WISDOM of the HOLY FATHERS
-Abba Giorgis of Ethiopia-
"Orthodox Christians! Hold fast to the grace which you have. Never let it become a matter of habit. Never measure it by merely human standards or expect it to be logical or comprehensible to those who understand nothing higher than what is human. Let all true Orthodox Christians strengthen themselves for the battle ahead, never forgetting that in Christ the victory is already ours."
-Father Seraphim Rose-
"For a person to become a Christian, he must have a poetic soul. He must become a poet. Christ does not wish insensitive souls in His company. A Christian, albeit only when he loves, is a poet and lives amid poetry. Poetic hearts embrace love and sense it deeply."
-Elder Porphyrios-
"Living a chaste Christian life is sometimes more difficult than suffering a martyr’s death."
-St. Mark the Ascetic-
"You greatly delude yourself and err, if you think that one thing is demanded from the layman and another from the monk. What has turned the world upside down is that we think only the monk must live rigorously, while the rest are allowed to live a life of indolence."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Acquire the Spirit of Peace and thousands of souls around you will be saved."
-St. Seraphim of Sarov-
"If you are a true theologian you truly pray. If you truly pray you are a true theologian."
-St. Evagrius Ponticus-
"Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead."
-St John Chrysostom-"Long-suffering, humility, and reverence to God- these three will lead you to eternal life. Envy, presumption, vanity- these three will pull you down to the depth of eternal fire."
-St. Teklye Haymanot of Ethiopia-
"All you need, dear brother, is to meet with Christ, and speak to Him, to listen to Him and form a relationship with Him, and you will find in Him all that you will ever need. With Christ you will lack nothing. Give Him your heart, and then you will feel all the triviality of the world, and you will be happy with God's love."
-H.H. Pope Shenouda III-
"If the first man formed out of the earth brought in universal death, shall not He who formed him out of the earth bring in eternal life, being Himself the Life?"
-Saint Cyril of Jerusalem-
"In times past, God, without body and form, could in no way be represented. But now, since God has appeared in the flesh and lived among men, I can depict that which is visible of God….[for Christ is "the image of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15.)] I do not venerate the matter but I venerate the Creator of matter, Who became matter for me, Who condescended to live in matter, and Who, through matter accomplished my salvation; I do not cease to respect the matter through which my salvation is accomplished."
-St. John of Damascus-
"We must approach the word of God with a desire to change our hearts. We read the Scripture in order to gain salvation- not, as some Protestants believe, because we are already saved without the possibility of falling away, but rather as those desperately trying to keep the salvation which Christ has given us, fully aware of our spiritual poverty. For us, reading the Holy Scripture is literally a matter of life and death."
-Father Seraphim Rose-
"We are commanded to have only one enemy, the devil. With him never be reconciled! But with a brother, never be at enmity in thy heart."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"When our hearts are reluctant we often have to compel ourselves to pray for our enemies, to pour out prayer for those who are against us. Would that our hearts were filled with love! How frequently we offer a prayer for our enemies, but do it because we are commanded to, not out of love for them. We ask the gift of life for them even while we are afraid that our prayer may be heard. The Judge of our soul considers our hearts rather than our words. Those who do not pray for their enemies out of love are not asking anything for their benefit.
Jesus, our Advocate, has composed a prayer for our case. And our Advocate is also our Judge. He has inserted a condition in the prayer that reads: 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.' Sometimes we say these words without carrying them out. Thus our words bind us more tightly."
-St. Gregory the Great-
"Prayers not for the remission of our own sins, but for revenge on our enemies, is merely to thrust the sword against ourselves."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"The world is going mad in mutual bloodshed. And murder, which is considered a crime when people commit it singly, is transformed into a virtue when they do it en masse. The offenders acquire impunity by increasing their ravaging."
-St. Cyprian of Carthage-
"Prayer for our enemies is the very highest summit of self-control."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"We must mark a Christian not by the style of his dress, but by the disposition of his soul."
-St. Basil the Great-
"If you happen to fall into temptation, do not let the guilt of sin be an obstacle to prayer. If you cease praying till you repent, you will never repent, for prayer is the door to genuine repentance.
-St. Abba Kyrillos VI-
"Why do you sow where the field is eager to destroy the fruit? Where there are medicines of sterility? Where there is murder before birth? You do not even let a harlot remain only a harlot, but you make her a murderess as well. Indeed, it is something worse than murder and I do not know what to call it; for she does not kill what is formed but prevents its formation. What then? Do you condemn the gifts of God, and fight with His laws? What is a curse you seek as though it were a blessing? Do you make the anteroom of slaughter? Do you teach the women who are given to you for a procreation of offspring to perpetuate killing?"
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Nothing is so characteristically Christian as being a peacemaker."
-St. Basil the Great-
"Do the words sting? This is what I desire, that you should suffer the pain caused by the words, in order to be delivered from the disgrace caused by the actions."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Philosophize through your works about man's will and God's retribution. For your words are only as wise and as profitable as your works."
-St. Mark the Monk-
"Disputes merely about words must not be suffered to divide those who think alike."
-St. Athanasius the Great-
"The tongue, which is created by Christ, cannot bear to utter anything against Him. Do not deceive yourselves, God cannot be mocked, He judges us according to our own mouth, He justifies us by our words, and by our words, He convicts us."
-St. Basil the Great-
"What earthly joy remains untouched by grief?"
-St. John Damascene-
"God did not in fact make man for tears but for joy and happiness, just like the angels. But since he fell into sin, man needs tears. Where there is no sin there is no need to weep."
-Abba Longinus-
"If we despise our brother, we despise God who made us, since man was made in the image of God."
-St. Abba Besa the Archimandrite-
"Repentance needs a humble heart. The one who persists in his pride and dignity would not be able to repent."
-H.H. Pope Shenouda III-
"The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder. With us there is no nice enquiry as to its being formed or unformed. In this case it is not only the being about to be born who is vindicated, but the woman in her attack upon herself; because in most cases women who make such attempts die. The destruction of the embryo is an additional crime, a second murder, at all events if we regard it as done with intent. The punishment, however, of these women should not be for life, but for the term of ten years. Women also who administer drugs to cause abortion, as well as those who take poisons to destroy unborn children, are murderesses."
-St. Basil the Great-
"Fasting of the body is food for the soul."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"All the saints accept that the only true path to virtue is pain and hard work."
-Theophan the Recluse-
"He who knows the mystery of the Cross and the Tomb, knows also the secret essences of all things."
-St. Maximus The Confessor-
"Seest thou what fasting does: it heals illnesses, drives out demons, removes wicked thoughts, makes the heart pure. If someone has even been seized by an impure spirit, let him know that this kind, according to the word of the Lord, 'goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.' (Matthew 17:21)."
-St. Athanasius the Great-
"There is both a physical and a spiritual fast. In the physical fast the body abstains from food and drink. In the spiritual fast, the faster abstains from evil intentions, words and deeds. One who truly fasts abstains from anger, rage, malice, and vengeance. One who truly fasts abstains from idle and foul talk, empty rhetoric, slander, condemnation, flattery, lying and all manner of spiteful talk. In a word, a real faster is one who withdraws from all evil. As much as you subtract from the body, so much will you add to the strength of the soul. By fasting it is possible both to be delivered from future evils and to enjoy the good things to come. We fell into disease through sin; let us receive healing through repentance, which is not fruitful without fasting."
-St. Basil the Great-
"Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant you the fruits of repentance."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"You cannot have God for your Father if you do not have the Church for your Mother."
-St. Cyprian of Carthage-
"There is wise love that profits its owner although it causes pain, for it is edifying to his soul and to his eternal fate. There is also foolish love that destroys its owner although it exhibits features of kindness and tenderness."
-H.H. Pope Shenouda III-
"As bodily food fattens the body, so fasting strengthens the soul; imparting it an easy flight, it makes it able to ascend on high, to contemplate lofty things and to put the heavenly higher than the pleasant and pleasurable things of life."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"And I motioned to them with my hand saying: 'Be silent and listen, Israel.' And when they were silent, I continued and said to them: 'Do you accept the four Gospels?' They said: 'Yes. Certainly. He who does not accept the four Gospels is not a Christian.' I said: 'You have spoken well. When the Christ was summoned to the wedding, was he summoned as man or as God?' They said: 'As man.' I said to them: 'Correct.' I said to them: 'When he caused the miracle to happen, did he perform it as man or rather as God?' They said: 'The matter is obvious. He caused the miracle to happen as God.' I said to them: 'So then, understand for yourselves that the divinity was not separated from the humanity for a single moment nor for a twinkling of an eye. Behold then, I have taken you at your very own word."
-St. Dioscorus-
"It is necessary most of all for one who is fasting to curb anger, to accustom himself to meekness and condescension, to have a contrite heart, to repulse impure thoughts and desires, to examine his conscience, to put his mind to the test and to verify what good has been done by us in this or any other week, and which deficiency we have corrected in ourself in the present week. This is true fasting."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Perhaps the most distinguished quality in love is sacrifice. This is the big difference between love and lust: love always seeks to give, and lust always seek to take."
-H.H. Pope Shenouda III-
"Do not say to me that I fasted for so many days, that I did not eat this or that, that I did not drink wine, that I endured want; but show me if thou from an angry man hast become gentle, if thou from a cruel man hast become benevolent. If thou art filled with anger, why oppress thy flesh? If hatred and avarice are within thee, of what benefit is it that thou drinkest water? Do not show forth a useless fast: for fasting alone does not ascend to heaven. The point is not only that we should come to church each day, that we should continually listen to one and the same thing, and that we should fast for the whole Forty Days. No! If we, from continually coming here and listening to the teaching, do not acquire anything and do not derive any good for our soul from the time of the fast ¬ all this does not procure for us any benefit, but rather serves for our greater condemnation, when despite such concern for us by the Church we remain just the same as before."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Nothing in this world can distress or perturb me, for I take refuge in the impregnable fortress of the Church. I am reassured in the bosom of God's mercies. Comfort and blessing continuously flows from Him. The Lord's grace flutters its wings and casts away all sadness, and heals the heart with its indescribable balm. Oh, how sweet it is! No one can withstand the trials of this world without His care or power. Our Fathers compare this Grace with a mother teaching her child to walk. She stands at a distance and when she sees that he is about to fall she hurries to him and wipes every tear from his eyes. Such is the way that God's Grace deals with man. Amid his struggles, God's Grace distances itself just a little in order to train him to walk in the path of virtue. But when he is found to be saddened or discouraged, this Grace hurries to comfort and encourage him."
-St. Abba Kyrillos VI-
"O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all you necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity."
-St. Basil the Great-
"The devil brought death through Eve; God brought life through the Virgin Maryam. Because of a woman we were far from God; Because of a woman we are nearer to God. Satan gave Adam and Eve hope of becoming gods; St. Gabriel gave Maryam Hope of giving birth to God. Seed from a wood brought us quarrel with God; Cross from a wood brought us forgiveness from God."
-Abba Giorgis of Ethiopia-
"The virtues are analogous to separate individual pearls in need of being bound together with string; love is the string that binds all virtues. Without love there is no cohesiveness or consistency amongst the various virtues."
-St. Abba Kyrillos VI-
"The Catholic Church is one body, and we are commanded in the holy Scriptures to maintain ‘the bond of unity and peace'."
-Saint John Chrysostom-
[The above written 600 years before the Roman Catholic Church was separated form the Holy Orthodox Church. At time the world had only 'one' church. We refer to this church today as the Orthodox Church.]
"If one does not acknowledge Mary as Theotokos ('Mother of God'), he is estranged from God."
-St. Gregory of Nazianzus-
"Concerning your body, and the passions which afflict its members: reverence the honor with which God has dignified the body, and do not reduce it to the vile conditions of sinful lust."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"In the sixteenth year of the age of my flesh, the madness of raging lust exercised its dominion over me through sexual desire, and my invisible enemy trod me down and seduced me. In my sexual involvements, I drew my shackles along with me, terrified to have them taken off me. What made me a slave to lust was the bait of satisfying an insatiable momentary urge."
-Blessed Augustine of Hippo-
"Only the lifeless are exempt from the battles of lust. We know, then, that the struggle of flesh and the spirit is extremely useful to us- to gain self-control and mastery over our desires."
-St. Cassian the Monk-
"The princes of evil have blinded me with their passions and by their cunningness they have robbed me of the beauty of my youth. What can I do, now that I have lost my purity? I will cry out to Christ, that He might return my beauty to me- and then will the evil ones be ashamed. My Savior cries out to me, to His disciple: 'Do not despair of the salvation; I will restore you and forgive you your sins. I have found you and I will not leave you; for I have redeemed you with my very own Blood.' Cry out, O sinner, with all your might, and spare not your throat; for your Lord is merciful and loves those who repent. As soon as you return, your Father will come out beforehand to meet you. He will slaughter the fatted calf, clothe you in a fine robe, and rejoice in you."
-St. Ephraim the Syrian-
"Do you wish to honor the Body of the Savior? Do not despise it when it is naked. Do not honor it in Church with silk vestments while outside it is naked and numb with cold. He who said, 'This is my body,' and made it so by his word, is the same that said, 'You saw me hungry and you gave me no food. As you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.' Honor Him then by sharing your property with the poor. For what God needs is not golden chalices but golden souls."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"But I say to you, the Lord says, 'love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you.' Why did He command these things? So that He might free you from hatred, sadness, anger, and grudges; and that He might grant you the greatest possession of all- perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by the one who loves all equally in imitation of God."
-St. Maximus the Confessor-
"Remembrance of wrongs is the consummation of anger, the keeper of sin, hatred of righteousness, ruin of virtues, poison of the soul, worm of the mind, shame of prayer. You will know that you have completely freed yourself of this rot - not when you pray for he person who has offended you, not when you exchange presents with him, not when you invite him to your table - but only when, on hearing that he has fallen into bodily or spiritual misfortune, you suffer and weep for him as for yourself."
-St. John Climacus-
"A liberal arts education can do more harm than good. The first Christians never had one - indeed were sometimes illiterate - and yet they overturned the world. True wisdom and true education consist only in the fear of God."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Both the Emperor’s commands and your personal authorities must be obeyed if they are not contrary to the God of heaven. But if they are contrary to God, not only must they not be obeyed, but they must be resisted."
-St. Euphemia-
"Let us praise with reverent hymns of peace the Divine Peace, which is the Source of all mutual attraction. For this Quality it is that unites all things together and begets and produces the harmonies and agreements of all things. Hence, it is that all things long for it, and that it draws their manifold separate parts into the unity of the whole and unites the battling elements of the world into concordant fellowship.
Let us, then, describe that Peace -inasmuch as it transcends all things - as ‘Unspeakable,’ ‘Unknowable’; and, so far as it is possible for man, let us examine those cases where it is amenable to our intuitions and language through being manifested in created things. The first thing to say is this: God is the Fount of Very Peace and of all Peace, both in general and in particular, and that He joins all things together in a unity without confusion."
-St. Dionysius the Areopagite-
"The demons struggle to have you as their slaves and servants, and they get hold of all who do not struggle to their utmost for their own salvation- as we do, who after being persuaded by the Word, renounced them and now follow the only unbegotten God through his Son. Those who once rejoiced in fornication now delight in self-control; those who made use of magic arts have dedicated themselves to the good and unbegotten God; we who once took most pleasure in the means of increasing our wealth and property now bring what we have into a common fund and share with everyone in need; we who hated and killed one another and would not associate with men of different tribes because of their different customs, now after the manifestation of Christ live together and pray for our enemies and try to persuade those who unjustly hate us, so that they, living according to the fair commands of Christ, may share with us the good hope of receiving the same things. The teachings of Christ were short and concise, for He was no philosopher, but his word was the power of God."
-St. Justin Martyr-
"Where the Savior is named, there every demon is driven out. Again, who has ever so rid men of their natural passions that fornicators become chaste and murderers no longer wield the sword and those who formerly were craven cowards boldly play the man? In a word, what persuaded the barbarians and heathen in every place to drop their madness and give heed to peace, save the faith of Christ and the sign of the Cross? What other things have given men such certain faith in immortality as have the Cross of Christ and the resurrection of His body?"
-St. Athanasius-
"Be persecuted, rather than be a persecutor. Be crucified, rather than be a crucifier. Be treated unjustly, rather than treat anyone unjustly. Be oppressed, rather than zealous to oppress. Lay hold of goodness, rather than justice."
-St. Isaac the Syrian-
"Whoever loves true prayer and yet becomes angry or resentful is his own enemy. He is like a man who wants so see clearly and yet inflicts damage on his own eyes."
-St. Evagrius the Solitary-
"For what advantage is it, that the world enjoys profound peace, if thou art at war with thyself? This then is the peace we should keep. If we have it, nothing from without will be able to harm us."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Ponder paradise, where Cain, who destroyed his brother through jealousy, does not return. Ponder the kingdom of heaven to which the Lord admits only those of one heart and mind. Ponder the fact that only those can be called the sons of God who are peacemakers, who, united by divine birth and law, correspond to the likeness of God the Father and Christ."
-St. Cyprian of Carthage-
"Without love to others, and without - as far as it depends on me - peaceableness towards all, I cannot be called a worthy servant of Jesus Christ."
-St. Basil the Great-
"I am a soldier of Christ. To fight is not permissible for me."
-St. Martin of Tours-
"No one of us fights back when he is apprehended, nor do our people avenge themselves against your unjust violence though numerous and plentiful. Our certainty of the vengeance which is to come makes us patient. The harmless give way to the harmful; the innocent acquiesce in the punishments and tortures with certain confidence that whatever we suffer will not remain un-avenged, and that the greater the injury of the persecution, the more just and serious will be the vengeance for the persecution. Long ago divine Scripture said: 'Vengeance is mine, I shall repay, says the Lord.' And let the Holy Spirit again warn us saying: 'Say not: I will avenge myself on my enemy, but wait on the Lord so that He may aid you.' Thus it is clear and manifest that not through us but for us do all these things happen which come down from the anger of God."
-St. Cyprian of Carthage-
"As it is not to be imagined that the fornicator and the blasphemer can partake of the sacred Table, so it is impossible that he who has an enemy, and bears malice, can enjoy the holy Communion. I forewarn, and testify, and proclaim this with a voice that all may hear! 'Let no one who hath an enemy draw near the sacred Table, or receive the Lord’s Body! Let no one who draws near have an enemy! Do you have an enemy? Draw not near! Do you wish to draw near? Be reconciled, and then draw near, and touch the Holy Thing!'"
-St. John Chrysostom-
"The world is soaked with mutual blood. When individuals commit homicide, it is a crime; it is called a virtue when it is done in the name of the state. Impunity is acquired for crimes not by reason of innocence but by the magnitude of the cruelty."
-St. Cyprian of Carthage-
"Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"Love those whom you hated before; esteem those whom you envied with unjust disparagements. Imitate the good, if you can follow them; if you cannot follow them, surely rejoice with them and congratulate your betters. Your debts will be forgiven you, when you yourself shall forgive. Your sacrifices will be accepted, when you shall come to God as a peacemaker."
-St. Cyprian of Carthage-
"The Saviour has taught men what they could never learn among the idols. It is also no small exposure of the weakness and nothingness of demons and idols, for it was because they knew their own weakness that the demons were always setting men to fight each other, fearing lest, if they ceased from mutual strife, they would turn to attack the demons themselves. For in truth the disciples of Christ, instead of fighting each other, stand arrayed against demons by their habits and virtuous actions, and chase them away and mock at their captain the devil. Even in youth they are chaste, they endure in times of testing and persevere in toils. When they are insulted, they are patient, when robbed they make light of it, and, marvellous to relate, they make light even of death itself, and become martyrs of Christ."
-St. Athanasius the Great-
"The peace which removes the enticements of the passions and calms the perturbations of the spirit is loftier than that which puts down the invasion of barbarians. For it is a greater thing to resist the enemy inside you than the one far off."
-St. Ambrose of Milan-
"God is fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. And so, if we feel in our hearts coldness, which is from the devil — for the devil is cold — then let us call upon the Lord and He will come and warm our hearts with perfect love- not only for Him but for our neighbor as well."
-Saint Seraphim of Sarov-
"All things belong to God. All our brothers and sisters. Among us it is best that all inherit equal portions."
-St. Gregory of Nyssa-
"He who is able to pray correctly, even if he is the poorest of all people, is essentially the richest. And he who does not have proper prayer, is the poorest of all, even if he sits on a royal throne."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"When evening comes, collect your thoughts and ponder over the entire course of the day: observe God's providential care for you; consider the grace He has wrought in you throughout the whole span of the day; consider the rising of the moon, the joy of daylight, all the hours and moments, the divisions of time, the sight of different colors, the beautiful adornment of creation, the course of the sun, the growth of your own stature, how your own person has been protected; consider the blowing of the winds, the ripe and varied fruits, how the elements minister to your comfort, how you have been preserved from accidents, and all the other activities of grace. When you have pondered on all this, the wonder of God's love towards you will well up within you, and gratitude for His acts of grace will bubble up inside you."
-St. John the Solitary-
"Not only should we pray unceasingly in accordance with God’s will and in the name of Jesus Christ, but we are bound to reveal it and teach it to others, to everyone in general - religious and secular, learned and simple, men, women and children - and to inspire them all with zeal for prayer without ceasing."
-St. Gregory of Thessalonika-
"Before partaking of sleep, it is a sacred duty to give thanks to God, having enjoyed His grace and love. As a result, we can go straight to sleep."
-Clement of Alexandria-
"Resist the devil at the first available opportunity. As long as you extend the time entertaining the devil’s temptation, your resistance will fail as happened to Samson with Delilah when she pressed him daily; his soul was vexed unto death and he told her all that was in his heart (Judg. 16:15-17). Do not say, 'I shall bear this thought to know its end!' Believe me, you know its end very well, so do not deceive yourself. The mere opening of the gates of your mind to the devil is dishonesty toward God. Do not indulge in his intrigues and do not delay, but resist him firmly saying 'Away with you, Satan!' (Mt. 4:10) If you firmly refuse all the thoughts of the devil, he will be in awe of you. The devil is intelligent enough to discern serious resistance. He knows who refuses him with a pure heart and who refuses him by his lips alone whilst submitting to him in their heart. The devil is able to know he who has the will to resist him unto death and he who will submit if pressed a little further. So resist zealously, with all your might and with all your heart."
-H.H. Pope Shenouda III-
"The whole life of the spiritual man is a holy festival. His sacrifices are prayers, praises, and readings in the Scriptures before meals. They are Psalms and hymns during meals and before bed – and prayers also again during the night. By these, the spiritual man unites himself to the divine choir."
-Clement of Alexandria-
"I beg you, remember this without fail, that not to share our own wealth with the poor is theft from the poor and deprivation of their means of life. We do not possess our own wealth but theirs."
-St. John Chrysostom-
"No one on earth can give us unshakable, inner peace. Money cannot give us peace; neither can fame, honor, a high ranking position, nor even our closest friends and family. The only Giver of peace and life is the Lord. He gives peace, stillness and joy- to the angels and the saints, to us and to every created being. Therefore, we must repent and turn to the Lord."
-Blessed Elder Thaddeus of Serbia-
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