“Virtues are in the middle, the royal way about which the saintly elder (Saint Basil the Great) said, "Travel on the royal way and count the miles." As I said, the virtues are at the midpoint between excess and laxness. That is why it is written, "Do not turn to the right or the left" (Prov 4:27) but travel on the "royal way" (Num. 20:17). Saint Basil also says, "The person who does not allow his thoughts to incline towards excess or deprivation but directs it to the midpoint, that of virtue, is upright in heart."” WayHeartPersonsDoeSaidTruthTurnsLeftVirtueWrittenMiddleSaintMilesExcessRoyalEldersDeprivationInclineBasil Author:Dorotheus of Gaza
“Imagine that the world is a circle, that God is the center, and that the radii are the different ways human beings live. When those who wish to come closer to God walk towards the center of the circle, they come closer to one another at the same time as to God. The closer they come to God, the closer they come to one another. And the closer they come to one another, the closer they come to God.” WorldWayHumansDifferentWishHuman BeingsWalksImagineCirclesDifferent WaysImagine ThatRadius Author:Dorotheus of Gaza
“A great means to preserve continual peace and tranquillity of soul is to receive everything from the hands of God, both great and small, and in whatever way it comes.” WayMeanSoulHandsPreservesHands Of GodTranquillity Author:Dorotheus of Gaza
“A man who gives way to his passions is like a man who is shot by an enemy, catches the arrow in his hands, and then plunges it into his own heart. A man who is resisting his passions is like a man who is shot by an enemy, and although the arrow hits him, it does not seriously wound him because he is wearing a breastplate. But the man who is uprooting his passions is like a man who is shot by an enemy, but who strikes the arrow and shatters it or turns it back into his enemies heart.” MenWayGivingHeartDoeHandsTurnsPassionEnemyHe ManShotsStrikesWoundsDenialArrowsPlungeResistingSelf-denialUprooting Author:Dorotheus of Gaza
“No one who lies is linked to God. God is the truth. He says, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life' (Jn. 14:6). See how we sort ourselves out and what position we take up through lying ? clearly on the side of the evil one. If, therefore, we want to be saved, we must with all our hearts love the Truth and guard ourselves from every kind of falsehood so that we may not be separated from truth and from life.” IfsWayWantHeartKindMayChristianLyingEvilSidesPositionSavedOrthodoxFalsehoodLinkedHeart Love Author:Dorotheus of Gaza
“'My sheep hear My voice' (Jn. 10:14). This is just another way of saying, 'They obey my words and keep My commandments.' Obeying the commandments the saints draw near to God; the more they draw near to God, the better they know Him.” KnowsWayChristianVoiceDrawsSaintOrthodoxSheepCommandmentsAnother WayOrthodox ChristianObeying Author:Dorotheus of Gaza
“Sin is one thing but instinctive reaction or passion is another. These are our reactions: pride, anger, sexual indulgence, hate, greed, and so on. The corresponding sins are the gratification of these passions: when a man acts and brings into corporeal reality those works which were suggested to him by his desires. It is impossible to exist without desires arising, but not to give way to them is by no means impossible.” MenWayGivingMeanRealityChristianDesireHatePassionSinImpossibleOne ThingPrideGreedReactionsOrthodoxGratificationIndulgenceOrthodox ChristianCorresponding Book:Discourses and Sayings Source: Discourses and Sayings
“Why did you act in this way, you pitiable ones? Make a bow of repentance, recognize your fault, be sorry for your nakedness. Neither one of them could blame himself, neither of them had the least bit of humility.” WayBitsHumilityBlameFaultsSorryRepentanceBows Author:Dorotheus of Gaza
