Sunday, August 9, 2015

ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ

     "The world has many poor in spirit, but not in the right way; and many who mourn, but over money matters and loss of children; and many who are meek, but in the face of impure passions; and many who hunger and thirst, but to rob another's goods and to profit unjustly.  And there are many who are merciful, but to the body and to its comforts; and clean of heart, but out of vanity; and peacemakers, but who subject the soul to the flesh; and many who suffer persecution, but because they are disorderly; and many who are reproached, but for shameful sins.  Instead, only those are blessed who do and suffer these things for Christ and following his example [(διὰ Χριστὸν καὶ κατὰ Χριστὸν)]. . . .  it is not because they do and suffer these things that they are blessed (since those just mentioned do the same), but because they do and suffer them for Christ and following his example [(διὰ Χριστὸν καὶ κατὰ Χριστὸν)]."

"when we wish to do something good, let us not have human applause in view but rather God, so that always looking to him we might do everything on his account; otherwise we shall undergo the labor and still lose the reward [(δι᾿ αὐτὸν . . . ·  ἴνα μὴ καὶ τὸν κόπον ὑπομείνωμεν καὶ τὸν μισθὸν ἀπολέσωμεν)]."

      Maximus the Confessor, Four hundred chapters on love 3.47 & 48, trans. George C. Berthold, in Maximus Confessor:  selected writings, Classics of Western spirituality (New York:  Paulist Press, 1985), 67.  Capitoli sulla carità, ed. Aldo Ceresa-Gastaldo, Verba seniorum n.s. 3 (Roma : Editrice Studium, 1963), 164 & 166; PG 90, col. .

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