The more a man leads the carnal mode o flife, the more carnal he becomes: he does not see God in anything, not even in the most wonderful manifestations of His divine powers – he sees flesh and matter in everything, and nowhere, nor at any time, is God before his eyes.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all that are oppressed.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Like as a father pities his children, so the LORD pities them that fear him.
For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place there shall know it no more.
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, you his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Bless you the LORD, all you his hosts; you ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
“We run eagerly to dances and amusements. We listen to pleasure the foolishness of singers. We enjoy the foul words of actors for hours without getting bored. Yet when God speaks we yawn. We scratch our heads and feel dizzy.
Most people would run rapidly to the horse track although there is no roof there to protect the audience from rain. Even when it rains heavily, or when the wind is lifting everything, they don’t mind bad weather, or the cold, or the distance. Nothing keeps them in the homes.
When they are about to go church, however, then the soft rain becomes an obstacle for them. If you ask them who Amos or Obediah is, or how man prophets or apostles there are, they can’t even open their mouths. Yet they can tell you every detail about the horses, the singers, and the actors.
What kind of state is this?”
-St. John Chrysostom, around 387 AD.
And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.’
And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
-Elder Athansius of Ploschansk