Doctrine of Christ

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Administrator

38. Contrition is one thing, self-knowledge is another, humility is another. 

39. Contrition is the result of a fall. He who falls is crushed and stands in prayer without boldness but with praiseworthy persistence, as one who is shattered, steadying himself with the staff of hope and using it to drive off the dog of despair. 

40. Self-knowledge is a true idea of one’s spiritual growth and an unbroken remembrance of one’s slightest sins. 

41. Humility is the spiritual doctrine of Christ which is spiritually received in the closet of the soul by those who are counted worthy of it. It cannot be explained in visible words. 

St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Scent, Step 25 On the destroyer of the passions, most sublime humility, which is rooted in spiritual feeling

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The Son of the Carpenter

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Administrator

4. This is the Son of the carpenter, Who skillfully made His cross a bridge over Shed that swallows up all, and brought over mankind into the dwelling of life. And because it was through the tree that mankind had fallen into Sheol, so upon the tree they passed over into the dwelling of life. Through the tree then wherein bitterness was tasted, through it also sweetness was tasted; that we might learn of Him that amongst the creatures nothing resists Him. Glory be to Thee, Who didst lay Thy cross as a bridge over death, that souls might pass over upon it from the dwelling of the dead to the dwelling of life!

St. Ephrem the Syrian, Three Homilies on our Lord, NPNF second series, Vol. 13, p. 307.

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The kinds of trials

Posted on March 29, 2015 by Administrator

We find, it is true, a fourth way also in which we know on the authority of Scripture that some sufferings are brought upon us simply for the manifestation of the glory of God and His works, according to these words of the gospel: “Neither did this man sin nor his parents, but that the works of God might be manifested in him:” and again: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 

There are also other sorts of vengeance, with which some who have overpassed the bounds of wickedness are smitten in this life, as we read that Dathan and Abiram or Korah were punished, or above all, those of whom the Apostle speaks: “Wherefore God gave them up to vile passions and a reprobate mind:” and this must be counted worse than all other punishments. 

Cassian’s Conferences, Conference of Abbot Theodore, Chapter 11 (OF THE TWO KINDS OF TRIALS, WHICH COME UPON US IN A THREEFOLD WAY) NPNF2.11

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Rise and Walk

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Administrator

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” John 5:8

Saint Bede: “‘Rise’ means shake off the sluggishness of the vices in which you have been ailing for a long time, and rouse yourself to the practise of virtues….‘Rise’ by doing good works.”

Saint Bede: “‘Take up thy bed’ means lovingly carry your neighbor, patiently tolerating his weaknesses, since he patiently put up with you for a long time when you were weighed down by the burden of temptations. ‘Keep on bearing one another’s burdens, and thus fill up the law of the Christ [Gal. 6:2].’…So leave behind your earlier sins, and come to the aid of your brothers’ needs.”

“‘Walk’ means to love God with your whole heart, soul and strength [cf. Mk. 12:30], so that you may be worthy to reach the vision of Him. Go forward by making daily strides of good works from virtue to virtue. Do not desert your brother,…nor turn aside from the right direction of your path….In everything  you do, see to it that you do not fix your mind upon this world, but that you hurry to see the face of your Redeemer.”
Orthodox New Testament, Volume I, p. 494.

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Lasting Purity of Heart

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Administrator

Whatever then can help to guide us to this object; viz., purity of heart, we must follow with all our might, but whatever hinders us from it, we must shun as a dangerous and hurtful thing. For, for this we do and endure all things, for this we make light of our kinsfolk, our country, honors, riches, the delights of this world, and all kinds of pleasures, namely in order that we may retain a lasting purity of heart. And so when this object is set before us, we shall always direct our actions and thoughts straight towards the attainment of it; for if it be not constantly: fixed before our eyes, it will not only make all our toils vain and useless, and force them: to be endured to no purpose and without any reward, but it will also excite all kinds of thoughts opposed to one another. For the mind, which has no fixed point to which it may return, and on which it may chiefly fasten, is sure to rove about from hour to hour and minute to minute in all sorts of wandering: thoughts, and from those things which come to it from outside, to be constantly changed into that state which first offers itself to it.

Cassian’s Conferences, First Conference of Abbot Moses, Chapter 5, NPNF2.11.29

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The Goal

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Administrator

The end of our profession indeed, as I said, is the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven: but the immediate aim or goal, is purity of heart, without which no one can gain that end: fixing our gaze then steadily on this goal, as if on a definite mark, let us direct our course as straight towards it as possible, and if our thoughts wander somewhat from this, let us revert to our gaze upon it, and check them accurately as by a sure standard, which will always bring back all our efforts to this one mark, and will show at once if our mind has wandered ever so little from the direction marked out for it.

Cassian’s Conferences, First Conference of Abbot Moses, Chapter 4, NPNF2.11.296

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Our daily bread

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Administrator

‘Give us this day our daily bread.” These words may be taken either spiritually or literally, because, in the divine plan, both readings are helpful for salvation. The bread of life is Christ; now, this is not everyone’s bread but it is ours…we call this ‘our bread’ because Christ is the bread of those who partake of His body. And we ask that this bread be given us daily, lest we, who live in Christ and receive the Eucharist every day as the food of salvation, be separated from His body by some grave sin that keeps us from communion and so deprives us of our heavenly bread.

St. Cyprian of Carthage. The Lord’s Prayer, 18. B#41, p. 53.

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Roses and Lilies of the Church

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Administrator

O blessed Church of ours, which the honor of the divine condescension illuminates, which in our own times the glorious blood of martyrs renders illustrious! She was white before in the works of the brethren; now she has become purple in the blood of the martyrs. Among her flowers are wanting neither roses nor lilies. Now let each one strive for the largest dignity of either honor. Let them receive crowns, either white, as of labors, or of purple, as of suffering. In the heavenly camp both peace and strife have their own flowers, with which the soldier of Christ may be crowned for glory. I bid you, most brave and beloved brethren, always heartily farewell in the Lord; and have me in remembrance. Fare ye well.

St. Cyprian of Carthage, EPISTLE 8, ANF 8, pp.287-289

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Simeon’s Song

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Administrator

 

 

he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation (Luke 2:28-30)

Saint Ephraim the Syrian: “Symeon, the priest, when he took Him up in his arms to present Him before God, understood as he saw Him that he was not presenting Him, but was being himself presented. For the Son was not presented by the servant to His Father, but the servant was presented by the Son to his Lord. For it is not possible that He, by Whom every offering is presented, should be presented by another. So that He Who receives offerings gave Himself to be offered by another, that those who presented Him, might themselves be presented by Him.” ……. “He who was priest said and testified that he was offered as an offering, that from the midst of the perishing world he should go and be stored up in the treasure house which is kept safe.”

[Homily on Our Lord, in Nicene, § 48, 2nd Ser., XIII:327.]

 

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The image of God

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Administrator

78. We share in the image of God by virtue of the intellectual activity of our soul; for the body is, as it were, the soul’s dwelling-place. Now as a result of Adam’s fall, not only were the lineaments of the form imprinted on the soul befouled, but our body also became subject to corruption. It was because of this that the holy Logos of God took flesh and, being God, He bestowed on us through His own baptism the water of salvation, so that we might be reborn. We are reborn through water by the action of the holy and life-creating Spirit, so that if we commit ourselves totally to God, we are immediately purified in soul and body by the Holy Spirit who now dwells in us and drives out sin.
St. Diadochos of Photiki On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination, Philokalia V1.280

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