Fathers Sayings

"It is our part to seek, 

His to grant what we ask; 

ours to make a beginning, 

His to bring it to completion; 

ours to offer what we can, 

His to finish what we cannot."

St. Jerome

With one voice

We read: 'Praise the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.' To whom is the psalmist speaking? To every member of Christ's body.  And what kind of praise does he mean?  That which is not jealous of another's love.

The love of the flesh is pestilential. Let a man cast his eyes on a woman's beauty and he desires it for himself alone, and rages at the thought of sharing the sight with someone else.  Not so is the love of the wisdom of God. We shall look on him face to face, we shall all see him, and there will be no envying of one another.

 He will show himself to all and they shall all be changed but he will not change.  He is wisdom, he is God, by whom all things were made.  He has his lovers, but note what the lover says: 'Magnify the Lord with me.'  Not alone will I magnify him, love him, embrace him.  There is room for all men. 

In this world men love chariot racing, hunting and so on and want everyone to admire their favorites too.  They say, 'Share my love for this dancer, that actress, this obscenity' - that is what the mob clamours.

Does the Christian in the Church cry out that everyone should love the truth of God with him?

Be fervent, brethren; if you love God draw all who are near to you, all your household, to that love.

  DAILY READING WITH

St Augustine --- The Heart at Rest

Fathers Sayings

 Do not rush one prayer after another 

but say them with orderly deliberation, 

as one addressing a great person for a favor. 

Do not just pay attention to the words, 

but rather let the mind be in the heart, 

standing before the Lord in full awareness 

of His presence, in full consciousness 

of His greatness and grace and justice.

St. Theophan the Recluse

Verses and Fathers Sayings

This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard
him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Psalm 34: 6

Prayer is, then, to speak more boldly, 
converse with God. Though whispering,
consequently, and not opening the lips, 

we speak in silence, yet we cry inwardly. 

For God hears continually 

all the inward converse.

 St Clement of Alexandria 

I WISH YOUR GLORY WOULD NOT DEPART FROM MY CITY

I WISH YOUR GLORY
WOULD NOT DEPART FROM MY CITY 

From the inspiration of Ezekiel  (11)

In the old days, Your glory departed from the Temple, then from Jerusalem. Likewise, as sin infiltrates into my life, My soul and my flesh lose Your glory!
Have compassion on me…. I wish Your glory does not depart from me!

After Your glory departed from the Temple and the city,
You were waiting for just one soul to come back to You. As you yearn to sanctify all by You! Your love fills me with hope,
I sinned and caused Your Holy Spirit to grieve; Your glory departed from my inner Jerusalem. Yet there remains Your true promise: 'I shall be a sanctuary for you!'

Your promise is amazing: 'I shall make in them a new spirit!'
Let Your Spirit work in me; Let Him renew my spirit and all my being! Take the stony heart away from me, And give me a holy heart of flesh! You promised to set from stones, children for Abraham. Here I am in Your hands; set from me a holy child!

Fr. Tadros Malaty
From the Inspiration of The Book of Ezekiel