The divine nature contains the bread of life, which said, I am the bread of life, and living water, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and the oil of gladness, and the whole variety of the food of the heavenly Spirit, and the heavenly raiment of light which comes from God. In these things the eternal life of the soul consists.
FIFTY SPIRITUAL HOMILIES OF ST. MACARIUS THE EGYPTIAN, HOMILY I, Text #11
7. But let no one tolerate any who say that one is the Creator of the light, and another of darkness: for let him remember how Isaiah says, I am the God who made the light, and created darkness. Why, O man, art thou vexed thereat? Why art thou offended at the time that is given thee for rest? A servant would have had no rest from his masters, had not the darkness necessarily brought a respite. And often after wearying ourselves in the day, how are we refreshed in the night, and he who was yesterday worn with toils, rises vigorous in the morning because of the night’s rest? And what more helpful to wisdom than the night? For herein oftentimes we set before our minds the things of God; and herein we read and contemplate the Divine Oracles. And when is our mind most attuned to Psalmody and Prayer? Is it not at night? And when have we often called our own sins to remembrance? Is not at night? Let us not then admit the evil thought, that another is the maker of darkness: for experience shews that this also is good and useful.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, NPNF 2 .7, lecture 9, ON THE WORDS, MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND OF ALL THINGS VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE
67. In Scripture the Logos of God is called and actually is dew (cf. Deut. 32:2), water, spring (cf. John 4:14) and river (cf. John 7:38), according to the subjective capacity of the recipient.
To some He is dew because He quenches the burning energy of the passions which assails the body from without.
To those seared in the depths of their being by the poison of evil He is water, not only because water through antipathy destroys its opposite but also because it bestows a vivifying power conducive to well-being.
To those in whom the fountain of contemplative experience is continually active He is a spring bestowing wisdom.
To those from whom flows the true teaching about salvation, He is a river copiously watering men, domestic animals, wild beasts and plants.
That is to say, those who have remained human are uplifted by the conceptual images they have been given and are so deified; those made like domestic animals by the passions are restored to the human state by being shown the exact character of the virtuous way of life and so they recover their natural intelligence; those made like wild beasts by evil habits and actions are tamed by kind and tender counsel and return to their natural gentleness; those hardened like plants against divine blessings are made pliable by the Logos passing deeply through them, and they regain the sensitivity that enables them to bear fruit and to sustain the Logos within them.
~~St Maximos the Confessor, Two Hundred Texts on Theology and the Incarnate Dispensation of the Son of God Written for Thalassios Second Century, Philokalia V2.154.
For the Lord embodies Himself even in meat and drink, as it is written in the gospel, He that eateth this bread shall live for ever (John 6:58), to give the soul rest unutterable, and fill it with spiritual cheer ; for He says, I am the bread of life.
He embodies Himself in the drink of a spring of heaven, as He says, Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, it shall be in him a well of water springing up into eternal life (John 4:14), and We have all, it says, been made to drink the same drink. (I Cor 12:13, with 10:4)
FIFTY SPIRITUAL HOMILIES OF ST. MACARIUS THE EGYPTIAN, HOMILY IV, Text #12
Even if you are not what you should be, you should not despair. It is bad enough that you have sinned; why in addition do you wrong God by regarding Him in your ignorance as powerless? Is He, who for your sake created the great universe that you behold, incapable of saving your soul?
And if you say that this fact, as well as His incarnation, only makes your condemnation worse, then repent; and He will receive your repentance, as He accepted that of the prodigal son (cf. Luke l6:20) and the prostitute (cf. Luke 7: 37-50).
But if repentance is too much for you, and you sin out of habit even when you do not want to, show humility like the publican (cf. Luke 18:13): this is enough to ensure your salvation. For he who sins without repenting, yet does not despair, must of necessity regard himself as the lowest of creatures, and will not dare to judge or censure anyone. Rather, he will marvel at God’s compassion, and will be full of gratitude towards his Benefactor, and so may receive many other blessings as well.
~~St Peter of Damaskos, Book1, A Treasury of Divine Knowledge, That We Should Not Despair Even If We Sin Many Times, Philokalia V3.160
73. ‘Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him’ (Matt. 4:11). It does not say that the angels were with our Lord during the actual time when He was being tempted. In the same way, when we are being tempted, God’s angels for a time withdraw a little. Then, after the departure of those tempting us, they come and minister to us with divine intellections, giving us support, illumination, compunction, encouragement, patient endurance, joyfulness, and everything that saves and strengthens and renews our exhausted soul. As Nathanael was told, ‘You will see the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man’ (John 1:51); in other words, the ministry and assistance of the angels will be given generously to mankind.
(St John of Karpathos, For the Encouragement of the Monks in India who had Written to Him, One Hundred Texts, Philokalia V1. 315)
So we no longer pursue plainness and simplicity of life. We no longer value stillness, which helps to free us from past defilement, but prefer a whole host of things which distract us uselessly from our true goal. Rivalry over material possessions has made us forget the counsel of the Lord, who urged us to take no thought for earthly things, but to seek only the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt. 6:33). Deliberately doing the opposite, we have disregarded the Lord’s commandment, trusting in ourselves and not in His protection.
St Neilos The Ascetic, Ascetic Discourse, Philokalia v1.203
“The light of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is pure, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness’ (Matt. 6:22-3).
‘ “What was it, then, that made them stray from the straight path? In my opinion it was simply that they did not possess the grace of discrimination; for it is this virtue that teaches a man to walk along the royal road, swerving neither to the right through immoderate self-control, nor to the left through indifference and laxity.
Discrimination is a kind of eye and lantern of the soul, as is said in the gospel passage: “The light of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is pure, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness’ (Matt. 6:22-3). And this is just what we find; for the power of discrimination, scrutinizing all the thoughts and actions of a man, distinguishes and sets aside everything that is base and not pleasing to God, and keeps him free from delusion.
~~ St John Cassian, On the Holy Fathers of Sketis, And on Discrimination,
Written for Abba Leontios, Philokalia V1.99
St. Cyril of Jerusalem:
7. For devotion it suffices us simply to know that we have a God; a God who is One, a living, an ever-living God; always like unto Himself; who has no Father, none mightier than Himself, no successor to thrust Him out from His kingdom: Who in name is manifold, in power infinite, in substance uniform. For though He is called Good. and Just, and Almighty and Sabaoth, He is not on that account diverse and various; but being one and the same, He sends forth countless operations of His Godhead, not exceeding here and deficient there, but being in all things like unto Himself. Not great in loving-kindness only, and little in wisdom, but with wisdom and loving-kindness in equal power: not seeing in part, and in part devoid of sight; but being all eye, and all ear, and all mind: not like us perceiving in part and in part not knowing; for such a statement were blasphemous, and unworthy of the Divine substance. He foreknoweth the things that be; He is Holy, and Almighty, and excelleth all in goodness, and majesty, and wisdom: of Whom we can declare neither beginning, nor form, nor shape. For ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape, saith Holy Scripture. Wherefore Moses saith also to the Israelites: And take ye good heed to your own souls, for ye saw no similitude. For if it is wholly impossible to imagine His likeness, how shall thought come near His substance?
NPNF, VOL 7, LECTURE 6, CONCERNING THE UNITY OF GOD ON THE ARTICLE, I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD. ALSO CONCERNING HERESIES.
197. (Also in VI.i.14) The holy fathers, especially one called Squirion (or Cyrion) , were gathered together and were prophesying about the final generation [of people on earth].
“We indeed have kept the commandments of God up till now,” said Squirion.
“What about those who come after us?” some of the fathers asked.
“They will seek God and keep the commandments of God but only half as fervently,”
“And those who come after them, what will they do?”
“The people of that generation will not keep the commandments of God and will forget the precepts of God. Iniquity will then flourish, and the charity of many will grow cold (Matthew 24.12). A time of testing will come upon them and those who endure that testing will be better, and more blessed, and more commendable than us and all our fathers.”
De Vitis Patrum III, 197
