SO GOOD QUOTES

Category: BEST OF

  • This hunger must be natural, not artificial and provoked.

    —Rev. Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667), The House of Feasting

  • Imagine a society in which no one sold anything, but everyone shared freely their skills and wealth. Then every action in that society would bring not only material benefits, but spiritual benefits also. Such societies already exist in miniature: families operate in this way.  How wonderful it would be if villages and towns could become like large families.

    On Living Simply
    St. John Chrysostom

  • There are some who, if they meet with any reverse, or are slandered by any one, or if they fall into any bodily malady, any pain in the foot or head, or any other disease, immediately blaspheme. In this way they endure the affliction, but are deprived of the benefit.

    On Wealth and Poverty
    St. John Chrysostom

  • Such a person does good without waiting for a commandment. His good nature makes him in no need of a call to do good.

    He does good because it is in his nature, being in God’s image. He does good as a habitual thing, as a breath coming out, without feeling that he is doing something strange or beyond his ability.

    So, seeing it is something normal, he does not boast of doing it.

    On the contrary, he who does not love good finds God’s commandment heavy, and he becomes an enemy to God! He feels that God deprives him of the pleasure of sinning, and that His commandment restricts him, leading him in a way he does not want. Thus God’s way becomes difficult to him and he walks in it forcibly, if ever he does!

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • But, what if it is impossible to live peaceably with everybody?

    * Do not be the cause of the controversy.

    Be the crucified not the crucifier. You may face troubles from others, but do not be the beginner of evil. Moreover, do not be over-sensitive with regard to the faults of others.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • * Do not require others to be ideal, but accept them as they are, not as they ought to be.

    We accept nature as it is: the seasons whether rainy, stormy or hot, we do not ask nature to change itself. Let us do the same with the others. Not all of them are righteous and good. So many have weaknesses or certain dominating temperament. People are of different types, some of which are troublesome. So, be like a spectator, not influenced by their behavior, and treat them wisely according to their nature.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • Therefore, whoever uses hurting or hard words like stones cast on others is not a person of chaste tongue. The chaste tongue does not defame or expose anyone, because it is a polite and decent tongue that weighs every word before uttering it.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • If a person has an opportunity to save someone from an attack against him, would he not do under pretext of gentleness?

    He could say: It is not my business. What have I to do with that? Leave me alone! Or rather he advances valiantly to save him, gently. In this way the Lord Christ saved the woman caught in the very act from being stoned. He said to those who wanted to stone her: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” He said this gently, without revealing their sins, but wrote them down on the ground.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • …If you keep silent, your silence will be wrong. Gentleness does not mean that you live like a still corpse in the society. You should have your own personality, but in a gentle way, even to express yourself with one word as the Baptist did, saying: “It is not lawful for you” (Mt 14: 4)

    St. Paul the Apostle said, “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” (Acts 20: 31) His gentleness did not prevent him from warning everybody, but gently: with tears!

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit

  • A believer trusts that his own prayer has reached God, and that God has heard it and will respond. He is sure that God will act. That is why some of David’s psalms start with request and concludes with response. For instance he concludes Psalm (6) with the words: “Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication..” (Ps 6: 8)

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit