Ancient Christian Witness

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello,
Pray for me a sinner,
Gleanings from Orthodox authors and Holy fathers,
An angel fell from heaven without any other passion except pride, and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven by humility alone,
without any other of the virtues. St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978),STEP 23: On Mad Pride, and, in the Same Step,....
For no virtue is perfected without effort,
not is it possible for anyone to mount to the stability of mind that he desires without great contrition of heart.
For man is born in trouble.
In order that 'he might attain to the perfect man,
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:190,
he must always be watchful with still greater attentiveness and labor with constant care.
St. John Cassian, The Institutes

There is no shorter ascent to the royal and Divine mansions...than through subduing the five passions hostile to obedience,
namely: disobedience, argumentativeness, self-gratification, self-justification and pernicious high opinion of oneself...Disobedience is the mouth of hell; argumentativeness its tongue,
whetted like a sword; self-gratification is its sharp teeth; self-justification its throat; high opinion of oneself, which casts one into hell,
is the belching of its all-devouring belly.
But he who,
through obedience,
conquers the first,
by one stroke cuts off all the rest and with one stride reaches heaven.
St. Gregory of Sinai (Texts on Commandments and Dogmas no. 121)
Pray for me a sinner,
ICXC NIKA
eleni

July 5, 2009 at 4:06 AM