31 May 2010

Patristic Quote of the Day

For as long as a priest's life is well-regulated in every particular point, their intrigues cannot hurt him.  But if he should overlook some small detail, as is likely for a human being across the devious ocean of this life, all the rest of his good deeds are of no avail to him to escape the words of his accusers.  That small offense casts a shadow over all the rest of his life.  Everyone wants to judge the priest, not as one clothed in flesh, not as one possessing a human nature, but as an angel, exempt from the frailties of others.  -- St. John Chrysostom, Six Books on the Priesthood, p. 86.

1 comment:

Rev. Jim Roemke said...

Even a well-lived life, free of anything that would cause offense, even a PERFECT life, as the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bring about accusation and persecution. I love when people tell me they want a pastor who is a "real person" and then complain about what being a "real person" means.