27+ Dorotheus of Gaza Quotes On Death, Religion And Education

Dorotheus of Gaza was a 5th century monk from ancient Greece. He is best known for his ascetic writings, which were widely read in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is also credited with writing the first monastic rule in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Dorotheus of Gaza on death, religion, education.

Top 10 Dorotheus Of Gaza Quotes

1. If we have true love with sympathy and patient labor, we shall not go about scrutinizing our neighbor's shortcomings.
2. The more one is united to his neighbor the more he is united to God.
3. A great means to preserve continual peace and tranquillity of soul is to receive everything from the hands of God, both great and small, and in whatever way it comes.
4. Conscience is called the adversary, because it always opposes our evil will; it reminds us of what we ought to do but do not, and condemns us if we do something we ought not.
5. The devil loves and always rejoices over the ungoverned; those who are not subject to one who has power, under God, to help them and to give them a hand.
6. Even if we cannot endure much labor because we are weak let us be set on humbling ourselves.
7. In the mercy of God, the little thing done with humility will enable us to be found in the same place as the saints who have labored much and been true servants of God.
8. In the measure that we pay attention and take care to carry out what we hear, God will always enlighten us and make us understand His will.
9. The grace of God comes swiftly to the soul when endurance is no longer possible.
10. Let us be convinced that nothing can happen to us apart from the providence of God.

Dorotheus of Gaza Famous Quotes And Sayings

A man who prays without ceasing, if he achieves something, knows why he achieved it, and can take no pride in it... for he cannot attribute it to his own powers, but attributes all his achievements to God, always renders thanks to him and constantly calls upon him, trembling lest he be deprived of help. — Dorotheus of Gaza

Then God came to the woman and said to her, "Why did you not keep the commandment?" as if He wanted to say, "At least you, say forgive me, so as to humble your soul and to receive mercy." Again, there was no request for forgiveness. She also answered, "The serpent deceived me," as if she wanted to say, "If the serpent sinned, where is my mistake?" — Dorotheus of Gaza

'My sheep hear My voice' (Jn. 10:14). This is just another way of saying, 'They obey my words and keep My commandments.' Obeying the commandments the saints draw near to God; the more they draw near to God, the better they know Him. — Dorotheus of Gaza

It is God, Who is merciful and grants everyone what he needs, Who is building him up when He gives him more than he needs; in doing so He shows the abundance of His love for men and teaches him to give thanks. When He does not grant him what he needs, He makes him compensate for the thing he needs through the working of the mind and teaches him patience. — Dorotheus of Gaza

A man obtains the fear of God if he has the remembrance of his unavoidable death and of the eternal torments that await sinners; If he tests himself every evening as to how he has spent the day, and every morning as to how he has spent the night, and if is not sharp in his relations with others. — Dorotheus of Gaza

He answered, "The woman whom You gave to be with me" (Gen 3:9-12), he did not say, "the woman deceived me," but "The woman whom You gave to me," as if he wanted to say: "This catastrophe has come upon me because of You." So it is, brethren, since Man is not accustomed to blame himself. He does not hesitate to consider even God as the cause of evil. — Dorotheus of Gaza

When the devil looks at a man who sincerely desires not to sin, he is not so unintelligent as to suggest to him (as he would to a hardened sinner) that he go and commit fornication or go and steal. He knows we do not want that and he does not set out to tell us something we do not want to hear; but he finds out that little bit of self-will or self-righteousness and through that, with the appearance of well doing, he will do us harm. — Dorotheus of Gaza

If you cannot be merciful, at least speak as though you are a sinner. If you are not a peacemaker, at least do not be a troublemaker. If you cannot be assiduous, at least in your thought be like a sluggard. If you are not victorious, do not exalt yourself over the vanquished. If you cannot close the mouth of a man who disparages his companion, at least refrain from joining him in this.- St. Isaac the Syrian — Dorotheus of Gaza

Oh, Brethren, what is the result of pride? Oh, see what humility can do? What was the need for all these sufferings? For, if from the beginning Man had humbled himself, obeyed God, and kept the commandment he would not have fallen. — Dorotheus of Gaza

Not only should we observe moderation with food, but we must also abstain from every other sin so that just as we fast with our stomach, we should fast with our tongue. Likewise, we should fast with our eyes; i.e. not look at agitating things, not allow your eyes freedom to roam, not to look shamelessly and without fear. Similarly, arms and legs should be restrained from doing any evil acts. — Dorotheus of Gaza

Why did you act in this way, you pitiable ones? Make a bow of repentance, recognize your fault, be sorry for your nakedness. Neither one of them could blame himself, neither of them had the least bit of humility. — Dorotheus of Gaza

No one who lies is linked to God. God is the truth. He says, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life' (Jn. 14:6). See how we sort ourselves out and what position we take up through lying ? clearly on the side of the evil one. If, therefore, we want to be saved, we must with all our hearts love the Truth and guard ourselves from every kind of falsehood so that we may not be separated from truth and from life. — Dorotheus of Gaza

If a man really sets his heart upon the will of God, God will enlighten a little child to tell that man what is His will. But if a man does not truly desire the will of God, even if he goes in search of a prophet, God will put into the heart of the prophet a reply like the deception in his own heart. — Dorotheus of Gaza

Imagine that the world is a circle, that God is the center, and that the radii are the different ways human beings live. When those who wish to come closer to God walk towards the center of the circle, they come closer to one another at the same time as to God. The closer they come to God, the closer they come to one another. And the closer they come to one another, the closer they come to God. — Dorotheus of Gaza

By keeping the Commandments the soul is purified and the mind too is enlightened, and starts to function as nature intended it to. 'The command of the Lord gives light and enlightens the eyes' (Ps. 19:8). — Dorotheus of Gaza

Who hated sin more than the saints? But they did not hate the sinners at the same time, nor condemn them, nor turn away from them. But they suffered with them, admonished them, comforted them. gave them remedies as sickly members, and did all they could to heal them. — Dorotheus of Gaza

Sin is one thing but instinctive reaction or passion is another. These are our reactions: pride, anger, sexual indulgence, hate, greed, and so on. The corresponding sins are the gratification of these passions: when a man acts and brings into corporeal reality those works which were suggested to him by his desires. It is impossible to exist without desires arising, but not to give way to them is by no means impossible. — Dorotheus of Gaza

Life Lessons by Dorotheus of Gaza

1. Dorotheus of Gaza taught that the spiritual life should be one of moderation and balance, emphasizing the importance of self-knowledge and humility.
2. He also stressed the importance of prayer and contemplation, and of using the intellect to understand the nature of God and the soul.
3. By studying Dorotheus' work, we can learn to cultivate a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationship with the divine.