A humble man is never rash, hasty or perturbed, never has any hot and volatile thoughts, but at all times remains calm. Even if heaven were to fall and cleave to the earth, the humble man would not be dismayed. Not every quiet man is humble, but every humble man is quiet. Continue reading “Who are the ‘humble’ men according to St. Isaac the Syrian?”
Who are the ‘logical’ men according to St. Anthony the Great?
“Men are often called logical wrongly. Continue reading “Who are the ‘logical’ men according to St. Anthony the Great?”
The three kinds of love
What are the three kinds of love according to a Saint? Continue reading “The three kinds of love”
Penance with our whole heart: nothing more, nothing less
They asked Abba Sisoes, ‘If a brother sins, surely he must do penance for a year?’ He replied, ‘That is a hard saying.’ The visitors said, ‘For six months?’ He replied, ‘That is a great deal.’ They said, ‘For forty days? ‘He said, ‘That is a great deal, too. ‘They said to him, ‘What then? If a brother falls, and the agape is about to be offered, should he simply come to the agape, too? ‘The old man said to them, ‘No, he needs to do penance for a few days. But I trust in God that if such a man does penance with his whole heart, God will receive him, even in three days.’
From ‘Gerontikon’
St. John Climacus: The memory of insults is the residue of anger
Remembrance of wrongs is the consummation of anger, the keeper of sins, hatred of righteousness, ruin of virtues, poison of the soul, worm of the mind, shame of prayer, stopping of supplication, estrangement of love, a nail stuck in the soul, pleasureless feeling beloved in the sweetness of bitterness, continuous sin, unsleeping transgression, hourly malice. Continue reading “St. John Climacus: The memory of insults is the residue of anger”
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