Patristic Quote of the Day

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Sun 4 January 2004 1:25 pm

When I read the above passage in the Philokalia last night, it brought another quote to mind, so I'll post that one as well:

"On this account Paul says, 'Quench not the Spirit,' that is, the gift of grace, for it is his custom so to call the gift of the Spirit... The mouth is the door. Shut it, and fasten it, that it may both give light, and repel the attack from without. For instance, has any one insulted and reviled you? Do you shut the mouth; for if you open it, you add force to the wind. Do you not see in houses, when two doors stand directly opposite, and there is a strong wind, if you shut one, and there is no opposite draught, the wind has no power, but the greater part of its force is abated? So also now, there are two doors, thy mouth, and his who insults and affronts thee; if thou shuttest thy mouth, and dost not allow a draught on the other side, thou hast quenched the whole blast but if thou openest it, it will not be restrained. Let us not therefore quench it. " - Saint John Chrysostom, Homily 11 on First Thessalonians

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Mon 5 January 2004 1:43 pm

"Which is first in order, knowledge or faith? I reply that generally, in the case of disciples, faith precedes knowledge. But, in our teaching, if any one asserts knowledge to come before faith, I make no objection; understanding knowledge so far as is within the bounds of human comprehension. In our lessons we must first believe that the letter 'a' is said to us; then we learn the characters and their pronunciation, and last of all we get the distinct idea of the force of the letter. But in our belief about God, first comes the idea that God is. This we gather from His works. For, as we perceive His wisdom, His goodness, and all His invisible things from the creation of the world, so we know Him. So, too, we accept Him as our Lord. For since God is the Creator of the whole world, and we are a part of the world, God is our Creator. This knowledge is followed by faith, and this faith by worship." - Saint Basil the Great, Letter 235

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Mon 12 January 2004 10:39 am

"Have nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correctin his opponents with gentleness." - Saint Paul the Apostle (2 Tim. 2:23-25)

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Wed 14 January 2004 12:32 pm

"If the Kingdom of Heaven is open to us and a reward is shown to us in the future life, then it is not worth investigating why the righteous endure sorrows here while the evil live in comfort. If a reward is waiting there for everyone, according to their just deserts, why should we be disturbed by present events, whether they are fortunate or unfortunate? By these misfortunes God exercises those who are submissive to Him as manful warriors; and the weaker, negligent ones, and those unable to bear anything difficult, He exhorts ahead of time to perform good deeds." - Saint John Chrysostom

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Mon 19 January 2004 1:39 pm

"For the word of doctrine penetrates not the mind of one that is in need, if the hand of compassion commends it not to his heart. But the seed of the word readily germinates, when the loving-kindness of the preacher waters it in the hearer's breast." - Gregory the Great, Book of the Pastoral Rule, 2, 7

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Tue 20 January 2004 3:11 pm

"The moon as it waxes and wanes illustrates the condition of man: sometimes he does what is right, sometimes he sins and then through repentance returns to a holy life. The intellect of one who sins is not destroyed (as some of you think), just as the physical size of the moon does not diminish, but only its light. Through repentance a man regains his true splendour, just as the moon after the period of waning clothes itself once more in its full light. If man believes in Christ, 'even though he dies, he shall live' (John 11:25); he shall know that 'I the Lord have spoken, and will do it' (Ezek. 17:24 LXX)." - Saint John of Karpathos, For the Encouragement of the Monks in India Who Had Written to Him: One Hundred Texts, 4

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Wed 21 January 2004 1:30 pm

"Those outside are prompt to call our faith mysticism, and our Church the Church of mystics. By the unorthodox theologians we have been often rebuked on that account, and by the atheists ridiculed. Our learned theologians neither denied nor confirmed our mysticism, for we never called ourselves mystics. So, we listened in wonderment and silence, expecting the outsiders to define clearly their meaning of our so-called mysticism. They defined it as a kind of oriental quietism, or a passive plunging into mere contemplation of the things divine. The atheists of our time, in Russia, Yugoslavia and everywhere do not call any religion by any other name but mysticism which for them means superstition. We listen to both sides, and we reject both definitions of our orthodox mysticism, which is neither quietism nor superstition." - Saint Nikolai of Serbia, The Orthodox Doctrine of Causality