Seeking And Finding

Μὴ δῶτε τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ βάλητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων ... Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε· κρούετε, καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν. Ἵνα μὴ ἀγνοῶσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ, τίνες εἰσὶν κύνες, ἢ χοῖροι ἐν τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς, ἐπιμόνως ζητήσατε, φησὶν, ἐκ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται ὑμῖν πάντα. Ἀρχὴ μὲν γὰρ ἀρετῆς τὸ δι' εὐχῆς γνῶναι τὸ ἀγαθόν· εἶτα τὸ εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ὁδεῦσαι τὴν ἀρετήν· τρίτον τὸ διὰ τῶν ἔργων κρούειν ἀνοιγῆναι αὑτῷ τὴν θύραν. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει ἡ διὰ τῶν χειρῶν κροῦσις. Τρισσῶς γὰρ ἡ τῶν σωτηρίων δογμάτων ἀλήθεια λαμβάνεται, ἐπιμελεῖ εὐχῇ, καὶ τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ ἐν τῷ ζητεῖν τὰ θεῖα καταστάσει, καὶ περὶ τοῦ εὑρεῖν συναισθήτως τῆς τῶν κεκρυμμένων Γραφῶν ἀσφαλείας τὸ βάθος, ἀκριβεῖ πολυπραγμοσύνῃ· οὕτω γὰρ ἀνοίγεσθαί φησι τὰς Γραφάς. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον Ἐπαγγελιον Source: Migne PG 17.292 a-b

Do not give what is holy to dogs, not cast your pearls before pigs... Ask it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened to you. 1 Lest the disciples be ignorant that there are some who are dogs and some who are pigs among those who hear, He says that one should seek without delay from God and all things shall be revealed. For it is the beginning of virtue to know the good by prayer, and then to know how one must travel on the way of virtue, thirdly to knock with works, by which the door is opened. For this means that the knocking is by the hands. The threefold truth of the teachings of salvation is understood as: diligence in prayer, a seeking of Divine things in a stable state of mind, and for finding a feeling of certainty for the depths of the hidden things of Scripture. This is the way He says that the Scriptures are opened. Origen, On the Gospel of St Matthew, Fragment 1 Mt 7.5-6