St. Maximus the Confessor - The four hundred chapters about love[1]
(c. 580-662)
- All virtues help the mind to acquire divine love. But most of all, the pure prayer. For by this it flies to God, coming out of all that is.
- He who sees in his heart any trace of hatred towards an ordinary man, for a certain mistake, is completely foreign to the love of God, because the love of God does not suffer at all hatred towards man.
- He that turn the attention to the flesh into lust, and remember the evil of his neighbor, he worships the creation not the Creator.
- He who flees from all worldly lusts places himself above all worldly sorrow.
- Love is made known not only by giving money, but much more by sharing the word of God and through bodily service.
- As the light of the sun draws the healthy eye, so the knowledge of God naturally draws to itself the mind cleansed by love.
- A pure mind is that which has been separated from ignorance and is enlightened by the divine light.
- The pure soul is the one who has freed himself from passions and constantly enjoys divine love.
- The fruits of love are: to do good to one's neighbor with all one's heart, to be patient, to be condescending, and to use things with righteous judgment.
- Do not defile your body with shameful deeds, and do not defile your soul with deceitful thoughts, and the peace of God will come upon you with love.
- Temper your body with hunger and vigilance and engage without laziness with singing and prayer; and the holiness of righteousness will come upon you bringing love.
- The mind falls from the boldness of God when it is accompanied by cunning and defiled thoughts.
- In the time of temptations, do not leave your monastery, but bravely suffer the waves of thoughts and especially those of despair and laziness (acedia). For thus being proved right in the trouble, you will gain an even stronger hope in God. And if you leave it, you will be unproven, unmanly and fickle.
___________
[1] Filocalia (vol 2 / transl., introd. and notes Prof. Dr. Dumitru Stăniloae / electronic edition). Ed. Apologeticum 2005
