Maximus the Confessor Quotes About Suffering
-
A man who has been assiduous in acquiring the fruits of love will not cease loving even if he suffers a thousand calamities. Let Stephen, the disciple of Christ, and others like him persuade you of the truth of this (cf. Acts 7:60). Our Lord Himself prayed for His murderers and asked the Father to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing (cf. Luke 23:34).
→ -
...the Lord said as He drew near His passion, 'Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself; and He will glorify Him at once' (Jn. 13:31-32). From This it is clear that divine gifts follow sufferings endured for the sake of virtue.
→ -
If God suffers in the flesh when He is made man, should we not rejoice when we suffer, for we have God to share our sufferings? This shared suffering confers the kingdom on us. For he spoke truly who said, 'If we suffer with Him, then we shall also be glorified with Him' (Rom. 8:17).
→ -
Humility and suffering free a man from all sin; for the first cuts out spiritual passions, and the latter bodily.
→ -
'The long-suffering man abounds in understanding' (Prov. 14:29), because he endures everything to the end and, while awaiting that end, patiently bears his distress. The end, as St. Paul says, is everlasting life (cf. Rom. 6:22). 'And this is eternal life, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent' (Jn. 17:3).
→ -
The patient endurance of the saints exhausts the evil power that attacks them, since it makes them glory in sufferings undergone for the sake of the truth. It teaches those too much concerned with a life in the flesh to deepen themselves through such sufferings instead of pursuing ease and comfort; and it makes the flesh's natural weakness in the endurance of suffering a foundation for overwhelming spiritual power. For the natural weakness of the saints is precisely such a foundation, since the Lord has made their weakness stronger than the proud devil.
→ -
To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil - such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.
→
Related Authors
-
Gregory Palamas Saint -
Cyril of Jerusalem Saint -
Saint Basil Saint -
Gregory of Nyssa Saint -
Irenaeus of Lyons Saint -
Athanasius of Alexandria Saint -
Silouan the Athonite Monk -
Evagrius Ponticus Writer -
Saint John Chrysostom Author -
Gregory of Nazianzus Saint -
Seraphim of Sarov Monk -
Clement of Alexandria Theologian -
Origen Scholar -
Cyril of Alexandria Doctor -
-
Ephrem the Syrian Saint -
Johannes Scotus Eriugena Philosopher -
John Climacus Saint -
-
John of Damascus Monk