“Many have said much about love, but you will find love itself only if you seek it among the disciples of Christ. For only they have true Love as love's teacher. 'Though I have the gift of prophecy', says St. Paul, 'and know all mysteries and all knowledge? and have no love, it profits me nothing' (I Cor. 13:2-3). He who possesses love possesses God Himself, for 'God is love' (I Jn. 4:8). To Him be glory throughout the ages. Amen.” IfsKnowsSaidAgeChristianChristTeacherMysteryGloryProfitOrthodoxDiscipleProphecyFinding LoveOrthodox ChristianAmenNo LoveGod Is Love Author:Maximus the Confessor
“If God suffers in the flesh when He is made man, should we not rejoice when we suffer, for we have God to share our sufferings? This shared suffering confers the kingdom on us. For he spoke truly who said, 'If we suffer with Him, then we shall also be glorified with Him' (Rom. 8:17).” IfsMenShouldMadeSaidChristianSufferingShareFleshKingdomsSpokesOrthodoxRejoiceOrthodox Christian Author:Maximus the Confessor
“...the Lord said as He drew near His passion, 'Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself; and He will glorify Him at once' (Jn. 13:31-32). From This it is clear that divine gifts follow sufferings endured for the sake of virtue.” IfsMenSaidChristianSufferingPassionLordVirtueClearDivineSonSakeGods WillOrthodoxGlorify Author:Maximus the Confessor
“The Logos came down out of love for us. Let us not keep Him down permanently, but let us go up with Him to the Father, leaving the earth and earthly things behind, lest He say to us what He said to the Jews because of their stubbornness: 'I go where you cannot come (Jn. 8:21).” SaidEarthChristianFatherBehindsLeavingJewOrthodoxOrthodox ChristianStubbornnessLogosEarthly ThingsFather Leaving Author:Maximus the Confessor
“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
“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'.” IfsMenPersonsDoeSaidChristianFatherGloryInvisibleOrthodoxOrthodox ChristianBrightness Author:Saint Basil
“The Christian ought not to say anything behind his brother's back with the object of calumniating him, for this is slander, even if what is said is true. He ought to turn away from the brother who speaks evil against him?” IfsSaidChristianTurnsEvilSpeakBehindsObjectsBrotherOughtOrthodoxSay AnythingSlander Author:Saint Basil