Friday, October 25 : Saint Maximus the Confessor

The Word of God is like a grain of mustard seed: before cultivation it looks extremely small. But when it is cultivated in the right way it grows so large that the highest principles of both sensi-ble and intelligible creation come like birds to revive themselves in it. For the principles – or inner essences of all things are embraced by the Word, but the Word is not embraced by anything. Hence the Lord has said that whoever has faith like a grain of mustard seed can move a mountain by a word of command (cf. Mt 17:20), that is, he can destroy the devil’s dominion over us and remove it from its foundation. The grain of mustard seed is the Lord, who by faith is sown spiritually in the hearts of those who accept him. Whoever diligently cultivates the seed by practicing the virtues moves the mountain of earthbound pride and, through the power thus gained, expels the obdurate habit of sin. In this way the activity of the principles and qualities, or divine powers, present in the commandments is revived as though they were birds. (…) Those who seek the Lord should not look for him outside themselves. On the contrary, they must seek him within themselves through faith made manifest in action. For it is written: “The word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Rm 10:8), that is, the word of faith, Christ being himself the word that is sought.

maronite readings – rosary,team