“Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts; neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.”
~ St. Therese of Lisieux
“I wished I had really been there with Mary Magdalene and the others who loved Him. I wanted to actually see with my own eyes and understand more of the sufferings of our Lord, and the compassion of our Lady, and of all those who truly loved Him and saw His suffering at that time. I wanted to be one of them so that I might suffer with Him.”
~ St. Julian of Norwich
O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen.
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| — | St. John Chrysostom, Paschal Sermon |
Let no man therefore glory in men. For all things are yours, whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; for all are yours; And you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
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| — | 1st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians 3:21-23 |
The Cause of Evil?
Evodius: “Please tell me: isn’t God the cause of evil?”
St. Augustine: “I will tell you once you have made clear what kind of evil you are asking about.”
”Once for all, then, a short precept is given thee: Love, and do what thou wilt: whether thou hold thy peace, through love hold thy peace; whether thou cry out, through love cry out; whether thou correct, through love correct; whether thou spare, through love do thou spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.”
~ St. Augustine of Hippo, “Homilies on the First Epistle of John”
“For a bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God: not proud, not subject to anger, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre: But given to hospitality, gentle, sober, just, holy, continent: Embracing that faithful word which is according to doctrine, that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to convince the gainsayers. For there are also many disobedient, vain talkers, and seducers: especially they who are of the circumcision: Who must be reproved, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.”
(Epistle of St. Paul to Titus 1:7-11)
“St. Isidore of Seville” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1655)
“Devote all your energy to preaching the word of God and the truth of Christ, especially today, when unbelief and atheism are audaciously attacking the Church of Christ. May the God of peace and love be with all of you!”
~ His Holiness St. Tikhon, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church
