Sayings from St. Maximos the Confessor:

It is impossible for a man to love his tormentor, even though he think that he has renounced worldly things, unless he truly know the purpose of the Lord; but if by the Lord's gift he is enabled to know it and lives by it zealously, then he can love from his heart him that hates and troubles him, as did the Apostles, too, after they had known it.

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"Almsgiving heals the soul's incensive power; fasting withers sensual desire; prayer purifies the intellect and prepares it for contemplation of created beings. For the Lord has given us commandments which correspond to the powers of the soul." (First Century on Love no. 79)

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"Let us love one another and be loved by God; let us be patient with one another and He will be patient with our sins. Let us not render evil for evil, and we shall not receive our due for our sins. For we find the forgiveness of our trespasses in the forgiving of our brothers; and the mercy of God is hidden in mercifulness to our neighbor. Therefore the Lord said: 'Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.' And: ' If you will forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offenses.' And again: 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.' And: 'With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.' See, the Lord bestowed on us the method of salvation and has given us eternal power to become sons of God. So finally then our salvation is in our will's grasp."

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"Divine grace confers on us two gifts through the baptism of regeneration, one being infinitely superior to the other. The first gift is given to us at once, when grace renews us in the actual waters of baptism and cleanses all the lineaments of our soul, that is, the image of God in us, by washing away every stain of sin. "

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"Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend. This is because he regards his friend’s misfortunes as his own and supports him in hardships until his death."

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" You are to love every man from your own soul, but in God alone are you to place your hope and serve Him with your whole strength."

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" The friends of Christ love everyone sincerely but are not loved by everyone. The friends of Christ maintain the continuity of love until the end. The friends of the world, on the contrary, maintain theirs until they clash with each other over the world’s goods."" A faithful friend is a strong defense, for when his friend is prospering he is a good counselor and sympathetic collaborator, and when he is in distress, he is his sincere supporter and most sympathetic defender. Many people have said much about love, but only in seeking it among Christ’s disciples will you find it, for only they have true love, the teacher of love, of whom it is written, ‘If I have prophecy and know all mysteries and have all knowledge but do not have love, it profits me nothing.’ Therefore the one who possesses love possesses God himself, since God is love."