“When you are insulted by someone or humiliated, guard against angry thoughts, lest they arouse a feeling of irritation, and so cut you off from love and place you in the realm of hatred. You should know that you have been greatly benefited when you have suffered deeply because of some insult or indignity; for by means of the indignity self-esteem has been driven out of you.” KnowsShouldMeanHas BeensSelfFeelingsChristianCuttingSelf EsteemHatredAngryDrivenEsteemRealmsInsultOrthodoxInsultedHumiliatedIrritationIndignity Author:Maximus the Confessor
“If we keep the path of virtue undefiled through devout and true knowledge, and do not deviate to either side, we will experience the advent of God revealed to us because of our dispassion. For 'I will sing a psalm and in a pure path I will understand when Thou wilt come to me' (cf. Ps. 101:1-2). The psalm stands for virtuous conduct; understanding indicates the spiritual knowledge, gained through virtue, by means of which we perceive God's advent, when we wait for the Lord vigilant in the virtues.” IfsMeanChristianSpiritualWaitingUnderstandingSidesLordVirtuePathPurePerceiveOrthodoxVirtuousOrthodox ChristianAdventVigilantPsalmsCfsTrue KnowledgeDeviateSpiritual KnowledgeKnowledge Gained Author:Maximus the Confessor
“Those who, animal-like, live solely according to the senses... misuse God's creation in order to indulge the passions. They do not understand the principle of that wisdom which is revealed to all: that we should know and praise God through His creation and that by means of the visible world we should understand whence we came, what we are, for what purpose we were made and where we are going. On the contrary, they travel through this present age in darkness... with... ignorance of God.” KnowsWorldShouldMeanMadeAgeChristianPurposeOrderPassionAnimalPrinciplesDarknessCreationIgnorancePraiseContrarySensesVisibleOrthodoxIndulgeMisusePraise GodGod's Creation Author:Maximus the Confessor
“When like the patriarchs we learn to dig wells of virtue and spiritual knowledge within ourselves by means of ascetic practice and contemplation, we will find within us Christ the spring of life (cf. Gen. 26:15-18). Wisdom commands us to drink from this spring, saying, 'Drink water from your own pitchers and from the spring of your own wells' (Prov. 5:15). If we do this we shall find that the treasures of wisdom truly are within us.” IfsWellsMeanChristianSpiritualChristWaterPracticeVirtueDrinkSpringTreasureCommandContemplationOrthodoxPitcherCfsDrink WaterSpiritual Knowledge Author:Maximus the Confessor
“If you expound the teaching of the Logos from the standpoint of the moral life, using materialistic words and examples which correspond to the capacity of your hearers, you make the Logos flesh. Conversely, if you elucidate mystical theology by means of the higher forms of contemplation you make the Logos spirit.” IfsMeanChristianFormSpiritMoralTeachingExampleHigherCapacityFleshTheologyContemplationOrthodoxMysticalStandpointMaterialisticLogosMoral Life Author:Maximus the Confessor
“He who devoutly strives to attain wisdom and is on his guard against the invisible powers, should pray that both natural discrimination - whose light is but limited - and the illuminating grace of the Spirit abide in him. The first by means of practice trains the flesh in virtue, the second illuminates the intellect so that it chooses above all else companionship with wisdom; and through wisdom it destroys the strongholds of evil and pulls down 'all the self-esteem that exalts itself against the knowledge of God' (II Cor. 10:5).” ShouldFirstsMeanSelfLightChristianSpiritEvilNaturalPracticeVirtueGraceSelf EsteemPrayingTrainStriveIntellectFleshInvisibleDiscriminationEsteemOrthodoxCompanionshipStrifeOrthodox ChristianIlluminatingKnowledge Of GodStrongholds Author:Maximus the Confessor
“Just as the teaching of the Law and the prophets, being harbingers of the coming advent of the Logos in the flesh, guide our souls to Christ (cf. Gal. 3:24), so the glorified incarnate Logos of God is Himself a harbinger of His spiritual advent, leading our souls forward by His own teachings to receive His divine and manifest advent. He does this ceaselessly, by means of the virtues converting those found worthy from the flesh to the spirit. And He will do it at the end of the age, making manifest what has hitherto been hidden from men.” MenMeanDoeSoulEndsAgeChristianSpiritualLawSpiritFoundChristVirtueTeachingDivineWorthyGuidesFleshProphetOrthodoxManifestAdventConvertingCfsLogosGalsHarbinger Author:Maximus the Confessor
“... if we say that the Father is the origin of the Son and greater than the Son, we do not suggest any precedence in time or superiority in nature of the Father over the Son (cf. Jn. 14:28)? or superiority in any other respect save causation. And we mean by this, that the Son is begotten of the Father and not the Father of the Son, and that the Father naturally is the cause of the Son.” IfsMeanChristianFatherCausesGreaterSonOrthodoxSuperiorityOrthodox ChristianCfsPrecedenceCausation Author:Pope Clement I
“Sacred Scripture, since it has no science above itself, can dispute with one who denies its principles only if the opponent admits some at least of the truths obtained through divine revelation; thus we can argue with heretics from texts in Holy Writ, and against those who deny one article of faith we can argue from another. If our opponent believes nothing of divine revelation, there is no longer any means of proving the articles of faith by reasoning, but only of answering his objections - if he has any - against faith.” IfsBelieveMeanChristianPrinciplesDivineHolyProveSacredDenyArguingScriptureOpponentsReasoningRevelationsOrthodoxArticlesDisputesObjectionsHereticDivine RevelationSacred Scripture Book:On Faith and Reason Source: On Faith and Reason
“If "socialism" is defined as "ownership of the means of production"--and this is both the orthodox and the only rigorous definition--then the United States is the first truly Socialist country.” IfsFirstsMeanCountryStatesUnitedUnited StatesDefinitionsProductionsSocialismDefinedOrthodoxOwnershipSocialistSocialist Countries Book:The Pension Fund Revolution Source: The Pension Fund Revolution