THE PHILOKALIA, VOLUME 2
various authors, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain
A collection of texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition.
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1 |
"Love alone harmoniously joins all created things with God and with each other." St. Thalassios the Libyan, 'On Love, Self-control and Life in accordance with the Intellect'
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2 |
"Indeed, the Saviour endured His sufferings so that 'He should gather together into one the scattered children of God' (John 11:52)." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Fourth Century on Love'
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"God is…a unity embracing a diversity of principles, each of which is an aspect of the Logos. Thus he who speaks about the truth…speaks always about the one." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Second Century on Theology'
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4 |
"The principle of that wisdom which is revealed to all [is] that we should know and praise God through His creation and that by means of the visible world we should understand whence we came, what we are, for what purpose we were made and where we are going." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Second Century on Theology'
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"The Good that is beyond being…is one." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'First Century of Various Texts'
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"Corresponding to every divine gift, there is in us an appropriate and natural organ capable of receiving it – a kind of capacity, or intrinsic state or disposition." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Third Century of Various Texts'
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"Concerning love the beloved disciple said, 'God is love, and he who dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him' (1 John 4:16)." St. Theodoros the Great Ascetic, 'A Century of Spiritual Texts'
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"The noetic and intelligent creature, man, has been made…in God's image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:26)." St. John of Damaskos, 'On the Virtues and the Vices'
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"Prayer is converse with God, contemplation of the invisible,…a stimulus towards the divine, the assurance of things longed for, 'making real the things for which we hope' (Hebrews 11:1)." St. Theodoros the Great Ascetic, 'A Century of Spiritual Texts'
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10 |
"God created human nature a partaker of every divine blessing." 'A Discourse on Abba Philimon'
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11 |
"Perfect love does not split up the single human nature, common to all, according to the diverse characteristics of individuals; but, fixing attention always on this single nature, it loves all equally." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'First Century on Love'
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12 |
"Love…will remain for all eternity, always increasing beyond all measure." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'First Century on Love'
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13 |
"The mystery of the incarnation of the Logos is the key to all the arcane symbolism and typology in the Scriptures, and in addition gives us knowledge of created things, both visible and intelligible. He who apprehends the mystery of the cross and the burial apprehends the inward essences of created things; while he who is initiated into the inexpressible power of the resurrection apprehends the purpose for which God first established everything." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'First Century on Theology'
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14 |
"Think good thoughts about what is good by nature, and think well of every man." St. Thalassios the Libyan, 'Third Century'
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15 |
"The will of the Maker, in His goodness, wills beings always to exist and always to receive His blessings." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Third Century on Love'
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16 |
"The apostle gives us the following definition of faith: 'Faith makes real for us things hoped for, gives assurance of things not seen' (Hebrews 11:1). One may also justly define it as an engrained blessing." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Second Century of Various Texts'
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17 |
"Blessed is he who can love all…equally." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'First Century on Love'
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"The Holy Spirit is present unconditionally in all things, in that He embraces all things, provides for all, and vivifies the natural seeds within them." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'First Century of Various Texts'
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19 |
"We should care for ourselves and each other in the way that Christ Himself…has already shown us in His own person." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'First Century of Various Texts'
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"The centre of a circle is regarded as the indivisible source of all the radii extending from it;…pre-existing in God are all the inner essences of created things." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Second Century on Theology'
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"It is God who gives prayer to him who prays and who teaches man spiritual knowledge." St. Theodoros, the Great Ascetic, 'A Century of Spiritual Texts'
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"As the unitary cosmic principle, the Logos contains in Himself the multiple logoi (inner principles or inner essences, thoughts of God) in accordance with which all things come into existence at the times and places, and in the forms, appointed for them, each single thing thereby containing in itself the principle of its own development."
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"God, who is by nature good…loves all men equally as His handiwork." St. Maximos the Confesor, 'First Century on Love'
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"Plurality is the consummation of unity manifested." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Third Century of Various Texts'
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"Goodness is the full expression of divine activity within us…In goodness the beauty that is according to God's likeness is made manifest." St. Maximos the Confessor, 'Third Century of Various Texts'
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