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What does “in season, out of season” mean? That is, have no limited season: let it always be your season, not only in peace and in security, and when sitting in church.
Whether you are in danger, in prison, in chains, or going to your death, at that very time reprove. Do not withhold rebuke, for reproof is then most seasonable when your rebuke will be most successful, when the reality is proved.
+ St. John Chrysostom: Homily IX on II Timothy III
…One other important point is made in listing the human generations which led to the birth of Jesus. This is the fact that God is faithful to his promises even though his chosen people are often not faithful.
Among the people from whom Jesus came are both sinners and heathens. In a word, Jesus comes not only from the righteous and holy, but from the wicked and sinful. And he comes not only from Jews, but from Gentiles.
+ Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, The Winter Pascha
Here also the fruit of gentleness is borne for Christ, as well as “peace, mercy, compassion, kindness, goodness, faith, and self-control.” It is the source of the virtue of loving one’s enemies and praying for them (Mt. 5.44), of rejoicing in trials, of glorifying in tribulations (Rom. 5.3), of looking on the faults of others as if they were one’s own and lamenting them, and of laying down one’s life for the brethren with eagerness even unto death.
+ St. Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses
+ St. John Chrysostom: Homilies XVI and XVII on I Timothy VI
The community comprises broken persons who know that their wholeness rests entirely in Christ and depends entirely on God.
+ Dr. Peter Bouteneff: How to Be a Sinner
Observe, the hospitality here spoken of is not merely a friendly reception, but one given with zeal and alacrity, with readiness, and going about it, as if one were receiving Christ himself …If you receive the stranger as Christ, do not be ashamed, but rather glory: but if you do not receive him as Christ, do not receive him at all. “He who receives you,” he says, “received me” (Mt. 10.40).
+ St. John Chrysostom: Homilies XIII and XIV on I Timothy V
…The holy forefathers and mothers, together with all their descendants, have chosen life. They find it in God’s Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is Life itself, God’s incarnate Word. The celebration of the Winter Pascha is a celebration of Life in God’s Word.
+Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko: The Winter Pascha
+ St. Theophan the Recluse: An Explanation of Certain Texts of Holy Scripture
Mary is conceived by her parents as we are all conceived. But in her case it is a pure act of faith and love, in obedience to God’s will, as an answer to prayer. In this sense her conception is truly “immaculate.” And its fruit is the woman who remains forever the most pure Virgin and Mother of God.
+ Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko: The Winter Pascha
True prayer to the true God is contact with the Divine Spirit which prays in us. The Spirit gives us to know God. The Spirit draws our spirit to contemplation of eternity. Like grace coming down from on High, the act of prayer is too much for our earthly nature and so our mortal body, incapable of rising into the spiritual sphere resists.
The intellect resists because it is incapable of containing infinity, is shaken by doubts, and rejects everything that exceeds its understanding. The social environment in which I live is antagonistic to prayer—it has organized life with other aims diametrically opposed to prayer.
Hostile spirits cannot endure prayer. But prayer alone can restore the created world from its fall, overcoming its stagnation and inertia, by means of a mighty effort of our spirit to follow Christ’s commandments.
+ St. Sophrony: On Prayer: Reflections of a Modern Saint
You will see what “many prophets and righteous men longed to see … and did not see it, and to hear … and did not hear it” (Mt. 13.17). And ultimately you will see the Son of God Himself being lifted upon the Cross in order to give His broken Body as food for His people, and His shed Blood as their drink, that their hunger and thirst for peace and joy and righteousness, and indeed for life itself, might be forever satisfied.
+ Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko: The Winter Pascha
The time had now come for the shadow to draw to an end, and for the truth, so to speak, to shine forth; even the lovely beauty of Christian conduct, and the glories of the blameless life, and the sweet rational savor of the worship in spirit and truth.
For this reason very justly did the Truth—Christ, as One who with His Father was honored in their temple—command that those things that were by the law should be carried away, such as the materials for sacrifices and burning on incense, and that the temple should manifestly be a house of prayer.
For His rebuking the dealers and driving them from the sacred courts when they were selling what was wanted for sacrifice, certainly means this, as I suppose, and this alone.
+ St. Cyril of Alexandria: Commentary on St. Luke
Therefore, do not be vengeful. Do not return evil for evil, but look to your Father and cry to Him. Only in this way will you guarantee victory for yourself in the clash with evil men.
+ Bishop Nikolai Velimirović: Prologue
The first Christian martyr, the protodeacon Stephen whose memory is celebrated on the third day of Christmas, was killed for proclaiming this marvel when he bore witness that “the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands.”
For this, like Jesus Himself, he was accused of planning the destruction of the earthly temple at Jerusalem (Acts 7.48; 6.14). The apostle Paul proclaims this same doctrine clearly and without equivocation when he writes to the Corinthians and to us that “we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3.9).
+Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko: The Winter Pascha
So it is necessary, brethren, that charity should be the motive of all your actions. … No idler is completely deprived of talent. … One receives the gift of intelligence. … Another receives worldly wealth … another … the craft with which he learns his livelihood … a fourth friendship of a rich man.
+St. Gregory the Great: Parables of the Gospel
Not only, he says, are you the causes of life to us, but also of much joy, and so much that we cannot worthily give thanks to God. Your good behavior, he continues, we consider to be a gift of God. Such kindness have you shown to us, that we think it to be of God; rather, it is God.
For such a disposition of mind comes not of a human soul or carefulness. “Night and day,” he says, “praying exceedingly.” This too is a sign of joy.
+St. John Chrysostom: Homily IV on I Thessalonians III
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Just as the Fathers lay down that perfect love knows no sin, so I for my part declare that a perfect sense of death is free from fear…
The remembrance of death, like all other blessings, is a gift of God…
He who has died to all things remembers death…
+St. John Climacus: Ladder of Divine Ascent
Now these things said by us are not merely words but have the witness of their truth from experience itself. Let him who wishes come up and behold the proof of virtue in the virgins of Christ and in the youth who live a pure life in chastity, and the belief in immortality in so great a company of martyrs.
And let him come who wishes to put to test what has been said, and in front of the illusions of the demons and the deceit of the oracles, and the wonders of magic, let him use the sign of the cross, which is mocked by them, merely naming Christ, and he will see how by it demons are put to flight, oracles cease, and all magic and witchcraft are brought to naught.
Who, then, and how great is this Christ, who by His naming and presence overshadows and brings to naught everything everywhere, and who is alone powerful over all, and has filled the whole inhabited world with His teaching?
+St. Athanasius: On the Incarnation
Did God make all men? It is surely plain to every man. How then are not all equal with respect to virtue and vice? Whence are the good and gentle and meek? Whence are the worthless and evil? For if these things do not require any purpose, but are of nature, how are they made different from each other? For if by nature all were bad, it would not be possible for any one to be good, but if good by nature, then no one would be bad.
… But if we should say that by nature the one is good, the other bad, which would not be reasonable, these things must be unchangeable, for the things of nature are unchangeable. No, listen. All mortals are also liable to suffering; and no one is free from suffering, even though he should strive without end. … But why did He make worthless men at all, when He might have made all men good? Whence then are the evil things? he says.
Ask yourself; for it is my part to show they are not of nature, nor from God … but from willing and not willing. … It is from ourselves … for evil is nothing else than disobedience to God …
+St. John Chrysostom: Homily LIX on Matthew XVIII
For He who gives riches becomes poor, for He assumes the poverty of my flesh that I may assume the riches of His divinity. He that is full empties himself, for He empties himself of His glory for a short while that I may have a share in His fullness.
What are the riches of His goodness! What is this mystery that is around me! I had a share in the Image but I did not keep it. He now partakes of my flesh that He might both save the image and make flesh immortal.
+Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko: The Winter Pascha
