6. If the words of a prayer do not penetrate into
the soul, then even tears will not cleanse it outwardly.
13. A Christian who is a genuine believer in God
must not yield to careless indifference, but must always be ready for
temptations and be ready to meet them; and when they do come, not be agitated
and annoyed but endure the sorrow gratefully.
21. Do not burden yourself with even a small sin,
and then a large one will not vanquish you, because it does not happen that a
large sin evolves before a small one.
23. People that are not predisposed toward
repentance sin more frequently, while those who sin against their will, repent
easier. Moreover, they have less need for this.
23. Do not get angry with the person that through
his accusation exposed a covert evil within you — but seeing the ejected
impurity, condemn yourself and thank God for arranging this so providentially.
27. Censure stimulates the soul’s energy while
praise weakens it and makes it sluggish toward good deeds.
29. Neither sinner nor righteous are free from
sorrow; however, the former laments that he is not completely free from sin,
while the latter, that he has not yet mastered all the virtues.
30. Just as a self-opinionated person does not
notice his failings, thus the wisely humble not his good qualities. The
failings of the first hide an ignorance that is evil, while the ignorance of
the second is agreeable to God.
30. Just as a merchant without money is not a
merchant, even though he was very capable in his trade: so a person committed
to a path without humility will not see any favorable fruits of virtue, even
though he relied heavily on his intellect.
36. It is not only essential that a good deed be
performed with a worthy disposition, but that the person accomplishes it
properly, ie. he consider the time and its scope.
Return to the first page
