Image of God - Orthodox Church Quotes

Unseen Warfare: . . . it is inconceivable how the great Lord of hosts could grant such favours to our nothingness and worthlessness.

In order that you may move your will more easily to this one desire, in everything—to please (God and to work for His glory alone—remind yourself’ often, that He has granted you many favours in the past and has shown you His love. He has created you out of nothing in His own likeness and image, and has made all other creatures your servants; He has delivered you from your slavery to the devil, sending down not one of the angels but His Only-begotten Son to redeem you, not at the price of corruptible gold and silver, but by His priceless blood and His most painful and degrading death. Having done all this He protects you, every hour and every moment, from your enemies; He fights your battles by His divine grace; in His immaculate Mysteries He prepares the Body and Blood of His beloved Son for your food and protection. All this is a sign of God’s great favour and love for you; a favour so great that it is inconceivable how the great Lord of hosts could grant such favours to our nothingness and worthlessness.

+ From Unseen Warfare, St. Theophan the Recluse and St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain

Unseen Warfare: . . . it is inconceivable how the great Lord of hosts could grant such favours to our nothingness and worthlessness. Read More »

Canon of St. Andrew: I have been anxiously concerned only about outward adornment . . .

Church Prayers, Hymns, Services, Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. Andrew of Crete / By Orthodox Church Quotes

Having preferred a possessive and pleasure-loving life to spiritual poverty, O Savior, I am now harnessed with a heavy yoke.

I have adorned the idol of my flesh with the many-colored clothing of shameful thoughts, and I am condemned. [1 John 5:21]

I have been anxiously concerned only about outward adornment, and have neglected the inner temple made in the image of God. [I Peter 3:3-4]

+ The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, Tue 2.5-7
Text of the Canon

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Canon of St. Andrew: I have stained the coat of my flesh, and soiled what is in Thy image and likeness . . .

Church Prayers, Hymns, Services, Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. Andrew of Crete / By Orthodox Church Quotes

I have stained the coat of my flesh, and soiled what is in Thy image and likeness, O Savior.

I have darkened the beauty of my soul with passionate pleasures, and my whole mind I have reduced wholly to mud.

+ The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, Mon 2.5-6
Text of the Canon

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St. Justin Popovich: Only the gospel of Christ fully knows the mystery of sin and the problem of sin . . .

Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. Justin Popovich / By Orthodox Church Quotes

Only the gospel of Christ fully knows the mystery of sin and the problem of sin and everything which hides within it. The prodigal son of the Gospel is the perfect example of the repentant sinner. The Gospel shows us that man, through his free will, can share his life with Earth and with Heaven, with Satan and with God, with paradise and with hell. Sin gradually strips man of everything divine in him, paralyzes his every divine inclination and desire, until it finally throws him into the bosom of Satan. And then man reaches the plight of grazing the swine of his master, the Devil. The swine are passions, which are always greedy and gluttonous. In such a life, the unfortunate man is nothing more than insane. In a shocking parable of the Gospel, the Lord says about the prodigal son, ‘he came to himself,’ (Luke 15:17) How did he come to himself? He came to himself through repentance. Through sin, man becomes mad, insane. Every sin, even the most seemingly insignificant one, is always an insanity of the soul. Through repentance, man comes to his senses becomes complete again, comes to himself. Then he cries out loud to God, runs to Him, and cries towards Heaven, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight’ (Luke 15:21). And what is the heavenly Father doing? He is always infinitely merciful upon seeing His child in a state of repentance. He has compassion for him, runs, embraces him, and kisses him. He orders His heavenly hosts, the holy angels: ‘Bring forth the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this is My son who was dead, and is alive again; and he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.’ (Luke 16:22-24) And this is taking place for each and every one of us, and for the sake of every sinner who repents. Namely, joy and happiness is taking place in the heaven of the All-merciful Lord and God, and together with Him, all of the holy angels.

+ St. Justin Popovich, From the preface to the book of Fr. Justin, Sinful Souls, Belgrade, 1968; quoted from Orthodox Faith & Life in Christ, “Select Writings of Fr. Justin”

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St. Maximos the Confessor: He who gives alms in imitation of God . . .

Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. Maximos the Confessor / By Orthodox Church Quotes

“He who gives alms in imitation of God does not discriminate between the wicked and the virtuous, the just and the unjust, when providing for men’s bodily needs. He gives equally to all according to their need, even though he prefers the virtuous man to the bad man because of the probity of his intention.”

+ St. Maximos the Confessor, Four Hundred Texts on Love 1.24, The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 2)

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St. Symeon the New Theologian: You may find yourself hampered by someone who sows tares of despondency. . . .

Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. Symeon the New Theologian / By Orthodox Church Quotes

“You may find yourself hampered by someone who sows tares of despondency. He tries to prevent you from climbing to such heights of holiness by discouraging you with various thoughts. For instance, he will tell you that it is impossible for you to be saved and to keep every single one of God’s commandments while you live in this world.

When this happens you should sit down in a solitary place by yourself, collect yourself, concentrate your thoughts and give good counsel to your soul, saying:

Why, my soul, are you dejected, and why do you trouble me? Put your hope in God, for I will give thanks to Him; for my salvation lies not in my actions but in God (cf. Ps. 42:5). Who will be vindicated by actions done according to the law (cf. Gal 2:16)? No living person will be vindicated before God (cf. Ps. 143:2). Yet by virtue of my faith in God I hope that in His ineffable mercy He will give me salvation. Get behind me, Satan (cf. Matt. 16:23). I worship the Lord my God (cf. Matt. 4:10) and serve Him from my youth; for He is able to save me simply through His mercy. Go away from me. The God who created me in His image and likeness will reduce you to impotence.”

—St. Symeon the New Theologian

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St. John of Kronstadt: The Lord is the accomplishment . . .

Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. John of Kronstadt / By Orthodox Church Quotes

“The Lord is the accomplishment of everything good that I think, feel and do.”

— St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

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Clement of Alexandria: The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. . . .

Clement of Alexandria, Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers / By Orthodox Church Quotes

The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward.

The perfect person does good through love.

His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does.

He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward.

The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.

+ Clement of Alexandria

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St. John Chrysostom: When we teach children to be good . . .

Needs Source, Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. John Chrysostom / By Orthodox Church Quotes

St. John of Kronstad: Never confuse the person formed in the image of God. . .

Sayings from Saints, Elders, and Fathers, St. John of Kronstadt / By Orthodox Church Quotes

“Never confuse the person formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him; because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement.”

+ St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

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