Sayings Lorenzo Scupoli ~ Guarding your Thoughts (Under Cover of Sheep's Clothing)

 

   Guard yourself from thoughts, which appear holy and inflame an unreasonable zeal for themselves, of which the Lord speaks allegorically: 'Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits' (Mt. 7:15-16). Their fruit is the languishing and breaking of the spirit. Know that everything which draws you away from humility and from inner peace and quiet, however beautiful it may seem, is nothing but false prophets who, under the cover of sheep's clothing, that is, of a hypocritical zeal to do good to their neighbors without discrimination, are in truth ravening wolves who steal you of your humility, peace and quiet, so necessary to every man who desires steady progress in spiritual life.

~ Lorenzo Scupoli (Unseen Warfare; SVS Press pg. 261)

Sayings St. John of Damascus ~ on (Amos 3:6) evil is used in two ways

 

 ... even when Amos says that 'God creates evil things,' and that 'there is no evil in a city that the Lord has not done' (Amos 3:6), he does not mean by the words that the Lord is the cause of evil, but the word 'evil' is used in two ways, with two meanings. For sometimes it means what is evil by nature, and this is the opposite of virtue and the will of God: and sometimes it means that which is evil and oppressive to our sensation, that is to say, afflictions and calamities. Now these are seemingly evil because they are painful, but in reality are good. For to those who understand they become ambassadors of conversion and salvation. The Scripture says that of these God is the Author.

~ St. John of Damascus (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series Vol. IX; Eerdmans pg. 93):

Christ is the fulfillment of human mythology

 

(such as Tolkien’s argument that Christ is the fulfillment of human mythology) 

source:

https://www.equip.org/article/made-for-another-world-c-s-lewiss-argument-from-desire-revisited/?fbclid=IwAR0y7mn1zTB8Q1SxAJMuUV0Tr_Rp1IbcD4WirSw3P5ttDcsHN52hqjT9eXs

Four quotes on good intentions and how good means makes good ends

 

If the intention is unclean, the deed that follows from it will also be evil, even if it seems good. 

~ St. Gregory the Dialogist, Conversations, 1.10

No one ever accomplishes good by means of evil, because they are themselves conquered by the evil. On the contrary, evil is corrected by good. 

~ (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Instructions, 15)

For the good is not good if it is not rightly done. It is really good only if it is not done with the purpose of receiving some reward....

~ St. John of Damaskos - Philokalia volume II

 Be attentive to your heart and watch your enemies, for they are cunning in their malice. In your heart be persuaded of this: it is impossible for a man to achieve good through evil means. That is why our Savior told us to be watchful, saying: 'Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there are that find it' (Mt. 7:14).

~  St. Isaiah the Solitary (The Philokalia Vol. 1; Faber and Faber pg. 26):

Sayings St. Gregory the Dialogist ~ Good Intentions

 

If the intention is unclean, the deed that follows from it will also be evil, even if it seems good.

~ St. Gregory the Dialogist, Conversations, 1.10

Ideals, Oaths, Causes, and Man ~ Master Kan (Kung Fu season 2, Episode 18 "Crossties")

 

MASTER KAN: 

You are speaking of Disciple Han?

KWAI CHANG CAINE: 

Yes, master.

MASTER KAN: 

And he no longer feels bound by his oath.

KWAI CHANG CAINE: 

Because of the contest yesterday between us in which he was defeated.

MASTER KAN: 

And do you feel you have lost something?

KWAI CHANG CAINE: 

I do.

MASTER KAN: 

What will you do now with your oath?

KWAI CHANG CAINE: 

Is not an oath eternal?

MASTER KAN: 

But how can you control such a thing as a friendship…which requires the assent of two persons? It is well to consider deeply before binding yourself to an ideal…a cause, a man. For what is an oath worth that binds a man…who makes it to an unachievable task?

KWAI CHANG CAINE: 

He is still angry. It troubles me. I do not know how to answer his hatred.

MASTER KAN: 

How else but with love? One cannot always keep a friend…when that friend believes that one has wronged him.

KWAI CHANG CAINE: 

But I have not wronged him. He is mistaken.

MASTER KAN: 

Each man has the right to choose his enemies and his friends. He may choose unwisely…but the decision is his alone to make. Then he must live with the consequences…and so must his enemies and his friends.

thanks to:

https://kungfu1953.wordpress.com/television-episodes-main/season-2-1973-74/18-crossties/

Sayings Saint Barsanuphius ~ No one ever accomplishes good by means of evil...

 

No one ever accomplishes good by means of evil, because they are themselves conquered by the evil. On the contrary, evil is corrected by good.

~ (St. Barsanuphius the Great, Instructions, 15)