St. Gregory of Nyssa: The Lord’s Prayer, The Beatitudes
Overview
These intensely practical homilies are full of examples of the moral, social, medical, and scientific life of Gregory’s time. They paint a picture of a man thoroughly conversant with human nature in general, and in the needs of his contemporaries.
Top Highlights
“Now I say that one must first consider what exactly is beatitude. Beatitude, in my opinion, is a possession of all things held to be good, from which nothing is absent that a good desire may want.” (Page 87)
“Thus he speaks even now to those who are tempted by their own lust, and while saying this he commonly persuades those who pay attention to him to make stones their food. For when desire goes beyond the limits of lawful need, what else is this than the counsel of the devil, who then spurns the food that is made from seeds and incites the appetite to things beyond the limits of nature?” (Page 121)
“On the other hand, if a man is voluntarily poor in all that has to do with wickedness, if he has no diabolical treasures hidden in his inner chamber, but is fervent in spirit, he lays up for himself the treasure of poverty in evil. He is the man whom the Word presents as enjoying that poverty which is called blessed, whose fruit is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Page 89)
“We know from Scripture that there are two kinds of riches, the one to be desired, the other condemned. The riches of virtue are to be pursued, but material wealth is rejected; for the one is gain to the soul, whereas the other is apt to deceive the senses.” (Page 89)
“Therefore He wants the grace of peace fully to abound in you like the pleasant scent of sweet spices that fills the air around it with its own fragrance, so that your life may heal the sickness of others.” (Page 160)