The Blessed Man And Others

Μακάριος ὁ ἀνὴρ ὃς οὐκ ἐπορεύθη ἐν βουλῇ ἀσεβῶν. Ἐπεὶ φυσικῶς ὀρεγόμεθα πάντες τοῦ μακάριοι εἶναι, τέλος ἀγαθοῦ τὸ μακάριον ὁριζόμενοι, πεπλανημένως γε μὴν πολλοὶ τοῦτο μεταδιώκειν ἐν σωμάτων ἡδοναῖς ἡγοῦνται, πλούτους θαυμάζοντες καὶ ἀξιώματα, καὶ τὰς ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ τρυφάς· εἰκότως ὁ λόγος ἐν τούτοις ὅθεν ἐχρῆν τὴν καταρχὴν ἐποιήσατο τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν ὑμνῳδίας, τὸν ἀληθῶς μακάριον καὶ τέλους ἀγαθοῦ τοῦ παρὰ Θεῷ ἠξιωμένον ὑπογράφων. Καὶ ἐνθάδε μὲν διὰ τὸ σπάνιον τῶν πάλαι πρότερον κατορθούντων ἕνα τινὰ μακαρίζει· ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν πλείονας ποιῶν μακαρίους, πληθυντικῶς τοὺς μακαρισμοὺς προσφέρεται. Πάντων δὲ πρῶτος αὐτὸς ἂν εἴη ὁ μακαριζόμενος· διὸ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀνοίσει τις τὸν παρόντα ψαλμὸν, ἅτε γενόμενον ἄνδρα τῆς νύμφης αὐτοῦ Ἐκκλησίας· τοῦτο δὲ ἔοικεν ἡ Ἑβραϊκὴ φωνὴ παριστᾷν, καθ' ἣν μακάριος ὁ ἀνὴρ μετὰ τῆς τοῦ ἄρθρου προσθήκης εἴρηται. Καὶ ἐν ὁδῷ ἁμαρτωλῶν οὐκ ἔστη, καὶ ἐπὶ καθέδραν λοιμῶν οὐκ ἐκάθισεν. Πρῶτοί εἰσιν οἱ τὴν ψευδώνυμον ἔχοντες γνῶσιν, μηδὲν ἔχοντες ἑστηκὸς, ἀλλ' ἀνεξετάστοις κινούμενοι λογισμοῖς ἐν οἷς ἂν βουληθῶσιν, οἱ ἀσεβεῖς. Δεύτεροι πάντες οἱ μετὰ γνῶσιν ἀληθείας ἐξαμαρτάνοντες. Οἱ δὲ λοιμοὶ τρίτοι, μὴ μόνον νοσοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ φθοροποιοῦ διδασκαλίας μεταδιδόντες τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἢ κατὰ γνῶσιν ἢ κατὰ πρᾶξιν, ἢ κατ' ἀμφότερα· οἳ καὶ ἐνίδρυνται τῷ κακῷ, τῶν δευτέρων ἑστηκότων ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, τῶν δὲ πρώτων ὁδευόντων ἐν πλάνῃ. Ὁ δὲ πάντων τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένος μακάριος. Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισάρειος, Ὑπομνηματα Ἐις Τους Ψαλμους, Ψαλμὸς Αʹ Source: Migne PG 23.76c-77a

Blessed is the man who does not go off into the counsel of the godless.. 1 Since by nature we all desire to be happy, the end of the good man is said to be happiness, but being deceived many are led to think that they should seek this in the pleasures of the body, and in the magnificence of wealth and honour here, and in the delights of the present life, whence rightly this is placed at the beginning of the hymns praising God, in which is described who the blessed man really is, and it follows that the good end is from God. And here because certainly in the past those who lived rightly were rare, so the Psalmist speaks of one man who is blessed. But our Saviour who makes many blessed, adds an abundance of blessed ones. And He is the first among those who are blessed. Certainly the first Psalm must be referred to Him, as the man of whom the bride is the Church. And the Hebrew seems to signify this, according to which, Blessed is 'the' man, is said, with the article. ...and in the way of sinners he does not stand, and in the seat of pestilence he does not sit. The first are those who having the false name of knowledge, have nothing stable , but shifting about with untested thoughts, in which they delight, they are wicked men. The second are all those who after knowing the truth turn to error. The third are not only those who are diseased but they give to others the teachings of corruption, either of knowledge, or deeds, or both. They are sat in evil, the second stand in sin, and the first walk in the way of error. But the blessed man is delivered from all of them. Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 1 1 Ps 9.10-11 2 Mt 7.13, 5.3

Exultation and the Righteous

Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, δίκαιοι, ἐν Κυρίῳ· τοῖς εὐθέσι πρέπει αἴνεσις Συνήθης τῇ Γραφῇ τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως ἡ φωνὴ, φαιδροτάτην τινὰ καὶ περιχαρῆ κατάστασιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις εὐθυμίας ἐμφαίνουσα.  Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε οὐν, δίκαιοι, ἐν Κυρίῳ· μὴ ὅταν ὑμῖν εὐθηνῆται τὰ κατὰ τὸν οἶκον, μὴ ὅταν εὐεκτῆτε τῷ σώματι, μὴ ὅταν αἱ ἄρουραι πληθύνωσι καρπῶν παντοδαπῶν· ἀλλ' ὅτι Κύριον ἔχετε, τοιοῦτον μὲν τὸ κάλλος, τοιοῦτον δὲ τὴν ἀγαθότητα, τὴν σοφίαν τοιοῦτον. Ἀρκείτω ὑμῖν ἡ ἐπ' αὐτῷ εὐφροσύνη. Καὶ ἔοικεν ὁ μετ' εὐφροσύνης καὶ χαρᾶς ἐπαγαλλόμενος τινι τῶν περισπουδάστων, οὕτως ἀγαλλιᾷν ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Διὸ τοὺς δικαίους παρορμᾷ ὁ λόγος αἰσθάνεσθαι μετὰ τοῦ ἀξιώματος, ὅτι τοιούτου Δεσπότου δοῦλοι εἶναι κατηξιώθησαν, καὶ ἐπαγάλλεσθαι αὐτοῦ τῇ δουλείᾳ μετὰ χαρᾶς ἀμυθήτου καὶ σκιρτημάτων, τῆς καρδίας οἱονεὶ πηδώσης τῷ ἐνθουσιασμῷ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ. Εἴ ποτέ σου τῇ καρδίᾳ οἱονεὶ φῶς ἐμπεσὸν ἀθρόαν Θεοῦ ἔννοιαν ἐνεποίησε, καὶ περιέλαμψε σου τὴν ψυχὴν, ὥστε ἀγαπῆσαι μὲν τὸν Θεὸν, καταφρονῆσαι δὲ κόσμου καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν πάντων, ἐκ τῆς ἀμυδρᾶς ἐκείνης καὶ βραχείας εἰκόνος γνώρισον τὴν ὅλην τῶν δικαίων κατάστασιν, ὁμαλῶς καὶ ἀδιακόπως τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ εὐφροσύνην κατορθούντων. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον ΛΒ' Ψαλμον

Exult, O righteous, in the Lord, praise befits the upright. 1 Common to the Scriptures is the voice of exultation, which shows by hilarity and happiness the state of the soul in those worthy of joy. Exalt, then, do the righteous in the Lord. And may we not exult when it happens to us that the things of our house prosper, nor when we have the goods of the body, nor when the fields are full of every kind of fruit, but because we have the Lord, with such beauty, such goodness, such wisdom. And may the joy of it be pleasing to you. And as a man who abounds in something appears with joy and cheer rejoicing, so rejoice in this. And may these words encourage the righteous, that they regard they own worth, and that they exult to be worthy of being servants of such a Master, in that service exulting with unspeakable joy and excitement, with the heart jumping from the infusion of the love of the good. If ever on your heart this light falls and you are suddenly given the knowledge of God, and your soul is enlightened, that you love God and disdain the world and all worldly things, from that faint and brief similitude, understand the whole state of the righteous, who uniformly and immovably delight in God. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 32 1 Ps 32.1

The End of Righteousness

Cavete facere iustitiam vestram coram hominibus, ut videamini ab eis. Numquid hoc voluit dicere, ut quaecumque bona facimus, abscondamus ab oculis hominum, et timeamus videri? Si times spectatores, non habebis imitatores: debes ergo videri. Sed non ad hoc debes facere ut videaris. Non ibi debet esse finis gaudii tui, non ibi terminus laetitiae tuae, ut putes te totum fructum consecutum esse boni operis tui, cum visus fueris atque laudatus. Nihil est hoc. Contemne te cum laudaris: ille in te laudetur, qui per te operatur. Noli ergo ad laudem tuam operari quod bonum agis, sed ad laudem illius a quo habes ut bonum agas. Abs te habes male agere, a Deo habes bene agere. Contra perversi homines videte quam praeposteri sint. Quod faciunt bene, volunt sibi tribuere: si male faciunt, Deum volunt accusare. Converte hoc distortum nescio quid et praeposterum, faciens illud quodammodo capite deorsum: quod susum, faciens iusum: quod deorsum, faciens sursum. Iusum vis facere Deum, et te susum? Praecipitaris, non elevaris: ille enim semper sursum est. Quid ergo? tu bene, et Deus male? Imo hoc dic, si vis verius dicere: Ego male, ille bene; et quod ego bene, ab illo bene: nam a me quidquid ago male. Ista confessio firmat cor, et facit dilectionis fundamentum. Nam si opera nostra abscondere debemus bona, ne videantur ab hominibus; ubi est illa sententia Domini in eo sermone quem habuit in monte? Ubi hoc dixit, ibi et illud paulo ante dixit: Luceant opera vestra bona coram hominibus. Et non ibi cessavit, non ibi finem fecit; sed addidit: Et glorificent Patrem vestrum qui in coelis est. Et Apostolus quid ait? Eram autem ignotus facie Ecclesiis Iudaeae, quae in Christo sunt: tantum autem audientes erant quia qui nos aliquando persequebatur, nunc evangelizat fidem quam aliquando vastabat; et in me magnificabant Deum. Videte quemadmodum et ipse, quia sic innotuit, finem non posuerit in laudem suam, sed in laudem Dei. Et quantum ad ipsum pertinet, vastator Ecclesiae, persecutor invidus, malignus, ipse confitetur, non nos conviciamur. Amat Paulus dici a nobis peccata sua, ut glorificetur ille qui talem morbum sanavit. Magnitudinem enim vulneris manus medici secuit, et sanavit. Vox illa de coelo prostravit persecutorem, et erexit praedicatorem; occidit Saulum, et vivificavit Paulum. Saul enim persecutor erat sancti viri 6; inde nomen habebat iste quando persequebatur Christianos: postea de Saulo factus est Paulus. Quid est Paulus? Modicus. Ergo quando Saulus, superbus, elatus: quando Paulus, humilis, modicus. Ideo sic loquimur, Paulo post videbo te, id est, post modicum. Audi quia modicus factus est: Ego enim sum minimus Apostolorum; et: Mihi minimo omnium sanctorum, dicit alio loco. Sic erat inter Apostolos tamquam fimbria vestimenti: sed tetigit Ecclesia Gentium tamquam fluxum patiens, et sanata est. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, In Epistolam Ioannis Ad Parthos Tractatus Decem, Tractatus VIII

'Take care that you do not your righteousness before men, that you be seen by them.' 1 Did He wish to say this, that whatever good things we do, we should hide them from the eyes of men and fear to be seen? If you fear spectators you will not have imitators; you should therefore be seen. But you must not do it to the end you may be seen. Not there should be the end of your joy, not there the goal of your happiness, that you should think to have obtained the whole fruit of your good work when you are seen and praised. It is nothing. Despise yourself when you are praised, let Him be praised in you who works through you. Therefore do not work the good you do for your own praise, but to the praise of Him from whom you are able to do good. From your self you have the ability to do evil, from God you can do well. On the other hand, look at perverse men, how preposterous they are. What they do well, they delight to ascribe to themselves; if they do badly they delight to accuse God. Turn around this distorted and preposterous thing, which puts the thing, as one may say, head downward, which makes that lowest which is highest, and that which is downwards makes upward. Do you want to make God the lowest and yourself the highest? You fall headlong, you do not lift yourself up, for He is always above. What then? You do well, and God does badly? Rather say this, if you would speak more truly, I do badly, He does well, and what I do well from Him I do well, for from myself whatever I do is bad. This confession strengthens the heart, and makes a foundation for love. For if we should hide our good works lest they be seen by men, what becomes of that sentence of the Lord in the sermon which He gave on the mount? Where He said this, there He also said a little before, 'Let your good works shine before men.' 2 And He did not stop there, He did not there make an end there, but added, 'And glorify your Father which is in Heaven.' And what does the Apostle say? 'And I was unknown by face to the Churches of Judea which were in Christ, for they heard only that he who once persecuted now preaches the faith which once he destroyed. And in me they glorified God.'  3 And see how he, becaming well known, did not turn it to his own praise but to the praise of God. And as regards him as a devastator of the Church, an envious persecutor, a man malignant, it is he himself who confesses this, not we that reproach him for it. Paul loves to have his sins spoken of by us, that He may be glorified who healed such a disease. For the greatness of the wound the hand of the physician cut and healed. That voice from heaven prostrated a persecutor and raised up a preacher, slew Saul and gave life to Paul. For as Saul was the persecutor of a holy man, so this man had his name when he persecuted the Christians. 4 Afterward Saul became Paul. What does Paul mean? In Latin little. Therefore when he was Saul he was proud, lifted up; when he was Paul, he was humble, little. Thus we say, I will see you ' paulo post,' that is, after a little while. Hear that he was made little: 'For I am the least of the Apostles,' 5 and, 'To me the least of all saints,' 6 he says in another place. So was he among the Apostles as the hem of the garment, but the Church of the Gentiles touched it, like she who suffered a flow of blood, and was healed. 7 Saint Augustine of Hippo,Ten Tractates on the Epislte of John to the Parthians, Tractate 8 1 Mat 6:1 2 Mt 5:16  3 Gal 1:22-24 4 1 Sam 19 5 1Cor 15.9 6 Eph 3.8 7 Mt 9:20-22

Birth, Suffering and Joy

Πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὰς λύπας σου καὶ τὸν στεναγμόν σου· ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα.  Τὰς ὠδῖνας ἐνταῦθα αἰνιττεται καὶ τὸν πολὺν κάματον ἐκεῖνον, ὄν ὑπομένειν ἀνάγκη, καθάπερ φορτίον ἐν μησὶ τοσούτοις τὸ βρέφος βαστάζουσαν, καὶ τὰς κατὰ μέρος φυομένας ἐνταῦθεν ἀλγηδόνας, καὶ τῶν μελων τὸν διασπασμὸν, καὶ τὰς ὀδύνας ἐκείνας τὰς ἀφορήτους, ἂς ἐκεῖναι μόναι ἴσασιν αἵ διὰ τῆς πείρας ἐλθοῦσαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσαύτην ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς παρέσχε μετὰ τῶν λυπηρῶν τὴν παραμυθίαν, ὡς ἰσόῥῥοπον εἶναι τὴν διὰ τὸ τεχθὲν βρέφος εὐφροσύνην τῶν ὠδίνων ἐκείνων τῶν ἐν τοσούτοις μησὶ τὴν γαστέρα διακοπτουσῶν. Αἵ γὰρ τοσοῦτον πόνον ὑπομένουσαι, καὶ οὕτως ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλγηδόνων σπαραττόμεναι, καὶ ὡς εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ζωὴν ἀπαγορεύουσαι, μετὰ τὸ τεκεῖν καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν καμάτων εὐφροσύνης ἀπολαῦσαι, πάλιν ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθόμεναι τῶν γεγενημένων ἀπάντων ἑαυτὰς ἐκδιδόασι πρὸς τὴν τῶν τέκνων γονην, τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ οὕτως οἰκονομήσαντος πρὸς σύστασιν τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας. Ἡ γὰρ ἐλπὶς ἀεὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν κούφως ποιεῖ φέρειν τὰ παρόντα λυπηρά. Καὶ τοῦτο ἴδοι τις ἂν καὶ τοὺς ἐμπόρους ὑπομένοντας, καὶ μακρὰ πελάγη διαπερῶντας, καὶ ναυαγίων ἀνεχομένους καὶ πειρατῶν, καὶ μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς κινδύνους ἐκείνους πολλάκις καὶ διαμαρτόντας τῆς προσδοκίας, καὶ μηεδὲ οὕτως ἀποστάντας, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τῶν αὐτῶν ἁπτομένους. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν γηπόνων ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι ὅτε βαθεῖαν αὔλακα ἀνατέμωσι, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς γῇς ἐπιδείξωνται, καὶ δαψιλῆ τὰ σπέρματα καταβάλωσι, πολλάκις αὐχμοῦ γενομένου ἢ ἐπομβρίας, ἢ πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ τέλει τν δρᾶγμάτων ἐρυσίβης κατενεχθείσης, τῆς ἐλπίδος διήμαρτον· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀφίστανται, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τοῦ καιροῦ καταλαβόντος, ἅπτονται τῆς γεωργίας. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐφ' ἐκάστου εὕποι τιη ἂν ἐπιτηδεύματος γινόμενον. Τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καὶ αὐτὴ πολλάκις μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς μῆνας ἐκείνους, μετὰ τὰς ὠδῖνας τὰς ἀφορήτους, μετὰ τὰς νύκτας τὰς αυπνους, μετὰ τὸν τῶν μελῶν διασπαμὸν, μικρᾶς τινος περιστάσεως γενομένης, πρὸ τοῦ προσήκοντος καιροῦ τὸ βρέφος ὠθήσασα ἀμόρφωτον καὶ ἀδιατύπωτον, ἢ καὶ νεκρὸν πολλάκις, μόλις τὸν κίνδυνον διέφυγε, καὶ ὅμως ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθομένη τούτων ἀπάντων, τῶν αὐτῶν ἀνέχεται, καὶ συναποθανεῖν τῷ τεχθένται συνέβη, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὰς λοιπὰς ἐσωφρόνισε καὶ ἀνέπεισε φυγεῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα· τοσαύτην ὁ Θεὸς ἐγκατέσπειρε τοῖς λυπηροῖς τὴν ἡδονὴν ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν εὐφροσύνην. Διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγε, 'Πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὰς λύπας σου καὶ τὸν στεναγμόν σου· ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα. Τοῦτο τοινυν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς διαλεγόμενος τοῖς μαθηταῖς καὶ δεικνὺς καὶ τῆς ὀδύνης τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, ἔλεγεν· Ἡ γυνὴ ὅταν τίκτῃ λύπην ἔχει, ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα αὐτῆς· εἶτα παραστῆσαι ἡμῖν βουλόμενος ὅπως τὰ μὲν τῆς λύπης ἀθρόον ἐκποδὼν γίνεται, τὰ δὲ τῆς χαρᾶς καὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης διαδέχεται, φησίν ' Ὅταν δὲ γεννήσῃ τὸ παιδίον, οὐκέτι μνημονεύει τῆς θλιψεως διὰ τὴν χαρὰν, ὅτι ἐγεννήθη ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.' Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος, Ὁμῖλία ΙΖ', Εἰς Την Γενεσιν

'I shall multiply your pains and your groans, in grief you shall birth children.'1  Here is meant the labours of birth and the many troubles which it is necessary to bear, all those months carrying the baby as if in a sack, and there the pains of swollen limbs and the rending cares and the intolerable griefs which only she will know, which only she by experience will suffer. But at the same time the benign God has given consolation with these griefs, compensating with the joy of the birth of the child all those months she suffered carrying it. For she who endures such labour and is wracked by such pains, that it is said that she almost despairs of her life, after she has given birth, all her griefs are dissipated for joy, and all her labours are forgotten by giving birth to a child, for such is the dispensation of the benign God for the preservation of the human race. For he always provides hope for future goods that present difficulties be lightened. And it is as merchants who take themselves aboard ship and who pass over great seas, braving the dangers of shipwreck and pirates, who come through many hazards by which hopes are often frustrated, and then they do not refrain from doing such a thing, but again they turn to it. And here also we may speak of farmers, for they cut their deep furrows and expend much care on the soil and throw down their bounty of seed, and often they suffer drought or excessive rains, and even collecting their sheaves a blight may fall and cut off their hope, and yet then neither do they desist, but again, when the appropriate time comes, they go to their labour. And this we see happening in every good work. So it is often with a woman who after many months, after grave pains, after sleepless nights, after the swelling of members, a little accident befalling, she delivers before the appropriate time an unformed child, and frequently it is lifeless, and scarcely will that peril be avoided, and yet as if she had forgotten all these things, she returns to her labour and she suffers that she might give birth again and it does not occur to her to fear it, nor is she inclined to avoid it, such pleasure and joy has God placed in these griefs. Thus he said: 'I shall multiply your pains and your groans, in grief you shall birth sons'. And Christ said to his disciples, openly referring to great pains and exceeding joy,'When a woman gives birth, she has grief, because her time has come.' 2 And then wishing to declare how all suffering is taken away to be succeeded by happiness and joy, He says, 'When she has given birth to a child, she no longer has memory of her affliction, on account of joy because she given birth to a man in the world.2   Saint John Chrysostom, On Genesis, from Homily 16  1 Gen 3.16 2. Jn 16.21

The Knowledge Of God

Τὴς μὲν γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ γνώσεως ἀπλανοῦς καὶ θεωρίας ἰσχνῆς καὶ ἀπεξεσμέμης, εἴη ἂν, ὥς γε οἴμαι, τὸ ὕστατον οὐδεν, ὸὐ περιουσίαι χρημάτων, οὐ λαμπτότης κοσμικὴ, καὶ ἀξιωμάτων ὅγκοι, οὐ σοφίας δόκησις τῆς ἐπιγείου καὶ ψυχικῆς καὶ δαιμονιώδους. Καὶ γοῦν ἔφη που Θεὸς, διὰ τῆς Ἰερεμίου φωνῆς· 'Μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ δυνατὸς ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ πλούσιος ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐν τούτῳ χαυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν τῷ συνιεῖν καὶ γνώσκειν τὸν Κύριον.' Ἔφη δέ που καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα καὶ Θεόν· ' Αὔτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ, ἵνα γινώσκωσι σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν, καὶ ὄν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.' Οὐκοῦν ἄριστον αὐχημάτων εἴη ἂν ἡ περὶ Θεοῦ γνῶσις. Ὀρθῶς δὲ ταῦτ' ἔχειν, καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς Ἐλλήνων λογάσι συνδοκεῖ. Καὶ γοῦν ὁ Ἀριστοτέλους μαθητὴς Ἀλέξανδρος, ἐν τῷ Περὶ τῆς καθ' ἔκαστα Προνοίας λόγῳ, φησίν, 'Ἴσως δὲ χρὴ τάληθὲς εἰπεῖν διὰ τῆς περὶ τὸ Θεῖον εὐσεβείας, τὸ μέγιστον μὲν τελεώτατον ἀγαθὸν πάντων δὲ τὸ εὐδαιμόνως ζῇν. Τοῦτο δὲ ὄν ἐν θεωριᾳ δείκνυται·ἡ δὲ θεωρία ἐν γνώσει τῶν ἀρίστων· ἄριστα δὲ ὁμολογειτᾶ πρὸς ἀπάντων εἰναι τὰ θεῖα. Τούτων γὰρ οὕτως ἐχόντων, ἐν τῇ γνώσει τῶν θείων εἴη ἂν ἡμῖν τὸ εὐδαιμονεῖν κείμενον. Οὐκοῦν, ὡς ἔφην ἀρτίως, τῶν περὶ Θεοῦ δογμάτων οὐδὲν ἂν γένοιτο τιμαλφέστερον τοῖς τῆς ἀληθοῦς σοφίας ἐρασταῖς. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Προς Τα Του Ἐν Ἀθεοις Ιὀυλιανου, Λογος Πεμπτος Source: Migne PG 76.740d-741b

Before the certain exact and accurate knowledge of God nothing must come, I think, no might of works, no splendour of the world, no praise of the worthy, no mundane wisdom of the worldly, and nothing of those inspired or possessed. Truly God spoke in the voice of Jeremiah, 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom and let not the powerful glory in their power and let not the rich man glory in his wealth, but let him glory in this who would glory, that he understands and knows the Lord.' 1 And the Saviour Himself said somewhere to God the Father who is in heaven, ' This is eternal life, that they know you only the true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.' 2 Therefore the best type of glory is the knowledge of God. And correctly about these things those celebrated among the Greeks agree. For a certain Alexander, follower of Aristotle, in his book On Providence writes, 'Perhaps it is true to say that piety toward God, the greatest of all and most perfect good, is to live well. And in contemplation it is shown, for contemplation is thought to be the most excellent of things, and as it is confessed by all that Divine things are the most excellent.' For happiness lies in us having possession of these things, in the knowledge of Divine things. Therefore, if I speak correctly, nothing is more honourable than devotion for true wisdom. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Against Julian, Book 5 1 Jerem 9.23-24 2 Jn 17.3

The Greatest Of Goods

Haec est summa omnium bonorum; haec est optima pars, quae nunquam auferetur, sed magis atque magis in pectore habentis ardescit; de qua duo dixerunt discipuli, cognita Domini facie in fractione panis: 'Nonne cor nostrum ardens erat in nobis, dum loqueretur in via, et aperiret nobis Scripturas'? Vos eam in Scripturis quaerite sanctis, intentissime scrutantes eas, ut cognoscatis Dominum vobis loquentem in eis.  Quid dulcius est quam Dei omnipotentis frui confabulatione? Quia qui legit sacratissimos sermones Domini, per sanctos suos nobis traditos, Deum loquentem audiet; et qui orat, Deo loquitur. Hae sacratissimae vicissitudines diem et noctem ducant in jubilationem; nec saecularis occupatio spiritalem subruat jucunditatem; quia vanitas vanitatem est, hujus saeculi deliciae et falsi amores; quia omnes hujus vitae jucunditates velut umbra transeunt, et velut spuma super aquam facile dissipantur. Ideo, dilectissimae et nobilissimae virgines, animas vestras in omni sanctitate et religione lectionisque studio exercete, ut Spiritus sanctus de coelo vestrae devotionis corda saepius visitare dignetur, qui pectora inhabitare dignoscitur charitate plena, et in sancta sapientia sollicita mente sudantes. Alcuinus,ex Epistola CXXXIX, Ad Sororem et Filiam Source: Migne PL 100.379a-b

This is the greatest of all goods, this is the best part, which can never be taken away, but it burns more and more in the heart of the one who possesses it, concerning which the disciples said, recognising the face of the Lord in the breaking of bread: 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking on the way and opening the Scriptures to us?' 1 You now look for it in the Sacred Scriptures and intently scrutinise them that you know the speech of the Lord in them. What is sweeter than to achieve conversation with God? He who reads the most sacred words of the Lord, by the saints handed down to us, hears God speaking, and he who prays, speaks with God. Let these most sacred exchanges day and night lead into jubilation, and do not let worldly occupations submerge spiritual happiness; because that is the vanity of vanities, the delights and false loves of the age, everything pleasing in this life passing like a shadow and like the foam on a wave disappearing. Therefore most delightful and noble ladies, exert your souls in every holy and religious work, that your devout hearts be often worthy of the visitations of the Holy Spirit from heaven, He who sees in hearts full with charity a habitation, and in minds straining in care for holy wisdom. Alcuin of York,Alcuin, from Letter 139, To a Sister and a Daughter 1 Lk 24.32

Learning and Praise

Hic sane cum epistolam tuam legerem, satis adverti animum cognoscere necessitatem tuam, cum ecce  mihi affers et dicis: Mores hominum non ignoratis, qui proclives sunt ad vituperandum, et quam, si  interrogatus quis non responderit, indoctus et hebes putabitur. Hoc loco vero exarsi ad rescribendum  tibi: hoc enim languore animi tui penetrasti mihi pectus, et irrupisti in curas meas, ut dissimulare non possem, quantum me Deus adiuvaret, mederi tibi; non ut de tuis quaestionibus enodandis  explicandisque cogitarem, sed ut felicitatem tuam pendentem ex linguis hominum atque nutantem a tam infelici retinaculo abrumperem, et cuidam sedi omnino inconcussae stabilique religarem. Tunc, o  Dioscore, nec Persium tuum respicis insultantem tibi contorto versiculo, sed plane puerile caput, si  sensus adsit, idoneo colapho contundentem atque coercentem: Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter? Tot, ut superius dixi, legisti dialogos, tot philosophorum altercationibus cor inseruisti. Dic mihi quis  eorum finem actionum suarum constituerit in fama vulgi, aut in lingua hominum vel bonorum atque  sapientium. Tu autem, et quod magis pudendum est, iam navigaturus, satis praeclare te in Africa  profecisse testaris, cum aliam ob causam te oneri non esse asseris negotiosissimis, et in alia longe  distantia intentis episcopis, ut tibi exponant Ciceronem, nisi quia times homines proclives ad  vituperandum, ne interrogatus ab eis, si non responderis, indoctus et hebes puteris! O rem dignam  vigiliis et lucubrationibus episcoporum! Non mihi videris aliunde dies noctesque cogitare, nisi ut in studiis tuis atque doctrina lauderis ab  hominibus. Quod etsi semper ad certa et recta tendentibus periculosum esse iudicavi, nunc tamen in te  maxime experior. Non enim aliunde quam ex eadem pernicie non vidisti qua tandem re possemus  moveri, ut tibi quod petebas daremus. Quam enim perverse tu ipse non ob aliud ad ea discenda quae  interrogas raperis, nisi ut lauderis, aut non vitupereris ab hominibus; tam perverse etiam nos putas in  tua petitione talibus causis allegatis moveri. Et utinam possemus efficere ut tu quoque tam inani atque  fallaci humanae laudis bono minime movereris, cum tibi nos indicaremus, non ad praestandum tibi  quod petis, quoniam haec de te scribis, sed ad te corrigendum moveri! Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, ex Epistola 118, Dioscoro

When I came to this in your letter, I turned eagerly to learn the nature of your necessity, and, behold, you bring it before me saying, 'You are not ignorant of the ways of men, how inclined they are to censure, and how if a man is questioned and he has no reply he will be thought uneducated and ignorant.' This truly set me on fire to reply to you, for here your weakness of soul  pierced my heart and burst into the midst of my cares, so that I could not refuse, so much as God might help me, to attend to you, not by thinking of resolutions to your knotty questions, but by cutting the rope that has your happiness hanging from the tongues of men and fastening it to a hold which is quite firm and immovable. Do you not, O Dioscorus,  remember a line your favourite Persius wove in which he mocks you, your puerile head, if you have sense to feel it, subduing and restraining, saying, 'To know is nothing to you unless another knows that you know'?1 You have, as I said, read so many dialogues, and turned your heart to the disputes of philosophers, so tell me which of them has placed the end of his actions in the applause of the vulgar, or in the opinions of men, even good and wise men? But you, and it should make you more ashamed, about to sail away, give witness enough of your having made signal  progress here in Africa, when you affirm that the only reason why you impose the task of expounding Cicero to you upon bishops, who are not free from their own affairs and engrossed with  matters of a very different nature, is that you fear that if when questioned by men prone to censure, and  you cannot answer, you will be regarded by them as uneducated and ignorant. O worthy cause to  occupy the evening studies of  bishops! You seem to me to be prompted to thinking night and day by no other motive than to be praised by men for  your studies and learning. Although I have always judged this to be dangerous to those who are striving after the true and the right, I am now by you  more convinced of the danger. For it is not from anything but this same pernicious habit that you do not see what would move us to give to you what you seek. For as by a perversity alone you are seized to acquire knowledge of the things about which you put questions, that you may be praised or avoid censure from men, you think that we by a like perversity are to be moved by the considerations announced in  your request. Would that we were able to move you from the deceitful and empty applause of men, when we declare to you that because you write such things concerning yourself  we are moved not to grant your request, but to correct you! Saint Augustine of Hippo, from Letter 118, To Dioscurus 1 Persius, Satire I, line 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