“If a man used always to be angry, he wants not only to stop being angry but to cultivate mildness. If he was bold and insolent, he must not only give it up, but he must act with humility. This is to turn away from evil and to do good. Each of the vices has its contrary virtue. Pride has humility, avarice has almsgiving; licentiousness, self-discipline; neglect, perseverance; anger has meekness; hatred, love. In short, I repeat, every vice has its contrary virtue.

            I have often repeated all this so that as we cast away virtue and brought in vices in the past, we may now work at virtues and at making them permanent in our souls, which is the proper place for them. For by God’s gift the virtues belong to the nature we possess. For truly when God made man he sowed the virtues in him, as it says: ‘Let us make man to our own image and likeness.’ To his image, since God made the soul incorruptible and self-determining; to his likeness, which means having similar virtues. Does the scripture not say: ‘Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful’? And: ‘Be holy, for I am holy’? ….

            We need the mercy of God, and none of us can afford to be negligent…. When the soul has been worked on and cleansed of the vices of which we were speaking and has been zealous for acquiring virtues, it needs the mercy and protection of God lest it be abandoned and perish….”

– Dorotheos of Gaza –