St. Cyril of Alexandria on the Pharisee and Publican

But what of the publican? He stood, it says, “afar off,” not even venturing, so to speak, to raise up his eyes on high. You see him abstaining from all boldness of speech, as having no right thereto, and smitten by the reproaches of conscience: for he was afraid of being even seen by God, as one who had been careless of His laws, and had led an unchaste and dissolute life. You see also that by his external manner, he accuses his own depravity. For the foolish Pharisee stood there bold and broad, lifting up his eyes without scruple, bearing witness of himself, and boastful. But the other feels shame at his conduct: he is afraid of his Judge, he smites upon his breast, he confesses his offences, he shows his malady as to the Physician, he prays that he may have mercy. And what is the result? Let us hear what the Judge says, “This man, He says, went down to his house justified rather than the other.”

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Sermon 120

The Common Place

The Common Place was a book carried by people who wished to collect thoughts, quotations, and memorabilia in a single, common, place. Philip Melanchthon, Robert Burns, John Milton, and Francis Bacon all have published common places, and many other thinkers have ledd famous loci of their own. This blog is an attempt to collect, share, and benefit from our own individual commonplaces for quotations, prayers, and Christian art. Later, we may expand to include other cooperative labors like bulletin blurbs, articles, and catechetical resources.

For now, the main editors are moving our individual commonplaces into this format to beg, borrow, and steal from each other’s collections. Contact Father Gramenz, if you wish to contribute, and he will add you as an editor. You can contact Father Voigt for help with posting. Otherwise, feel free to use these resources, which are all free of copyright, to the best of our knowledge, and to share it with anyone who might be helped.

To Live a Forgiven Life

So to live a “forgiven” life is not simply to live in a happy consciousness of having been absolved. Forgiveness is precisely the deep and abiding sense of what relation—with God or with other human beings—can and should be; and so it is itself a stimulus, an irritant, necessarily provoking protest at impoverished versions of social and personal relations.

Rowan Williams, Resurrection: Interpreting the Easter Gospel