Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:7–14)

“For when, He says, a more honorable man than you comes, he that bade you and him will say, Give this man place.” O! what great ignominy is there in having so to do! It is like a theft, so to speak, and the restitution of the stolen goods. He must restore what he has seized; for he had no right to take it. But the modest and praiseworthy man, who might without fear of blame have claimed the dignity of sitting among the foremost, seeks it not, but yields to others what might be called his own, that he may not even seem to be overcome by vainglory; and such an one shall receive honor as his due: for he shall hear, He says, him who bade him say, “Come up here.”

A modest mind therefore is a great and surpassing good: for it delivers those who possess it from blame and contempt, and from the charge of vaingloriousness. ‘But yes! says the lover of vainglory, I wish to be illustrious and renowned, and not despised and neglected, and numbered among the unknown.’ If however you desire this transitory and human glory, you are wandering away from the right path, by which you might become truly illustrious, and attain to such praise as is worthy of emulation.…

If then any one wish to be set above others, let him win it by the decree of heaven, and be crowned by those honors which God bestows. Let him surpass the many by having the testimony of glorious virtues; but the rule of virtue is a lowly mind that loves not boasting: yea! it is humility. And this the blessed Paul also counted worthy of all esteem: for he writes to such as are eagerly desirous of saintly pursuits, “Love humility.” And the disciple of Christ praises it, thus writing; “Let the poor brother glory in his exaltation: and the rich in his humiliation, because as the flower of the grass he passes away.” For the moderate and bridled mind is exalted with God: for “God, it says, will not despise the contrite and abased heart.”

Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 102.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:22–30)

Let us listen therefore to the Savior’s words, which He addressed unto those who wanted to learn, whether they be few who are saved: and to whom the Savior answered, “Strive to enter in by the strait door.” Now this reply may seem perhaps, to wander from the scope of the question. For the man wanted to learn, whether they be few who are saved: but He described unto him the way whereby he might be saved himself, saying, “Strive to enter in by the strait door.” What reply then do we make to this objection?… What benefit resulted from it to the hearers? On the contrary it was a necessary and valuable thing to know in what way a man may attain to salvation. He is purposely silent therefore with respect to the useless question which had been asked Him, but proceeds to speak of what was essential, namely, of the knowledge necessary for the performance of those duties by which men can enter in at the strait and narrow door.…

Now I consider it my duty to mention why the door is narrow, through which a man goes unto life. Whosoever then would enter must of necessity first before everything else possess an upright and uncorrupted faith: and, secondly, a spotless morality, in which is no possibility of blame, according to the measure of human righteousness.… He who has attained unto this in mind and spiritual fortitude will enter easily by the strait door, and run along the narrow way.

“For wide is the door, and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.” And what are we to understand by its broadness? It means an unrestrained tendency to carnal lust; a base and pleasure loving life; luxurious feastings, and revelings and banquetings, and unresisted inclinations unto every thing which is condemned by the law, and displeasing to God: a stiff-necked mind that will not bow to the yoke of the law: a life accursed, and relaxed in all dissoluteness, thrusting from it the divine law, and utterly unmindful of the sacred commandments: wealth and the vices that spring from it, scorn and pride, and the vain imagining of transitory boastings. From all such things must those withdraw who would enter in by the strait door, and be with Christ, and keep festival with Him.

Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 99

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (Luke 12:49–53)

A first baptism was that of the flood unto the cutting away of sin. A second was that by the sea and the cloud, for the cloud is a symbol of the Spirit, while the sea is a symbol of the water. A third is that of the Law, for every unclean person washed himself with water and also washed his garments and thus entered into the camp. A fourth is that of John, which was an introductory baptism leading those thus baptized to penance, so that they might believe in Christ. “I indeed,” he says, “baptize you in water: but he that shall come after me he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.” Thus, John purified with water in advance to prepare for the Spirit. A fifth is the Lord’s baptism with which He Himself was baptized. He, however, was baptized not that He Himself stood in any need of purification but that by making my purification His own He might “crush the heads of the dragons in the waters,” wash away the sin and bury all of the old Adam in the water, sanctify the Baptist, fulfill the Law, reveal the mystery of the Trinity, and become for us a model and example for the reception of baptism. And we, too, are baptized with the perfect baptism of the Lord, which is by water and the Spirit. Christ is said to baptize in fire, because He poured out the grace of the Spirit upon the holy Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, as the Lord Himself says: “John indeed baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, not many days hence.” Or it is because of the chastising baptism of the fire to come that He is said to baptize with fire. A sixth is that which is by penance and tears and which is truly painful. A seventh is that which is by blood and martyrdom. Christ Himself was also baptized with this for our sake. It is exceedingly sublime and blessed in so far as it is not sullied by second stains. An eighth, which is the last, is not saving, but, while being destructive of evil, since evil and sin no longer hold sway, it chastises endlessly.

John of Damascus, Orthodox Faith 4.9

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He chose as an inheritance for Himself.
The Lord looked attentively from heaven;
He saw all the sons of men.
From His prepared dwelling-place,
He looked upon all who dwell on the earth,
He who alone fashioned their hearts,
He who understands all their works.
A king is not saved by his large army,
And a giant shall not be saved by his immense strength;
A horse is a false hope for salvation,
And it shall not be saved by its enormous power.
Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their souls from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul shall wait for the Lord;
He is our helper and protector;
For our heart shall be glad in Him,
And we hope in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
As we hope in You. (Psalm 32:12–22 LXX)

Consider the lofty spectator; consider Him who is bending down regarding the affairs of mankind. Wherever you may go, whatever you may do, whether in the darkness or in the daytime, you have the eye of God watching. “From his habitation which he has prepared.” The gates are not being opened, the curtains are not being drawn together, the habitation of God is ready for viewing. He looks upon all the sons of men. No one escapes His sight; no darkness, no concealing walls, nothing is a hindrance to the eyes of God. He is so far from failing to look upon each individually, that He even looks into the hearts, which He Himself formed without any admixture of evil. God, the creator of men, made the heart simple according to His own saving image; but later we made it, by union with passions of the flesh, a complicated and manifold heart, destroying its likeness to God, its simplicity, and its integrity. Since He is the Maker of hearts, therefore, He understands all our works. But, we calf both words and thoughts and, in general, every movement of man, his works. With what feelings or for what purpose they are, whether to please men or to perform the duties of the commands given us by God, He alone knows, who understands all our works. Therefore, for every idle word we give an account. Even for a cup of cold water, we do not lose our reward, because the Lord understands all our works.

The humility of those who serve the Lord indicates how they hope in His mercy. He who does not trust in his own good deeds nor expects to be justified by his works has, as his only hope of salvation, the mercies of God. For, when he considers that the expression, “Behold the Lord and his reward,” refers to each according to his work, and when he ponders his own evil deeds, he fears the punishment and cowers beneath the threats. There is good hope which gazes steadfastly at the mercies and kindness of God lest it be swallowed up by grief. He hopes that his soul will be delivered from death and will be fed by Him in famine.…

And it seems to me that consistently with these words the Apostle said: “In all these things we overcome because of him who has loved us,” and “Not only this, but we exult in tribulations also.” For, the psalmist in saying; “Our soul waits for the Lord,” in order that he might show that it was not through force nor because he was oppressed by afflictions that he displayed patience, but that with all joy he accepts the ill-treatment for the name of the Lord, says, “Not only do we endure, but also ‘In him our heart shall rejoice, and in his holy name we have trusted.’” It is sufficient for us to be named Christians to escape all abuse from our adversaries. The name of God is said to be holy, not entirely because it has a certain sanctifying power in its syllables, but because the whole specific character of God and the thought contained in what is specially contemplated concerning Him is holy and pure.

Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms 15.8, 10