"If we want to set our lives right and find peace, it is not the tolerant attitude of others that will do it for us. It will come about, rather, by our learning how to show compassion to them. If we try to avoid this hard struggle of compassion, by preferring a withdrawn and solitary... Continue Reading →
The Pure Heart Shall See God
There is in you, human beings, a desire to contemplate the True Good. But when you hear that the Divine Majesty is exalted above the heavens, that Its glory is inexpressible, Its beauty ineffable, and Its Nature inaccessible, do not despair of ever behold what you desire. It is indeed within your reach: you have... Continue Reading →
The Trinitarian Foundation of Creation and Salvation
For many of us, the doctrine of The Trinity is shrouded in mystery and seemingly not exactly ‘spelled out’ in the Bible. Is this perhaps because we miss what is being said in the text? Have we become so familiar with the words that we do not really grasp them or have we just stepped... Continue Reading →
You are The Dwelling of The Lord
"If you renounce the life you are leading today and if you persevere in your prayer, you will feel that your effort is securing you great restfulness. You will discover in these slight pains and fatigues a joy and a happiness that are immense. God's tender love is ineffable. He offers Himself to those who... Continue Reading →
Uniting man to God
"He that is God by nature became, and is in truth, a man from Heaven; not merely inspired [ie by the Holy Spirit], as some of those who do not rightly understand the depth of the mystery imagine, but being at the same time God and man, in order that, uniting as it were in Himself things widely opposed by nature, and averse to fusion with each other, He might enable man to share and partake of the nature of God." St. Cyril of Alexandria, On John 17.20
The true prisoner
"A prisoner of barbarians is bound in irons; a prisoner of the passions is bound with sadness." Evagrius Pontus, On The 8 Thoughts, Chapter 5, Tract 8. Let us see that slavery of the passions for what it truly is, slavery causing sadness.
We ought to think of God more often than we breath
"For we ought to think of God even more often than we draw our breath; and if the expression is permissible, we ought to do nothing else." St. Gregory the Theologian, Oration 27, The First Theological Oration, Chapter 5.
St. Philoxenos on The Eucharist
Speaking about our access to God through the Eucharist, St. Philoxenos teaches, "It became His own flesh which He took from us and not that of another man who is considered separate from Him. For this reason also, we confess that we take the living body of the living God, and not the simple body... Continue Reading →
He is Transfused in Us
That Deity should be born in our nature ought not reasonably to present any strangeness to the minds of those who do not take too narrow a view of things. For who, when he takes a survey of the universe, is so simple as not to believe that there is Deity in everything, penetrating it,... Continue Reading →
Avarice as The Root of The Passions
"One who wishes to cut off the passions should cut out their root; for while avarice remains, there is no benefit in trimming the branches: whenever they are cut off they will immediately sprout again." Evagrius, On the Eight Thoughts, On Avarice, Chapter 2 Let us recall that for the Greek fathers, the passions are... Continue Reading →
Humanity Ascends in Him
"Our Lord Jesus Christ consecrated for us a new and living way... it is not then that He may present Himself to God the Father, that Christ has ascended upon high; for ever was and is and will be continually in the Father, in the sight of Him Who begat Him, for He it is... Continue Reading →
Death Devours Him and Is Devoured
"He was begotten by a woman, so that He might bring all those begotten to rebirth. He was willingly crucified, so that He might take down [from the cross] those unwillingly crucified. He died willingly, so that He might raise up [from the grave] those who died involuntarily. He accepted a death that He need... Continue Reading →
