Without the Lord…
Without the Lord, the disciple no longer knows who he is.
–Adrienne von Speyr (1902-1967)
Whenever anyone seeks…
Our Savior repeats his words: ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’ He quenched the thirst not only of those who came to him then. Whenever anyone seeks him he is freely admitted to the presence of the Savior. The grace of the feast [Easter] is not restricted to one occasion. Its rays of glory never set. It is always at hand to enlighten the mind of those who desire it. Its power is always there for those whose minds have been enlightened and who meditate day and night on the holy Scriptures.
–Saint Athanasius the Great (c. 296-373)
Weep over your sin…
Weep over your sin: it is a spiritual ailment; it is death to your immortal soul; it deserves ceaseless, unending weeping and crying; let all tears flow for it, and sighing come forth without ceasing from the depths of your heart. In profound humility I weep for all my sins, voluntary and involuntary, conscious and unconscious, covert and overt, great and little, committed by word and deed, in thought and intention, day and night, at every hour and minute of my life.
–Saint Basil the Great (330-379)
Whoever offers repentance…
Whoever offers repentance ought not only to wash his sin with tears, but ought to cover his former transgressions with better deeds, lest the sin be imputed to him.
–Saint Ambrose of Milan (339-397)
The sacred days…
Behold, Dearly Beloved, the sacred days are drawing near, the acceptable time…. And so you must be more earnest in prayer and in almsgiving, in fasting and in prayer. He that till now has given alms, in these days let him give more, for as water quenches a flaming fire, so does almsgiving wipe out sin (Ecces. 3:33). He that till now fasted and prayed, let him fast and pray still more, for there are certain sins which are not cast out, except by prayer and fasting (Mt. 17:20). Should anyone cherish anger towards another, let him forgive from his heart. Should anyone take unjustly what belongs to another, let him restore it…. And though a Christian should abstain at all times from cursings and revilings, from oaths, from excessive laughter and from idle words, he must do this especially in these holy days which are set apart so that, during these forty days, he may by penance wipe out the sins of the whole year.
–Saint Ambrose of Milan (339-397)
God loves us more…
God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves.
–Saint John Chrysostom (347-407)
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