Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 7

If some people are in the catholic church but live badly, let them hurry to distance themselves from their evil life before concluding this life. Do not let them think that the catholic name is sufficient for their salvation if they do not do the will of God. In fact, our Savior says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Indeed, also in the book of Psalms it is written that “the Lord is close to all who call on him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him, and he will hear their prayers, and he will save them.” Therefore also in Proverbs each one of us is ordered both to fear the Lord and to distance ourselves from evil. There you can read, “Fear the Lord and turn away from all evil, and your body shall have peace and your bones rest.” In fact, also in Ecclesiasticus, all the faithful are warned not to do evil with these words: “Do not perform evil deeds, and they will not seize you. Distance yourself from evil, and evil will distance itself from you. Do not sow evil deeds in the furrows of injustice, and you will not harvest them multiplied seven times.” In the same book again, because no one, adding sin to sin, wants to deceive himself with a vain thought regarding the mercy of God, the doctrine of salvation meets us with words of this kind: “Do not … add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins,’ for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners.” Again, saint Job says, “Does not calamity befall the unrighteous and disaster the workers of iniquity?” It is written in Proverbs, “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is caught in the toils of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is lost.”

On the Forgiveness of Sins 1:26.23

Nothing will generate presumptions so much as a good conscience, if we are not careful. Therefore, knowing that after we do something honest that this sentiment might arise in us, Jesus said to his disciples, “When you shall have done all those things you say: ‘We are unprofitable servants.’ ” When the evil beast is about to enter you, with these words, then, he says, close the door. Notice, he did not say, “When you shall have done all those things you are useless,” but “say, ‘We are useless.’ ” Tell him not to fear because I do not pass my sentence on the basis of your judgment. If you say you are useless, I shall crown you as useful. Elsewhere we read, “First declare your transgressions, so that you may be justified.” In other tribunals, the death of the culprit follows after the accusation; in the divine tribunal, the crown comes after the accusation of the trespasses. Therefore also Solomon said, “Do not justify yourself before the Lord.”

Homilies on Hosea 3:1

We do not advise you to leave the one who entrusted you with the care of the holy churches of God, but only to look after your own soul in the fear of God. Do not accept gifts from anyone, do not waver in judgment, do not be ashamed before a powerful person, do not declare innocent the guilty or condemn the innocent. Keep away from avarice, which is the root of all evils; in fact, it is called, and it is, a second kind of idolatry. And do not pride yourself, so that you may be a disciple of the apostle who says, "Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly." Do not try to please people, for you know what happens to people who do this. They become estranged from the service of Christ. In fact, the apostle says, "For if I were still pleasing people, I would not be the servant of Christ." And submit to the Lord, who says, "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Extinguish anger and chase it far from you, for it is the ruin of a person; do everything according to God and you will find him as your helper. Always fear death, for it is necessary that it comes to us all. Remember the hour of your departure, and do not sin against God. And if you arrive at the point of calmness, you will find rest and grace wherever you decide to withdraw. - "Book of Letters 789"

Those who lament their transgressions and yet forsake them not are to be admonished to learn to consider anxiously that they cleanse themselves in vain by their weeping, if they wickedly defile themselves in their living, seeing that the end for which they wash themselves in tears is that, when clean, they may return to filth. For hence it is written, "The dog is returned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." For the dog, when he vomits, certainly casts forth the food which weighed upon his stomach; but, when he returns to his vomit, he is again loaded with what he had been relieved from. And they who mourn their transgressions certainly cast forth by confession the wickedness with which they have been evilly satiated, and which oppressed the inmost parts of their soul; and yet, in recurring to it after confession, they take it in again. But the sow, by wallowing in the mire when washed, is made more filthy. And one who mourns past transgressions, yet forsakes them not, subjects himself to the penalty of more grievous sin, since he both despises the very pardon which he might have won by his weeping, and as it were rolls himself in miry water; because in withholding purity of life from his weeping he makes even his very tears filthy before the eyes of God. Hence again it is written, "Repeat not a word in thy prayer." For to repeat a word in prayer is, after bewailing, to commit what again requires bewailing. Hence it is said through Isaiah, "Wash you, be ye clean." For he neglects being clean after washing, whosoever after tears keeps not innocency of life. And they therefore are washed, but are in no wise clean, who cease not to bewail the things they have committed, but commit again things to be bewailed. Hence through a certain wise man it is said, "He that is baptized from the touch of a dead body and toucheth it again, what availeth his washing?" For indeed he is baptized from the touch of a dead body who is cleansed from sin by weeping: but he touches a dead body after his baptism, who after tears repeats his sin.

The Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 3, Chapter 30

Sin possesses the very bread of his death, to which it invites those who love pleasures and the fools, saying, “Touch with pleasure the secret bread and the sweet stolen waters.” He who merely touches it “does not know that the children of the earth perish because of it.” When one thinks about tasting pleasure, the result that comes from this nourishment will not be sweet for him in the end, as again the Wisdom of God affirms: “Bread of deceit is pleasant to a person, but afterwards his mouth shall be full of sand,” and, “Honey drips from the lips of a prostitute, which for a certain time is sweet to your palate. Afterwards you will find it more bitter than wormwood, sharper than a two-edged sword.” Thus, eating it and enjoying it a little, afterwards he is devoured by worms, while he renders his soul far away, because the fool does not know that “they that are far from God perish.”

Festal Letters 7:5.17

23–24

Christ the educator of humanity, our divine Logos, with every effort and with every gift of wisdom, has offered to save his children, warning them, reproaching, punishing, accusing, threatening, curing, making promises and granting grace. “With various bridles he keeps within bounds” the excessive outbursts of humanity. In short, the Lord conducts himself with us as we conduct ourselves with our children. “Do you have children? Discipline them,” Wisdom exhorts, “and make them obedient from their youth. Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity, and do not show yourself too indulgent with them.” Yet, our children, male and female, are what we love the most above anything else.

The Instructor Book 1

23–24

What does it mean to set one's face firmly against Jerusalem depicted on the brick, except that the teacher who announces to a soul the vision of heavenly peace should by no means show himself more lenient and merciful if he still sees that soul weakened in its actions? Hence it is written: "Do you have daughters? Guard their bodies, and do not show a cheerful face to them." For weak souls given over to worldly desire are sometimes better preserved through severity, so that a hardened face—that is, one guarded through severity and withdrawn from all hope of frivolous leniency—may terrify the inconstant soul and restrain it from the delight of vices through the force of strictness. When this is done by a teacher, it is always necessary that sweetness and humility be held in the heart, so that he may both love greatly and never rise up against the one whom he nevertheless refuses to reveal his love and humility to, for that person's own benefit.

Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 12

It shows that the offering that one offers to God with a humble mind and pure love purifies him from many shortcomings and omissions, even if they are small. Concerning these matters it is written, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” And the psalmist writes, “A broken spirit is a sacrifice to God, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” And it is for this same reason that the Lord did not despise the two small coins from the poor widow but accepted them with joy.

On Ecclesiasticus 2:10