As a handful of sand thrown into. . .
“As a handful of sand thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of all flesh as compared with the mind of God.”
— St. Isaac of Nineveh
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There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except. . .
“There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except that one which lacks repentance, and there is no gift which is not augmented save that which remains without acknowledgement. For the portion of the fool is small in his eyes.”
+ St. Isaac of Nineveh, “Six Treatises on the Behaviour of Excellence”, Mystical Treatises by Isaac of Nineveh
Whoever does not voluntarily. . .
Whoever does not voluntarily withdraw himself from the causes of the passions is involuntarily drawn away by sin. These are the causes of sin: wine, women, riches, and robust health of body. Not that by their nature these things are sins, but that nature readily inclines towards the sinful passions on their account., and for this reason man must guard himself against them with great care.”
+ St. Isaac of Nineveh, The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 5, “On Keeping Oneself Remote From the World and From All Things that Disquiet the Intellect
In truth, to know oneself. . .
In truth, to know oneself seems to be the hardest of all things. Not only our eye, which observes external objects, does not use the sense of sight upon itself, but even our mind, which contemplates intently another’s sin, is slow in the recognition of its own defects.
-St Basil The Great
Our life and our death is. . .
Our life and our death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ.
O most merciful Father, put. . .
O most merciful Father, put far from me all my iniquities and all my offences; so that, by Thee made whole in body and in soul, I may be accounted worthy to approach the Holy of holies.
-Saint Ambrose of Milan
But nothing causes such exceeding grief as. . .
But nothing causes such exceeding grief as when anyone, lying under the captivity of sin, calls to mind from where he has fallen, because he turned aside to carnal and earthly things, instead of directing his mind in the beautiful ways of the knowledge of God. So you find Adam concealing himself, when he knew that God was present and wishing to be hidden when called by God with that voice which wounded the soul of him yourself? Why are you concealed? Why do you avoid Him Whom you once longed to see? A guilty conscience is so burdensome that it punishes itself without a judge, and wishes for covering, and yet is bare before God.”
+ St. Ambrose Milan, Concerning Repentance, Book I
“Yea, O Lord and King, grant me. . .
“Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sin and not to judge my brother, for You are blessed from all ages to all ages. Amen”
— Ephrem the Syrian
St. John Chrysostom: However, if the Devil does not dare to enter into the house . . .
“Moreover, if the Devil does not dare to enter into the house where the Gospel lies, much less will he ever seize upon the soul which contains such thoughts as these, and no evil spirit will approach it, nor will the nature of sin come near. Well, then, sanctify your soul, sanctify your body by having these thoughts always in your heart and on your tongue. For if foul language is defiling and evokes evil spirits, it is evident that spiritual reading sanctifies the reader and attracts the grace of the Spirit.”
+ St. John Chrysostom, Homily 32, Homilies on the Gospel of John
St. John Chrysostom: Were you to stand in the presence of the king you would not even dare. . .
“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
