Teodoru
Arċisqof ta' Mopswestja.

Twielet c350CA Antioch, Syria
Miet c428CA

Sant Efrem
Duttur u Konfessur tal-Knisja.

Twielet 306 Nisibis, Turkija
Miet 9 ta' Ġunju 373, Edessa Turkija
Festa 9 ta' Ġunju

San Pietru Krisologu
Isqof, Duttur u Konfessur tal-Knisja.

Twielet c 380 CA, Imola
Miet 31 ta' Diċembru 450 CA
Festa 4 ta' Diċembru.

Patristika:
Riflessjonijiet mill-Kitba
tas-Santi Patri.

Dawn is-siltiet dehru għall-ewwel darba fin-newslatter
tas-Soċjeta Patristika Maltija
immexxija min Mons. Hector Scerri.

Xi Ħsibijiet għaż-Żmien ir-Randan,
miġbura minn Mons Hector Scerri

Mid-Diskorsi tal-Papa San Ljun il-Kbir.

Infittxu mela li, f’dan iż-żmien, inkunu jdejna aktar miftuha mal-fqar u ma’ dawk li huma mġarrbin minn kull xorta ta’ nuqqas, u nuruhom tjieba akbar: b’hekk kotra akbar ta’ nies trodd ħajr lil Alla; bis-sawm tagħna ngħinu ħa jkollu x’jiekol min ma għandu xejn. Ebda tjieba ma togħġob lil Alla daqs l-għajnuna lill-foqra, għaliex f’kull għemil ta’ ħniena hu jara xbieha tat-tjieba tiegħu. M’għandniex nibżgħu li se nnaqsu ġidna meta ngħinu lill-foqra, għaliex, fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, tjieba bħal din hi ġid liema bħalu, u meta Kristu jkun dak li jagħti u jirċievi l-għajnuna, il-ġid li jitqassam qatt ma jonqos. Fl-għajnuna lill-foqra hemm dejjem l-id ta’ Dak li ħa l-ħobż, qasmu, kattru u qassmu ’l kulħadd.

Omelija 49 tal-Papa San Ljun il-Kbir.

Blessed is the mind that passes the time of its pilgrimage in chaste sobriety, and loiters not in the things through which it has to walk, so that, as a stranger rather than the possessor of its earthly abode, it may not be wanting in human affections, and yet rest on the Divine promises.

Lent the season of Purification
St. Pope Leo the Great

...We must then so moderate our rightful use of food that our other desires may be subject to the same rule. For this is also a time of peace and serenity, in which having put away all stains of evil doing we strive after steadfastness in what is good. Now is the time when generous Christian souls forgive offences, pay no heed to insults, and wipe out the memory of past injuries. Now let the Christian soul exercise itself in the armour of justice, on the right hand and on the left, so that amid honour and dishonour, evil report and good, the praise of men will not make proud the virtue that is well rooted, the conscience that has peace, nor dishonour cast it down. The moderation of those who worship God is not melancholy, but blameless."(From the book The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers)

Saint John Chrysostom

When He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards was hungry, He gave an opportunity to the devil to draw near, so that He might teach us through this encounter how we are to overcome and defeat him. This a wrestler also does. For in order to teach his pupils how to win he himself engages in contests with others, demonstrating on the actual bodies of others that they may learn how to gain the mastery. This is what took place here. For, desiring to draw the devil into contest, He made His hunger known to him. He met him as he approached, and meeting him, with the skill which He alone possessed, He once, twice, and a third time, threw His enemy to the ground. (From the book The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers).

Saint John Chrysostom

And though every day a man lives may rightly be a day of repentance, yet is it in these days more becoming, more appropriate, to confess our sins, to fast, and to give alms to the poor; since in these days you may wash clean the sins of the whole year. (From the book The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers).

From Letters of
Saint Macarius of Optina.

"Special services, special foods, continence, not going to dances and events, all this awakes one to piety and reflection on our present purpose, on the past and on eternity. Seeing in ourselves a falling away from the commandments of God, we try to reconcile ourselves to God through repentance and communion of the most pure and life-giving Mysteries of Christ, which burn the thorns of our sins. You, when you have not fulfilled this duty during the year, of course will fulfill it during the Fast. The most merciful Lord loved us so much, that He gave us, through food and drink, His most pure Body and life-giving Blood, as a token of life eternal and the incorrupt future feast. Let us offer Him thanksgiving with pure hearts, lips and acts!"

St. Theodore the Studite
Catechesis 53 "On fasting,

"Brethren and Fathers, our good God who gives us life and brings us from year to year, has brought us also with love for mankind to this present time of fasting, in which each of the eager, as their choice directs, enters the contest; one devoting himself to self-mastery, eating only every two or three days, another to vigil, keeping vigil for so long or so long, another spending even longer in prostrations, and others in other ascetic actions. Quite simply during these holy days it is possible to see great zeal and attention. But the true subject behaves with obedience not at any particular time, but keeps up the struggle always. What is the struggle? Not to walk according to one’s own will, but to let oneself be ruled by the disposition of the superior. This is better than the other works of zeal and is a crown of martyrdom; except that for you there is also change of diet, multiplication of prostrations and increase of psalmody are in accord with the established tradition from of old. And so I ask, let us welcome gladly the gift of the fast, not making ourselves miserable, as we are taught, but let us advance with cheerfulness of heart, innocent, not slandering, not angry, not evil, not envying; rather peaceable towards each other, and loving, fair, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits; breathing in seasonable stillness, since hubbub is damaging in a community; speaking suitable words, since too unreasonable stillness is profitless; yet above all unsleepingly keeping watch over our thoughts, not opening the door to the passions, not giving place to the devil. If the spirit of the powerful one, it says, rise up against you, do not let it find your place. So that the enemy has power to suggest, but in no way to enter. We are lords of ourselves; let us not open our door to the devil; rather let us keep guard over our soul as a bride of Christ, not set about with tumult, unwounded by the arrows of the thoughts; for thus we are able to become a dwelling of God in Spirit. Thus, we may be made worthy to hear, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Quite simply, Whatever is true, whatever noble, whatever just, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever of good report, if there is anything virtuous, if there is anything praiseworthy, to speak like the Apostle, do it; and the God of peace will be with you all, in Christ Jesus, our Lord, to whom be the glory and the might, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen"