Patristic Quote of the Day - in Honor of the Synodical Convention

St. Gregory of Nazianzus' Letter CXXX:

For my part, if I am to write the truth, 

my inclination is to avoid all assemblies of bishops, 

because I have never seen any Council come to a good end, 

nor turn out to be a solution of evils.  

On the contrary, it usually increases them.  

You always find there love of contention and love of power 

(I hope you will not think me a bore, for writing like this), 

which beggars description; 

and, while sitting in judgment on others, 

a man might well be convicted of ill-doing himself 

long before he should put down the ill-doing of his opponents.