|
And what is a merciful heart? It is the heart's burning for all of creation, for men, for birds, for animals and even for demons. At the remembrance and at the sight of them, the merciful man's eyes fill with tears which arise from the great compassion that urges his heart. It grows tender and cannot endure hearing or seeing any injury or slight sorrow to anything in creation. Because of this, such a man continually offers tearful prayer even for irrational animals and for the enemies of truth and for all who harm it, that they may be guarded and forgiven. - St. Isaac Bishop of Nineveh (died c. 700)
"One God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:6). One must use a bodily image for this. The sun, by its position, is "above all things" which are on earth; by its rays it can be said to shine "through all"; but when the power of its light has pierced into every depth, it is said to be "in all." In this way, then, it seems to us that according to the spiritual understanding, preeminence is indicated by the "above all," sufficiency for everyone in the "through all," and the coming of the power of God in the "in all." The result is that no one is found to be empty because of God's being "in all." - Origen (182-251)
...the Good Shepherd, He who lays down His life for His sheep, came to seek for that which had strayed upon the mountains and the hills... and found the wanderer; and having found it, took it upon His shoulders... and having taken it, brought it back to the higher life; and having carried it back, numbered it amongst those who had never strayed (cf. Jn 10:11; Lk. 15:3-7). Because He lighted a candle--His own Flesh--and swept the house, cleansing the world from sin; and sought the piece of money, the Royal Image that was covered up by passions. And He calls together His Angel friends on the finding of the coin, and makes them sharers in His joy... (cf. Lk 15:8-10) - St. Gregory Nazianzus (330-389)
Commentary on Ecclesiastes: When one sheep strayed from the heavenly way of life, evil drew
our nature to an arid, uncultivated place; no longer does this number [one] pertain to the sheep
which have not strayed, but refers to the ninety-nine sheep. Vanity does not belong to the flock
which is why "deficiency cannot be numbered." Therefore, Christ comes to seek and save the last
sheep. He places it upon his shoulders, thereby restoring (apokatastasis) [the sheep] lost in the
vanity of insubstantial things in order make whole the number of God's creation by saving the lost
along with those who have not been destroyed.
Ecclesiastes 296.18: The soul existed right from the beginning; it had been purified in the past
and will appear in the future. God, who fashioned the human body, will show the resurrection at
the proper time, for that which comes after the resurrection was indeed fashioned first. The
resurrection is nothing other than the restoration (apokatastasis) of all things to their original
state. - St. Gregory of Nyssa (335-394)
Top of Page
|
