Attaining Excellence

Kύριε τίς παροικήσει ἐν τῷ σκηνώματί σου καὶ τίς κατασκηνώσει ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ἁγίῳ σου; Πορευόμενος ἄμωμος, καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην. Οὐ γαρ μία πρᾶξις τελειοῖ τὸν σπουδαῖον, αλλὰ παντὶ προσῆκε τῷ βίῳ ταις κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐνεργείαις συμπαρατείνεσθαι, ἵνα ἄμωμοι καὶ ἀνέγκλητοι κατ' αὐτὴν γενώμεθα τὴν ὁδόν. Είη δ' ἄν αὕτη ἡ σωτήριος γνῶσις, ἦν αὐτὸς παριστὰς ἔλεγεν· Ἐγώ εῖμι ἡ ὁδός. Δεῖ γὰρ πρὸς τῷ πρώτῳ κατορθώματι, καὶ τῆς δι' ἔργων καὶ πράξεων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ πρόνοιαν ποιεῖσθαι. Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισάρειος, Ὑπομνηματα Ἐις Τους ψαλμους, ψαλμος ΙΔ´ Source: Migne PG 23.152c

O Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle and who shall come to rest on your holy mount? He who comes blameless and works righteousness. 1 For it is not with a single deed that excellence is accomplished, but one comes to it with works of virtue stretching out through the whole of life. Thus we become blameless and faultless on the way. And this may be that saving knowledge which He brought forth with these words: 'I am the way.' 2 For it is necessary that with the first thing rightly done, one fashion through works and deeds of righteousness what is foretold. Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 14 1 Ps 14.1-2 2 Jn 14.6