Thy light is the garment of glory: he who is clothed with it is righteous. St. Ephraim of Syria (29:230).

To the question of St. John: "Whom do you take me for?" one could answer with many great words: to call him an Angel sent before the face of Christ, a Lucifer and a lampstand, a friend of the Bridegroom... But all these words are united and contained in one thing, if we call him like Christ, the Son of God, if not in all, that is, not in the Divinity, not in His divine power, then in the human, and then, however, in part... A burning candle has a certain resemblance to the sun, for the sun, like a candle, illuminates and warms, but the sun does this incomparably more strongly than a candle. In the same way, there is a similarity between Christ and John: Christ is like the sun, and John is like a candle, for, as the Lord says: He was a lamp, burning and shining (John 5:35). But although John is only partially like Christ, he is still similar in a way that the whole world cannot be like, for "of those born of women there arose no greater than John the Baptist" (Matt. 11:11). (103,707-713).

Few are like Christ in His voluntary sufferings, in the difficult bearing of the cross and in the crucifixion. The Apostle Paul beseeches us: "Imitate me, as I follow Christ" (1 Corinthians 4:16). But the holy Apostle, tell us, in what way are you like Christ our Lord? He says that he is similar in the crucifixion: "I was crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:19). ... The Apostle speaks here of spiritual crucifixion, which is clear from his other words: "For me the world is crucified, and I for the world" (Gal. 6:14). For to be crucified to the world means to be crucified with Christ, and to be crucified with Christ means to be crucified to the world. Therefore let us say to the Apostle: O truly like Christ. Not only are you like Christ your Lord in a spiritual crucifixion, but you are also like Him - more like than others! For who was so crucified to Him as you, who said: 'I bear the wounds of the Lord Jesus on my body' (Gal. 6:17)" and make up for what is lacking in my flesh of Christ's afflictions (Col. 1:24)? Who is so dead to the world as you, who said:

"For His sake I have given up all things, and count all things as dung, that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:8)? St. Demetrius of Rostov (103, 778-779).

The Apostle commands "to put off the former way of life of the old man, which decays in deceitful lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man, created according to God, in righteousness and holiness of truth" (Ephesians 4:22-24). Let us put aside the image of the old man, beast-like and bestial, vile and unclean, and let us put on the new image of God, heavenly and holy. And let us become like our Heavenly Father, Who created us in His image and likeness. And this image, corrupted by sin, our heavenly Father renews in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us become like Him in good morals: let us be merciful as He is merciful, let us be pure and holy as He is holy, let us be generous, meek, patient and merciful, as He is long-suffering and abundant in mercy. And inasmuch as we shall put off the old man, so much shall we put on the new; for the rejection of the one is the putting on of the other, and the death of the one is the life of the other. The old man is cast off and killed, the new man is clothed and revived in us. Inasmuch as we put on the new man, to that extent will we have God-like qualities. Inasmuch as there are God-like attributes, the image of God will be pure and clear in us. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 212-213).

... Through holy peace, a Christian, having completed the field of repentance, is reconciled with God, with all circumstances, with all neighbors, with himself, and becomes a son of God by grace (108:522).

The Lord is the Spirit, and unites the person who clings to the Lord with Himself, makes him a spirit... This man becomes spiritual, borrowing spiritual qualities from the Spirit of the Lord, and animal-like qualities are separated and fall away from him (111:134).

Through the intermediary of our Lord Jesus Christ, innumerable and ineffable blessings have been poured out upon the human race: not only has the redemption of men been accomplished, but their adoption as sons to God has been accomplished. Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov) (111, 138).

FOLLOWING CHRIST

... If you want to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, then keep His commandments. If you want to crucify your old man with Him, then remove from you those who bring you down from the cross. And prepare thy heart to endure humiliation with good humor, to love those who offend thee, to humble thyself before all, to restrain thy desires. Be silent with your tongue and lips, condemn no one in your heart (82:144).

Let us apply all possible care to eliminate the passions and restore in ourselves human qualities in the state in which our Lord Jesus Christ revealed them in Himself. He is holy and dwells only in the saints (82:174).

Our Lord Jesus Christ accepted suffering and death on the cross for us and serves as a model for us by these actions. We must, as the Apostle says, "know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and share in His sufferings, being conformed to His death, that we may attain to the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10-11) (82:190).

The Lord, delivering those who are faithful to Him from the fear that is brought about by the world that persecutes the disciples of the Lord, said: "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Strengthening them, so that they would not be faint-hearted in sorrows, He gave joy to their hearts, saying: "Ye have continued with Me in My afflictions, and I bequeath unto you, as My Father hath commanded Me, the Kingdom, that ye may eat and drink at My table" (Luke 22:28-29). He did not say this to everyone, but to those who were with Him in temptations. Who are these who remained with Jesus in temptations, if not those who resist the inclinations of the fallen nature and, finally, completely destroy their action? These words were spoken to them by the Lord when He was going to the cross. Whoever desires to eat and drink at the Lord's table, let him ascend with Him to the cross. The Cross of Jesus is abstinence from the passions, crowned with their complete destruction (82: 206-207).

Christ's yoke is easy, and the burden is light (Matt. 11:30). It consists of: purity, devoid of anger, kindness, meekness, spiritual joy, abstinence from all passions, love for all, holy reasoning, unshakable faith, endurance of sorrows, alienation from the world in the heart, the desire to be separated from the body and unite with Christ. This is the good yoke and the light burden that Christ has commanded us to take upon ourselves and to bear on our shoulders. It is also a path. For its sake, in order to walk on it, the saints took upon themselves many labors and were subjected to many sorrows. No one can enter this path if he does not free himself from all passions, if he does not acquire love. Divine love frees man from all the attachments of the transitory world. Abba Isaiah (82:209).