Patristic quotes on repentance and humility

[Maria]

Yes, and yet one can claim to be repentant, but without humility, faith, hope, and love, one is not repentant.

That's why I said: These virtues cannot be true to God unless repentance is achieved. I'm not referring to fakers of repentance, I'm talking about true repentance. Repentance is the foundation to attain humility, faith, hope and love.

The chief sign of repentance is humility. Our humble saints are also joyfully obedient, loving, and kind.

That's right. Humility, faith, hope and love are achieved when one attains repentance.

If I have offended you in any way, I am truly sorry and ask your forgiveness.

No offense taken. I just feel strongly about the holy fathers' teachings of repentance which is the first step to attaining the virtues mentioned which will guide us through our spiritual warfares.

My impression was that we talk so boldly about the virtues, but don't understand the spiritual struggle of attaining them. It's a brutal spiritual struggle. Can we say that we have the humility to accept every wrong-doing towards us and bite our tongues or not get frustrated or angry at someone? Or that we have such a love that will keep us from criticizing or judging another and loving them as the image of God? Or that we never question why God allows us to go through something because we have complete faith in Him? Or that we have such hope in Christ that we are not worried about anything that we face in life.

It's good to express our feelings. It's all about spiritual experiences in the Orthodox faith. We can learn from each other.

This is all very true.
Do you have some quotes from the Holy Fathers concerning what you have written?

I think this will inspire our readers and inquirers to search into the writings of the Holy Fathers.

Thanks for sharing all this. It is good to have spiritual conversations to help us continue the race toward salvation.

[joasia]

This is a compilation of readings of all holy fathers of the Orthodox Church. Anybody who reads their writings will come across the same message. They all express the same message. A person can't read their writings without confronting this teaching. The virtues cannot be attained without humility. Anyone who expresses these virtues, but does not have humility as the foundation will eventually expose himself/herself as a liar.

Perhaps Jonathan can split the link and we can all submit quotes that we come across.

[Matthew]

They all express the same message. A person can't read their writings without confronting this teaching.

Yes, this is very true. Read from any of the fathers and mothers and you hear the same things, expressed in different ways, but truly the same message.

The virtues cannot be attained without humility. Anyone who expresses these virtues, but does not have humility as the foundation will eventually expose himself/herself as a liar.

Yes, very good point. The mother of all the virtues, is that not indeed, humility? And if one does not have humility but says they are Orthodox and a believer, will they not be judged a liar, and be excluded from the blessed Kingdom?

[Maria]

Christ said: "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." The emphasis should be on Christ, not on us.

Not one of us can say that we have humility. Yet, that should not discourage us from confessing our pride, repenting, and starting all over again.

As someone said, we must continually repent after we fail until the day we die. If we are not struggling and repenting, then we are sinning.

[Matthew]

Yes, struggle is something that is not taught in many christian sects and popular denominations these days, let alone emphasised as it is in the Orthodox Church.

[Barbara]

Good point for contemplating on a Saturday evening before Sunday.

[Matthew]

This is a compilation of readings of all holy fathers of the Orthodox Church. Anybody who reads their writings will come across the same message. They all express the same message. A person can't read their writings without confronting this teaching. The virtues cannot be attained without humility. Anyone who expresses these virtues, but does not have humility as the foundation will eventually expose himself/herself as a liar.

Perhaps Jonathan can split the link and we can all submit quotes that we come across.

I think quotes on humility and how it is the mother of virtues would be an excellent thread.