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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

The bright robed priest, the tongue of the Church. . .

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The bright robed priest, the tongue of the Church, opens his mouth and speaks in secret with GOD as a familiar. He recounts the glory of that incomprehensible Divinity, which is the cause of intelligible and sensible beings, which cannot be comprehended or searched out or scrutinised, which cannot be known by corporeal beings nor yet by the watchers.

-St. Narsai Harp of the Spirit

 

 

Then the herald of the Church commands all the people to give. . .

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Then the herald of the Church commands all the people to give the Peace, each one to his companion, in the love of our Lord. First the priests give the Peace in the midst of the sanctuary; and the people also give it in the nave in the same manner. It behooves him that gives the Peace to his brother in the Church too wash his heart from all hatred and anger and lust.

-St. Narsai Harp of the Spirit

 

The Church performs her Mysteries in secret away from. . .

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The Church performs her Mysteries in secret away from those that are without; and the Priest celebrates privately within the sanctuary. Only her Children and her sons, the baptised and the signed, does she allow to enjoy communion in these adorable Mysteries which she performs.

-St. Narsai Harp of the Spirit

Come, then, O son of the divine Mystery, hear the

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Come, then, O son of the divine Mystery, hear the record, marvellous to tell, of the Mysteries of the Church. I have a Mystery ( or secret ), I have a mystery, I have a mystery’ I and mine, the prophet cries: with understand, then, hear the mystery that is expounded to you.

-St. Narsai Harp of the Spirit

By the death of martyrs religion has. . .

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“By the death of martyrs religion has been defended, faith increased, the Church strengthened; the dead have conquered, the persecutors have been overcome. And so we celebrate the death of those of whose lives we are ignorant. So, too, David rejoiced in prophecy at the departure of his own soul, saying: ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.’ He esteemed death better than life. The death itself of the martyrs is the prize of their life. And again, by the death of those at variance hatred is put an end to.”

+ St. Ambrose of Milan, On Belief in the Resurrection

 

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

 

St. John Chrysostom: Are you a sinner? Do not become discouraged, and come to Church. . .

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Are you a sinner? Do not become discouraged, and come to Church to put forward repentance. Have you sinned? Then tell God, ‘I have sinned.’ What manner of toil is this, what prescribed course of life, what affliction? What manner of difficulty is it to make one statement, ‘I have sinned’? Perhaps if you do not call yourself a sinner, you do not have the devil as an accuser? Anticipate this and snatch the honor away from him, because it is his purpose to accuse. Therefore, why do you not prevent him, and why do you not tell your sin and wipe it out, since you know that you have such an accuser who cannot remain silent? Have you sinned? Come to Church. Tell God, ‘I have sinned.’ I do not demand anything else of you than this. Holy Scripture states, ‘Be the first one to tell of your transgressions, so you may be justified.’ Admit the sin to annul it. This requires neither labor nor a circuit of words, nor monetary expenditure, nor anything else whatsoever such as these. Say one word, think carefully about the sin and say, ‘I have sinned.

+ St. John Chrysostom, On Repentance and Almsgiving, Homily 2