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Come, then, O son of the Mystery of the sons of the Church, learn the. . .

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Come, then, O son of the Mystery of the sons of the Church, learn the order by which you may near to the priesthood, that you may approach it in the manner that the apostle Paul enjoined. With a pure heart approach, the Body and Blood of our Lord which cleanse you from the stains of your offences which you have committed; the priests will not recoil from a sinner who wishes to return, nor from one defiled who mourns and is distressed for his defilement.

-St. Narsai Harp of the Spirit

Forget not, O Lord, that I am. . .

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Forget not, O Lord, that I am one of those whom Thou hast created, and with Thine own blood hast redeemed. I repent me of my sins: I will strive to amend my ways.

-Saint Ambrose of Milan

 

O Lord, we cannot go to. . .

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“O Lord, we cannot go to the pool of Siloe to which you sent the blind man. But we have the chalice of Your Precious Blood, filled with life and light. The purer we are, the more we receive.”

— Ephrem the Syrian

St. John Chrysostom: Were you to stand in the presence of the king you would not even dare. . .

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“You have entered the Church, O Man; you have been held worthy of the company of Christ. Go not out from it: unless you be sent. For if go out from it without being sent you will be asked the reason; as if you were a runaway. You spend the whole day on things which relate to the body, and you cannot give a couple of hours to the needs of the soul? You go often to the theatre. And you will not leave there till they send you away. But when you come to the Church you rush out before the Divine Mysteries are ended. Be fearful of Him Who has said: He that despiseth anything, shall it be despised (Prov. xiii. 13).

Were you to stand in the presence of the king you would not even dare. But when you stand in the presence of the Lord of all, you do not stand there in fear and trembling, you laugh, provoking him to anger? Do you not see that by this conduct you provoke Him more by your very sins? God is not wont to be as angry against those who sin as against those who, when they have sinned, feel neither sorrow regret.”

— St. John Chrysostom, On the Respect Due to the Church of God and to the Sacred Mysteries