Matthew 1:21, 18:21-35, 26:28<br />

> St. Mark 1:4-5 > St. John 1:29<br />

> Acts 3:19-21 > Romans 6:23<br />

> 1 John 4:10 > 1 Corinthians 6:18<br />

> 1 John 5:16-17 > 1 Peter 3:8-12, 3:18<br />

> 1 John 1:8-10 > St. Matthew 12:31-32<br />

Throughout Holy Scripture Jesus warns His followers to beware of the "Evil<br />

One", known to us, more commonly, as Satan-or the Devil. In churches today<br />

we rarely hear of Christ's warnings or the reality of the Devil. For some strange<br />

reason clergy do not like to appear "old fashioned" or superstitious, or out of<br />

step with the world, so they avoid the topic. Why? Firstly, we don't like the idea<br />

of a real, conscious spirit of evil who stands in direct opposition to Christ and<br />

His Divine message. We foolishly refrain from admitting that the Evil One<br />

opposes everything for which Christ stands, and anxiously waits for us to<br />

remove ourselves from the protection of His love and compassion. We don't like<br />

to admit that without Christ we move into an arena of disobedience and<br />

rebellion and fall directly into the arms of Satan, who roams the world seeking<br />

the ruin of souls.<br />

We would much rather think that we are free to do whatever we like, and that<br />

we don't need God to stand in the way of our foolish temptations to sin and<br />

disobedience. For that is what sin is-disobedience! It is putting our will directly<br />

against the will of Almighty God. It is thinking that we have no need to be for<br />

God, or against Him, and that we can exercise our own will and selfish desires<br />

without seeming to join Satan and his legions of evil.<br />

Yet, Christ reminds us that "Whoever is not with me is against me." (St. Matthew<br />

12:30). There is no way in-between through which we can serve Christ. If we<br />

do not consciously live for God-or oppose His will and way, then we are in<br />

disobedience. We are in sin. If we do not follow God-we risk becoming a pawn<br />

in the hands of Satan.<br />

- 187 -


There is a constant struggle both from without and within ourselves for the<br />

very soul we possess. The struggle is that of Christ against Satan and we must<br />

understand it! Once we know that we must either serve God or Satan, there is<br />

no middle ground. The reality and intensity of our sin-our disobedience-<br />

answers the question, do we stand for, or against, Almighty God?<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Of sins, some are carnal, i.e. of the flesh, and others are spiritual. The source<br />

through which sins are so named is the fact that every sin is a matter of either<br />

action or else of thought.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ St. John in his larger Epistle, clearly teaches the differences of sin. He uses<br />

these words, "If any man sees his brother sin a sin that is not "unto death", he<br />

will ask and Christ will give him life...AII unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin<br />

not leading to death" (1 John 5:16-17).<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Adultery, fraud and manslaughter are mortal sins, (Ed. sins leading to death).<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ "Take the shield of faith, with which you may be able to quench all the fiery<br />

darts of the evil one." says St. Paul, (Ephesians 6:16). Faith then, is what<br />

intercepts the flaming darts of lust. By the fear of future judgment and belief<br />

in the heavenly kingdom, it destroys them.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Former sins don't stand in the way of those who have reformed their lives<br />

because the subsequent righteousness has erased the stain of their former<br />

lives. Those who repent of what they have done comprehend their former<br />

errors. Regarding this, the Greeks speak better and more significantly of<br />

metanoia, which we may speak of as a return to right understanding.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Those who return to a right understanding (metanoia) and rescue their minds<br />

from madness, who grieve over their sins and rebuke themselves for madness,<br />

and commit their minds to a better course of life are guarded against being led<br />

into the same snares again...Repentance over sin makes us cautious and<br />

diligent to avoid the faults into which we were once tricked.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

- 188 -


+ Although human actions are countless, sin has only two sources; ignorance<br />

and inability. Both depend on ourselves since we either will not learn, or else<br />

will not restrain lust. Ignorance leads to poor judgment, and inability yields a<br />

failure to comply with correct judgments.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ We who have escaped from sin must work hard not to squander the rewards.<br />

The enemy is ready to attack those who are stripped of the shield called faith.<br />

Therefore, we must not throw aside our shield, otherwise our side will be<br />

exposed to the attack. We must not put away our sword, otherwise the enemy<br />

will begin to lose all his fear. We know that if the enemy sees us fully armed,<br />

he will retreat.<br />

- St. Sulpitius<br />

+ We aren't unaware that it is hard and difficult to combat daily against the flesh<br />

and the world. But if we contemplate eternity and consider the kingdom of<br />

heaven that the Lord will give even us sinners, I ask, how can we suffer enough<br />

to deserve such things? Besides, our struggle in this world is brief. For although<br />

death doesn't catch up to us quickly, old age inevitably comes.<br />

- St. Sulpitius<br />

+ Upon each and every soul, sin sets its mark.<br />

- St. Melito of Sardis<br />

+ There are two causes which lead to sin; either we don't know our duty, or we<br />

don't perform the duty we know. The former is the sin of ignorance, the latter of<br />

weakness.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ All sin is a kind of lying.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ It is no fault of Christianity if a hypocrite falls into sin.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ Prosperous sinners fare worst of all in the end.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Our eager longing for temporal things and our fear of losing what we have<br />

leads us with open eyes into known sin. Then we aren't only sinners (for we are<br />

sinners even when we sin in ignorance) but we are transgressors of the Law.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ If you accuse me correctly, pray for my release from the very sin that you<br />

recognize in my conduct.<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

- 189 -


+ We leave undone what we know we should do, and we do what we know we<br />

shouldn't do. Therefore we should not only pray for forgiveness when we have<br />

sinned, saying "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," but we should<br />

also pray for guidance to keep us from sinning. We should pray, "and lead us<br />

not into temptation."<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Sin is the serpent's deadly weapon.<br />

- Ausonius<br />

+ I preach and think that it is more bitter to sin against Christ than to suffer the<br />

torments of hell.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Wretch that I am! I do not remember how God observes the mind and<br />

hears the voice of the soul. I return consciously to sin, telling myself that<br />

God is indeed merciful and will have patience with me. And when I was not<br />

immediately struck down, I did not stop, but rather despised His patient, long-<br />

suffering.<br />

- St. Peter of Alexandria<br />

+ Let every man take daily stock regarding the day's sins and the night's doings,<br />

and if he has sinned, let him stop doing so, and if he has not, let him refrain<br />

from boasting of it! Let this daily observation be a safeguard against sinning, let<br />

us note and write down our actions and impulses of the soul as though we had<br />

to report them to each other.<br />

- St. Anthony of Egypt<br />

+ Repentance of sin is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

+ With us, it is a sin even to consider a crime. You fear witnesses. We fear even<br />

our own conscience.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ My child. If I were permitted to see my sins, three or four men would not be<br />

enough to weep for them.<br />

- The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ Our Lord says, "He that sins is the slave of sin."<br />

- St. Basil the Great<br />

+ Repentance is returning to the Lord by the practice of good works that are<br />

contrary to the sin committed.<br />

- St. John of the Ladder<br />

- 190 -


+ I say that it was my wish not to sin, and most, no doubt, have the same<br />

desire. Why is it neither of us can do what each of us wants to do?<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ No one is ever driven to sin by being provoked through another's fault unless<br />

he has the fuel of evil stored up in his own heart.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Think my brother, what sin it must be which has God for its opponent.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ For people who want to see a city or country go to the place to see it. In the<br />

same way, if we want to understand those who wrote about God, we must begin<br />

by washing and cleansing our souls.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ We must live like the saints themselves and imitate their good works. When<br />

we become as they were and live the common life, we can understand what<br />

God revealed to them. And by being closely akin to the saints, we can escape<br />

the consequences of sinners and fire on the last Day of Judgment.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ People working by themselves for freedom from passion achieve nothing. But<br />

if they show themselves to be very earnest and longing for this freedom, they<br />

will attain it by the power of God.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ God works with willing souls. If they abandon their zeal and willingness,<br />

however, the Spirit is restrained.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ People working and toiling for freedom from passion achieve nothing alone.<br />

But if they show themselves to be earnest and zealous for this goal, they attain<br />

it by the power of God. For only one exercising compulsion saves the unwilling.<br />

But one showing grace saves the willing.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The Kingdom of Heaven doesn't belong to sleepers and lazy people but "the<br />

violent take it by force" (St. Matthew 11:12).<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ One truly follows Jesus Christ by aiming at sinlessness and His perfection,<br />

adorning and fashioning the soul in front of the mirror of His holiness, and<br />

arranging everything to be like Him.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

- 191 -


+ It is very important that the innocent remain so! Don't experiment with sin and<br />

bring on the trouble, sorrow, and weeping that come with it. For when you sin,<br />

how do you know that you will live long enough to repent?<br />

- "Constitution of the Holy Apostles"<br />

+ It is uncertain when you will leave this world. If you die in sin, you won't have<br />

another chance to repent. Through David, God says, "In the grave who will<br />

confess unto You, O Lord?" ...Scripture urges us by the words of Solomon.<br />

"Prepare your works against your exit, and provide all beforehand in the field"<br />

(Book of Proverbs).<br />

- "Constitution of the Holy Apostles"<br />

+ Clearly we are ones who make rough the right, smooth paths of the Lord with<br />

the nasty, hard stones of our desires...We are the ones who seek pathless,<br />

thorny places, blinded by the allurements of present delights. We tear our way<br />

through dark paths, with torn legs and our ripped wedding garments, because<br />

they are overgrown with the briars of sin.<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Those who truly give up this world, take up Christ's yoke, learn from Him,<br />

and daily endure wrong (for Christ is "meek and lowly of heart") will never be<br />

troubled by temptations. "All things will work together for good to him." (Romans<br />

8:28) For the Prophet Obadiah says that God's words are "good to him who<br />

walks uprightly" and "For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk<br />

in them; but the transgressors shall fall in them" (Hosea 14:9).<br />

- St. John Cassian<br />

+ Forgiveness is denied to those who are obstinate and conceal their faults. But<br />

if we lay open our hearts (that is, if we confess our sins and make amends with<br />

God), we will be pardoned by Him who regards not the outward appearance, as<br />

people do, but the innermost secrets of the heart.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Take this advice, my friend, and be slow to do evil, but swiftly run toward your<br />

salvation. For readiness to do evil and tardiness in doing good are equally bad.<br />

- St. Gregory Nazianzen<br />

+ If we remain as we were made, we are righteous. But if we think of<br />

dishonorable things, we are evil.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

+ Let us try all the harder to reach the things ahead of us. Don't turn to the<br />

things behind you like Lot's wife.<br />

- St. Athanasius<br />

- 192 -


+ How wonderful it is when one purpose motivates everyone to stay away from<br />

evil and do good. How excellent it is when God is glorified in His follower's work<br />

and the author of godliness is blessed by heartfelt gratitude. The hungry are<br />

nourished, the naked are clothed, the sick are visited. People don't seek their<br />

own interests but that which is another's - as long as they make the most of<br />

their own means to relieve other's misery.<br />

- Pope Leo I of Rome<br />

- 193 -


W pat tf?e Cyurcy <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About...<br />

POVERTY, RICHES, EXCESS, AND IDLENESS<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

Ambrose; Elder of Optim<br />

The Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

St. dem ent of Alexandria<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Seraphim of Glinsk<br />

Mark Minucius Felix<br />

St. Jerome<br />

Lactantius<br />

St. Simeon the New Theologian<br />

...and others<br />

- 194 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

You, Lord, are all that I have, and You give me all that I need; my future is in<br />

Your hands. How wonderful are Your gifts to me; how good they are.<br />

I bless You, Lord, because You guide me. In the night You also instruct my<br />

heart. I am constantly aware of Your presence; and, knowing that You are near,<br />

I cannot be shaken from my faith.<br />

So my soul is joyful, and I feel completely secure, under Your protection. I am<br />

confident that You will never abandon me. You show me the path of life, which<br />

leads to eternal bliss.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Psalms of David<br />

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:<br />

> 1 Corinthians 13:3 > Psalm 39:6, 52:6-7, 73:12-14<br />

> Ezekiel 16:49 > Proverbs 19:15, 30:8-9, 22:1, 22:4, 31:27<br />

> 2 Corinthians 8:9 > St. Matthew 5:3, 11:5, 12:36, 23:25, 25:3, 26:11<br />

> James 2:5-7, 5:2 > 1 Timothy 5:13, 6:17-19<br />

> Galatians 2:10 > St. Luke 16:11<br />

> 1 Peter 4:3 > St. Matthew 12:36<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

A group of young children from an impoverished Indian reservation once visited<br />

a large city. They were taken to an area that had experienced much crime,<br />

violence and poverty. They reacted in a most unexpected way.<br />

Even with the evident poverty surrounding them-boarded-up shops, trash-<br />

strewn streets and a general atmosphere of hopelessness one of the young<br />

people said, "I don't see what they are missing! They have so much and<br />

everything is so close." There were stores and theaters still operating, cars and<br />

busses filled the streets, and parks-such as they were-all seemed much more<br />

than the meager amount he had on the outskirts of modern urban civilization.<br />

This child lived in a desert, he had to walk almost a mile to draw water from a<br />

community well, he walked several miles to school and back. The only store<br />

was a trading post run by the reservation. There were no theaters, parks,<br />

libraries, gymnasiums, and only a few people of his age. Poverty stalked him<br />

like his shadow.<br />

Although he had seen a "modern" city, with warts and all, he seemed duly<br />

impressed by the abundance there. To this young man it seemed an open door<br />

to opportunity. Not dead-end poverty but a chance for a new life. He saw it from<br />

a greater need, a different point of view.<br />

-195 -


How often we Christians bemoan the lack of "things" and dismiss a<br />

circumstance as a dead- end, rather than viewing it as a new opportunity for<br />

growth and meaning? And how often do we see "riches" as things, and<br />

monetary wealth, rather than a substantial life in the Lord who makes all things<br />

new!<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ Why do men sin? Either because they do not know what they should do, or if<br />

they do know, they forget, and if they forget they are slothful and despondent.<br />

Why is man bad? Because he forgets that God is above him.<br />

- Ambrose, Elder of Optina<br />

+ A man was as strong as a lion. And yet, because of his greed he fell into the<br />

net, and all his strength is brought low.<br />

- Abbot John the Dwarf<br />

+ It is completely impossible for the careless to become inheritors of the<br />

Kingdom of God, just as it is equally impossible for those devoted to luxury and<br />

intemperance to do so. Rather, it is by exhausting our bodies and enduring<br />

many labors that we are able to receive the good things of heaven.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ He who gives to no one becomes poorer by it!<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ In speaking of piety, poverty serves us better that wealth, and labor serves us<br />

better than idleness. This is because wealth becomes an obstacle even for<br />

those who do not devote their energies in acquiring it. However, when we put<br />

aside our wrath, quench our envy, mitigate our anger, offer our prayers, and<br />

show a disposition that is reasonable, mild, kind, and loving, how could poverty<br />

ever stand in our way? For we accomplish our salvation not by spending money<br />

but by making correct choices. Almsgiving, above all else, requires the<br />

possession of money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms<br />

are given from our poverty. The widow who offered the two mites was poorer<br />

than any human, but she outdid them all!<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ The elder persuaded people to hold to the golden mean, not falling into<br />

senseless joy or into excessive sorrow. Extremes have brought many to a bad<br />

end, even to suicide.<br />

- St. Seraphim of Glinsk<br />

+ I will tell you what I think; no one can be as poor as when he was born.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

- 196 -


+ That man is poorer who, though he has great possessions, desires more.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ It is better for me to have no money to give as alms, than shamelessly to beg<br />

what I mean to hoard.<br />

- St. Jerome<br />

+ The greatest advantage of riches is not in using them for a specific individual's<br />

pleasures, but for the welfare of many people.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ Whenever people give to others without seeking their own advantage, they<br />

really give to themselves because God will reward them.<br />

- Lactantius<br />

+ The strong will support the weak if they are bound to them. They will not allow<br />

the weak to perish. Also, if they are tied to the lazy and idle, the strong will<br />

arouse and animate them. For it is said, "Brother helped by brother is as a<br />

strong city."<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ All excess is foolish and futile for the servants of God.<br />

- "Shepherd of Hermas"<br />

+ We must always check excessive laughter and immoderate tears.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ To the weak and infirm, what is moderate appears excessive.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ Those who yield themselves to idleness and apathy, even though they may be<br />

spiritual and holy, hurl themselves into unnatural subjection to passions.<br />

- St. Symeon the New Theologian<br />

+ In the presence of God, there will be no idleness.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Who can be poor if he is rich toward God? Rather, he is poor who, having<br />

much, craves still more.<br />

- Mark Minucius Felix<br />

+ When the body is deprived of food, drink and clothing, it dies. But it suffers no<br />

harm at all if deprived of sinful desires.<br />

- Sf. Justin Martyr<br />

+ Ease and idleness are the destruction of the soul and they can injure her<br />

more than the demons.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian - 1 9 7 -


+ The Bible limits itself to reproving excess and correcting what is<br />

unreasonable. For example, it does not forbid us from eating, having children,<br />

possessing wealth and administering it properly, only avoid gluttony, fornication,<br />

and so on.<br />

- St. Maximos the Confessor<br />

+ It is not meager income that constitutes poverty. Rather it is unsatiable wants<br />

that constitute poverty. But the good man, being free from such wants, is truly<br />

rich.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ A wise elder gives the following advice to monks and youth alike; "Avoid<br />

eating foods which are to your liking, but eat the simplest foods, and be thankful<br />

to God, who also sends you these."<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ It is dangerous to live on charity. It is too easy to fall into the habit of begging.<br />

It is one thing to ask for others, another for yourself.<br />

- Nikon, Elder of Optina<br />

+ All excesses are products of the Devil.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ It is right to supply needs, but it is not good to support laziness.<br />

- St. Clement of Alexandria<br />

+ The monk should wear a garment of the kind that, if he threw it away outside<br />

his cell, no one would steal it for three days.<br />

- Abba Pambo of the Desert<br />

+ "Is it correct for me to keep the two gold coins which are left over from my<br />

handicraft sales, so as to have them when I am ill, or for my old age?" a certain<br />

monk asked his elder.<br />

"Certainly not," replied the elder, "for in this way you learn to set your hopes on<br />

worldly things and cease to rely on the protection of God."<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

+ One night some thieves entered the humble hut of a hermit. "We came to take<br />

your things," they said viciously. Without blinking an eye the hermit said, "Take<br />

whatever you desire."<br />

The thieves emptied his poor hut of everything and left in a hurry. They forgot,<br />

however, to take a small flask that was hanging on a beam. The hermit took it<br />

down and ran after the robbers. He shouted for them to stop.<br />

- 198 -


"Come back my brothers, and take this too." And he showed them the small<br />

flask they had forgotten.<br />

The thieves were amazed by his forgiving nature and returned, not to take the<br />

flask but to offer repentance and return the stolen items.<br />

"This is indeed a man of God," they said among themselves.<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om the Desert <strong>Fathers</strong><br />

+ A beginning monk, went to confess to a certain elder. He posed the following<br />

question: "Why Father, do I fall so often into sloth?"<br />

"You lack the faith which makes you see God everywhere; for this reason you<br />

are careless and lazy about your salvation," the discerning elder replied with<br />

great wisdom.<br />

- A Desert Father<br />

- 199 -


W yat tye Cyurcy} <strong>Fathers</strong> Say About,<br />

SATAN, DEMONS, ANTI- CHRIST,<br />

AND PUNISHMENT FOR SIN<br />

With excerpts from writings of:<br />

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov<br />

St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

St. John Chrysostom<br />

St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

St. Hippolytus of Rome<br />

...and others<br />

- 2 0 0 -


PRAYER BEFORE STUDY:<br />

The Sinner's Banquet<br />

Lord Jesus, You have invited me to Your banquet table, through I deserve to be<br />

thrown into the dungeon. So I accept Your invitation in fear and trembling,<br />

encouraged only by Your mercy and goodness.<br />

My soul and body are defiled by so many sinful deeds. My tongue and my heart<br />

have run wild without restraint, causing misery to others and shame to myself.<br />

My soul bleeds with the wounds of wrongdoing, and my body is like a temple of<br />

Satan. If I was to come before you as my judge, You could only condemn me to<br />

eternal torment, for that is what I deserve.<br />

Yet, I come before You, not as a judge but as a Savior. I depend not on Your<br />

justice, but on Your mercy. As You look upon the wretched creature that I am, I<br />

ask only that Your eyes be filled with compassion and forgiveness. As I sit at<br />

Your table, I beg You to renew within me a spirit of holiness, that I may worthily<br />

share in Your heavenly supper.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

SCRIPTUAL REFERENCES:<br />

> 1 John 2:18-23, 4:1-6<br />

> 2 John 1:7-8<br />

> St. Matthew 4:24<br />

> Genesis 6:4<br />

> 1 Corinthians 10:20-22<br />

> St. Matthew 8:28-29<br />

> St. Luke 10:17<br />

> St. Luke 22:3-5, 22:31-32<br />

> Acts 5:3-4<br />

> 1 Corinthians 7:5, 10:20-22<br />

> 2 Corinthians 2:9-11, 1' : 12-15<br />

> Revelation 2:24-26, 9:2 D-21<br />

> 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12<br />

REFLECTION:<br />

"The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with<br />

joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while, and in time of temptation<br />

fall away..."<br />

- <strong>Fr</strong>om St. Luke 8:4-15<br />

Are you a Christian like this? Do you sometimes come to church, determined to<br />

live a more Christian life, only to have your resolution swept away with the first<br />

tempting situation? Why do you fail so often?<br />

A tree spreads its roots long before there is any need for them to go deep.<br />

When the droughts and the vicious winds come, it's too late to thrust down roots<br />

to hold it firm, because the ground is too dry or the tree lacks strength.<br />

- 201 -


Jesus talks about a man's faith as a root planted firmly in the Word of God that<br />

draws spiritual nourishment from it when needed. So too, Holy Scripture and the<br />

words of the <strong>Fathers</strong> are as a tap root, which will supply one with "life-giving<br />

water" when needed, such as times when we seem to be living in a spiritual<br />

wasteland.<br />

We need nourishment from the words of those closest to Almighty God. We<br />

need these words of instruction to protect us from the snares of Satan, who<br />

roams the world seeking the destruction of souls. Learn about your Lord through<br />

the words of those willing to instruct you, and practice believing in Him so that<br />

you may grow and develop. Let the words of God's friends become the tap-root<br />

that will supply nourishment to your soul and become food for your journey<br />

through life. Then, when those storms come and the droughts appear, your faith<br />

will stand firm, rooted in the Word of God and the words of His dear friends-<br />

much like a great oak endures the winds and rains which buffet it relentlessly.<br />

WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:<br />

++++++++++<br />

+ The demons are sleepless and immaterial, death is at hand, and I am weak.<br />

Lord help me, do not let Your creature perish, for You care for me in my misery.<br />

- St. Peter of Damascus<br />

+ All men, led by the light of fallen nature alienated from the guidance of God's<br />

light, will be enticed into submission to the "great seducer", the Antichrist.<br />

- St. Ignatius Brianchaninov<br />

+ Sometimes on a day when you intend to receive the Eucharist, you may<br />

experience a feeling of heaviness, but you should not pay any attention to this,<br />

nor should you become full of despair, since on such a day the Devil will<br />

particularly attack a man.<br />

- Barsanuphius, Elder of Optina<br />

+ In the Last Times, infants will die in their mother's lap, and mothers will die<br />

holding their children, fathers will die with their wives and children will be struck<br />

down in the marketplace, and there will be no one left to bury them.<br />

- St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ Sin, Gehenna and death do not exist at all with God, since they are effects,<br />

not substances.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ The Kingdom of the <strong>Church</strong> will abide unto the ages.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

-202 -


+ Sin is the fruit of self-will. There was a time when sin did not exist, and there<br />

will be a time when it and the punishment due to sin, will not exist.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Our soul is like a heavenly bird; the Devil, a wicked fowler, seeking to devour<br />

souls. As the bird, flying heavenward, thus saves itself from the fowler, so we<br />

likewise, when we see the enemy-the Devil-attempting to snare our soul by<br />

means of earthly attractions, must immediately forsake these things with all our<br />

heart and must fly up in our thoughts to Jesus Christ, Our Savior, and then we<br />

will be saved from the "snare of the fowler" (Psalm 91:3).<br />

- St. John of Kronstadt<br />

+ A false prophet will foretell concerning the Antichrist saying he himself is<br />

Christ and of this he will attempt to convince all men.<br />

- St. Ambrose of Milan<br />

+ There will be punishment in eternal fire inflicted upon those who do not live<br />

temperately and conform to right reason.<br />

- Sf. Justin Martyr<br />

+ The Anti- Christ will come for the destruction of men, and to injure them, for<br />

what will he not then work? He will change and confound all things, both by his<br />

commandments and the utter terror of himself. He will be brutal in every way; by<br />

his power and by his unlawful commandments.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ At the end some will be sent to be punished unceasingly into judgment and<br />

condemnation of fire, however some will exist forever in freedom from suffering,<br />

corruption and from grief.<br />

- St. Justin Martyr<br />

+ God will allow persecution from the Antichrist not because He is unable to<br />

stop it, but because he desires, as usual, His strugglers to be crowned. For this<br />

reason the reverent ones among those living will be taken up into the clouds,<br />

receiving, as a reward of honor, that which is higher than any reward of men.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ The demons are jealous of those pursuing the Lord's way. They suggest<br />

everything possible to separate (us) from our spiritual father's care. They<br />

propose plausible excuses, they contrive irritations, they arouse hatred against<br />

the father, they represent his admonitions as rebukes, they make his words of<br />

fraternal correction seem like sharpened arrows. They suggest to us, since you<br />

are a free man, why have you become a slave to a merciless master? How long<br />

will you suffer and wear yourself out under the yoke of servitude and not see<br />

the light of freedom?<br />

- Sf. Theodoros the Great Ascetic<br />

- 203 -


+ Even the demons with their malice and fierceness, with all the pride of their<br />

being, become like dust once they encounter a humble person.<br />

- St. Isaac the Syrian<br />

+ Having filled himself with pride, the Antichrist will begin to set himself up and<br />

glorify himself as if God, thundering forth slander against Jesus Christ. He will<br />

do this so openly that he will command that all those who do not want to serve<br />

his pretensions as God will be killed.<br />

- St. Hippolytus of Rome<br />

+ Our Lord dwells in long-suffering and mercy, but the Devil in anger.<br />

- Hermas, "The Shepherd"<br />

+ The Antichrist shall be known by his crimes of inhumanity and lawlessness,<br />

so as to outdo all unrighteous and ungodly men who have gone before him;<br />

showing a most murderous, cruel, merciless, and crafty spirit especially against<br />

us Christians.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ The adversary can do nothing against us except that God shall previously<br />

permit it.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ When the Antichrist comes many people will be found pleasing God, for whom<br />

it will be possible, in both the mountains and desert places, to save themselves<br />

by much prayer. God will see their many tears and honest faith, and will have<br />

mercy on them, as a tender father. They will be saved.<br />

- Sf. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ Do not fear the Devil. By fearing the Lord you will have dominion over the<br />

Devil, for there is no power in him. Nevertheless, fear the deeds of the Devil,<br />

since they are evil.<br />

- Hermas, "The Shepherd"<br />

+ Many will believe in the Antichrist and will glorify him as God. Many will<br />

worship the murderer with trembling lips, crying out: "Thou art our savior!"<br />

- St. Ephraim the Syrian<br />

+ Avoid the venom coming forth from the tongue of the Devil, who from the<br />

beginning of the world has lied so that he may deceive, who cajoles that he may<br />

injure, he promises good that he may give evil, and promises life that he may<br />

put to death.<br />

- Sf. Cyprian<br />

+ The Antichrist will not only pronounce himself as highest of the false gods, but<br />

will sit in the Temple of God, as if he were God.<br />

- Blessed Theodoret of Cyprus<br />

-204-


+ Thanks be to God who has confined the greatness of the last tribulation to a<br />

few day; for He says, "But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."<br />

(St. Matthew 24:22) and the Antichrist shall reign only three and a half years.<br />

- St. Cyril of Jerusalem<br />

+ For if you do not believe in Christ, much more ought you not believe in the<br />

Antichrist.<br />

- St. John Chrysostom<br />

+ Truly, Jesus Christ will extinguish by His presence the last persecution which<br />

is to be made by the Antichrist.<br />

- St. Augustine<br />

+ Antichrist is coming but above him comes Christ also.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ The enemy is more to be feared and to be guarded against when he creeps<br />

upon us in secret. When deceiving by the appearance of peace, he steals<br />

forward by hidden approaches. He behaves as he is named-the serpent.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ Christ's adversary, the great seducer, does not persecute and attack any<br />

except Christ's camp and soldiers; heretics, once prostrated and made his own,<br />

he despises and passes by. He seeks to cast down those whom he sees are<br />

still standing.<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ The reason God has delayed the destruction of Satan is His regard for the<br />

human race. For God foreknows that some are to be saved by repentance,<br />

some that are perhaps not yet born.<br />

- St. Justin the Martyr<br />

+ The more simple among believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are of the opinion<br />

that if there were no Devil, no single human being would go astray. We<br />

however, do not hold this opinion, taking into account those sins that originate<br />

as a necessary consequence of our bodily constitution.<br />

- Origen<br />

+ Let us not wait for the repentance of Satan, for this is a vain anticipation and<br />

one that will drag us into the pits of hell.<br />

- Sf. Jerome<br />

+ None of the demons possess flesh. Their structure is spiritual, like that of fire<br />

or air. And only by those whom the Spirit of God dwells in and fortifies are the<br />

bodies of demons easily seen, not at all by others.<br />

- Tatian<br />

-205-


+ Among angels, some are angels of God and others are angels of the Devil.<br />

But among demons, there is no such distinction. For they are all said to be<br />

wicked.<br />

- Origen<br />

+ The Devil cannot hold dominion over the servants of God, who, with all their<br />

heart place their hopes in Him. The Devil can wrestle against them. But he<br />

cannot overthrow them.<br />

- Hermas, "The Shepherd"<br />

+ The Devil goes to all the servants of God to test them. The ones who are full<br />

in the faith resist him strongly. So he withdraws from them, having no way to<br />

enter them. He goes, then, to the empty. Finding a way of entrance into them,<br />

he effects in them whatever he desires, and they become his servants.<br />

- Hermas, " The Shepherd"<br />

+ Eternal fire was not prepared originally for man, but for he who beguiled man,<br />

and caused man to sin. I say, it was prepared for him, who is the chief of<br />

apostasy, and for those angels who became apostates along with him.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ <strong>Fr</strong>om the Devil comes the incentive to sin.<br />

- Tertullian<br />

+ Creation is not subject to his power, since indeed he is himself but one among<br />

created things.<br />

- Sf. Irenaeus<br />

+ The Devil has no power over man unless God allowed it. In the Gospel of St.<br />

John it is noted: Jesus said, "You have no power over me unless it were given<br />

you from above".<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ There is a strong conflict to be waged against the Devil. Therefore, we should<br />

stand bravely, so that we may be able to conquer.<br />

- St. Cyprian of Carthage<br />

+ Once the Antichrist has devastated everything in this world, he will reign for<br />

three years and six months, and have his seat in the Temple in Jerusalem. Then<br />

the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds.<br />

- St. Irenaeus<br />

+ Let us look at the actions of the Antichrist. He will call all people together, to<br />

himself, out of every country of the Dispersion. He will make them his own, as if<br />

they were his children. He will promise to restore their country and re-establish<br />

their kingdom and nation, in order that he may be worshipped by them as God.<br />

- St. Hippolytus of Rome<br />

- 2 0 6 -


+ The Antichrist will come as a man. Isaiah says, "This is the man who arouses<br />

the earth, who disturbs kings, who makes the whole earth a desert" (Isaiah<br />

14:16).<br />

- St. Cyprian<br />

+ By this name (666) we understand the Antichrist. Although he is cut off from<br />

the Divine light and deprived of it, he nevertheless transforms himself into an<br />

angel of light, daring to call himself light.<br />

- Victorinus<br />

-207 -


MiERKMNCHmsiwt<br />

by J. Bajis<br />

t DAILY VITAMINS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t DISCOVERING GOD THROUGH THE<br />

DAILY PRACTICE OF HIS PRESENCE<br />

by A, Coniaris<br />

t TELL US A STORY, GRANDMA<br />

by G. Hronas<br />

t GOD AND YOU: PERSON TO PERSON.<br />

DEVELOPING A DAILY PERSONAL<br />

RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t THE ADAM COMPLEX<br />

by D. Pennock<br />

t HOW ARE WE SAVED?<br />

by Bishop Kallistos Ware<br />

t A CATECHETICAL HANDBOOK OF<br />

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX FAILTH<br />

by D. Stamatis<br />

t DAILY READINGS FROM THE WRITINGS<br />

OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM<br />

edited by A. Coniaris<br />

t ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MAJOR SAINTS AND<br />

FATHERS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH<br />

by B. Eleftheriou<br />

t GRANDMOTHER'S SPIRITUAL STORIES<br />

by G. Hronas<br />

t ILLUSTRATED LIFE OF THE THEOTOKOS<br />

FOR CHILDREN<br />

by G. Hronas & H. Hronas<br />

t LETS TAKE A WALK THROUGH OUR<br />

ORTHODOX CHURCH<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t LIVING A BALANCED LIFE IN AN<br />

UNBALANCED WORLD<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t MY DAILY ORTHODOX PRAYER BOOK<br />

edited by A. Coniaris<br />

t SURVIVING THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t PREPARING FOR CONFESSION<br />

by L. Letendre<br />

t THE ORTHODOX CHURCH:<br />

455 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS<br />

by S. Harakas<br />

t NICHOLAS MEETS HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL<br />

by H. lakovos<br />

t THE NICENE CREED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t WHAT THE CHURCH FATHERS SAY ABOLT<br />

by G. <strong>Grube</strong><br />

t CON reMPORARY MORAL ISSUES FAO M e THE<br />

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN<br />

by S. Harakas<br />

t THE ORTHODOX CHURCH A TO Z<br />

by G. <strong>Grube</strong><br />

t THE ORTHODOX CHURCH:<br />

A WELL-KEPT SECRET<br />

by G. Nicozism<br />

f THE PHILOKALIA: THE BIBLE OF<br />

ORTHODOX SPIRITUALITY<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t TOWARD A EUCHARISTIC VISION OF CHURCH,<br />

FAMILY, MARRIAGE AND SEX<br />

by P. LeMasters<br />

t PARTAKERS OF DIVINE NATURE<br />

by S. Stavropoulos<br />

f THE WAY OF THE FATHERS:<br />

EXPLORING THE PATRISTIC MIND<br />

by J. Chryssavgis<br />

t WHATEVER HAPPENED TO TRUTH<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t THESE ARE THE SACRAMENTS<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t INTRODUCING THE ORTHODOX CHURCH<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t TREASURED TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS<br />

OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH<br />

by M. Hallick<br />

t ATTENDING TO YOUR MARRIAGE<br />

by C. Joanides<br />

t MAKING GOD REAL IN THE<br />

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN HOME<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t ACHIEVING YOUR POTENTIAL IN CHRIST:<br />

THEOSIS<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t DISCOVERING THE RICH HERITAGE<br />

OF ORTHODOXY<br />

by C. BELL<br />

t SACRED SYMBOLS THAT SPEAK. VOLS 1. 2<br />

by A. Coniaris<br />

t THE PHILOKALIA: MASTER REFERENCE GUIDE<br />

by B. Stapakis<br />

t AM I SAVED?<br />

by T. Bobosh<br />

t PREPARING TO RECEIVE HOLY<br />

COMMUNION<br />

by T. Avramis<br />

- PREPARING TO SERVE AS A GODPARENT<br />

S', »V C^iganos<br />

* J V 'i\G RESPONSIBLY IN AN AGE OF EXCUSES<br />

::. A C c n a is<br />

REQUEST A FREE CATALOG<br />

Light & life Publishing • P.O. Bax 26421 • MisssapoEs. Minnesota 5542*v*W21

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