[quote] It is a curious fact, too, that the more humble we become, the closer we are to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that unless we become as children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We must, therefore, become simple and pure, like children, to draw near to God. And the source of this purity, says Saint John Cassian (ca. 360-435), is unavailable to us "unless we have first acquired real humility of heart."s The ascent to God, the climb towards the Divine, begins with the acquisition of humility. We approach the heights by attaining lowliness. We acquire spiritual maturity by becoming children.[/quote]

[quote] In all times, the Fathers have represented the highest standard and served as paradigms who, when we measure ourselves against them, humble us because of the highness of their virtues and the lowliness of our attainments. The humility that we find in this process of comparison is not the humility of self-denying imitation. It is a far more intricate form of humility. It is humility that teaches us how imperfect we are, how far we are from spiritual attainment, and how untouchable the great spiritual giants of our Holy Church actually are. Clinging to this humility, we never reckon ourselves to be worthy of participation in the Divine —let alone by merely mimicking the holy. It is only in such real humility, in such a profound sense of unworthiness, that our desire to emulate the Fathers is ever rewarded by true union with, and participation in, the Divine. [/quote]

[quote] An Elder said: "I prefer a defeat accompanied by humility to a victory accompanied by pride."[/quote]

[quote] Abba Sarmatias (fl. 5th cen.) said: "I prefer a sinful man who, nonetheless, recognizes that he has sinned and who repents to a man who has not sinned and fancies that he is perhaps virtuous."[/quote]

[quote] An Elder was once asked, "When does the soul acquire humility?"

He answered: "When it thinks about its own vices."[/quote]

[quote] An Elder said: "Just as the earth never falls down, neither does the man who humbles himself."[/quote]

[quote] An Elder said: "Just as the earth never falls down, neither does the man who humbles himself."[/quote]

[quote]The  Elders used to say that when we are not undergoing warfare, it is then that we are in greater need of being humbled, since God, knowing our infirmity, covers us. But if we are boastful, God removes His protection from us and we go to perdition.[/quote]

[quote] Abba Matoes said: "The closer a man comes to God, all the more does he see himself to be a sinner; for when Prophet Isaiah (ca. 765 B.C.-ca. 701 B.C.) saw God in his vision, he called himself wretched and unclean."[/quote]



[color=silver][indent][indent]— Archbishop Chrysosyomos of Aetna, [i]Themes in Orthodox Patristic Psychology: Humility, Obedience, Repentance, and Love[/i][/indent][/indent][/color]