Spiritual Sentences
Spiritales sententiae
Spiritual Sentences§1
1Spiritual sentences arranged according to the alphabet. 1 The beginning of salvation is self-knowledge. 2 It is better to throw a stone in vain than a word. 3 Become to all people what you wish all people to be. 4 One practices justice more by deed than by word. 5 A pious man is not one who pities many, but one who does injustice to no one. 6 To live lying upon a mat and to be courageous is better than to be troubled having a golden bed. 7 Pleasant is that friend who nourishes the soul. 8 Revere God indeed by deeds, but honor Him by word, and by thought. 9 Priest-like wisdom, life, and nobility, he produces. 10 It is worst to be a slave to shameful passions. 11 Teach virtue indeed by word, but proclaim it by deed. 12 Do not think that having virtue is good, but rather to be as it is necessary. 13 Honoring law, according to law you shall live. 14 A stranger is he whose things are foreign to the world. 15 He who envies harms himself; for he, speaking evil against another, destroys himself by suffering evil. 16 A rich man, neither flatter nor provoke. 17 Wine indeed strengthens the body, but the word of God the soul. 18 Use food not for the pleasant, but for the useful. 19 Trying to please the crowds, you will be like the crowds. 20 Above all things, use the body as a tool. 21 Industrious...
The text ends abruptly at 'Φιλόπονος' (Industrious/Zealous).
Greek · §1
Spiritales sententiae per alphabeticum dispositae 1Ἀρχὴ σωτηρίας ἡ ἑαυτοῦ κατάγνωσις. 2 Βέλτιον λίθον εἰκῆ βαλεῖν ἢ λόγον. 3 Γίνου τοῖς πᾶσιν ὡς σὺ θέλεις τοὺς πάντας. 4.∆ικαιοσύνην μᾶλλον εργῳ ἢ λόγῳ ασκει. 5 Εὐσεβὴς οὐχ ὁ πολλοὺς ἐλεῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ μηδένα ἀδικῶν. 6 Ζῆν ἄμεινον ἐπὶ στιβάδος κατακείμενον καὶ θαρρεῖν ἢ ταράττεσθαι χρυσῆν εχοντα κλίνην. 7Ἡδὺς ἐκεῖνος φίλων ὁ τὴν ψυχὴν διατρέφων. 8 Θεὸν ἔργοις μὲν σέβου, λόγῳ δὲ ὕμνει, ἐννοίᾳ δὲ τίμα. 9Ἱερέα φρόνησις καὶ βίος καὶ εὐγένεια ποιεῖ. 10 Κάκιστόν ἐστι πάθεσι δουλεύειν αἰσχροῖς. 11 Λόγῳ μὲν τὴν ἀρετὴν δίδασκε, ἔργῳ δὲ αὐτὴν κήρυσσε. 12 Μὴ τὸ ἔχειν ἀρετὴν καλὸν εἶναι νόμιζε, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὡς δεῖ. 13 Νόμον τιμῶν κατὰ νόμον ζήσεις. 14 Ξένος ἐκεῖνος, οὗ ξένα τὰ τοῦ κόσμου. 15Ὁ φθονῶν ἑαυτὸν ζημιοῖ· ὁ γὰρ κατ' ἄλλου κακῶς φθεγγόμενος φθάνει πάσχων ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ κακῶς. 16 Πλούσιον μήτε κολάκευε μήτε παρόξυνε. 17Ῥώννυσι μὲν οινος τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν λόγος θεοῦ. 18 Σιτίοις χρῶ οὐ τοῖς ἡδέσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ὠφελίμοις. 19 Τοῖς οχλοις πειρώμενος ἀρέσκειν τῶν οχλων εσῃ ὅμοιος. 20Ὑπὲρ πάντα καταχρῶ τῷ σώματι. 21 Φιλόπονος
Sentences on Wisdom and Conduct§2
2That one, for whom time overflows.
Do not accept the outward appearance of a Christian man, but rather the mindset of his soul. To grasp the ungraspable God is sin. The danger of the mouth and tongue is great.
It is absurd for one who pursues honors to flee from the labors through which honors are gained. If you wish to know God, first having known yourself. A true friend is one who shares circumstances. It is terrible to think greatly while performing small deeds. In everything, the desire to know hinders the actual knowing. A demon of irrational life is a leader. The nobility of the soul shines forth from its strength. That God-fearing man is he who does not speak of himself. A holy man of God is ungraspable. A life of unproven character is the worst of possessions. Speak what is necessary and when it is necessary, and you will not hear what is not necessary. An unshakeable friend is the greatest of possessions. A glory-loving opinion is a sickness of the soul. A stranger and a poor man is the beloved of God. He who receives him will quickly rise up. On the one hand, to do good to all.
Greek · §2
ἐκεῖνος, ᾧ χρόνος περισσεύει. 22 Χριστιανοῦ ἀνδρὸς μὴ τὸ σχῆμα ἀποδέχου, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς φρόνημα. 23 Ψέγειν τὸν ἀνεπίληπτον εἰς θεὸν ἁμαρτία. 24Ὤτων καὶ γλώσσης μέγας ὁ κίνδυνος. Aliae sententiae 25Ἄτοπόν ἐστιν τὸ διώκοντα τὰς τιμὰς φεύγειν τοὺς πόνους, δι' ὧν αἱ τιμαί. 26 Βούλει γνῶναι θεόν, προλαβὼν γνῶθι σεαυτόν. 27 Γνήσιος φίλων ὁ τὰς περιστάσεις κοινούμενος. 28 ∆εινόν ἐστι μέγα φρονεῖν μικρὰ πράττοντα. 29Ἐν παντὶ τὸ οἴεσθαι εἰς τὸ εἰδέναι ἐμποδίζει. 30 Ζωῆς ἀλόγου δαίμων ἡγεμών. 31Ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς εὐγένεια ἐκ τῆς εὐτονίας ἀναφαίνεται. 32 Θεοσεβὴς ἐκεῖνος ὁ μὴ καθ' ἑαυτοῦ φθεγγόμενος. 33Ἱερὸν θεοῦ ανθρωπος ἀνεπίληπτος. 34 Κάκιστον κτῆμα βίος ἀδόκιμος. 35 Λάλει ἃ δεῖ καὶ ὅτε δεῖ καὶ οὐκ ἀκούσεις ἃ μὴ δεῖ. 36 Μέγιστον κτῆμα φίλος ἀδιάπτωτος. 37 Νόσημα ψυχῆς γνώμη φιλόδοξος. 38 Ξένος καὶ πένης θεοῦ κολλούριον– 39Ὁ δεχόμενος αὐτὸν ταχέως ἀναβλέψει. 40 Πάντας μὲν εὐεργετεῖν
Sententiae on Virtue and the Soul§3
3It is beautiful, but rather it is for those not able to be repaid. A rhetorician in justice is a cup of cold water. Sobriety and meekness are the Cherubim of the soul. To be greedy in old age is a proof that one has become greedy before old age; to be diligent in youth is a pledge of being greedy in old age. True contemplation is the upper room of the soul. Loving what is not necessary, you will not love what is necessary. A counterfeit gold is better than having acquired a friend. A pure soul is god with God. Oh, from the self-love that hates all things.
Other sayings: The beginning of love is the assumption of glory. It is beautiful to be rich in meekness and love. The lightning-strike of virtue is a proud calculation. A smooth path is made by almsgiving. An unjust judge is a stained conscience. It is terrible to be a slave to the passions of the flesh. If you wish to be without sorrow, strive to please God. He who takes good care of himself is cared for by God. A sober heart is a harbor of contemplations. When...
Greek · §3
καλόν, μᾶλλον δὲ τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους ἀμείβεσθαι. 41Ῥήτωρ ἐν δικαιότητι ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ὕδατος. 42 Σωφροσύνη καὶ πραΰτης ψυχῆς Χερουβίμ. 43 Τὸ εντιμον ἐν γήρᾳ εἶναι ἀπόδειξις τοῦ φιλόπονον πρὸ γήρως γεγονέναι· τὸ σπουδαῖον ἐν νέῳ ἐχέγγυον τοῦ εντιμον ἐν γήρᾳ εσεσθαι. 44Ὑπερῷον ψυχῆς θεωρία ἀληθής. 45 Φιλῶν ἃ μὴ δεῖ οὐ φιλήσεις ἃ δεῖ. 46 Χρυσὸν κίβδηλον ἄμεινον ἢ φίλον κεκτῆσθαι. 47 Ψυχὴ καθαρὰ μετὰ θεὸν θεός. 48Ὢ ἀπὸ τῆς φιλαυτίας τῆς πάντα μισούσης. Aliae sententiae 49Ἀρχὴ ἀγάπης ὑπόληψις δόξης. 50 Καλὸν πλουτεῖν ἐν πραΰτητι καὶ ἀγάπῃ. 51 Λικμήτωρ ἀρετῆς λογισμὸς ὑπερήφανος. 52 Λεία ὁδὸς ὑπὸ ἐλεημοσύνης γίνεται. 53Ἄδικος δικαστὴς μεμολυσμένη συνείδησις. 54 ∆εινόν ἐστι πάθεσι δουλεύειν σαρκός. 55 Εἰ θέλεις αλυπος ειναι, θεῷ ἀρέσκειν σπούδαζε. 56Ὁ καλῶς φροντίζων ἑαυτοῦ φροντίζεται ὑπὸ θεοῦ. 57 Σώφρων καρδία λιμὴν θεωρημάτων. 58Ὅταν
Knowing oneself and the path to Christ§4
4If you wish to know who you are, do not compare who you were, but what you have become from the beginning. A glory-seeking soul is a dry pit. A proud soul is a receptacle for robbers, and it hates the sound of knowledge.
For a true man, not knowing the Scriptures is a bad wandering. If you fear God, know him through tears. The humility of the soul is an unutterable weapon. A lover of virtue is a tree of paradise. Jesus Christ is the wood of life; use it as is necessary and you shall by no means die for eternity.
Do good to the truly poor and you will eat Christ. To eat the body of Christ is true strength. If you love Christ, you will not neglect to keep his commandments; for from there one shines as a benefactor with God. He who is a friend according to God flows with milk and honey in true words, but a restless soul will not have such a friend.
A glory-seeking thought is a shouting master. To bury the truth is to silence gold. He who fears God does all things according to God.
Greek · §4
θέλῃς σαυτὸν γνῶναι τίς εἶ, μὴ συγκρίνῃς τίς ἦς, ἀλλὰ τί γέγονας ἐξ ἀρχῆς. 59 Λάκκος ανυδρος φιλόδοξος ψυχή. 60Ὑπερήφανος ψυχὴ πανδοχεῖον λῃστῶν, μισεῖ δὲ ἦχον γνώσεως. 61Ἀληθοῦς ἀνδρὸς πλάνη κακὴ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τὰς Γραφάς. 62 Εἰ 1 φοβῇ τὸν θεόν, ἐκ τῶν δακρύων γνῶθι. 63Ἄρρηκτον ὅπλον ταπεινοφροσύνη ψυχῆς. 64 ∆ένδρον παραδείσου φιλάρετος ἀνήρ. 65Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ξύλον ἐστὶ ζωῆς. χρῶ αὐτῷ ὡς δεῖ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. 66 Εὐεργέτει τοὺς οντως πτωχοὺς καὶ βρώσῃ Χριστόν. 67Ῥώμη ἀληθὴς τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σῶμα ἐσθίειν. 68 Εἰ φιλεῖς τὸν Χριστόν, τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρεῖν οὐκ ἐπιλήσῃ· ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ ἀναφαίνεται εὐεργέτης μετὰ θεόν. 69Ὁ κατὰ θεὸν φίλος ῥέει γάλα καὶ μέλι τοῖς ἀληθέσι λόγοις, ῥᾴθυμος δὲ ψυχὴ τοιοῦτον οὐχ ἕξει φίλον. 70Ὠμὸς δεσπότης φιλήδονος λογισμός. 71 Σιγᾶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν χρυσόν ἐστι θάπτειν. 72Ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν κατὰ θεὸν πάντα ποιεῖ. 2