St. Arsenius the Great A brother questioned Abba Arsenius to hear a word of him and the old man said to him, 'Strive with all your might to bring your interior activity into accord with God, and you will overcome exterior passions.'
Found a couple nice quotes thought i would post them,
"If God is slow to grant your request and you do not receive what you ask for promptly, do not be grieved, for you are not wiser than God." St. Isaac the Syrian
"He who seeks anything but God alone and the salvation of his soul will find only trouble and grief, and he who does not try to become the least, the servant of all, cannot remain at peace for long." Immitation of Christ
St.Augustine said (something along those lines, i don't know it word for word, and i am traqnslating it from Arabic): How can we ask for the created (earthly things) but not for the Creator? Isn't the Creator Greater than the created?
“I want to speak about humility, but I am afraid, as one who wants to speak about God. This is because humility is the garment that the Divinity wore when He appeared among us. For this reason, when the devils see a humble person they are afraid, because they see in him the image of their Creator who has subdued them.”
[quote author=Iqbal link=topic=1722.msg26775#msg26775 date=1117523882] To be a true Christian
St Mark the monk
“Unless a man gives himself entirely to the Cross, in a spirit of humility and self-abasement; unless he casts himself down to be trampled underfoot by all and despised, accepting injustice, contempt and mockery; unless he undergoes all these things with joy for the sake of the Lord, not claiming any kind of human reward whatsoever – glory or honor or earthly pleasures – he cannot become a true Christian”
[quote author=Ioannes link=topic=1722.msg101530#msg101530 date=1238861982] can anyone tell me who says this one?
"How can one have God as a father without having the church as his mother?"
St. Cyprian, but it's commonly said by almost all our church fathers.
Not to Judge Abba Poemen
A brother asked abba Poemen, 'If I see my brother sin, is it right to say nothing about it?' The old man replied, 'Whenever we cover our brother's sin, God will cover ours; whenever we tell people our brother's guilt, God will do the same with ours.'
Silence Abba Nilus
"The arrows of the enemy cannot touch one who loves quietness; but he who moves about in a crowd will often be wounded."
Prayer Abba Agathon
"When a monk stands in prayer, if he prays alone, he does not pray at all."
Scripture Abba Anthony
"Whereever you may be, have God always before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the Holy Scripture; in whatever place you live, do not readily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved."
"So great are the depravity of the times that if a stranger were to compare the gospel precepts with the actual practices of society he would infer that men are the enemies rather than the disciples of Christ"
"To sin is human but to remain in sin is devilish; To fall is not ruinous to the soul but to stay on the ground is"
Solitary life/ monastic life
Abba Philipos (Ethiopian abba that set up Debre Bizen monastery in Eritrea in 6th century)
"I would rather live on the mountain and stare into the face of a lion than live on the plain and stare into the face of a woman"
I hope soon to visit St Bede's tomb in Durham Cathedral (England). He is sometimes considered to be one one the Fathers. He is commenting on Psalm 4 v.6
....because a human being lost this radiance of the divine countenance by sinning, it pleased God to assume the condition of a human countenance by being born in the flesh, in order that he might teach us that we ought to be reborn in the Spirit. It pleased him to appear without sin in the likeness of sinful flesh so that he might cleanse us thoroughly from every sin and form again in us the distinctness of his image.
During his life he was one of the most educated men in the whole of Western Europe and surely counts as a late Father.
It is sad but wonderful that his tomb remains and has not been desecrated and his relics burnt or destroyed as happened to so very many. When I last visited Durham and sat at the side of St Cuthberts tomb I was rather disappointed that the presence of such a saint seemed to be treated very casually. Tourists came and went and walked over his tomb without a thought.
We have so few remains of so few saints that I would wish that they were treated with great honour.
A grace filled Elder of the Desert once wrote: ..."Joy comes from one's relationship and union with God. Mankind has been created to be joyful, not sad. When you enjoy the wrong things, you wil inevitably pay back for all this pleasure you have had. But God's joy demands no repayment. For instance I, who own nothing in this world, cannot pay for the happiness I have. I am not the only one proclaiming this truth. My brother monks, who also have nothing else besides God, are filled with joy. I have emptied myself for Christ's sake. I have nothing but my Lord - and joy. Poverty is beautiful for it sets you free. One should empty himself to make room for Christ to enter his heart. When the Lord is with me, there is my happiness also. In each ascetic cave you will find spiritual joy."
"Rejoice o Egypt because you have torn open your pagan heart to shelter Christ and receive Him in you, for He will lift you to His House." Saint Yuhanna (John) Saba the hermit, the spiritual elder.
We're lately in need to read and spread this comforting quote. NB: translated from the official COC Patriarchate site (original in Arabic).
Comments
St. Arsenius the Great
A brother questioned Abba Arsenius to hear a word of him and the old man said to him, 'Strive with all your might to bring your interior activity into accord with God, and you will overcome exterior passions.'
http://www.mystjohn.org/books/Sayings_of_Desert_Fathers.pdf
St. Anthony The Great
"If God is slow to grant your request and you do not receive what you ask for promptly, do not be grieved, for you are not wiser than God." St. Isaac the Syrian
"He who seeks anything but God alone and the salvation of his soul will find only trouble and grief, and he who does not try to become the least, the servant of all, cannot remain at peace for long." Immitation of Christ
How can we ask for the created (earthly things) but not for the Creator? Isn't the Creator Greater than the created?
check it out
Humility
St Isaac of Syria
“I want to speak about humility, but I am afraid, as one who wants to speak about God. This is because humility is the garment that the Divinity wore when He appeared among us. For this reason, when the devils see a humble person they are afraid, because they see in him the image of their Creator who has subdued them.”
To be a true Christian
St Mark the monk
“Unless a man gives himself entirely to the Cross, in a spirit of humility and self-abasement; unless he casts himself down to be trampled underfoot by all and despised, accepting injustice, contempt and mockery; unless he undergoes all these things with joy for the sake of the Lord, not claiming any kind of human reward whatsoever – glory or honor or earthly pleasures – he cannot become a true Christian”
Mother Teresa
"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."
+ Abba Poemen +
"How can one have God as a father without having the church as his mother?"
my favourite
however, i think it st.john the dwarf
im not sure though.
can anyone tell me who says this one?
"How can one have God as a father without having the church as his mother?"
St. Cyprian, but it's commonly said by almost all our church fathers.
Not to Judge
Abba Poemen
A brother asked abba Poemen, 'If I see my brother sin, is it right to say nothing about it?' The old man replied, 'Whenever we cover our brother's sin, God will cover ours; whenever we tell people our brother's guilt, God will do the same with ours.'
Silence
Abba Nilus
"The arrows of the enemy cannot touch one who loves quietness; but he who moves about in a crowd will often be wounded."
Prayer
Abba Agathon
"When a monk stands in prayer, if he prays alone, he does not pray at all."
Scripture
Abba Anthony
"Whereever you may be, have God always before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the Holy Scripture; in whatever place you live, do not readily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved."
ok im done ;D
St John Chrysostom
"So great are the depravity of the times that if a stranger were to compare the gospel precepts with the actual practices of society he would infer that men are the enemies rather than the disciples of Christ"
"To sin is human but to remain in sin is devilish; To fall is not ruinous to the soul but to stay on the ground is"
Solitary life/ monastic life
Abba Philipos (Ethiopian abba that set up Debre Bizen monastery in Eritrea in 6th century)
"I would rather live on the mountain and stare into the face of a lion than live on the plain and stare into the face of a woman"
He is sometimes considered to be one one the Fathers. He is commenting on Psalm 4 v.6
....because a human being lost this radiance of the divine countenance by sinning, it pleased God to assume the condition of a human countenance by being born in the flesh, in order that he might teach us that we ought to be reborn in the Spirit. It pleased him to appear without sin in the likeness of sinful flesh so that he might cleanse us thoroughly from every sin and form again in us the distinctness of his image.
It is sad but wonderful that his tomb remains and has not been desecrated and his relics burnt or destroyed as happened to so very many. When I last visited Durham and sat at the side of St Cuthberts tomb I was rather disappointed that the presence of such a saint seemed to be treated very casually. Tourists came and went and walked over his tomb without a thought.
We have so few remains of so few saints that I would wish that they were treated with great honour.
Father Peter
St. Abba Serapion - Desert Father
A grace filled Elder of the Desert once wrote: ..."Joy comes from one's relationship and union with God. Mankind has been created to be joyful, not sad. When you enjoy the wrong things, you wil inevitably pay back for all this pleasure you have had. But God's joy demands no repayment. For instance I, who own nothing in this world, cannot pay for the happiness I have. I am not the only one proclaiming this truth. My brother monks, who also have nothing else besides God, are filled with joy. I have emptied myself for Christ's sake. I have nothing but my Lord - and joy. Poverty is beautiful for it sets you free. One should empty himself to make room for Christ to enter his heart. When the Lord is with me, there is my happiness also. In each ascetic cave you will find spiritual joy."
We're lately in need to read and spread this comforting quote.
NB: translated from the official COC Patriarchate site (original in Arabic).
GBU
For we are not the initiators of our thoughts, but we are to fight them.
Another one i really like is by H.H. Pope Shenouda "Happiness depends on one's relationship with God"
Its not by an orthodox father, but it just gives us hope.