Falling Into Poverty

Ἐξομολογήσεται σοι, ὅταν ἀγαθύνης αὐτῷ. Περὶ τοῦ χοῖκοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἀγαθὰ νομίζοντος εἴναι μόνα τὰ τοῦ Βίου τούτου προτερήματα, πλοῦτον, καὶ ὑγίειαν, καὶ δυναστείαν, περὶ τούτου φησὶν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ Θεῷ, ὅταν ἀγαθύνηται· ἐν δὲ τοῖς περιστατικοῖς πᾶσαν ἀφίησι δυσφημίαν. καταλιπὼν γὰρ τὸν πένητα, πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἥδη ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον· ἐν κατηγορίᾳ τῇ τοῦ πλούτου παραλαμβάνων καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ εὐθηνιᾳ μόνῃ εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, σκυθρωποτέρων δέ τινων περιστάντων, μηκέτι τὸν αὐτὸν διαμένειν. Τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστι καὶ τὸ τοῦ διαβόλου εἰς κατηγορίαν προσθερόμενον τῷ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι οὐ δωπρεὰν σέβεται Ἰὼβ τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλὰ μισθὸν ἔχει τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸν πλοῦτον, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Διὸ καὶ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετῆς ἐγύμνωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ὦν εἶχεν, ἵνα διὰ πάντων διαφανῇ τὸ πρὸς Θεὸν εὐχάριστον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΜΗ' Source: Migne PG 29 456c-457a

He shall confess you while you bless him. 1 This is about a man of the world who judges those things of the world to be good which promote this life, things such as wealth and health and power, and so it is said that he shall confess God while he blesses him with such things, but in adversity he shall utter every blasphemy, for on account of God abandoning him to penury he will speak so, that is, in criticism of Him who takes away his wealth, which wealth was the only reason he gave thanks to God, but, grievous things befalling, his thankfulness passes away. And this is the criticism the devil directs against Job, that he is not pious to God freely but on account of his wealth, and so on. Therefore to show the virtue of the man God deprives him of all he has that the goodness of the man through everything might be apparent. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 48 1 Ps 48.19

The Scriptural Herbalist

Ἐάν ποτε ἀναγινώσκων τὴν Γραγὴν προσκόψῃς νοήματι ὄντι καλῷ, λίθῳ προσκόμματος, καὶ πέτρᾳ σκανδάλου, αἰτιῶ σαυτόν· μὴ ἀπελπίσῃς γὰρ τὸν λίθον τοῦτον τοῦ προσκόμματος καὶ τὴν πέτραν τοῦ σκανδάλου ἔχειν νοήματα, ὥστ' ἄν γενέσθαι τὸ εἰρημένον· Καὶ ὁ πιστεύων οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται. Πίστευσον πρῶτον, καὶ εὐρήσεις ὑπὸ τὸ νομιζόμενον σκάνδαλον πολλὴν ὠφέλειαν ἁγίαν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἐντολὴν ἐλάβομεν μὴ λέγειν ῥῆμα ἀργὸν, ὡς δώσοντες περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, καὶ ὅση δύναμις φιλοτιμούμεθα πᾶν ῥῆμα τὸ ἐξιὸν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἡμῶν ποιεῖν ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς λέγουσι καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀκούουσι· τί χρὴ ποεῖν περὶ τῶν προφητῶν, ἤ ὅτι πᾶν ῥῆμα λαληθὲν διὰ στόματος αὐτῶν ἐργατικὸν ἧν; Καὶ οὐ θαυμαστὸν εἰ πᾰν ῥῆμα τὸ λαλούμενον ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν εἰργαζετο ἔργον τὸ πρέπον ῥήματι· ἀλλα γὰρ οἴμαι, ὅτι καὶ πᾶν θαυμάσιον γράμμα τὸ γεγραμμένον ἐν τοῖς λογίοις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐργάζεται· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἰῶτα ἔν, ἢ μία κεραὶα γεγραμμένη ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ, ἥτις τοῖς ἐπισταμένοις χρῆσθαι τῇ δυνάμει τῶν γραμμάτων οὐκ ἐργάζεται τὸ ἑαυτῆς ἔργον. Ὥωπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν βοτανῶν ἐκάστη μὲν ἔχει δύναμιν εἴτε εἰς τὴν ὑγίειαν σωμάτων, εἴτε εἰς ὅ τι δήποτε· οὐ πάντων δέ ἐστιν ἐπίστασθαι εἰς ὅ ἐκάστη τῶν βοτανῶν ἐστι χρήσιμος, ἀλλ' εἴ τινες ἐπιστήμην εἰλήφασιν, οὖτοι οἱ περὶ τὰς βοτάνας διατρίβοντες, ἵνα ἵδωσι καὶ πότε παραλαμβανομένη, καὶ ποῦ τῶν σωμάτων ἐπιθεμένη, καὶ τίνα τρόπον σκευαζομένη ὀνίνησι τὸν χρὼμενον· οὔτως οἰονει τιη βοτανικός ἐστιν ὁ ἅγιος καὶ πνευματικὸς, ἀναλεγόμενος ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων ἔκαστον ἰῶτα, καὶ ἒκαστον τὸ τυχὸν στοιχεῖον, καὶ εὑρίσκων τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ γράμματος, καὶ εἰς ὅ τι ἐστὶ χρήσιμον, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν παρέλκει τῶν γεγραμμένων. Ὠριγένης, Ὁμιλια ΛΘ' Εἰς Τὸν Ἱερεμίαν

If when reading the Scripture you stumble at something which is a fair stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, blame yourself, for you must not despair of finding in this stone of stumbling and rock of offence thoughts to justify the saying, 'He that believes shall not be ashamed.'1  First believe and you shall find beneath what is thought to be a stumbling stone or scandalous passage much holy profit. For if we received a commandment to speak no idle word because we shall give account of it in the day of judgment, and if we must with all our might strive to make every word proceeding out of our mouths an effective word both in ourselves who speak and in those who hear, must we not conclude that every word spoken through the Prophets was fit for its work? And it is not to be wondered that every word spoken by the Prophets had its proper work, but I think that every letter, however wonderful,  which is written in the Scriptures of God, does its work, and there is not one line or dot written in Scripture, which, when men know how to extract the power of, it does not work its own work. As each herb has its own power, whether for the healing of the body, or some other purpose,  and it is not given to everybody to know the use of every single herb, but certain persons have  acquired the knowledge by the study of plants, that they might know when a herb is to be used, and to what part of the body it should be applied, and how it is to be prepared,  if it is to aid the patient, so the holy and spiritual man thinks like a herbalist, gathering from the Sacred Scriptures every mark and  letter, and discovering the power of it and its use, finding that there is nothing superfluous in what is written. Origen, Thirty Ninith Homily on Jeremiah 1 Rom 10.11

Times and Seasons

Quam accurate Sancta Scriptura facta describat. Intueri libet quomodo sacra eloquia in exordiis narrationum qualitates exprimant, terminosque causarum. Aliquando namque a positione loci, aliquando a positione corporis, aliquando a qualitate aeris, aliquando a qualitate temporis signant, quid de ventura actione subjiciant. A positione quippe locorum Divina Scriptura exprimit subsequentium merita finesque causarum, sicut de Israel dicit quia verba Dei in monte audire non potuit, sed praecepta in campestribus accepit: subsequentem nimirum infirmitatem populi indicans, qui ascendere ad summa non valuit, sed semetipsum in infimis neglecte vivendo laxavit. A positione corporis futura denuntiat, sicut in apostolorum Actibus Stephanus Jesum, qui a dextris virtutis Dei sedet, stantem se vidisse manifestat. Stare quippe adjuvantis est. Et recte stare cernitur, qui in bello certaminis opitulatur. A qualitate aeris res subsequens demonstratur, sicut evangelista, cum praedicante Domino, nullos tunc ex Judaea credituros diceret, praemisit dicens: Hiems autem erat. Scriptum namque est: Quoniam abundabit iniquitas, refrigescet charitas multorum. Idcirco ergo hiemis curavit tempus exprimere, ut inesse auditorum cordibus malitiae frigus indicaret. Hinc est quod de negaturo Petro praemittitur: Quia frigus erat, et stans ad prunas calefaciebat se. Jam namque intus a charitatis calore torpuerat, et ad amorem praesentis vitae, quasi ad persecutorum prunas infirmitate aestuante recalebat. A qualitate quoque temporis finis exprimitur actionis, sicut non rediturus ad veniam, ad traditionis perfidiam nocte Judas exiisse perhibetur, cum egrediente illo, ab evangelista dicitur: Erat autem nox. Hinc enim et iniquo diviti dicitur: Hac nocte repetent animam tuam abs te. Anima quippe, quae ad tenebras ducitur, non in die repeti, sed in nocte memoratur. Hinc est quod Salomon, qui sapientiam non perseveraturus accepit, in somnis hanc et nocte accepisse describitur. Hinc est quod angeli ad Abraham meridie veniunt; punituri autem Sodomam, ad eam vespere venisse memorantur. Sanctus Gregorius Magnus, Moralia, sive Expositio in Job, Liber II

How carefully Sacred Scripture describes incidents. One should look closely at how the sacred eloquence in the beginning of its narrations details the qualities and limits of the issues. For at one time by location, at another by the position of the body, at another by the quality of the air, at another by the the time, it foreshadows what is to come. So then by location Divine Scripture sets forth the merits and ends of the events to follow, as where it says of Israel that they were not able to hear the words of God on the mountain but received the commandments on the plain, doubtless indicating the subsequent weakness of the people who could not ascend to the heights but who enervated themselves by careless living in lowest things. By the posture of the body it announces the future, as where in the Acts of the Apostles Stephen discloses that he saw Jesus who is placed at the right hand of the Power of God, in a standing posture,1 for standing is the posture of one in the act of rendering aid, and rightly is He discerned standing who gives aid in the struggle of the battle.  By the quality of the air the subsequent event is shown, as when the Evangelist said that none out of Judea were at that time to prove believers in our Lord's teaching, he prefaced it by saying, 'And it was winter.' For it is written, 'Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.'  Therefore he took care to remark that it was the winter season in order to indicate that the frost of wickedness was in the hearts of the hearers. Thus it is that it is said before Peter denied the Lord that it was cold and Peter stood warming himself at the coals, for now inwardly the warmth of charity lessened but the love of this present life was warming, as though his weakness were heated by the coals of the persecutors. By the time also is the end of the act is set forth, as is said of Judas, who was never to be restored by pardon, that he went out at night to the treachery of his betrayal, where on his exit, the Evangelist says: 'And it was night.' And again it is declared to the iniquitous rich man: 'This night your soul be taken from you.' The soul which is taken to darkness is not demanded in the day but in the night.  Hence it is that Solomon, who received wisdom but was not to retain it, is said to have received it in dreams and in the night.  Hence it is that the Angels come to Abraham at midday, but when the go to punish Sodom they are recorded to have arrived at evening. Saint Gregory the Great, Commentary on Job, Book II  1 Acts 7.55

Disputed Passages

Τοιοῦτοι δέ εἰσιν οἴτε τὴν μὲν Καινὴν ἐγκρίνοντες, τὴν δὲ Παλαιὰν ἀποδοκιμάζοντες Διαθήκην, καὶ οἱ τῶν παλαιῶν Γραμμάτων τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ θειοτέρας λέγοντες εἶναι δυνάμεως καὶ τῆς ἀνωτάτω, τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ ὑποδεεστέρας. Πρόβατα δὲ ἴδια ἀναγορεύει ὁ ποιμὴν τοὺς μὴ ὑπερηφανοῦντας τὰ πατήματα τῶν ποδῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ μὴ ἐξουθενοῦντας τὰ πατήματα τῶν ποδῶν τῶν ψεκτῶν προβάτων, τράγων καὶ ἐρίφων· οὐ γὰρ ἐθέλησαν εἶναι πρόβατα κριῶν ἄξια τῶν δεξιῶν. Ἡμεῖς οὖν εὐχόμενοι εἶναι πρόβατα τοῦ ποιμένος, μηδέποτε φεύγωμεν νεμεσθῆναι καὶ τὰ αὐτόθεν ὅσον ἐπὶ τῷ ῥητῷ ἀπεμφαίνοντα τῶν γραφῶν, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀπέμφασιν τῆς λέξεως πατούμενα ὑπὸ τῶν μὴ δυναμένων, μηδὲ θελόντων χρῆσθαι πάσῃ τῇ νομῇ. Ἀλλὰ κἄν ᾖ τι ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ἐκείνων τεταραγμένον, ἀναμιξάντων τῷ καθαρῷ λόγῷ τῆς Γραφῆς δυσφήμους ἐπαπορήσεις, μὴ ἀποτρεπώμεθα δι' ἤν πεποιήκασι τῷ λόγῳ ταραχὴν πίνειν καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῶν τεταραγμένον. Καὶ τήρει γε ἐπιμελῶς ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς ταραξαντας τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πατήσαντας τὴν νομὴν λέγεται ὡς περὶ κρειττόνων· Καὶ τὰ πρόβατα μου τὰ πατήματα τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ἐνέμοντο, καὶ τεταραγμένον ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τῶν ἔπινον.   Ὠριγένης, Ὁμιλια Εἰς Τὸν Ἰεζεκιήλ

There are those who approve the New Testament but reject the Old, and they  maintain that certain parts of the ancient writings exhibit more of the Divine power and are highly spiritual, and declare other parts to be deficient in these things. But the Shepherd declares those to be His own sheep who do not disdain what has been trodden by such feet and who do not despise the water fouled by the feet of the blameworthy sheep, perhaps more correctly named goats and kids, for they would not be sheep worthy of the rams upon the right hand. For ourselves, then, who profess to be sheep of the Shepherd, let us not flee feeding on those passages which, taken literally, are incongruous with Scripture, and because of this discordance are trodden down by men who are neither able nor willing to make use of the whole pasture. For even had some water has been fouled by their feet, they having mixed with the pure word of the Scripture shameful objections, let us not, because of the confusion introduced, be deterred from drinking that which has been fouled by their feet. And carefully observe that they who foul the water and tread down the pasture, are told of the better sheep in the words: 'And my sheep have eaten that which was trodden down by your feet, and they have drunk that which you have fouled with your feet.' 1 Origen, On Ezekiel 1. Ezekiel 34,

Giving to the Poor

Σὺ δὲ, εἰ μὲν καὶ τὰ μείζω δυνατὸς εἴ, καὶ οἶς εὐεργετεῖται ψυχὴ πεποίηκε γάρ σε καὶ ταῦτα πλούσιον ὁ θεὸς, εἰ θελήσειας. μεδὲ ταῦτα εὖ ποιεῖν ἀπόσχῃ τὸν ἐνδεῆ· μᾶλλον δὲ πρῶτα καὶ μάλιστα τῷ αἰτοῦντι σε δίδου, καὶ πρὶν αἰτηθῆναι, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλεῶν καὶ δανείζων τὸν λόγον. καὶ ἀπαιτῶν φιλοπόνως τὸ δάνειον μετὰ τόκου τῆς τοῦ ὠφελημένου προσθήκης, ἥν ἀεὶ τῷ λογῳ προστίθησιν, αὔξων ἑαυτῷ κατὰ μικρὸν τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας σπέρματα. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, τά γε δεύτερα καὶ μικρότερα, καὶ ὅσα εἰς δύναμιν ἥκει τὴν σήν· ἐπικούρησον, ὅρεξον τροφὴν, ὅρεξον ῥάκος, προσένεγκε φάρμακον, κατάδησον τραύματα, ἐρώτησόν τι περὶ τῆς συμφορᾶς, περὶ κατρερίας φιλοσόφησον, θάρσησον, πρόσελθε· Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, Λόγος ΙΔ'

But you, if you are indeed capable of greater things, those which benefit the soul, and here also God has made you rich, if you so choose, do not withhold these goods from those in need, or rather, as your primary concern, try to give to the one who begs even before petition, being merciful and ever offering words and anxiously seeking repayment of the loan with interest in the from of the spiritual increase of the one you have benefited. In this way the beneficiary adds steadily to the deposit of your words and little by little makes grow in his own right the seeds of piety. But if you cannot do this, do the secondary smaller things, and in that all that you can: offer a hand, offer food, give clothes, provide medicine, bind wounds, speak with them about their difficulties, counsel fortitude, offer encouragement, keep them company. Saint Gregory Nazianzus, Oration 14

Knowledge and the Call

Ὁ δὲ ψιλῇ κλήσει, καθὸ κὲκληται, ὑπακούων οὔτε διὰ φόβον οὔτε διὰ ἡδονὰς ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν ἴεται· οὐ γὰρ περισκέπτεται, εἴ τι λυσιτελὲς ἔξωθεν ἔπεται κέρδος ἢ ἀπόλαυσις αὐτῷ· ἀγάπῃ δὲ τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος ἐπαστοῦ ἑλκόμενος, καὶ πρὸς τὸ δέον ἀγόμενος, θεοσεβεῖ. Ὄθεν οὐδ' εἰ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν ἐξουσίαν λάβοι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ πράττειν τὰ ἀπηγορευμένα, ἀτιμώρητός τε ὤν, οὐδ' εἰ καὶ μισθὸν τὰ μακάρων ἀγαθα λήψεσθαι ἐπὶ τοισδε ἐπαγγελίαν προσλάβοι, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ λήσεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν ἐφ' οἶς πράττει πεισθείη· ὅπερ ἀδύνατον· πρᾶξαι τι παρὰ τὸν λόγον τὸν ὀρθὸν ἐθελήσαι ποτ' ἄν, τὸ ὄντως καλὸν καὶ αἴρετὸν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ταύτῃ ἀγαπητὸν εἶναι ἅπαξ ἐλόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν γαστρὸς βορᾷ τὸ χρηστὸν εἶναι διειλήφαγεν. Ἀκήκοε δ' ἐκεῖνος ὡς βρῶμα ἡμᾶς οὐ παραστήσει, οὐδὲ μὴν γάμος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀποχὴ γάμου ἐν ἀγνωσία, ἀλλὰ τὸ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἔρςον τὸ γνωστικόν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ κύων, τὸ ζῶον τὸ ἄλογον, ἐγκρατὲς λεγέσθω, τὸν ἐπαιρόμενον τὴν βακτηρίαν δεδιὸς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοῦ ὅψου ἀπεχόμενον. Τῶν τοιούτων, εὖ ἴσθι, ὅτι περιαιρεθεῖσα ἡ ὑπόσχεσις ἡ προεπηγγελμένη, καὶ ὁ φόβος περιγραφεὶς ὁ ἐπηπειλημένος, καὶ χωρισθεὶς ὁ κίνδυμενος ὁ ἐπηρτημένος, τὴν πρόθεσιν ἐλέγχει. Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Στρωματεων, Λόγος Τεταρτος, Κεφ ΚΓ'

But he who is obedient to the call, insofar as he is called, neither is so for  fear, nor for pleasure, but he advances to knowledge. For he does not look toward any extrinsic lucrative gain or enjoyment to come to him, but being pious he is drawn by the love of the One who is the true and the rightful object of love. And so it is that not even were we to suppose such a man had received permission from God to do things forbidden with impunity, not even if he were to be promised that he would receive as a reward the good things of the blessed, and not even if he were persuaded that God would not know what he does, something which is impossible, would he ever be willing to do anything contrary to right reason, having chosen what is truly worthy to be chosen and truly good in itself, and therefore to be loved. For it is not in the food of the belly that we have heard good to be situated, for he has heard that 'meat will not profit us,' and it is not found in marriage, nor in ignorant refusal of marriage, but in virtuous knowledgeable conduct. Even the dog, which is an irrational animal, may be said to be continent, fearing as it does the uplifted stick, and thereby it keeps away from the meat. But from such a nature, know well, that with the predicted promise taken away, the threatened dread cancelled, and the impending danger removed, the character is demonstrated. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 4, Ch 22.

A Man Who Was Unable To Do Much

Ἀδελφός τις ἠρώτησε ἀββᾶν Ἰωσὴφ, λέγων· Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι οὔτε κακοπαθῆσαι δύναμαι, οὐδὲ ἐργάσασθαι καὶ δοῦναι ἀγάπην; Λέγει αύτῷ ὁ γέρων· Εἰ οὐ δύνασαι τούτων οὐδὲ ἒν ποιῆσαι, κὰν τήρησον τὴν συνείδησίν σου ἀπὸ τοῦ πλησίον σου ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ, καὶ σὼζῃ. ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

A certain brother said to Father Joseph of Panephos, ' What should I do? I am unable to bear suffering, nor can I work, nor can I perform acts of charity.' The elder said to him 'If you are not able to do these things hold your conscience from any evil thought about your neighbor and you may be saved.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Bearing with Others

Ὁ ἀββᾶς Παῦλος ὁ κοσμίτης καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἐκαθέζοντο ἐν τῇ Σκὴτει· καὶ πολλαχῶς ἐγίνετο μεταξὺ αὐτῶν ἀντολογία. Λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Παῦλος· Ἔως πότε μένομεν οὕτως; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Τιμόθεος· Ποίησον ἀγάπην· ὅταν ἔρχωμαι ἐπάνω σου, Βαστάζω με· καὶ ὅταν ἔρχῃ καὶ σὺ  ἐπάνω μου, Βαστάζω σε κἀγώ. Καὶ ποιὴσαντες οὕτως ἀνεπάησαν τὰς ἐπιλοίπους αὐτῶν ἡμέρας. ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Paul Kosmites and his brother Timotheus dwelt in Sketis and often dissension arose between them. Father Paul said, 'How long are we to remain like this?' Father Timotheus said, 'Be charitable; when I trouble you, bear with me and when you are are burden to me I shall suffer you.' And doing so they had peace the rest of their days. Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

A Spur To Improve

Ὁτι παντάσασιν ἀκερδής ἐστιν ἡ κακία, καὶ πρὸς τὰ παρόντα φαύλη σύνοικος, καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἰσχυρὰ κατήγορος, φήσουσί σοι πολλοί. Τί τοίνυν αὐτήν ἀσπάζῃ καὶ περιέπεις, Κακόβουλε μᾶλλον ἢ ΕὐΒουλε; Ἥν φεύγων ὡς πᾶσι τοῖς καλοὶς πολεμίαν, καὶ Θεῷ φανήσῃ καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἀοίδιμος. Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλίον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή ΣΞΑ', Εὐβουλῳ

Many have said to you that evil is utterly unprofitable, since in the present it places one amid wickedness and in the future it bring strong denunciation. Why then should I not greet you and refer to you as a man of evil will rather than as one of good will? Yet if you flee from being an enemy to all that is fair, you may appear both to men and to God as one worth celebrating. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 261, to Euboulos

Counsel in Trials

Unusquisque se a proximo suo custodiat: et in omni fratre suo non habeat fiduciam, quia omnis frater supplantatione supplantabit, et omnis amicus fraudulenter incedet; et vir fratrem suum deridebit et veritatem non loquentur. Docuerunt enim linguam suam loqui mendacium, sive didicit enim lingua eorum loqui mendacium, ut inique agarent, laboraverunt. sive inique egerunt et non intermiserunt ut converterentur. Habitation tua in medio doli, in dola, sive usura super usuram et dolus in dolo, renuerunt, sive noluerunt, scire me, dicit Dominus.  Hoc loco utendum est in tempore persecutionis et angustiae, quando aut rara, aut nulla fides est: quando nec fratri nec proximo credendum est et inimici hominis domestici eius, quando juxta Evangelium: Tradet pater filium, et filius patrem, et dividentur duo in tres et tres in duo. Quodque infert, 'Docuerunt linguam suam loqui mendacium', sive 'didicit lingua eorum loqui mendacium,' ostendit consuetudinem mentiendi quodamodo in naturam verti: studioseque eos agere, ut agant iniqua. Quodque sequitur, Habitatio tua in medio doli, in dolo, proprie ad Prophetam sermo dirigitur, quod habitet in medio populi mentientis; sive ut Septuaginta transtulerunt: Usura super usuram et dolus super dolum: et quod quotidie augeant scelera, et nequaquam eos prioris facti poeniteat, sed novis praeterita cumulent. Haec facientes, omni aguat studio, ut nesciant Dominum, qui haec non facienda praecepit. Propterea haec dicit Dominus exercituum: Ecce ego conflabo, sive, igne examinabo et probabo eos. Quid enim aliud faciam a facie filiae populi mei, sive quid faciam a facie malitiae filiae populi mei?   Quotiescumque angustiis subjacemus, mala recipimus a Deo, et examinamur persecutionibus, ut quidquid in nobis adulterinae materiae est, tribulationum et miseriarum exuratur ardoribus: 'Argentum enim Domini igne examinatum probatum terrae, purgatum septuplim.' Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentariorum In Jeremiam Propheta, Lib II, Cap IX

Let everyone guard himself against his neighbour and have no trust in any brother, for every brother is a supplanter and every friend walks along with deceit, every man derides his brother and no one speaks the truth; they have shown their own tongues to speak lies, or they have taught their tongue to speak lies; 'they exert themselves so that they may do iniquity, or they do iniquity and do not cease, so as to repent. Your habitation is in the midst of deceit, in deceit, or usury on usury and deceit on deceit, they refuse, or they do not wish, to know me, says the Lord. This passage should be used in time of persecution and distress, when faith is either rare or does not exist at all, when neither brother nor neighbour can be trusted, when a man's enemies are of his own house, when, in accordance with the Gospel: Father deliverers up son, and son father, and two are divided against three and three against two. And by adding 'They have shown their own tongues to speak lies,' or 'They have taught their own tongues to speak lies,' he shows that their habit of lying turns into a lying nature, and that they are diligent to act, that is, iniquitously. And as for what follows, 'Your habitation is in the midst of deceit,' properly this word is addressed to the Prophet since he dwells in the midst of a lying people, or, as the Septuagint has translated: ' Usury on usury and deceit on deceit,' because every day they augment their crimes and they will not repent of what they have done but heap new evils on the old. They do such things, as they do all things with eagerness, so that they do not know the Lord, who commanded that these things should not be done. Therefore the Lord of Hosts says this: 'Behold I will burn them 'or 'I will examine them with fire, 'and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people,' or 'because of the evil of my people?' Whenever we are subject to trials, receive evil from God, and are tested by persecutions, it is so that whatever in us is impure material  may be burnt away by the fires of tribulation and mercy:  'We are silver examined by the fire of the Lord, refined on the ground, purified seven times.' Saint Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah, Book 2

The Reproaches of the Lost

Quod ad nos attinet, conscientiae nostrae convenit, frater charissime, dare operam, ne quis culpa nostra de Ecclesia pereat. Si autem quis ultro et crimine suo perierit, et poenitentiam agere atque ad Ecclesiam redire noluerit, nos in die judicii inculpatos futuros, qui consulimus sanitati, illos in poenis remansuros, qui noluerint consilii nostri salubritate sanari. Nec movere nos debent convicia perditorum quominus a via recta et a certa regula non recedamus, quando et Apostolus instruat, dicens: 'Si hominibus placerem, Christi servus non essem.' Interest utrum quis homines promereri, an Deum cupiat. Si hominibus placetur, Dominus offenditur: si vero id enitimur et elaboramus ut possimus Deo placere, et convicia et maledicta debemus humana contemnere. Sanctus Cyprianus, Epistola Ad Cornelium Papam

It belongs to us, it befits our conscience, dearest brother, to labour that none should perish going out of the Church by our own fault; but if any one, of his own accord and by his own offence, should perish, and should be unwilling to repent and to return to the Church, then we who are anxious for their well-being will be blameless in the day of judgment, and they alone will remain in punishment who refused to be healed by the wholesomeness of our counsel. Nor should we be moved by the reproaches of the lost that we move even a little from the right path and from the sure rule, when the apostle instructs us, saying, 'If I should please men, I would not be the servant of Christ.'1 There is a difference between the one who would deserve well of men and the one who desires God. If we seek to please men, the Lord is offended, but if we strive that we might please God, we should scorn human abuse and curses. Saint Cyprian, Letter to Pope Cornelius 1 Gal 1.10

Saving Others

Τοιοῦτον τοίνυν ἔχοντες Δεσπότην, οὕτω φιλάανθρωπον, οὕτως ἀγαθὸν, οὕτως ἥμερον, καὶ τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας φροντίζωμεν, καὶ τῶν ἀδελγῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ σωτηρίας ὑπόθεσις γενήσεται, ὅταν καὶ τὸν πλησίον ὠφελῶμεν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ὁδὸν χειραγωγῶμεν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅσον ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν τὸ δυνηθῆναι μετὰ τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας καὶ ἕτερον κερδᾶναι, ἄκουσον ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος τοῦ προφήτου· Ὁ ἐξάγων τίμιον ἐξ ἀναξίου, ὡς στόμα μου ἔσται. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Ὁ ἐκ τῆς πλάνῃς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, φησὶ, χειραγωγῶν, ἣ ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας πρὸς ἀρετὴν ὁδηγῶν τὸν πλησίον, κατὰ δύναμιν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐμὲ μιμεῖται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον, Θεὸς ὤν, τὴν ἡμετέραν ὑπέδυ σάρκα, καὶ διὰ τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος. Καὶ τί λέγω, τὴν ἡμετέραν ὑπέδυ σάρκα, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ ἄνθρώπινα ὑπέμεινεν, ὅπου γε καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν κατεδέξσατο, ἵνα ἡμᾶς τοὺς ὑπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν προδεδομένους τῆς κατάρας ἐλευθερώσῃ; Καὶ βοᾷ τοῦτο Παῦλοκ λέγων· Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς καράρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα. Εἰ τοίνυν αὐτὸς, Θεὸς ὢν καὶ τῆς οὐσίας ἐκείνης τῆς ἀποῥῥήτου τυγχάνων, διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ἄφατον ταῦτα ἄπανατα κατεδέξατο δι' ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν· τὶ οὐκ ἅν εἴημεν αὐτοὶ δίκαιοι περὶ τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἐπιδείξασθαι καὶ τὰ μέλη τὰ ἡμέτερα, ὥστε καὶ τῆς φάρυγγος αὐτοὺς ἐξαρπάσαι τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδὸν χειραγωγῆσαι; Ὅσῳ γὰρ ψυχὴ σώματος κρείσσων, τοσούτῳ εῶν χρήμασι βοηθούντων τοῖς δεομένοις, οὖτοι μειζόνων ἀξιοῦνται τῶν ἀμοιβῶν οἱ διὰ τῆς παραινέσεως καὶ τῆς συνεχοῦς διδασκαλίας τοὺς ῥᾳθύμους καὶ ἀναπεπτωκότας ἀνάγοντες ἐπὶ τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν, καὶ δεικνύντες τῆς μὲν κακίας τὸ δυσειδὲς, τῆς δὲ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀρετῆς τὴν πολλὴν εὐμορφίαν. Ὁμῖλία Γ Εἰς Την Γενεσιν, Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος

Thus possessing such a Lord, so benevolent, so good, so gentle, let us think of the salvation of our household and our brothers, for even this shall be an occasion of our own salvation, when we are concerned for the advantage of our neighbour, that we may lead him on the way of truth. And that we may learn how much good we may gather by the salvation of others, hear the prophet saying in the person of God, ' He who leads the precious from the worthless shall be as my mouth'  But what does this mean? It is he who leads from error to truth, he says, who leads by the hand his neighbour from sin to virtue, and insofar as a man is able to do this he is my imitator. For even He, God himself, took on our flesh, and for the salvation of the human race was made man. But why do I say he put on our flesh, and suffered human things, even to the taking up of the cross, that thus he liberate us who are obnoxious from the curse of sin? And this also Paul cries forth, saying, 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law and was made for us a curse.' If then God who is ineffable of essence, on account of inexpressible benignity underwent all this for our salvation, why is it not rightly asked of us that we save our own relatives from the jaws of the devil and lead them onto the way of virtue? For as that soul is more good in the body that goes to the aid of those who lack, so they are worthy of greater rewards who in warning and continual teaching induce the weak and indolent onto the right way, showing them the deformity of the vices and the great beauty of the divine virtues. Third Homily on Genesis, Saint John Chrysostom

The Image of God

Τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα μὴ έν σώματι εἶναι, ἐν δὲ τῇ λογικῇ ψυχῇ, παραστήσει οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον δόγμα, καταλαβὼν τίνες δυνάμεις εἰσὶν αὐτῆς. Ἡ γὰρ γνωστικὴ δύναμις ἡ ἐν τῳ ἀνθρώπῳ, κριτική τε καὶ εὐποιητικὴ, δικαιοπρακτική τε καὶ ἐῥῥωμένη, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς παντὸς καλοῦ ἐπιτελεστικὴ, κατ' εἰκόνα ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγόνασιν αὐτῷ. Ὅτι δὲ τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα αἱ πράξεις χαρακτηρίζουσι, καὶ οὐχὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος μορφὴ, σαφῶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίνος φησί· Καθὼς ἐφορέσαμεν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοίνοῦ, οὕτως φορέσωμεν καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου. Εἰκόνα μὲν γὰρ φορεὶ χοίκὴν ὁ κατὰ σάρκα ζῶν, καὶ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός· εἰκόνα δὲ τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ὁ τῷ πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τῆς σαρκὸς θανατῶν. Καὶ ἐν ἑτέρᾳ δὲ ἐπιστολῇ διδάσκων ὡς δεῖ βιοῦν, ἐπιφέρει ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τὸ, ' Ἵνα γένησθε κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος. Κύριος μακρόθυμος, καὶ ὁ μακρόθυμος ἄνθρωπος ἔχει τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ. Δίκαιος καὶ ὅσιος ὁ Κύριος, καὶ οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων ὁ Κύριος. Οὐκοῦν ὁ αγαπῶν δικαιοσύνην καὶ ὁσιότητα, καὶ πράττων καὶ τηρῶν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν. Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες ὡς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν οἰκτίρμων, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν. εἰκὼν γίνεται κατὰ πάντα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Την Γενεσιν

'According to the image' 1 concerns not  the body but the rational soul, a teaching not to be condemned if one grasps the faculties that are in it. For in man are the faculties of knowing and judging and doing good and performing what is just and fortitude and, as once said, it is a doer of every good, and this is being according to the image of God. For it is the actions, not the form of the body, that represent to us the image of God, as the Apostle reveals in the Letter to the Corinthians when he says 'In that way we have carried an earthly image, so let us carry a heavenly image.' And he carries the earthly image who lives according to the flesh and performs works of the flesh, and the heavenly image is of the one who with the spirit mortifies carnal acts. And in another letter he teaches the precepts of life, among other things saying, 'That you might be an image of Him who created you. The Lord is long suffering, therefore let a man be long suffering that he be an image of God. And the Lord is just and holy, merciful and compassionate. Therefore he who loves righteousness and sanctity, acting so as to observe the commandments of the Saviour: 'Be merciful just as your Father is merciful,' and 'Be perfect, like your Father in heaven is perfect.', becomes an image of God in all things. Origen, On Genesis 1 Gen 1.26

The Imitators of God

Ἐπιγνοὺς δὲ τίνος οἴει πληρωθήσεσθαι χαρᾶς; ἢ πῶς ἀγαπήσεις τὸν οὕτως προαγαπήσαντά σε; ἀγαπήσας δὲ μιμητὴς ἔσῃ αὐτοῦ τῆς χρηστότητος. καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ δύναται θέλοντος αὐτοῦ. οὐ γὰρ τὸ καταδυναστεύειν τῶν πλησίον οὐδὲ τὸ πλέον ἔχειν βούλεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων οὐδὲ τὸ πλουτεῖν καὶ βιάζεσθαι τοὺς ὑποδεεστέρους εὐδαιμονεῖν ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις δύναταί τις μιμήσασθαι θεόν, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐκτὸς τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλειότητος. ἀλλ’ ὅστις τὸ τοῦ πλησίον ἀναδέχεται βάρος, ὃς ἐν ᾧ κρείσσων ἐστὶν ἕτερον τὸν ἐλαττούμενον εὐεργετεῖν ἐθέλει, ὃς ἃ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λαβὼν ἔχει, ταῦτα τοῖς ἐπιδεομένοις χορηγῶν θεὸς γίνεται τῶν λαμβανόντων, οὗτος μιμητής ἐστι θεοῦ. τότε θεάσῃ τυγχάνων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι θεὸς ἐν οὐρανοῖς πολιτεύεται, τότε μυστήρια θεοῦ λαλεῖν ἄρξῃ, Ἐπιστολη Προς Διογνητον

And with this knowledge of God, with what joy do you think you will be filled? Or how will you love Him who has first loved you? And by loving you will be an imitator of His kindness. And do not be amazed that a man who is willing can do this. For it is not by oppressing neighbours, or by wishing to hold power over those that are weaker, or by being rich and violent towards those who lack, that happiness is found, nor can any one by such things be an imitator of God. For these things do not at all constitute His majesty. But it is he who takes up the burden of his neighbour, he who, in whatever way he may be greater, is ready to benefit another who is inferior, he who, from those things he has received from God, supplies these to those in need, becoming godlike to those receiving, who is an imitator of God. Then you will see, while on earth, that God in heaven rules; then you will begin to speak the mysteries of God. The Letter to Diognetes

A Liberal Sect in the Early Church

Adamites ex Adam dicti cuius imitantur in paradiso nuditatem, quae fuit ante peccatum. Unde et nuptias aversantur, quia nec priusquam peccasset Adam nec priusquam dimissus esset de paradiso, cognovit uxorem. Credunt ergo quod nuptiae futurae non fuissent si nemo peccasset. Nudi itaque mares feminaeque conveniunt, nudi lectiones audiunt, nudi orant, nudi celebrant sacramenta, et ex hoc paradisum suam arbitrantur ecclesiam.   Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, De Haeresibus ad Quodvultdeum

The Adamites, who are named from Adam, imitate the nudity of paradise before there was sin. They are averse to marriage since there was no marriage before there was sin, nor did Adam know his wife prior to being expelled from paradise. Thus they believe there will be no future nuptials if no one sins. Male and female they come together in the nude, they listen to the readings in the nude, they pray in the nude, they celebrate the sacraments in the nude, and because of this they adjudge their church to be paradise. Saint Augustine of Hippo, On Heresies, To Quodvultdeus.