Sayings of St Isaac of Syria

[James]

This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in vain
pursuits.

[RVG]

Le 15/06/2013 00:56, James a écrit :
> This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in
> vain pursuits.

You know he ended his life out of the Church, no ?

--
"Shut your eyes and see."
James Joyce, Ulysses

http://www.jamendo.com/en/list/a122027/a-winter-in-babylon
http://rvgmusic.bandcamp.com/
http://soundcloud.com/rvgronoff

[Catherine Jefferson]

On 6/14/2013 7:04 PM, RVG wrote:
> Le 15/06/2013 00:56, James a écrit :
>> This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in
>> vain pursuits.
>
> You know he ended his life out of the Church, no ?

I think that's a bit misleading, simply because he was always a member
of the "Church of Persia". Toward the end of his life, the controversy
over Monophysitism caused a widespread division between the Chalcedonian
Orthodox churches (Greek et al) and the Cyrillian (Monophysite) churches
(including the Church of Persia). A whole lot of people, including some
great saints of the Church, got caught up in this highly politicized as
well as theologically fraught schism. I don't have the theological
subtlety to make sense of the split, but strongly suspect that there was
a good bit of mutual misunderstanding involved due to different
theological language.

St. Isaac's own writings leave no grounds for doubt that he believed
Christ was both perfect God and perfect Man, though. That's why we as
well as the Oriental Orthodox churches recognize him as a saint.

Why do I know this? I've always loved St. Isaac. I have an icon of him
with the exact quote James posted. I also got married on his feast day,
January 28. I love the wedding hymn.... :-)


Under His mercy,


--
Catherine Jefferson <tw8...@ergosphere.net>
Blog/Personal: http://www.ergosphere.net

[++]

On Friday, June 14, 2013 10:04:11 PM UTC-4, RVG wrote:
> Le 15/06/2013 00:56, James a écrit :
>
> > This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in
>
> > vain pursuits.
>
>
>
> You know he ended his life out of the Church, no ?

Where he ended is for God to judge. Perhaps he recanted his heresy in the last moment?

Meanwhile, he gave the Church great gifts and wisdom. Twwo separate matters.