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Church Fathers V3 - Fr George Grube - Saint Mina Coptic Orthodox ...

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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 -

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