St. Athanasius the Great, Confessor, Doctor, Bishop of Alexandria, c. 296 – 373

Sermon XXXIX: On Lent I

Icon of St Athanasius

"For the Son of God became man so we might become God."

St Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Philosopher, c. 354 – 430

“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” 

De Moribus Eccl. 1, 25, 46:PL, 32, 1330-1331

The earliest known portrait of Saint Augustine
in a 6th-century fresco, Lateran, Rome.

To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole an uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and it is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence). 

Acts of the Council of Rome, c. 382 A.D.

Decree of Damasus:  It is decreed: We must treat first of the sevenfold Spirit who reposes in Christ: --

the Spirit of Wisdom: "Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God"[1 Corinthians 1:24];
the Spirit of Understanding: " I will give you understanding and will instruct you in the way which you shall go." [Psalms. 31:8];
the Spirit of Counsel: "And his name shall be called 'Angel of Great Counsel'." [Isaiah 9:6
the Spirit of Power: "Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God"[1 Corinthians 1:24];
the Spirit of Knowledge: "on account of the eminence of the knowledge of the Apostle, Christ Jesus." [Philippians 3:8]
the Spirit of Truth: "I am the Way, the Life and the Truth." [John 14:6];
the Spirit of Fear: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom." [Psalms 110:10, Proverbs 9:10]

Lucius Caelius Firmianus Lactantius, Roman Rhetorician and Christian Writer c. 250 - 317 A.D.

The Divine Institutions


[6, 5, 10] From this, therefore, it is clear, that the knowledge of good and evil is one thing, but virtue is another; for knowledge can exist without virtue. . . Virtue is not the knowing of good and evil. Rather virtue is the doing of good and not-doing of evil.  Knowledge, however, is in fact joined to virtue in such wise that knowledge precedes virtue, and virtue follows knowledge. Cognition is of no value unless it is followed by action.

St. John the Dwarf, Egyptian Desert Father, c.339 - 405 A.D.

Humility and the fear of God are above all virtues.

   (Image of  St. John the Dwarf by Michael Goltz)

St. Anthony of Egypt, The Great, Desert Father of Monasticism, c. 251 – 356 A.D.

A Coptic icon, showing, in the lower left,
St. Anthony with St. Paul the First Hermit

One should not say that it is impossible to reach a virtuous life; but one should say that it is not easy. Nor do those who have reached it find it easy to maintain. Those who are devout and whose intellect enjoys the love of God participate in the life of virtue; the ordinary intellect, however, is worldly and wavering, producing both good and evil thoughts, because it is changeful by nature and directed towards material things. But the intellect that enjoys the love of God punishes the evil which arises spontaneously because of man’s laziness.

St. Gregory of Nyssa, Bishop, Cappadocian Father, c. 335 - 395 A.D.

11th century mosaic of Gregory of Nyssa.
Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev,Ukraine.

De Beatitudinibus

1:PG 44, 1200D.  The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.