Interrupting the Silence

Category: Patristics

  • The Ethics of Christmas – The Nativity Sermon of Isaac the Syrian

    The Ethics of Christmas – The Nativity Sermon of Isaac the Syrian

    This Christmas night bestowed peace on the whole world; So let no one threaten; This is the night of the Most Gentle One – Let no one be cruel; This is the night of the Humble One – Let no one be proud. Now is the day of joy – Let us not revenge; Now Read more

  • Falling Up – St. John Climacus

    It seems to me that those who have fallen and are penitent are more blessed than those who have never fallen and who do not have to mourn over themselves, because through having fallen, they have pulled themselves up by a sure resurrection…. Nothing equals the mercy of God or surpasses it. To despair is Read more

  • St. Macarius the Great on Apophatacism

    The following quotation and icon were originally post by Moses at The Burning Bush. Thank you Moses. But if man were to begin to investigate the mind of God and say: “I have discovered something and truly understand it,” the human mind would be found transcending the mind of God. Truly you wander far into Read more

  • Better the Silence of the Heart than Distracted Words

    Isidore said: Prayer is a work of the heart, not of the lips. For God does not pay attention to the words of the one who is praying to him, but rather to his or her heart. It is better to pray in the silence of the heart than to pray only with words, without Read more

  • The Interior Life – To Ascend We Must First Dive

    The ladder to the Kingdom is hidden within you, and within your soul. Dive down into yourself, away from sin, and there you will find the steps by which you can ascend. – St. Isaac of Syria For most of us the way up is by climbing the the ladder of success. This almost always Read more

  • Incarnation

    “O inexpressible mystery and unheard paradox: the Invisible is seen, the Intangible is touched , the eternal Word becomes accessible to our speech, the Timeless steps into time, the Son of God becomes the Son of Man.”                                                                                      — Saint Gregory of Nyssa Read more