Sayings of The Holy Fathers:
Let us fear, my beloved, the One God, in order that we may fear no one and naught else. For such a man as truly fears God has fear of no one and nothing. The man who fears God finds everything in God. For him God is honor, fame, riches, comfort, life and joy, though men deprive him of these things. The God-fearing man enjoys God's mercy, for he fears to anger and insult God. And what has one who enjoys God's mercy to fear from the animosity and violence of his enemies? God is all, and without God, all is naught, and the wickedness of all Devils and all Evil Men is nothing.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Letters, in A Treasury of Russian Spirituality by Fedetov.
+ + +
Abba Poemen said, "As the breath which comes out of his nostrils, so does a man need humility and the fear of God."
A brother questioned Abba Poemen saying, "Give me a word." And he said to him, "The fathers put compunction as the beginning of every action." The brother said again, "Give me another word." The old man replied, "As far as you can, do some manual work so as to be able to give alms, for it is written that alms and faith purify from sin." The brother said, "What is faith?" The old man said, "Faith is to live humbly and to give alms."
Abba Poemen
In the book of Proverbs it says, `Those who have no guidance fall like leaves but there is safety in much counsel.' Take a good look at this saying, brothers. Look at what Scripture is teaching us. It assures us that we should not set ourselves up as guide posts, that we should not consider ourselves sagacious, that we should not believe we can direct ourselves. We need assistance, we need guidance in addition to God's grace. No one is more wretched, no one is more easily caught unawares, than a man who has no one to guide him along the road to God."
St. Dorotheos of Gaza.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Letters, in A Treasury of Russian Spirituality by Fedetov.
+ + +
Abba Poemen said, "As the breath which comes out of his nostrils, so does a man need humility and the fear of God."
A brother questioned Abba Poemen saying, "Give me a word." And he said to him, "The fathers put compunction as the beginning of every action." The brother said again, "Give me another word." The old man replied, "As far as you can, do some manual work so as to be able to give alms, for it is written that alms and faith purify from sin." The brother said, "What is faith?" The old man said, "Faith is to live humbly and to give alms."
Abba Poemen
+ + +
In the book of Proverbs it says, `Those who have no guidance fall like leaves but there is safety in much counsel.' Take a good look at this saying, brothers. Look at what Scripture is teaching us. It assures us that we should not set ourselves up as guide posts, that we should not consider ourselves sagacious, that we should not believe we can direct ourselves. We need assistance, we need guidance in addition to God's grace. No one is more wretched, no one is more easily caught unawares, than a man who has no one to guide him along the road to God."
St. Dorotheos of Gaza.
Comments