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Sayings, aphorisms and quotes - John of Damascus. Quotes and Sayings of the Holy Fathers John of Kronstadt Sayings and Sayings

Don't you know that real life have a trip? Are you a citizen? You are a traveller. (...) Do not say: I have such and such a city, but I have such and such. Nobody has a city; city - mountain [in heaven]; and the present is the way. And we travel every day as long as nature moves.

Love does not know saturation, but, constantly enjoying loved ones, it ignites more and more.

If we remember sins, then we should remember only our own.

Wherever you are, pray. You are the temple of God: do not look for a place; all you need is a state of mind.

Sin is not in our nature; we are worthy of will and freedom. Are you a publican? You can become an evangelist. Are you a blasphemer? You can become an apostle. Are you a robber? You can buy heaven. (…) There is no such sin that would not be blotted out by repentance.

Many come to church, say thousands of verses of prayer, and go out not knowing what they said; their mouth moves, but their ears do not hear. You yourself do not hear your prayer: how do you want God to hear your prayer?

Just as wounds that are open and often exposed to cold air become more cruel, so the soul that has sinned becomes more shameless if it is convicted before many of what it has sinned. (...) Do not add wounds to wounds by declaring the sinner, but make an exhortation without witnesses.

Just as it is a good deed to remember your sins, so it is a good deed to forget yours. good deeds.

Do not remember your good deeds so that God remembers them.

Is the Church within the walls? The Church is in the multitude of believers.

I do not think that among the priests there were many who were being saved; on the contrary, many more perish, and precisely because this work requires a great soul.

If everyone aspired to the bishopric as a duty to take care of others, then no one would soon decide to accept it. And then we are chasing after him just as accurately as after worldly positions.

(...) In order to achieve honors among people, we perish before the eyes of God.

The people are saints, not a crowd of people.

What kind of glory is this if it makes you seek honor from the lower (...)? Honor consists in enjoying glory from the highest.

A person (…) can become both an angel and a beast.

An envious person cannot but be a slanderer.

We address offenders as if to some great people when we say: who are you, what are you insulting? (...) And it should have been said, on the contrary: are you insulting? - offend; because you are nothing. Rather, to those who do not offend, one should say: who are you that you do not offend? You are above human nature.

Our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth.

What is meekness and what is cowardice? When we, seeing others offended, do not defend them, but remain silent, this is cowardice; but when, when we ourselves receive insults, we endure, this is meekness. What is boldness? (…) When we fight for others. What about audacity? When we try to avenge ourselves.

Meekness is a sign of great strength; (...) the one who calls such a disposition towards neighbors even courage will not sin.

The property of a teacher is not to hesitate in what he himself says.

A person often throws himself into the abyss, so that only others would be surprised at him.

[God] does not want us to rejoice in the punishment of others, even when He Himself punishes them, because He Himself is reluctant to punish.

What is a crowd? (...) Something noisy, mutinous, mostly stupid, aimlessly rushing here and there, like the waves of the sea, often made up of diverse and opposing opinions. Whoever has such a lord, will he not be more miserable than any other?

If each of the crowd is worthy of contempt in itself, then when there are many of them, they deserve even more contempt. The stupidity of each of them, when they are gathered together, becomes even greater, increasing from the multiplicity. Therefore, each of them separately, of course, could be corrected, (...) but it would not be easy to correct all of them together, because in this case their madness increases.

Pagans are not so much converted by miracles as by life [of Christians]. (...) Before the preaching was still widespread, miracles were justly the subject of wonder, and now you need to arouse wonder with life.

What is the use of stripping one and dressing the other? Charity should come from compassion, and this is inhumanity. And even if we give away everything that we have stolen from others, it will not be of any use to us. This is shown by Zakkeios, who then propitiated God when he promised to return what was stolen by the quaternary (Luke,). And we, stealing a lot, and giving a little, we think to propitiate God, not knowing that by doing so we will anger Him even more.

We wash our hands when we enter the church: why do we not wash our hearts?

Keep your hands from covetousness - and then extend them to alms. If, however, with the same hands we uncover some and clothe others, then (...) alms will be an occasion for every crime. It is better not to show mercy than to show such mercy.

Be ashamed to sin, but do not be ashamed to repent.

Satan perverted the natural order: he gave sin boldness, and repentance shame.

Are you wrong? Don't despair; (…) and if you sin every day, repent every day. (…) There is no measure for divine mercy. (...) Your malice, whatever it may be, is human malice, and the love of God is inexpressible.

For a lover, even that reward is enough to love whom he loves.

Not wine is evil, (...) but drunkenness.

[The greedy] protects his own, like someone else's.

You are here [on earth] a wanderer and a stranger; your Fatherland in heaven.

What is death? The same as taking off clothes: the body, like clothes, clothes the soul, and through death we put it off ourselves on short time to get it back in its brightest form. What is death? A temporary journey, a dream that is longer than usual.

Weep not for the dead, but weep for the one who lives in sins.

Have you lost something? Do not grieve - this will not help at all. Have you sinned? Grief is useful.

We do not say that all evil comes from what we eat and drink: it is not from this, but from our carelessness and greed. The devil did not eat or drink - but fell; but he ate and drank, and ascended into heaven.

Isn't it strange to recognize the sky as much better than the earth, and mourn those who have moved there?

The time of despondency is not when we endure evil, but when we do evil. We have perverted the order and mixed the times; doing a lot of evil, we do not grieve even for a short time, but if we suffer even a small evil from someone, we lose heart, go mad, hasten to give up and get rid of life.

To marry or not to marry is up to us; and what follows marriage is no longer in our power, but willy-nilly we must endure slavery.

One is a judge, another is a giver of alms. Almsgiving is called so because we also give it to the unworthy.

If you can say something strange, then (...) the soul of the sleeping person seems to be sleeping, while the deceased, on the contrary, is awake.

Your reward will be greater when you begin to do your due, not hoping for rewards.

The present is theater; local objects - deceptive appearance, and wealth, and poverty, and power, and subservience, and the like; and when this day ends and that terrible night comes, or better, day: the night is for sinners, and the day is for the righteous; when the theater closes (…), deceptive views will be discarded; (...) and how here, at the end of the theater, one of those sitting upstairs, seeing a coppersmith in the theatrical philosopher, says: er, wasn’t this one in the theater a philosopher? - and now I see him as a coppersmith; Was this not a king there? - and here I see in him some kind of low person; (…) so it will be there.

We do not grieve so much when we are reproved by others as when we reprove others for the sins of which we are guilty.

God did not bring down angels from heaven and set them as teachers to human nature, so that, because of the superiority of their nature and because of ignorance of human weakness, they would not reproach us very mercilessly; but He made mortal men teachers and priests, people clothed with infirmities, so that the same thing, the guilt of the same thing both the speaker and the hearer became a bridle for the tongue talking person, not allowing to make accusations beyond measure.

What success do you gain by not confessing? (…) Though you do not say, He [the Lord] knows; if you say, He forgets.

We are especially surprised at the military leader when, even in his absence, the army maintains order.

No being can know a superior being well, even if there is a small distance between them.

It is not those who do not know His essence that do not know God, but those who are striving to cognize this being.

It is not yet humility of mind for a sinner to consider himself a sinner. Humility of wisdom consists in this, realizing many great things behind oneself, and not thinking anything great about oneself.

We do not want to see a multitude of bodies in the church, but a multitude of listeners.

As the sun rises every day, and, however, we do not say that there are many suns, but one sun that rises every day, so Easter is always celebrated (...). Where love triumphs, there is a holiday.

The [human] soul is worth, or rather, more expensive than many peoples.

It’s not hard to fall, but to fall down and lie down and never get up again, (…) with thoughts of despair to cover up the weakness of the will.

Thank God for everything.

Just as a soul without flesh is not called a man, so is flesh without a soul.

It is better to be in darkness than without a friend.

He who does not need someone else's, but lives independently, is the richest of all.

When you feed the poor, consider yourself fed. This is such a thing: what we have given will return to us.

Let's help those poor people who beg us for it, and even if they deceive us, don't give it too much of great importance. For each of us deserves such mercy, forgiveness and kindness.

Do you want to be shown mercy? Show mercy to your neighbor.

Nothing so confuses the purity of the mind, and beauty, and wisdom, as unrestrained anger, carried around by a loud roar.

Better is bread and salt in peace and without sorrow, than many dishes of great value in sorrow and grief.

Words can create as much as fear can destroy.

The time of sorrow is not when we suffer evil, but when we do evil.

Dare and simple people can do it more than once, but not everyone is able to do it at the right time.

Everywhere, by cruelty and labor, man increases the useful.

It is impossible to do evil or hate any person, even the wicked, even the heretic, until he brings harm to our soul.

It is impossible to evade the battle, nor to seek battle yourself: then the victory will be more glorious.

The soul is fearful and unsteady in ignorance, and not in essence. If, however, I meet a once brave, but now fearful, I understand that this did not happen due to the nature of vice, for nature does not change so much.

Revelation of St. John the Evangelist

You are neither cold nor hot; Oh, if you were cold or hot!

But since you are warm and not hot or cold, I will spew you out of My mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16

Those whom I love, I rebuke and punish. So, be zealous and repent.

Revelation 3:19

From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary (N-O) author Brockhaus F. A.

Revelation Revelation is a manifestation of the Supreme Being in our world, with the aim of telling us more or less complete truth about itself and what it requires of us. O. are combined in this way: 1) the fact of theophany (theophany), through which the Divine is revealed to us, and 2)

From the book Unexplained Phenomena author Nepomniachtchi Nikolai Nikolaevich

THE ASCENSION OF THE THEOLOGIST Francesco Suarez, a member of the Spanish Society of Jesus, was one of the greatest theologians of the Roman catholic church and, although he was not canonized, he became widely known for his righteous life. He was born in 1548 and died in 1617. One of

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (OT) of the author TSB

From the book Aphorisms author Ermishin Oleg

The Gospel of John The Spirit breathes wherever it wants. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. grain, falling into the ground, will not die,

From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions author Serov Vadim Vasilievich

Revelation in Thunderstorm and Storm The title of the work (1907) by the scientist, poet and populist Nikolai Alexandrovich Morozov (1854-1946), in which the author made an attempt to give a rational, astronomical interpretation of the Apocalypse (Revelation of the Apostle John the Theologian). For your participation in

From the book Thoughts and sayings of the ancients, indicating the source author

Gospel of John The Spirit breathes wherever it wants. John 3:8 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John, 3, 17 ... The scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery, and placing her in the middle, They said to Him: Teacher! this

From the book of 100 great monasteries author Ionina Nadezhda

Revelation of St. John the Theologian You are neither cold nor hot; Oh, if you were cold or hot! But since you are warm and not hot or cold, I will spew you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 Those whom I love, I rebuke and punish. So, be zealous and repent. Revelation 3:19

From the book The Newest Philosophical Dictionary author Gritsanov Alexander Alekseevich

From the book Encyclopedia of Slavic Culture, Writing and Mythology author Kononenko Alexey Anatolievich

REVELATION - the central concept of theistic mysticism, expressing the act of direct expression of the will of the personified God transcendent to the world, revealing himself to the subject as absolute truth. O. is understood in theism in several meanings: 1) on the one hand

From the book The best thoughts and sayings of the ancients in one volume author Dushenko Konstantin Vasilievich

From the book Big Dictionary of Quotes and Popular Expressions author Dushenko Konstantin Vasilievich

Revelation of St. John the Theologian You are neither cold nor hot; Oh, if you were cold or hot! But how warm you are, and not hot and not cold, I will spew you out of My mouth. Revelation, 3, 15-16 Those whom I love, I rebuke and punish. So be zealous and repent. Revelation 3,

From the book Medical Memoirs author Klimov Alexey Grigorievich

John's holy gospel (Gospel of John) 812 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In. 1:1 813 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. In. 1:5 814 A man sent from God. In. 1:6 (about John the Baptist) 815 ... And the world did not know Him. / Came to his,

From the book Russian Athos. Guidebook in historical essays author Talalay Mikhail Grigorievich

The first conciliar epistle of the holy Apostle John the Theologian 898 Do not love the world, nor what is in the world. 1 In. 2:15 899 All that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life<…>. 1 In. 2:16 900 Children! Lately. <…>You heard that the Antichrist is coming. 1 In. 2:18 Old

From the author's book

Revelation of St. John the Theologian 1019 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and was and is to come, the Almighty. Ap. 1:8 V Old Testament: "I am the first and I am the last, and besides Me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6). ? "There is no god but Allah" (K727). 1020…you left the first

From the author's book

Cell of St. John the Theologian How sad it is when a church collapses in an Orthodox state, which Greece is officially considered to be. Without any bulldozers and explosives, as it used to be in the Soviet Union, and so, it falls by itself, forgotten and left by people. How sad,

We have collected a precious collection of quotes and sayings of the holy fathers Orthodox Church which will be useful to any Christian. We hope that you will find something useful for yourself in this spiritual treasury.

Holy Fathers on Family and Marriage
Holy fathers about children
Holy Fathers on Love

Sayings of the holy fathers about the family

About the wedding:“It is best if Christ Himself is present at the marriage, because where Christ is, everything acquires dignity, and water turns into wine, that is, everything changes for the better.” Saint Gregory the Theologian

On alliance with non-believers: If marriage itself must be sanctified with a priestly cover and blessing, then how can there be marriage where there is no agreement of faith? Saint Ambrose of Milan

ABOUT family life: “You, on whom an honest marriage has laid its bonds in this life, think about how you could bring more fruit into the winepress of heaven.” Saint Gregory the Theologian

St. Gregory the Theologian

“Bound by the bonds of matrimony, we replace hands, feet, and hearing for each other. Marriage makes the weak twice as strong... The common cares of the spouses ease their sorrows and the common joys delight both. For unanimous spouses, wealth becomes more pleasant, but in poverty the very unanimity is more pleasant than wealth. For them, the marriage bond is the key to chastity and desire, the seal of necessary affection. Saint Gregory the Theologian

“Composing one flesh, (spouses) have one soul and by mutual love awaken in each other zeal for piety. For marriage does not move away from God, but, on the contrary, binds more, because it has more motives to turn to Him. A small ship moves forward even with a weak wind .., but a large ship will not be moved by a light breath of the wind ... vast sea of life, he needs God's great help, and he loves God mutually more." Saint Gregory the Theologian

“The divine creation appeared on earth and in the earthly valleys of the ever-blooming paradise - man. However, man has not yet had a helper like him. Then the all-wise Word performed a truly miracle - created to be a spectator of the world, that is, dividing my root and my seed of a diverse life into two parts, with a powerful and life-giving hand removed a rib from the side in order to create a wife, and pouring love into the bowels of both, prompted them to strive to each other". Saint Gregory the Theologian

On the duties of a husband:“Teach a woman the fear of God, and everything will flow to you as from a fountain, and your house will be filled with many blessings.” Saint John Chrysostom

On the duties of spouses:“A husband should think about planting piety in the house with deeds and words; and let the wife watch over the house, but besides this occupation, she should have another, more urgent concern for the whole family to work for the Kingdom of Heaven. Saint John Chrysostom

“If you need to do something for the pleasure of each other, you need to decorate the soul, and not decorate and destroy the body. It is not so much (external) that makes spouses loving as chastity (kindness), tenderness and willingness to die for each other. Saint John Chrysostom

Wives:“Wives, glowing with spiritual beauty, over time, more and more reveal their nobility, and the stronger becomes the affection and love of their husbands.” Saint John Chrysostom

Sayings of the holy fathers about children

“Children are not an accidental acquisition, we are responsible for their salvation.” Saint John Chrysostom

“Whoever wants to raise children well, educates them in severity and labor, so that, having distinguished themselves in knowledge and behavior, they could eventually receive the fruits of their labors.” Reverend Neil Sinai

“While the soul is still capable of education, tender and soft, like wax, easily imprints images in itself, it is necessary to immediately and from the very beginning awaken it to goodness. When the intellect opens up and the understanding comes into action, then the initial foundations will already be laid and the models of piety will be given. Then the mind will inspire the useful, and the skill will facilitate success. Saint Basil the Great

“A good upbringing does not consist in first letting vices develop and then trying to drive them out. We must take all measures to make our nature inaccessible to vices. Saint John Chrysostom

“Many parents, having a blind love for children, regret punishing them for misconduct: but later, when the children grow up and are immoral, such parents themselves will understand their error in not punishing their children while they were small. God Himself punishes His chosen children, as we see in Scripture, so does He not love them? “The Lord whom He loves punishes; but he strikes every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6). In this matter, Christians should imitate the Heavenly Father and love and punish their children. Unpunished in youth, they remain in adulthood like unbroken and wild horses, fit for nothing. Therefore, Christian, love your children in a Christian way and punish them so that they become good and good. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

St. John Chrysostom

“If you raised your son well, then he is his, and that one is his, and, as it were, a certain streak better lives will go forward, having received the beginning and the root from you and bringing you the fruits of caring for descendants. Saint John Chrysostom

“It upsets the whole universe that we do not care about our own children; we take care of their property, but we neglect their souls, which is extreme madness. Saint John Chrysostom

“Do you want your son to be obedient? From childhood, bring him up in severity. Do not think that listening to the Divine Scriptures will be superfluous for him.” Saint John Chrysostom

“Weed grass is easier to pull out when the age is more tender, then it is necessary to ensure that the passions left unattended do not intensify and become incorrigible.” Saint John Chrysostom T

Sayings of the holy fathers about love

“Having received the commandment to love God, we also received the power to love, which was placed in us at creation.” Saint Basil the Great

“To love Christ means not to be a hired hand, not to look at a pious life as a trade and trade, but to be truly virtuous and do everything out of love for God alone.” Saint John Chrysostom

“No word is enough to adequately depict love, since it is of an unearthly, but heavenly origin ... Even the language of the Angels is not able to perfectly explore it, since it constantly comes from the Great God.” John Cassian the Roman

“People are looking for easy work, not hard work. Jesus' work is easy. He does not order stones to be carried, He does not order mountains to be torn apart, and other things like this, to be done by His servants. No, we don’t hear anything like that from Him, but what? – “love one another” (John 13:34; 15, 12, 17). What is easier than to love? It is hard to hate, because hatred torments; but love is sweet, for love pleases. He Himself bears witness to this: “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Let us, beloved Christian, take upon ourselves the good yoke of Christ, let us bear His light burden and follow Him.” Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

"The thought of man, sincerely loving god is never on earth, but constantly in Heaven, where the One whom he has loved is.” Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

“We see the degree of our love for God with particular clarity in prayer, which serves as an expression of this love and is very correctly called in the patristic writings a mirror of spiritual progress.”

“We are not so much looking for (love) as God is looking for us to become able to receive it and accept it.” Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov)

“He who loves humility finds it easy to love God, and he who loves pride hates God.” Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

"To the one who loves God, God will give His love." Venerable Macarius of Egypt

“The brother said to Abba Agathon: “I have been given a commandment, but the fulfillment of the commandment is accompanied by sorrow; and I want to fulfill the commandment, and I am afraid of sorrow. The elder answered: “If you had love, you would fulfill the commandment and overcome sorrow.” Abba Agathon

Sayings, aphorisms and quotes - John of Damascus

675 - 753
John of Damascus Orthodox saint from Damascus. John was a theologian, one of the church fathers, who systematized the Christian doctrine.

In honor of John of Damascus, one of the icons is named, as well as a mention in the church chant in honor of the Mother of God “Rejoices in You, blessed ...” John, according to ancient legend, was cut off his hand, accusing him of treason. When reading a prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God, the cut-off brush grew, subsequently the hymn “The Gracious One rejoices in You ...” was written. A silver image of a brush was attached to the icon of the Mother of God. In the future, the icon became the basis of many lists and was henceforth referred to as the "Three-Handed"

- A spiritualized and generous husband, although he will not live long, is ranked among the long-livers, and the one who exists with worldly vanity and wretchedness, who is not able to bring benefits to himself or to others, will be short-lived and unhappy, even if he lives to a ripe old age .
- The wise know how to act even where he has no experience; a fool makes mistakes in what he has learned.
- There are no strangers among the wise.
- He who mixes precious stones and pearls with tin dishonors himself more than pearls.

- Who will remain unharmed, serving the kings and approaching them? Rulers are like a wicked harlot who gets along with many men.
Whoever strives for good must be ready to endure evil.
- Anyone who plots against his neighbor will fall into the ditch that he has dug.
- The greedy soul is the beginning of all evil deeds.

- Even when the enemy is powerless, the wise king's first adviser does not allow the king to go to battle if it can be settled by peace.
- A tree, even cut with an ax, grows together again, and the wound from the arrow heals and overgrows. But a verbal arrow is incurable, because it hits the very heart.
- Wisdom and powerful wins.
- The proof of true love is to love those you love and to be at enmity with your enemies.

- The wise man is alert from reason, and the madman is drunk from stupidity.
- Do not entrust your secret to the one who treats you before you know his loyalty and friendship.
- Do not worry about wealth, a man of great intelligence is honorable even without wealth.
- A spiritualized man is destined to ascend, and an insignificant man is always to descend. After all, it is very difficult to climb up from below, but it is easy to go down from above, not like ascending.

- Truly, there is nothing better in life than the help of a friend and mutual joy.
- Four things should not be neglected: fire, disease, enemy, duty.
- There is no greater pleasure in the world than a friendly conversation.
There is nothing stronger than good advice and nothing more harmful than a bad deed.

- It is necessary that the lords do not despise the small ones who are under them: after all, the small are no longer small when they are useful to the great.
- While there is no war, it is necessary to pacify enemies with gifts; but if they take up arms against you, you must not evade. Patience and humility are needed both for peace and for war.
- It is better to walk on fire and snakes than to live with evil advisers. V. Many who are strong are defeated and become weak.
Do not rebuke a fool, lest he hate you.

- Must keep the secrets of his friends. He who does not keep a secret dishonors his conscience and shames his confidence.
- A bad and treacherous person will turn love into enmity and confusion if he joins friends.
- Fools always call their enemies powerless.
- A prudent and eloquent husband is not always noticeable before a conversation with him: like a fire hidden in a thorn; only when it comes out, it produces a flame in the air.

- A patient should not hide his illness from a doctor, and a poor man should not cover up his poverty before his friends.
- Move away from the insidious person, even if you are related or close to him.
- A smart person is able to understand even the thoughts of his neighbor, observing his behavior and appearance.
- Although there are many mice in the royal house, there is no need for them, even if they are close; a bird named falcon, although wild, is called for its properties, accepted and sits on the royal hand.

- No matter how much you smear honey on a bitter fruit, it will not change its bitterness into sweetness.
- The brave are tested in times of trouble, but true friends are in trouble.
- The storm does not damage small trees, but high ones, having broken them, uproot them.
- During the test, all troubles flow.

- The mad always hate the wise, the ignorant scientists, the wicked hate the wicked, and the spoiled good.
- If a wise man finds himself in misfortune, he submits even to the insignificant, until he achieves what he wants.
- Those who start a war themselves fall into their networks.
- Of the wise, no one dares to do the following three things: to approach the kings, to drink poison for testing, to entrust the secret to a woman.

- It is better to win with ingenuity and intelligence than with resistance.
- Who is content with little, lives a carefree life.
- Whoever is not content with little, but fixes his eyes on much and far, without thinking about causes and consequences, will achieve the same thing as flies: after all, it is not enough for them to fly on flowers and trees, so they find themselves crushed, sometimes flying into elephant ears.
- Feeding enemies is highly commendable.

John of Damascus