Quotes

A collection of scriptural meditations from Saints and Fathers of the Church.

Slander

It is better to eat meat and drink wine and not to eat the flesh of one's brethren through slander.

Abba Hyperechius

Grace

Favors are given in exchange of faith. Grace is poured out, which faith receives. And as from a fountain some draw a little water in little vessels, and others draw more in bigger vessels, the fountain not distinguishing between the one vessel and the other, since it is the vessels, not the fountain, that measures the water, and each draws according to his measure; and as the splendor of light enters to a greater or less degree according to the dimensions of the window, so is grace received according to the measure of our desire.

St. John Chrysostom

Talking

But let us speak that which is good, to the edification of faith. That is, to speak only what will help to build up our neighbor in virtue; nothing more than that.

St. John Chrysostom

Hymns

Praise God continually with spiritual hymns and always remain in meditation and in this way you will be able to bear the burden of the temptations that come upon you. A traveler who is carrying a heavy load pauses from time to time and draws in deep breaths; it makes the journey easier and the burden lighter.

Abba Hyperechius

Purity

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Everything we do, our every objective, must be undertaken for the sake of this purity of heart. This is why we take on loneliness, fasting, vigils, work, nakedness. For this we must practice the reading of the Scripture, together with all the other virtuous activities, and we do so to trap and to hold our hearts free of the harm of every dangerous passion and in order to rise step by step to the high point of love.

St. John Cassian

Marriage

Marriage is the representation of an important reality. It is a representation of Jesus Christ and the Church. It is a mystery, and the mystery consists of this, the fact that the spouses are united and the two become one. In great silence, while all around them there is complete tranquility, the two are united and together form the image of God. One meets the other to make one body.

St. John Chrysostom

Love

God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves.

St. John Chrysostom

Children

Having children is a matter of nature; but raising them and educating them in the virtues is a matter of mind and will.

St. John Chrysostom

Hungry

Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead.

St. John Chrysostom

Self-Criticism

There is yet another reason that may cause our prayer to go unanswered: namely, that though we pray we yet continue in sin.

St. John Chrysostom

Possessions

Do not the angels differ from us in this respect, that they do not want so many things as we do? Therefore the less we need, the more we are on our way to them; the more we need, the more we sink down to this perishable life.

St. John Chrysostom

Scriptures

The Scriptures were not given merely that we might have them in books, but that we might engrave them on our hearts.

St. John Chrysostom

Fasting

When He had fasted for forty days and for forty nights, and afterwards was hungry, He gave an opportunity to the devil to draw near, so that He might teach us through this encounter how we are to overcome and defeat him.

St. John Chrysostom

Neighbors

God wanted to unite people among themselves. So he made things in such a way that the good of one is inseparably bound to being useful to others.

St. John Chrysostom

World

Nothing doth so hurt and dim the eye of the soul as the crowd of worldly anxieties and the swarm of desires.

St. John Chrysostom

Prayer

Let us then not lose heart, nor be slothful or timid in prayer. Even if we have been brought down to the depths of evil, prayer can speedily draw us back.

St. John Chrysostom

Neighbors

Each one, in undertaking any task, should have this purpose in mind: to serve the need of others, not his own ends. In this way he will escape the charge of self-love, and will receive a blessing for his fraternal love from the Lord Who said: As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me (Mt. 25:40).

St. John Chrysostom

Self-Examination

Let each one consider within himself what faults he must remedy in himself, what good work he may yet do, what sin he may wipe out from his soul, so that by this he may become better. And if he finds that he has made progress in this excellent market, through fasting, and is aware that there is need for much care for his wounds, then let him draw near. If however he remains neglectful of himself, and has only his fasting to show, and makes no progress in other directions, then let him remain outside, and let him return only when all his sins are cleansed.

St. John Chrysostom

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It is better to eat meat and drink wine and not to eat the flesh of one's brethren through slander.

But let us speak that which is good, to the edification of faith. That is, to speak only what will help to build up our neighbor in virtue; nothing more than that.

God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves.

Having children is a matter of nature; but raising them and educating them in the virtues is a matter of mind and will.

Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead.

There is yet another reason that may cause our prayer to go unanswered: namely, that though we pray we yet continue in sin.

Do not the angels differ from us in this respect, that they do not want so many things as we do? Therefore the less we need, the more we are on our way to them; the more we need, the more we sink down to this perishable life.

The Scriptures were not given merely that we might have them in books, but that we might engrave them on our hearts.

When He had fasted for forty days and for forty nights, and afterwards was hungry, He gave an opportunity to the devil to draw near, so that He might teach us through this encounter how we are to overcome and defeat him.

God wanted to unite people among themselves. So he made things in such a way that the good of one is inseparably bound to being useful to others.

Nothing doth so hurt and dim the eye of the soul as the crowd of worldly anxieties and the swarm of desires.

Let us then not lose heart, nor be slothful or timid in prayer. Even if we have been brought down to the depths of evil, prayer can speedily draw us back.

"Such are the souls of the saints: they love their enemies more than themselves, and in this age and in the age to come they put their neighbor first in all things, even though because of his ill-will he may be their enemy. "

St. Peter of Damascus

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