Lives of Saints - St. Evagrios of the Philokalia

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;' but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 'It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,' but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. 'Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. 'You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'* But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,* and hate your enemy.*' But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.

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	Lives of Saints - St. Evagrios of the Philokalia

St. Evagrios of the Philokalia

In our Orthodox Church we have two Saints by the name Evagrios. Saint Evagrios commemorated on the 18th of January.

The name Evagrios is derived from the ancient Greek word "agrevo " meaning "to fish". The name therefore refers to the person whom God has caught with ease and who by the grace of God in turn is able with ease to become a fisher of men like the Disciples were.

The most well known Evagrios in the history of the Church is Evagrios of the Philokalia.

The wise and well educated Evagrios was born in 345 AD in Pontos. He was tonsured a reader by St Basil the Great and ordained a Deacon by St Gregory of Nissa, brother of St Basil the Great. He was appointed Archdeacon to St Gregory the Theologian when he was the Patriarch of Constantinople.

He accompanied St Gregory the Theologian at the 2nd Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381 AD.

Evagrios was a man of superior intellect as was recognised by St Nikodimos the Athonite.

Following a brief stay at Jerusalem, in 383 AD he moved to Egypt were he remained for the last 16 years of his life. His spiritual fathers in Egypt were St Makarios of Alexandria and St Makarios the Egyptian. Through these spiritual fathers he came into contact with the first generation of the fathers of the wilderness in its most pure spiritual form. After a couple of years in Nitria where he became a monk, he moved to the most isolated wilderness of Kellia where he passed on to the Lord in 399 AD. In his spiritual writings it is clear that he had a very deep sense of spiritual discernment. He became famous in both the east and west traditions of the Christian world. His spiritual child St John Cassianos enlightened the Latin west with his teachings. His spiritual notions and terms have been sealed in the eastern Theology forever. His spirit is evident throughout the writings of St Diadochos Bishop of Photiki, St John of the Ladder, St Maximus the Confessor and the writings of the Syrian tradition like those of St Isaac the Syrian.

Source: http://www.orthodoxchristian.info

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