31 August 2021
Pleasing God
Let us thus think often that our only business in this life is to please
God, that perhaps all besides is but folly and vanity.
Brother Lawrence (1614-1691)
30 August 2021
By Way of Teaching
As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience.
Saint Basil the Great (329-379)
By Way of Teaching
As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience.
Saint Basil the Great (329-379)
28 August 2021
On Devotion
All true and living devotion presupposes the love of God and indeed it is neither more nor less than a very real love of God, though not always of the same kind; for that Love one while shining on the soul we call grace, which makes us acceptable to His Divine Majesty; when it strengthens us to do well, it is called Charity; but when it attains its fullest perfection, in which it not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly, then it is called Devotion.
Saint Francis de Sales
On Devotion
All true and living devotion presupposes the love of God and indeed it is neither more nor less than a very real love of God, though not always of the same kind; for that Love one while shining on the soul we call grace, which makes us acceptable to His Divine Majesty; when it strengthens us to do well, it is called Charity; but when it attains its fullest perfection, in which it not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly, then it is called Devotion.
Saint Francis de Sales
27 August 2021
On Our Own Sinfulness
Now how can those who do not know their own sinfulness recognize and correct it in others? They are neither able nor willing to go against themselves. And the little sheep who have no shepherd who cares about them or knows how to guide them easily go astray and are often snatched and devoured by wolves. Because the shepherds are evil they are not careful to have a dog that will bark when it sees the wolf coming. No, their dog is no better than themselves. So these careless ministers and shepherds have neither the dog of conscience nor the rod of justice nor a staff for correcting. Their conscience does not bark to reproach them for their own sins, so they do not reprove the sheep either when they see them going astray and not keeping to the way of truth, not observing My Commandments. But if this dog would bark and make them aware of their sins they would take up the rod of holy justice, rescue their sheep from the infernal wolf that wants to devour them, and they would return to the sheepfold.
Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
On Our Own Sinfulness
Now how can those who do not know their own sinfulness recognize and correct it in others? They are neither able nor willing to go against themselves. And the little sheep who have no shepherd who cares about them or knows how to guide them easily go astray and are often snatched and devoured by wolves. Because the shepherds are evil they are not careful to have a dog that will bark when it sees the wolf coming. No, their dog is no better than themselves. So these careless ministers and shepherds have neither the dog of conscience nor the rod of justice nor a staff for correcting. Their conscience does not bark to reproach them for their own sins, so they do not reprove the sheep either when they see them going astray and not keeping to the way of truth, not observing My Commandments. But if this dog would bark and make them aware of their sins they would take up the rod of holy justice, rescue their sheep from the infernal wolf that wants to devour them, and they would return to the sheepfold.
Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
23 August 2021
Love Only Life Eternal
Because we cannot endure perpetually the hardships of life, we seek rest in some earthly thing. It may be our house, our family, our children, a little farm, an orchard, or a book we have published. God allows us to suffer tribulations even in these innocent delights in order that we may love only life eternal. Otherwise, as travelers going to their country, we might choose the inn – this world – instead of our true home: eternal life.
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313-386)
Love Only Life Eternal
Because we cannot endure perpetually the hardships of life, we seek rest in some earthly thing. It may be our house, our family, our children, a little farm, an orchard, or a book we have published. God allows us to suffer tribulations even in these innocent delights in order that we may love only life eternal. Otherwise, as travelers going to their country, we might choose the inn – this world – instead of our true home: eternal life.
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313-386)
22 August 2021
On Baptism
Great is the Baptism that lies before you: a ransom to captives; a remission of offences; a death of sin; a new-birth of the soul; a garment of light; a holy indissoluble seal; a chariot to heaven; the delight of Paradise; a welcome into the kingdom; the gift of adoption!
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313-386)
On Baptism
Great is the Baptism that lies before you: a ransom to captives; a remission of offences; a death of sin; a new-birth of the soul; a garment of light; a holy indissoluble seal; a chariot to heaven; the delight of Paradise; a welcome into the kingdom; the gift of adoption!
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313-386)
21 August 2021
On Grace and Faith
By grace ye are saved, not of works,' but by the will of God through Jesus Christ... If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that He will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him, 'we shall also reign together with Him,' provided only we believe...
St. Polycarp of Smyrna
On Grace and Faith
By grace ye are saved, not of works,' but by the will of God through Jesus Christ... If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that He will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him, 'we shall also reign together with Him,' provided only we believe...
St. Polycarp of Smyrna
18 August 2021
God the Son
For I have shown from the Scriptures, that no one of the sons of Adam is as to everything, and absolutely, called God, or named Lord. But that He is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God, and Lord, and King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word, proclaimed by all the prophets, the apostles, and by the Spirit Himself, may be seen by all who have attained to even a small portion of the truth. Now, the Scriptures would not have testified these things of Him, if, like others, He had been a mere man.... He is the holy Lord, the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Beautiful in appearance, and the Mighty God, coming on the clouds as the Judge of all men;—all these things did the Scriptures prophesy of Him.
Irenaeus of Lyons (AD 130-202)
God the Son
For I have shown from the Scriptures, that no one of the sons of Adam is as to everything, and absolutely, called God, or named Lord. But that He is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God, and Lord, and King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word, proclaimed by all the prophets, the apostles, and by the Spirit Himself, may be seen by all who have attained to even a small portion of the truth. Now, the Scriptures would not have testified these things of Him, if, like others, He had been a mere man.... He is the holy Lord, the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Beautiful in appearance, and the Mighty God, coming on the clouds as the Judge of all men;—all these things did the Scriptures prophesy of Him.
Irenaeus of Lyons (AD 130-202)
15 August 2021
Look at a Crucifix
If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a crucifix, and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him, and not only forgave His enemies, but even prayed His Heavenly Father to forgive them also. Let him remember that when he says the ‘Our Father’, every day, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down vengeance on himself.
Saint Philip Neri (1515-1595)
Look at a Crucifix
If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a crucifix, and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him, and not only forgave His enemies, but even prayed His Heavenly Father to forgive them also. Let him remember that when he says the ‘Our Father’, every day, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down vengeance on himself.
Saint Philip Neri (1515-1595)
9 August 2021
Loving Your Neighbor
Your brother does not cease to be your brother because he slips or offends you; that is when he has most need of your love. Loving your neighbor as yourself means that you should not obey the sinful nature, which, when it is offended, hates and bites and devours. Rather, you should wrestle against it by the Spirit and continue loving your neighbor, although you find nothing worthy of love in him. Our righteousness is much more abundant than our sin, because the holiness and righteousness of Christ our Mediator far exceeds the sin of the whole world, and the forgiveness of sins that we have through him is so great that it easily swallows up all our sins, so long as we live by the Spirit.
Loving Your Neighbor
Your brother does not cease to be your brother because he slips or offends you; that is when he has most need of your love. Loving your neighbor as yourself means that you should not obey the sinful nature, which, when it is offended, hates and bites and devours. Rather, you should wrestle against it by the Spirit and continue loving your neighbor, although you find nothing worthy of love in him. Our righteousness is much more abundant than our sin, because the holiness and righteousness of Christ our Mediator far exceeds the sin of the whole world, and the forgiveness of sins that we have through him is so great that it easily swallows up all our sins, so long as we live by the Spirit.
Martin Luther
7 August 2021
Long for God
Our spirit should be quick to reach out toward God, not only when it is engaged in meditation; at other times also, when it is carrying out its duties, caring for the needy, performing works of charity, giving generously in the service of others, our spirit should long for God and call him to mind, so that these works may be seasoned with the salt of God’s love, and so make a palatable offering to the Lord of the universe. Throughout the whole of our lives we may enjoy the benefit that comes from prayer if we devote a great deal of time to it.
Saint John Chrysostom
Long for God
Our spirit should be quick to reach out toward God, not only when it is engaged in meditation; at other times also, when it is carrying out its duties, caring for the needy, performing works of charity, giving generously in the service of others, our spirit should long for God and call him to mind, so that these works may be seasoned with the salt of God’s love, and so make a palatable offering to the Lord of the universe. Throughout the whole of our lives we may enjoy the benefit that comes from prayer if we devote a great deal of time to it.
Saint John Chrysostom
6 August 2021
Seeking Christ
Our Savior repeats his words: ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’ He quenched the thirst not only of those who came to him then. Whenever anyone seeks him he is freely admitted to the presence of the Savior. The grace of the feast [Easter] is not restricted to one occasion. Its rays of glory never set. It is always at hand to enlighten the mind of those who desire it. Its power is always there for those whose minds have been enlightened and who meditate day and night on the holy Scriptures.
Saint Athanasius the Great
Seeking Christ
Our Savior repeats his words: ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’ He quenched the thirst not only of those who came to him then. Whenever anyone seeks him he is freely admitted to the presence of the Savior. The grace of the feast [Easter] is not restricted to one occasion. Its rays of glory never set. It is always at hand to enlighten the mind of those who desire it. Its power is always there for those whose minds have been enlightened and who meditate day and night on the holy Scriptures.
Saint Athanasius the Great
3
August 2021
On Forgiveness
Do we refuse
to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so
also does God treat us. The forgiveness or unforgiveness of your sins, then,
and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself. For
without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how
serious it is.
Saint Tikhon (1724-1783)
2
August 2021
On the
Church
It is highly
significant that the wandering apostles, evangelists, prophets, and teachers of
the earliest Christian era were very soon supplanted by a resident clergy: the
bishops, presbyters, and deacons. The local congregation, i.e. primarily the
city congregation [Stadtgemeinde], is the form in which the church of Christ
appears in the world. To this day a Catholic bishop uses as his surname not his
family name but the name of his diocese. The church of Christ, God’s wandering
people, exists through all centuries in the churches of Antioch and Alexandria,
Ephesus and Smyrna, Rome and Carthage, Lyons and Treves, Cologne and
Canterbury. The city may be destroyed, the church building may fall into ruins,
the shepherds may be killed, and the flock scattered. The church, however,
endeavors to rise again even in such a place. The church in Treves died out as
a Latin church, but it rose again as a German church.
Hermann Sasse
1 August 2021
On Mercies
It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to offer such service as quickly as possible. If a needy person requires medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer.
On Mercies
It is our duty to prefer the service of the poor to everything else and to offer such service as quickly as possible. If a needy person requires medicine or other help during prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer the deed to God as your prayer.
Saint Vincent de Paul
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