St. Basil the Great

“As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience.”

— Conversations on the Psalms, 29

“Do not say, "this happened by chance, while this came to be of itself." In all that exists there is nothing disorderly, nothing indefinite, nothing without purpose, nothing by chance ... How many hairs are on your head? God will not forget one of them. Do you see how nothing, even the smallest thing, escapes the gaze of God?”

— St. Basil the Great

“If you see your neighbor in sin, don't look only at this, but also think about what he has done or does that is good; and infrequently trying this in general, while not partially judging, you will find that he is better than you.”

— Conversations, 20

“If someone has repented once of a sin, and again does the same sin, this is a sign that he has not been cleansed of the causes of the sin, wherefrom, as from a root, the shoots spring forth again.”

— St. Basil the Great

“As God illumines all people equally with the light of the sun, so do those who desire to imitate God let shine an equal ray of love on all people. For wherever love disappears, hatred immediately appears in its place. And if God is love, then hatred is the devil. Therefore as one who has love has God within himself, so he who has hatred within himself nurtures the devil within himself.”

— Homily on Asceticism, 3

“If you begin to guard wealth it will not be yours. But if you begin to distribute it, you will not lose it.”

— Conversations, 7