St. John Chrysostom: On the Feast of Theophany, Part 3

Why then is this day called Theophany? Because Christ made Himself known to all—not then when He was born, but when He was baptized. Until this time He was not known to the people. And that the people did not know Him, Who He was, listen to what John the Baptist says: “Amidst you standeth Him Whom ye know not of” (John 1:26). And is it surprising that others did not know Him, when even the Baptist did not know Him until that day? “And I—said he—knew Him not: but He that did send me to baptize with water, about this One did tell unto me: over Him that shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding upon Him, this One it is Who baptiseth in the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). Thus from this it is evident, that there are two Theophanies, and why Christ comes at baptism and on whichever baptism He comes, about this… it is necessary to know both the one and equally the other. And first it is necessary to speak your love about the latter, so that we might learn about the former. There was a Jewish baptism, which cleansed from bodily impurities, but not to remove sins.  Thus, whoever committed adultery, or decided on thievery, or who did some other kind of misdeed, it did not free him from guilt. But whoever touched the bones of the dead, whoever tasted food forbidden by the law, whoever approached from contamination, whoever consorted with lepers—that one washed, and until evening was impure, and then cleansed. “Let one wash his body in pure water”—it says in the Scriptures—“and he will be unclean until evening, and then he will be clean” (Leviticus 15:5, 22:4). This was not truly of sins or impurities, but since the Jews lacked perfection, then God, accomplishing it by means of this greater piety, prepared them by their beginnings for a precise observance of important things.

Thus, Jewish cleansings did not free from sins, but only from bodily impurities. Not so with ours: it is far more sublime and it manifests a great grace, whereby it sets free from sin, it cleanses the spirit and bestows the gifts of the Spirit. And the baptism of John was far more sublime than the Jewish, but less so than ours: it was like a bridge between both baptisms, leading across itself from the first to the last. Wherefore John did not give guidance for observance of bodily purifications, but together with them he exhorted and advised to be converted from vice to good deeds and to trust in the hope of salvation and the accomplishing of good deeds, rather than in different washings and purifications by water. John did not say, “wash your clothes, wash your body, and ye will be pure,” but rather, “bear ye fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). Since it was more than of the Jews, but less than ours, the baptism of John did not impart the Holy Spirit and it did not grant forgiveness by grace.  It gave the commandment to repent, but it was powerless to absolve sins. Wherefore John did also say: “I baptize you with water… That One however will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Obviously, he did not baptize with the Spirit.

St. John Chrysostom: On the Feast of Theophany, Part 2

Why is not that day, on which the Lord was born, considered Theophany—but rather this day on which He was baptized? This present day it is, on which He was baptized and sanctified the nature of water. Because on this day all, having obtained the waters, do carry it home and keep it all year, since today the waters are sanctified.  And an obvious phenomenon occurs: these waters in their essence do not spoil with the passage of time, but obtained today, for one whole year and often for two or three years, they remain unharmed and fresh, and afterwards for a long time do not stop being water, just as that obtained from the fountains.
 

St. John Chrysostom: On the Feast of Theophany, Part 1

We shall now say something about the present feast.  Many celebrate the feast days and know their designations, but the cause for which they were established they know not. Thus concerning this, everyone knows that the present feast is called Theophany; but what this is, and whether it be one thing or another, they know not. And this is shameful—every year to celebrate the feast day and not know its meaning.

First of all therefore, it is necessary to say that there is not one Theophany, but two: the one actual, which already has occurred, and the second in the future, which will happen with glory at the end of the world. About this one and about the other you will hear today from Paul, who in conversing with Titus, speaks thus about the present: “The grace of God hath revealed itself, having saved all mankind, decreeing, that we reject iniquity and worldly desires, and dwell in the present age in prudence and in righteousness and piety.”  And about the future: “Awaiting the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). And a prophet speaks thus about this latter: “The sun shalt turn to darkness, and the moon to blood at first, then shalt come the great and illuminating Day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31).

Words from the Saints -- December 26, 2017

"In order to learn praying, pray more often and with more zeal and you will learn it: you would not need anything else. If you work hard and patiently, you will acquire the skill of unceasing prayer with time. Make it your goal—to seek and do seek. The Lord is close to you. Keep God always in your mind and always try to see the Lord before you and to venerate Him." --St. Theophan the Recluse

"Nothing causes such exceeding grief as when one calls to mind that he has fallen because he turned aside to carnal and earthly things, instead of directing his mind in the beautiful ways of the knowledge of God." --St. Ambrose of Milan

"Doctrine listened to is a light in darkness, a road home to the lost traveler, an illumination for the blind. A discerning man is a discoverer of health, a destroyer of sickness." --St. John Climacus

"Of course, it would be easier to get to Paradise with a full stomach, all snuggled up in a soft featherbed, but what is required is to carry one’s cross along the way, for the kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles, but many!" --St. Anthony of Optina

"Afflictions, illnesses, ill health and the pains that our bodies experience are counted for the remission of our trespasses. They are the furnace in which we are purified." --St. John Chrysostom

"Fire does not blaze among fresh wood, and enthusiasm for God does not break forth into flames in a heart that loves comfort." --St. Isaac of Syria

"He who repents rightly does not imagine that it is his own effort that cancels his former sins, but through this effort he makes his peace with God." --St. Hesychios the Priest

"There is the sin that is always 'unto death': the sin for which we do not repent. For this sin even a saint’s prayers will not be heard." --St. Mark the Ascetic
 

A Nativity Sermon by St. Leo the Great, Pope of Rome (5th century)

    Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.
    No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life.
    In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God's wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its Creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind.
    And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvelous work of God's goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?
    Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh.
    Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God's own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God's kingdom.
    Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.
 

Words from the Saints -- December 19, 2017

"Christians are destined to bear a heavy cross in their life. It’s a difficult thing to say you believe in the Lord and also that you have ease of life in this life. Because, when you are having ease of life on earth, there is something wrong with yourself; you care about the gold of the land and not for the treasures of heaven. But when you think like this, you are far away from the will of God. Christian life and having ease in life do not go together; they are different things". --St. Paisios the Athonite

"The true Christian is a warrior fighting his way through the regiments of the unseen enemy to his heavenly homeland." --St. Herman of Alaska

"Think nothing and do nothing without a purpose directed to God. For to journey without direction is wasted effort." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Prayer is a great weapon, a rich treasure, a wealth that is never exhausted, an undisturbed refuge, a cause of tranquility, the root of a multitude of blessings and their source." --St. John Chrysostom

"He who strives for honor has honor running away from him, while he who runs away from honor has it chasing him." --St. Isaac the Syrian

"Do not grieve if you do not at once receive from God that which you ask. He wishes to benefit you still more by making you persist longer in your patient prayer before Him. For what can be higher than to address one's converse to God and be in communion with Him?" --St. Nilus of Sinai

"A person can become a saint anywhere... At your work, whatever it may be, you can become a saint through meekness, patience, and love. Make a new start every day, with new resolution, enthusiasm and love, prayer and silence." --St. Porphyrios

"Though God knows all our needs, prayer is necessary for the cleansing and enlightenment of our soul. It is well to stand in the sunshine; it is warm and light; likewise, when standing in prayer before God, our spiritual Sun, we are warmed and enlightened." --St. John of Kronstadt

Words from the Saints -- December 5, 2017

"Do not become a disciple of one who praises himself, in case you learn pride instead of humility." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"A sign of self-esteem is an ostentatious manner; of pride, anger and scorn of others." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"Don’t wage your Christian struggle with sermons and arguments, but with true love". --St. Porphyrios

"In order to fulfill the commandments of Christ, you must know them! Read the Holy Gospel, penetrate its spirit and make it the rule of your life." --St. Nikon of Optina

Words from the Saints -- November 21, 2017

"Prayer should be the means by which I, at all times, receive all that I need, and, for this reason, be my daily refuge, my daily consolation, my daily joy, my source of rich and inexhaustible joy in life." --St. John Chrysostom

"The remembrance of God is suffering of heart endured in a spirit of devotion. But he who forgets God becomes self-indulgent and insensitive." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"The reason that we have both good and wicked thoughts together is not, as some suppose, because the Holy Spirit and the devil dwell together in our intellect, but because we have not yet consciously experienced the goodness of the Lord. As I have said before, grace at first conceals its presence in those who have been baptized, waiting to see which way the soul inclines; but when the whole man has turned toward the Lord, it then reveals to the heart its presence there with a feeling words cannot express." --St. Diadochos of Photiki

"...every day we should stand in awe of Him, as He is with us, and do what is pleasing before Him. If we are unable now to perceive Him with our physical eyes, we can, if we are watchful, see Him continuously with the eyes of our understanding, and not just see Him, but reap great benefits from Him. This vision destroys all sin, demolishes all evil, and drives away everything bad. It gives birth to purity and dispassion, and bestows eternal life." --St. Gregory Palamas

"No one has ever been accused for not providing ornaments, but for those who neglect their neighbor a hell awaits with an inextinguishable fire and torment in the company of the demons. Do not, therefore, adorn the church and ignore your afflicted brother, for he is the most precious temple of all." --St. John Chrysostom
 

Words from the Saints -- September 26, 2017

"Blessed is the mind which, during prayer, is drawn neither to the material nor to possessions." 
--St. Nilus of Sinai

"To know God we have no need of riches. We need only love our neighbour and be lowly in spirit, sober, and obedient; and for these virtues the Lord allows us to know Him. Could anything in this world be more precious than this knowledge?" --St. Silouan of Mount Athos

"For Your sake we came into being, so that we might delight in the paradise which You have planted and in which You have placed us." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"A hypocrite is someone who teaches his neighbor something he makes no effort to do himself." 
--St. Poemen

"Do you want to come to God; do you want to not be deluded and not to get lost; do you want not to die and to live forever? The Lord says: 'I am the Way, Truth and Life' (John 14:6). Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!' (Matthew 11:28)" --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
 

Words from the Saints -- September 5, 2017

"Do not stop praying as long as, by God's grace, the fire and the water [i.e. fervor and tears] have not been exhausted, for it may happen that never again in your whole life will you have such a chance to ask for the forgiveness for your sins." --St. John Climacus

"If one becomes angry with one's neighbor on account of riches, fame or pleasure, one does not yet realize that God orders all things with justice." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Anyone who truly wants to follow God must be free from the bonds of attachment to this life. To do this we must make a complete break with our old way of life. Indeed, unless we avoid all obsession with the body and with the concerns of this world, we shall never succeed in pleasing God. We must depart as it were to another world in our way of thinking, as the Apostle said: 'Our citizenship is in heaven.'" 
--St. Basil the Great

"Born as a son, led forth as a lamb, sacrificed as a sheep, buried as a man, He rose from the dead as a God, for He was by nature God and Man. He is all things: He judges, and so He is Law; He teaches, and so He is Word; He saves, and so He is Grace; He begets, and so He is Father, He is begotten, and so He is Son; He suffers, and so He is Sacrifice; He is buried, and so He is Man; He rises again, and so He is God. This is Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs Glory for all ages." --St. Melito of Sardis

"Remembrance of Jesus' passion will heal your soul of resentment, by making it ashamed of itself when it remembers the patience of the Lord. Some people have wearied themselves and suffered for a long time in order to extract forgiveness. By far the best course, however, is to forget the offenses, since the Lord says: 'Forgive at once and you will be forgiven in generous measure' (cf. Luke 6:37-38)." 
--St. John Climacus

"Some of the things given to us by God for our use are in the soul, others are in the body and others relate to the body. In the soul are its powers; in the body are the sense organs and other members; relating to the body are food, money, possessions and so on. Our good or bad use of these things given us by God, or of what is contingent upon them, reveals whether we are virtuous or evil." 
--St. Maximos the Confessor

Words from the Saints -- August 29, 2017

"The room of the soul is the body; its doors are the five bodily senses. The soul enters its room when the mind does not wander here and there, roaming among the things and affairs of the world, but stays within, in our hearts. Our senses become closed and re main closed when we do not let them be passionately attached to external sensory things and in this way our mind remains free from every worldly attachment, and by secret mental prayer unites with God our Father." --St.Gregory Palamas

"Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement." --St. John of Kronstadt

"It may be that a man seems to be silent, but if his heart judges others, then he is always speaking." --St. Pimen the Great

"Estrangement and turning away from God are more unbearable than the punishments expected in hell." --St. Basil the Great

Words from the Saints -- August 22, 2017

"Do not listen gleefully to gossip at your neighbor's expense or chatter to a person who likes finding fault. Otherwise you will fall away from divine love and find yourself cut off from eternal life." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"Purity is the fellowship with and likeness to God, so far as is possible for men." --St. John of the Ladder

"Just as a man whose head is under water cannot inhale pure air, so a man whose thoughts are plunged into the cares of this world cannot absorb the sensation of the world to come." --St. Isaac the Syrian

"Understand the words of Holy Scripture by putting them into practice, and do not fill yourself with conceit by elaborating on theoretical ideas." --St. Mark the Ascetic
 

Words from the Saints -- August 15, 2017

"Control your appetites (passions) before they control you." --St. John Climacus

"No sinner can escape future judgment without experiencing in this life either voluntary hardships or afflictions he has not chosen." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"I reckon prosperity, O men, to consist in nothing else than in living according to truth. But we do not live properly, or according to truth, unless we understand the nature of things." --St. Justin Martyr

"When a person accepts anything Godly, then he rejoices in his heart, but when he has accepted anything devilish, then he becomes tormented." --St. Seraphim of Sarov

"The man ensnared by pride will need God's help, since man is of no use to him." --St. John Climacus

"Blessed the one who has not been worsted by the passion of despondency like a coward, but has found perfect endurance, by which all the Saints received their crowns." --St. Ephraim of Syria

Words from the Saints -- August 8, 2017

"The secret sinner is worse than those who do evil openly; and so he receives a worse punishment." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"We must keep in mind that whatever we do, openly or in secret, we do in the presence of our guardian angel." --St. Nikolai of Zicha

"It is not darkness and desolateness of place that give demons power against us, but barrenness of soul." --St. John Climacus

"I have found the words and the commandments of Christ pure, holy, true, splendid, brighter than the sun; and whoever believes in Christ and calls Him God and lives in accordance with His teaching, contained in the Holy Gospels, is fortunate and thrice-blessed." --St. Kosmas Aitolos

"Beloved, even if we should attain the very pinnacle of virtue, let us consider ourselves least of all, as we have learned that pride is able to cast down even from the heavens the person who does not take heed, and humility of mind is able to bring up on High from the very abyss of sin the person who knows how to be sober. For this is what placed the Publican before the Pharisee. By pride I mean an overwhelming boastful spirit, surpassing even incorporeal powers, that of the devil himself while humility of mind and acknowledgment of sins by the robber is what brought him into Paradise before the Apostles." --St. John Chrysostom

"The truly intelligent man pursues one sole objective: to obey and to conform to the God of all. With this single aim in view, he disciplines his soul, and whatever he may encounter in the course of his life, he gives thanks to God for the compass and depth of His providential ordering of all things. For it is absurd to be grateful to doctors who give us bitter and unpleasant medicines to cure our bodies, and yet to be ungrateful to God for what appears to us to be harsh, not grasping that all we encounter is for our benefit and in accordance with His providence. For knowledge of God and faith in Him is the salvation and perfection of the soul." --St. Anthony the Great
 

Words from the Saints -- August 1, 2017

"Theology without action is the theology of the devil." - St. Maximos the Confessor

"Nothing whatever pertaining to godliness and real holiness can be accomplished without grace."
--St. Augustine of Hippo

"Just as a basic concern is to be careful of anything that might be harmful to our physical health, so our spiritual concern should watch out for anything that might harm our spiritual life and the work of faith and salvation. Therefore, carefully and attentively assess your inner impulses: are they from God or from the spirit of evil?" --St. John Maximovitch
 
"Pray not pharisaically but publicanly, for you to also be justified by the Lord. Praise of prayer is not the quantity but the quality. This becomes obvious from the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee and from the word of Christ: 'When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, who think that with their much talking they will be heard'" (Matthew 6:7). --St. Nilus of Sinai

"A good conscience is found through prayer, and pure prayer through the conscience. Each by nature needs the other."  --St. Mark the Ascetic

"If the Holy Spirit is peace of soul, as He is said to be, and as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of heart, as it actually is and as it is said to be, then nothing so prevents His presence in us as anger." 
--St. John Climacus

"Do not wish what concerns you to be as seems (best) to you, but as God wishes; and you will be free from cares and thankful in your prayer." --St. Nilus of Sinai
 

Words from the Saints -- July 24, 2017

"The love of God inspires the love of our neighbor, and the love of our neighbor serves to keep alive the love of God." --St. Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome

"The person who fears the Lord has humility as his constant companion and, through the thoughts which humility inspires, reaches a state of divine love and thankfulness. For he recalls his former worldly way of life, the various sins he has committed and the temptations which have befallen him since his youth; and he recalls, too, how the Lord delivered him from all this, and how He led him away from a passion-dominated life to a life ruled by God. Then, together with fear, he also receives love, and in deep humility continually gives thanks to the Benefactor and Helmsman of our lives." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"You are indignant that God is indignant, as if you deserved anything good by living evilly, as if all those things that happen were still not less and lighter than your own sins." --St. Cyprian of Carthage

"When you pray, try to let the prayer reach your heart; in other words, it is necessary that your heart should feel what you are talking about in your prayer, that it should wish for the blessing for which you are asking…. Observe, during prayer, whether your heart is in accord with that which you are saying." --St. John of Kronstadt

"The principal vices - stupidity, cowardice, licentiousness, injustice - are the "image" of the "earthy" man. The principal virtues - intelligence, courage, self-restraint, justice - are the "image" of the "heavenly" man. As we have borne the image of the earthy, let us also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:49)." --St. Maximos the Confessor
 

Words from the Saints -- July 17, 2017

"As by nature the soul gives life to the body, so virtue and spiritual knowledge give life to the soul." 
--St. Thalassios the Libyan

"The truly blessed are not the ones who can work miracles or see angels; the truly blessed are the ones who can see their own sins." --St. Anthony the Great

"If man remembered that it is written: 'By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned,' (Matthew 12:37) he would choose to remain silent." --St. Poemen

"Watch your heart during all your life—examine it, listen to it, and see what prevents its union with the most blessed Lord. Let this be for you the science of all sciences, and with God’s help you will easily observe what estranges you from God, and what draws you towards Him and unites you to Him. It is the evil spirit more than anything else that stands between our hearts and God; he estranges God from us by various passions, or by the desires of the flesh, by the desires of the eyes, and by worldly pride." 
--St. John of Kronstadt

"I have heard people say that there are no demons or devils...the Devil surely will not reveal himself to people who do not believe ; for, should he do so, they might believe, and that would be against his own sly, diabolical policy, as he would have all in the dark, so terrible is his enmity against the Eternal Source of Light and Treasure of Goodness—God Almighty." --St. Sebastian Dabovich

"Brethren, let us endeavor to be a holy material for a holy house of the Kingdom of Christ which He builds day and night that He, by the end of time, finishes it completely." --St. Nikolai Velimirovich
 

Words from the Saints -- July 10, 2017

"The tree of life is the knowledge of God; when, being purified, you share in that knowledge you attain immortality." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"Love, unchangeable tranquility and our adoption as children of God are different from each other only in name. As light, fire and flame are present in the selfsame operation, so are these three manifestations of the Spirit. When someone is completely permeated with the love of God, the brightness of his soul is reflected by his whole personality as if in a mirror. Therefore the one who loves God also loves his brother or sister. Indeed, the second love is the proof of the first." --St. John Climacus

"If you are a Christian, no earthly city is yours. Of our City 'the Builder and Maker is God.' Though we may gain possession of the whole world, we are withal but strangers and sojourners in it all! We are enrolled in Heaven: our citizenship is there! Let us not, after the manner of little children, despise things that are great, and admire those which are little." --St. John Chrysostom

"Blessed is the one who is fired by the fear of God, ever having in himself the fervor of the Holy Spirit, and who has burned up the thorns and thistles of the thoughts." --St. Ephraim of Syria

"Until a man’s earthly life finishes its course, up to the very departure of the soul from the body, the struggle between sin and righteousness continues within him. However, high a spiritual and moral state one might achieve, a gradual or even headlong and deep fall into the abyss of sin is always possible. Therefore, communion of the holy Body and Blood of Christ, which strengthens our contact with Him and refreshes us with the living streams of the grace of the Holy Spirit flowing through the Body of the Church, is necessary for everyone." --St. John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco

Words from the Saints -- July 3, 2017

"There are many differing methods of prayer. No method is harmful; if it were, it would be not prayer but the activity of Satan." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Where would there be opportunities for struggling for great deeds if we were not occasionally injured by our neighbors, if they did not offend us? Where would there be opportunities for patiently bearing offenses, for meekness and humility? You see, then, that we must be tried by many and various evils in order to prove our virtue and be eventually crowned." --St. John of Kronstadt 

"Patiently endure the distressing and painful things that befall you, for through them God in His providence is purifying you." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"Ever let mercy outweigh all else in you. Let our compassion be a mirror where we may see in ourselves that likeness and that true image which belong to God. A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure." --St. Isaac of Syria

"Blessed the one who is always full of spiritual joy and has not grown slack in bearing the Lord's good yoke, for he will be crowned with glory." --St. Ephraim the Syrian

"Love every man in spite of his falling into sin. Never mind the sins, but remember that the foundation of the man is the same - the image of God." --St. John of Kronstadt

Words from the Saints -- June 28, 2017

"If you would know of the Lord’s love for us, hate sin and evil thoughts, and day and night pray fervently. The Lord will then give you His grace, and you will know Him through the Holy Spirit, and after death, when you enter into paradise, there too, you will know the Lord through the Holy Spirit, as you knew Him on earth." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"First of all, we know that God is the beginning, middle and end of everything good; and it is impossible for us to have faith in anything good or to carry it into effect except in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"The tongue of a back-biting soul is three-pronged: it injures the speaker, the listener and sometimes the person being maligned." --St. Thalassios the Libyan