St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church and  Early Church Father

Father of Eastern Monasticism, 329-379, Memorial 2 January

"The bread in your box belongs to the hungry; the cloak in your closet belongs to the naked; the shoes you do not wear belong to the barefoot; the money in your vault belongs to the destitute."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, Early Church Father, 347-407

Memorial 13 September

“If the Lord should give you the power to raise the dead, He would be giving you much less than He does when he allows you to suffer. By performing miracles you would make yourself a debtor to Him, but by suffering He may become debtor to you. And even if your sufferings had no other value than being able to bear something for the God who loves you, is not this itself a great reward?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saint Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor of the Church and Early Church Father 330-390

Memorial 2 January

"God accepts our desires as though they were of great value. He longs ardently for us to desire and love him. He accepts our petitions for benefits as though we were doing him a favor. His joy in giving is greater than ours in receiving. So let us not be apathetic in our asking, nor set too narrow bounds to our requests; nor ask for frivolous things unworthy of God's greatness."