Sayings of the Holy Fathers:
"'I raised my eyes to the mountains, whence my help will come' (Ps. 121:1). Observe a soul at a loss and bewildered from being in trouble, and wishing to attain comfort from God, Who is not unaware. This again is a good effect and advantage of temptations, exciting and stirring up the soul, making it look for influence from on high and sever connections with everything of this life. I mean, if the Jews, materialistic and attached to the earth as they were, were made so zealous by hardship in captivity and set their eyes on heaven, much more would it be right for us to do this in our situation and have recourse to God, required as we are to display a greater diligence than they. Since, you see, they were isolated in the midst of their enemies, and had no city of their own, no rampart, no tower, no weapons, no humann assistance, no abundance of resources, nothing else of this kind, but dwelt as captives and slaves amidst people who were their masters and enemies together, they took refuge in the invincible hand when oppressed by the magnitude of the disasters, and deprived of human help they began to come to their senses from this isolation."
St. John Chrysostom
Commentary on the Psalms, Vol. 2
+ + +
"Thou, O Lord, hast freed us from the fear of death. Thou hast made the end of this life the beginning to us of true life. Thou for a season restest our bodies in sleep and awakest them again at the last trump. Thou givest our earth, which Thou hast fashioned with Thy hands, to the earth to keep in safety. One day Thou wilt take again what Thou hast given, transfiguring with immortality and grace our mortal and unsightly remains..."
Prayer of St. Macrina
+ + +
"We were created for eternal life by our Creator, we are called to it by the word of God, and we are renewed by holy Baptism. And Christ the Son of God came into the world for this, that He should call us and take us there, and He is the one thing needful. For this reason your very first endeavor and care should be to receive it.
Without it everything is as nothing, though you have the whole world under you."
Abba Epiphanios
Pearls of Wisdom from the Holy Fathers
+ + +
+ + +
"Those of you who earn your bread by means of your toil and sweat should rejoice, because that bread is blessed; and if you give a little of it as alms it is reckoned as much. But those who live by means of injustice and grasping should mourn, for what you thus acquire is cursed; and if you give alms out of these they do not benefit you at all, being fire that consumes you."
St. Cosmas Aitolos
Modern Orthodox Saints, Vol. 1
St. John Chrysostom
Commentary on the Psalms, Vol. 2
+ + +
"Thou, O Lord, hast freed us from the fear of death. Thou hast made the end of this life the beginning to us of true life. Thou for a season restest our bodies in sleep and awakest them again at the last trump. Thou givest our earth, which Thou hast fashioned with Thy hands, to the earth to keep in safety. One day Thou wilt take again what Thou hast given, transfiguring with immortality and grace our mortal and unsightly remains..."
Prayer of St. Macrina
+ + +
"We were created for eternal life by our Creator, we are called to it by the word of God, and we are renewed by holy Baptism. And Christ the Son of God came into the world for this, that He should call us and take us there, and He is the one thing needful. For this reason your very first endeavor and care should be to receive it.
Without it everything is as nothing, though you have the whole world under you."
Abba Epiphanios
Pearls of Wisdom from the Holy Fathers
+ + +
"He who with fear of God admonishes or corrects a man who has sinned, gains the virtue that is opposite to that sin. But he who reproaches him out of rancor and ill will becomes subject to a similar passion, according to the spiritual law."
Saint Kosmas Aitolos
Saint Kosmas Aitolos
+ + +
"Those of you who earn your bread by means of your toil and sweat should rejoice, because that bread is blessed; and if you give a little of it as alms it is reckoned as much. But those who live by means of injustice and grasping should mourn, for what you thus acquire is cursed; and if you give alms out of these they do not benefit you at all, being fire that consumes you."
St. Cosmas Aitolos
Modern Orthodox Saints, Vol. 1
Comments