Treasures of the Fathers: Fifth Sunday of the Holy Fifty Days – The Way, Truth and Life
An excerpt from Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel According to St. John, Book I, Ante-Nicene Fathers v. 10. Christ as the Resurrection. Now He is called the light of men and the true light and the light of the word, because He brightens and irradiates the higher parts of men, or, in a word, of all reasonable beings. And similarly it is from and because of the energy with which He causes the old deadness – …
Treasures of the Fathers: Eve of Good Friday of the Holy Pascha
The Jews, Judas, and Satan Let us see the course of the devil’s spite and the result of his crafty plans against Christ. The devil had implanted in the leasers of the Jewish synagogue envy against Christ, which even leads to murder. This disorder always leads, so to speak, to the guilt of murder. At least, this is the natural course of this vice. It was the way with Cain and Abel, and it clearly – …
Will our Bodies Ascend?
Since, again, some who are reckoned among the orthodox go beyond the pre-arranged plan for the exaltation of the just, and are ignorant of the methods by which they are disciplined beforehand for incorruption, they thus entertain heretical opinions. For the heretics, despising the handiwork of God, and not admitting the salvation of their flesh, while they also treat the promise of God contemptuously, and pass beyond God altogether in the sentiments they form, affirm – …
Treasures of the Fathers: The Day of Good Friday of the Holy Pascha
"Why The Cross?" But if any honest Christian wants to know why He suffered death on the cross and not in some other way, we answer thus: in no other way was it expedient for us, indeed the Lord offered for our sakes the one death that was supremely good. He had come to bear the curse that lay on us; and how could He "become a curse," [Gal. 3:13] otherwise than by accepting the – …
On Martyrdom
A selection from St. Ignatius’s Epistle to the Romans For it is not my desire to act towards you as a man-pleaser, but as pleasing God, even as also you please Him…For if you are silent concerning me, I shall become God’s; but if you show your love to my flesh, I shall again have to run my race…Only request in my behalf both inward and outward strength, that I may not only speak, but – …