Quote/s of the Day – 4 December – The Memorial of St John Damascene (676-749) – Father and Doctor of the Church
“Think of the Father as a spring of life begetting the Son,
like a river and the Holy Ghost like a sea,
for the spring and the river and sea are all one nature.
Think of the Father as a root and of the Son as a branch
and the Spirit as a fruit, for the substance in these three is one.
The Father is a sun with the Son as rays and the Holy Ghost as heat.”
“‘How can this come about?’ Mary asked.
‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you,’ the angel answered’
and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow.’
And now you are the one who puts the question:
‘How can bread become Christ and wine His Blood?’
I answer:
‘The power of the Holy Spirit will be at work
to give us a marvel which surpasses understanding.'”
“If the Word of God is living and powerful
and if the Lord does all things whatsoever he wills;
if he said, “Let there be light” and it happened;
if he said, “let there be a firmament” and it happened;
…if finally the Word of God Himself willingly became man
and made flesh for Himself out of the most pure
and undefiled blood of the holy and ever Virgin,
why should He not be capable of making bread
His Body and wine and water His Blood?…
God said “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood.”
“”GLUTTONY should be destroyed by self-control;
UNCHASTITY by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store;
AVARICE by compassion for the poor;
ANGER by goodwill and love for all men;
WORLDLY dejection by spiritual joy;
LISTLESSNESS by patience, perseverance and offering thanks to God;
SELF-ESTEEM by doing good in secret and, by praying constantly,with a contrite heart;
and PRIDE by not judging or despising anyone, in the manner of the boastful Pharisee
and by considering oneself the least of all men.”
“The saints must be honoured as friends of Christ
and children and heirs of God. Let us carefully
observe the manner of life of all the apostles,
martyrs, ascetics and just men who announced
the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their
faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering
and perseverance unto death so that we may also
share their crowns of glory.”
“Angels are intelligent reflections of light,
that original light which has no beginning.
They can illuminate.
They do not need tongues or ears,
for they can communicate without speech, in thought.”
AnaStpaul 