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Famous Saint Basil Quotes

“O God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, even our brothers, the animals, to whom Thou gavest the earth as their home in common with us. We must remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion of man with ruthless cruelty so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to thee in song, has been a groan of pain. May we realize that they live, not for us alone, but for themselves and for Thee and that they love the sweetness of life.”

MenShouldMayHas BeensHomeEarthPainPastRememberSongVoiceRealizingAnimalCommonGoneBrotherCreaturesShould HaveShameCrueltyTheeSweetnessFellowshipLiving ThingsRuthlessDominionSweetness Of Life
Author:Saint Basil
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“You have heaven adorned, earth beautified, the sea populated with its own creatures, the air filled with birds which scour it in every direction. Studious listener, think of all these creations which God has drawn out of nothing; . . . recognize everywhere the wisdom of God; never cease to wonder, and, through every creature, to glorify the Creator.”

ThinkingEarthHeavenAnimalWonderAirSeaCreationCreaturesBirdFilledCreatorCeaseListenersGlorifyStudious
Author:Saint Basil
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“She who has intentionally destroyed [the fetus] is subject to the penalty corresponding to a homicide. For us, there is no scrutinizing between the formed and unformed [fetus]; here truly justice is made not only for the unborn but also with reference to the person who is attentive only to himself/herself since so many women generally die for this very reason.”

PersonsMadeReasonDiesJusticeSubjectsDestroyedAbortionPenaltiesUnbornCorrespondingHomicideFetus
Author:Saint Basil
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“When a sunbeam falls on a transparent substance, the substance itself becomes brilliant, and radiates light from itself. So too Spirit bearing souls, illumined by Him, finally become spiritual themselves, and their grace is sent forth to others. From this comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of hidden things, distribution of wonderful gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of angels, endless joy in the presence of God, becoming like God, and, the highest of all desires, becoming God.”

SoulLightSpiritualJoySpiritDesireFallUnderstandingGraceWonderfulMysteryBecomingHighestAngelBrilliantEndlessSubstanceHeavenlyCitizenshipDistributionTransparentApprehensionPresence Of GodChoirSunbeamsHidden ThingsBecoming God
Author:Saint Basil
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“What is the mark of a Christian? That he be purified of all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit in the Blood of Christ, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God and the love of Christ, and that he have no blemish nor spot nor any such thing; that he be holy and blameless and so eat the Body of Christ and drink His Blood; for 'he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgement to himself.' What is the mark of those who eat the Bread and drink the Cup of Christ? That they keep in perpetual remembrance Him who died for us and rose again.”

BodyChristianSpiritChristBloodDrinkHolyMarkDiedRoseFleshBreadSpotsCupsJudgementPerpetualRemembranceSacramentsSanctificationBody Of ChristBlamelessDefilement
Author:Saint Basil
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“Persecution has come upon us, right honorable brethren, and persecution in the severest form. Shepherds are persecuted that their flocks may be scattered. And the worst of all is that those who are being treated ill cannot accept their sufferings in proof of their testimony, nor can the people reverence the athletes as in the army of martyrs, because the name of Christians is applied to the persecutors. The one charge which is now sure to secure severe punishment is the careful keeping of the traditions of the Fathers.”

PeopleMayChristianFormSufferingFatherNamesAcceptingWorstTraditionArmyAthleteIllCarefulProofPunishmentTreatedSecureCatholicismReverenceHonorableSeverePersecutionTestimonyMartyrFlocksShepherdsBrethrenPersecuted
Author:Saint Basil
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“Reprimand and rebuke should be accepted as healing remedies for vice and as conducive to good health. From this it is clear that those who pretend to be tolerant because they wish to flatter---those who thus fail to correct sinners---actually cause them to suffer supreme loss and plot the destruction of that life which is their true life.”

ShouldSufferingWishCausesLossHealingClearFailingDestructionSaintVicesAcceptedSupremeSinnerPlotRemedyGood HealthTrue LifeRebuke
Author:Saint Basil
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“The love of God is not taught. No one has taught us to enjoy the light or to be attached to life more than anything else. And no one has taught us to love the two people who brought us into the world and educated us. Which is all the more reason to believe that we did not learn to love God as a result of outside instruction. In the very nature of every human being has been sown the seed of the ability to love. You and I ought to welcome this seed, cultivate it carefully, nourish it attentively and foster its growth by going to the school of God's commandments with help of His grace.”

PeopleWorldLoveBelieveHumansHas BeensTwoReasonHelpingLightTruthSchoolEnjoyGrowthHuman BeingsAbilityResultsGraceLove YouTaughtOughtSeedsWelcomeEducatedGod LoveInstructionCommandmentsTaught UsAbility To Love
Author:Saint Basil
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“Our Savior was crucified for our sakes that by His death He might give us life and train and attract us all to endurance. To Him I press on, and to the Father and to the Holy Spirit. I strive to be found true, judging myself unworthy of this world's goods; and yet not I because of the world, but the world because of me. Think of all these things in your heart; follow them with zeal; fight, as you have been commanded, for the truth to the death: For Christ was made 'obedient' even 'to death'”

ThinkingWorldGivingHeartHas BeensMadeMightChristianSpiritFightingFoundFatherChristThis WorldJudgingHolyPressesTrainStriveSakeHoly SpiritEnduranceOrthodoxGoodsSaviorZealOrthodox ChristianUnworthyObedientJudging Myself
Author:Saint Basil
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“When our Lord says, 'I have not spoken of Myself' (Jn. 12:49), and again, 'As the Father said to Me, so I speak' (Jn. 12:50), and 'The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's Who sent Me' (Jn. 14:24), and in another place, 'As the Father commanded Me, even so I do' (Jn. 14:31), it is not because He lacks deliberate purpose or power of initiative, nor yet because He has to wait for the preconcerted key-note, that He employs language of this kind. His object is to make it plain that His own will is connected in indissoluble union with the Father.”

KindSaidChristianPurposeFatherSpeakLanguageWaitingLordObjectsMinesKeysUnionsNotesConnectedOrthodoxInitiativeDeliberateOur LordOrthodox Christian
Author:Saint Basil
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“To Whom does our God say, 'in our image' (Gen. 1:26), to whom if it is not to Him who is 'the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person' (Heb. 1:3), 'the image of the invisible God' (Col. 1:15)? It is then to His living image, to Him Who has said 'I and My Father are one' (Jn. 10:30), 'He who has seen Me has seen the Father' (Jn. 14:9), that God says, 'Let us make man in our image'.”

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Author:Saint Basil
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“Human life is but of brief duration. 'All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God shall stand forever' (Isa. 40:6, 8). Let us hold fast to the commandment that abides, and despise the unreality that passes away.”

HumansChristianLife IsForeverFieldsFlowerFleshHuman LifeGrassOrthodoxDespiseFadesCommandmentsOrthodox ChristianPassing AwayDurationHold FastUnreality
Author:Saint Basil
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“What is the benefit of fasting in our body while filling our souls with innumerable evils? He who does not play at dice, but spends his leisure otherwise, what nonsense does he not utter? What absurdities does he not listen to? Leisure without the fear of God is, for those who do not know how to use time, the teacher of wickedness.”

KnowsDoeSoulPlayUseBodyEvilKnow HowTeacherBenefitsNonsenseLeisureAbsurdityWickednessFillingFastingDice
Book:Exegetic Homilies (The Fathers of the Church, Volume 46)
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“Do not despise the fish because they are absolutely unable to speak or to reason, but fear lest you may be even more unreasonable than they by resisting the command of the Creator. Listen to the fish, who through their actions all but utter this word: 'We set out on this long journey for the perpetuation of our species.”

MayLongReasonActionSpeakJourneySpeciesFishesCreatorCommandDespiseUnreasonableResistingLong Journey
Book:Exegetic Homilies (The Fathers of the Church, Volume 46)
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