200 quotes and teachings of the Holy Fathers
When are we
living in Christ? When we live according to His Gospel and His Church. For He
Himself, and not only His Gospel, is in the Church with all of His perfections
and virtues. The Church is the eternally living Body of the God-man Christ. In
her we find the medium of the holy mysteries. In her we find the means of holy
good deeds. Our Lord Jesus Christ abides inseparable from the Church in this
world. He abides with each member of the Church throughout all ages. He has His
entire self for us in the Church, and continually gives Himself to us entirely,
so that we might be enabled to live in this world as He lived. (St. Justin Popovich, Explanation of I John,
4:9, 17)
The Spiritual Father
Consider that the Holy Spirit lives in the spiritual father, and He will tell you what to do. But if you think that the spiritual father live negligently, and that the Holy Spirit can't live in him, you will suffer mightily for such a thought, and the Lord will humble you, and you will straightway fall into delusion. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, II.1)
If a man does
not tell everything to his spiritual father, then his path is crooked and does
not lead to the Kingdom of Heaven. But the path of one who tells everything
leads directly to the Kingdom of Heaven. (St.
Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XIII.9)
Tell everything
to your spiritual father, and the Lord will have mercy on you and you will
escape delusion. But if you think that you know more about the spiritual life
than your spiritual father, and you stop telling him everything about yourself
in confession, then you will immediately be allowed to fall into some sort of
delusion, in order that you may be corrected. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XVII.13)
The Holy Spirit
acts mystically through the spiritual father, and then when you go out from
your spiritual father, the soul feels her renewal. But if you leave your
spiritual father in a state of confusion, this means that you did not confess
purely and did not forgive your brother all of his sins from your heart. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings,
XIII.11)
The Lord loves
us so much that He suffered for us on the Cross; and His suffering was so great
that we can't comprehend it. In the same way our spiritual pastors suffer for
us, although we often don't see their suffering. The greater the love of the
pastor, the greater his suffering; and we, the sheep, should understand this,
and love and honor our pastors. (St.
Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XIII.2)
The spiritual
father only shows to way, like a signpost, but we have to traverse it
ourselves. If the spiritual father shows the way and the disciple doesn't move
himself, then he won't get anywhere, and will rot near the signpost. (St. Nikon of Optina)
Don't be
deceived regarding the knowledge of what will be after your death: what you sow
here, you will reap ther. After leaving here, no one can make progress. Here is
the work, there the reward; here the struggle, there the crowns. (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Instructions,
606)
Retribution
God gives His
communion to all who love Him. Communion with God is life and light and
sweetness with all the good things that He has. But those who of their own will
forsake him he rewards with separation from Him, which they themselves have
chosen. As separation from light is darkness, so also alienation from God is
deprivation of all good things which He has. But the good things of God are
eternal and without end, so that the loss of them is eternal and without end.
Thus sinners shall be the cause of their own torments, just as the blind do not
see the light, although it is shining on them. (St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, V.27)
The Saviour of
our race, employing all means to free man from deception, has shared with us
who obey Him heavenly and divine good things. But to the disobedient he has
shown that there awaits them not temporal torments that abide for a time, but
eternal and everlasting torments. (St.
Photius the Great, Amphilocius, 6)
Not only men, but
also women, the weaker sex, in going by the narrow path of Christ have received
for themselves the Kingdom of Heaven. For there is neither male nor female, but
everyone receives his own reward according to his own labor. (St. Ephraim the Syrian, Sermon on the
Second Coming of the Lord)
Christians,
always rejoice, for evil, death, sin, the devil and hell have been conquered by
Christ. But when all of this is conquered, is there anyone in the world who can
bring our joy to naught? You are the lord of this eternal rejoicing as long as
you do not give in to sin. Joy burns in our hearts from His truth, love,
resurrection, and from the Church and His saints. Joy burns in our hearts all
because of sufferings for Him, mockings for Him, and death for Him, insofar as
these sufferings write our names in heaven. There is no true joy on earth
without the victory over death, but the victory over death does not exist
without the Resurrection, and the Resurrection does not exist without Christ.
The risen God-Man Christ, the founder of the Church, constantly pours out this
joy into the hearts of His followers through the Holy Mysteries and good deeds.
Our faith is fulfilled in this eternal joy, insofar as the joy of faith in
Christ is the only true joy for human nature. (St. Justin Popovich, Explanation of I Thessalonians, 5)
Relationships with other people
A Christian must be courteous to all. His words and deeds should breath with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which abides in his soul, so that in this way he might glorify the name of God. He who regulates all of his speech also regulates all of his actions. He who keeps watch over the words he is about say also keeps watch over the deeds he intends to do, and he never goes out of the bounds good and benevolent conduct. The graceful speech of a Christian is characterized by delicateness and politeness. This fact, born of love, produces peace and joy. On the other hand, boorishness gives birth to hatred, enmity, affliction, competitiveness, disorder and wars. (St. Nektarius of Aegina, The Path to Happiness, 7)
It is joyful to
feel that we do not and cannot have any enemies among men, but only unhappy
brethren, who are deserving of pity and help, even when, through misunderstanding,
they become our enemies and fight against us. Woe! They do not understand that
the enemy is found within ourselves, and that first of all one must cast him
our of oneself, and then also help others to do the same. We have only one
enemy: the devil and his evil spirits. But man, no matter how far he has
fallen, never loses certain sparks of light and goodness which may be blown
into a bright flame. But for us there is no reason to fight against people,
even when they consistently send against all kind of blows and rebukes ... To
fight against people is to take a false position of our enemies. Even if we
succeed, we gain nothing from this fight, but rather become estranged from our
own success. (Martyr Roman Medved, Letter
to His Daughter from the Gulag, 1932)
With all your
power, ask the Lord for humility and brotherly love, because God freely gives
His grace for love towards one's brother. Do an experiment on yourself: one day
ask God for love towards your brother, and another day - live without love. You
will see the difference. (St. Silouan the
Athonite, Writings, XVI.8)
Adorn yourself
with truth, try to speak truth in all things; and do not support a lie, no
matter who asks you. If you speak the truth and someone gets mad at you, don't
be upset, but take comfort in the words of the Lord: Blessed are those who are
persecuted for the sake of truth, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt.
5:10). (St. Gennadius of Constantinople,
The Golden Chain, 26,29).
The holy Isaiah
said: If one should speak to his brother with guile, he will not escape
spiritual harm. (Ancient Patericon,
10.28)
If someone puts
his trust in God in a matter, let him not argue with his brother about it. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Sermon 2.103)
Draw nigh to
the righteous, and through them you will draw nigh to God. Communicate with
those who possess humility, and you will learn morals from them. A man who
follows one who loves God becomes rich in the mysteries of God; but he who
follows an unrighteous and proud man gets far away from God, and will be hated
by his friends. (St. Isaac the Syrian,
Sermon 57,8)
St. Pimen the
Great said: Depart from every man who loves to quarrel. (Ancient Paterikon, 11.59)
If you cannot
close the mouth of one who reviles his brother, at least avoid conversation
with him. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily
89)
How to relate to the sin of others
Find evil in
yourself and not in other people or things, were with you have not learned how
to relate properly. This is how a child relates with fire or a knife: he burns
himself, he cuts himself. (St. Sebastian
of Karaganda)
A brother asked
an elder: If I see my brother fall into sin, is good to hide him? The Elder
answered: When, out of love, we hide the sin of our brother, then God also
hides our sins; but when we show our brother's sin before others, then God also
makes our sins known to people. (Ancient
Patericon, 9.9)
Do not lose
your temper with those who sin. Do not have a passion for noticing every sin in
your neighbor and judging it, as we usually do. Everyone will give an answer
for himself before God. Especially, do not look with evil intention on the sins
of those older than you, with whom you have no business. But correct your own
sins, your own heart. (St. John of
Kronstadt, My Life in Christ, I.6)
If you see your
neighbor in sin, don't look only at this, but also think about what he has done
or does that is good, and infrequently trying this in general, while not partially
judging, you will find that he is better than you. (St. Basil the Great, Conversations, 20).
If you see a
man who has sinned and you do not pity him, the grace of God will leave you.
Whoever curses bad people, and does not pray for them, will never come to know
the grace of God. (St. Silouan the
Athonite, Writings, VII.4, VIII.6)
One who
strictly prosecutes the misdemeanors of others will find not condescension towards
his own. (St. John Chrysostom, On the
Statutes, 3.6)
Should we denounce them that have sinned?
It is better to
pray with good will for our neighbor, rather than to denounce him for every
sin. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies,
1.132)
Do not attempt
to benefit by rebukes one who boasts of his virtues, for he loves to display
himself cannot be a lover of truth. (St.
Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.222)
Whoever with
fear of God corrects and directs a sinner gains virtue for himself.. But whoever insults a sinner with rancor and without good
will falls, according to a spiritual law, into the same passion with the sinner. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies,
2.183)
When you want
to direct someone toward the good, first put him at peace bodily and honor him
with words of love. For nothing inclines such a man to shame and induces him to
cast of his vice and be changed for the better as do bodily goods and honor,
which he sees in you. Then, with love tell him a word or two, and do not be
inflamed with anger toward him. Do not let him see any cause of enmity toward
you. For love does not know how to lose its temper. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 85, 57)
Judging
He who seeks the forgiveness of his sins loves humility. But he who judges another strengthens his own evil deeds against himself. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 1.126)
To judge sins
is the business of one who is sinless, but who is sinless except God? Who ever
thinks about the multitude of his own sins in his heart never wants to make the
sins of others a topic of conversation. To judge a man who has gone astray is a
sign of pride, and God resists the proud. On the other hand, one who every hour
prepares himself to give answer for his own sins will not quickly lift up his
head to examine the mistakes of others. (St.
Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 53-55)
A discerning
man, when he eats grapes, takes only the ripe ones and leaves the sour. Thus
also the discerning mind carefully marks the virtues which he sees in any
person. A mindless man seeks out the vices and failings ... Even if you see
someone sin with your own eyes, do not judge; for often even your eyes are
deceived. (St. John of the Ladder,
Ladder, 10.16-17)
If you have the
sinful habit of judging your neighbor, then whenever you judge someone make
three prostrations that day with this prayer: "Save, O Lord, and have
mercy on him (whom I have judged) and by his prayers, have mercy on me, a
sinner." Do this every time you judge someone. If you do this, God will
see your sincerity and will deliver you from this sinful habit forever. And if
you never judge anyone, then God will never judge you. In this way you will
even receive salvation. (Priest-confessor
Sergei Pravdolubov)
How to deal with those who hurt us?
Whoever prays for those who hurt him lays the demons low; but he who opposes his affronter is bound to the demons. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 1.45)
Whoever does
not fight the one who despises him, neither in word not in thought, has
received true knowledge and demonstrates a firm trust in God. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.119)
On forgiveness of insult
We all have to
die, beloved brethren, and it will be hard for us if, while we are in this
world, we do not love each other, if we are not reconciled to our enemies, whom
we have offended, and if one has grieved another, if we do not forgive him.
Then we will not have eternal blessedness in that world, and the heavenly
Father will not forgive our sins. (St.
Peter of Cetinje, Letter to Radulovichs, 1805)
The forgiveness
of insults is a sign of true love, free from hypocrisy. For thus the Lord also
loved this world. (St. Mark the Asceticf,
Homilies, 2.48)
When people curse us
We must receive the one who curses us as a messenger from God, rebuking our hidden evil thoughts, so that we, seeing our thoughts with exactness, might correct ourselves. For we do not know how many hidden evils we have; Only a perfect man can understand all of his own shortcomings. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 6)
Inasmuch as you
pray with all your soul for the one who has slandered you, so much will God
reveal the truth to them who have believed the slander. (St. Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 4.89)
When people praise us
Rancour
A soul that is
nurtured by hatred toward man can not be at peace with God, Who has said: If
you forgive not men their sins, neither shall your Father forgive your sins
(Matt. 6:15). If a man does not want to be reconciled, you must at least guard
yourself from hating, praying with a pure heart for him, and speaking no evil
of him. (St. Maximus the Confessor,
Chapters on Love, 4.35)
Love toward enemies
Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love our enemies in such way that we pity their souls as if they were our own children. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, I.11)
When you have
been insulted, cursed, or persecuted by someone, do not think of what has
happened to you, but of what will come from it, and you will see that your
insulter has become the cause of many benefits to you, not only in this age,
but in that which is to come. (St. Mark
the Ascetic, Homilies, 1.114)
Do not desire
to hear about the misfortunes of those who oppose you. For those who listen to
such speech later reap the fruits of their evil intention. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.173)
I ask you to
try something. If someone grieves you, or dishonors you, or takes something of
yours, then pray like this: "Lord, we are all your creatures. Pity your
servants, and turn them to repentance," and then you will perceptibly bear
grace in your soul. Induce your heart to love your enemies, and the Lord,
seeing your good will, shall help you in all things, and will Himself show you
experience. But whoever thinks evil of his enemies does not have love for God
and has not known God. (St. Silouan the
Athonite, Writings, IX.21)
Prayer
Do not forsake prayer, for just as the body becomes weak when it is deprived of food, so also the soul when it is deprived of prayer draws nigh to weakness and noetic death. (St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 44)
Consistently
pray in all things, so that you might not do anything without the help of God
... Whoever does or busies himself with anything without prayer does not
succeed in the end. Concerning this, the Lord said: "Without Me you can't
do anything" (John 15:5). (St. Mark
the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.94,166)
Whatever we do
or say without prayer always ends up either sinful or harmful and convicts us
through the deeds in some mysterious way. (St.
Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.108)
The prayer of
one who does not consider himself a sinner is not accepted by the Lord. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 55)
God hears and
fulfills the prayer of a man who fulfills His commandments. "Hear God in
His commandments", says St. John Chrysostom, "So that He might hear
you in your prayers." A man who keeps the commandments of God is always
wise, patient, and sincere in his prayers. Mystery of prayer consists in the
keeping of God's commandments. (St.
Justin Popovich, Explanation of I John, 3:22)
Give your
intentions in prayer to God, Who knows everyone, even before our birth. And do
not ask that everything will be according to your will, because a man does not
know what is profitable for him. But say to God: Let Thy will be done! For He does
everything for our benefit. (St.
Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 47)
Whoever wants
to approach prayer without a guide, and proudly thinks that he can learn from
books, and won't go to an elder, is already halfway into delusion. But the Lord
helps the humble, and if there is no experienced guide, and he goes to a
confessor, whoever he may be, then the Lord will cover him because of his
humility. (St. Silouan the Athonite,
Writings, II.1)
If, at the time
when the mind is praying it is distracted by any extraneous thought or worry
about anything, then this prayer is not called pure. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 16)
If you become
proud when you receive what you ask in prayer, then it is obvious that your
prayer was not to God, and you did not receive help from Him, but the demons
were working with you in order to exalt your heart; For when help is given from
God, the soul is not exalted, but is all the more humbled, and she is amazed at
the great mercy of God, how merciful He is to sinners. (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Instructions, 418)
When God wants
to have mercy on someone, He inspires someone else to pray for him, and He
helps in this prayer. (St. Silouan the
Athonite, Writings, XX.9)
In times of
affliction, unceasingly call out to the merciful God in prayer. The unceasing
invocation of the name of God in prayer is a treatment for the soul which kills
not only the passions, but even their very operation. As a doctor finds the
necessary medicine, and it works in such a way that the sick person does not
understand, in just the same way the name of God, when you call upon it, kills
all the passions, although we don't know how this happens. (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Instructions, 421)
Repentance
One who has
sinned cannot escape retribution in any other way than by repentance
corresponding to his sin. (St. Mark the
Ascetic, Homilies, 2.58)
God will
cleanse your sins if you yourself are dissatisfied with yourself and will keep
on changing until you are perfect. (St.
Augustine, Sermons on I John, I.7)
The saints were
people like all of us. Many of them came out of great sins, but by repentance
they attained the Kingdom of Heaven. And everyone who comes there comes through
repentance, which the merciful Lord has given us through His sufferings. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XII.10)
If someone
falls into any sin and is not sincerely grieved about it, it is easy for him to
fall into the same thing again. (St. Mark
the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.215)
If someone has
repented once of a sin, and again does the same sin, this is a sign that he has
not been cleansed of the causes of the sin, wherefrom, as from a root, the
shoots spring forth again. (St. Basil the
Great)
Do not say:
"I have sinned much, and therefore I am not bold enough to fall down
before God." Do not despair. Simply do not increase your sins in despair
and, with the help of the All-merciful One, you will not be put to shame. For
He said, "he who comes to Me I will not cast out." (John. 6:37) And
so, be bold and believe that He is pure and cleanses those who draw near to
Him. If you want to accomplish true repentance, show it with your deeds. If you
have fallen into pride, show humility; if into drunkenness, show sobriety; if
into defilement, show purity of life. For it is said, "Turn away from evil
and do good" (I Pet. 3:11). (St.
Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 87-89)
Whoever hates
his sins will stop sinning; and whoever confesses them will receive remission.
A man can not abandon the habit of sin if he does not first gain enmity toward
sin, nor can he receive remission of sin without confession of sin. For the
confession of sin is the cause of true humility. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 71)
It is harmful
to remember previous sins in detail. For if they bring you sorrow, they will
estrange you from hope, but if they are remembered without sorrow, they will
introduce the previous defilement. If you want to bring to God an uncondemned
confession, then don't remember your sins in detail, but manfully endure the
suffering that is coming because of them. (St.
Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.151, 153)
The Lord
greatly loves the repenting sinner and mercifully presses him to His bosom:
"Where were you, My child? I was waiting a long time for you." The
Lord calles all to Himself with the voice of the Gospel, and his voice is heard
in all the world: "Come to me, my sheep. I created you, and I love you. My
love for you brought Me to earth, and I suffered all things for the sake of
your salvation, and I want you all to know my love, and to say, like the
apostles on Tabor: Lord, it is good for us to be with You". (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, IX.27)
Our will and God's will
It is a great
good to be given over to the will of God. Then the Lord alone is in the soul,
and no other thought, and she prays to God with a pure mind. When the soul is
entirely given over to the will of God, then the Lord Himself begins to guide
her, and the soul learns directly from God ... A proud man does not with to
live according to the will of God. He likes to direct himself, and does not
understand that man does not have enough understanding to direct himself
without God. (St. Silouan the Athonite,
Writings, VI.1).
In the measure
to which a man cuts off and humbles his own will, he proceeds toward success.
But insofar as he stubbornly guards his own will, so much does he brings harm
to himself. (St. Ephraim the Syrian,
Counsels to a Novice Monk)
How can you
find out if you are living within the will of God? Here is the sign: If you are
troubled about any thing, this means that you have not completely given
yourself over to the will of God. A person who lives in the will of God is not
concerned over anything. And if he needs anything, he gives both it and himself
over to God. And if he does not receive the necessary thing, he remains calm
nevertheless, as if he had it. The soul which has been given over to the will
of God is afraid of nothing, not of thunder nor of thieves - nothing. But
whatever happens, she says, "Thus it pleases God." If she is sick,
she thinks: this means that I need to be sick, or else God would not have given
it to me. Thus peace is preserved in both soul and body. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, VI.4)
The Lord has
given the Holy Spirit upon the earth, and in whomsoever He dwells, that one
feels paradise within himself. You might say: why hasn't this happened to me?
Because you have not given yourself over to the will of God, but you live
according to yourself. Look at the one who loves his own will. He never has
peace in himself and is always displeased with something. But whoever has given
himself over to God's will perfectly has pure prayer. His soul loves the Lord,
and everything is acceptable and good to him. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, VI.14)
The commandments
The
Commandments of God are higher than all the treasures of the earth. Whoever has
acquired them has received God within himself. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 57)
The Holy
Apostle John the Theologian says that the commandments of God are not
difficult, but easy (I John, 5:3). But they are only easy because of love,
while they are all difficult if there is no love. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XVI.10)
God requires
not the doing of the commandments for their own sake, but the correction of the
soul, for whose sake He established the commandments. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 34)
God abides in
each commandment by His gracious power. "God is hidden in His commandments",
says St. Mark the Ascetic. God helps everyone who strives to keep His
commandments. That God abides in us we know by the Spirit, which He has given
us. This means that a Christian is never alone, but that he lives and works
together with the Thrice-Holy God. (St.
Justin Popovich, Explanation of I John, 3:24)
How God sees our deeds
In all of our deeds God looks at the intention, whether we do it for His sake, or for the sake of some other intention. (St. Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 2:36)
God values
deeds according to their intentions. For it is said, "The Lord grant unto
you according to your heart" (Ps. 19:5) ... Therefore, whoever wants to do
something but can't is considered as having done it by God, who sees the
intentions of our hearts. This applies to both good and evil deeds alike. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 1.184,
2.16)
If the
intention is unclean, the deed that follows from it will also be evil, even if
it seems good. (St. Gregory the
Dialogist, Conversations, 1.10)
How whe should relate to our deeds
Do not think about or do anything without a spiritual purpose, whereby it is done for God. For If you travel without purpose, you shall labor in vain. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 1.54)
When the mind
forgets the purpose of Christian life, then even the clear fulfillment of
virtue becomes profitless. (St. Mark the
Ascetic, Homilies, 2:51)
All that you
lose in the name of God, you keep. All that you keep for your own sake, you
loose. All that you give in the name of God, you will receive with interest.
All that you give for the sake of your own glory and pride, you throw into the
water. All that you receive from people as from God will bring you joy. All
that you receive from people as from people will bring you worries. (St. Nicholas of Serbia, Thoughts on Good
and Evil)
It is needful
to do everything with discernment, and to take your own measure, so that you
will not be confused later. To perform alms, fasting, or anything else at the
highest degree (beyond one's limits or personal measure) lacks discernment,
since later it will lead the one who performs them into confusion, despondency,
and grumbling. Even God requires that which is according to the strength of
man. (St. Barsanuphius the Great,
Instructions, 627)
No matter who
you are, what kind of work you do, give an account of yourself as to how you
have performed your work: as a Christian, or as a heathen (that is, motivated
by self-love and worldly pleasure). A Christian must remember that every deed,
even the smallest, has a moral principle. A Christian, who remembers the
teaching of Jesus Christ, should perform every deed so that it will be of use
toward the spreading of the grace of God and the Kingdom of Heaven among men. (St. Gabriel of Imereti, Yearly Account)
Our good deeds
One evil receives strength from another. In the same way, good deeds also sprout one from another, and the one in whom they are found grows larger. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.93)
Every time that
we sin, we are born of the devil. But every time that we do good, we are born
of God. (St. John Chrysostom)
We abide in God
insofar as we do not sin. (St. Bede the
Venerable, Commentary on I John, 3:6)
Forget your
good deeds as soon as possible ... Do not record your good deeds, for if you
record them, they will soon fade. But if you forget them, they will be written
in eternity. (St. Nicholas of Serbia,
Thought on Good and Evil)
If you want the
Lord to hide your sins, then don't talk to people about what kind of virtues
you have. For as we relate to our virtues, so God relates to our sins. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.135)
Whoever has a
spiritual gift and compassionate toward one who does not have it guards his
gift through his compassion. But whoever is proud of his gift loses it through
self-opinion. (St. Mark the Ascetic,
Homilies, 1.8)
Love
God gave people the word "love" so that they could call their relationship to Him by this name. When people misuse this word to refer to their relationship with earthly things, it loses its meaning. (St. Nicholas of Serbia, Thoughts on Good and Evil)
Do not disdain
the commandment to love, for through it you become a son of God, and when you
break it, you become a son of Gehenna. (St.
Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 4:20)
Love toward God
should be higher for us that love toward any human. (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)
Do not say that
faith in Christ alone can save you, for this is not possible if you do not
attain love for Him, which is demonstrated by deeds. As for mere faith:
"The demons also believe and tremble" (James, 2:19). The action of
love consists in heartfelt good deeds toward one's neighbor, magnanimity,
patience, and sober use of things. (St.
Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 1.39-40)
"Love
covers a multitude of sins," (I Pet. 4:8). That is, for love towards one's
neighbor, God forgives the sins of the one who loves. (St. Theophan the Recluse, Letters, VI.949)
Love for Christ
overflows into love for one's neighbor, love for truth, love for holiness, for
the world, for purity, for everything divine, for everything deathless and
eternal ... All these forms of love are natural manifestations of love for
Christ. Christ is the God-man, and love for Him always means love for God and
for man. When we love Christ God, we also love all that is divine, immortal and
Christ-like in people. We can't truly love people if we do not love them for
the sake of these causes. Any other love is pseudo-love, which is easily
changed into lovelessness and hatredness toward people. True love for man comes
from love for God, and love for God grows in accordance with the keeping of His
commandments. (St. Justin Popovich,
Explanation of the I John, 4:20, 5:2)
Love is the
fruit of prayer ... Patiently abiding in prayer signifies a man's renunciation
of himself. Therefore the self-denial of the soul turns into love for God. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily, 43)
If you find
that there is no love in you, but you want to have it, then do deeds of love,
even though you do them without love in the beginning. The Lord will see you
desire and striving and will put love in your heart. (St. Ambrose of Optina)
Who has no love
Whoever sees in himself the traces of hatred toward any man on account of any kind of sin is completely foreign to the love of God. For love toward God does not at all tolerate hatred for man. (St. Maximos the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 1.15)
Who is far from
love is a bad state, and to be pitied. He passes his days in a delirious dream,
far from God, deprived of light, and he lives in darkness ... Whoever does not
have the love of Christ is an enemy of Christ. He walks in darkness and is
easily led into any sin. (St. Ephraim the
Syrian, Homily on Virtues and Vices)
How to manifest love
Love is
manifested not only through the distribution of one's possessions, but even
more so through the spreading of the word of God and helpful deeds. (St. Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on
Love, 1.26)
Happy is the man
in whom there is love for God, for he bears God within himself. The one in whom
there is love is with God, above all things. Whoever has love in himself does
not fear. He is never mad at anyone, nor does he exalt himself above anyone. He
does not calumniate anyone, nor does he listen to the calumniator. He does not
compete with anyone, is not jealous, does not rejoice in the fall of another,
does not slander the fallen, but sympathizes with him and helps him. He does
not disdain his brother who is fallen into need, but helps him and is ready to
die for him. Whoever has love fulfills the will of God. (St. Ephraim the Syrian, Spiritual-Moral Letters)
Mercy
Let there always be a preponderance of mercy with you, even though you don't feel such mercy in yourself, as God has for the world ... A cruel and merciless heart is never purified. A merciful man is the doctor of his own soul, because as it were a by a strong wind from is heart he drives out the darkness of the passions. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 41)
If you begin to
guard wealth it will not be yours. But if you begin to distribute it, you will
not lose it. (St. Basil the Great,
Conversations, 7)
Do you think
that the man-loving God has given you much so that you could use it only for
your own benefit? No, but so that your abundance might supply the lack of
others. (St. John Chrysostom,
Conversations on the Book of Genesis, 20)
If you are
truly merciful, then when what is yours is unjustly taken, don't be sad inside,
and do not tell of our loss to your neighbor. Let a better loss, inflicted by
those who insult you, be absorbed by your mercy. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 58)
Humility
Nothing is more opposed to God than pride, for self-deification is concealed in it, its own nothingness or sin. Thus more than anything humility is acceptable to God, which considers itself nothing, and attributes all goodness, honor, and glory to God alone. Pride does not accept grace, because it is full of itself, while humility easily accepts grace, because it is free from itself, and from all that is created. God creates out of nothing. As long as we think that we can offer something of ourselves, He does not begin His work in us. Humility is the salt of virtue. As salt gives flavor to food, so humility gives perfection to virtue. Without salt, food goes bad easily, and without humility, virtue is easily spoiled by pride, vainglory, impatience - and it perishes. There is a humility which a man gains by his own struggles: knowing his own insufficiency, accusing himself for his failings, not allowing himself to judge others. And there is a humility into which God leads a man through the things that happen to him: allowing him to experience afflictions, humiliations, and deprivations. (St. Philaret of Moscow, The Glory of the Mother of God, 9)
They asked and
elder, "What is humility?" The elder said, "When your brother
sins against you, and you forgive him, before he repents before you". (Ancient Patericon, 15.74)
He does not
show humility who accuses himself (for who will not accept rebukes from
himself?), but he who, being rebuked by another, does not decrease his love
toward him. (St. John of the Ladder,
Ladder, 22.17)
As water and
fire oppose one another when combined, so are self-justification and humility
opposed to one another. (St. Mark the
Ascetic, Homily 2.125)
Some suffer
much from poverty and sickness, but are not humbled, and so they suffer without
profit. But one who is humbled will be happy in all circumstances, because the
Lord is his riches and joy, and all people will wonder at the beauty of his
soul". (St. Silouan the Athonite,
Writing, III.9)
Humility
consists in considering oneself to be nothing in all circumstances, cutting off
one's will in all things, accusing oneself of everything, and bearing without
confusion that which befalls him from without. Such is true humility, in which
vainglory finds no place. A humble man doesn't need to try to show his humility
in words, nor does he need to make himself do humble deeds, for both of these
lead to vainglory, hinder progress, and cause more harm than good. But when
they command anything, it is necessary not to contradict, but to fulfill it
with obedience. This is what leads to success. (St. John the Prophet, Instructions, 275)
Meekness
Let them push
you, but do not push; Let them crucify you, but do not crucify. Let them
insult, but do not insult. Let them slander, but do not slander. Be meek, and
do not be zealous in evil. (St. Isaac the
Syrian, Homily, 89)
Temperance
Seek the
simplest in all things, in food, clothing, without being ashamed of poverty.
For a great part of the world lives in poverty. Do not say, "I am the son
of a rich man. It is shameful for me to be in poverty." Christ, your
Heavenly Father, Who gave birth to you in the baptistery, is not in worldly
riches. Rather he walked in poverty and had nowhere to lay His head. (St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden
Chain, 24-25)
You must teach
yourself how to eat less, but with discernment, insofar as your work allows.
The measure of temperance should be such that after lunch you want to pray. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, V.8)
Obedience
Obedience is
necessary not only for monks, but for all people. Even the Lord was obedient.
The proud and self-regarding do not allow grace to live in them, and therefore
they never have spiritual peace, while in the obedient soul the grace of the
Holy Spirit enters easily and gives joy and peace. Whoever bears even a little
grace in himself joyfully submits himself to all direction. He knows that God
directs even the heavens and the netherworld, and himself, and his business,
and everything in the world, and therefore he is always at peace. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XV.2)
Sinful passions
A passion is a contranatural movement of the soul or an irrational love, or an blindfold hatred toward any material thing, or because of it: for example, for food, or for women, or for riches, or for worldly glory, or any other sensible thing; or for the sake of such things, as in a senseless hatred for someone on account of the things mentioned above. (St. Maximos the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 2.16)
Some passions
are bodily, other spiritual. Bodily passions have their sources in the body,
while spiritual ones come from external things. But love and temperance cut out
both the one and the other: Love cuts out spiritual passions, and temperance
bodily ones. (St. Maximus the Confessor,
Chapters on Love, 1.64)
We must
consider all evil things, even the passions which war against us, to be not our
own, but of our enemy the devil. This is very important. You can only conquer a
passion when you do not consider it as part of you. (St. Nikon of Optina)
At first a
simple thought about evil makes it into the mind, and if it is kept in the
mind, then a passionate motion arises from it, and if you do not extirpate the
passion, then it inclines the mind to agreement, and when this happens, it
leads the mind to the commission of a sinful deed. [Guard your thoughts], for
if you do not sin in thought, you will never seen in deed. (St. Maximos the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 1.84, 2.78)
Unclean spirits
increase the passions in us, making use of our negligence, and inciting them.
But the angels decrease our passions, inciting us to the perfection of virtue. (St. Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on
Love, 2:69)
A sinful soul,
full of passions, cannot have peace and rejoice in the Lord, even if it had
charge over all earthly riches, even if it ruled over the whole world. If it
was suddenly said to such a king, happily feasting and sitting on his throne,
"King, now you will die," his soul would be troubled and he would
tremble with fear, and he would see his powerlessness. But how many beggars
there are, whose only wealth is love for God, and who, if you said to them,
"You will die now," would answer peacefully, "Let God's will be
done. Glory to the Lord, that He has remembered me and wants to take me to
Himself". (St. Silouan the Athonite,
Writings, IV.3)
The struggle with the passions
A man who hates
the passion cuts off their causes. But a man who remains among their causes
experiences even against his will the conflict from the passions. It is not
possible to be mentally inclined toward a passion if one does not love its
cause. For who, disdaining shame, is given to vainglory? Or who, loving
lowliness, is bothered by dishonor? Who, having a broken and humble heart, accepts
fleshly sweetness? Or who, believing in Christ, is concerned about temporal
things, or argues about them? (St. Mark
the Ascetic, Homily 2.119,122-123)
It is one thing
to be delivered from bad thoughts, and another to be freed from the passions.
Often people are delivered from thoughts, when they do not have before their
eyes those things which produce passion. But the passions for them remain
hidden in the soul, and when the things appear again the passions are revealed.
Therefore it is necessary to guard the mind when these things appear, and to
know toward which things you have a passion. (St. Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 3:78)
The mind of a
man that loves God does not fight against things or thoughts about them, but
against the passions that are connected with these thoughts. That is, he does
not struggle against a woman, or against one who has insulted him, and not
against the images of them, but against the passions that are aroused by these
images. (St. Maximus the Confessor,
Chapters on Love, 3:40)
The passions
are uprooted and turned to flight by constant occupation of the mind with God.
This is a sword that puts them to death... Whoever always thinks about God
drives the demons away from himself and pulls up the seeds of their malice. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 8)
Spiritual mistakes
Flee from
self-love, the mother of malice, which is an irrational love for the body. For
from it are born the three chief sinful passions: gluttony, avarice, and
vainglory, which take their causes from bodily needs, and from them all the
tribe of the passions is born. This why we must always oppose self-love and
fight against it. Whoever rejects self-love will easily conquer all the other
passions with the help of God: anger, despondency, rancor, and the others. But
whoever is retained by self-love will even unwillingly be conquered by the
above-named passions. (St. Maximus the
Confessor, Chapters on Love, 2.59,8)
Whoever does
not want to know the will of God is mentally walking a path next to a cliff,
and easily falls with any wind. If he is praised, he is proud. If he is rebuked
he is angry. If he eats pleasant food, he is drawn into bodily passions. When
he suffers he weeps. When he knows something, he wants to show that he knows.
When he doesn't understand, he pretends to understand. When he is rich he puts
on airs. When he is poor, he is a hypocrite. When he is full, he is bold. When
he fasts he is vainglorious. When he is denounced he loves to argue, while he
looks on those who forgive him as fools. (St.
Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.193)
Understand two
thoughts, and fear them. One says, "You are a saint," the other,
"You won't be saved." Both of these thoughts are from the enemy, and
there is no truth in them. But think this way: I am a great sinner, but the
Lord is merciful. He loves people very much, and He will forgive my sins. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XVII.1)
There are lots
of those who speak but few who do. However, no one should distort the word of
God by his own negligence, but it is better to confess your own weakness, not
hiding the truth of God, so that together with the breaking of the commandments
you do not also appear guilty of an untrustworthy explanation of the word of
God. (St. Maximos the Confessor, Chapters
on Love, 4:85)
Whoever
prematurely begins a work that is above his strength receives nothing, but only
brings harm upon himself. (St. Isaac the
Syrian, Homilies, 11)
There are
people who, when they encounter inability to understand, do not ask the Lord.
But one must immediately say, "Lord, I am a sinful man and I don't
understand as I should. But give me understanding, merciful One, as to how I
must proceed." And the merciful Lord then inspires them as to what to do
and what not to do. (St. Silouan the
Athonite, Writings, XX.4)
No one ever
accomplishes good by means of evil, because they are themselves conquered by
the evil. On the contrary, evil is corrected by good. (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Instructions, 15)
Do not try to
decide a difficult matter by means of disputing, but that which is enjoined by
the spiritual law, namely patience, prayer, and thoughtful hope. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 1:12)
If we weave by
day and undo at night, nothing gets woven. If we build by day and destroy by
night, nothing is ever built. If we pray to God and do evil before Him, the
nothing is woven, and a house for our soul is not built. (St. Nicholas of Serbia, Thoughts on Good and Evil)
Sinful thoughts
If a man does
not argue with the thoughts that the enemy secretly sows in us, but by prayer
to God uproots conversation with them, this is a sign that his mind has
attained wisdom, and that he has found a short path. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 30)
A man who is
enticed by sinful thoughts is blinded by them, and he sees the action of sin in
himself, but he cannot see the cause of this action. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 1.168)
It is
impossible to keep spiritual peace if we do not take care of the mind, that is
if we do not drive out thoughts that are displeasing to God and, on the
contrary, keep thoughts which are pleasing to God. It is necessary to look into
the heart with mind and see what is done there. Is it peaceful or not? If not,
then find out in what you have sinned. (St.
Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XIV.8)
When bad
thoughts are planted in you, then cry to God: "Lord, my Maker and Creator.
You see that my soul is in agony from bad thoughts. Have mercy on me." Teach
yourself to root out thoughts immediately. But when you forget and don't root
them out immediately, then offer repentance. Work on this, so that you get a
habit. (St. Silouan the Athonite,
Writings, XVII.4,6)
The snares of the devil
Our inhuman
enemy [the devil, in drawing a Christian to defilement] inspires the thought
that God loves mankind, and that He quickly forgives this sin. But when we
observe the guile of demons, then we see that after the commission of the sin,
they suggest to us that God is a righteous and implacable Judge. The first they
say in order to lead us to sin, the second, in order to weigh us down in
despair. (St. John of the Ladder, Ladder,
15:33)
The devil makes
small sins seem smaller in our eyes, for otherwise he can't lead us to greater
evil. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies,
2:94)
When anyone
goes into sin, his thoughts are is it were enchained and his vision is changed
for the worse through that by means of which the evil one, instigating and
flattering, weakens and darkens us. But after the sin has been committed he
sets before our eyes what we have done and cruelly reveals that to which he has
drawn us with much guile and, condeming the severity of the deed, endeavours by
the same to draw the sinner into despair. (St.
Photius the Great, Amphilochius, 14)
Spiritual warfare
Vainglory
Abba Pimen
said, he who fervently desires the love of men is deprived of the love of God.
In is not good to be liked by everyone, for it is said, "Woe to you, when
all men speak well of you" (Luke 6:26). (Ancient Patericon, 8:16)
Often the Lord
heals vainglory by dishonor. (St. John of
the Ladder, Ladder, 22.38)
[It is possible
to struggle against love of honor and vainglory in this way:] When you hear
that your neighbor or friend has reproached you in your absence or presence,
then show love and praise him. (St. John
of the Ladder, 22:15)
Falsehood
Pride
Murmuring
If suffer some
misfortune, then think: "The Lord sees my heart, and if it pleases Him, it
will be well both for me and and others." And thus your soul will always
be at peace. But is someone murmurs, "This is bad, and that is bad,"
then he will never have peace in his soul, even though he fasts and prays a
lot. (St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings,
IV.1)
Anger
Abba Agathon
said: “An angry man, even if he raises the dead, is not pleasing to God”. (Ancient Patericon, 10.15)
Are you angry?
Be angry at your sins, beat your soul, afflict your conscience, but strict in
judgement and a terrible punisher of your own sins. This is the benefit of
anger, wherefore God placed it in us. (St.
John Chrysostom, Conversation of Ephesians, 2)
Defiled lust
Don't let your
eyes look here and there, and don't look on someone else’s beauty, so that the
devil will not conquer you with the help of your eyes. (St. Ephraim the Syrian)
A certain monk
had a struggle against defiled lusts. He got up and night and went to the elder
and confessed to him the thoughts that were drawing him to defilement. The
elder calmed him and the brother, have benefited, returned to his cell. But the
struggle rose up against him again, and again he went to the elder. He did this
a few times. The elder did not grieve him, but said, "Don't give up, but
it is better that you come to me whenever the demon disturbs you, and repel him
by exposing your thoughts. By such a repulsion he will pass you by. For nothing
so burns the demon of defilement as the revelation of his deeds [in confession
before a spiritual father]. And nothing makes him so happy as the hiding of
thoughts." Thus the brother came to the elder eleven times, repelling his
thoughts, and the brother's temptation ceased. (Ancient Patericon, 5.16)
Lust is as it
were desire and desire, will which extends beyond the natural will, passionate,
not governed by the law and moderation. There are thus many forms of lust, like
the many forms of sin ... Lust does not approach the soul in the form of a
warlike enemy, but in the form of a friend or a pleasant servant. It suggests
some sort of pleasure or illusory good. But this is only a trick by which the
malicious angler strives to lead astray and catch the poor soul. Remember this
when you are tempted by lust. (St.
Philaret of Moscow, Sermon on the 5th of July, 1845)
Temptation
When you want
to make a beginning of a good deed, first prepare for temptations, which will
come to you, and don't doubt the truth [of that which you do for God.] (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 57)
No one can
sense his own weakness is at least a small temptation is not allowed to afflict
either his body or his soul. Then, comparing his weakness to the help of God, a
man comes to know its magnitude. But whoever does not know that he needs God's
help, let him make many prayers. Insofar as he multiplies them, in that measure
will he be humbled. (St. Isaac the
Syrian, Homilies, 61)
There is no man
who will not be grieved at the time of his chastisement; and there is not man
who will not endure a bitter time, when he must drink the poison of
temptations. Without them, it is not possible to obtain a strong will. When he
has often experienced the help of God in temptations, a man also obtains strong
faith. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies,
37)
Sorrows
Abba Dorotheos
said: No matter what kind of sorrow comes to you, don't blame anyone but
yourself, and say, "This has happened because of my sins". (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Patericon)
A man of
discernment, meditating on the healing Divine Providence, bears with
thanksgiving the misfortunes that come to him. He sees their causes in his own
sins, and not in anyone else. But a mindless man, when he sins and receives the
punishment for it, considers the cause of his misfortune to be God, or people,
not understanding God's care for him. (St.
Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 2.46)
If we were not
passionately inclined to money or to vainglory, then we would not fear death or
poverty. We would not know enmity or hatred, and we would not suffer from the
sorrows of ourselves or others. (St. John
Chrysostom, To those at Enemity, 3.19)
Afflictions for
God's sake are dearer to Him than any prayer or sacrifice. (St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies, 58)
God tested
Abraham. That is, he sent him afflictions for his benefit, not so that he could
find out what sort of man he was, for God knows everything, but so that He give
him the means to perfect his faith. (St.
Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.203)
When we bravely
and quietly endure the afflictions sent to us, we participate a little, albeit
not fully, in the sufferings of Christ. (St.
Macarius of Optina, Letters, 473)
The righteous
have no sorrows that are not turned into joy, as sinners have no joy that is
not turned into sorrow. (St. Dmitri of
Rostov)
Humility and
suffering free a man from all sin; for the first cuts out spiritual passions,
and the latter bodily. (St. Maximus the
Confessor, Chapters on Love, 1.76)
We suffer
because we have no humility and we do not love our brother. From love of our
brother comes the love of God. People do not learn humility, and because of
their pride cannot receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, and therefor the whole
world suffers. (St. Silouan the Athonite,
Writings, XVI.4,6)
Everyone who
loves God shows himself patient and steadfast in times of suffering. Whoever
bears them bravely becomes strong and obedient to God, and whoever enters the
path of following the will of God conquers his natural weakness. On the other
hand, whoever does not recognize his own powerlessness is proud and not
inclined to submit himself to the will of the Lord. Whoever does not submit to
it and hopes only in his own power does not receive the power and help of God
and, not having been strengthened in spirit, cannot become patient. But whoever
does not endure misfortune and afflictions has not faith, and whoever does not
have faith, does not love God. (St.
Alexis of Senaki, Concerning Afflictions)
No matter what
bitterness has befallen you, no matter what unpleasantness has happened to you,
say, "I shall endure this for Jesus Christ!" and it will be easier
for you. For the name of Jesus Christ is powerful. Through it all
unpleasantness is calmed, and demons disappear. Your disappointments will also
be calmed and you pusillanimity will be quited. (St. Anthony of Optina)
How can we be saved?
If you want to
attain salvation, learn and keep in your heart all that the holy Church teaches
and, receiving heavenly power from the mysteries of the Church, walk the path
of Christ's commandments, under the direction of lawful pastors, and you will
undoubtedly attain the Heavenly Kingdom and be saved. All of this is naturally
necessary in the matter of salvation, necessary in it entirety and for all.
Whoever rejects or neglects any part of it has no salvation. (St. Theophan the Recluse, Five Teachings on
the Path to Salvation, 3)
A certain monk
asked St. Anthony the Great, "What must I do to be saved?" The elder
answered him, "Don't trust in your own righteousness, don't worry about
what's past, and constrain your tongue and your stomach". (Ancient Patericon, 1.2)
Another brother
asked Abba Macarius, "How can I be saved?" The elder answered him,
"Be like one dead: do not think about insults from people, nor of glory,
and you will be saved". (Ancient
Patericon, 10.45)
In the
spiritual life we can do nothing worthy without repentance, but the Lord has
much mercy on us because of our intentions. He who compels himself and holds on
to repentance until the end, even if he sins is saved because he compelled
himself, for the Lord promised this in the Gospel. (St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 3)
A Christian
receives divine wisdom in three ways: by the commandments, teachings, and
faith. The commandments free the mind from passions. Teachings lead it to true
knowledge of nature. Faith leads to the contemplation of the Holy Trinity. (St. Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on
Love, 4.47)
If you become
rich, consider whether or not you could worthily bear poverty. If you are
happy, imagine how you could worthily meet unhappiness. When people praise you,
think how you might worthily bear insult. And, all your life, think how you
might worthily meet death. (St. Nicholas
of Serbia, Thoughts on Good and Evil)
So, being the
portion of the Holy God, begin to do all that pertains to holiness, running
away from evil words, unclean and shameful relations, drunkenness, passions and
innovations, base lusts, defiled adulteries and overweening pride. For it is
said: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (I Pet.
5:5). So, let us unite ourselves to them to whom grace has been given by God.
Let us put on oneness of mind, let us be humble, temperate, far from any
cursing or evil speech, making ourselves righteous by deeds and not by words...
Let our praise be from God, and not from ourselves. God hates those who praise
themselves. Let the witness of our good deeds be given by others. (St. Clement of Rome, Corinthians, 30)
Source: http://orthodox.cn/patristics/300sayings_en.htm
