“The person who sees their sins is better than the one who sees angels.”
—St. Isaac the Syrian
ON THE EGO & THE LOVE OF PRAISE
H.H. Pope Shenouda III
Category: KNOWLEDGE & SELF-KNOWLEDGE
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Another time, a monk of Syrian descent was living in Scetis. He came to St. Macarius and said to him, “I have a question, father: When I was in Syria, I was able to fast a great deal and spend days fasting, but now, in Egypt, I cannot complete the day fasting. Why?” Seeing that the monasteries in Syria were in cities in the midst of people, St. Macarius answered him and said, “You used to spend your days fasting because you dined on vainglory, that is, people’s praise of you during the fasting and abstinence from food. But here in the wilderness, no one sees you, and hence you quickly become hungry.” Because of this, the saints said that if the virtues are known, they are ruined and end; and because of this, they would hide their virtues, wisdom, and knowledge.
ON THE EGO & THE LOVE OF PRAISE
H.H. Pope Shenouda III -
Poor are those who limit their thoughts to the past with all its troubles, mistakes and its sweet dreams. There would not be any time or strength left for them to do something for the future.
They talk about the beauty of the past, the greatness of the past, either a boosting talk or a sorrowful talk. As for the present, there is nothing about it, it does not exist, the same with the future … etc.
The beautiful past is not going to satisfy you if the present is troublesome. Therefore, do not live on sweet memories but reach forward. Let your present always be better than your past.
Do not remember from the past except what could make your present better and gives you a push forward in repentance or in growth.
WORDS OF SPIRITUAL BENEFIT VOL III
H.H. Pope Shenouda III -
The strife-makers find in themselves, in their barren hearts and empty lives, their own appropriate curse. The blow they strike comes back upon them. Worse than the choleric temperament is the peevish, sullen nature. The one usually finds a speedy repentance for his hot and hasty mood; the other is a constant menace to friendship and acts like a perpetual irritant. The root of this temperament is selfishness, and it grows by what it feeds on.
When offenses do come, we may indeed use them as opportunities for growth in gracious ways, and thus turn them into blessings on the lives of both. To the offended, it may be an occasion for patience and forgiveness; to the offender, an occasion for humility and frank confession; and to both, a renewing of love less open to offense in the future.
The Art of Being a Good Friend
Hugh Black -
For one thing, it must mean the hallowing of memory. The eclipse of love makes the love fairer when the eclipse passes. The loss of the outward purifies the affection and softens the heart. It brings out into fact what was often only latent in feeling. Memory adds a tender glory to the past. We think of only the virtues of the dead; we forget their faults. This is as it should be. We rightly love the immortal part of them; the fire has burned up the dross and left pure gold. If it is idealization, it represents that which will be, and that which really is.
We do not ask to forget; we do not want the so-called consolations that time brings. Such an insult to the past, as forgetfulness would be, means that we have not risen to the possibilities of communion of spirit afforded us in the present. We would rather that the wound should be ever fresh than that the image of the dear past should fade. It would be a loss to our best life if it would fade. There is no sting in such a faith. Such remembrance as this, which keeps the heart green, will not cumber the life. True sentiment does not weaken, but becomes an inspiration to make our life worthy of our love. It can save even a squalid lot from sordidness; for however poor we may be in the world’s goods, we are rich in happy associations in the past, and in sweet communion in the present, and in blessed hope for the future.
The Art of Being a Good Friend
Hugh Black -
Some seek to be initiated into the mysteries of iniquity, in idle or morbid curiosity, perhaps to write a realistic book, or to see “life,” as it is called. There is often a prurient desire to explore the tracts of sin, as if information on such subjects meant wisdom. If men are honest with themselves, they will admit that they join the company of sinners for the relish they have for the sin. We must first obey the moral command to come out from among them and be separate, before it is possible for us to meet them like Christ. Separateness of soul is the law of holiness. Of Christ, of whom it was said, “This man receiveth sinners,” it was also said that He was “separate from sinners.” The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, neither is the counsel of sinners prudence. Most young people know the temptation here referred to, the curiosity to learn the hidden things and to have the air of those who know the world.
If we have gone wrong here, and have admitted into the sanctuary of our lives influences that make for evil, we must break away from them at all costs. The sweeter and truer relationships of our life should arm us for the struggle, the prayers of a mother, the sorrow of true friends. This is the fear, countless times, in the hearts of the folks at home when their boy leaves them to win his way in the city, the deadly fear that he should fall into evil habits and into the clutches of evil people. They know that there are people whose touch, whose words, whose very look, is contamination. To give them entrance into our lives is to submit ourselves to the contagion of sin.
The Art of Being a Good Friend
Hugh Black -
This transient life is cherished by every man whose way of life is corrupt; and second to him is the man deprived of knowledge. Well has one said, ‘The fear of death distresses a man with a guilty conscience but the man with a good witness within himself longs for death as for life.’
The Ascetical Homilies of Isaac the Syrian
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the man who is born with enough to live upon is generally of a somewhat independent turn of mind; he is accustomed to keep his head up; he has not learned all the arts of the beggar; perhaps he even presumes a little upon the possession of talents which, as he ought to know, can never compete with cringing mediocrity; in the long run he comes to recognize the inferiority of those who are placed over his head, and when they try to put insults upon him, he becomes refractory and shy. This is not the way to get on in the world.
The Wisdom of Life
Arthur Schopenhauer
SO GOOD QUOTES 