Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.
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welcome… me… just the sinner… a listener, an observer, a thinker, an admirer… I am an Orthodox Catholic Christian interested in computers, electronics, automation, soccer, music, life, love, Truth, Holy Tradition, the Holy Trinity, the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, the Holy Bible/Holy Scripture, ethics, morality, philosophy, religion, spirituality, asceticism, Creation, and pro-life.
The Orthodox Church in America received me into membership by Chrismation by priest/monk Fr. Rev. E.A. (Simeon) Weare, memory eternal, in the parish St. Nicholas the Wonder-Maker in 1992.
—the unworthy servant and chief of sinners, th
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Orthodoxy [one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church] is the true faith believed by all the Saints, everywhere, at all times.
We are Orthodox… but not Jewish… We are Evangelical… but not Protestant… We are Catholic… but not Papist… We are Pre-Denominational… but not Divided… We are the Christian Church… but not a Church… We have believed, taught, preserved, defended, and died for the Faith of the Apostles since the Day of Pentecost… Saints… We are the HOLY ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH… Est. 33 AD ☦
Favorite Quotations:
“The finest trick of the devil is to persuade you that he does not exist.” —Charles Baudelaire, Paris Spleen (Le Spleen de Paris)
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” —Edmund Burke
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” —Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present.” —Bill Watterson
“The future is not what it once was.” —Yogi Berra
“I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.” —Rudyard Kipling, The Elephant's Child
“Infomania erodes our capacity for significance. With a mind-set fixed on information, our attention span shortens. We collect fragments. We become mentally poorer in overall meaning. We get into the habit of clinging to knowledge bits and lose our feel for the wisdom behind knowledge. In the information age, some people even believe that literacy or culture is a matter of having the right facts at our fingertips.
We expect access to everything NOW, instantly and simultaneously. We suffer from a logic of total management in which everything must be at our disposal. Eventually out madness will cost us. There is a law of diminishing returns: the more information accessed, the less significance is possible.” —M. Heim, (1994) The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality, OUP
“In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451 I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only a few weeks ago, in Beverly Hills one night, a husband and wife passed me, walking their dog. I stood staring after them, absolutely stunned. The woman held in one hand a small cigarette-package-sized radio, its antenna quivering. From this sprang tiny copper wires which ended in a dainty cone plugged into her right ear. There she was, oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap opera cries, sleep walking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there. This was not fiction.” —Ray Bradbury
“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” —Albert Einstein
“The only thing we learn from history “When two men [in business] always agree, one of them is that we learn nothing from historyunnecessary.” —Friedrich Hegel—William Wrigley Jr., The American Magazine, 1931
“Those who “Assume the person you're listening to knows something you don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” —Edmund Burke—Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
“Those who forget “Inequality is the past, they lose an eye. Those who dwell on the past, they lose both eyesprice of civilization.” —Hungarian Proverb—George Orwell
“[Behold] I am become death“During times of universal deceit, telling the destroyer of worldstruth becomes a revolutionary act.” —J. Robert Oppenheimer (chapter 11 verse 32 of the Bhagavad Gita)—George Orwell
“Power tends to corrupt“The further a society drifts from the truth, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad menthe more it will hate those that speak it.” —John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton—George Orwell
“An eye for “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an eye will make endless present in which the whole world blindParty is always right.” —Mahatma Gandhi—George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
“Democracy is “The past was erased, the dictatorship of erasure was forgotten, the ignorant masseslie became the truth.” —Plato—George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
“Having heard all “We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of this, you may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not knowobvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” —William Wilberforce—George Orwell
“He who strikes terror in others is himself continually in fear“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” —Claudius Claudianus—George Orwell
“Sweet is the lore which Nature brings; Our meddling intellect - Mis-shapes “People will never come to love their oppression, to adore the beauteous forms of things:-- We murder technologies that undo their capacities to dissectthink.” —William Wordsworth—Aldous Huxley
“Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time“Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.” —Terry Pratchett— Potter Stewart
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I“Censorship is telling a man he can'm not sure about the formert have a steak just because a baby can't chew it.” —Albert Einstein—Mark Twain
“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it“Where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings.” —Marcus Aurelius—Heinrich Heine
“The hardest job kids face today only thing we learn from history is learning good manners without seeing anythat we learn nothing from history.” —Fred Astaire—Friedrich Hegel
“Political correctness is tyranny with manners“Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” —Charlton Heston—Edmund Burke
“In “Those who forget the time of heroes and tyrantspast, they lose an eye. Those who dwell on the true heroes are the small menpast, they lose both eyes.” —unknown—Hungarian Proverb
“All such action would cease if those powerful elemental forces were to cease stirring within us“[Behold] I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” —Albert Einstein—J. Robert Oppenheimer (chapter 11 verse 32 of the Bhagavad Gita)
“It doesn't take an expert “Power tends to be an expert on expertscorrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” —Dr. Bruce Dovey—John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton
“In “The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the genius lies the defecturge to rule it.” —Imposter (2001)—H. L. Mencken
“You were born “An eye for an original. Don't die a copyeye will make the whole world blind.” —John Mason—Mahatma Gandhi
“Here “Kindness is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alivelanguage which the deaf can hear, it isn'tand the blind can see.” —unknown—Mark Twain
“And in “Democracy is the end, it's not dictatorship of the years in your life that count, it's the life in your yearsignorant masses.” —Abraham Lincoln—Plato
“One today “The biggest argument against Democracy is worth two tomorrowsa 5 minute conversation with the average voter.” —Benjamin Franklin—Sir Winston Spencer Churchill
“Life “The price of apathy towards public affairs is the art of drawing without an eraserto be ruled by evil men.” —John W. Gardner—Plato
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and “Those who make a new endingpeaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” —Maria Robinson—John F. Kennedy
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore“We're losing our way as a society. If we don't stand up, if we don't say what we think those rights should be, and if we don't protect them, we will very soon find out that we do not have them.” —André Gide—Edward Snowden
“Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries “Any man more right than his neighbors constitutes a majority of the earth, are never alone or weary of lifeone already.” —Rachel Carson—Henry David Thoreau
“You've got to love life “So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind – it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have life, and you've got helped to have life enact – I can only submit to love lifethe edict of others.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”—Thornton Wilder (Our Town, Act II, Part I)
“The two “Tradition means giving votes to the most important days in your life are obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the day you are born and democracy of the day you find out whydead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around.” —Mark Twain—G. K. Chesterton
“The true meaning “Having heard all of life is this, you may choose to plant treeslook the other way, under whose shade but you can never say again that you do did not expect to sitknow.” —Nelson Henderson—William Wilberforce
“One “He who can laugh at strikes terror in others is himself will never be without entertainmentcontinually in fear.” —Chinese Proverb—Claudius Claudianus
“Blood “Ignorance is thicker than waterthe cause of fear.” —German Proverb—Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Birds of a feather flock together“Who feareth to suffer suffereth already, because he feareth.” —English Proverb—Michel de Montaigne
“You can want a women for her body“The care of human life and happiness, but you can and not their destruction, is the first and only love her for her characterobject of good government.” —Spanish Proverb—Thomas Jefferson
“If “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you have is a hammerdie peacefully, everything looks like a nailbut also to live until you die.” —English Proverb—Dame Cicely Saunders (1918-2005), founder of the Hospice Palliative Care movement
“One picture “Sweet is worth a thousand wordsthe lore which Nature brings; Our meddling intellect - Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:-- We murder to dissect.” —Traditional Proverb—William Wordsworth
“Silence speaks volumes“Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.” —Traditional Proverb—Terry Pratchett
“Better to remain silent “Only two things are infinite, the universe and be thought a fool than to speak out human stupidity, and remove all doubtI'm not sure about the former.” —Mark Twain—Albert Einstein
“The wise speak because they have something “Time is a violent torrent; no sooner is a thing brought to saysight then it is swept by and another takes its place, fools because they have to say somethingand this too will be swept away.” —Plato—Marcus Aurelius
“Silence in the face of evil “The universe is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act change; our life is to actwhat our thoughts make it.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Marcus Aurelius
“We should pray“For everything you have missed, flat on our faces, that we never become so craven as to suppress evidence of injusticeyou have gained something else, and for fear of persecution. Ephesians 5:11 commands us, without qualification, to ‘expose the deeds of darkness,’ not to show them only privatelyeverything you gain, and only as a last resortyou lose something else. Responsibility for the terrible longevity of history’s most horrific slaughter does not rest entirely upon our adversariesIt is about your outlook towards life. We will be judged for our timidity, perhaps as harshly as they will be judged for their barbarity – by history and by ProvidenceYou can either regret or rejoice.” —Gregg Cunningham—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The refusal to take sides on great moral issues hardest job kids face today is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The Tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate convictionlearning good manners without seeing any.” —Fulton J. Sheen—Fred Astaire
“At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion“Like father, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us… It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in the face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely…I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhereson.” —Thomas Merton—Traditional Proverb
“The holocaust “Politeness has to be thought as a chapter in the long history of man's inhumanity to man. One cannot ignore the discrimination inflicted on many become so rare that people because of race, color, or creed. One cannot ignore slavery. One cannot ignore the burning of witches. One cannot ignore the killing of Christians in the Roman period. The holocaust perhaps is the culmination of the kind of horror that can occur when man loses his integrity, his belief in the sanctity of human lifemistake it for flirtation.” —Dr. Randolph Braham, Holocaust Survivor—unknown
“You never miss the water 'till the well runs dry“Political correctness is tyranny with manners.” —English Proverb—Charlton Heston
“Do not judge by appearances; a rich heart may be under a poor coat“All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force.” —Scottish Proverb—George Orwell
“Always remember that you “In the time of heroes and tyrants, the true heroes are absolutely unique. Just like everyone elsethe small men.” —Margaret Mead—unknown
“A fool and his money are soon parted“All such action would cease if those powerful elemental forces were to cease stirring within us.” —English Proverb—Albert Einstein
“The rich would have “It doesn't take an expert to eat money if the poor did not provide foodbe an expert on experts.” —Russian Proverb—Dr. Bruce Dovey
“Religion is what keeps “In the poor from murdering genius lies the richdefect.” —Napoleon Bonaparte—Imposter (2001)
“Before managing to make poverty history, we have to consider the history of poverty“You were born an original. Don't die a copy.” —Vandana Shiva—John Mason
“First “Here is the man takes a drink; then the drink takes a drink; then the drink takes the mantest to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.” —Japanese Proverb—unknown
“Better “Don't try to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a liedo two things at once and expect to do justice to both.” —Russian —Traditional Proverb
“During times of universal deceit“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, telling it's the truth becomes a revolutionary actlife in your years.” —George Orwell—Abraham Lincoln
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it“One today is worth two tomorrows.” —George Orwell—Benjamin Franklin
“Sometimes people don't want to hear “Life is the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyedart of drawing without an eraser.” —Friedrich Nietzsche—John W. Gardner
“Many people“Art like morality, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking consists of drawing the truth, for being correct, for being youline somewhere. Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time” —G. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mindK. Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still the truth.” —Mahatma GandhiChesterton
“It has been said that for the truth to exist it takes two people… one to speak it and another to hear it“A painter paints pictures on canvas, but musicians paint their pictures on silence.” —The Outer Limits (1995)—Leopold Stokowski
“Ignorance“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, the root but anyone can start today and stem of all evilmake a new ending.” —Plato—Maria Robinson
“A liberal is someone who only wants “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to be free from lose sight of the consequences of freedomshore.” —Mike Adams—André Gide
“The sins ye do by two “Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and twomysteries of the earth, ye must pay for one by one!are never alone or weary of life.” —Rudyard Kipling—Rachel Carson
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only “You've got to love life to have life, and you've got to have life to love can do that.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jrlife.”—Thornton Wilder (Our Town, Act II, Part I)
“Those who “The two most important days in your life are unaware they the day you are walking in darkness will never seek born and the lightday you find out why.” —Bruce Lee—Mark Twain
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one “He who has the courage a why to admit themlive for can bear almost any how.” —Bruce Lee—Friedrich Nietzsche
“Simplicity is “Things turn out best for those who make the key to brilliancebest of the way things turn out.” —Bruce Lee—John Wooden
“Perfection “The true meaning of life is achievedto plant trees, under whose shade you do not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left expect to take awaysit.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupery—Nelson Henderson
“To err is human; to forgive, divine“One who can laugh at himself will never be without entertainment.” —Alexander Pope—Chinese Proverb
“When the solution “Blood is simple, God is answeringthicker than water.” —Albert Einstein—German Proverb
“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right“Birds of a feather flock together.” —Abraham Lincoln—English Proverb
“If you “You can want to make God laugha women for her body, tell Him your plansbut you can only love her for her character.” —Woody Allen—Spanish Proverb
“Loneliness belongs to “If all the things of the pastyou have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” —unknown—English Proverb
“Two purposes in human nature rule. Self-love to urge, and reason to restrain“One picture is worth a thousand words.” —Alexander Pope—Traditional Proverb
“There is no task more difficult for human beings than the victory over themselves“Silence speaks volumes.” —Bulgakov—Traditional Proverb
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize“Silence is golden.” —Voltaire—Traditional Proverb
“A man “Silence is still a slave who is afraid the element in which great things fashion themselves together; that at length they may emerge, full-formed and majestic, into the daylight of Life, which they are thenceforth to speak his heartrule.” —Raiders of the Seven Seas (1953)—Thomas Carlyle
“Sometimes when you're troubled “Better to remain silent and hurt, you pour yourself into things that can't hurt backbe thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” —Gentleman's Agreement (1947)—Mark Twain
“Do not allow the pain of loss, “It's easier to stop the process of livingfool people then to convince them they have been fooled.” —Trent Thomas—Mark Twain
“Hope springs eternal in the human breast;Man never is, but always “The wise speak because they have something to be blest:The soul, uneasy and confin'd from homesay,Rests and expatiates in a life fools because they have to comesay something.” —Alexander Pope (An Essay on Man, Epistle I, 1733)—Plato
“They knew that “Silence in the tree face of evil is known by its fruit and that injustice corrupts a tree, that its fruit withers and shrivels and falls at last itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to that dark ground of history where other great hopes have rotted and died, where equality and freedom remains still the only choice for wholeness and soundness in a man or in a nationspeak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” —Gentleman's Agreement (1947)—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Those who deny freedom “We should pray, flat on our faces, that we never become so craven as to others deserve it suppress evidence of injustice, for fear of persecution. Ephesians 5:11 commands us, without qualification, to ‘expose the deeds of darkness,’ not to show them only privately, and only as a last resort. Responsibility for the terrible longevity of history’s most horrific slaughter does not rest entirely upon our adversaries. We will be judged for our timidity, perhaps as harshly as they will be judged for themselvestheir barbarity – by history and by Providence.” —Abraham Lincoln—Gregg Cunningham
“A coward “The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is incapable itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The Tragedy of showing loveour time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, it is reserved for the bravewhile those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction.” —Mahatma Gandhi—Fulton J. Sheen
“Only “We must always takes sides. Neutrality helps the courteous can loveoppressor, but it is love that makes them courteousnever the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” —C. S. Lewis, The Allegory of Love—Elie Wiesel
“How long is love blind? Love has eyes and sees. And if love can see, and seeing, you love anyway, that“Facts don's lovet care about feelings.” —Gertrude Berg (The Goldbergs, s1e10, 1955)—Ben Shapiro
“You never receive love until you learn how to accept it“There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.” —Mr. Roarke (Fantasy Island, s4e7)—Jim Hightower
“You never deny love until you learn how to reject it“People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.” —th—Debbie Macomber, Call Me Mrs. Miracle
“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well “Arguing that you don't care about the right to remember from time privacy because you have nothing to time that hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing that is worth knowing can be taughtto say.” —Oscar Wilde—Edward Snowden
“Imitation “The holocaust has to be thought as a chapter in the long history of man's inhumanity to man. One cannot ignore the discrimination inflicted on many people because of race, color, or creed. One cannot ignore slavery. One cannot ignore the burning of witches. One cannot ignore the killing of Christians in the Roman period. The holocaust perhaps is the sincerest form culmination of flatterythe kind of horror that can occur when man loses his integrity, his belief in the sanctity of human life.” —Charles Caleb Colton—Dr. Randolph Braham, Holocaust Survivor
“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions“You never miss the water 'till the well runs dry.” —G. K. Chesterton—English Proverb
“Truth can never be told so as to be understood and “Do not judge by appearances; a rich heart may be believedunder a poor coat.” —William Blake—Scottish Proverb
“Criticism, “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his rootseveryone else.” —Frank A. Clark—Margaret Mead
“When we “A fool and his money are securely rooted in personal intimacy with the source of life, it will be possible to remain flexible without being relativistic, convinced without being rigid, willing to confront without being offensive, gentle and forgiving without being soft, and true witnesses without being manipulativesoon parted.” —Henri Nouwen—English Proverb
“The beginning of wisdom is rich would have to call things by their right nameseat money if the poor did not provide food.” —K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)—Russian Proverb
“If names are not correct, language will not be in accordance with “Religion is what keeps the truth of thingspoor from murdering the rich.” —K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)—Napoleon Bonaparte
“They must often change“Before managing to make poverty history, who would be constant in happiness or wisdomwe have to consider the history of poverty.” —K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)—Vandana Shiva
“The superior man thinks always of virtue; “In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the common man thinks streets, and steal loaves of comfortbread.” ——K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)—Anatole France
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it“First the man takes a drink; then the drink takes a drink; then the drink takes the man.” —K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)—Japanese Proverb
“And she [Athens] has brought it about that “Better to be slapped with the name "Hellenes" suggests no longer a race but an intelligence, and that the title "Hellenes" is applied rather to those who share our culture then to those who share truth than kissed with a common bloodlie.” —Isocrates—Russian Proverb
“He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare; and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere“Lies written in ink can never disguise facts written in blood.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson—Lu Xun
“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven“Sometimes people don't yet metwant to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.” —William Butler Yeats—Friedrich Nietzsche
“I teach them all “Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the good I cantruth, for being correct, and recommend them to others from whom I think they will get some moral benefitfor being you. And the treasures that the wise men Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of old have left us in their writings I open and explore with my friendsyour time. If we come on any good thing, we extract you’re right and you know it, and we set much store on being useful to speak your mind. Even if you are a minority of one another, the truth is still the truth.” —Socrates—Mahatma Gandhi
“Art like morality, consists of drawing “It has been said that for the line somewheretruth to exist it takes two people… one to speak it and another to hear it.” —G. K. Chesterton—The Outer Limits (1995)
“What a lot “Ignorance, the root and stem of things there are a man can do withoutall evil.” —Socrates—Plato
“The whole “A liberal is greater than someone who only wants to be free from the sum consequences of its partsfreedom.” —Aristotle—Mike Adams
“We walk “The sins ye do by the light we are given.two and two, ye must pay for one by one!” —Frank Shaeffer—Rudyard Kipling
“Beware the wrath of a patient man“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” —John Dryden—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.” —William Congreve (The Mourning Bride, spoken by Zara in Act III, Scene VIII)—Bruce Lee
“Control thy passions lest they take vengeance on thee“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.” —Epictetus—Bruce Lee
“Give me that manThat “Simplicity is not passion's slave, and I will wear himIn my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,As I do theethe key to brilliance.” —William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2, Page 3)—Bruce Lee
“You are never too old “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to set another goal or add, but when there is nothing left to dream a new dreamtake away.” —C. S. Lewis—Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“There are more things in heaven and earth“To err is human; to forgive, …Than are dreamt of in your philosophydivine.” —William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5, Page 8)—Alexander Pope
“A philosophical vogue “When the solution is as irresistible as a gastronomic one: an idea simple, God is no better refuted than a sauceanswering.” —E. M. Cioran—Albert Einstein
“No man “My concern is an island,Entire of itself,Every man not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is a piece of the continent,A part of the main.If a clod to be washed away by the sea,Europe is the less.As well as if a promontory were.As well as if a manor of thy friendon God'sOr of thine own were:Any man's death diminishes meside,Because I am involved in mankind,And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;It tolls for theeGod is always right.” —John Donne—Abraham Lincoln
“All men are born brothers, and anything that hurts my brother hurts me.If my brother commits a crime, I am a criminal; if he sings, there is music in my heart.Before “If you have dealings with any manwant to make God laugh, ask yourself: ‘Am I my brother's keeper?’The answer is ‘Yestell Him your plans.’” —Henry Hassett Browne” —Woody Allen
“Compared “Loneliness belongs to what we ought to be, we are half awakeall the things of the past.” —William James—unknown
“It is a profitable thing, if one is wise“Two purposes in human nature rule. Self-love to urge, and reason to seem foolishrestrain.” —Aeschylus —Alexander Pope
“I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind “There is and how prone to errorno task more difficult for human beings than the victory over themselves.” —Descartes—Bulgakov
“It is strictly and philosophically true in nature and reason that there is no such thing as chance or accident; it being evident that these words do “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not signify anything really existing, anything that is truly an agent or the cause of any event; but they signify merely men's ignorance of the real and immediate causeallowed to criticize.” —Samuel Clark—Voltaire
“While the admission of “A man is still a design for the universe ultimately raises the question of a Designer (a subject outside of science), the scientific method does not allow us to exclude data which lead slave who is afraid to the conclusion that the universe, life and man are based on design. To be forced to believe only one conclusion--that everything in the universe happened by chance would violate the very objectivity of science itselfspeak his heart.” —Werner Von Braun, Ph.D., the father —Raiders of the NASA space programSeven Seas (1953)
“Relativity applies to physics, not ethics“There's no mask for a treacherous heart like an honest face.” —Albert Einstein—Captain Kidd (1945)
“Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit“Sometimes when you're troubled and hurt, you would stay out and your dog would go inpour yourself into things that can't hurt back.” —Mark Twain—Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
“When people “Do not allow the pain of loss, to stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing—they believe in anythingthe process of living.” —G. K. Chesterton—Trent Thomas
“If everyone has his own truth“Hope springs eternal in the human breast;Man never is, but always to be blest:The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home, then where is falsehood?Rests and expatiates in a life to come.” —Archbishop Stephan (Kalaidjishvili)—Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, Epistle I, 1733
“Faithful copies of “Patriotism is as fierce as a counterfeit original yield only more counterfeitsfever, pitiless as the grave, blind as a stone, and irrational as a headless hen.” —unknown—Ambrose Bierce
“Faith “A nation is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage society united by a delusion about its ancestry and a common fear of the heartits neighbors.” —Abraham Joshua Heschel—W.R. Inge
“God tends “Patriotism means unqualified and unwavering love for the pagans toonation, which implies not uncritical eagerness to serve, not support for unjust claims, but the Christian knows the donorfrank assessment of its vices and sins, and penitence for them.” —St. Tikhon of Voronezh—Alexander Solzhenitsyn
“They [Rome] do not know and do not wish to know the truth; they argue with those who proclaim the truth to them, and assert their heresy“Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles.” —St. Basil the Great—George Jean Nathan
“Even if “They knew that the whole universe holds communion with the [heretical] patriarchtree is known by its fruit and that injustice corrupts a tree, I will not communicate with him. For I know from the writings of the holy Apostle Paul: the Holy Spirit declares that even the angels would be anathema if they should begin its fruit withers and shrivels and falls at last to preach another Gospelthat dark ground of history where other great hopes have rotted and died, introducing some new teachingwhere equality and freedom remains still the only choice for wholeness and soundness in a man or in a nation.” —St. Maximus the Confessor, The Life of St. Maximus the Confessor—Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
“Chrysostomos loudly declares not only heretics“Freedom – truthful free speech, but also those who have communion with themopen discourse, and debate – is the soil for real science to emerge from which we may uncover truth to identify real problems so as to be enemies innovate real solutions for the health of Godour body, community and world.” —St—Dr. Theodore the Studite, Epistle of Abbot TheophilusShiva Ayyadurai
“Some have suffered final shipwreck with regard “Those who deny freedom to the faith. Others, though they have others deserve it not drowned in their thoughts, are nevertheless perishing through communion with heresyfor themselves.” —St. Theodore the Studite—Abraham Lincoln
“Guard yourselves from soul-destroying heresy“A coward is incapable of showing love, communion with which it is alienation from Christreserved for the brave.” —St. Theodore the Studite—Mahatma Gandhi
“All “Only the teachers of the Church, and all the Councilscourteous can love, and all the Divine Scriptures advise us to flee from the heterodox and separate from their communionbut it is love that makes them courteous.” —St—C. S. Mark Lewis, The Allegory of EphesusLove
“So mine “How long is a little flocklove blind? But it is not being carried over a precipiceLove has eyes and sees. So mine is a narrow fold? But it is unapproachable by wolves; it cannot be entered by a robberAnd if love can see, nor overcome by thieves and strangers. I shall yet see itseeing, I know wellyou love anyway, grow wider… I fear not for the little flock; for it is seen at a glance. I know my sheep and am known of mine. Such are they that know God and are known of God's love. My sheep hear from my voice that which I have heard from the oracles of God” —Gertrude Berg, which I have been taught by the Holy FathersThe Goldbergs, which I have taught in like manner on all occasionss1e10, not conforming myself to fashion, and which I will never cease to teach; in which I was born, and in which I will depart.” —St. Gregory the Theologian1955
“Concerning the Patriarch I shall say this, lest it should perhaps occur “You never receive love until you learn how to him to show me a certain respect at the burial of this my humble body, or to send to my grave any of his hierarchs or clergy or in general any of those in communion with him in order to take part in prayer or to join the priests invited to it from amongst us, thinking that at some time, or perhaps secretly, I had allowed communion with him. And lest my silence give occasion to those who do not know my views well and fully to suspect some kind of conciliation, I hereby state and testify before the many worthy men here present that I do not desire, in any manner and absolutely, and do not accept communion with him or with those who are with him, not in this life nor after my death, just as (I accept) neither the Union nor Latin dogmas, which he and his adherents have accepted, and for the enforcement of which he has occupied this presiding place, with the aim of overturning the true dogmas of the Church. I am absolutely convinced that the farther I stand from him and those like him, the nearer I am to God and all the saints, and to the degree that I separate myself from them am in union with the Truth and with the Holy Fathers, the Theologians of the Church; and I am likewise convinced that those who count themselves with them stand far away from the Truth and from the blessed Teachers of the Church. And for this reason I say: just as in the course of my whole life I was separated from them, so at the time of my departure, yea and after my death, I turn away from intercourse and communion with them and vow and command that none (of them) shall approach either my burial or my grave, and likewise anyone else from our side, with the aim of attempting to join and concelebrate in our Divine services; for this would be to mix what cannot be mixed. But it befits them to be absolutely separated from us until such time as God shall grant correction and peace to His Church.” —St—Mr. Mark of Ephesus, The Example of, [as quoted in The Orthodox Word, June-JulyRoarke, 1967Fantasy Island, pp. 103ff.]s4e7
“With all our strength let us beware lest we receive Communion from or give “You never deny love until you learn how to reject it to heretics. ‘Give not what is holy to the dogs,’ says the Lord. ‘Neither cast ye your pearls before swine’, lest we become partakers in their dishonour and condemnation.” —St. John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, IV, 13—th
“In sum“Education is an admirable thing, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in theory embracing almost the whole universe and in fact extending its authority only over several dioceses, and in other places having only a higher superficial supervision and receiving certain revenues for this, persecuted by the government at home and not supported by any governmental authority abroad: having lost its significance as a pillar of truth and having itself become a source of division, and at the same but it is well to remember from time to time being possessed by an exorbitant love of power--represents a pitiful spectacle which recalls the worst periods in the history of the See of Constantinoplethat nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco, from Orthodox Word, vol. 8, no. 4 (45), July-August 1972, pp. 166-168, 174-175.—Oscar Wilde
"True Christianity “Imitation is glorifying God with our own lives. To glorify God with our own life is possible only when we have true faith and when that faith indeed exists, we express it in words and in deedsthe sincerest form of flattery.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco—Charles Caleb Colton
“Orthodoxy is what Christ taught, the apostles preached, and the Fathers kept“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” —St—G. Athanasius of AlexandriaK. Chesterton
“Never, “Truth can never, never let anyone tell you that, in order be told so as to be Orthodox, you must also understood and not be eastern. The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresiesbelieved.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco—William Blake
“I beseech you to do and to carry out good to all men with care and assiduity, becoming all things to all men, as “The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of… We know the need of each is shown to you; I want and pray you to be wholly harsh and implacable with truth not only by the heretics only in regard to cooperating with them or in any way whatever supporting their deranged belief. For I reckon it hatred towards man and a departure from Divine love to lend support to errorreason, so that those previously seized but by it might be even more greatly corruptedthe heart.” —St. Maximus the Confessor, Patrologia Graeca, Vol. 91—Blaise Pascal
“There “The human heart can see what is nothing impossible unto those who believe; lively and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in hidden to the twinkling of an eye. Besideseyes, even without our sincere and firm faith, miracles are accomplished, such as the miracles of heart knows things that the sacraments; for God's Mystery is always accomplished, even though we were incredulous or unbelieving at the time of its celebrationmind does not begin to understand. 'Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?' ” —They Might Be Giants (Rom. 3:31971). Our wickedness shall not overpower the unspeakable goodness and mercy of God; our dullness shall not overpower God's wisdom, nor our infirmity God's omnipotence.” —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
“Unbelief “At the center of our being is an evil offspring a point of an evil heart; for nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the guileless brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of heart discovers God everywherein us… It is like a pure diamond, everywhere discerns Himblazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and always unhesitatingly believes if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in His existencethe face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely…I have no program for this seeing.” —StIt is only given. Nectarios But the gate of Aeginaheaven is everywhere.” —Thomas Merton
“If he seeks answers to questions related “Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his faith, his purpose in life, he will find happinessroots.” —Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Romania—Frank A. Clark
“He is "“When we are securely rooted in personal intimacy with the same yesterday source of life, it will be possible to remain flexible without being relativistic, convinced without being rigid, willing to confront without being offensive, gentle and today forgiving without being soft, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Orthodox Christians are committed to the truth claim of the Christian Faith not as ideology but as an expression of holinesstrue witnesses without being manipulative.” —Rev. Dr. George C. Papademetriou—Henri Nouwen
“Where the bishop is, there let the multitude “The beginning of believers be; even as where Jesus wisdom is, there is the Catholic Churchto call things by their right names.” —St. Ignatius of Antioch —K'ung Fu-Tzu (1st c. ADConfucius)
“Moreover“If names are not correct, in the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must language will not be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all. For that is truly and in accordance with the strictest sense "Catholic," which, as the name itself and the reason truth of the thing declare, comprehends all universally. This rule we shall observe if we follow universality, antiquity, consent. We shall follow universality if we confess that one faith to be true, which the whole Church throughout the world confesses; antiquity, if we in no wise depart from those interpretations which it is manifest were notoriously held by our holy ancestors and fathers; consent, in like manner, if in antiquity itself we adhere to the consentient definitions and determinations of all, or at the least of almost all priests and doctorsthings.” —St. Vincent of Lérins, Commonitory, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies., Chapter II —K'ung Fu-Tzu (circa 434 ADConfucius)
“The person who loves God values knowledge of God more than anything created by God, and pursues such knowledge ardently and ceaselessly“I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.” —St. Maximus the Confessor—Albert Einstein
“Only the Religion of Christ unites and all of us “They must pray that they come to this. Thus union will occuroften change, not by believing that all of us are the same thing and that all religions are the same. They are not the same… our Orthodoxy is not related to other religionswho would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” —St. Porphyrios the Kapsokalyvite—K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)
“Orthodoxy is life, one must not talk about it, one must live it“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” —St. Nektary of Optina——K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)
“Orthodoxy can't be comfortable unless “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it is fake.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose—K'ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)
“As “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all those who pretend to confess sound Orthodox Faith, but are in communion with people who hold different opinion, if they are forewarned and still remain stubborn, you must I have not only be in communion with them, but you must NOT even call them brothersseen.” —St. Basil the Great—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Today, while “And she [Athens] has brought it about that the overall teachings of the Fathers is under attack and the shipwrecks of Faith are numerous, the mouths of the faithful are silent. Anyone who is capable of speaking the truth name "Hellenes" suggests no longer a race but remains silent, will be heavily judged by God, especially in this casean intelligence, where the faith and that the very foundation of the entire Church of the Orthodox is in danger. To remain silent under these circumstances title "Hellenes" is applied rather to betray these, and the appropriate witness belongs those who share our culture then to those that reproach (stand up for the faith)who share a common blood.” —St. Basil the Great, ep. 92—Isocrates
“Our afflictions are well known without my telling; the sound of them has now gone forth over all Christendom. The doctrines of the fathers are despised; apostolical traditions “Those who are set at nought; the speculations of innovators hold sway in the churches. Men have learned able to be theorists instead of theologians. The wisdom of the world has the place of honour, having dispossessed the boasting of see beyond the cross. The pastors are driven away, grievous wolves are brought in instead, shadows and plunder the flock lies of Christ, Houses of prayer are destitute of preachers; the deserts are full of mourners: the old bewail, comparing what is with what was; more pitiable are the young, as not knowing what they are deprived of. What has been said is sufficient to kindle the sympathy of those who are taught in the love of Christtheir culture will never be understood, yet compared with let alone believed by the facts, it is far from reaching their seriousnessmasses.” —St. Basil the Great—Plato
“The candles lit before icons of saints reflect their ardent love for God for Whose sake they gave up everything that man prizes in life, including their very lives, as did the holy apostles, martyrs and others. These candles also mean that these saints are lamps burning for us and providing light for us by their own saintly living, their virtues and their ardent intercession for us before God through their constant prayers by day “He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare; and night. The burning candles also stand for our ardent zeal and the sincere sacrifice we make out of reverence and gratitude to them for their solicitude on our behalf before Godhe who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.” —St. John of Kronstadt—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Each person is an icon of God, of God in heaven and of God on the cross. Yet, each person is also an icon of the Mother of God, who bears Christ through the Holy Spirit. Our soul, therefore, unites itself in two images“There are no strangers here; participating in the principles and realities of both Christ and his Mother. These are age old archetypes, symbols by which the soul orients itself on the journeyOnly friends you haven't yet met.” —St. Maria Skobtsova, On The Imitation of the Mother of God—William Butler Yeats
“The Christian who does not feel “I teach them all the good I can, and recommend them to others from whom I think they will get some moral benefit. And the treasures that the Virgin Mary is his or her mother is an orphanwise men of old have left us in their writings I open and explore with my friends. If we come on any good thing, we extract it, and we set much store on being useful to one another.” —Pope Francis—Socrates
“Concerning “We shall not cease from explorationAnd the charge end of idolatry: Icons are not idols but symbolsall our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time. ThereforeThrough the unknown, when an Orthodox venerates an icon, he is not guilty remembered gateWhen the last of earth left to discoverIs that which was the beginning;At the source of the longest riverThe voice of idolatry. He is not worshiping the symbolhidden waterfallAnd the children in the apple-treeNot known, but merely venerating it. Such veneration is because not directed toward woodlooked forBut heard, or paint or stonehalf-heard, but towards in the stillnessBetween two waves of the person depictedsea. Therefore relative honor is shown to material objects, but worship is due to God alone” —T.” —StS. John of DamascusEliot, Four Quartets
“We “What a lot of things there are a man can do not bow before the nature of wood, but we revere and bow before the one who is depictedwithout.” —St. John of Damascus—Socrates
“We do not make obeisance to the nature “Love is composed of wood, but we revere and do obeisance to Him who was crucified on the Cross… When the a single soul inhabiting two beams of the Cross are joined together I adore the figure because of Christ who was crucified on the Cross, but if the beams are separated, I throw them away and burn thembodies.” —St. John of Damascus—Aristotle
“I do not worship matter, but “The whole is greater than the Creator sum of matter, who for my sake became material and deigned to dwell in matter, who through matter effected my salvation…” —Stits parts. John of Damascus” —Aristotle
“That which the word communicates “We walk by sound, the painting shows silently by representationlight we are given.” St. Basil the Great, on the 40 Martyrs—Frank Shaeffer
“We depict Christ as our King and Lord, and do not deprive Him of His army. The saints constitute the Lord's army. Let the earthly king dismiss his army before he gives up his King and Lord. Let him put off the purple before he takes honour away from his most valiant men who have conquered their passions. For if the saints are heirs of God, and co-heirs of Christ, (Rom. 8.17) they will be also partakers of “Beware the divine glory wrath of sovereigntya patient man.” —St. John of Damascus—John Dryden
“Therefore, brethren, let us stand on the rock of faith and on the tradition of the Church“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, and not remove the boundaries which our Holy Fathers have setNor hell a fury like a woman scorned. Thus” —William Congreve, we will not give the opportunity to those who wish to innovate and destroy the edifice of the holyThe Mourning Bride, catholic and apostolic Church of God. For if permission is granted to everyone who wants it, little spoken by little the whole body of the Church will be destroyed. Do not, brethren, do notZara in Act III, oh Christ-loving children of the Church of God …” —Patriarch Jeremias II, prophetic warning of to the Lutheran scholarsScene VIII
“He who learns must sufferAnd even in our sleep pain that cannot forgetFalls drop by drop upon the heart,And in our own despite, against our will,Comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God“Control thy passions lest they take vengeance on thee.” —Aeschylus—Epictetus
“The greatest wisdom often emerges from the deepest wounds“Give me that manThat is not passion's slave, and I will wear himIn my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,As I do thee.” —Jane Lee Logan—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2, Page 3
“Monarchy can easily be debunked, but watch the faces, mark well the debunkers. These “You are the men whose taproot in Eden has been cut: whom no rumour of the polyphony, the dance, can reach - men never too old to whom pebbles laid in a row are more beautiful than an arch. … Where men are forbidden set another goal or to honour dream a king they honour millionaires, athletes or film stars instead: … For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poisonnew dream.” —C. S. Lewis
“Sometimes a man's happiness is so deep inside him that he may forget it's there “There are more things in heaven and start looking elsewhere hunting a fantasyearth, an illusion…Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” —Mr. Roarke (Fantasy Island—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5, s2e14)Page 8
“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man“A philosophical vogue is as irresistible as a gastronomic one: an idea is no better refuted than a sauce.” —unknown—E. M. Cioran
“People were created to be loved“No man is an island,Entire of itself,Every man is a piece of the continent,A part of the main. Things were created to If a clod be used. The reason why washed away by the world sea,Europe is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being usedthe less.As well as if a promontory were.” —unknownAs well as if a manor of thy friend's“If we could look into each others hearts, and understand the unique challenges each Or of us facesthine own were:Any man's death diminishes me, Because I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patienceam involved in mankind, tolerance, and care.” —Marvin J. Ashton “The human heart can see what is hidden And therefore never send to know for whom the eyes, and the heart knows things that the mind does not begin to understandbell tolls;It tolls for thee.” —They Might Be Giants (1971)—John Donne
“The greatest thing “All men are born brothers, and anything that hurts my brother hurts me.If my brother commits a crime, I am a criminal; if he sings, there is music in my heart.Before you have dealings with any man can do to a woman , ask yourself: ‘Am I my brother's keeper?’The answer is to lead her closer to God than to himself‘Yes.” —unknown’” —Henry Hassett Browne
“God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there. There is no such thing“Compared to what we ought to be, we are half awake.” —C. S. Lewis—William James
“It is hardly complimentary a profitable thing, if one is wise, to God that we should choose him as an alternative to hellseem foolish.” —C. S. Lewis—Aeschylus
“If you die before you die, than when you die“Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they're fools, you will not dieand fools who think they are wise.” —written on a cell wall, St. Paul's Monastery, Mt. Athos—Socrates
“War in the name of religion “I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind is war against religionand how prone to error.” —His All Holyness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew—René Descartes
“Believe me“…a…transparent mind, if God revealed to us the disasters to which we were exposed and from which He protected us, our whole lives would not suffice to offer Him thanks…in no way implies clear thinking.” —H.H. Pope Shenouda—Columbo (1971)
“In heaven“If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, God will not ask us why we instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: ‘He obviously doesn't know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have sinned; He will ask us why we did not repent.” —H.Hmentioned. Pope Shenouda III’” —Epictetus
“Even if all spiritual fathers“As I have said so many times, patriarchs, hierarchs, and all God doesn't play dice with the people forgive you, you are unforgiven if you don’t repent in actionworld.” —St. Kosmas Aitolos—Albert Einstein
“Nobody “It is strictly and philosophically true in nature and reason that there is no such thing as gracious and mercifulchance or accident; it being evident that these words do not signify anything really existing, as the Lord anything that is, but even He does not forgive truly an agent or the sins cause of the man who does not repentany event; … we are being condemned not because but they signify merely men's ignorance of the multitude of our evils, but because we do not want to repentreal and immediate cause.” —St. Mark the Ascetic—Samuel Clark
“As “While the admission of a handful design for the universe ultimately raises the question of sand thrown into a Designer (a subject outside of science), the oceanscientific method does not allow us to exclude data which lead to the conclusion that the universe, so life and man are based on design. To be forced to believe only one conclusion--that everything in the sins of all flesh as compared with universe happened by chance would violate the mercy very objectivity of Godscience itself.” —St—Werner Von Braun, Ph.D. Isaac , the father of the SyrianNASA space program
“Just as a strongly flowing fountain is not blocked up by a handful “With me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of earthman’s mind, so which has been developed from the compassion mind of the Creator is not overcome by the wickedness lower animals, are of his creaturesany value or at all trustworthy.” —St. Isaac the Syrian—Charles Darwin
“Your accumulated offenses do “Evolutionary naturalism implies that we should not surpass the multitude take any of God's mercies; your wounds do not surpass our convictions seriously, including the great physician's skill.” —Stscientific world picture on which evolutionary naturalism depends. Cyril of Jerusalem
“Years are not needed for true repentanceThat is, naturalism, and not daystherefore atheism, undermines the foundations of the very rationality that is needed to construct or understand or believe in any kind of argument whatsoever, but only an instantlet alone a scientific one.” —St. Ambrose of Optina—Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos
“There is no sin which cannot “Do not say, ‘this happened by chance, while this came to be pardoned except of itself.’ In all that one which lacks repentance, and exists there is no gift which is nothing disorderly, nothing indefinite, nothing without purpose, nothing by chance… … How many hairs are on your head? God will not augmented save that which remains without acknowledgementforget one of them. For Do you see how nothing, even the portion smallest thing, escapes the gaze of the fool is small in his eyes.God?” —St. Isaac Basil the SyrianGreat
“When a man abandons his sins and returns “Relativity applies to Godphysics, his repentance regenerates him and renews him entirelynot ethics.” —St. Isaiah the Solitary—Albert Einstein
“And so “Heaven goes by favor; if it is incumbent upon us to strivewent by merit, rather, to correct our faults you would stay out and to improve our behavioryour dog would go in.” —St. John Cassian—Mark Twain
“Let us strive to purify ourselves through repentance and humility, and to unite all our senses as one to the “When people stop believing in God who is good, and transcends the good. Then, truly, everything which I have not quite been able to say or to demonstrate with my many words, you will be taught they don’t believe in nothing – they believe in an instant, all at onceanything. You will hear with your sight, and see with your hearing” —G. You will be taught while seeing and, again, hear what is unveiled.” —StK. Symeon the New TheologianChesterton
“Where there “Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is Godthat if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, there you must fear or hate them. The second is no evilthat to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. Everything coming from God is peaceful, healthy and leads a person You don’t have to compromise convictions to the judgment of his own imperfections and humilitybe compassionate.” —St. Seraphim of Sarov—Rick Warren
“The Spirit offers its own light to every mind“Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it tries to help it in its search for truthsilence good.” —St—Charles J. Basil the GreatChaput
“A time “If everyone has his own truth, where is coming when men will go madfalsehood? Falsehood hides behind the guise of truth. They say to us: Every person has his own truth, we should respect everyone's opinion and when they see someone who have no right to express any opposition to his error because that would be ‘intolerant’. Then where is Truth? Have we erased it? God is not mad, they will attack him, saying, 'You are mad; you are not like usabsolute Truth.'” —St. Anthony the Great—Archbishop Stephan (Kalaidjishvili) of Tsageri and Lentekhi, Georgia
“Adorn yourself with truth, try to speak truth in all things; and do not support “Faithful copies of a lie, no matter who asks you.If you speak the truth and someone gets mad at you, don’t be upset, but take comfort in the words of the Lord:Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of truth, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 5:10)counterfeit original yield only more counterfeits.” —St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 26,2—unknown
“You that are strong with all might in the inner man ought by rights to carry on the struggle against the enemies of the truth“Seeing, and not contrary to shrink from the taskpopular wisdom, that we fathers may be gladdened by the noble toil of our sons; for this is the prompting of the law of nature: but as you turn your ranks, and send against us the assaults of those darts which are hurled by the opponents of the truthisn't believing. It's where belief stops, and demand that their hot burning coals and their shafts sharpened by knowledge falsely so called should be quenched with the shield of faith by us old menbecause it isn't needed any more.” —St. Gregory of Nyssa—Terry Pratchett
“If we have obtained “To trust God in the grace of God, none shall prevail against uslight is nothing, but we shall be stronger than all who oppose usto trust Him in the dark – that is faith.” —St. John Chrysostom—Charles Spurgeon
“In imitation of “Faith is not the method clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the bee, I shall make my composition from those things which are conformable with the truth and from our enemies themselves gather the fruit of salvation. But I shall reject all that is worthless and falsely labeled as knowledgeheart.” —St. John of Damascus—Abraham Joshua Heschel
“But our opinion is in accordance with “God tends the Eucharistpagans too, and but the Eucharist in turn establishes our opinionChristian knows the donor.” —St. IrenaeusTikhon of Voronezh
“If “We do not worship a created thing, but the poison Master of pride is swelling up in youcreated things, turn to the Eucharist; and that Bread, Which is your Word of God humbling and disguising Himself, will teach you humilitymade flesh. If Although the fever of selfish greed rages in youflesh itself, feed on this Bread; and you will learn generosity. If the cold wind of coveting withers youconsidered separately, hasten to the Bread is a part of Angels; and charity will come to blossom in your heart. If you feel the itch of intemperancecreated things, nourish yourself with yet it has become the Flesh and Blood body of Christ, Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life; and you will become temperateGod. If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things, strengthen yourself with We do not worship this heavenly Food; and you will grow ferventbody after having separated it from the Word. LastlyLikewise, if you feel scorched by we do not separate the Word from the fever of impuritybody when we wish to worship Him. But knowing that ‘the Word was made flesh, go to ’ we recognise the banquet of Word existing in the Angels; and the spotless Flesh of Christ will make you pure and chasteflesh as God.” —St. Cyril Athanasius of Alexandria, Ep. ad Adelph., par. 3
“Don't be anxious about what “Take, in the next place, the subjection by which you havesubject the Son to the Father. What, but about what you say, is He not now subject, or must He, if He is God, be subject to God? You arefashioning your argument as if it concerned some robber, or some hostile deity.” —StBut look at it in this manner: that as for my sake He was called a curse, who destroyed my curse; and sin, who taketh away the sin of the world; and became a new Adam to take the place of the old, just so He makes my disobedience His own as Head of the whole body. Gregory the Great
“The man As long then as I am disobedient and rebellious, both by denial of God and by my passions, so long Christ also is called disobedient on my account. But when all things shall be subdued unto Him on the one hand by acknowledgment of Him, and on the other by a reformation, then He Himself also will have fulfilled His submission, bringing me whom He has saved to God. For this, according to my view, is the subjection of Christ; namely, the fulfilling of the Father's Will. But as the Son subjects all to the Father, so does the Father to the Son; the One by His Work, the Other by His good pleasure, as we have already said. And thus He Who subjects presents to God that which he has subjected, making our condition His own. Of the same kind, it appears to me, is the expression, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ It was not He who cries out against evil menwas forsaken either by the Father, or by His own Godhead, as some have thought, as if It were afraid of the Passion, and therefore withdrew Itself from Him in His Sufferings (for who compelled Him either to be born on earth at all, or to be lifted up on the Cross?) But as I said, He was in His own Person representing us. For we were the forsaken and despised before, but does now by the Sufferings of Him Who could not pray suffer, we were taken up and saved. Similarly, He makes His own our folly and our transgressions; and says what follows in the Psalm, for them will never know it is very evident that the grace of God22nd Psalm refers to Christ.” —St. Silouan Gregory the AthoniteTheologian, On God and Christ, Oration 30, V
“Those who dislike and reject their fellow-man are impoverished in their being“The Lord calls the Holy Spirit the 'voice of a gentle breeze'. They do not know the true For Godis breath, who and the breath of the wind is shared by all-embracing love.” —St. Silouan Maximus the AthoniteConfessor
“If “We neither call the Holy Spirit unbegotten, for we detect hatred in know but one unbeggoten and one source of all things, the Father of our hearts against any man whatsoever Lord Jesus Christ, nor do we call Him begotten, for committing any faultwe are taught by the tradition of the faith that there is one only-begotten. Rather, we are utterly estranged have been taught that the Spirit of Truth proceeds from the Father and confess that He comes from love for God, since love for God absolutely precludes us from hating any manin an uncreated fashion.” —St. Maximus Basil the ConfessorGreat, Letter 125, PG 32.549c
“One must “The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, not harbour anger nor hatred towards a person that is hostile towards us. On in the manner of being begotten, but in the contrarymanner of procession (οὐ γεννητῶς, ἀλλ ἐκπορευτῶς). You must love him This is a different way of existence as incomprehensible and do as much good unknown as possible towards him. Following the teaching generation of our Lord Jesus Christthe Son.” —St. Seraphim John of SarovDamascus, An Exact Exposition on the Orthodox Faith, 1, 8, PG 94.816c
“Do “The Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, whilst the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and resteth in the Son. But at the same time each Person has Its own particular properties: God the Father is not ask for love begotten, not created, does not proceed; the Son is begotten; the Holy Ghost proceeds from your neighborthe Father, whilst the substance of the three Persons is one, a Divine, incomplex substance. This similarity is based upon the words of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who calls Himself the Light of the world, for if you ask and he does not respondthus speaks of the Holy Ghost, comparing It in Its actions to the element water: ‘He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, you will be troubledwhich they that believe on Him should receive. Instead show your love for your neighbour ’ 415 He also compared the Holy Ghost to the air or wind: ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth, and you will be at restthou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: so will bring your neighbour to loveis every one that is born of the Spirit.” ’” —St. Dorotheos John of GazaKronstadt, My Life in Christ
“Love should never be sacrificed “For the Father only is Unbegotten, the Son only is Begotten, and the Holy Ghost from Father Proceeding, Co-eternal to the Father and the Son, for there is One Work, and there is One Operation of the Will in the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Father Unbegotten, the Son Begotten, and the Holy Ghost from the Father Proceeding, Co-Eternal to the Father and Son; but That One [i.e. the sake Son] is Born, yet This One [i.e. the Holy Ghost] Proceeds, just as in the Gospel of some dogmatic differenceBlessed John ye read: ‘The Spirit, Who Proceeds from the Father, He shall announce all things to you.’ Therefore the Holy Ghost is neither to be the Father Unbegotten, nor held to be the Son Begotten; but the Holy Ghost, Who from the Father Proceeds.” —St. Nektarios Mochta of Ireland, "Profession of Faith" of AeginaSt. Mochta
“Even “For when we mention the slightest thought that Omnipotent Father, the appelation of this Fatherly Name is directed to the Person of the Son, and when we mention the Eternal Son, He is not founded on love destroys peacereferred to the Person of the Eternal Father; and when we name the Holy Ghost we demonstrate Him to Proceed from the Person of the Eternal Father.” —Archimandrite Thaddeus Strabulovich—St. Mansuetus, Letter of St. Mansuetus (Archbishop of Milan) at 679 Synod of Milan to Emperor Constantine IV
“What does love look like? It has “This I give you to share, and to defend all your life, the one Godhead and power, found in the three in unit, and comprising the three separately; not unequal, in substances or natures, neither increased nor diminished by superiorities nor inferiorities; in every respect equal, in every respect the same; just as the beauty and the greatness of the heavens is one; the infinite conjunction of three infinite ones, each God when considered in himself; as the Father, so the Son; as the Son, so the Holy Spirit; the three one God when contemplated together; each God because consubstantial; one God because of the hands monarchia. No sooner do I conceive of the one than I am illumined by the splendor of the three; no sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to help othersthe one. It has When I think of anyone of the feet to hasten to three I think of him as the poor whole, and needy. It has my eyes to see misery are filled, and wantthe greater part of what I am thinking escapes me. It has ears I cannot grasp the greatness of that one so as to attribute a greater greatness to hear the sighs rest. When I contemplate the three together, I see but one torch, and sorrows of men. That is what love looks likecannot divide or measure out the undivided light.” —St. Augustine of HippoGregory the Theologian, Orations 40.41, as quoted by Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity, 378
“Your Lord is love: love Him and “The power to bear Mysteries, which the humble man has received, which makes him perfect in Him all menevery virtue without toil, as His Children this is the very power which the blessed apostles received in Christthe form of fire. Your Lord is fire: do For its sake the Saviour commanded them not let your heart be coldto leave Jerusalem until they should receive power from on high, but burn with faith and love. Your Lord that is light: do not walk in darkness of mindto say, the Paraclete, which, without reasoning or understandingbeing interpreted, or without faithis the Spirit of consolation. Your Lord And this is a God the Spirit of mercy and bountifulnessdivine visions. Concerning this it is said in divine Scripture: be also a source of mercy and bountifulness ‘Mysteries are revealed to your neighborsthe humble’ (Ecclus 3:19). If you will be such, you will find salvation yourself with everlasting gloryThe humble are accounted worthy of receiving in themselves this Spirit of revelations Who teaches mysteries.” —St. John of KronstadtIsaac the Syrian, Homily 77
“I guard you “We, therefore, so long as we are beset by the corruptions of the flesh, in no wise behold the brightness of the Divine Power, as it abides unchangeable in advance against beasts itself, in that the eye of our weakness cannot endure that which shines above us with intolerable lustre from the ray of His Eternal Being. And so when the Almighty shews Himself to us by the form chinks of mencontemplation, whom you must He does not only speak to us, but whispers, in that though He does not receivefully develope Himself, yet something of Himself He does reveal to the mind of man. But then He no longer whispers at all, but if speaks, when His appearance is manifested to us in certainty. It is hence that Truth saith in the Gospel, ‘I shall shew you plainly of the Father’ (John 16, 25). Hence John saith, ‘For we shall see Him as He is’ (1 John 3, 2). Hence Paul saith, ‘Then shall I know even as also I am known’ (1 Cor. 13, 12). Now in this present time, the Divine whispering has as many veins for our ears as the works of creation, which the Divine Being Himself is Lord of; for while we view all things that are created, we are lifted up in admiration of the Creator. For as water that flows in a slender stream is sought by being bored for through veins, with a view to increase it , and as it pours forth the more copiously, in proportion as it finds the veins more open, so we, whilst we heedfully gather the knowledge of the Divine Being from the contemplation of His creation, as it were open to ourselves the ‘veins of His whispering’, in that by the things that we see have been made, we are led to marvel at the excellency of the Maker, and by the objects that are in public view, that issues forth to us, which is possible hidden in concealment. For He bursts out to us in a kind of sound as it were, whilst He displays His works to be considered by us, wherein He betokens Himself in a measure, in that He shews how Incomprehensible He is. Therefore, because we cannot take thought of Him as He deserves, we hear not even meetHis voice, yea, scarcely His whispering. For because we are not equal to form a full and perfect estimate of the very things that are created, it is rightly said, Mine ear as it were by stealth received the veins of whispering; in that being cast forth from the delights of paradise, and visited with the punishment of blindness, we scarcely take in ‘the veins of whispering’; since His very marvellous works themselves we consider but only pray for themhastily and slightly. But we must bear in mind, that in proportion as the soul being lifted up contemplates His Excellency, if perchance they may repent…” so being held back it shrinks from His Righteous Perfectness.” —St. Ignatius Gregory the Great (Gregory the Dialogist), Book V, Sec. 52, Morals on the Book of AntiochJob
“Until “‘And my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’ (John 14:23). My friends, consider the greatness of this solemn feast that commemorates God's coming as a guest into our hearts! If some rich and influential friend were to come to your home, you have eradicated evil, do not obey would promptly put it all in order for fear something there might offend your heart; friend's eyes when he came in. Let all of us then who are preparing our inner homes for it will seek more God cleanse them of what it already contains within itselfanything our wrongdoing has brought into them.” —St. Mark Gregory the AsceticGreat, on Pentecost in Be Friends of God
“Whatever of “If from one burning lamp someone lights another, then another from that which is best one, and so on in succession, he has flowed into light continuously. In the same way, through the heartApostles ordaining their successors, and these successors ordaining others, we should not pour out without need; for that which has been gathered can be free of danger from visible and invisible enemies only when it is guarded in so on, the interior grace of the heartHoly Spirit is handed down through all generations and enlightens all who obey their shepherds and teachers.” —St. Seraphim of SarovGregory Palamas, On how the Holy Spirit was manifested and shared out at Pentecost
“No one professing faith sins“‘And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, nor does does anyone possessing love hateand it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:3-4). The tree is known by its fruitThey partook of fire, not of burning but of saving fire; thus those who profess of fire which consumes the thorns of sins, but gives luster to be Christ's will be recognized by their actionsthe soul. For the work This is a matter not of what one promises nowcoming upon you also, but and that to strip away and consume your sins which are like thorns, and to brighten yet more that precious possession of persevering your souls, and to give you grace; for He gave it then to the end Apostles. And He sat upon them in the power form of faithfiery tongues, that they might crown themselves with new and spiritual diadems by fiery tongues upon their heads. A fiery sword barred of old the gates of Paradise; a fiery tongue which brought salvation restored the gift.” —St. Ignatius Cyril of Antioch (to the Ephesians)Jerusalem, Book Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem
“Indeed“The Church is without beginning, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives without end and eternal, just as the Triune God, her founder, is without beginning, without end and eternal. She is uncreated just as God is uncreated. She existed before the ages, before the angels, before the creation of the world – before the foundation of the world as to make happiness impossiblethe Apostle Paul says. She is a divine institution and in her dwells the whole fullness of divinity. She is an expression of the richly varied wisdom of God. She is the mystery of mysteries. She was concealed and was revealed in the last of times.” —StThe Church remains unshaken because she is rooted in the love and wise providence of God. Augustine
“The confession The three persons of evil works is the first beginning of good worksHoly Trinity constitute the eternal Church.” —St. AugustinePorphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, Wounded by Love
“The evil powers love “In the darkness and tremble at every lighthistory of the human race there have been three principal falls: that of Adam, especially at that which belongs to God of Judas, and to those who please Himthat of the pope.” —St. Nikolai VelimirovichJustin Popovich
“The one who has “But the Church of God is not yet obtained divine knowledge activated by love makes subject to a lot of the religious works he performs. But the one who has been deemed worthy to obtain this says with conviction the words which the patriarch Abraham spoke when he was graced with the divine appearancewicked pope; nor even absolutely, ‘I am but earth and asheson all occasions, to a good one.’” —St. Maximus the Confessor” —Archbishop Arnulf of Orléans, Synod of Verzy, 991
“Do “They [Rome] do not say that ‘mere faith in our Lord Jesus Christ can save me.’ For this is impossible unless you acquire love for him through works. For in what concerns mere believingknow and do not wish to know the truth; they argue with those who proclaim the truth to them, ‘even the devils believe and trembleassert their heresy.’” ” —St. Maximus Basil the ConfessorGreat, letter to Eusebius of Samosata
“We see “When we Greeks find fault with the water of a river flowing uninterruptedly and passing away, and all that floats on its surfacefilioque, rubbish or beams they shake Peter's keys at us… … Nevertheless differences of trees, all pass by. So does our life. I was an infant, custom and that time has goneusage are no sufficient ground for schism. I was an adolescent, and Experience shows that too has passed. I was a young man, arguing about azyma and that too is far behind meLenten fasts gets nowhere. The strong Greeks should be accommodating and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white, I succumb make concessions to agethe ignorant western barbarians, but hoping that too passes; I approach the end and in time they will go correct their errors to conform to the way apostolic tradition stemming from Jerusalem.” —Blessed Theophylact of all flesh. I was born in order to die. I die that I may live. Remember me, O LordOchrid, The Errors of the Latins in Thy Kingdom!” —St. Tikhon of VoronezhEcclesiastical Matters
“You should look downward“Even if the whole universe holds communion with the [heretical] patriarch, I will not communicate with him. RememberFor I know from the writings of the holy Apostle Paul: you are earth and you will return the Holy Spirit declares that even the angels would be anathema if they should begin to the earthpreach another Gospel, introducing some new teaching.” —St. Ambrose Maximus the Confessor, The Life of OptinaSt. Maximus the Confessor
“Just as a pauper, seeing “Those who do not belong to the Truth do not belong to the royal treasures, Church of Christ either; and all the more acknowledges his own poverty; so also the spirit, reading the accounts if they speak falsely of the great deeds of the Holy Fathersthemselves by calling themselves, or calling each other, involuntarily holy pastors and hierarchs; [for it has been instilled in us that] Christianity is all characterized not by persons, but by the more humbled in its way truth and exactitude of thoughtFaith.” —St. John ClimacusGregory Palamas
“Do “Chrysostomos loudly declares not shun poverty and afflictiononly heretics, but also those who have communion with them, the fuel that gives wings to prayerbe enemies of God.” —Evagrios —St. Theodore the SolitaryStudite, Epistle of Abbot Theophilus
“Some suffer much from poverty and sicknesshave suffered final shipwreck with regard to the faith. Others, but are though they have not humbled, and so they suffer without profit. But one who is humbled will be happy drowned in all circumstancestheir thoughts, because the Lord is his riches and joy, and all people will wonder at the beauty of his soulare nevertheless perishing through communion with heresy.” —St. Silouan Theodore the AthoniteStudite
“My joy“Guard yourselves from soul-destroying heresy, I beg you, acquire the Spirit of Peacecommunion with which is alienation from Christ. That means to bring oneself to such a state that our spirit will not be disturbed by anything. For one must go through many sorrows to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” —St. This is Theodore the way all righteous men were saved and inherited the Heavenly Kingdom…” —St. Seraphim of SarovStudite
“Peace “It is not absence of strugglebetter to have discord for piety’s sake, but absence than harmony full of uncertainty and confusionthe passions.” —Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh—St. Gregory the Theologian, Oration 6, PG 35, 736
“Humility is perfect quietness “All the teachers of heart, it is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises methe Church, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in all the LordCouncils, where I can go in and shut all the door, and kneel Divine Scriptures advise us to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around flee from the heterodox and above is troubleseparate from their communion.” —Andrew Murray—St. Mark of Ephesus
“However great “‘But if,’ they say, ‘we had devised some middle ground between the dogmas (of the Papists and the afflictions Orthodox), then thanks to this we sufferwould have united with them and accomplished our business superbly, without at all having been forced to say anything except what are corresponds to custom and has been handed down (by the Fathers).’ This is precisely the means by which many, from of old, have been deceived and persuaded to follow those who have led them off the steep precipice of impiety; believing that there is some middle ground between the two teachings that can reconcile obvious contradictions, they compared with the promised future rewardhave been exposed to peril.” —St. Makarios Mark of EgyptEphesus, Encyclical Letter, Orthodox Word, March-April-May, 1967
“Shun “Whoever preserves himself from them (the praise of men Latins) and love keeps his faith pure will stand rejoicing at the one whoright hand of God, but whoever willfully draws close to them will stand weeping bitterly with them on the left. For there is no eternal life for those living in the fear faith of the Lord, reprimands you.” —St. PachomiusLatins or the Saracens…
“When people begin If someone says to praise usyou: ‘Both your and our faith are from God’, let us hurry you child, must reply to remember the multitude of ours transgressionshim as follows: ‘Who are you, you heretic? Do you think that God has two faiths? Have you not heard, accursed and we will see that we perverted as you are truly unworthy of by an evil faith that which they say and do in our honor.” —St. John Climacusis written: Thus saith the Lord: one Lord, one faith, one baptism…’
“…DonThus they of evil faith, after holding to the Orthodox faith for so many years, have turned away to an evil faith and to Satan't be frightened at your burden; our Lord will help you to carry it.” —St. John Vianneys teaching…
“Every tribulation reveals They have renounced the state preaching of our willthe apostles and the edification of the holy fathers, and have accepted a faith based on error and a perverted dogma leading to perdition.” Therefore, they have been torn away from us and set apart…” —St. Mark the AsceticTheodosius of Kiev
“Every affliction tests our will, showing whether it “It is inclined impossible to good or evil. That is why an unforeseen affliction is called a test, because it enables a man recall peace without dissolving the cause of the schism – the primacy of the Pope exalting himself equal to test his hidden desiresGod.” —St. Mark the Asceticof Ephesus
“Many are the wiles of “The Holy Spirit is nowhere to be found among them (the enemy to despoil us of inner peacePapists), so watch!because their mysteries are graceless.” —St. Theophan the Recluse—Dositheos of Jerusalem
“In every situation confusion is from the devil, from whom may the Lord shield “Holy Orthodoxy has two eternal enemies: Mecca and protect usRome.” —St. Leo of OptinaKosmas Aitolos
“It should be noted that when the fallen spirit wants “Orthodoxy has one thing to get dominion over Christ's ascetics, he does not act imperiously or domineeringly, but tries to draw a man to consent say to the proposed delusion, and after getting his consent he takes possession of ecumenical movement: here is the person who has given his consent. Holy Davidtruth, in describing his the fallen angel attacks man, has very rightly said: "He lurketh in secret as a lion in his den, that he may ravish the poorjoin yourself to it; to ravish remain to ‘discuss’ this truth not merely weakens the poorOrthodox witness, when he getteth him into his netit destroys it."” —St—Fr. Ignaty Bryanchaninov, The Arena, chapter 11, On the Solitary LifeSeraphim Rose of Platina
“The devil presents minor sins “That only the canonical Scriptures have infallibility is testified by Blessed Augustine in the words which he writes to Jerome: ‘It is fitting to bestow such honour and veneration only to the books of Scripture which are called 'canonical,' for I absolutely believe that none of the authors who wrote them erred in anything. … As for other writings, no matter how great was the excellence of their authors in sanctity and learning, in reading them I do not accept their teaching as insignificant true solely on the basis that they thus wrote and thought.’ Then, in a letter to Fortunatus [St. Mark continues in our eyes, because otherwise his citations of Augustine] he would writes the following: ‘We should not be able lead hold the judgment of a man, even though this man might have been orthodox and had an high reputation, as the same kind of authority as the canonical Scriptures, to the extent of considering it inadmissible for us into major ones, out of the reverence we owe such men, to disapprove and reject something in their writing if we should happen to discover that they taught other than the truth which, with God's help, has been attained by others or by ourselves. This is how I am with regard to the writings of other men; and I desire that the reader will act thus with regard to my writings also.” ’” —St. Mark the Asceticof Ephesus, Second Homily on Purgatorial Fire, chs. 15-16; Pogodin, pp. 127-132
“Do “The Ecumenism is a huge lie; they speak in the name of a love outside of Christ, which excludes you from the Truth. If the Ecumenists really loved the world, they would not disown the truth of the value and the spiritual richness of Church Tradition and of the Holy Fathers. They disown Christianity from the gracious beauty. God has left from them, what remains is only their ego. No, we don’t need You. We lead the world, we rule the world, we give the bread, we give the happiness on this earth. Jesus must be arrested again not leave unobliterated to disturb our march. Eliminating God from the world and of the soul in any faultway – this is the goal of the Ecumenism also repelled by Saint Justin Popovich. The Ecumenism and the globalization are at the forefront of the apocalyptic times. They want to accustom the eye and the spirit of the Orthodox with the habit to serve together with these heretics, however smalluntil they get to have Communion from the same chalice. Because this could give them the right to build their own churches. But no, for they want strategically to compromise the shrines and the faint hearted priests who are quick to ‘obedience’. The Ecumenists have the false impression that they will bring something new in the Church of Christ. Let us not forget that the Church is the body whose head is Christ. You can not break it may from Christ Who is the Path, the Truth and the Life. The Ecumenists will not fulfill anything. You can not change the reality according to the human interests. The divine reality remains the same in every age. The Holy Spirit speaks through the mouths of the bearers of God, not of the bearers of human interests. The Christian Church has never gone after the crowd; not the many lead you on or hold the truth, but the few, chosen, as the carriers of the Holy Spirit. We do work only under this Father’s truth, the Gospel of our Lord and the Orthodox Church Tradition. All this falsehood which has appeared in our world has no other purpose than to greater sinsembarrass and undermine the whole tradition and the beliefs of a nation. Questions are not posed and answers are not given, and people take for granted everything that has been written at the official level.” —StBut, by not solving these dogmatic problems the untruth slowly settles in our Orthodox Christian Church. Mark All the Ecumenical attempts of unifying the other Christian communities found in heresy, the Asceticdialogues which have developed in our Orthodox Christian Church, since I know, haven’t got any result because they have false basis, they are untrue and do nothing but disturb the authentic Christian life.” —Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Romania, Din învățăturile și minunile Părintelui Justin
“He who honours the Lord does what “We must prepare for martyrdom and beyond this, I would not have to speak if people were not powerless in spirit and mind to understand. It's not easy to live these days. But if the Lord bids. When he sins or is disobedienthas so pleased that we should suffer these times, he patiently accepts what then we must obey and receive with joy all that comes upon us, as something he deserves.” —St. Mark from the hand of God, and not from the Asceticenemy…
“It Therefore, please stop looking for solutions. Human solutions are not existent, my dears! The solution is a great error to think that you must undertake important and great labors, whether die for heavenChrist. Fathers will give up their sons, ormothers, as the 'progressives' thinktheir daughters, in order to make one's contribution to humanityunto death. That is not necessary at allBehold, we witness the fulfillment of this prophecy. It is necessary only to do everything in accordance with If the mother will let the Lordchild be vaccinated, it's commandments.” —St. Theophan the Recluseas if giving him over to die…
“When we are immersed Therefore I say to you, trust that the Lord will give you power to confess Him. We live in sinsan anarchic world, the entire political class is an enemy of Christ and a servant of evil, that is why even living our simple life without abdicating our mind Christian principles is occupied solely with worldly cares, we do not notice the state of our soul.” —Sta daily confession and martyrdom. John Maximovitch
“We So: do not receive this vaccine or anything that the new political powers bring you today. The Zionists rule the world and the Americans work for them and they think they have come to be own it because they have no shyness. Everything is in sight and they are aware that what is being pounded in upon us is all of one piece; it has a certain rhythmthey have no opponent to fear and they fight to depopulate the world, a certain message with the few who will remain to give us, this message of self-worshipthem. Now they're studying and sorting, of relaxing, of letting go, of enjoying yourself, of giving up any thought of and the way they're going to distinguish people from each other world … It is actually an education in atheismthe chips. We Do you or do you not have to fight back by knowing just a chip? For what is the world chip after all? A weapon against Man. And we have no weapons; our youth is trying weary, that even if they want to do to us…” —Frrise from the spell in which they live, they have no power. Seraphim Rose
“I saw Our only weapons are spiritual ones: prayer, humility, love, but also confession [of Faith]. You can't love without confession [of Faith]. Love is sacrificial, and if we fear to confess the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world truth, what sacrifice do we have? Or if we do not care about our neighbor who is unaware and we do not inform him and I said groaningwe let him fall prey to this system, "What can get through from such snareswhat love do we have?" Then I heard Those who still struggle today to awaken their brother, who have not remained indifferent to the future of a voice saying to menation and a church, "Humility."” —St. Anthony those are the children of the Greatlove of God, who lay their lives down for their brethren…
“Wouldst thou comprehend the height of God? First comprehend the lowliness of God. Condescend It is important to be humble for thine own sake, seeing that God condescended oppose all antichrists and die with dignity; not to be humble for thy sake too, for it was not for his ownhave a cowardly position.” —St. Augustine—Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Romania
“The greatness “Let not us, who would be Christians, expect anything else from it than to be crucified. For to be Christian is to be crucified, in this time and in any time since Christ came for the first time. His life is the example – and warning – to us all. We must be crucified personally, mystically; for through crucifixion is the only path to resurrection. If we would rise with Christ, we must first be humbled with Him – even to the ultimate humiliation, being devoured and spit forth by the uncomprehending world. And we must be crucified outwardly, in the eyes of the world; for Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, and the world cannot bear it, even a man consisteth single representative of humilityit, even for in proportion as a man descendeth single moment. The world can only accept Antichrist, now or at any time. No wonder then, that it is hard to humilitybe a Christian – it is not hard, it is impossible. No one can knowingly accept a way of life which, the more truly it is lived, he becometh exalted lead the more surely to greatnessone’s own destruction.” —Paradise And that is why we constantly rebel, try to make life easier, try to be half-Christian, try to make the best of both worlds. We must ultimately choose – our felicity lies in one world or the Holy Fathersother, Volnot in both. God give us the strength to pursue the path to crucifixion; there is no other way to be Christian. 2” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina, from his journal as printed in the biography Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene
“It is easier to measure “A lukewarm clergy lulls the entire sea with a tiny cup than people to grasp Godsleep, leaves them in their former condition so they won's ineffable greatness with the human mindt be upset.” —St‘Look’, they say. Basil ‘By all means don't say that there'll be a war, or the GreatSecond Coming, that one must prepare oneself for death. We must not make people alarmed!’
“You donAnd others speak with a false kindness, saying: ‘We mustn't have a soulexpose heretics and their delusions, so as to show our love for them. You ’ Today's people are a Soulwater-soluble. You have a body.” —C. SThere's no leaven in them. Lewis
“Learn If I avoid upsetting myself to love humilityprotect my fleshly comfort then I'm indifferent to holiness! Spiritual meekness is one thing, for it will cover all your sinsand softness and indifference are quite another. Some say: ‘I'm a Christian and therefore I have to be joyful and calm.’ But they're not Christian. They're simply indifferent. All sins are repugnant before God but the most repugnant of all And their joy is pride of the heartonly a worldly joy.
Do not consider yourself learned and wise; otherwiseHe in whom these worldly seeds are present is no spiritual person. A spiritual person consists of nothing but pain. In other words, he's in pain at what's going on, all your effort will be destroyed and your boat will reach the harbor emptyhe's in pain for people's condition. And divine comfort is bestowed upon him for his pain.” —St. Paisios of Mt.Athos
If you “In our evil time, when the servants of the coming Antichrist are putting forth all their efforts so as to undermine and replace authentic Orthodoxy with a false ‘Orthodoxy’ - an Orthodoxy only in name, there have great authority, do appeared not threaten anyone with deatha few ‘pastors’ also who bear only the name of Orthodox but deny the authentic power and spirit of true Orthodoxy. Know, that according to nature, you too are susceptible to death Precisely such false pastors filled up the ranks of the (Soviet) ‘Living Church’ and that every soul sheds its body from itself as the final garment‘Renovationist Church’ clergy in our Russia.
In Byzantium there existed an unusual But the ‘Living Church’ and instructive custom during ‘Renovationalism’ were not recognized by the crowning of believing Russian people, who felt in their hearts their whole falsity; and they brilliantly collapsed on the emperors in Russian soil, ceasing their official existence. However, the Church spirit of the Divine Wisdom [St. Sophia]. The custom was that when ‘Living Church’ and ‘Renovationalism’ has not died, but has continued and up until now continues to live among us also in the patriarch placed Russian homeland, which has been enslaved by the crown on godless, and also abroad among all the emperor's headOrthodox Local Churches who have become infected with this pestilential spirit, not without, of course, at the most strenuous cooperation of those same time, he handed him a silk purse filled with dirt from servants of the gravecoming Antichrist.
ThenThese pseudo-pastors, even modernists and ecumenists, in place of true Orthodoxy, preach and insistently propagandize a false Orthodoxy, flattering all the emperor would recall death sinful passions and vices of fallen man - striving in everything to go in step with the times and to adapt the Christian to avoid the ‘world which lies in evil,’ under all pride possible cunning and become humblewell sounding pretexts.” —StEverywhere now they are seizing the reigns of government in the contemporary Orthodox Local Churches. Anthony They are striving to play everywhere the Greatleading guiding role, and often they have success, for they skillfully and cunningly make themselves seem to be zealots of Orthodoxy.
“Pride more than anything elseBut their actual aim is to undermine true Orthodoxy by a false ‘Orthodoxy,’ in order to make it come about, deprives people in the expression of both their good deeds Christ the Savior, ‘that the salt has lost its savor’ (Matthew 5:13), that it might lose its saltiness - that it might lose its spirit and help from Godpower. Where there This is no humility, pride takes its place.” —St. Macarius a special kind of Optinabattle against the Church!
“This Behold of what a frightful undertaking (of which) we are the living and immediate witnesses! By all means there is being conducted in the wisdom and power world a frightful battle against the Faith of God: to be victorious through weaknessChrist, exalted through humility, rich through poverty.” —St. Gregory Palamasby a path of falsification and imitations!
“You will lose nothing of what you have renounced …(this) truly most frightful and nightmarish phenomenon (is) something more frightful than open atheism and warfare against God, (for the Lord’s sake. For in its own time it will return ) threatens to you greatly multiplied.” —St. Mark destroy our holy Orthodoxy from the Asceticroot, having corrupted it from within…” —Vladyka Averky of Jordanville
“Where can I flee? A place cannot save you because there is no place you can flee from yourself“The faithful remnant of Christians in the last days, as our Lord has told us, will be very small; the vast majority of those who call themselves Christians will welcome Antichrist as the Messiah … those who are not true Orthodox Christians belong the ‘new Christianity’, the ‘Christianity’ of Antichrist.” —St. Nikon of Optina
“A life lived in The Pope of Rome and practically everyone else today speaks of ‘transforming the world can be as good, world’ by Christianity: priests and nuns take part in the eyes of Goddemonstrations for ‘racial equality’ and similar causes. These have nothing to do with Christianity: they do nothing but distract men from their true goal, as one spent in a monastery. It which is indeed only the keeping of God's commandments, love of all, and a true sense Kingdom of humility that matter, wherever we areHeaven.” —Elder Macarius of Optina
“Those whoThe coming age of ‘peace’, because of the rigor of their own ascetic practice‘unity’, despise the less zealousand ‘brotherhood’, think that they are made righteous by physical works. But we are even more foolish if we rely on theoretical knowledge and disparage it comes, will be the ignorantreign of Antichrist: it will be Christian in name, but Satanic in spirit.” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“A remedy against straying thoughts Εveryone today seeks happiness on earth, and they think this is mental attention‘Christianity’; true Orthodox Christians know that the age of persecutions, attention to which began again under the fact that the Lord Bolsheviks, is before still with us , and that only by much sorrow and tribulation are we are before Himmade fit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” —St—Fr. Theophan the RecluseSeraphim Rose of Platina
“The roots “It may be, brethren, that soon you will again experience a time of turmoil, and some of you will be called to take the path of evil thoughts are denying those sacred laws and to submit to laws established by mere human authority. Beware of such a path! Beware of the path taken by the thief on the obvious vicesleft, which we keep trying for by the weight of blasphemy, by the weight of reviling Christ he went to justify in our words his eternal perdition. Those who revile the laws of the Church revile Christ Himself, Who is the Head of the Church, for the laws of the Church were given by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. And the laws of local Churches are based on those same laws and canons of the Church. Let us not consider ourselves wiser than those saints and actionshierarchs who established the rules of the Church; let us not imagine ourselves to be great sages.Rather, let us humbly call out together with the wise thief: Remember me, O Lord, in Thy kingdom!” —St. Mark John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily on the AsceticSunday of Orthodoxy
“Guard your speech from boasting “Brothers and sisters! Let us aspire towards ascetic labor, in which is expressed precisely the essence of our Orthodox Christian faith, which is the labor of imitating Christ in bearing the cross and your thoughts from presumption; otherwise you may be abandoned by God self-crucifixion – a faith of labor and fall into sin. For man cannot do anything good without , laboring lawfully as the help Word of Godteaches, who sees everythinglet us suffer all things for the Truth, not moving away from it, as do many because of their poverty of spirit or self-interest. And let us remember well: where there is no labor, where there is no steadfastness in the faith – there is neither Orthodoxy nor true faith in God and in His Christ. Amen.” —St. Mark the Ascetic—Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse
"The higher a person’s position in society “Being born, then, of the more he should help others without ever reminding them light of his positiontruth, shun division and bad doctrines.” —Tsar StWhere the shepherd is, there you, being sheep, must follow. For many wolves there are, apparently worthy of confidence, who with the bait of baneful pleasure seek to capture the runners in God's race; but if you stand united they will have no success…” —St. Nicholas IIIgnatius of Antioch
“If you “We all want your sins God to be absolved by Christ, then don't speak give unity of faith to others about any virtue that you may have, because God will treat our sins the same way we treat our virtuesworld.” —StBut you are confusing things. Mark the Ascetic
“If any man The reconciliation of people is able in power to continue in purityone thing, to while the honour reconciliation of the flesh religions is another. Christianity requires all of us to love everyone with all our Lordhearts, let him continue so without boasting; if he boasts, he is undone; if he become known apart from the bishop, he has destroyed himselfwhatever faith they may have.” —St. Ignatius of Antioch
“Guarding At the mouth wakes up same time we are ordered to keep our faith and doctrines intact. As Christians you must be merciful to the conscience whole world, to God, if it is with knowledge that a man keeps silenceall people.” —StEven your life you should give on their behalf. Isaac the Syrian
“Silence But you have no right to touch the truths of Christ. Because they are not yours. The faith of Christ is more profitable than speech, for not our property to do with it as it has been said, "The words of wise men are heard even in quietwe wish."” —St. Basil the GreatNikolai Velimirovich
“Never give your opinion if you are “We do not asked for itchange the boundaries marked out by our Fathers. We keep the Tradition we have received. If we begin to lay down the Law of the Church even in the smallest things, even if you think that your view is the bestwhole edifice will fall to the ground in no short time.” —St. Josemaria EscrivaJohn of Damascus
“Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning“At this dawn of modern history, that without listening speaking no longer healsthe thirteenth century, that without distance closeness cannot cureall the seeds of modern mentality are present. And modern history follows logically from these seeds. Essentially, it is one thing – the search for a new Christianity which is better than Orthodoxy, better than the Christianity of the Holy Fathers, which Christ gave to us.” —Henri Nouwen
“Let your mouth continually administer blessing; then Later on, this will take forms which go through atheism and all kinds of wild beliefs, but essentially the search remains the scorn same, and in the end the world will be Christian, because it's Antichrist who gives them a new religion, which is not something foreign to Christianity. It will not be some kind of anyone paganism. It will be something which everyone will never hurt youaccept as Christianity, but will be anti-christian.” —StA substitute for Christianity which denies the very essence of Christianity. Isaac the Syrian
“Just And that is why the main history of the rebellion against Christ is no less than the apostasy which St. Paul talks about. It is not by means of persecution as swine run to a place where there is mireit was in the beginning, but by means of taking Christianity and bees dwell where there are fragrances and incense, likewise demons gather where there are carnal songs and changing it so that it will no longer be Christian. And this is what we can call the grace Unfolding of the Holy Spirit settles where there are spiritual melodies, sanctifying both mouth and soulMystery of Iniquity in preparation for Antichrist.” —St—Fr. John ChrysostomSeraphim Rose of Platina, excerpt from Orthodox Survival Course
“Through “Regarding the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to paradiseaffairs of the Church, our ascension into in the kingdom words of heaventhe Saviour, our return to one of the adoption most awesome phenomena of sons, our liberty the last days is that at that time ‘the stars shall fall from heaven’ (Matt. 24.29). According to call God our Fatherthe Saviour’s own explanation, our being made partakers these ‘stars’ are the Angels of the grace of ChristChurches, our being called children of light, our sharing in eternal gloryother words, the Bishops (Rev. 1.20). The religious andmoral fall of the Bishops is, in a wordtherefore, our being brought into a state one of the most characteristic signs of the last days. The fall of all "fulness the Bishops is particularly horrifying when they deviate from the doctrines of blessingthe faith," both in this world and in or, as the world to comeApostle put it, when they ‘would pervert the Gospel of all the good gifts Christ’ (Gal. 1.7). The Apostle orders that such people be pronounced ‘anathema’. He said, ‘If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that are in store which ye have received, let him be accursed (anathema)’ (Gal. 1.9). And one must not be slow about this, for ushe continues, by promise hereof‘A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition reject, through faithknowing that he that is such is subverted, beholding the reflection being condemned of their grace as though they were already presenthimself’ (Titus 3.10-11). Moreover, we await you may be subject to God’s judgement if you are indifferent to deviation from the full enjoymenttruth: ‘So them because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth’ (Rev. 3.6).” —St. Basil the Great—Archbishop Theophan of Poltava
“Humility consists“We ourselves have a feeling–based on nothing very definite as yet–that the best hope for preserving true Orthodoxy in the years ahead will lie in such small gatherings of believers, not as much as possible ‘one in condemning mind and soul.’ The history of the twentieth century has already shown us that we cannot expect too much from the ‘Church organization’; there, even apart from heresies, the spirit of the world has become very strong. Archbishop Averky, and our conscienceown Bishop Nektary also, have warned us to prepare for catacomb times ahead, but in recognizing when the grace of God's grace may even be taken away from the ‘Church organization’ and compassiononly isolated groups of believers will remain. Soviet Russia already gives us an example of what we may expect–only worse, for the times do not get better.” —St—Fr. Mark the AsceticSeraphim Rose of Platina, Hope, His Life and Works
“Children“In those days the remnant of the faithful are to experience in themselves something like that which was experienced once by the Lord Himself when He, I beseech you to correct your hearts and thoughtshanging on a cross, felt Himself so forsaken by His Divinity, that you may be pleasing to He cried out ‘My God. Consider that although we may reckon ourselves to be righteous and frequently succeed , why hast Thou forsaken me?’ The last Christians will experience in deceiving men, we can conceal nothing from God. Let us therefore strive to preserve the holiness themselves a similar abandonment of our souls and to guard humanity by the purity of our bodies with all fervor. Ye are the temple Grace of God, says the divine Apostle Paul; If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroybut only for a short time.” —St. Nicholas Seraphim of MyraSarov
“Those who suffer for “Finally, in the sake twilight of true devotion receive helphistory, the dictator of the world will come, the son of perdition… whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth (2 Thess. 2:8). This must And in all that time of peace, happiness and prosperity, there ‘will be learnt through obeying great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world, nor will ever be after’ (Mat. 24:21). Because of these troubles, many will repent and turn to God's law and our own consciencethe Saviour.” —StAnd in them the Lord will have His last harvest. Mark the Ascetic
“When you are wronged The countries of the world will lead the fight against Christ and your heart and feelings are hardened, do not His Church… The Church of Christ will be distressedput outside the law, for this has happened providentially; but and public commemoration of Christ's name will be glad and reject proscribed with severe penalties. But only those who call upon the thoughts that arise within you, knowing that if they are destroyed at name of the stage when they are only provocations, their evil consequences Lord will be cut offsaved. And the Son of Man, whereas if the thoughts persist when He suddenly comes and destroys the evil may be expected to develop‘son of perdition’ [i.” —Ste. Mark Antichrist], that last tyrant, will He find faith on the Asceticearth?
“Struggle to become immortal from nowIt will be found, but not in public. It will be found, but not in magnificent temples, such as are present, by dying here on but in the earth caves and deserts. It will be found, but not as approved and protected, but as something tossed to your bad selfand fro. In this way, you won't It will be sadfound, but you'll be very gladnot in lavish liturgies and psalmody but in the temples of the human heart and in whispered speakings. For the Church began in Martyrdom, and in the end there She will find Martyrdom, living together with ChristO holy brethren.” —Elder Porphyrios—St. Nikolai Velimirovich, The Orthodox Church in the "twilight of history"
“I saw that there was no tragedy in God“During the days of Antichrist, the strongest temptation will be the anticipation of salvation coming from the cosmos, from humanoids–that is from extraterrestrials, who are actually demons. Tragedy is One should rarely look up to be found solely in search the fortunes of skies with the man whose gaze has not gone beyond naked eye, since the confines of this earthsigns might be deceptive and one might be deceived.” —Archimandrite Sophrony—St. Gabriel Urgebadze, Confessor and Fool for Christ
“In advising against “So mine is a little flock? But it is not being carried away over a precipice. So mine is a narrow fold? But it is unapproachable by wolves; it cannot be entered by a robber, nor overcome by artificial practices such as Transcendental Meditation thieves and strangers. I am but repeating the age-old message of the Church … The way of the Fathers requires firm faith and long patienceshall yet see it, whereas our contemporaries want to seize every spiritual giftI know well, including even direct contemplation of grow wider… I fear not for the Absolute God, by force and speedily, and will often draw little flock; for it is seen at a parallel between prayer in the Name of Jesus and yoga or Transcendental Meditation and the likeglance. I must stress the danger of such errors … He is deluded who endeavors to divest himself mentally of all that is transitory know my sheep and relative in order to cross some invisible threshold, to realize his eternal origin, his identity with the Source am known of all that exists, in order to return and merge with him, the nameless transpersonal Absolutemine. Such exercises have enabled many to rise to suprarational contemplation of being, to experience a certain mystical trepidation, to are they that know the state God and are known of silence of mind, when mind goes beyond the boundaries of time and spaceGod. In such like states man may feel the peacefulness of being withdrawn My sheep hear from my voice that which I have heard from the continually changing phenomena oracles of the visible worldGod, may even which I have a certain experience of eternity. But been taught by the God of TruthHoly Fathers, the Living Godwhich I have taught in like manner on all occasions, is not conforming myself to fashion, and which I will never cease to teach; in which I was born, and in all thiswhich I will depart.” —St.Gregory the Theologian
It is man’s own beauty“Concerning the Patriarch I shall say this, lest it should perhaps occur to him to show me a certain respect at the burial of this my humble body, created or to send to my grave any of his hierarchs or clergy or in general any of those in communion with him in order to take part in prayer or to join the image priests invited to it from amongst us, thinking that at some time, or perhaps secretly, I had allowed communion with him. And lest my silence give occasion to those who do not know my views well and fully to suspect some kind of Godconciliation, I hereby state and testify before the many worthy men here present that is contemplated I do not desire, in any manner and absolutely, and seen do not accept communion with him or with those who are with him, not in this life nor after my death, just as divinity(I accept) neither the Union nor Latin dogmas, whereas which he himself still continues within and his adherents have accepted, and for the confines enforcement of his creatureliness. This is a vastly important concern. The tragedy which he has occupied this presiding place, with the aim of overturning the matter lies in true dogmas of the fact Church. I am absolutely convinced that man sees a mirage whichthe farther I stand from him and those like him, in his longing for eternal lifethe nearer I am to God and all the saints, he mistakes for a genuine oasis. This impersonal form of ascetics leads finally and to an assertion of the divine principle degree that I separate myself from them am in union with the Truth and with the very nature of man. Man is then drawn to Holy Fathers, the idea of self-deification—the cause Theologians of the original Fall. The man Church; and I am likewise convinced that those who is blinded by count themselves with them stand far away from the imaginary majesty Truth and from the blessed Teachers of what he contemplates has in fact set his foot on the path to self-destructionChurch. He has discarded And for this reason I say: just as in the revelation course of a personal God … The movement into my whole life I was separated from them, so at the depths time of my departure, yea and after my death, I turn away from intercourse and communion with them and vow and command that none (of his own being is nothing them) shall approach either my burial or my grave, and likewise anyone else but attraction towards the non-being from which we were called by our side, with the will aim of the Creatorattempting to join and concelebrate in our Divine services; for this would be to mix what cannot be mixed. But it befits them to be absolutely separated from us until such time as God shall grant correction and peace to His Church.” —Archimandrite Sophrony —St. Mark of Ephesus, The Example of Mount Athos, His Life is Mine[as quoted in The Orthodox Word, June-July, 1967, 115–116pp. 103ff.]
“Christ said, 'I came not “With all our strength let us beware lest we receive Communion from or give it to send peace, but a sword' and 'division'heretics. Christ summoned us ‘Give not what is holy to war on the plane of the spiritdogs, and our weapon is '’ says the sword of the SpiritLord. ‘Neither cast ye your pearls before swine’, which is the word of God.' Our battle is waged lest we become partakers in extraordinarily unequal conditionstheir dishonour and condemnation. We are tied hand and foot” —St. We dare not strike with fire or sword: our sole armament is loveJohn of Damascus, even for enemies. This unique war in which we are engaged is indeed a holy war. We wrestle with the last and only enemy Exposition of mankind death. Our fight is the fight for universal resurrection.” —Archimandrite Sophrony of Mount AthosOrthodox Faith, IV, His Life is Mine13
“I ask you to try something. If someone grieves you“And, or dishonors yousee, or takes something of yours, then pray like this: ‘Lord, people are not at all aware that we are all your creatures. Pity your servantsliving during the signs of the times, and turn them to repentance,’ and then you will perceptibly bear grace in your soulthat the sealing is already advancing. Induce your heart to love your enemies, and This is why the Sacred Scripture says that even the Lord, seeing your good elect will, shall help you in all things, and will Himself show you experiencebe deceived.” —St. But whoever thinks evil Paisios of his enemies does not have love for God and has not known GodMt.” —StAthos, Spiritual Counsels, Vol. Silouan the AthoniteII, WritingSpiritual Awakening, IXp.21198
“If our purpose is to fight “In sum, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in theory embracing almost the spiritual fight whole universe and to defeatin fact extending its authority only over several dioceses, with God’s helpand in other places having only a higher superficial supervision and receiving certain revenues for this, persecuted by the demons of malice, we should take every care to guard our heart from the demon of dejection, just government at home and not supported by any governmental authority abroad: having lost its significance as a moth devours clothing pillar of truth and having itself become a worm devours woodsource of division, so dejection devours and at the same time being possessed by an exorbitant love of power--represents a man’s soulpitiful spectacle which recalls the worst periods in the history of the See of Constantinople.” —St. It persuades him to shun every helpful encounter John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and stops him accepting advice San Francisco, from his true friends or giving them a courteous and peaceful replyOrthodox Word, vol. Seizing the entire soul8, it fills it with bitterness and listlessnessno. Then it suggests to the soul that we should go away from other people4 (45), July-August 1972, since they are the cause of its agitationpp. It does not allow the soul to understand that its sickness does not come from without166-168, but lies hidden within, only manifesting itself when temptations attack the soul because of our ascetic efforts174-175.
A man can be harmed by another only through “The Lord of all gave to His apostles the causes power of the passions which lie within himself. It gospel, and by them we also have learned the truth, that is for this reason that God, the Creator teaching of all and the Doctor Son of men’s soulsGod—as the Lord said to them, ‘He who alone has accurate knowledge hears you hears Me, and he who despises you despises Me, and Him Who sent Me’ [Lk.10:16]. For we learned the plan of our salvation from no other than from those through whom the soul’s woundsgospel came to us. The first preached it abroad, does not tell us to forsake and then later by the company will of men; He tells God handed it down to us in Scriptures, to root out be the causes foundation and pillar of evil within us and our faith. For it is not right to recognize say that the soul’s health is achieved not by a man’s separating himself from his fellowsthey preached before they had come to perfect knowledge, as some dare to say, but by his living boasting that they are the ascetic life in correctors of the company of holy menapostles. When we abandon For after our brothers for some apparently good reasonLord had risen from the dead, we do not eradicate and they were clothed with the power from on high when the motives for dejection but merely exchange Holy Spirit came upon them, since they were filled with all things and had perfect knowledge. They went out to the ends of the earth, preaching the sickness which lies hidden within good things that come to us will show itself again from God, and proclaiming peace from heaven to all men, all and each of them equally being in other circumstancespossession of the gospel of God.” —St. John CassianIrenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, III
“A wise heart “Those that wish to discern the truth may observe the apostolic tradition made manifest in every church throughout the world. We can transfer an affliction into enumerate those who were appointed bishops in the churches by the apostles, and their successors (or successions) down to our own day, who never taught, and never knew, absurdities such as these men produce. For if the apostles had known hidden mysteries which they taught the perfect in private and in secret, they would rather have committed them to those to whom they entrusted the churches. For they wished those men to be perfect and unbelievable whom they laughed as their successors and to whom they handed over their own office of authority. But as it would be very tedious, in a blessingbook of this sort, to enumerate the successions in all the churches, we can found all those who in any way, whether for self-pleasing, or vainglory, or blindness, or evil mindedness, hold on authorized meetings. This we do by pointing to the apostolic tradition and the faith that is preached to men, even sin!! He benefits from it: contritionwhich has come down to us through the successions of bishops; the tradition and creed of the greatest, and most ancient church, the church known to all men, which was founded and set up at Rome by the two men most glorious apostles, humilityPeter and Paul. For with this church, keenness because of its position of leadership and sympathy authority, must needs agree every church, that is, the faithful everywhere; for sinnersin her the apostolic tradition has always been preserved by the faithful from all parts.” —H—St.H. Pope Shenouda Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, III
“Humility "True Christianity is glorifying God with our own lives. To glorify God with our own life is possible only when we have true faith and suffering free a man from all sin; for the first cuts out spiritual passionswhen that faith indeed exists, we express it in words and the latter bodilyin deeds.” —St. Maximus the ConfessorJohn (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny“When I, while still in Australia, began to receive information from America already post factum that here [in New York City] there had been protests, demonstrations, and even molebens in front of the Soviet consulate, I became quite alarmed and regretted that I was not here, since I would have decisively opposed much of what took place.” —CIn particular, holding a moleben in such a place. S. LewisDid they not sing the Lord's song in a strange land? What cause was there to display the holy things of the Church's services before the gaze of the frenzied servants of Antichrist? Was it really not possible to pray in church?
“The heart I must say frankly that I am always seized by dismay when I hear of a perfectly healthy man becomes weakened for faith and love to God and his neighborprotests, demonstrations, and easily gives itself up to carnal desires: to slothfulness, negligence, coldness, gluttony, avarice, fornication, pridethe like. Whilst In the heart of a sick man, or a wounded, oppressed, weary heartUSSR, life is strengthened governed by him (the one with horns) who fears only Christ and His Cross; and who fears nothing else in faiththe world. And he merely chortles over protests and demonstrations. Public opinion? Why, hopethe antichrist regime has nothing but the uttermost contempt for it! They wanted to seize Czechoslovakia and they seized it, paying no heed to the commotion that was raised. They wanted to invade Afghanistan and lovethey invaded it, again paying no attention to the protests and is far removed from carnal passionsthreats of the various Carters & Co. This is why All attempts to shape public opinion in the Heavenly Fatherso-called Free World in favor of those suffering from Communism are powerless and fruitless, Who careth for our salvationsince the Free World stubbornly closes its eyes and imitates the ostrich, chastises us by various sicknesses. The oppression which hides its head under its wing and afflictions imagines that it cannot be seen…” —Metropolitan Philaret of sickness make us turn again New York, A letter from Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) to God.” —St. John of KronstadtROCOR Priest Victor Potapov concerning Father Dimitry Dudko and the Moscow Patriarchate
“Suffering reminds “I will tell you my opinion briefly and without reserve. We ought to remain in that Church which was founded by the wise man Apostles and continues to this day. If ever you hear of Godany that are called Christians taking their name not from the Lord Jesus Christ, but crushes from some other, for instance, Marcionites, Valentinians, Men of the mountain or the plain, you may be sure that you have there not the Church of Christ, but the synagogue of Antichrist. For the fact that they took their rise after the foundation of the Church is proof that they are those who forget Himwhose coming the Apostle foretold.” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“We must be prepared to accept And let them not flatter themselves if they think they have Scripture authority for their assertions, since the devil himself quoted Scripture, and the will essence of Godthe Scriptures is not the letter, but the meaning. The Lord permits all sorts of things to happen to us contrary to our willOtherwise, for if we always have it our wayfollow the letter, we will too can concoct a new dogma and assert that such persons as wear shoes and have two coats must not be prepared for received into the Kingdom of HeavenChurch.” —Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, "Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives"—St. Jerome
“What should not be heard by little ears, should not be said by big mouths“Sometimes Japanese protestants come to me and ask me to clarify some place in the Holy Scriptures.” —unknown
“I am incurably convinced that the object of opening the mind"You have your own missionary teachers," I tell them, "Go ask them. What do they say?" "We have asked them. They say: understand as you know how. But I need to know the real thought of opening the mouthGod, is to shut it again on something solid.” —G. Knot my own personal opinion. Chesterton"
“What …It's not like that with us. Everything is slander? It clear, trustworthy and simple, since we accept Holy Tradition in addition to the Holy Scriptures. And Holy Tradition is every sort a living, unbroken voice of wicked word we would dare not speak in front our Church from the time of Christ and His Apostles until now, and which will exist until the end of the world. In it all the meaning of the person whom we Holy Scriptures are complaining aboutpreserved.” —St. Anthony the GreatNicholas of Japan
“If you want to overcome “It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, Who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of slandergood teachers, blame will bring us to Him. We must not use the person who falls, but the demon that prompted them to sinBible as a sort of encyclopedia out of which texts can be taken for use as weapons.” —St—C. S. John ClimacusLewis
“You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment “The humility of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of him who gives and kindles joy in the heart of him who receives. All condemnation Jesus is from the devil. Never condemn each other. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves. When we gaze at our own failings, we see such not a swamp that nothing superfluous detail in another can equal itthe gospel narrative. That The humility of Jesus is why we turn away, and make much of essential to the faults of othersgospel. Instead of condemning othersIf Jesus lacked humility, strive to reach inner peace. Keep silentthere would be no incarnation, refrain from judgment. This will raise you above the deadly arrows of slanderno crucifixion, insult and outrage and will shield your glowing hearts against all evilno redemption.” —St. Seraphim of Sarov—Jack Wisdom
“A man may seem “When they are refuted by the Scriptures, they take to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others, he is babbling ceaselesslymaligning the Scriptures themselves. … But there may be another who talks from morning till night when we refer them to that tradition which originates with the apostles and yet he which is truly silentpreserved in the churches through the succession of the presbyters, they attack the tradition, claiming that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters but even than the apostles. [However] anyone who wants to see the truth can look to the tradition of the Apostles which isclearly manifested throughout the whole world; and we can list those who were set up as bishops in the different churches as well as their successors right down to our own time, men who neither taught nor knew anything like what these [Gnostics] are raving about. For if the apostles had known secret doctrines which they were in the habit of teaching to the “perfect” clandestinely and apart from the rest, he says nothing that is not profitablethey would most certainly have communicated these things to those to whom they were entrusting the churches themselves.” —Abba Poemen
“If your tongue And if a dispute should arise over some point or other, should we not have recourse to the most ancient churches, in which the apostles were actively interested, and find out from them what is used certain and clear with regard to chatteringthe point at issue? What if, your heart will remain dim and foreign in fact, the apostles had left us no Writings? Would it not be necessary to follow the line indicated by the luminous intuitions of tradition which they handed down to those to whom they entrusted the Holy Spirit.churches?” —St. John Irenaeus of DalyathaLyons
“He who does “[Heretics] should not control his tongue when he is angry, will not control his passions either.” —Abba Hyperchiusbe admitted to any discussion of the Scriptures…
“Firmly purpose in your soul The Lord Jesus sent the apostles to hate every sin of thoughtpreach. … Now what they actually preached can, as I must here likewise prescribe, be proved only by those very same churches which the apostles themselves founded by preaching to them both viva voce, wordas they say, and deedlater by letters. Such being the case, and when you are tempted to sin resist it valiantly is consequently certain that any doctrine which agrees with [what is held by] these apostolic churches, moulds and with a feeling original sources of hatred for it; only beware lest your hatred should turn against the person of your brother who gave occasion for faith, must be considered the truth, undoubtedly containing that which these churches received from the sin. Hate apostles, the sin with all your heartapostles from Christ, and Christ from God; but pity your brother; instruct himany other doctrine must be presumed false, and pray for him since it smacks of opposition to the Almightytruth of the churches, of the apostles, of Christ, Who sees all of us and tries our hearts and innermost partsGod.” —St. John of Kronstadt
“We must consider Come now! Would they all evil thingshave fallen into error? Would the steward of God, even the passions which war against usVicar of Christ [the Holy Spirit] have neglected His duty by allowing the churches to understand and believe otherwise than what He Himself taught the apostles? Is it likely that so many and such outstanding churches would all have strayed into the one [false] faith? No chance happening ever has the same outcome in the case of many different individuals. A doctrinal error in so many different churches would of necessity have taken different forms. But when unity exists amid diversity, to this can be the result, not our ownof error, but of our enemy the devil. This is very important. You can only conquer a passion when you do not consider it as part of you.” —StTradition. Nikon of Optina
“A sinful soulLet us inquire, full of passionstherefore, cannot have peace and rejoice in the Lordwhether tradition, even if unless it had charge over all earthly richesbe written, even if it ruled over the whole worldshould be accepted. If Certainly we shall say that it was suddenly said ought not to such a kingbe accepted if we can allege as precedent no cases of other practices which we justify without any written document, happily feasting but solely on the grounds of tradition and sitting on his throne, 'King, now because of the approval of subsequent custom… If you will die,' his soul would be troubled and he would tremble with fear, and he would see his powerlessness. But how many beggars there are, whose only wealth is love demand scriptural justification for God, these and whoother such practices, if you said to them, 'You will die now,' would answer peacefully, 'Let God's find none. Tradition will be done. Glory held out to the Lordyou as their author, custom as their consolidator, that He has remembered me and wants to take me to Himselffaith as their observer.'” —St. Silouan the Athonite—Tertullian
“Man’s will“Since there are many who think they share the mind of Christ and yet some of them think differently from their predecessors, out let the preaching of cowardicethe Church be held fast, tends away that preaching which has been handed down from suffering, and man, against his own will, remains utterly dominated by the fear apostles through the ranks of death, succession and, perdures in his desire the churches to live, clings the present day. That alone is to his slavery to pleasurebe believed as the truth which varies in no wise from ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition.” —St. Maximus the Confessor—Origen
“Sin makes man “It suffices as proof of our thesis that we have a coward; but tradition coming to us from the fathers, like a life legacy handed down from the apostles through the saints who followed them in the Truth of Christ makes Him boldsuccession.” —St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues, VIII. 2Gregory of Nyssa
“Of all the good things beliefs and practices [disciplinary regulations] preserved in the worldChurch, life is dearest some we possess from teaching handed down in written form; others we have received as delivered to men, and men love life better than truth, although there is no life us in truth. The highest good, then, is life, but truth is a mystery from the foundation tradition of life. He who loves life must also love truth. But what is the way to truth? 'I am the way'Apostles, says and both of these have the Lord. 'I am the way', that none should think that there same force as far as religion is some other way to the truth besides the Lord Jesus. It was for that He was born as a man: to show men the way. And for this that He was crucified, to make the way plain by His bloodconcerned.” —St. Nikolai VelimirovichBasil the Great
“The natural passions become good “There is need of tradition also; for not everything can be found in those who struggle when, wisely unfastening them from Scripture. That is why the most holy apostles left some things of the flesh, use them in writing and others in tradition. Paul affirms this very fact as follows: ‘as I handed it on to gain heavenly thingsyou. For example they can change appetite into ’ Likewise in another passage: ‘This is my teaching and thus have I handed it on to the movement of a spiritual longing for divine things; pleasure into pure joy for the cooperation of the mind with divine gifts; fear into care churches.’ Similarly: ‘If you continue to cling firmly to evade future misfortune due it, as I preached it to sin and sadness into corrective repentance you—unless your faith has all been for present evilnothing.” ’” —St. Maximus the ConfessorEpiphanius
“How good it “It is to conquer therefore clear that [the passions! After apostles] did not teach everything in epistolary form, but that they taught many things besides in unwritten form, and these things, too, are worthy of acceptance. Wherefore we should consider the victory one feels such lightness tradition of heartthe Church also as worthy of belief. If there is a tradition, such peace and greatness of spirit!look no further.” —St. John of KronstadtChrysostom
“He who believes“A false interpretation of Scripture causes that the gospel of the Lord becomes the gospel of man, or, fears; he who fears which is humble; he who is humble becomes gentleworse, of the devil.” —St. Maximus the ConfessorJerome
“For every humble person is gentle“How long shall we continue in this manner, and every gentle person is invariably humble. A person is humble when he knows that his very being is on loan our intellect reduced to futility, failing to make the spirit of the Gospel our own, not knowing what it means to live according to our conscience, making no serious effort to him.keep it pure?” —St. Maximus Mark the ConfessorAscetic
“A humble person lives on earth “It is self evident, however, that sincere Christians who are Roman Catholics, or Lutherans, or members of other non-Orthodox confessions, cannot be termed renegades or heretics—i.e. those who knowingly pervert the truth… They have been born and raised and are living according to the creed which they have inherited, just as if do the majority of you who are Orthodox; in the Kingdom their lives there has not been a moment of personal and conscious renunciation of Heaven - always happyOrthodoxy. The Lord, peaceful ‘Who will have all men to be saved’ (I Tim. 2:4) and satisfied with everything‘Who enlightens every man born into the world’ (Jn. 1.43), undoubtedly is leading them also towards salvation in His own way.” —St. Anthony —Metropolitan Philaret of OptinaNew York
“Not “You ask, will the heterodox be saved… Why do you worry about them? They have a Saviour Who desires the salvation of every quiet man is humblehuman being. He will take care of them. You and I should not be burdened with such a concern. Study yourself and your own sins… I will tell you one thing, however: should you, being Orthodox and possessing the Truth in its fullness, betray Orthodoxy, but every humble man is quietand enter a different faith, you will lose your soul forever.” —St. Isaac Theophan the SyrianRecluse
“You wish to be great“The Orthodox confess that SHE IS the One, Holy, begin from the least. You are thinking to construct some mighty fabric in height; first think of the foundation of humility. And how great soever a mass of building one may wish Universal (katholikos) and design to place above it, the greater the building Apostolic Ecclesia! Any other model is to be, the deeper does he dig his foundationgnostic.” —St. AugustineIrenaeus of Lyons
“A humble person lives on earth as if in “Orthodoxy is what Christ taught, the Kingdom of Heaven - always happyapostles preached, peaceful and satisfied with everythingthe Fathers kept.” —St. Anthony Athanasius of OptinaAlexandria
“In them [the Lives of the Saints] it “He is clearly ‘the same yesterday and obviously demonstratedtoday and forever’ (Hebrews 13: There is no spiritual death from which one cannot be resurrected by 8). Orthodox Christians are committed to the Divine power truth claim of the risen and ascended Lord Christ; there is no torment, there is no misfortune, there is no misery, there is no suffering which the Lord will Christian Faith not change either gradually or all at once into quite, compunctionate joy because as ideology but as an expression of faith in Himholiness.” —St—Rev. Dr. George C. Justin PopovichPapademetriou, An Orthodox Reflection on Truth & Tolerance
“A servant “The beginning of theology is not the card catalogue, but doing battle against the Lord passions; and the end of theology is he who in body stands before mennot becoming a professor, but in mind knocks at Heaven with prayerbecoming a saint.” —St—Dr. John ClimacusDavid Fagerberg
“In the Christian East – in fact“Men are converted to God not because someone was able to give brilliant explanations, but because they saw in the East in general – we love old age because we think him that it is made for praying. When one is oldlight, joy, depth, seriousness, and feels love which alone reveal the nearness presence and power of God across the increasingly transparent surface of biological life, one becomes in consciousness a child, returned to the Father, made light in spirit by the proximity of death, transparent to another kind of lightworld.” —Fr.Alexander Schmemann
A civilization “Men are often called intelligent wrongly. Intelligent men are not those who are erudite in which one no longer prays is a civilization in which the sayings and books of the wise men of old age has no meaning, but those who have an intelligent soul and can discriminate between good and evil. One walks backward towards death, pretending They avoid what is sinful and harms the soul; and with deep gratitude to God they resolutely adhere by dint of practice to what is good and benefits the soul. These men alone should truly be young; it’s an agonizing spectaclecalled intelligent.” —St. Anthony the Great, On the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: One Hundred and Seventy Texts, because a wonderful possibility is offeredText 1, a journey towards ultimate relinquishmentThe Philokalia: The Complete Text, and it is not taken advantage ofVol.1
We need old people who “Only the Religion of Christ unites and all of us must praythat they come to this. Thus union will occur, who smile, who live with a disinterested love, who marvel; they alone can show young people not by believing that that living is worth all of us are the effort, same thing and that oblivion all religions are the same. They are not the same… our Orthodoxy is not related to other religions.” —St. Porphyrios the last word.Kapsokalyvite
Every monk whose spiritual practice has born fruit “Orthodoxy is called in the East, whatever his age, 'a beautiful old man.' He is beautiful with the beauty that rises from the heart. In him all the periods of his life have come into harmony, as with a symphonyone must not talk about it, one might saymust live it. And especially the original child is found again: shining with a transfigured shining, the beautiful old man has the eyes ” —St. Nektary of a child.” —Olivier ClémentOptina
“It is of great significance if there “Orthodoxy can't be comfortable unless it is a person who truly prays in a familyfake. Prayer attracts God’s grace and all the members of the family feel it, even those whose hearts have grown cold. Pray always” —Fr.” —Elder Thaddeus Seraphim Rose of VitovnicaPlatina
“Prayer is the place of refuge “As for every worryall those who pretend to confess sound Orthodox Faith, but are in communion with people who hold different opinion, a foundation for cheerfulnessif they are forewarned and still remain stubborn, a source of constant happinessyou must not only be in communion with them, a protection against sadnessbut you must NOT even call them brothers.” —St. John ChrysostomBasil the Great
“He “Today, while the overall teachings of the Fathers is under attack and the shipwrecks of Faith are numerous, the mouths of the faithful are silent. Anyone who angers youis capable of speaking the truth but remains silent, will be heavily judged by God, especially in this case, controls you!where the faith and the very foundation of the entire Church of the Orthodox is in danger. To remain silent under these circumstances is to betray these, and the appropriate witness belongs to those that reproach (stand up for the faith).” —Bishop Melchisedek Pleska—St. Basil the Great, ep. 92
“[The desire for] equality “I beseech you to do and to carry out good to all men with care and assiduity, becoming all things to all men, as the need of each is shown to you; I want and pray you to be wholly harsh and implacable with the heretics only in regard to cooperating with them or in any way whatever supporting their deranged belief. For I reckon it hatred towards man and a departure from the DevilDivine love to lend support to error, because so that those previously seized by it comes entirely from envymight be even more greatly corrupted.” —Fr—St. Maximus the Confessor, Patrologia Graeca, Vol. Alexander Schmemann91
“Men are converted to God “Be aware not because someone was able to give brilliant explanations, but because they saw in him that light, joy, depth, seriousness, and be corrupted from love which alone reveal of the presence and power of God heretics; for this reason do not accept any false belief (dogma) in the worldname of love.” —Fr—St. Alexander SchmemannJohn Chrysostom
“In your prayer seek only righteousness and the kingdom of God“If anyone prays with heretics, that he is, virtue and spiritual knowledge; and everything else 'will be given to you' (Matt. 6:33)a heretic.” —St— Pope St. Evagrius of PonticusAgatho I
“Virtues are formed “Genuine love is displayed, not by the common table, nor by lofty addresses or flattering words, but by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions the correcting and the seeking of the benefit of pride one's neighbour and envy. Prayer draws into the soul lifting up of the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heavenone who has fallen.” —St. Ephrem the SyrianJohn Chrysostom
“Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue“Never, never, it is by mercy never let anyone tell you that we shall , in order to be savedOrthodox, you must also be eastern. The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresies.” —St. John Chrysostom(Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
“The goodness “Where the bishop is, there let the multitude of God believers be; even as where Jesus is so rich in graces, that it seeks a cause to have mercy on a personthere is the Catholic Church.” —St. Anthimus Ignatius of ChiosAntioch
“The Holy Spirit has accomplishing “Take care to do all things in harmony with God, with the bishop presiding in each believer the work place of Christ. Each Christian is a communicant God, and with the presbyters in the place of the council of the spirit. This is something so necessaryapostles, and with the deacons, who are most dear to me, that in fact whoever does not have entrusted with the Spirit is not business of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and is at last made manifest.” —St. Theophan Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the RecluseMagnesians 2, 6:1
“The “Moreover, in the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all. For that is nothing but truly and in the strictest sense ‘Catholic,’ which, as the name itself and the world on reason of the way thing declare, comprehends all universally. This rule we shall observe if we follow universality, antiquity, consent. We shall follow universality if we confess that one faith to deification; for be true, which the whole Church, throughout the world confesses; antiquity, if we in no wise depart from those interpretations which it is no longer a tomb but a wombmanifest were notoriously held by our holy ancestors and fathers; consent, in like manner, if in antiquity itself we adhere to the consentient definitions and determinations of all, or at the least of almost all priests and doctors.” —Olivier Clément—St. Vincent of Lérins, Commonitory, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies., Chapter II (circa 434 AD)
“The church is “Roman Catholics teach that original sin robbed Adam of the original righteousness, grace-filled perfection, but did not harm his very nature. And the original righteousness, according to their teachings, was not an organic part of the spiritual and moral nature of man, but an earthly heaven external gift of grace, a special addition to the natural forces of man. Hence the sin of the first man, which consists in which the super-celestial rejecting this purely external, supernatural grace, separating man from God dwells , is nothing more than depriving a person of this grace, depriving a person of primitive righteousness and walks aboutreturning man to a purely natural state, a state of grace. ” —StThe very same human nature remained after the fall as it was before the fall. Germanus Before sin, Adam was like a royal courtier, from whom external glory was taken away because of Constantinoplea crime, and he returned to the original state in which he had been before.
“Nothing The decrees of the Council of Trent concerning original sin state that the progenitor sin consisted in the loss of the holiness and righteousness granted to them, but it did not define exactly what kind of holiness and righteousness they were. There it is stated that there is absolutely no trace of sin or anything in a regenerated person that would be unpleasant to God. Only lust remains, which, due to its motivation of a person to fight, is more abiding useful than harmful to people. In any case, it is not sin, although it itself from sin and entails sin. The fifth decree says: ‘The Holy Council confesses and knows that lust remains among baptized persons; but she, as left to fight, cannot bring harm to those who disagree with her, and those who bravely fight by the grace of Jesus Christ, but, on the contrary, crowns the one who will gloriously struggle. The Holy Council declares that this lust, which the Apostle sometimes calls sin, the Universal Church: she never called sin in the sense that it is your salvation; she true and proper to the regenerated, but that it is your refuge.” —Stfrom sin and entails sin. John Chrysostom’
“There This Roman Catholic teaching is no need to weep much over unfounded, since it represents the destruction original righteousness and perfection of a church; after allAdam as an external gift, each of usas an advantage, according which is added to God's mercynature from the outside and from nature separable. Meanwhile, has or should have his own church - it is clear from the heart ancient apostolic- go in there church doctrine that this primitive righteousness of Adam was not an external gift and prayadvantage, as much as you have strength but an integral part of his divinely-created nature. The Holy Scripture claims that sin has shaken and time. If this church upset human nature so deeply that a person is not well made weak for good and is abandoned when he wants, he cannot do good (without inward prayerRomans 7: 18-19 ), then but he cannot commit it just because sin has a strong influence on the visible church will nature of man. In addition, if sin did not damage human nature so much, there would be no need for the Only Begotten Son of little benefitGod to incarnate, come into the world as the Savior and demand from us a complete bodily and spiritual rebirth ( John 3: 3, 3: 5-6 ).” —Archbishop BarlaamIn addition, Roman Catholics can not give the correct answer to the question: how can the intact nature carry lust in itself? What is the relation between this lust and the healthy nature?
“Our prayer reflects our attitude towards God. He who In the same way, there is careless of salvation has an inaccurate Roman Catholic statement that in a different attitude toward regenerated person nothing remains sinful and unpleasant to God from him who has abandoned sin and that all this gives way to that which is zealous for virtue but has not yet entered within himself immaculate, holy and works for the Lord only outwardlypleasing to God. Finally, he who has entered within For we know from Holy Revelation and carries the Lord within himself, standing before Him, has yet another attitude. The first teachings of the ancient Church that the grace given to a fallen man is negligent in prayerthrough Jesus Christ does not act mechanically, just as he is negligent in lifedoes not give sanctification and salvation immediately, and he prays in church and at home merely according to the established customblink of an eye, without attention or feeling. The second but gradually penetrates all the psychophysical powers of man reads many prayers and goes often to church, trying at the same time in proportion to keep his attention from wandering and to experience feelings personal feat in accordance with the prayers which are read, although new thus he is seldom successful. The third mansimultaneously heals from all sinful ailments, wholly concentrated withinand sanctifies in all thoughts, stands with his mind before Godfeelings, desires and prays deeds. It is an unreasonable exaggeration to Him in his heart without distraction, without long verbal prayers, even think and argue that the regenerated have absolutely no remnants of sinful ailments when standing for a long time at prayer in his home or in church. … Every prayer must come from the heart mystery beloved by Christ clearly teaches: ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and any other prayer the truth is no prayer at allnot in us’ ( 1 John 1: 8 ); and the great Apostle of the Nations writes: ‘I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil that I do not want. Prayer-book prayersBut if I do what I do not want, your own prayers and very short prayersit is no longer I who do it, all must issue forth from but the heart to Godsin that lives in me’ ( Romans 7: 19-20, seen before youRomans 8: 23-24 ).” —St. Theophan Justin Popovich, Orthodox philosophy of truth (Dogma of the RecluseOrthodox Church)
“It “In all the Eastern Churches, candles are lit even in the daytime when one is sometimes well during prayer to say a few words of your own, breathing fervent faith and love to read the Lord. YesGospels, let us in truth not always converse with God in to dispel the words of othersdarkness, not always remain children in faith and hope; we must also show our own mind, indite but as a good matter from our own heart also. Moreover, we grow too accustomed sign of joy…in order under that factual light to the words feel that Light of others and grow cold which we read in prayer. And how pleasing this lipsing of our own the Psalms (119:105): Thy word is, coming from a believing, lovinglamp to my feet, and thankful hearta light to my path.” —St. It is impossible to explain this; it is only needful to say that when you are praying to God with your own words the soul trembles with joyJerome, it becomes wholly inflamedWorks, vivifiedpart IV, and beatified2nd ed. You will utter few words, but you will experience such blessedness as you would not have obtained saying the longest most touching prayers of othersKiev, 1900, pronounced out of habit and insincerely.” —Stpp. John of Kronstadt301-302
“Chastisement through “The candles lit before icons of saints reflect their ardent love for God for Whose sake they gave up everything that man prizes in life, including their very lives, as did the trials imposed on holy apostles, martyrs and others. These candles also mean that these saints are lamps burning for us and providing light for us is a spiritual rodby their own saintly living, teaching their virtues and their ardent intercession for us humility when in before God through their constant prayers by day and night. The burning candles also stand for our foolishness ardent zeal and the sincere sacrifice we think too much make out of ourselvesreverence and gratitude to them for their solicitude on our behalf before God.” —St. Thalassios the LibyanJohn of Kronstadt
“Goodness is not confirmed without trial“The saints of God live even after their death. Every Christian is tested by something: one by povertyThus, another by illnessI often hear in church the Mother of God singing her wonderful, a third by various thoughtsheart-penetrating song which she said in the house of her cousin Elizabeth, a forth by some calamity or humiliationafter the Annunciation of the Archangel. At times, while another by various doubtsI hear the song of Moses; the song of Zacharias--the father of the Forerunner; that of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel; that of the three children; and that of Miriam. Andhow many holy singers of the New Testament delight until now the ear of the whole Church of God! And the Divine service itself--the sacraments, through thisthe rites? Whose spirit is there, firmness moving and touching our hearts? That of faith, hope God and love of God are testedHis saints.” —St. Ambrose John of OptinaKronstadt, My Life in Christ
“Sometimes men are tested by pleasure“Each person is an icon of God, sometimes by distress or by physical sufferingof God in heaven and of God on the cross. By means Yet, each person is also an icon of His prescriptions the Physician Mother of souls administers God, who bears Christ through the remedy according to Holy Spirit. Our soul, therefore, unites itself in two images; participating in the cause principles and realities of both Christ and his Mother. These are age old archetypes, symbols by which the passions lying hidden in soul orients itself on the souljourney.” —St. Maximus Maria Skobtsova, On The Imitation of the Confessor, PhilokaliaMother of God
“If you want, “The Christian who does not feel that the Virgin Mary is his or rather intend, to take a splinter out of another person, then do not hack at it with a stick instead of a lancet, for you will only drive it in deeperher mother is an orphan.” —St. John Climacus—Pope Francis
“To exalt oneself “Creating man according to his image, God diffused into man's very being the longing for the divine infinitude of life, of knowledge, and of perfection. It is precisely for this reason that the immeasurable longing and thirst of humanity is one thing, not able to do so anotherbe completely satisfied by anything or anyone except God. Declaring divine perfection as the main purpose for humanity's existence in the world – ‘Be ye therefore perfect, and to humble oneself even as your father who is in heaven is something less entirelyperfect. A man may always be passing judgement on others, while another man passes judgement neither on others nor on himself’ (Matth. A third5: 48) – Christ, howeverthe Savior, though actually guiltless, may always be passing judgement on himselfanswered the most elemental demand and need of our God-like and God-longing humanity.” —St. John ClimacusJustin Popovich, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ, Highest Value and Last Criterion in Orthodoxy
“If a man accuses himself, “He who refuses to give in to his passions does the same as he is protected on all sideswho refuses to bow down and worship idols.” —St. PoemenTheophan the Recluse
“It “Concerning the charge of idolatry: Icons are not idols but symbols. Therefore, when an Orthodox venerates an icon, he is not then wealth that guilty of idolatry. He is not worshiping the foundation of pleasuresymbol, but merely venerating it. Such veneration is not directed toward wood, nor poverty of sadnessor paint or stone, but our own judgment and towards the fact that the eyes of our mind neither see clearly nor remain fixed in one placeperson depicted. Therefore relative honor is shown to material objects, but flutter abroadworship is due to God alone.” —St. John Chrysostomof Damascus
“One who knows oneself“We do not bow before the nature of wood, knows God: but we revere and bow before the one who knows God is worthy to worship Him as is right. Therefore, my beloveds in the Lord, know yourselvesdepicted.” –St—St. Anthony the GreatJohn of Damascus
“In whatever state a person is, he sometimes finds himself making pure and intense prayers. For even from that first and lowest sort, which has to “We do with recalling the future judgment, the one who is still subject not make obeisance to the punishment nature of terror wood, but we revere and do obeisance to Him who was crucified on the fear of judgment is occasionally so struck with compunction that he is filled with no less joy of spirit from Cross… When the richness two beams of his supplication than the one who, examining Cross are joined together I adore the kindnesses figure because of God and going over them in Christ who was crucified on the purity of his heartCross, dissolves into unspeakable gladness and delight. For, according to but if the words of the Lordbeams are separated, the one who realizes that more has been forgiven him begins to love moreI throw them away and burn them.” —St. John Cassianof Damascus
“If “The whole earth is a man's self is living icon of the face of God. … I do not kept clean worship matter, but the Creator of matter, who for my sake became material and brightdeigned to dwell in matter, his glimpse who through matter effected my salvation. Never will I cease honoring the matter which wrought my salvation! I honor it, but not as God. Because of this I salute all remaining matter with reverence, because God will be blurredhas filled it with his grace and power. Through it my salvation has come to me.” —C—St. S. LewisJohn of Damascus
“The pure heart sees God as in a mirror“That which the word communicates by sound, the painting shows silently by representation.” —Abba Philemon—St. Basil the Great, On the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste
“The blessedness “We depict Christ as our King and Lord, and do not deprive Him of seeing God is justly promised to His army. The saints constitute the Lord's army. Let the earthly king dismiss his army before he gives up his King and Lord. Let him put off the pure of heartpurple before he takes honour away from his most valiant men who have conquered their passions. For if the eye that is unclean would not be able to see the brightness saints are heirs of the true lightGod, and what would be happiness to clear minds would be a torment to those that are defiled. Therefore, let the mists co-heirs of worldly vanities be dispelledChrist, and the inner eye (Rom. 8.17) they will be cleansed also partakers of all the filth of wickedness, so that the soul's gaze may feast serenely upon the great vision divine glory of Godsovereignty.” —St. Leo the GreatJohn of Damascus
“God rests within gentle hearts. The gentle and merciful shall sit fearless in His regions“One who has the judgment of Christ before his eyes, who has seen the great danger that threatens those who dare to subtract from or add to those things which have been handed down by the Spirit, must not be ambitious to innovate, and will inherit Heavenly glorybut must content himself with those things which have been proclaimed by the saints.” —St. John ClimacusBasil the Great, Against Eunomius 2, PG 29.573-652
“We don't understand that happiness is “Our afflictions are well known without my telling; the sound of them has now gone forth over all Christendom. The doctrines of the fathers are despised; apostolical traditions are set at nought; the speculations of innovators hold sway in the churches. Men have learned to be theorists instead of theologians. The wisdom of the world has the place of honour, having dispossessed the boasting of the cross. The pastors are driven away, grievous wolves are brought in eternity instead, and plunder the flock of Christ, Houses of prayer are destitute of preachers; the deserts are full of mourners: the old bewail, comparing what is with what was; more pitiable are the young, as not knowing what they are deprived of. What has been said is sufficient to kindle the sympathy of those who are taught in vanitythe love of Christ, yet compared with the facts, it is far from reaching their seriousness.” —Elder Paisios of Mt—St. Basil the Great, ep. Athos90
“Why do “I urge you beat not to faint in your afflictions, but to be risen by the air love of God and run to increase every day to your zeal, knowing that it is necessary to preserve in vain? Every occupation has a you this relic of the true religion that the Lord will find when He comes to the earth. Even if the bishops are trained out of their churches, don't be dismayed. If traitors have appeared among the clergy, do not betray your trust in God. We are saved not by names, but by our mind and by our purpose, obviouslyand by a true love to our Creator. Tell me thenThink that in the attack of our Lord, the great priests and the scribes and the elders have designed the conspiracy, what and that few people have been found getting the Word. Remember that it is not the multitude that is being saved, but the elected ones of God. So don't be scared by the purpose multitude of all people who are swept away by the winds like the activity waters of the world? Answersea. If one is saved, I challenge you! It is vanity of vanity: as a Lot in Sodom, he must remain in a fair judgment, keeping his hope in Christ steadfast, for the Lord will not abandon His saints. Say hello to all is vanitythe brothers in Christ from me. Pray with fervor for my miserable soul.” —St. John ChrysostomBasil the Great
“The sun shines on all alike“So, and vainglory beams on all activities. For instanceto the question, ‘Do we believe in conspiracy theories?’, I am vainglorious when I fast; and when I relax the fast answer is, ‘We don't believe in order to be unnoticedthem, I am again vainglorious over my prudencewe have long experience of them. When well-dressed I am quite overcome by vainglory’” —Fr. Peter Heers, and when I put on poor clothes I am vainglorious again. When I talk I am defeatedOn Demonic Methodology, Part II: Q & A, and when I am silent I am again defeated by it. However I throw this prickly-pearMay 6, a spike stands upright.” —St. John Climacus2020
"Have you ever observed “Let us be firm, my brothers, on the rock of faith, in the life tradition of the heart? Try it even for a short time Church, and see what you findnot remove or change the boundaries established by our Holy Fathers. Something unpleasant happens, Let us close the road to innovators and you get irritated; some misfortune occursnot permit them to demolish the structure of the holy, and you pity yourself; you see someone whom you dislikecatholic, and animosity wells up within you; you meet one apostolic Church of your equals who has now outdistanced you on God. If we allow, however, the social scaleintroduction of any innovation, and you begin to envy him; you think we unconsciously support the collapse of your talents and capabilitiesthe Church. No, my brothers, and you begin to grow proud… All this is rottenness: vainglorywho love Christ, carnal desireno, gluttony, laziness, malice-one on top you children of the otherChurch, they destroy the heartyou will never want to surround your Mother Church with confusion.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San FranciscoDamascus, Concerning Images, III.41
“As water “Therefore, brethren, let us stand on the rock of faith and on the tradition of the Church, and not remove the boundaries which our Holy Fathers have set. Thus, we will not give the opportunity to those who wish to innovate and destroy the edifice of the holy, catholic and fire oppose one another when combinedapostolic Church of God. For if permission is granted to everyone who wants it, little by little the whole body of the Church will be destroyed. Do not, brethren, do not, so are selfoh Christ-justification loving children of the Church of God …” —Jeremiah II (Jeremias II) Tranos, Ecumenical Patriarch and humility opposed Archbishop of Constantinople, letter to one anotherthe Most Wise Theologians, Residents of the Famous City of Tübingen, in the month of May, 1579, Indiction 7, pp.” —St. Mark 197-8 (prophetic warning of to the AsceticLutheran scholars)
“Fire “For to err is human, but the correction is angelic and water do not mixsalvific.” —Jeremiah II (Jeremias II) Tranos, neither can you mix judgment Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of others with the desire Constantinople, letter to repent. If a man commits a sin before you at the very moment Most Wise Theologians, Residents of his death, pass no judgment, because the judgment Famous City of God is hidden from men. It has happened that men have sinned greatly Tübingen, in the open but have done greater deeds in secretmonth of May, 1579, so that those who would disparage them have been fooledIndiction 7, with smoke instead of sunlight in their eyes.” —Stp. John Climacus210
“Christians, above all men, are forbidden to correct “Unbelief is an evil offspring of an evil heart; for the stumblings guileless and pure of sinners by force… it is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. heart discovers God gives the crown to those who are kept from evileverywhere, not by forceeverywhere discerns Him, but by choiceand always unhesitatingly believes in His existence.” —St. John ChrysostomNectarios of Aegina
“Do not be surprised “He who learns must sufferAnd even in our sleep pain that you fall every day; do not give upcannot forgetFalls drop by drop upon the heart, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredlyin our own despite, against our will,Comes wisdom to us by the angel who guards you will honor your patienceawful grace of God.” —St. John Climacus—Aeschylus
“The life of greatest wisdom often emerges from the righteous was radiant. How did it become radiant if it wasn’t by patience? Love patience, O monk, as the mother of couragedeepest wounds.” —St. Ephrem the Syrian—Jane Lee Logan
“Faintness of heart is a sign of despondency“Monarchy can easily be debunked, but watch the faces, and negligence is mark well the mother of bothdebunkers. A cowardly man shows that he suffers from two diseasesThese are the men whose taproot in Eden has been cut: love of his flesh and lack of faith; for love of one’s flesh is a sign whom no rumour of unbelief. But he who despises the love of polyphony, the flesh proves that he believes in God with his whole heart and awaits the age dance, can reach - men to come … A courageous heart and scorn of perils comes from one of two causes: either from hardness of heart or from great faith whom pebbles laid in Goda row are more beautiful than an arch. Pride accompanies hardness of heart… Where men are forbidden to honour a king they honour millionaires, but humility accompanies faith. A man cannot acquire hope in God unless he first does His will with exactness. athletes or film stars instead: … For hope in God and manliness of heart are born of the testimony of the consciencespiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and by the truthful testimony of the mind we possess confidence towards Godit will gobble poison.” —St—C. S. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 40Lewis
“I have seen pride lead to humility. And I remembered him “There is nothing impossible unto those who said: Who hath known believe; lively and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in the mind twinkling of an eye. Besides, even without our sincere and firm faith, miracles are accomplished, such as the Lord? The pit and offspring miracles of conceit is a fallthe sacraments; but a fall for God's Mystery is often an occasion always accomplished, even though we were incredulous or unbelieving at the time of humility for those who are willing to use it to its celebration. 'Shall their advantageunbelief make the faith of God without effect?' (Rom. 3:3). Our wickedness shall not overpower the unspeakable goodness and mercy of God; our dullness shall not overpower God's wisdom, nor our infirmity God's omnipotence.” —St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 15Kronstadt, Section 38My Life in Christ
“Humility “The quality of mercy is not strained.It droppeth as the only thing gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath. It is twice blest:It blesseth him that no devil can imitategives and him that takes.'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomesThe thronèd monarch better than his crown.His scepter shows the force of temporal power,The attribute to awe and majestyWherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;But mercy is above this sceptered sway.It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings;It is an attribute to God Himself;And earthly power doth then show likest God'sWhen mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,Though justice be thy plea, consider this:That in the course of justice none of usShould see salvation. We do pray for mercy,And that same prayer doth teach us all to renderThe deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus muchTo mitigate the justice of thy plea,Which, if thou follow, this strict court of VeniceMust needs give sentence 'gainst the merchantthere.” —St. John Climacus—William Shakespeare, Portia, The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1
“An angel fell from Heaven without any other passion except pride, and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven “The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by humility alone, without any other the hand of the virtuesman.” —St. John Climacus—unknown
“Run from pride, for it “People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is a passion more treacherous than any otherbecause things are being loved and people are being used.” —St. John Chrysostom—unknown
“Pride more than anything else, deprives people of both their good deeds and “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help from God. Where there is no humility, pride takes its placea child.” —St. Macarius of Optina—unknown
“Day “If we could look into each others hearts, and night I pray understand the Lord for loveunique challenges each of us faces, and the Lord gives me tears to weep for the whole world. But if I find fault think we would treat each other much more gently, with any manmore love, or look on him with an unkind eyepatience, my tears will dry uptolerance, and my soul sink into despondencycare. Yet do I begin again to entreat forgiveness of the Lord, and the Lord in His mercy forgives me, a sinner” —Marvin J.Ashton
Brethren“Teach me to feel another's woe, before to hide the face of my God fault I write: Humble your hearts, and while yet on this earth you will see the ; that mercy of the LordI to others show, and know your Heavenly Creator, and your souls will never have their fill of lovethat mercy show to me.” —St. Silouan the Athonite—Alexander Pope
“He who in his heart “Tolerance is proud the last virtue of his tears and secretly condemns those who do not weep is like a man who asks depraved society. When you have an immoral society that has blatantly, proudly, violated all of the king commandments of God, there is one last virtue they insist upon: tolerance for a weapon against his enemy and then commits suicide with ittheir immorality.” —St. John Climacus—Dennis James Kennedy
“… One must clean the royal house from every impurity and adorn it with every beauty, then the king may enter into it. In “The greatest thing a similar way one must first cleanse the earth of the heart and uproot the weeds of sin and the passionate deeds and soften it with sorrows and the narrow way of life, sow in it the seed of virtue, water it with lamentation and tears, and only then does the fruit of dispassion and eternal life grow. For the Holy Spirit does not dwell in man can do to a man until he has been cleansed from passions of the soul and bodywoman is to lead her closer to God than to himself.” —St. Paisius Velichkovsky, 'Field Flowers'—unknown
“If you rebuke yourself, accuse yourself, and judge yourself before “A snowflake is one of God for your sins, with a sensitive conscience's most fragile creations, even for this you will be justified.If you are sorrowful for your sins, or you weep, or sigh, your sigh will not be hidden from Him and, as St. John Chrysostom says, ‘If you only lament for your sins, then He will receive this for your salvation.’” —St. Moses of Optinabut look what they can do when they stick together!” —unknown
“Where there is pride there “God cannot be grace, give us happiness and if we lose grace we also lose both love of God and assurance in prayer. The soul peace apart from Himself because it is then tormented by evil thoughts and does not understand that she must humble herself and love her enemies, for there . There is no other way to please Godsuch thing.” —St—C. S. Silouan the AthoniteLewis
“A good heart produces good thoughts: its thoughts correspond to what it stores up “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction of being loved for yourself, or more correctly, being loved in itselfspite of yourself.” —St. Thalassios the Libyan—Victor Hugo
“Fasting “It is for the purification of the soul and bodyhardly complimentary to God that we should choose him as an alternative to hell.” —St—C. John ChrysostomS. Lewis
“Fasting is wonderful“Hell can't be made attractive, because it tramples our sins like a dirty weed, while it cultivates and raises truth like a flowerso the devil makes attractive the road that leads there.” —St. Basil the Great
“Fasting is the mother of health; the friend of chastity; the partner of humility“If you die before you die, than when you die, you will not die.” —St—written on a cell wall, St. Symeon the New theologianPaul's Monastery, Mt. Athos
“As salt is needed for all kinds “War in the name of food, so humility religion is needed for all kinds of virtueswar against religion.” —St. Isaac the Syrian—His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
“Let it be known “Believe me, if God revealed to you that if in your life you have mastered every virtue and every good deed such as mercy, prayer, fast, and other virtues but have no humility in you, your toil will be in vain. For humility in all these virtues is us the solid foundation. Without it, disasters to which we cannot master any of the virtues were exposed and all these virtues will become impurefrom which He protected us, filthy, and discarded before God because they were our whole lives would not sown with humility and lovesuffice to offer Him thanks.” —St—H.H. John ChrysostomPope Shenouda
“Fasting is the mother of health“In heaven, God will not ask us why we have sinned; the friend of chastity; the partner of humilityHe will ask us why we did not repent.” —St—H.H. Symeon the New theologianPope Shenouda III
“What can sin do where there is penitence? And of what use is love where there is pride?“Even if all spiritual fathers, patriarchs, hierarchs, and all the people forgive you, you are unforgiven if you don’t repent in action.” —Abba Elias—St. Kosmas Aitolos
“Pride “Nobody is poverty as gracious and merciful, as the Lord is, but even He does not forgive the sins of the soulman who does not repent; … we are being condemned not because of the multitude of our evils, which imagines itself but because we do not want to be rich, and being in darkness, thinks it has lightrepent.” —St. John ClimacusMark the Ascetic
“Modern society calls the beggar bum and panhandler and gives him the bum's rush. But “As a handful of sand thrown into the Greeks used to say that people in need ocean, so are the ambassadors sins of all flesh as compared with the godsmercy of God.” —Peter Maurin—St. Isaac the Syrian
“Who “Just as a strongly flowing fountain is the greedy man? One for whom plenty does not suffice. Who defrauds others? One who keeps for himself what belongs to everyone. Aren’t you greedy, don’t you defraud, when you keep for yourself what was given to give away? When someone steals blocked up by a man’s clotheshandful of earth, we call him a thief. Shouldn’t we give so the same name to one who could clothe compassion of the naked and does Creator is not?overcome by the wickedness of his creatures.” —St. Basil Isaac the GreatSyrian
“The bread you do “God is loving to man, and loving in no small measure. For say not, I have committed fornication and adultery: I have done dreadful things, and not use once only, but often: will He forgive? Will He grant pardon? Hear what the Psalmist says: ‘How great is the bread multitude of Your goodness, O Lord!’ Your accumulated offenses surpass not the hungrymultitude of God's mercies: your wounds surpass not the great Physician's skill. The garment hanging Only give yourself up in faith: tell the Physician your wardrobe is ailment: say thou also, like David: ‘I said, I will confess me my sin unto the garment of Lord’: and the person who is naked. The shoes same shall be done in your case, which he says immediately: ‘And you do not wear are forgave the shoes wickedness of one who is barefootmy heart.’” —St. The money you keep locked away is the money Cyril of the poor. The acts Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 2, On Repentance and Remission of charity you do not perform are Sins and Concerning the injustices you commit.” —StAdversary, Ezekiel xviii. Basil the Great20-23
“You “Years are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor man, but you are giving him back what is his. You have been appropriating things that are meant to be needed for the common use of everyone. The earth belongs to everyonetrue repentance, and not to the richdays, but only an instant.” —St. Ambrose of MilanOptina
“Do “There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except that one which lacks repentance, and there is no gift which is not consider your riches as belonging to yourselves alone; open wide your hand to those who are augmented save that which remains without acknowledgement. For the portion of the fool is small in needhis eyes.” —St. Cyril of AlexandriaIsaac the Syrian
“The “When a man who loves abandons his neighbor as himself possesses no more than sins and returns to God, his neighbor…thus, as much as your wealth increases, so much does your love decreaserepentance regenerates him and renews him entirely.” —St. Basil Isaiah the GreatSolitary
“If you cannot find Christ “Through repentance the filth of our foul actions is washed away. After this, we participate in the beggar at Holy Spirit, not automatically, but according to the church doorfaith, you will not find Him humility and inner disposition of the repentance in which our soul is engaged. For this reason it is good to repent each day as the chaliceact of repentance is unending.” —St. John ChrysostomSymeon the New Theologian, The Philokalia
“No one in creation “And so it is rich but he that fears God; no one is truly poor but he that lacks the truthincumbent upon us to strive, rather, to correct our faults and to improve our behavior.” —St. Ephrem the SyrianJohn Cassian
“In “Let us strive to purify ourselves through repentance and humility, and to unite all your undertakings our senses as one to the God who is good, and in every way of lifetranscends the good. Then, whether you are living in obediencetruly, everything which I have not quite been able to say or are not submitting your work to anyonedemonstrate with my many words, whether you will be taught in outward or in spiritual mattersan instant, let it be all at once. You will hear with your rule sight, and practice to ask yourself: Am I really doing this in accordance see with God’s your hearing. You will?be taught while seeing and, again, hear what is unveiled.” —St. John ClimacusSymeon the New Theologian
“Those who submit to the Lord with simple heart will run the good race“Where there is God, there is no evil. If they keep their minds on Everything coming from God is peaceful, healthy and leads a leash, they will not draw person to the wickedness judgment of the demons onto themselves.” —Sthis own imperfections and humility. John Climacus
“A hypocrite is someone who teaches When a person accepts anything Godly, then he rejoices in his neighbor something heart, but when he makes no effort to do himself.” —Sthas accepted anything devilish, then he becomes tormented. Poemen
“I prefer The devil is like a man who sins lion, hiding in ambush (Ps 10:19, 1Pe 5:8). He secretly sets out nets of unclean and repents to one who does not sin and does not repentunholy thoughts. The first has good thoughtsSo, for he admits that he it is sinful. But the second has falsenecessary to break them off as soon as we notice them, soul-destroying thoughts, for he imagines himself to be righteousby means of pious reflection and prayer.” —Abba Poemen the Great
“At meals don't speak about food: It is necessary that's vulgar and unworthy of youthe Holy Spirit enter our heart. Speak about something noble -- of Everything good that we do, that we do for Christ, is given to us by the soul or Holy Spirit, but prayer most of the mind -- and you will have dignified this duty.” —Stall, which is always available to us. Josemaria Escriva
“When someone learns to acknowledge every man as being better than A sign of spiritual life is the immersion of a person within himself, then he has attained humilityand the hidden workings within his heart.” —St. Sisoes the GreatSeraphim of Sarov
“It “There is nothing better than peace in Christ, for it brings victory over all the evil spirits on earth and in the air. When peace dwells in a man's heart it enables him to contemplate the grace of the Holy Spirit from within. He who dwells in peace collects spiritual gift from God for gifts as it were with a scoop, and he sheds the light of knowledge on others. All our thoughts, all our desires, all our efforts, and all our actions should make us say constantly with the Church: ‘O Lord, give us peace!’ When a man lives in peace, God reveals mysteries to perceive his sinshim.” —St. Isaac the SyrianSeraphim of Sarov
“The man who is deemed worthy Spirit offers its own light to see himself is greater than he who is deemed worthy every mind, to see angelshelp it in its search for truth.” —St. Isaac Basil the SyrianGreat
“The truly blessed are not the ones who can work miracles or see angels; the truly blessed are the ones who can see their own sins“Sometimes a man's happiness is so deep inside him that he may forget it's there and start looking elsewhere hunting a fantasy, an illusion.” —St—Mr. Anthony the GreatRoarke (Fantasy Island, s2e14)
“The way “If he seeks answers to perfection is through the realization that we are blindquestions related to his faith, naked and poorhis purpose in life, he will find happiness.” —St. Theophan the Recluse—Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Romania
“The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear who loves God values knowledge of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love. His actions are not motivated God more than anything created by desire for personal benefitGod, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does. He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward. The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image pursues such knowledge ardently and likeness of Godceaselessly.” —St. Clement of AlexandriaMaximus the Confessor
“Everyday I lay a foundation for building my repentance“A time is coming when men will go mad, and again with my own hands I demolish itwhen they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, ‘You are mad; you are not like us.” ’” —St. Ephrem Anthony the SyrianGreat
“…should we fall“Adorn yourself with truth, we should not despair try to speak truth in all things; and so estrange ourselves from the Lord's love. For if He so chooses, He can deal mercifully with our weakness. Only we should do not cut ourselves off from Him or feel oppressed when constrained by His commandmentssupport a lie, nor should we lose heart when we fall short of our goal…let us always be ready to make a new start. If no matter who asks you fall, rise up. If you fall again, rise up again. Only do not abandon your Physician, lest speak the truth and someone gets mad at you be condemned as worse than a suicide because of your despair. Wait on Him, and He will don’t be mercifulupset, either reforming youbut take comfort in the words of the Lord:Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of truth, or sending you trials, or through some other provision for theirs is the Kingdom of which you are ignorantHeaven (Matt. 5:10).” —St. Peter Gennadius of DamascusConstantinople, The Golden Chain, 26,2
“Every day at nightfall“You that are strong with all might in the inner man ought by rights to carry on the struggle against the enemies of the truth, before sleep comes upon youand not to shrink from the task, excite that we fathers may be gladdened by the judgment noble toil of our sons; for this is the prompting of the law of nature: but as you turn your conscience, demand an account from itranks, and whatever evil counsels you may have taken during send against us the assaults of those darts which are hurled by the opponents of the day … pierce them, tear them to piecestruth, and do penance for themdemand that their hot burning coals and their shafts sharpened by knowledge falsely so called should be quenched with the shield of faith by us old men.” —St. John ChrysostomGregory of Nyssa
“As “I shall set forth the best contributions of the philosophers of the Greeks, because whatever there is of good has been given to men from above by God, since ‘every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights’ (Js. 1.17). If, however, there is anything that is contrary to the truth, then it is a dark invention of the deceit of Satan and a fiction of the mind of an evil spirit, as that eminent theologian Gregory once said (Homily 39.3). In imitation of the method of the bee, I shall make my composition from those things which are conformable with the truth and from our enemies themselves gather the fruit of salvation. But all that is worthless and falsely labeled as knowledge I shall reject. Then, next, after this, I became shall set forth in order the absurdities of the heresies hated of God, so that by recognizing the lie we may more wretched you drew nearer closely follow the truth. Then, with God's help and by His grace I shall expose the truth–that truth which destroys deceit and puts falsehood to flight and which, as with golden fringes, has been embellished and adorned by the sayings of the divinely inspired prophets, the divinely taught fishermen, and the God-bearing shepherds and teachers–that truth, the glory of which flashes out from within to brighten with its radiance, when they encounter it, them that are duly purified and rid of troublesome speculations. However, as I have said, I shall add nothing of my own, but shall gather together into one those things which have been worked out by the most eminent of teachers and make a compendium of them, being in all things obedient to meyour command.” —St. AugustineJohn of Damascus, The Fount of Knowledge
“Sin is “If we have obtained the fruit grace of free will. There was a time when sin did not existGod, none shall prevail against us, and there will but we shall be a time when it will not existstronger than all who oppose us.” —St. Isaac the SyrianJohn Chrysostom
“Prove your love “But our opinion is in accordance with the Eucharist, and zeal for wisdom the Eucharist in actual deedsturn establishes our opinion.” —St. Callistus XanthopoulosIrenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, 4:18:5
“Without love“If the poison of pride is swelling up in you, turn to the Eucharist; and that Bread, Which is your God humbling and disguising Himself, will teach you humility. If the fever of selfish greed rages in you, feed on this Bread; and you will learn generosity. If the cold wind of coveting withers you, hasten to the Bread of Angels; and charity will come to blossom in your heart. If you feel the itch of intemperance, deedsnourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ, even Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life; and you will become temperate. If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things, strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food; and you will grow fervent. Lastly, if you feel scorched by the most brilliantfever of impurity, count as nothinggo to the banquet of the Angels; and the spotless Flesh of Christ will make you pure and chaste.” —St. Thérèse de LisieuxCyril of Alexandria
“Sometimes Japanese protestants come to me and ask me to clarify some place in “Don't be anxious about what you have, but about what you are.” —St. Gregory the Holy Scriptures.Great
"You have your own missionary teachers“If a man really sets his heart upon the will of God," I God will enlighten a little child to tell them, "Go ask them. What do they say?" "We have asked them. They say: understand as you know howthat man what is His will. But I need to know if a man does not truly desire the real thought will of God, not my even if he goes in search of a prophet, God will put into the heart of the prophet a reply like the deception in his own personal opinionheart."” —Abba Dorotheos of Gaza
…It's not like “The soul that with us. Everything is clear, trustworthy and simple, since we accept Holy Tradition in addition all things devoted to the Holy Scriptures. And Holy Tradition is a livingwill of God rests quiet in Him, unbroken voice for she knows of our Church experience and from the time of Christ Holy Scriptures that the Lord loves us much and watches over our souls, quickening all things by His Apostles until now, grace in peace and which love. Nothing troubles the man who is given over to the will exist until of God, be it illness, poverty or persecution. He knows that the end of Lord in His mercy is solicitous for us. The Holy Spirit, whom the worldsoul knows, is witness therefore. In it all But the proud and the meaning of self-willed do not want to surrender to God's will because they like their own way, and that is harmful for the Holy Scriptures are preservedsoul.” —St. Nicholas Silouan the Athonite (From the Life and Teachings of JapanElder Siluan by Bishop Alexander and Natalia Bufius translated by Anatoly Shmelev)
“It is Christ Himself“The man who cries out against evil men, but does not pray for them will never know the Bible, Who is the true Word grace of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit, and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to Him.” —C—St. S. LewisSilouan the Athonite
“The humility of Jesus is not a superfluous detail “Those who dislike and reject their fellow-man are impoverished in the gospel narrativetheir being. The humility of Jesus is essential to They do not know the gospel. If Jesus lacked humilitytrue God, there would be no incarnation, no crucifixion, and no redemptionwho is all-embracing love.” —Jack Wisdom—St. Silouan the Athonite
“A false interpretation of Scripture causes that the gospel of the Lord becomes the gospel of “If we detect hatred in our hearts against any manwhatsoever for committing any fault, orwe are utterly estranged from love for God, which is worse, of the devilsince love for God absolutely precludes us from hating any man.” —St. JeromeMaximus the Confessor
“How long shall we continue in this manner, our intellect reduced to futility, failing to make “One must not harbour anger nor hatred towards a person that is hostile towards us. On the contrary. You must love him and do as much good as possible towards him. Following the spirit teaching of the Gospel our own, not knowing what it means to live according to our conscience, making no serious effort to keep it pure?Lord Jesus Christ.” —St. Mark the AsceticSeraphim of Sarov
“Do not leave unobliterated any faultask for love from your neighbor, however smallfor if you ask and he does not respond, you will be troubled. Instead show your love for it may lead your neighbour and you on will be at rest, and so will bring your neighbour to greater sinslove.” —St. Mark the AsceticDorotheos of Gaza
“Having fulfilled a commandment, expect temptations; because love toward Christ is tested by difficulties“Love should never be sacrificed for the sake of some dogmatic difference.” —St. Mark the AsceticNektarios of Aegina
“So “No term is used–and misused–among the Orthodox people in every test, let us say: "Thank you, my God, because this was needed for my salvationAmerica more often than the term canonical."” —Elder Paisios —Fr. Alexander Schmemann, The Problems of Mount AthosOrthodoxy in America, The Canonical Problem
“Only “Even the benumbed soul doesn't pray. Preserve in yourselves the feeling of need, and you will always have stimulation for prayerslightest thought that is not founded on love destroys peace.” —St. Theophan the Recluse—Archimandrite Thaddeus Strabulovich
“Make sure that you do not limit your prayer merely “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to a particular part of the daypoor and needy. Turn It has eyes to prayer at anytimesee misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” —St John Chrysostom. Augustine of Hippo
“The “Your Lord knows that I is love you : love Him and in Him allmen, as His Children in Christ. Your Lord is fire: do not let your heart be cold, but I cannot speak burn with faith and love. Your Lord is light: do not walk in darkness of mind, without reasoning or understanding, or without faith. Your Lord is a God of mercy and bountifulness: be also a source of mercy and people at the same timebountifulness to your neighbors. If you will be such, you will find salvation yourself with everlasting glory.” —St. Arsanius the GreatJohn of Kronstadt
“A Christian…is “To love our brothers is a need that is endemic to our nature. Contemporary man does not his own master; he puts his time at God's disposalrecognize this need, because it is suppressed and suffocated by egoism.” —St—Archbishop Averky (Taushev), The Struggle for Virtue: Asceticism in a Modern Secular Society, p. Ignatius of Antioch54
“Do “Many think that love is a feeling, but this is not seek the perfection case. It is a state of the Law will. If love were a feeling it would not be a commandment. Naturally, love is accompanied by certain feelings, but in human virtues … Its perfection essence it is hidden in a state of the Cross of Christwill.” —St—Fr. Mark the AsceticDaniel Sysoev, How Can I Learn God's Will?
“The knowledge “I guard you in advance against beasts in the form of the Cross men, whom you must not only not receive, but if it is concealed in the sufferings possible not even meet, but only pray for them, if perchance they may repent…” —St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the CrossSmyrnaeans, A.” —StD. Isaac the Syrian117
“God had one son on earth without sin“Until you have eradicated evil, but never one without sufferingdo not obey your heart; for it will seek more of what it already contains within itself.” —St. AugustineMark the Ascetic
“Man “Whatever of that which isbest has flowed into the heart, by nature, afraid of both death and the dissolution of the bodywe should not pour out without need; but there is this most startling fact: for that he who which has put on the faith been gathered can be free of the Cross despises even what is naturally fearful, danger from visible and for Christ's sake invisible enemies only when it is not afraid even guarded in the interior of deaththe heart.” —St. Athanasius the GreatSeraphim of Sarov
“Only struggle a little more. Carry your cross without complaining“No one professing faith sins, nor does does anyone possessing love hate. DonThe tree is known by its fruit; thus those who profess to be Christ't think you are anything specials will be recognized by their actions. Don't justify your sins and weaknessesFor the work is a matter not of what one promises now, but see yourself as you really are. And, especially, love one anotherof persevering to the end in the power of faith.” —Fr—St. Seraphim RoseIgnatius of Antioch (to the Ephesians)
“Remember that each of us has his own cross. The Golgotha of this cross is our heart: it is being lifted or implanted through a zealous determination “Indeed, man wishes to live according be happy even when he so lives as to the Spirit of God. Just as salvation of the world is by the Cross of God, so our salvation is by our crucifixion on our own crossmake happiness impossible.” —St. Theophan the RecluseAugustine
“Everyone carries their own cross, both Christians and non-Christians, believers and pagans. The difference “The confession of evil works is that for some, their crosses serve as a means of attaining the Kingdom first beginning of Heaven, while for the others they bring no such valuegood works. For the Christian, the cross gradually becomes lighter and more joyful, while for the nonbeliever it becomes heavier and more burdensome. Why is this so? Because where the one carries their cross with faith and devotion to God, the other carries it with grumbling and anger” —St.Augustine
Therefore, Christian, do not shun your lifelong cross, but, on “The evil powers love the contrarydarkness and tremble at every light, thank Jesus Christ especially at that He honored you which belongs to follow God and imitate to those who please Him.” —St. Innocent of Alaska, Indication Of The Way Into The Kingdom Of HeavenNikolai Velimirovich
“Everyone “The one who has not yet obtained divine knowledge activated by love makes a cross to carry. Why? Since the leader lot of our faith endured the cross, we will also endure itreligious works he performs. On But the one hand, who has been deemed worthy to obtain this says with conviction the words which the patriarch Abraham spoke when he was graced with the cross is sweet and lightdivine appearance, ‘I am but, on the other, it can also be bitter earth and heavyashes. It depends on our will’” —St. If you bear Christ’s cross with love then it will be very light; like a sponge or a cork. But if you have a negative attitude, it becomes heavy; too heavy to lift.” —Elder Ephraim of Katounakia, 20th Century staretz on Mt. Athos, Suffering; TrialsMaximus the Confessor
“When “Do not say that ‘mere faith in our Lord Jesus Christ can save me.’ For this is impossible unless you meet with suffering, contemptacquire love for him through works. For in what concerns mere believing, ‘even the Cross, your thought should be: what is this compared with what I deserve?” devils believe and tremble.’” —St. Josemaria EscrivaMaximus the Confessor
“Behold“Our faith then must be different from the faith of devils. For our faith purifies the heart; but their faith makes them guilty. For they do wickedly, for years and generationstherefore say they to the Lord, ‘What have we to do with You?’ When you hear the devils say this, do you think that they do not acknowledge Him? ‘We know,’ they say, ‘who You are: You are the way Son of God has been leveled by .’ This Peter says, and is commended; the cross devil says it, and by deathis condemned. How is Whence comes this with thee, but that thou seest though the afflictions of words be the way as if they were out of same, the wayheart is different? Doest Let us then make a distinction in our faith, and not thou wish be content to follow believe. This is no such faith as purifies the heart. ‘Purifying their hearts,’ it is said, ‘by faith.’ But by what, and what kind of faith, save that which the steps Apostle Paul defines when he says, ‘Faith which works by love.’ That faith distinguishes us from the faith of devils, and from the saintsinfamous and abandoned conduct of men. ‘Faith,’ he says. What faith? Or doest thou wish ‘That which works by love,’ and which hopes for what God does promise. Nothing is more exact or perfect than this definition. There are then in faith these three things. He in whom that faith is which works by love, must necessarily hope for that which God does promise. Hope therefore is the associate of faith. For hope is necessary as long as we see not what we believe, lest perhaps through not seeing, and by despairing to go a way see, we fail. That we see not, does make us sad; but that we hope we shall see, comforts us. Hope then is here, and she is the associate of faith. And then charity also, by which we long, and strive to attain, and glow with desire, and hunger and thirst. This then is taken in also; and so there will be faith, hope, and charity. For how shall there not be charity there, since charity is nothing else but love? And this faith is especially for theeitself defined as that ‘which works by love.’ Take away faith, and all you believe perishes; take away charity, and all that you do perishes. For it is the province of faith to believe, of charity to do. For if you believe without suffering? The way unto God love, you do not apply yourself to good works; or if you do, it is as a daily crossservant, not as a son, through fear of punishment, not through love of righteousness. No one can ascend unto heaven with comfortTherefore I say, we know where that faith purifies the way of comfort leadsheart, which works by love.” —St. Isaac Augustine of Hippo, Sermon III on the Syrian, Mystic TreatisesNew Testament, Homily LIXSection XI
“Understand two thoughts“Human life is but of brief duration. ‘All flesh is grass, and fear them. One says, 'You are a saint,' all the goodliness thereof is as the other, 'You won't be saved.' Both flower of these thoughts are from the enemy, and there is no truth in themfield. But think this way: I am a great sinnerThe grass withers, the flower fades; but the Lord is mercifulword of our God shall stand forever’ (Isa. 40:6). He loves people very muchLet us hold fast to the commandment that abides, and He will forgive my sinsdespise the unreality that passes away.” —St. Silouan Basil the AthoniteGreat
“He made Him who “We see the water of a river flowing uninterruptedly and passing away, and all that floats on its surface, rubbish or beams of trees, all pass by. So does our life. I was an infant, and that time has gone. I was an adolescent, and that too has passed. I was righteous a young man, and that too is far behind me. The strong and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white, I succumb to be a sinnerage, but that He might make sinners righteoustoo passes; I approach the end and will go the way of all flesh.I was born in order to die. I die that I may live. Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom!” —St. John ChrysostomTikhon of Voronezh
“Love sinners, but hate their deeds, “You should look downward. Remember: you are earth and do not disdain sinners for their failingsyou will return to the earth.” —St. Isaac the SyrianAmbrose of Optina
“Love every man “Everything in spite of his falling into sinthis life passes away – only God remains, only He is worth struggling towards. Never mind We have a choice: to follow the sinsway of this world, but remember of the society that the foundation surrounds us, and thereby find ourselves outside of God; or to choose the man is the same - the image way of life, to choose GodWho calls us and for Whom our heart is searching.” —St—Fr. John Seraphim Rose of KronstadtPlatina
“Never confuse “Just as a pauper, seeing the personroyal treasures, formed in all the more acknowledges his own poverty; so also the image of Godspirit, with reading the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But accounts of the very essence great deeds of the person Holy Fathers, involuntarily is all the image more humbled in its way of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurementthought.” —St. John of KronstadtClimacus
“Our life “Do not shun poverty and our death is with our neighboraffliction, the fuel that gives wings to prayer.” —Evagrios the Solitary
If we gain “What is the meaning of the exclamation so often sung in church: ‘Lord, have mercy upon us’? It is the lament of the guilty, condemned sinner, imploring forgiveness of an irritated justice. We are all under the eternal curse and doomed to eternal fire for our brotherinnumerable sins, and it is only the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, interceding for us before the Heavenly Father, that saves us from eternal punishment. It is the lament of the repentant sinner, expressing his firm intention to amend and begin a new life, we have gained becoming for a Christian. It is the lament of the repentant sinner, ready to forgive others, as he himself was and is immeasurably forgiven by God, but if we scandalize our brotherthe Judge of his deeds.” —St. John of Kronstadt, we have sinned against My Life in Christ, pg.406
This “It seems that we do not understand one thing: it is not good when we return the great work love of a man: always to take those who love us, yet hate those who hate us. We are not on the right path if we do this. We are the sons of light and love – the blame for sons of God, his own sins before God children. As such, we must have His qualities and His attributes of love, peace, and to expect temptation to his last breathkindness towards all.” —St. Anthony the Great—Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
“Unless “We suffer because we look at a person have no humility and see the beauty there is in this person, we can contribute nothing to him. One does do not help a person by discerning what is wrong, what is ugly, what is distortedlove our brother. Christ looked at everyone he met, at From love of our brother comes the prostitute, at the thieflove of God. People do not learn humility, and saw because of their pride cannot receive the beauty hidden there. Perhaps it was distorted, perhaps damaged, but it was beauty none grace of the lessHoly Spirit, and what he did was to call out this beautytherefor the whole world suffers.” —Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh—St. Silouan the Athonite
“As long as we pay attention to the negative sides of various people we meet“Some suffer much from poverty and sickness, we will but are not find peace humbled, and repentanceso they suffer without profit. As long as we keep But one who is humbled will be happy in ourselves all circumstances, because the thought of offense, caused to us by enemies, friends, family Lord is his riches and neighboursjoy, we will not find peace and quiet and we all people will live in a hellish statewonder at the beauty of his soul.” —Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica—St. Silouan the Athonite
“If “My joy, I beg you are offended by anything, whether intended or unintended, you do not know acquire the way Spirit of peace, which Peace. That means to bring oneself to such a state that our spirit will not be disturbed by anything. For one must go through love brings the lovers of divine knowledge many sorrows to enter the knowledge Kingdom of GodHeaven.” This is the way all righteous men were saved and inherited the Heavenly Kingdom…” —St. Maximus the ConfessorSeraphim of Sarov
“In hell there “My will, therefore, He took to Himself, my grief. In confidence I call it grief, because I preach His Cross. Mine is democracy the will which He called His Own, for as Man He bore my grief, as Man He spake, and therefore said, ‘Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’ Mine was the grief, and mine the heaviness with which He bore it, for no man exults when at the point to die. With me and in Heaven there for me He Suffers, for me He is sad, for me He is a Kingdomheavy.” —StIn my stead therefore, and in me He grieved Who had no cause to grieve for Himself. John of Kronstadt
“We shall Not Thy Wound, but mine, hurt Thee, Lord Jesus; not care what people think of usThy Death, or how they treat us. We shall cease to be afraid of falling out of favour. We shall love but our fellow men without thought of whether they love us. Christ gave us the commandment to love others but did not make it a condition of salvation that they should love us. Indeedweakness, we may positively be disliked for independence of spirit. It is essential in these days to be able to protect ourselves from the influence of those with whom we come in contact. Otherwise we risk losing both faith and prayer. Let the whole world dismiss us even as unworthy of attention, trust or respect – it will not matter provided that the Lord accept us. And vice versaProphet saith: it will profit us nothing if the whole world thinks well of us ‘For He is afflicted for our sakes’--and sings our praiseswe, if the Lord declines to abide with us. This is only a fragment of the freedom Christ meant when He said, ‘Ye shall know the truthesteemed Thee afflicted, and the truth shall make you free’ (John 8.32). Our sole care will be to continue in the word of Christwhen Thou grievedst not for Thyself, to become His disciples and cease to be servants of sinbut for me.” —His Life is Mine, Archimandrite Sophrony
“When you are depressedAnd what wonder if He grieved for all, Who wept for one? What wonder if, bear in mind the Lord’s command hour of death, He is heavy for all, Who wept when at the point to Peter to forgive raise Lazarus from the dead? Then, indeed, He was moved by a sinner seventy times seven. And you may be sure that loving sister's tears, for they touched His human heart,--here by secret grief He Who gave this command brought it to another will Himself do very much morepass that, even as His Death made an end of death, and His Stripes healed our scars, so also His Sorrow took away our sorrow.” —St. John ClimacusAmbrose of Milan, (+397), Ch. 7, Book II, Exposition on the Christian Faith
“The time of this present life is a time for harvesting, and each person gathers spiritual food - as pure as possible - and stores it up for the other life. It “Peace is not the clever, the noble, the polished speakers, or the rich who winabsence of struggle, but whoever is insulted and forbears, whoever is wronged absence of uncertainty and forgives, whoever is slandered and endures, whoever becomes a sponge and mops up whatever they might say to himconfusion. Such a person is cleansed and polished even more. He reaches great heights. He delights in the theoria ” —Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of mysteries. And finally, it is he who is already inside paradise, while still in this life.” —Elder Joseph the Hesychast and Cave-dwellerSourozh
“When you are ready “Humility is perfect quietness of heart, it is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to stand feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the presence of Lord, where I can go in and shut the Lorddoor, and kneel to my Father in secret, let your soul wear and am at peace as in a garment woven from the cloth of your forgiveness deep sea of others. Otherwisecalmness, your prayer will be of no value whatsoeverwhen all around and above is trouble.” —St. John Climacus—Andrew Murray
“Forgiveness is better than revenge“However great the afflictions we suffer, what are they compared with the promised future reward.” —St. Tikhon of ZadonskMacarius the Great
“When God forgave you“Shun the praise of men and love the one who, in the fear of the Lord, it means He forgave reprimands you for eternity.” —Elder Arsenios Papacioc—St. Pachomius
“Love alone harmoniously joins all created things with God “When people begin to praise us, let us hurry to remember the multitude of ours transgressions, and with each otherwe will see that we are truly unworthy of that which they say and do in our honor.” —St. Thalassios the LibyanJohn Climacus
“A monk is he who withdrawing from all men, is united with all mankind. … A monk is he who regards himself as existing with all men and sees himself in each man“…Don't be frightened at your burden; our Lord will help you to carry it.” —St. Nilus of SinaiJohn Vianney
“Love towards Christ is without limits, and “Every tribulation reveals the same is true state of love towards our neighbourwill. It should radiate everywhere, to the ends of the earth, to every person” —St. I wanted to go and live with Mark the hippies at …… in order to show them the love of Christ and how great it is and how it could transfigure them. Love is above everything.” —Wounded by Love, Elder Porphyrios, pg 188Ascetic
“So God created “Every affliction tests our will, showing whether it is inclined to good or evil. That is why an unforeseen affliction is called a test, because it enables a man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created themto test his hidden desires.” —Genesis 1:27—St. Mark the Ascetic
“For God knows that in “Many are the day you eat wiles of it your eyes will be openedthe enemy to despoil us of inner peace, and you will be like God, knowing good and evilso watch!” —St.” —Genesis 3:5Theophan the Recluse
“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light“In every situation confusion is from the devil, from whom may the Lord shield and protect us.” —2 Corinthians 11:14—St. Leo of Optina
“You shall “It should be noted that when the fallen spirit wants to get dominion over Christ's ascetics, he does not murderact imperiously or domineeringly, but tries to draw a man to consent to the proposed delusion, and after getting his consent he takes possession of the person who has given his consent.Holy David, in describing his the fallen angel attacks man, has very rightly said: "He lurketh in secret as a lion in his den, that he may ravish the poor; to ravish the poor, when he getteth him into his net."” —Exodus 20:13—St. Ignaty Bryanchaninov, The Arena, chapter 11, On the Solitary Life
“Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person“The devil presents minor sins as insignificant in our eyes, because otherwise he would not be able lead us into major ones.” —Deuteronomy 27:25—St. Mark the Ascetic
“He shall judge between the nations,And rebuke many people;They shall beat their swords into plowshares“Do not leave unobliterated any fault,And their spears into pruning hooks;Nation shall not lift up sword against nationhowever small,Neither shall they learn war anymorefor it may lead you on to greater sins.” —Isaiah 2:4—St. Mark the Ascetic
“But Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword in its place, for all “He who take honours the sword will perish by Lord does what the swordLord bids. When he sins or is disobedient, he patiently accepts what comes as something he deserves.’” —Matthew 26:52” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery“It is a great error to think that you must undertake important and great labors, whether for heaven,’ ‘Do not murderor,’ ‘Do not stealas the 'progressives' think,’ ‘Do in order to make one's contribution to humanity. That is not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mothernecessary at all. It is necessary only to do everything in accordance with the Lord's commandments.” —St.’” —Luke 18:20Theophan the Recluse
“So when they continued asking Him“When we are immersed in sins, He raised Himself up and said our mind is occupied solely with worldly cares, we do not notice the state of our soul. We are indifferent to them, ‘He who is without sin among youwe are inwardly, let him throw and we persist along a stone at her firstfalse path without being aware of it.’” —John 8:7” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
“Whoever hates his brother “We have to be aware that what is being pounded in upon us is all of one piece; it has a certain rhythm, a murderercertain message to give us, this message of self-worship, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding of relaxing, of letting go, of enjoying yourself, of giving up any thought of the other world … It is actually an education in himatheism. We have to fight back by knowing just what the world is trying to do to us…” —Fr.” —1 John 3:15Seraphim Rose of Platina
“And “I saw the second commandment of snares that the Teaching; Thou shalt not commit murderenemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, thou shalt not commit adultery‘What can get through from such snares?’ Then I heard a voice saying to me, thou shalt not commit paederasty, thou shalt not commit fornication, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not practise magic, thou shalt not practise witchcraft, thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten‘Humility.’” —St.” —Didache 2:2Anthony the Great
“The mold in “Learn to love humility, for it will cover all your sins. All sins are repugnant before God but the most repugnant of all is pride of the womb may not be destroyedheart.” —Tertullian
“The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder. The hair-splitting difference between formed Do not consider yourself learned and wise; otherwise, all your effort will be destroyed and unformed makes no difference to usyour boat will reach the harbor empty.” —St. Basil the Great
“Those who use abortifacients commit homicideIf you have great authority, do not threaten anyone with death.” —StKnow, that according to nature, you too are susceptible to death and that every soul sheds its body from itself as the final garment. Clement of Alexandria
“For every argument In Byzantium there is existed an unusual and instructive custom during the crowning of the emperors in the Church of the Divine Wisdom [St. Sophia]. The custom was that when the patriarch placed the crown on the emperor's head, at the same time, he handed him a counter-argument, but who can argue against life?” —Stsilk purse filled with dirt from the grave. Gregory Palamas
“O GodThen, grant us a deeper sense of fellowship with all living things, our little brothers and sisters to whom in common with us you have given this earth as home. We even the emperor would recall with regret that in the past we have acted high-handedly death and cruelly in exercising our domain over them. Thus, the voice of the earth which should have risen to you in song has turned into a groan of travail. May we realize that avoid all these creatures also live for themselves and for you - not for us alone. They too love the goodness of life, as we do, pride and serve you better in their way than we do in ours. Amenbecome humble.” —St. Basil Anthony the Great, Prologue of Ochrid
“We follow “Wouldst thou comprehend the ways height of wolves, God? First comprehend the habits lowliness of tigers: orGod. Condescend to be humble for thine own sake, rather we are worse than they. To them nature has assigned seeing that they should God condescended to be thus fedhumble for thy sake too, while God has honoured us with rational speech and a sense of equity. And yet we are become worse than the wild beastfor it was not for his own.” —St. John ChrysostomAugustine
“The unspeakable and prodigious fire hidden in the essence greatness of a man consisteth of thingshumility, for in proportion as in the busha man descendeth to humility, is the fire he becometh exalted to greatness.” —Paradise of divine love and the dazzling brilliance of His beauty inside every thingHoly Fathers, Vol.” —St. Maximus the Confessor2
“Blessed “It is easier to measure the one who observes entire sea with spiritual understanding the choirs of stars shining a tiny cup than to grasp God's ineffable greatness with glory and the beauty of the heavens and longs to contemplate the Maker of all thingshuman mind.” —St. Ephrem Basil the SyrianGreat
“Look at the world around you. It supplies all your bodily needs. It feasts your eyes with its beauty. And its glory reflects the glory of God, so it feasts your “You don't have a soul also. Look at the plants and the treesYou are a Soul. Can you count all the different species? Can you describe all the different shapes of the leaves, the color and fragrances of the flowers? Look, too, at the animals and the insectsYou have a body. Are you not enthralled by their different sizes and shapes, by the different colors and textures of their skin and fur, by the different ways in which they move about and gather food? And the wonder why God has created all this” —C. Has he created the marvelous universe just to supply our needs and to feast our eyes and souls? or is there some other purpose in it all? The answer is that he has created all things--for their own sake. Each creature has its own purpose and destiny, which God in his infinite wisdom and love has planned. Do not try to understand God’s plans; the human mind is hardly better than that of an ant in discerning the ways of God. Simply accept all his plans and rejoice in them.” — StS. John ChrysostomLewis
“Some people see “This is the houses in which they live as their kingdom; wisdom and although in their minds they know that death will one day force them to leave, in their hearts they feel they will stay forever. They take pride in the size power of their houses and the fine material with which they are built. They take pleasure in decorating their houses with bright colors, and in obtaining the best and most solid furniture God: to fill the rooms. They imagine that they can find peace and security by owning a house whose walls and roof will last for many generations. Webe victorious through weakness, by contrastexalted through humility, know that we are only temporary guests on earth. We recognize that the houses in which we live serve only as hostels on the road to eternal life. We do not seek peace or security from the material walls around us or the roof above our heads. Rather we want to surround ourselves with a wall of divine grace; and we look upward to heaven as our roof. And the furniture of our lives should be good works, performed in a spirit of loverich through poverty.” —St. John ChrysostomGregory Palamas
“Worldly glory does not lead God's children “You will lose nothing of what you have renounced for the Lord’s sake. For in its own time it will return to heavenyou greatly multiplied.” —St. Raphael, Mark the Newly-revealed Martyr of LesvosAscetic
“Let the hearing of worldly tales be to “Where can I flee? A place cannot save you because there is no place you as a bitter taste in your mouth, but the discourse of holy men as a honeycombcan flee from yourself.” —St. Basil the GreatNikon of Optina
“All “If our purpose is to fight the spiritual fight and to defeat, with God's help, the demons of malice, we should take every care to guard our heart from the things demon of this world are no more than earthdejection, just as a moth devours clothing and a worm devours wood, so dejection devours a man’s soul. Place It persuades him to shun every helpful encounter and stops him accepting advice from his true friends or giving them in a heap under your feet courteous and peaceful reply. Seizing the entire soul, it fills it with bitterness and you will be so much nearer listlessness. Then it suggests to heaventhe soul that we should go away from other people, since they are the cause of its agitation.” —StIt does not allow the soul to understand that its sickness does not come from without, but lies hidden within, only manifesting itself when temptations attack the soul because of our ascetic efforts. Josemaria Escriva
“A A man can be harmed by another only through the causes of the passions which lie within himself. It is for this reason that God, the Creator of all and the Doctor of men’s souls, who alone has dedicated himself once accurate knowledge of the soul’s wounds, does not tell us to forsake the company of men; He tells us to root out the causes of evil within us and for all to God goes through recognize that the soul’s health is achieved not by a man’s separating himself from his fellows, but by his living the ascetic life with a restful mindin the company of holy men. When we abandon our brothers for some apparently good reason, we do not eradicate the motives for dejection but merely exchange them, since the sickness which lies hidden within us will show itself again in other circumstances.” —St. Isaac the SyrianJohn Cassian
“Do you seek any further reward beyond that “A life lived in the world can be as good, in the eyes of having pleased God? In truth, you know not how great as one spent in a good it monastery. It is to please Himindeed only the keeping of God's commandments, love of all, and a true sense of humility that matter, wherever we are.” —St. John Chrysostom—Elder Macarius of Optina
“Faith is to believe what you do not see; “Those who, because of the reward rigor of this faith is to see what you believetheir own ascetic practice, despise the less zealous, think that they are made righteous by physical works. But we are even more foolish if we rely on theoretical knowledge and disparage the ignorant.” —St. AugustineMark the Ascetic
“‘You shall love “A remedy against straying thoughts is mental attention, attention to the fact that the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first before us and great commandmentwe are before Him. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” —St.’ On these two commandments hang all Theophan the Law and the Prophets.” —Matthew 22:37-40Recluse
“And Thomas answered and said “The roots of evil thoughts are the obvious vices, which we keep trying to Him, "My Lord justify in our words and my God!"actions.” —John 20:28—St. Mark the Ascetic
“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to “Guard your speech from boasting and your thoughts from presumption; otherwise you may be abandoned by God and fall into sin. For man cannot do anything good without the Sonhelp of God, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Himsees everything.” —John 5:22-23—St. Mark the Ascetic
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” —Matthew 5:44"The higher a person’s position in society the more he should help others without ever reminding them of his position.” —Tsar St. Nicholas II
“The fool has said in his heart“If you want your sins to be absolved by Christ,‘There is no God.’They are corrupt,They then don't speak to others about any virtue that you may have done abominable works,There is none who does goodbecause God will treat our sins the same way we treat our virtues.” —Psalm 14:1—St. Mark the Ascetic
“Hatred stirs up strife“If any man is able in power to continue in purity,But love covers all sinsto the honour of the flesh of our Lord, let him continue so without boasting; if he boasts, he is undone; if he become known apart from the bishop, he has destroyed himself.” —Proverbs 10:12—St. Ignatius of Antioch
“When pride comes“Guarding the mouth wakes up the conscience to God, then comes shame;But if it is with the humble is wisdomknowledge that a man keeps silence.” —Proverbs 11:2—St. Isaac the Syrian
“The way of a fool “Silence is right in his own eyesmore profitable than speech, for as it has been said,But he who heeds counsel is "The words of wisemen are heard even in quiet."” —Proverbs 12:15—St. Basil the Great
“There is a way “Never give your opinion if you are not asked for it, even if you think that seems right to a man,But its end your view is the way of deathbest.” —Proverbs 14:12—Josemaria Escriva
“Pride goes before destruction“Not only for every idle word must man give an account,And a haughty spirit before a fallbut for every idle silence.” —Proverbs 16:18—St. Ambrose of Milan
“Let another man praise you“Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, and not your own mouth;A strangerthat without listening speaking no longer heals, and not your own lipsthat without distance closeness cannot cure.” —Proverbs 27:2—Henri Nouwen
“Open rebuke “Let your mouth continually administer blessing; then the scorn of anyone will never hurt you.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Just as swine run to a place where there is bettermire, and bees dwell where there are fragrances and incense, likewise demons gather where there are carnal songs and the grace of the Holy Spirit settles where there are spiritual melodies, sanctifying both mouth and soul.” —St. John ChrysostomThan love carefully concealed“A psalm implies serenity of soul; it is the author of peace, which calms bewildering and seething thoughts. For, it softens the wrath of the soul, and what is unbridled it chastens. A psalm forms friendships, unites those separated, conciliates those at enmity.Who, indeed, can still consider as an enemy him with whom he has uttered the same prayer to God?
Faithful are So that psalmody, bringing about choral singing, a bond, as it were, toward unity, and joining the people into a harmonious union of one choir, produces also the wounds greatest of blessings, charity. A psalm is a friendcity of refuge from the demons,But a means of inducing help from the kisses angels, a weapon in fears by night, a rest from toils by day, a safeguard for infants, an adornment for those at the height of an enemy are deceitfultheir vigor, a consolation for the elders, a most fitting ornament for women.” —Proverbs 27:5-6
“If a wise man contends with a foolish manIt peoples the solitudes; it rids the market place of excesses; it is the elementary exposition of beginners, the improvement of those advancing,Whether the fool rages or laughssolid support of the perfect, there the voice of the Church. It brightens the feast days; it creates a sorrow which is no peacein accordance with God.” —Proverbs 29:9
“Vanity of vanitiesFor, all a psalm is vanity. … I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeedwork of angels, a heavenly institution, all is vanity and grasping for the windspiritual incense.” Ecclesiastes 1:2,14—St. Basil the Great
“The work “Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to paradise, our ascension into the kingdom of heaven, our return to the adoption of righteousness will be peacesons, our liberty to call God our Father,And our being made partakers of the effect grace of Christ, our being called children of light, our sharing in eternal glory, and, in a word, our being brought into a state of all ‘fullness of righteousnessblessing, quietness ’ both in this world and assurance foreverin the world to come, of all the good gifts that are in store for us, by promise hereof, through faith, beholding the reflection of their grace as though they were already present, we await the full enjoyment.” —Isaiah 32:17—St. Basil the Great
“Reflect on the statutes of the Lord“Humility consists,and meditate at all times on his commandments.It is he who will give insight to your mindnot in condemning our conscience,but in recognizing God's grace and your desire for wisdom will be grantedcompassion.” —Sirach 6:37—St. Mark the Ascetic
“Childless with virtue is better than this“Children, I beseech you to correct your hearts and thoughts,For immortality is so that you may be pleasing to God. Consider that although we may reckon ourselves to be righteous and frequently succeed in its memory;Because it is known both by deceiving men, we can conceal nothing from God . Let us therefore strive to preserve the holiness of our souls and by to guard the purity of our bodies with all fervor. Ye are the temple of God, says the divine Apostle Paul; If any mandefile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.” —Wisdom —St. Nicholas of Solomon 4:1Myra
“Jesus wept“Those who suffer for the sake of true devotion receive help. This must be learnt through obeying God's law and our own conscience.” —John 11:35—St. Mark the Ascetic
“When you are wronged and your heart and feelings are hardened, do not be distressed, for this has happened providentially; but be glad and reject the thoughts that arise within you, knowing that if they are destroyed at the stage when they are only provocations, their evil consequences will be cut off, whereas if the thoughts persist the evil may be expected to develop.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “Struggle to become immortal from now, by dying here on the earth to your bad self. In this way, you won't be sad, but you'll be very glad, living together with Christ.” —Elder Porphyrios “This being He placed in Paradise, whatever the Paradise may have been, having honoured him with the gift of Free Will (in order that God might belong to him as the result of his choice, no less than to Him who had implanted the seeds of it), to till the immortal plants, by which is meant perhaps the Divine Conceptions, both the simpler and the more perfect; naked in his simplicity and inartificial life, and without any covering or screen; for it was fitting that he who was from the beginning should be such. Also He gave him a Law, as a material for his Free Will to act upon. This Law was a Commandment as to what plants he might partake of, and which one he might not touch. This latter was the Tree of Knowledge; not, however, because it was evil from the beginning when planted; nor was it forbidden because God grudged it to us…Let not the enemies of God wag their tongues in that direction, or imitate the Serpent…But it would have been good if partaken of at the proper time, for the tree was, according to my theory, Contemplation, upon which it is only safe for those who have reached maturity of habit to enter; but which is not good for those who are still somewhat simple and greedy in their habit; just as solid food is not good for those who are yet tender, and have need of milk. (Hebrews 5:12) But when through the Devil's malice and the woman's caprice, to which she succumbed as the more tender, and which she brought to bear upon the man, as she was the more apt to persuade, alas for my weakness! (for that of my first father was mine), he forgot the Commandment which had been given to him; (Genesis 3:5) he yielded to the baleful fruit; and for his sin he was banished, at once from the Tree of Life, and from Paradise, and from God; and put on the coats of skins…that is, perhaps, the coarser flesh, both mortal and contradictory. This was the first thing that he learned – his own shame; (Romans 1:22-31) and he hid himself from God. Yet here too he makes a gain, namely death, and the cutting off of sin, in order that evil may not be immortal. Thus his punishment is changed into a mercy; for it is in mercy, I am persuaded, that God inflicts punishment.” —St. Gregory the Theologian, Oration 38, XII, On Theophany, On the Birth of our Saviour (On the Nativity of Christ) “I saw that there was no tragedy in God. Tragedy is to be found solely in the fortunes of the man whose gaze has not gone beyond the confines of this earth.” —Archimandrite Sophrony “The Christian world nowadays presents a terrifying and cheerless picture of profound religious and moral decay. The servants of Antichrist do their utmost to completely displace God from people’s lives, in order that mankind, content with its material well-being, would not feel any need to turn to God in prayer, would not think of God at all, but would live as though God did not exist. Thus the entire structure of contemporary life in the so-called ‘free’ world, where there is no open and bloody persecution of faith, where everyone has the right to believe as he wishes, represents a far greater danger to a Christian’s soul by drawing the Christian wholly down to earth and making him forget heaven. The entire modern culture, which is aimed at purely worldly achievements, and the resultant whirlwind of everyday life, keep a person in such a state of constant bustle and absent-mindedness that he has no opportunity for any soul-searching, and spiritual life within him gradually becomes extinguished.” —Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse “In advising against being carried away by artificial practices such as Transcendental Meditation I am but repeating the age-old message of the Church … The way of the Fathers requires firm faith and long patience, whereas our contemporaries want to seize every spiritual gift, including even direct contemplation of the Absolute God, by force and speedily, and will often draw a parallel between prayer in the Name of Jesus and yoga or Transcendental Meditation and the like. I must stress the danger of such errors … He is deluded who endeavors to divest himself mentally of all that is transitory and relative in order to cross some invisible threshold, to realize his eternal origin, his identity with the Source of all that exists, in order to return and merge with him, the nameless transpersonal Absolute. Such exercises have enabled many to rise to suprarational contemplation of being, to experience a certain mystical trepidation, to know the state of silence of mind, when mind goes beyond the boundaries of time and space. In such like states man may feel the peacefulness of being withdrawn from the continually changing phenomena of the visible world, may even have a certain experience of eternity. But the God of Truth, the Living God, is not in all this. It is man's own beauty, created in the image of God, that is contemplated and seen as divinity, whereas he himself still continues within the confines of his creatureliness. This is a vastly important concern. The tragedy of the matter lies in the fact that man sees a mirage which, in his longing for eternal life, he mistakes for a genuine oasis. This impersonal form of ascetics leads finally to an assertion of the divine principle in the very nature of man. Man is then drawn to the idea of self-deification—the cause of the original Fall. The man who is blinded by the imaginary majesty of what he contemplates has in fact set his foot on the path to self-destruction. He has discarded the revelation of a personal God … The movement into the depths of his own being is nothing else but attraction towards the non-being from which we were called by the will of the Creator.” —Archimandrite Sophrony of Mt. Athos, His Life is Mine, 115-116 “Christ said, 'I came not to send peace, but a sword' and 'division'. Christ summoned us to war on the plane of the spirit, and our weapon is 'the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' Our battle is waged in extraordinarily unequal conditions. We are tied hand and foot. We dare not strike with fire or sword: our sole armament is love, even for enemies. This unique war in which we are engaged is indeed a holy war. We wrestle with the last and only enemy of mankind death. Our fight is the fight for universal resurrection.” —Archimandrite Sophrony of Mt. Athos, His Life is Mine “I ask you to try something. If someone grieves you, or dishonors you, or takes something of yours, then pray like this: ‘Lord, we are all your creatures. Pity your servants, and turn them to repentance,’ and then you will perceptibly bear grace in your soul. Induce your heart to love your enemies, and the Lord, seeing your good will, shall help you in all things, and will Himself show you experience. But whoever thinks evil of his enemies does not have love for God and has not known God.” —St. Silouan the Athonite, Writing, IX.21 “Where there is pride there cannot be grace, and if we lose grace we also lose both love of God and assurance in prayer. The soul is then tormented by evil thoughts and does not understand that she must humble herself and love her enemies, for there is no other way to please God.” —St. Silouan the Athonite “The whole therapeutic method of the Orthodox Church is not aimed simply at making human beings morally and socially balanced, but at re-establishing their relationship with God and one another. This comes about through the healing of the soul's wounds and the cure of the passions through the Sacraments and the Church's ascetic practice.” —Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, The Science of Spiritual Medicine: Orthodox Psychotherapy in Action “Many passions are hidden in our souls; they can be brought to light only when the objects that rouse them are present.” —St. Maximus the Confessor, Four Hundred Texts on Love “What is holiness? Freedom from every sin and the fullness of every virtue. This freedom from sin and this virtuous life are only attained by a few zealous persons, and that not suddenly, but gradually, by prolonged and manifold sorrows, sicknesses, and labors, by fasting, vigilance, prayer, and that not by their own strength, but by the grace of Christ…” —St. John of Kronstadt “A wise heart can transfer an affliction into a blessing, even sin!! He benefits from it: contrition, humility, keenness and sympathy for sinners.” —H.H. Pope Shenouda III “Humility and suffering free a man from all sin; for the first cuts out spiritual passions, and the latter bodily.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” —C. S. Lewis “The soul of man is not impure at birth, but pure.” —Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos “By nature the soul is passionless… so you must believe that the passions do not belong to the soul by nature.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Just as in legal marriage, the pleasure derived from procreation cannot exactly be called a gift of God, because it is carnal and constitutes a gift of nature and not of grace (even though that nature has been created by God); even so the knowledge that comes from profane education, even if well used, is a gift of nature, and not of grace-a gift which God accords to all without exception through nature, and which one can develop by exercise. This last point-that no one acquires it without effort and exercise-is an evident proof that it is a question of a natural, not a spiritual, gift. It is our sacred wisdom that should legitimately be called a gift of God and not a natural gift, since even simple fishermen who receive it from on high become, as Gregory the Theologian says, sons of Thunder, whose word has encompassed the very bounds of the universe. By this grace, even publicans are made merchants of souls; and even the burning zeal of persecutors is transformed, making them Pauls instead of Sauls, turning away the earth to attain ‘the third heaven’ and ‘hear ineffable things’. By this true wisdom we too can become conformed to the image of God and continue to be such after death.” —St. Gregory Palamas, Triads in Defence of the Holy Hesychasts, Philosophy does not save, pages 29-30 “Fiery lust, the desire for marriage, sexual union … and all the other things that, as most people think, the body seeks for - it is not the body as such … but the soul, which through the body seeks pleasure by their means… Let no one think he is being driven towards these things and compelled by his own body… the body cannot be moved to anything apart from the soul.” —St. Symeon the New Theologian “Pornography is the devil's iconography.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Just as the virtues are begotten in the soul, so are the passions. But the virtues are begotten in accordance with nature, the passions in a mode contrary to nature. For what produces good or evil in the soul is the will's bias… For our inner disposition is capable of operating in one way or another, since it bears within itself both virtue and vice, the first as its natural birthright, the second as the result of the self-incurred proclivity of our moral will.” —St. Gregory of Sinai “The heart of a perfectly healthy man becomes weakened for faith and love to God and his neighbor, and easily gives itself up to carnal desires: to slothfulness, negligence, coldness, gluttony, avarice, fornication, pride. Whilst the heart of a sick man, or a wounded, oppressed, weary heart, is strengthened in faith, hope, and love, and is far removed from carnal passions. This is why the Heavenly Father, Who careth for our salvation, chastises us by various sicknesses. The oppression and afflictions of sickness make us turn again to God.” —St. John of Kronstadt “If you wish to live long on the earth, do not hurry to live in a carnal manner, to satiate yourself, to get drunk, to smoke, to commit fornication, to live in luxury, to indulge yourself. The carnal way of life constitutes death, and therefore, in the Holy Scripture, our flesh is called mortal, or, ‘the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.’ If you wish to live long, live through the spirit; for life consists in the spirit: ‘If ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live,’ both here on earth and there in heaven. One cannot eat and drink and smoke continually. One cannot turn human life into constant eating, drinking, and smoking, although there are men who do eat, drink, and smoke almost uninterruptedly; and thus the spirit of evil has turned life into smoking, and made the mouth, which ought to be employed in thanking and praising the Lord, into a smoking furnace. The less and lighter the food and drink you take, the lighter and more refined your spirit will become. Smoking is a whim. From this comes foot pain and depression. That the devil is the father of the cigarette I especially figured out today: something impacted negatively upon me from head to toe. I felt that the enemy nested in my sides and in my heart and he opposed me strongly, preventing me from saying the prayer, scaring me, paralyzing me and saddening me to the point of sin. By smoking an unclean spirit enters a person. Last night after smoking the devil made his presence felt through continuous hiccups which pestered me from the time of the Cherubic Hymn until a little before Holy Communion. My nerves were stretched, my voice was ‘escaping’ me, I was shivering and I was exhausted. That's why smoking is futile. It is a silly whim, a desecration of the lips, a large and unnecessary irritation, a fog that covers voluntarily. The taste of a cigarette I cannot compare to anything but something diabolical. And how do I know this smoking? How do I allow myself to do something like this? I came to church, falling on my knees with a contrite heart before the Holy Altar. How could I serve my enemy every day and not the Lord with zeal? Lord, help me to be free from all evil, because I am an evil man, dirty, full of sins. The Lord knows our weaknesses. He is ready to forgive us everything, as long as we repent and seek forgiveness. The essential thing is that our hearts not become petrified, that is to stop hesitating to think of our committed sin, to immediately repent, and to leave ourselves to the mercy of God.” —St. John of Kronstadt “Suffering is an indication of another Kingdom which we look to. If being a Christian meant being ‘happy’ in this life, we wouldn't need the Kingdom of Heaven.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Suffering reminds the wise man of God, but crushes those who forget Him.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “God permits tribulations and adversities to befall people – even the saintly – so that they may persist in humility. But if we harden our hearts against adversities and tribulations, He also hardens these tribulations against us. On the other hand if we accept them in humility and with a contrite heart, God will mingle tribulation with mercy.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “But do not be troubled or sad. The Lord sometimes allows people who are devoted to Him to fall into such dreadful vices; and this is in order to prevent them from falling into a still greater sin – pride. Your temptation will pass and you will spend the remaining days of your life in humility. Only do not forget your sin.” —St. Seraphim of Sarov “We must be prepared to accept the will of God. The Lord permits all sorts of things to happen to us contrary to our will, for if we always have it our way, we will not be prepared for the Kingdom of Heaven.” —Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, "Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives" “Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, Who created and arranged all things for your benefit--to have you know, love, and praise their Creator.” —St. Basil the Great “The Lord gives Himself freely, for His mercy's sake alone. I did not know this before but now every day and every hour every minute, I see clearly the mercy of God. The Lord gives peace even in sleep, but without God there is no peace in the soul.” —St. Silouan the Athonite “What should not be heard by little ears, should not be said by big mouths.” —unknown “I am incurably convinced that the object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” —G. K. Chesterton “What is slander? It is every sort of wicked word we would dare not speak in front of the person whom we are complaining about.” —St. Anthony the Great “If you want to overcome the spirit of slander, blame not the person who falls, but the demon that prompted them to sin.” —St. John Climacus “You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of him who gives and kindles joy in the heart of him who receives. All condemnation is from the devil. Never condemn each other. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves. When we gaze at our own failings, we see such a swamp that nothing in another can equal it. That is why we turn away, and make much of the faults of others. Instead of condemning others, strive to reach inner peace. Keep silent, refrain from judgment. This will raise you above the deadly arrows of slander, insult and outrage and will shield your glowing hearts against all evil.” —St. Seraphim of Sarov “A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others, he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent, that is, he says nothing that is not profitable.” —Abba Poemen “If your tongue is used to chattering, your heart will remain dim and foreign to the luminous intuitions of the Holy Spirit.” —St. John of Dalyatha “He who does not control his tongue when he is angry, will not control his passions either.” —Abba Hyperchius “Are you angry? Be angry at your sins, beat your soul, afflict your conscience, be strict in judgement and a terrible punisher of your own sins. This is the benefit of anger, wherefore God placed it in us.” —St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians 2 “These eight passions should be destroyed as follows: gluttony by self-control; unchastity by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store; avarice by compassion for the poor; anger by goodwill and love for all men; worldly dejection by spiritual joy; listlessness by patience, perseverance and offering thanks to God; self-esteem by doing good in secret and by praying constantly with a contrite heart; and pride by not judging or despising anyone in the manner of the boastful Pharisee (cf. Luke 18 : 11–12), and by considering oneself the least of all men. When the intellect has been freed in this way from the passions we have described and been raised up to God, it will henceforth live the life of blessedness, receiving the pledge of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 1 : 22). And when it departs this life, dispassionate and full of true knowledge, it will stand before the light of the Holy Trinity and with the divine angels will shine in glory through all eternity.” —St. John of Damascus, On the Virtues and the Vices, from The Philokalia: The Complete Text, Vol. 2 “We must consider all evil things, even the passions which war against us, to be not our own, but of our enemy the devil. This is very important. You can only conquer a passion when you do not consider it as part of you.” —St. Nikon of Optina “A sinful soul, full of passions, cannot have peace and rejoice in the Lord, even if it had charge over all earthly riches, even if it ruled over the whole world. If it was suddenly said to such a king, happily feasting and sitting on his throne, 'King, now you will die,' his soul would be troubled and he would tremble with fear, and he would see his powerlessness. But how many beggars there are, whose only wealth is love for God, and who, if you said to them, 'You will die now,' would answer peacefully, 'Let God's will be done. Glory to the Lord, that He has remembered me and wants to take me to Himself.'” —St. Silouan the Athonite “To reach satisfaction in alldesire its possession in nothing.To come to possession in alldesire the possession of nothing.To arrive at being alldesire to be nothing.To come to the knowledge of alldesire the knowledge of nothing.To come to the pleasure you have notyou must go by the way in which you enjoy not.To come to the knowledge you have notyou must go by the way in which you know not.To come to the possession you have notyou must go by the way in which you possess not.To come by the what you are notyou must go by a way in which you are not.When you turn toward somethingyou cease to cast yourself upon the all.For to go from all to the allyou must deny yourself of all in all.And when you come to the possession of the allyou must possess it without wanting anything.Because if you desire to have something in allyour treasure in God is not purely your all.” —St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel “Man’s will, out of cowardice, tends away from suffering, and man, against his own will, remains utterly dominated by the fear of death, and, in his desire to live, clings to his slavery to pleasure.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “Sin makes man a coward; but a life in the Truth of Christ makes Him bold.” —St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues, VIII. 2 “Of all the good things in the world, life is dearest to men, and men love life better than truth, although there is no life in truth. The highest good, then, is life, but truth is the foundation of life. He who loves life must also love truth. But what is the way to truth? 'I am the way', says the Lord. 'I am the way', that none should think that there is some other way to the truth besides the Lord Jesus. It was for that He was born as a man: to show men the way. And for this that He was crucified, to make the way plain by His blood.” —St. Nikolai Velimirovich “See how many and great the evils it has brought on us – this self-justification, this holding fast to our own will, this obstinacy in being our own guide. All this was the product of that hateful arrogance towards God. Whereas the products of humility are self-accusation, distrust in our own sentiments, hatred of our own will. By these one is made worthy of being redeemed, of having his human nature restored to its proper state, through the cleansing operation of Christ's holy precepts. Without humility it is impossible to obey the Commandments or at any time to go towards anything good. As Abba Mark says: without a contrite heart it is impossible to be free from wickedness or to acquire virtue.” —St. Dorotheos of Gaza, Discourses and Sayings “Begin gradually, do not trust yourself. Do not depend on your own understanding, reject your will, and the Lord will give you true understanding.” —St. Macarius of Optina, Living Without Hypocrisy “If you deny yourself and constantly renounce your own opinions, your own will, your own righteousness-or what amounts to the same thing: the knowledge, understanding, will, and righteousness of fallen nature-in order to plant within you the knowledge of God, the will of God, and the righteousness of God taught us in the holy Gospel by God Himself, then fallen nature will open fire within you and declare a savage war against the Gospel and against God. Fallen spirits will come to the help of fallen nature. Do not fall into despondency on this account. By your firmness in the struggle, show the tenacity of your purpose and the stability of your free will. When thrown down, get up. When duped and disarmed, rearm yourself afresh. When defeated, again rush to the fight. It is extremely good for you to see within yourself both your own fall and the fall of the whole of mankind. It is essential for you to recognize and study this fall in your own experience, in your heart and mind. It is essential for you to see the infirmity of your knowledge and intellect, and the weakness of your will.” —St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (Bryanchaninov) of Caucasus, The Arena, chapter 8 “The natural passions become good in those who struggle when, wisely unfastening them from the things of the flesh, use them to gain heavenly things. For example they can change appetite into the movement of a spiritual longing for divine things; pleasure into pure joy for the cooperation of the mind with divine gifts; fear into care to evade future misfortune due to sin and sadness into corrective repentance for present evil.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “How good it is to conquer the passions! After the victory one feels such lightness of heart, such peace and greatness of spirit!” —St. John of Kronstadt “He who believes, fears; he who fears is humble; he who is humble becomes gentle.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “For every humble person is gentle, and every gentle person is invariably humble. A person is humble when he knows that his very being is on loan to him.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “A humble person lives on earth as if in the Kingdom of Heaven - always happy, peaceful and satisfied with everything.” —St. Anthony of Optina “Not every quiet man is humble, but every humble man is quiet.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “If you wish to be truly humble, then consider yourself lower than all, worthy of being trampled on by all; for you yourself daily, hourly trample upon the law of the Lord, and therefore upon the Lord Himself.” —St. John of Kronstadt “You wish to be great, begin from the least. You are thinking to construct some mighty fabric in height; first think of the foundation of humility. And how great soever a mass of building one may wish and design to place above it, the greater the building is to be, the deeper does he dig his foundation.” —St. Augustine “In them [the Lives of the Saints] it is clearly and obviously demonstrated: There is no spiritual death from which one cannot be resurrected by the Divine power of the risen and ascended Lord Christ; there is no torment, there is no misfortune, there is no misery, there is no suffering which the Lord will not change either gradually or all at once into quite, compunctionate joy because of faith in Him.” —St. Justin Popovich “A servant of the Lord is he who in body stands before men, but in mind knocks at Heaven with prayer.” —St. John Climacus “In the Christian East – in fact, in the East in general – we love old age because we think that it is made for praying. When one is old, and feels the nearness of God across the increasingly transparent surface of biological life, one becomes in consciousness a child, returned to the Father, made light in spirit by the proximity of death, transparent to another kind of light. A civilization in which one no longer prays is a civilization in which old age has no meaning. One walks backward towards death, pretending to be young; it’s an agonizing spectacle, because a wonderful possibility is offered, a journey towards ultimate relinquishment, and it is not taken advantage of. We need old people who pray, who smile, who live with a disinterested love, who marvel; they alone can show young people that that living is worth the effort, and that oblivion is not the last word. Every monk whose spiritual practice has born fruit is called in the East, whatever his age, 'a beautiful old man.' He is beautiful with the beauty that rises from the heart. In him all the periods of his life have come into harmony, as with a symphony, one might say. And especially the original child is found again: shining with a transfigured shining, the beautiful old man has the eyes of a child.” —Olivier Clément “It is of great significance if there is a person who truly prays in a family. Prayer attracts God's grace and all the members of the family feel it, even those whose hearts have grown cold. Pray always.” —Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica “Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” —St. John Chrysostom “He who angers you, controls you!” —Bishop Melchisedek Pleska “[The desire for] equality is from the Devil, because it comes entirely from envy.” —Fr. Alexander Schmemann “In your prayer seek only righteousness and the kingdom of God, that is, virtue and spiritual knowledge; and everything else 'will be given to you' (Matt. 6:33).” —St. Evagrius of Ponticus “Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.” —St. Ephrem the Syrian “Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved.” —St. John Chrysostom “The goodness of God is so rich in graces, that it seeks a cause to have mercy on a person.” —St. Anthimus of Chios “The Holy Spirit has accomplishing in each believer the work of Christ. Each Christian is a communicant of the spirit. This is something so necessary, that in fact whoever does not have the Spirit is not of Christ.” —St. Theophan the Recluse “The Church is nothing but the world on the way to deification; for the Church, the world is no longer a tomb but a womb.” —Olivier Clément “The church is an earthly heaven in which the super-celestial God dwells and walks about. ” —St. Germanus of Constantinople “Nothing is more abiding than the Church: she is your salvation; she is your refuge.” —St. John Chrysostom “There is no need to weep much over the destruction of a church; after all, each of us, according to God's mercy, has or should have his own church - the heart - go in there and pray, as much as you have strength and time. If this church is not well made and is abandoned (without inward prayer), then the visible church will be of little benefit.” —Archbishop Barlaam “Our prayer reflects our attitude towards God. He who is careless of salvation has a different attitude toward God from him who has abandoned sin and is zealous for virtue but has not yet entered within himself and works for the Lord only outwardly. Finally, he who has entered within and carries the Lord within himself, standing before Him, has yet another attitude. The first man is negligent in prayer, just as he is negligent in life, and he prays in church and at home merely according to the established custom, without attention or feeling. The second man reads many prayers and goes often to church, trying at the same time to keep his attention from wandering and to experience feelings in accordance with the prayers which are read, although he is seldom successful. The third man, wholly concentrated within, stands with his mind before God, and prays to Him in his heart without distraction, without long verbal prayers, even when standing for a long time at prayer in his home or in church. … Every prayer must come from the heart and any other prayer is no prayer at all. Prayer-book prayers, your own prayers and very short prayers, all must issue forth from the heart to God, seen before you.” —St. Theophan the Recluse “It is very important to know how to pray. Many times even we, the monks in the monasteries, pray, but we only think we pray. It is not enough to attend the church services and just be there like that would be enough. We have to work the prayer from the inside out. No matter how many prayers we say with our mouth, it is nothing if the prayer is not coming from the heart and if we don't apply the teachings of Orthodoxy in our everyday life. Now more than ever, lay people have to pray from the heart, because this will be our only salvation. In the heart is the root of all passions and that is where we need to direct our struggles. If in the later years Christianity became lukewarm and superficial, we have to end all that now, this is not going to be enough anymore. If we will not pray from the heart, we will not be able to sustain the psychological attacks, because the evil one has hidden brainwashing methods that are unknown to us. The greatest sin today is carelessness. We pray carelessly, we repent carelessly, even if we do it. Times will come when only the ones that have the Spirit of God will be able to know good from evil. The human mind itself on its own will not be able to tell the difference. There will be great deceptions and only the Holy Spirit will give us the discernment we need so we can save ourselves. Pray that you will not be deceived! Only through prayer can we receive the Holy Spirit. If we don't pray and just persevere in our laziness and unrepentant ways, we will completely lose the Holy Spirit and His guidance. May it not be that we lose the guidance of the Holy Spirit!” —Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Romania, The truth about the times–Spirituality of the end of times, 2010 “It is sometimes well during prayer to say a few words of your own, breathing fervent faith and love to the Lord. Yes, let us not always converse with God in the words of others, not always remain children in faith and hope; we must also show our own mind, indite a good matter from our own heart also. Moreover, we grow too accustomed to the words of others and grow cold in prayer. And how pleasing this lipsing of our own is, coming from a believing, loving, and thankful heart. It is impossible to explain this; it is only needful to say that when you are praying to God with your own words the soul trembles with joy, it becomes wholly inflamed, vivified, and beatified. You will utter few words, but you will experience such blessedness as you would not have obtained saying the longest most touching prayers of others, pronounced out of habit and insincerely.” —St. John of Kronstadt “Chastisement through the trials imposed on us is a spiritual rod, teaching us humility when in our foolishness we think too much of ourselves.” —St. Thalassios the Libyan “Goodness is not confirmed without trial. Every Christian is tested by something: one by poverty, another by illness, a third by various thoughts, a fourth by some calamity or humiliation, while another by various doubts. And, through this, firmness of faith, hope and love of God are tested.” —St. Ambrose of Optina “Sometimes men are tested by pleasure, sometimes by distress or by physical suffering. By means of His prescriptions the Physician of souls administers the remedy according to the cause of the passions lying hidden in the soul.” —St. Maximus the Confessor, Philokalia “If you want, or rather intend, to take a splinter out of another person, then do not hack at it with a stick instead of a lancet, for you will only drive it in deeper.” —St. John Climacus “To exalt oneself is one thing, not to do so another, and to humble oneself is something less entirely. A man may always be passing judgement on others, while another man passes judgement neither on others nor on himself. A third, however, though actually guiltless, may always be passing judgement on himself.” —St. John Climacus “If a man accuses himself, he is protected on all sides.” —St. Poemen “It is not then wealth that is the foundation of pleasure, nor poverty of sadness, but our own judgment and the fact that the eyes of our mind neither see clearly nor remain fixed in one place, but flutter abroad.” —St. John Chrysostom “One who knows oneself, knows God: and one who knows God is worthy to worship Him as is right. Therefore, my beloveds in the Lord, know yourselves.” —St. Anthony the Great “God is truth and light, God's judgement is nothing else than our coming into contact with truth and light. In the day of the Great Judgement all men will appear naked before this penetrating light of truth. The ‘books’ will be opened. What are these ‘books’? They are our hearts. Our hearts will be opened by the penetrating light of God, and what is in these hearts will be revealed. If in those hearts there is love for God, those hearts will rejoice in seeing God's light. If, on the contrary, there is hatred for God in those hearts, these men will suffer by receiving on their opened hearts this penetrating light of truth which they detested all their life. So that which will differentiate between one man and another will not be a decision of God, a reward or a punishment from Him, but that which was in each one's heart; what was there during all our life will be revealed in the Day of Judgement. If there is a reward and a punishment during this revelation – and there really is – it does not come from God but from the love or hate which reigns in our heart. Love has bliss in it, hatred has despair, bitterness, grief, affliction, wickedness, agitation, confusion, darkness, and all the other interior conditions which compose hell.” —St. Symeon the New Theologian “In whatever state a person is, he sometimes finds himself making pure and intense prayers. For even from that first and lowest sort, which has to do with recalling the future judgment, the one who is still subject to the punishment of terror and the fear of judgment is occasionally so struck with compunction that he is filled with no less joy of spirit from the richness of his supplication than the one who, examining the kindnesses of God and going over them in the purity of his heart, dissolves into unspeakable gladness and delight. For, according to the words of the Lord, the one who realizes that more has been forgiven him begins to love more.” —St. John Cassian “If a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred.” —C. S. Lewis “The pure heart sees God as in a mirror.” —Abba Philemon “The blessedness of seeing God is justly promised to the pure of heart. For the eye that is unclean would not be able to see the brightness of the true light, and what would be happiness to clear minds would be a torment to those that are defiled. Therefore, let the mists of worldly vanities be dispelled, and the inner eye be cleansed of all the filth of wickedness, so that the soul's gaze may feast serenely upon the great vision of God.” —St. Leo the Great “God rests within gentle hearts. The gentle and merciful shall sit fearless in His regions, and will inherit Heavenly glory.” —St. John Climacus “That which the word communicates by sound, the painting shows silently by representation.” —St. Basil the Great, on the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste “Do not call God just, for His justice is not manifest in the things concerning you. And if David calls Him just and upright (cf. Ps. 24:8, 144:17), His Son revealed to us that He is good and kind. ‘He is good,’ He says, ‘to the evil and to the impious’ (cf. Luke 6:35). How can you call God just when you come across the Scriptural passage on the wage given to the workers? ‘Friend, I do thee no wrong I will give unto this last even as unto thee. Is thine eye evil because I am good?’ (Matt. 20:12-15). How can a man call God just when he comes across the passage on the prodigal son who wasted his wealth with riotous living, how for the compunction alone which he showed, the father ran and fell upon his neck and gave him authority over all his wealth? (Luke 15:11 ff.). None other but His very Son said these things concerning Him, lest we doubt it; and thus He bare witness concerning Him. Where, then, is God's justice, for whilst we are sinners Christ died for us! (cf. Rom. 5:8). But if here He is merciful, we may believe that He will not change.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily LX “God chastises with love, not for the sake of revenge---far be it!---but in seeking to make whole his image. And he does not harbour wrath until such time as correction is no longer possible, for he does not seek vengeance for himself. This is the aim of love. Love's chastisement is for correction, but does not aim at retribution. … The man who chooses to consider God as avenger, presuming that in this manner he bears witness to His justice, the same accuses Him of being bereft of goodness. Far be it that vengeance could ever be found in that Fountain of love and Ocean brimming with goodness!” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Among all God's actions there is none which is not entirely a matter of mercy, love and compassion: this constitutes the beginning and end of His dealings with us.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “We must hate avarice, self-esteem and sensual pleasure, as mothers of the vices and stepmothers of the virtues. Because of them we are commanded not to love ‘the world’ and ‘the things that are in the world’ (1 John 2:15); not so that we should hate God's creation through lack of discernment, but so that we should eliminate the occasions for these three passions.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “‘The world’ is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to call the passions by a common name, we call them the world. But when we wish to distinguish them by their special names, we call them the passions. The passions are the following: love of riches, desire for possessions, bodily pleasure from which comes sexual passion, love of honour which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain ornaments, the itch for human glory which is a source of rancour and resentment, and physical fear. Where these passions cease to be active, there the world is dead; for though living in the flesh, they did not live for the flesh. See for which of these passions you are alive. Then you will know how far you are alive to the world and how far you are dead to it.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Just as a man whose head is under water cannot inhale pure air, so a man whose thoughts are plunged into the cares of this world cannot absorb the sensation of the world to come.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “We don't understand that happiness is in eternity and not in vanity.” —Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos “Why do you beat the air and run in vain? Every occupation has a purpose, obviously. Tell me then, what is the purpose of all the activity of the world? Answer, I challenge you! It is vanity of vanity: all is vanity.” —St. John Chrysostom “The sun shines on all alike, and vainglory beams on all activities. For instance, I am vainglorious when I fast; and when I relax the fast in order to be unnoticed, I am again vainglorious over my prudence. When well-dressed I am quite overcome by vainglory, and when I put on poor clothes I am vainglorious again. When I talk I am defeated, and when I am silent I am again defeated by it. However I throw this prickly-pear, a spike stands upright.” —St. John Climacus “Watch your heart during all your life — examine it, listen to it, and see what prevents its union with the most blessed Lord. Let this be for you the science of all sciences, and with God’s help, you will easily observe what estranges you from God, and what draws you towards Him and unites you to Him. It is the evil spirit more than anything that stands between our hearts and God; he estranges God from us by various passions, or by the desire of the flesh, by the desires of the eyes, and by worldly pride.” —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ "Have you ever observed the life of the heart? Try it even for a short time and see what you find. Something unpleasant happens, and you get irritated; some misfortune occurs, and you pity yourself; you see someone whom you dislike, and animosity wells up within you; you meet one of your equals who has now outdistanced you on the social scale, and you begin to envy him; you think of your talents and capabilities, and you begin to grow proud… All this is rottenness: vainglory, carnal desire, gluttony, laziness, malice-one on top of the other, they destroy the heart.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco “As water and fire oppose one another when combined, so are self-justification and humility opposed to one another.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “Fire and water do not mix, neither can you mix judgment of others with the desire to repent. If a man commits a sin before you at the very moment of his death, pass no judgment, because the judgment of God is hidden from men. It has happened that men have sinned greatly in the open but have done greater deeds in secret, so that those who would disparage them have been fooled, with smoke instead of sunlight in their eyes.” —St. John Climacus “Christians, above all men, are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force… it is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. God gives the crown to those who are kept from evil, not by force, but by choice.” —St. John Chrysostom “I have seen pride lead to humility. And I remembered him who said: Who hath known the mind of the Lord? The pit and offspring of conceit is a fall; but a fall is often an occasion of humility for those who are willing to use it to their advantage.” —St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 15, Section 38 “Humility is the only thing that no devil can imitate.” —St. John Climacus “An angel fell from Heaven without any other passion except pride, and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven by humility alone, without any other of the virtues.” —St. John Climacus “Run from pride, for it is a passion more treacherous than any other.” —St. John Chrysostom “Pride more than anything else, deprives people of both their good deeds and help from God. Where there is no humility, pride takes its place.” —St. Macarius of Optina “‘Exile is separation from everything in order to keep the mind inseparable from God. An exile loves and produces continual weeping.’ From Paradise, we must become exiled from the world if we hope to return.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Prayer is superior to all good works. It begets tears of repentance, greatly contributes to peace in one’s thoughts, leads one to think only of God Who is the ultimate Peace, and brings forth the love of God. Prayer alone purifies the rational part of the soul through the vision of God, Who causes the purification of the angels; it also preserves the desiring part of the soul in purity before God.” —St. Kallistos Telikoudes, On the Practice of Hesychasm, The Philokalia, Vol. 5 “Day and night I pray the Lord for love, and the Lord gives me tears to weep for the whole world. But if I find fault with any man, or look on him with an unkind eye, my tears will dry up, and my soul sink into despondency. Yet do I begin again to entreat forgiveness of the Lord, and the Lord in His mercy forgives me, a sinner. Brethren, before the face of my God I write: Humble your hearts, and while yet on this earth you will see the mercy of the Lord, and know your Heavenly Creator, and your souls will never have their fill of love.” —St. Silouan the Athonite “Here are those of whom I speak and who are called heretics by me. They are the ones who say that in our present age there is no one in our midst who is able to observe the commandments and be like the holy fathers…. Those who declare this is impossible have fallen not into one particular heresy but into all of them, so to speak – a heresy surpassing all others in its impiety and greatest blasphemy. They are buried underneath it…. The one who speaks in such a manner turns all of Scripture upside down…. These antichrists affirm, ‘It is impossible, impossible’. Why then is it impossible? Tell me. In what other way did the saints shine on earth and did they become lamps of the world? If it were impossible, they would never have succeeded in it. For they were men like us, and possessed no more than we do except a will directed toward the good. They had zeal, patience, humility, and love for God. Therefore, acquire all this and your soul which today is as hard as rock shall become a fountain of tears inside you. However, if you refuse to suffer such anguish and affliction, at least do not say that all this is impossible.” —St. Symeon the New Theologian, The Discourses, Discourse XXIX: The Heresy of Pusillanimity “…The ambition of men, who have no fear of God, rushes into high posts, and exalted office is now publicly known as the prize of impiety. The result is, that the worse a man blasphemes, the fitter the people think him to be a bishop. Clerical dignity is a thing of the past. There is a complete lack of men shepherding the Lord’s flock with knowledge. Ambitious men are constantly throwing away the provision for the poor on their own enjoyment and the distribution of gifts. There is no precise knowledge of canons. There is complete immunity in sinning; for when men have been placed in office by the favour of men, they are obliged to return the favour by continually showing indulgence to offenders. Just judgment is a thing of the past; and everyone walks according to his heart’s desire. Vice knows no bounds; the people know no restraint. Men in authority are afraid to speak, for those who have reached power by human interest are the slaves of those to whom they owe their advancement. And now the very vindication of Orthodoxy is looked upon in some quarters as an opportunity for mutual attack; and men conceal their private ill-will and pretend that their hostility is all for the sake of the truth. Others, afraid of being convicted of disgraceful crimes, madden the people into fratricidal quarrels, that their own doings may be unnoticed in the general distress. Hence the war admits of no truce, for the doers of ill deeds are afraid of a peace, as being likely to lift the veil from their secret infamy. All the while unbelievers laugh; men of weak faith are shaken; faith is uncertain; souls are drenched in ignorance, because adulterators of the word imitate the truth. The mouths of true believers are dumb, while every blasphemous tongue wags free; holy things are trodden under foot; the better laity shun the churches as schools of impiety; and lift their hands in the deserts with sighs and tears to their Lord in heaven. Even you must have heard what is going on in most of our cities, how our people with wives and children and even our old men stream out before the walls, and offer their prayers in the open air, putting up with all the inconvenience of the weather with great patience, and waiting for help from the Lord.” —St. Basil the Great, Letter 92, To the Italians and Gaul “He who in his heart is proud of his tears and secretly condemns those who do not weep is like a man who asks the king for a weapon against his enemy and then commits suicide with it.” —St. John Climacus “Do not grow conceited if you shed tears when you pray. For it is Christ who has touched your eyes.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “And here also we have diligently to consider, that it is far more secure and safe that every man should do that for himself whiles he is yet alive, which he desireth that others should do for him after his death. For far more blessed it is, to depart free out of this world, than being in prison to seek for release: and therefore reason teacheth us, that we should with our whole soul contemn this present world, at least because we see that it is now gone and past: and to offer unto God the daily sacrifice of tears, and the daily Sacrifice of His Body and Blood. For this Sacrifice doth especially save our souls from everlasting damnation, which in mystery doth renew unto us the death of the Son of God: who although being risen from death, doth not now die any more, nor death shall not any further prevail against him: yet living in himself immortally, and without all corruption, he is again sacrificed for us in this mystery of the holy oblation: for there his body is received, there his flesh is distributed for the salvation of the people: there His Blood is not now shed betwixt the hands of infidels, but poured into the mouths of the faithful. Wherefore let us hereby meditate what manner of sacrifice this is, ordained for us, which for our absolution doth always represent the passion of the only Son of God: for what right believing Christian can doubt, that in the very hour of the sacrifice, at the words of the Priest, the heavens be opened, and the quires of Angels are present in that mystery of Jesus Christ; that high things are accompanied with low, and earthly joined to heavenly, and that one thing is made of visible and invisible?” —St. Gregory the Great, Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, Book 4, ch. 58 “… One must clean the royal house from every impurity and adorn it with every beauty, then the king may enter into it. In a similar way one must first cleanse the earth of the heart and uproot the weeds of sin and the passionate deeds and soften it with sorrows and the narrow way of life, sow in it the seed of virtue, water it with lamentation and tears, and only then does the fruit of dispassion and eternal life grow. For the Holy Spirit does not dwell in a man until he has been cleansed from passions of the soul and body.” —St. Paisius Velichkovsky, ‘Field Flowers’ “God, Who is by nature good and dispassionate, loves all men equally as His handiwork. But He glorifies the virtuous man because in his will he is united to God. At the same time, in His goodness he is merciful to the sinner and by chastising him in this life brings him back to the path of virtue. Similarly, a man of good and dispassionate judgment also loves all men equally. He loves the virtuous man because of his nature and the probity of his intention; and he loves the sinner, too, because of his nature and because in his compassion he pities him for foolishly stumbling in darkness.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “I do not know how I came into the world; Nor what the things here in it are. What my sight is, O my God, And what the objects that I see, I cannot tell. How all we men are vain, And have no proper judgement of reality! Yesterday at least I came and tomorrow I shall go, And I think to be immortal yonder. That Thee are my God I confess to everyone, and yet deny Thee daily in my deeds. I teach that Thee have made each living thing; And yet without Thee struggle to have all. Thy rule extends above, below And yet I am not feared to strive against Thee. Let me the needy one, me most miserable; Disburden all the sickness of my soul Crushed, alas and broken into bits. By vanity, by foolish arrogance. Grant me to be humble, grant me a hand of help; And cleanse my soul’s pollution. And give me tears of repentance; Love’s tears, tears of liberty; Tears cleansing my mind’s darkness. And filling me with heavenly radiance! For Thee it is, the world’s Light; The Light of my poor eyes, I wish to see – I who fill my heart with life’s evils, Suffering much of affliction and of envy. From those who have worked my exiles: From those, rather, who are my benefactors; Who are my masters, my true friends: To whom, O Christ, instead of ill give blessing: Eternal, rich, divine; Prepared by Thee for all the ages; For those who deeply long for Thee, love Thee.” —St. Symeon the New Theologian, On the right attitude to Life “Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience. For thus he who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” —St. John Climacus “The passions of the flesh may be described as belonging to the left hand, self-conceit as belonging to the right hand.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “When the soul leaves the body, the enemy advances to attack it, fiercely reviling it and accusing it of its sins in a harsh and terrifying manner. The devout soul, however, even though in the past it has often been wounded by sin, is not frightened by the enemy’s attacks and threats. Strengthened by the Lord, winged by joy, filled with courage by the holy angels that guide it, and encircled and protected by the light of faith, it answers the enemy with great boldness: ‘Fugitive from heaven, wicked slave, what have I to do with you? You have no authority over me; Christ the Son of God has authority over me and over all things. Against Him have I sinned, before Him shall I stand on trial, having His Precious Cross as a sure pledge of His saving love towards me. Flee from me, destroyer! You have nothing to do with the servants of Christ.’ When the soul says all this fearlessly, the devil turns his back, howling aloud and unable to withstand the name of Christ. Then the soul swoops down on the devil from above, attacking him like a hawk attacking a crow. After this it is brought rejoicing by the holy angels to the place appointed for it in accordance with its inward state.” —St. Theognostos, On the Practice of the Virtues, Philokalia, Vol. 2 “If you wish to be saved, O my soul, to go first on the most sorrowful path which has been indicated here, to enter into the Heavenly Kingdom and receive eternal life – then refine your flesh, taste voluntary bitterness, and endure difficult sorrows, as all the Saints tasted and endured. And when a man is preparing himself and gives himself the command to endure for the sake of God all sorrows and pain which come upon him, then light and painless seem for him all sorrows, unpleasantnesses and attacks of devils and men. He does not fear death, and nothing can separate such a one from the love of Christ. Have you heard, my beloved soul, how the Holy Fathers spent their lives? O my soul! Imitate them at least a little.” —St. Paisius Velichkovsky “If you rebuke yourself, accuse yourself, and judge yourself before God for your sins, with a sensitive conscience, even for this you will be justified.If you are sorrowful for your sins, or you weep, or sigh, your sigh will not be hidden from Him and, as St. John Chrysostom says, ‘If you only lament for your sins, then He will receive this for your salvation.’” —St. Moses of Optina “A good heart produces good thoughts: its thoughts correspond to what it stores up in itself.” —St. Thalassios the Libyan “Fasting is for the purification of the soul and body.” —St. John Chrysostom “Fasting is wonderful, because it tramples our sins like a dirty weed, while it cultivates and raises truth like a flower.” —St. Basil the Great “Fasting is the mother of health; the friend of chastity; the partner of humility.” —St. Symeon the New theologian “Many fast with body, but do not fast with soul: many fast from food and drink, but do not fast from evil thoughts, actions and words, and what is the benefit of it?! Many fast a day and two more, but from anger, resentment and vengeance will not fast; many refrain from wine, meat and fish, but with their tongue they eat people similar to themselves, and what is the benefit of it?! There are those who do not reach for food with their hands, but provide them for bribery, embezzlement and robbery, and what is the benefit of it?! True and true fasting is abstaining from every evil. If you want, Christian, to benefit from your fasting, fast carnally, fast mentally, and fast always! When you instruct fasting to your stomach, impose it on your evil thoughts and lusts. Let your mind fast from vain thoughts and memory from resentment, and your will from evil wanting, and your eyes from evil looking. Turn away your eyes from beholding vanity, let your ears fast from shameful songs and whispers of slander, let your tongue fast from defamation, condemnation, blasphemy, lies, flattery, filth and every empty and rotten word. Let your hands fast from the robbery of another's goods, and your feet from the clothing of evil work. Repent and, abstaining from every evil word, deed and thought, learn every virtue and you will always fast before God.” —St. Tikhon of Zadonsk “As salt is needed for all kinds of food, so humility is needed for all kinds of virtues.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Virtue is not the manifestation of many and various works performed by the body, but a heart that is most wise in its hope and unites a right aim to godly works. Often, the mind can accomplish that which is good without bodily works, but the body without wisdom of the heart can gain no profit for all it may do.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 40 “Let it be known to you that if in your life you have mastered every virtue and every good deed such as mercy, prayer, fast, and other virtues but have no humility in you, your toil will be in vain. For humility in all these virtues is the solid foundation. Without it, we cannot master any of the virtues and all these virtues will become impure, filthy, and discarded before God because they were not sown with humility and love.” —St. John Chrysostom “Fasting is the mother of health; the friend of chastity; the partner of humility.” —St. Symeon the New theologian “What can sin do where there is penitence? And of what use is love where there is pride?” —Abba Elias “Pride is poverty of the soul, which imagines itself to be rich, and being in darkness, thinks it has light.” —St. John Climacus “Modern society calls the beggar bum and panhandler and gives him the bum's rush. But the Greeks used to say that people in need are the ambassadors of the gods.” —Peter Maurin “Every family should have a room where Christ is welcome in the person of the hungry and thirsty stranger.” —St. John Chrysostom “Who is the greedy man? One for whom plenty does not suffice. Who defrauds others? One who keeps for himself what belongs to everyone. Aren’t you greedy, don’t you defraud, when you keep for yourself what was given to give away? When someone steals a man’s clothes, we call him a thief. Shouldn’t we give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not?” —St. Basil the Great “The bread you do not use is the bread of the hungry. The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of the person who is naked. The shoes you do not wear are the shoes of one who is barefoot. The money you keep locked away is the money of the poor. The acts of charity you do not perform are the injustices you commit.” —St. Basil the Great “You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor man, but you are giving him back what is his. You have been appropriating things that are meant to be for the common use of everyone. The earth belongs to everyone, not to the rich.” —St. Ambrose of Milan “Do not consider your riches as belonging to yourselves alone; open wide your hand to those who are in need.” —St. Cyril of Alexandria “The man who loves his neighbor as himself possesses no more than his neighbor…thus, as much as your wealth increases, so much does your love decrease.” —St. Basil the Great “If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.” —St. John Chrysostom “A rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much. For what he gives away remains his forever.” —St. John Chrysostom “A poor man when he reaches out to you does not beg, but offers you the kingdom of God.” —Elder Arsenie (Papacioc) of Romania “No one in creation is rich but he that fears God; no one is truly poor but he that lacks the truth.” —St. Ephrem the Syrian “Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant you the fruits of repentance.” —St. John Chrysostom “The Lord Himself said in the Gospel: ‘The last shall be first and the first, last’ (Matt 20:16). Thus, may Divine mercy shine forth with His love upon the poor, so that it may make great ones from the little, and that from the weak it may make co-inheritors with His Only Begotten Son. For it exhalts the poverty of this world to Heaven, to which the earthly kingdom cannot rise, so that the rustic comes to the place where he who wears the purple does not merit to come.” —St Gregory of Tours, Via Patrum “In all your undertakings and in every way of life, whether you are living in obedience, or are not submitting your work to anyone, whether in outward or in spiritual matters, let it be your rule and practice to ask yourself: Am I really doing this in accordance with God's will?” —St. John Climacus “Those who submit to the Lord with simple heart will run the good race. If they keep their minds on a leash, they will not draw the wickedness of the demons onto themselves.” —St. John Climacus “A hypocrite is someone who teaches his neighbor something he makes no effort to do himself.” —St. Poemen “I prefer a man who sins and repents to one who does not sin and does not repent. The first has good thoughts, for he admits that he is sinful. But the second has false, soul-destroying thoughts, for he imagines himself to be righteous.” —Abba Poemen the Great “At meals don't speak about food: that's vulgar and unworthy of you. Speak about something noble -- of the soul or of the mind -- and you will have dignified this duty.” —Josemaria Escriva “When someone learns to acknowledge every man as being better than himself, then he has attained humility.” —St. Sisoes the Great “It is a spiritual gift from God for a man to perceive his sins.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “The man who is deemed worthy to see himself is greater than he who is deemed worthy to see angels.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “The truly blessed are not the ones who can work miracles or see angels; the truly blessed are the ones who can see their own sins.” —St. Anthony the Great “The nearer a man draws to God, the more he sees himself a sinner. It was when Isaiah the prophet saw God, that he declared himself ‘a man of unclean lips.’” —St. Mateos “The condition of peace among men is that each should keep a consciousness of his own wrongdoing.” —St. Silouan the Athonite “The way to perfection is through the realization that we are blind, naked and poor.” —St. Theophan the Recluse “The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love. His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does. He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward. The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.” —St. Clement of Alexandria “Every day at nightfall, before sleep comes upon you, excite the judgment of your conscience, demand an account from it, and whatever evil counsels you may have taken during the day … pierce them, tear them to pieces, and do penance for them.” —St. John Chrysostom “As I became more wretched you drew nearer to me.” —St. Augustine “Sin is the fruit of free will. There was a time when sin did not exist, and there will be a time when it will not exist.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Prove your love and zeal for wisdom in actual deeds.” —St. Callistus Xanthopoulos “Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.” —Thérèse de Lisieux “Do not leave unobliterated any fault, however small, for it may lead you on to greater sins.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “Everyday I lay a foundation for building my repentance, and again with my own hands I demolish it.” —St. Ephrem the Syrian “Having fulfilled a commandment, expect temptations; because love toward Christ is tested by difficulties.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “Do not be surprised that when you draw near to virtue, grievous and intense tribulations come to you on all sides: for virtue is not considered virtue, if it does not involve hard work.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Directions on Spiritual Training, The Philokalia “A certain brother had succumbed to the sin of lust, repeating this sin every day, but every day he would also beseech the Lord's mercy, with tears and prayers. By acting this way, his bad habit always fooled him and he would repeat the sin again; but again, after sinning, he would go to the Church and, upon seeing the holy and venerable icon of our Lord Jesus Christ, would fall to his knees and with bitter tears would say: ‘Spare me, Lord, and rid of me this tortuous temptation, because it plagues me terribly and harms me with its bitter pleasures. My face is not worthy to look upon Your holy icon, so that my heart might be consoled.’ That was the sort of thing he would say, but whenever he left the Church, he would again fall in the mire. Yet he never lost his hopes for salvation, and immediately after sinning, he would again return to the Church and say the same things, praying to the benevolent Lord God: ‘Lord, be my warrantor that from now on I won't sin again; but please, Lord, forgive all of my sins, from the beginning, up to now.’ And after making these grandiose promises, he would again return to the same, terrible sin. And one could discern the sweet benevolence and infinite goodness of the Lord, in tolerating and enduring this incorrigible and grave violation and the ingratitude of this man, and how, in His great compassion, the Lord desired the repentance of this man and his definitive return; because this sin was being repeated, not for one, two or three years, but for ten and more. Brothers, can you see the immeasurable tolerance and infinite benevolence of the Lord? How He shows forbearance and kindness every time, by enduring our gross iniquities and sins? What is more staggering and provokes our wonder with regard to God's wealth of compassion, is that although our brother kept promising and would agree to desist from that sin, he proved himself a liar. One day, after our brother had fallen into that sin again, he went running to the Church, mourning and moaning and in tears, beseeching the compassion of the merciful God to spare him and save him from the mire of incontinence. While this brother was begging the benevolent God, the wicked devil, the destruction of our souls, realized that he had achieved nothing, because while he was sewing with sin, the man was fraying it with his repentance. So the devil impudently appeared before him visibly, and, turning his face towards the venerable icon of our Lord Jesus Christ, started to cry out, saying: ‘What ‘s it going to be with us two, Jesus Christ? Your infinite sympathy defeats me and degrades me, whenever you accept this lecher, this wanton, who lies to you every day and disregards your authority. Why then don't you burn him? Why are You so forbearing and tolerant towards him? You are supposed to be the one who will judge the adulterous and the licentious and will eliminate all sinners. In fact, You are not a fair judge, because, wherever Your authority considers it befitting, You judge unfairly and You overlook things. With me, because of the small infraction of pride, you cast me down from heaven, whereas with him, who is a liar, a lecher and a prodigal, because he merely knelt before You, You imperturbably grant him Your favor. So, why do they call You a fair judge? From what I can see, You simply give Yourself to people out of Your great goodness, and You overlook justice.’ As the devil was saying these, all choked up by his bitterness, flames and smoke came out of his nostrils. After the devil had finished speaking, he became silent, and immediately, a voice was heard coming out of the altar saying: ‘You wicked and pestilent dragon, your wickedness wasn't satiated by swallowing the whole world, and now you are trying to grab and swallow this man who found refuge in the infinite mercy of My compassion? Can you present any sins that are heavier than the precious blood which I shed for this man, on the Cross? Mark well, that My crucifixion and My death forgave his sins. Besides, you didn't send him away when he headed towards sin, but you accepted him with joy and you neither abhorred him nor hindered him, because you hoped to win him. Well then, I, Who am so merciful and benevolent, who had instructed my high Apostle Peter to forgive any man who sins daily up to seventy times seven, will I not forgive and spare this man? Yes, I say to you, and because he sought refuge in Me, I will not turn away from him, until I have made him mine. Because I was crucified for the sinners and it was for them that I extended my immaculate arms, so that everyone who wants to be saved, will seek refuge in me and be saved. I do not avoid anyone, nor do I send anyone away, not even if someone sins a thousand times in one day and then comes to Me a thousand times; he won't leave dismayed. Because I did not come to call the righteous to repent, but the sinners.’ As soon as these words were heard, the devil stood fixed in place, trembling, unable to escape. And the voice spoke again: ‘Listen, impostor, with regard to what you said about me being unfair : because I am fair to everyone, and in whichever condition I might find them, I will judge them accordingly. Look at this man, I found him in repentance and returning back, fallen on his knees in front of Me, and your conqueror. I will therefore accept him and save his soul, because he did not despair about his salvation. And you, when seeing the honor that I grant him, will impale yourself out of envy and be put to shame.’ And just as the brother lay there, prone and weeping, he gave up his soul; instantly, a fury as great as a fire fell upon the devil, and it consumed him. Therefore my brothers let us learn from this incident of God's immeasurable compassion and philanthropy, what a kind God we have, and that we must never despair or not tend to our salvation.” —St. Amphilochios, On Masturbation and the Futility of Despair “Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honor your patience. While a wound is still fresh and warm it is easy to heal, but old, neglected and festering ones are hard to cure, and require for their care much treatment, cutting, plastering and cauterization. Many from long neglect become incurable. But with God all things are possible.” —St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 5, Section 30 “The life of the righteous was radiant. How did it become radiant if it wasn’t by patience? Love patience, O monk, as the mother of courage.” —St. Ephrem the Syrian “Seek in everything the deep meaning. All the events that take place around us and with us have their meaning. Nothing happens without a cause…” —St. Nektary of Optina “…should we fall, we should not despair and so estrange ourselves from the Lord's love. For if He so chooses, He can deal mercifully with our weakness. Only we should not cut ourselves off from Him or feel oppressed when constrained by His commandments, nor should we lose heart when we fall short of our goal…let us always be ready to make a new start. If you fall, rise up. If you fall again, rise up again. Only do not abandon your Physician, lest you be condemned as worse than a suicide because of your despair. Wait on Him, and He will be merciful, either reforming you, or sending you trials, or through some other provision of which you are ignorant.” —St. Peter of Damascus “Faintness of heart is a sign of despondency, and negligence is the mother of both. A cowardly man shows that he suffers from two diseases: love of his flesh and lack of faith; for love of one's flesh is a sign of unbelief. But he who despises the love of the flesh proves that he believes in God with his whole heart and awaits the age to come … A courageous heart and scorn of perils comes from one of two causes: either from hardness of heart or from great faith in God. Pride accompanies hardness of heart, but humility accompanies faith. A man cannot acquire hope in God unless he first does His will with exactness. For hope in God and manliness of heart are born of the testimony of the conscience, and by the truthful testimony of the mind we possess confidence towards God.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 40 “Within the heart are unfathomable depths. The heart is a small vessel, and yet dragons and lions are there. And there also are poisonous creatures and all the treasures of wickedness; rough and uneven paths are there and gaping chasms. Likewise, God is there; there are angels, there is life and the Kingdom, there is light and the apostles and the heavenly cities and the treasures of grace. All things lie within that little space.” —St. Macarius the Great “Just as the Lord is solicitous about our salvation, so too the murder of men, the devil, strives to lead a man into despair. A lofty and sound soul does not despair over misfortunes, of whatever sort they may be. Our life is as it were a house of temptations and trials; but we will not renounce the Lord for as long as He allows the tempter to remain with us and for as long as we must wait to be revived through patience and secure passionless! Judas the betrayer was fainthearted and unskilled in battle, and so the enemy, seeing his despair, attacked him and forced him to hang himself, but Peter, a firm rock, when he fell into great sin, like one skilled in battle did not despair nor lose heart, but shed bitter tears from a burning heart, and the enemy, seeing these tears, his eyes scorched as by fire, fled far form him wailing in pain. And so brothers, St. Antioch teaches, when despair attacks us let us not yield to it, but being strengthened and protected by the light of faith, with great courage let us say to the evil spirit: ‘What are you to us, estranged from God, a fugitive from heaven and evil servant? You dare do nothing to us. Christ, the Son of God, has authority both over us and over everything. It is against Him that we have sinned, and before Him that we will be justified. And you, destroyer, leave us. Strengthen by His venerable Cross, we trample under foot your serpent's head’ (St. Antioch Discourse 27).” —St. Seraphim of Sarov, Little Russian Philokalia “I think it needs to be pointed out with utmost charity that the religion of compromise is self-deception and that there exist today only two absolutely irreconcilable alternatives for man: faith in the world and the religion of self, whose fruit is death; and the faith in Christ the Son of God, in Whom alone is eternal life.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Keep your mind in hell and do not despair.” —St. Silouan the Athonite “Stand at the brink of the abyss of despair, and when you see that you cannot bear it anymore, draw back a little, and have a cup of tea.” —Elder Sophrony of Essex “So in every test, let us say: "Thank you, my God, because this was needed for my salvation."” —Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos “Only the benumbed soul doesn't pray. Preserve in yourselves the feeling of need, and you will always have stimulation for prayer.” —St. Theophan the Recluse “Make sure that you do not limit your prayer merely to a particular part of the day. Turn to prayer at anytime.” —St John Chrysostom “The Lord knows that I love you all, but I cannot speak with God and people at the same time.” —St. Arsanius the Great “A Christian…is not his own master; he puts his time at God's disposal.” —St. Ignatius of Antioch “Do not seek the perfection of the Law in human virtues, for it is not found perfect in them. Its perfection is hidden in the Cross of Christ.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “The knowledge of the Cross is concealed in the sufferings of the Cross.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “It is impossible to believe that Christ is Risen, while we are afraid of death…” —St. Gregory Palamas “God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” —St. Augustine “Nevertheless one who regards only the dissolution of the body is greatly disturbed, and makes it a hardship that this life of ours should be dissolved by death; it is, he says, the extremity of evil that our being should be quenched by this condition of mortality. Let him, then, observe through this gloomy prospect the excess of the Divine benevolence.”” —St. Gregory of Nyssa, The Great Catechism, §VIII “Man is, by nature, afraid of both death and the dissolution of the body; but there is this most startling fact: that he who has put on the faith of the Cross despises even what is naturally fearful, and for Christ's sake is not afraid even of death.” —St. Athanasius the Great “Let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: only let me attain to Jesus Christ.” —St. Ignatius of Antioch “Everything will happen suddenly. It may even happen tonight. Maybe it has begun already? Today you are deprived of one thing, tomorrow of another. God is giving it to us a little at a time, and we stupid people don’t understand. I say this to you and I counsel you, even if the sky were to fall down, even if the earth would rise up, even if the whole world were destroyed, as it is due to do so, today, tomorrow, don’t be concerned with what God is going to do. Let them burn your body, let them fry it, let them take your possessions – don’t concern yourself. Give them away – they are not yours. You need your soul and Christ. Even if the whole world were to fall apart, no one can take these two things away from you against your will. Guard these two, and don’t loose them.” —St. Kosmas Aitolos “Certainly in times of tranquility the cross should give you joy. But maintain the same faith in times of persecution. Otherwise you will be a friend of Jesus in times of peace and his enemy during war.” —St. Cyril of Jerusalem “Only struggle a little more. Carry your cross without complaining. Don't think you are anything special. Don't justify your sins and weaknesses, but see yourself as you really are. And, especially, love one another.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Remember that each of us has his own cross. The Golgotha of this cross is our heart: it is being lifted or implanted through a zealous determination to live according to the Spirit of God. Just as salvation of the world is by the Cross of God, so our salvation is by our crucifixion on our own cross.” —St. Theophan the Recluse “Everyone carries their own cross, both Christians and non-Christians, believers and pagans. The difference is that for some, their crosses serve as a means of attaining the Kingdom of Heaven, while for the others they bring no such value. For the Christian, the cross gradually becomes lighter and more joyful, while for the nonbeliever it becomes heavier and more burdensome. Why is this so? Because where the one carries their cross with faith and devotion to God, the other carries it with grumbling and anger. Therefore, Christian, do not shun your lifelong cross, but, on the contrary, thank Jesus Christ that He honored you to follow and imitate Him.” —St. Innocent of Alaska, Indication Of The Way Into The Kingdom Of Heaven “Everyone has a cross to carry. Why? Since the leader of our faith endured the cross, we will also endure it. On one hand, the cross is sweet and light, but, on the other, it can also be bitter and heavy. It depends on our will. If you bear Christ’s cross with love then it will be very light; like a sponge or a cork. But if you have a negative attitude, it becomes heavy; too heavy to lift.” —Elder Ephraim of Katounakia, 20th Century staretz on Mt. Athos, Suffering; Trials “When you meet with suffering, contempt, the Cross, your thought should be: what is this compared with what I deserve?” —Josemaria Escriva “Many people, finding daily life unsatisfying, try to live in a fantasy world of their own. Underlying the whole of modern culture is the common denominator of the worship of oneself and one's own comfort, which is deadly to any idea of spiritual life.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Behold, for years and generations, the way of God has been leveled by the cross and by death. How is this with thee, that thou seest the afflictions of the way as if they were out of the way? Doest not thou wish to follow the steps of the saints? Or doest thou wish to go a way which is especially for thee, without suffering? The way unto God is a daily cross. No one can ascend unto heaven with comfort, we know where the way of comfort leads.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Mystic Treatises, Homily LIX “I know of my spiritual poverty, my own nothingness without faith. I am so weak, that it is only by Christ's name that I live and obtain peace, that I rejoice and my heart expands, whilst without Him I am spiritually dead, I am troubled, and my heart is oppressed; without the Lord's Cross I should have been long since the victim of the most cruel distress and despair. Only Christ keeps me alive: and the Cross is my peace and my consolation.” —St. John of Kronstadt “Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him.” —St. Gregory the Theologian “Understand two thoughts, and fear them. One says, 'You are a saint,' the other, 'You won't be saved.' Both of these thoughts are from the enemy, and there is no truth in them. But think this way: I am a great sinner, but the Lord is merciful. He loves people very much, and He will forgive my sins. Believe in this way, and you will see, the Lord will forgive you. But put no faith in feats of your own, however much you may have striven… Thus God has mercy on us, not for our achievements but gracious, because of His goodness.” —St. Silouan the Athonite “He made Him who was righteous to be a sinner, that He might make sinners righteous.” —St. John Chrysostom “Love sinners, but hate their deeds, and do not disdain sinners for their failings, so that you yourself do not fall into the temptation in which they abide… Do not be angry at anyone and do not hate anyone, neither for their faith, nor for their shameful deeds… Do not foster hatred for the sinner, for we are all guilty… Hate his sins, and pray for him, so that you may be made like unto Christ, who had no dislike for sinners, but prayed for them.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Ascetical Homilies 57,90 “Love every man in spite of his falling into sin. Never mind the sins, but remember that the foundation of the man is the same - the image of God.” —St. John of Kronstadt “Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement.” —St. John of Kronstadt “Firmly purpose in your soul to hate every sin of thought, word, and deed, and when you are tempted to sin resist it valiantly and with a feeling of hatred for it; only beware lest your hatred should turn against the person of your brother who gave occasion for the sin. Hate the sin with all your heart, but pity your brother; instruct him, and pray for him to the Almighty, Who sees all of us and tries our hearts and innermost parts.” —St. John of Kronstadt “For this reason, the man who lives by God's standards and not by man's, must needs be a lover of the good, and it follows that he must hate what is evil. Further, since no one is evil by nature, but anyone who is evil is evil because of a perversion of nature, the man who lives by God's standards has a duty of ‘perfect hatred’ (Psalm 139:22) towards those who are evil; that is to say, he should not hate the person because of the fault, nor should he love the fault because of the person. He should hate the fault, but love the man. And when the fault has been cured there will remain only what he ought to love, nothing that he should hate.” —St. Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, 14:6, Penguin ed., transl. Bettenson “As Jesus Christ is my Witness, I profess that I hate heresy, not the heretic; but as is proper, for the present I shun the heretics because of the heresy, since I have both convicted and rebuked him. Let him renounce his heresy and condemn it by word as well as by deed, and he will cling to all men by the bond of brotherhood, because it is written, ‘Bear ye one another's burden and so fulfill the law of Christ’ (Gal. 6:2).” —Orosius of Braga, Book in Defense Against the Pelagians “Our life and our death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ. This is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath.” —St. Anthony the Great “Unless we look at a person and see the beauty there is in this person, we can contribute nothing to him. One does not help a person by discerning what is wrong, what is ugly, what is distorted. Christ looked at everyone he met, at the prostitute, at the thief, and saw the beauty hidden there. Perhaps it was distorted, perhaps damaged, but it was beauty none the less, and what he did was to call out this beauty.” —Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh “He who busies himself with the sins of others, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet even begun to repent or to examine himself so as to discover his own sins.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “As long as we pay attention to the negative sides of various people we meet, we will not find peace and repentance. As long as we keep in ourselves the thought of offense, caused to us by enemies, friends, family and neighbours, we will not find peace and quiet and we will live in a hellish state.” —Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica “If you are offended by anything, whether intended or unintended, you do not know the way of peace, which through love brings the lovers of divine knowledge to the knowledge of God.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “Especially, do not be disturbed by blasphemous thoughts, which clearly come from the envy of the Enemy. They occur in a person either because of proud self-opinion or the condemnation of others.” —St. Ambrose of Optina “In hell there is democracy and in Heaven there is a Kingdom.” —St. John of Kronstadt “We shall not care what people think of us, or how they treat us. We shall cease to be afraid of falling out of favour. We shall love our fellow men without thought of whether they love us. Christ gave us the commandment to love others but did not make it a condition of salvation that they should love us. Indeed, we may positively be disliked for independence of spirit. It is essential in these days to be able to protect ourselves from the influence of those with whom we come in contact. Otherwise we risk losing both faith and prayer. Let the whole world dismiss us as unworthy of attention, trust or respect – it will not matter provided that the Lord accept us. And vice versa: it will profit us nothing if the whole world thinks well of us and sings our praises, if the Lord declines to abide with us. This is only a fragment of the freedom Christ meant when He said, ‘Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ (John 8.32). Our sole care will be to continue in the word of Christ, to become His disciples and cease to be servants of sin.” —Archimandrite Sophrony of Essex, His Life is Mine, Chapter 6; pg. 55 “The Church is a hospital, and not a courtroom, for souls. She does not condemn on behalf of sins, but grants remission of sins. Nothing is so joyous in our life as the thanksgiving that we experience in the Church. In the Church, the joyful sustain their joy. In the Church, those worried acquire merriment, and those saddened, joy. In the Church, the troubled find relief, and the heavy-laden, rest. ‘Come,’ says the Lord, ‘near me, all of you who labor and are heavy-laden (with trials and sins), and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). What could be more desirable than to meet this voice? What is sweeter than this invitation? The Lord is calling you to the Church for a rich banquet. He transfers you from struggles to rest, and from tortures to relief. He relieves you from the burden of your sins. He heals worries with thanksgiving, and sadness with joy. No one is truly free or joyful besides he who lives for Christ. Such a person overcomes all evil and does not fear anything!” —St. John Chrysostom, Homily XV, II Cor. VII VIII, paragraph 6, Themes of Life II, Life Issues II, Holy Monastery of the Paraclete “The goal of human freedom is not in freedom itself, nor is it in man, but in God. By giving man freedom God has yielded to man a piece of His divine authority, but with the intention that man himself would voluntarily bring it as a sacrifice to God, as a most perfect offering.” —St. Theophan the Recluse, The Path to Salvation “When you are depressed, bear in mind the Lord’s command to Peter to forgive a sinner seventy times seven. And you may be sure that He Who gave this command to another will Himself do very much more.” —St. John Climacus “A person who suffers bitterly when slighted or insulted should recognize from this that he still harbours the ancient serpent in his breast. If he quietly endures the insult or responds with great humility, he weakens the serpent and lessens its hold. But if he replies acrimoniously or brazenly, he gives it strength to pour its venom into his heart and to feed mercilessly on his guts. In this way the serpent becomes increasingly powerful; it destroys his soul's strength and his attempts to set himself right, compelling him to live for sin and to be completely dead to righteousness.” —St. Symeon the New Theologian “The time of this present life is a time for harvesting, and each person gathers spiritual food - as pure as possible - and stores it up for the other life. It is not the clever, the noble, the polished speakers, or the rich who win, but whoever is insulted and forbears, whoever is wronged and forgives, whoever is slandered and endures, whoever becomes a sponge and mops up whatever they might say to him. Such a person is cleansed and polished even more. He reaches great heights. He delights in the theoria of mysteries. And finally, it is he who is already inside paradise, while still in this life.” —Elder Joseph the Hesychast and Cave-dweller “When you are ready to stand in the presence of the Lord, let your soul wear a garment woven from the cloth of your forgiveness of others. Otherwise, your prayer will be of no value whatsoever.” —St. John Climacus “Forgiveness is better than revenge.” —St. Tikhon of Zadonsk “When God forgave you, it means He forgave you for eternity.” —Elder Arsenie (Papacioc) of Romania “Love alone harmoniously joins all created things with God and with each other.” —St. Thalassios the Libyan “A monk is he who withdrawing from all men, is united with all mankind. … A monk is he who regards himself as existing with all men and sees himself in each man.” —St. Nilus of Sinai “Love towards Christ is without limits, and the same is true of love towards our neighbour. It should radiate everywhere, to the ends of the earth, to every person. I wanted to go and live with the hippies at …… in order to show them the love of Christ and how great it is and how it could transfigure them. Love is above everything.” —Wounded by Love, Elder Porphyrios, pg 188 “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” —Genesis 1:27 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” —Genesis 3:5 “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” —2 Corinthians 11:14 “You shall not murder.” —Exodus 20:13 “Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.” —Deuteronomy 27:25 “He shall judge between the nations,And rebuke many people;They shall beat their swords into plowshares,And their spears into pruning hooks;Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,Neither shall they learn war anymore.” —Isaiah 2:4 “But Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’” —Matthew 26:52 “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” —Luke 18:20 “So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’” —John 8:7 “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” —1 John 3:15 “And the second commandment of the Teaching; Thou shalt not commit murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not commit paederasty, thou shalt not commit fornication, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not practise magic, thou shalt not practise witchcraft, thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten.” —Didache 2:2 “You shall not take the life of the child by obtaining an abortion. Nor, again, shall you destroy him after he is born.” —St. Barnabas, Epistle of St. Barnabas “The mold in the womb may not be destroyed.” —Tertullian “There is no question about that which is bred in the uterus, both growing, and moving from place to place. It remains, therefore, that we must think that the point of commencement of existence is one and the same for body and soul.” —St. Gregory of Nyssa “We acknowledge, therefore, that life begins with conception, because we contend that the soul begins at conception. Life begins when the soul begins. For us, we may not destroy even the fetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter when you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to birth. That is a man which is going to be one: you have the fruit already in the seed.” —Tertullian, Apology 9:6 “Now the entire process of sowing, forming, and completing the human embryo in the womb is no doubt regulated by some power, which ministers herein to the will of God, whatever may be the method which it is appointed to employ. Even the superstition of Rome, by carefully attending to these points, imagined the goddess Alemona to nourish the foetus in the womb; as well as [the goddesses] Nona and Decima, called after the most critical months of gestation; and Partula, to manage and direct parturition; and Lucina, to bring the child to the birth and light of day. We, on our part, believe the angels to officiate herein for God. The embryo therefore becomes a human being in the womb from the moment that its form is completed (conception). The law of Moses, indeed, punishes with due penalties the man who shall cause abortion, inasmuch as there exists already the rudiment of a human being, which has imputed to it even now the condition of life and death, since it is already liable to the issues of both, although, by living still in the mother, it for the most part shares its own state with the mother.” —Tertullian, Treatise on the Soul, Ch. XXXVII, On the Formation and State of the Embryo, Its Relation with the Subject of this Treatise “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” —Tertullian “…if we would not kill off the human race born and developing according to God's plan, then our whole lives would be lived according to nature. Women who make use of some sort of deadly abortion drug kill not only the embryo but, together with it, all human kindness.” —St. Clement of Alexandria, Christ the Educator, Volume II, page 10 “Those who use abortifacients commit homicide.” —St. Clement of Alexandria “The woman who aborts her child to hide her immorality, aborts at the same time her own humanity.” —St. Clement of Alexandria “Women who were reputed believers began to resort to drugs for producing sterility. They also girded themselves around, so as to expel what was being gestated. For they did not wish to have a child by either slave or by any common fellow - out of concern for their family and their excessive wealth. See what a great impiety the lawless one has advanced! He teaches adultery and murder at the same time!” —St. Hipploytus, Refutation Of All Heresies “He [Novatian] struck the womb of his wife with his heel and produced a hurried an abortion, thereby causing parricide.” —St. Cyprian of Carthage, Epistle 52 To Cornelius “The wealthy, in order that their inheritance may not be divided among several, deny in the very womb their own progeny. By use of' parricidal mixtures they snuff out the fruit of their wombs in the genital organs themselves. In this way life is taken away before it is born… Who except man himself has taught us ways of repudiating children?” —St. Ambrose of Milan “Sometimes their sadistic licentiousness goes so far that they procure poison to produce infertility, and when this is of no avail, they find one means or another to destroy the unborn and flush it from the mother's womb. For they desire to see their offspring perish before it is alive or, if it has already been granted life, they seek to kill it within the mother's body before it is born.” —St. Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Book One, Ch. 16 “A woman who has deliberately destroyed a fetus must pay the penalty for murder… those also who give drugs causing abortions are murderers themselves, as well as those who receive the poison which kills the fetus.” —St. Basil the Great, First Canonical Letter, 188:2 and 188:8 “Women also who administer drugs to cause abortion, as well as those who take poisons to destroy unborn children, are murderesses.” —St. Basil the Great, Letter CLXXXVIII: Canonica Prima, to Amphilochius, concerning the Canons, VII “The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder. The hair-splitting difference between formed and unformed makes no difference to us.” —St. Basil the Great “Why do you sow where the field is eager to destroy the fruit? Where there are medicines of sterility? Where there is murder before birth? You do not even let a harlot remain only a harlot, but you make her a murderess as well. Indeed, it is something worse than murder and I do not know what to call it; for she does not kill what is formed but prevents its formation. What then? Do you condemn the gifts of God, and fight with His laws? What is a curse you seek as though it were a blessing. Do you make the anteroom of slaughter? Do you teach the women who are given to you for a procreation of offspring to perpetuate killing? Yet such turpitude … the matter still seems indifferent to many men–even to many men having wives. In this indifference of the married men there is greater evil filth; for then poisons are prepared, not against the womb of a prostitute, but against your injured wife. Against her are these innumerable tricks…” —St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, XXIV “Some virgins [unmarried women] go so far as to take potions, that they may insure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception. Some, when they find themselves with child through their sin, use drugs to procure abortion, and when (as often happens) they die with their offspring, they enter the lower world laden with the guilt not only of adultery against Christ but also of suicide and child murder.” —St. Jerome, Letter to Eustochium, 22:13 “The rich women, to avoid dividing the inheritance among many, kill their own unborn in the womb and with lethal extracts terminate their own offspring while yet in the womb.” —St. Ambrose, On the Hexaemeron “For every argument there is a counter-argument, but who can argue against life?” —St. Gregory Palamas, Triads in Defence of the Holy Hesychasts “If you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one.”“I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.”“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”“If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.”“It is a poverty that a child must die, so that you may live as you wish.”“How can you say there are too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.”“The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.”“Any Country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants.”“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”“Do not look for big things, just do small things with great love… The smaller the thing the greater must be our love. “God did not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.”“Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.”“There are no great things, only small things with great love. Happy are those.”“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”—Teresa of Calcutta “No one heals himself by wounding another.” —St. Ambrose of Milan “Abortion is the anti-Christ's demonic parody of the Eucharist. That's why it uses the same holy words ‘This is my body’ with the blasphemous opposite meaning.” —Dr. Peter Kreeft “An Irish pro-abortion leader described their vote as a decision to enter the ‘modern’ world. That was extremely well-said. Modernity suggests to us that we are the masters of history, the arbiters of life and death. Our compassion for the suffering is always expressed, ultimately, in our willingness to kill them, without remorse. For many, abortion has become the sacrament of modernity, in which we learn to say in blasphemous irony: ‘This is my body.’” —Fr. Stephen Freeman “Each child with special needs such as this does not come into the world in order to make our lives difficult and make us suffer. They each come into this world for a reason and have their secret inner voice. It remains to us to offer love; to ‘bear one another's burdens’; to experience a collective humbling – to realize, that is, that we are not as powerful and important as we think; and to try to lighten that person's burden and understand their language… These children are better at speaking the language of God.” —Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Labreotiki, When God is Not There, pg. 48 “O God, grant us a deeper sense of fellowship with all living things, our little brothers and sisters to whom in common with us you have given this earth as home. We recall with regret that in the past we have acted high-handedly and cruelly in exercising our domain over them. Thus, the voice of the earth which should have risen to you in song has turned into a groan of travail. May we realize that all these creatures also live for themselves and for you - not for us alone. They too love the goodness of life, as we do, and serve you better in their way than we do in ours. Amen.” —St. Basil the Great “We follow the ways of wolves, the habits of tigers: or, rather we are worse than they. To them nature has assigned that they should be thus fed, while God has honoured us with rational speech and a sense of equity. And yet we are become worse than the wild beast.” —St. John Chrysostom “Drink water from the spring where horses drink. The horse will never drink bad water. Lay your bed where the cat sleeps. Eat the fruit that has been touched by a worm. Boldly pick the mushroom on which the insects sit. Plant the tree where the mole digs. Build your house where the snake sits to warm itself. Dig your fountain where the birds hide from the heat. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time with the birds – you will reap all of the days' golden grains. Eat more green – you will have strong legs and a resistant heart, like the beings of the forest. Swim often and you will feel on earth like the fish in the water. Look at the sky as often as possible and your thoughts will become light and clear. Be quiet a lot, speak little – and silence will come in your heart, and your spirit will be calm and full of peace.” —St. Seraphim of Sarov (Nature is talking to you, are you listening?) “Nothing is without order and purpose in the animal kingdom; each animal bears the wisdom of the Creator and testifies of Him. God granted man and animals many natural attributes, such as compassion, love, feelings… for even animals bewail the loss of one of their own.” —St. John Climacus “…surely we ought to show kindness and gentleness to animals for many reasons, and chiefly because they are of the same origin as ourselves.” —St. John Chrysostom “Concepts create idols; only wonder comprehends anything. People kill one another over idols. Wonder makes us fall to our knees.” —St. Gregory of Nyssa “Why not learn to enjoy the little things! There are so many of them.” —St. John Chrysostom “The unspeakable and prodigious fire hidden in the essence of things, as in the bush, is the fire of divine love and the dazzling brilliance of His beauty inside every thing.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “Blessed the one who observes with spiritual understanding the choirs of stars shining with glory and the beauty of the heavens and longs to contemplate the Maker of all things.” —St. Ephrem the Syrian “Look at the world around you. It supplies all your bodily needs. It feasts your eyes with its beauty. And its glory reflects the glory of God, so it feasts your soul also. Look at the plants and the trees. Can you count all the different species? Can you describe all the different shapes of the leaves, the color and fragrances of the flowers? Look, too, at the animals and the insects. Are you not enthralled by their different sizes and shapes, by the different colors and textures of their skin and fur, by the different ways in which they move about and gather food? And the wonder why God has created all this. Has he created the marvelous universe just to supply our needs and to feast our eyes and souls? or is there some other purpose in it all? The answer is that he has created all things--for their own sake. Each creature has its own purpose and destiny, which God in his infinite wisdom and love has planned. Do not try to understand God's plans; the human mind is hardly better than that of an ant in discerning the ways of God. Simply accept all his plans and rejoice in them.” —St. John Chrysostom, On Living Simply, pg 54 “For as long as you are on earth, consider yourself a guest in the Household of Christ. If you are at the table, it is He who treats you. If you breathe air, it is His air you breathe. If you bathe, it is in His water you are bathing. If you are traveling, it is over His land that you are traveling. If you are amassing goods, it is His goods you are amassing. If you are squandering, it is His goods that you are squandering. If you are powerful, it is by His permission that you are strong. If you are in the company of men, you and the others are His guests. If you are out in nature, you are in His garden. If you are alone, He is present.” —St. Nikolai Velimirovich “Some people see the houses in which they live as their kingdom; and although in their minds they know that death will one day force them to leave, in their hearts they feel they will stay forever. They take pride in the size of their houses and the fine material with which they are built. They take pleasure in decorating their houses with bright colors, and in obtaining the best and most solid furniture to fill the rooms. They imagine that they can find peace and security by owning a house whose walls and roof will last for many generations. We, by contrast, know that we are only temporary guests on earth. We recognize that the houses in which we live serve only as hostels on the road to eternal life. We do not seek peace or security from the material walls around us or the roof above our heads. Rather we want to surround ourselves with a wall of divine grace; and we look upward to heaven as our roof. And the furniture of our lives should be good works, performed in a spirit of love.” —St. John Chrysostom, On Living Simply, pg 11 “What hinders you from fulfilling Christ’s commandments? The flesh and the world: that is, pleasant food and drink which men like, in which they delight both in thought and in fact, which make the heart gross and hard—a partiality for elegant dress and adornment, or for distinctions and rewards; if the dress or adornments are made of very beautiful coloured and delicate materials, then care and anxiety arise how to avoid staining or soiling them, or getting them dusty or wet, whilst care and anxiety how to please God in thought, word, and deed vanish and the heart lives for dress and adornment, and becomes entirely engrossed in these things, ceasing to care about God and being united to Him; if such is the case with a priest, then he neglects praying for his people, and becomes not soul-loving, but money-loving and ambitious, seeking not the men themselves, but that which appertains to them, that is, money, food, drink, their favour, their good opinion and good word, and flattering them. Therefore fight against every worldly enticement, against every material enticement that hinders you from fulfilling Christ’s commandments, love God with all your heart, and care with all your strength for the salvation of your own soul, and the souls of others, be soul-loving.” —St. John of Kronstadt “Let us be satisfied simply with what sustains our present life, not with what pampers it. Let us pray to God for this, as we have been taught, so that we may keep our souls unenslaved and absolutely free from domination by any of the visible things loved for the sake of the body. Let us show that we eat for the sake of living, and not be guilty of living for the sake of eating. The first is a sign of intelligence, the second proof of its absence.” —St. Maximus the Confessor “[R]eal Orthodox can never be chauvinists. I recall once, in a conversation with me in 1926, the blessedly reposed metropolitan [A. Khrapovitsky] related to me the following: "On Athos there is a custom that a monk who does not forgive offences is punished by being made to omit the words ‘and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,’ at the reading of the Lord’s Prayer, until such a time when he has forgiven the offence committed against him. And I myself have suggested," added the great saint, "that the chauvinist-nationalists not read the ninth article of the Symbol of Faith." If we were to crystallize this principle of Vladyka, it would read as follows: the Russian, Serbian, and Bulgarian nations can be great only if the goal of their existence be the collective realization of the commandments of the Gospel. Otherwise, "Serbianism", "Russianism", and "Bulgarianism", are reduced to senseless and pernicious chauvinism. If "Serbianism" flourishes not by the power of evangelical podvigs and not to Orthodox catholicity, then it will choke in its own egoistic chauvinism. What is profitable for Serbdom is profitable for other nationalities as well. Nations pass, the Gospel is eternal. Only in so far as a nation is filled with the eternal evangelical truth and righteousness, does it exist, and itself becomes and remains eternal. Only such patriotism can be justified from an evangelical point of view. This is the patriotism of the holy apostles, the holy martyrs, the holy fathers. When the emperor-tormentor asked the holy martyrs Acindynus, Pegasius, and Anempodistus where they were from, they answered: "Are you asking us, O Emperor, about our homeland? Our homeland and our life is the most holy, consubstantial and undivided Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the one God." (On Met. Anthony Khrapovitsky) The blessed Metropolitan Anthony is the most gifted contemporary representative of Russian Orthodox nationalism, a nationalism consecrated and enlightened by Christ; a nationalism by which all men are brothers in Christ; a nationalism by which the mighty must serve the weak, the wise the unwise, the humble the proud, the first the last. Growing out of patristic Orthodox universal patriotism, the blessed Vladyka can only be appreciated from the same apostolic patristic perspective. We can apply to him what St. Gregory of Nyssa said about his own brother, St. Basil, after his death: "Wherein lies Basil's noble origin? Where is his homeland? His origin is his affinity to divinity, and his homeland is virtue."” —St. Justin Popovich “Worldly glory does not lead God's children to heaven.” —St. Raphael, the Newly-revealed Martyr of Lesvos “Satan has no need to tempt those who tempt themselves, and are continually dragged down by worldly affairs.” —St. John of Karpathos “The devil does not hunt after those who are lost; he hunts after those who are aware, those who are close to God. He takes from them trust in God and begins to afflict them with self-assurance, logic, thinking, criticism. Therefore we should not trust our logical minds.” —Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos “Christ is the only exit from this world; all other exits – sexual rapture, political utopia, economic independence – are but blind alleys in which rot the corpses of the many that have tried them.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Only He is worth struggling towards. We have a choice: to follow the way of this world, of the society that surrounds us, and thereby find ourselves outside of God; or to choose the way of life, to choose God Who calls us and for Whom our heart is searching.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Let the hearing of worldly tales be to you as a bitter taste in your mouth, but the discourse of holy men as a honeycomb.” —St. Basil the Great “All the things of this world are no more than earth. Place them in a heap under your feet and you will be so much nearer to heaven.” —Josemaria Escriva “A man who has dedicated himself once and for all to God goes through life with a restful mind.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Do you seek any further reward beyond that of having pleased God? In truth, you know not how great a good it is to please Him.” —St. John Chrysostom “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” —St. Augustine “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” —Matthew 22:37-40 “And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"” —John 20:28 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” —John 5:22-23 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” —Matthew 5:44 “The fool has said in his heart,‘There is no God.’They are corrupt,They have done abominable works,There is none who does good.” —Psalm 14:1 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding;” —Proverbs 3:5 “Hatred stirs up strife,But love covers all sins.” —Proverbs 10:12 “When pride comes, then comes shame;But with the humble is wisdom.” —Proverbs 11:2 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,But he who heeds counsel is wise.” —Proverbs 12:15 “There is a way that seems right to a man,But its end is the way of death.” —Proverbs 14:12 “Pride goes before destruction,And a haughty spirit before a fall.” —Proverbs 16:18 “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;A stranger, and not your own lips.” —Proverbs 27:2 “Open rebuke is betterThan love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend,But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” —Proverbs 27:5-6 “If a wise man contends with a foolish man,Whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.” —Proverbs 29:9 “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. … I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” —Ecclesiastes 1:2,14 “For in much wisdom is much grief,And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” —Ecclesiastes 1:18 “The work of righteousness will be peace,And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” —Isaiah 32:17 “Children’s children are the crown of old men,And the glory of children is their father.” —Proverbs 17:6 “The righteous man walks in his integrity;His children are blessed after him.” —Proverbs 20:7 “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.” —Proverbs 23:24 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;They shall not be ashamed,But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” —Psalm 127:3-5 “The sons of wisdom are the church of the just: and their generation, obedience and love. Children, hear the judgment of your father, and so do that you may be saved. For God hath made the father honourable to the children: and seeking the judgment of the mothers, hath confirmed it upon the children. He that loves God, shall obtain pardon for his sins by prayer, and shall refrain himself from them, and shall be heard in the prayer of days. And he that honours his mother is as one that lays up a treasure. He that honours his father shall have joy in his own children, and in the day of his prayer he shall be heard. He that honours his father shall enjoy a long life: and he that obeys the father, shall be a comfort to his mother. He that fears the Lord, honours his parents, and will serve them as his masters that brought him into the world.” —Sirach 3:1-8 “But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’” —Matthew 19:14 “Reflect on the statutes of the Lord,and meditate at all times on his commandments.It is he who will give insight to your mind,and your desire for wisdom will be granted.” —Sirach 6:37 “Childless with virtue is better than this,For immortality is in its memory;Because it is known both by God and by man.” —Wisdom of Solomon 4:1 “Jesus wept.” —John 11:35 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are those who mourn,For they shall be comforted.Blessed are the meek,For they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,For they shall be filled.Blessed are the merciful,For they shall obtain mercy.Blessed are the pure in heart,For they shall see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,For they shall be called sons of God.Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 5:3-10 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” —James 4:7-10 “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” —Luke 12:48 “Then Abraham answered and said, ‘Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord.’” —Genesis 18:27 “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.’” —Matthew 8:8 “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” —Luke 18:13 “Pray without ceasing.” —1 Thessalonians 5:17 “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” —1 Timothy 1:15 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” —Romans 3:23 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” —Matthew 16:18 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” —Matthew 28:19 “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."” —Acts 2:38 “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” —John 8:58 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” —John 15:26 “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” —John 17:21 “I and My Father are one.” —John 10:30 “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. “So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."” —John 20:19-23 “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” —Luke 10:1 “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."” —Acts 6:2-4
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from “Obey those who rule over you. Draw near to God , and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your handsbe submissive, you sinners; and purify for they watch out for your heartssouls, you double-mindedas those who must give account. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning them do so with joy and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lordnot with grief, and He will lift for that would be unprofitable for you up.” —James 4—Hebrews 13:7-1017
“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving “Now on the first day of stripesthe week, shall be beaten with few. For everyone when the disciples came together to whom much is givenbreak bread, Paul, from him much will be required; and ready to whom much has been committeddepart the next day, of him they will ask the morespoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” —Luke 12—Acts 20:487
“Then Abraham answered “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and saiddrink His blood, ‘Indeed nowyou have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who am but dust eats My flesh and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lorddrinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.’” —Genesis 18“ —John 6:2753-56
“The centurion answered and saidcup of blessing which we bless, ‘Lordis it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, I am is it not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a wordthe communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and my servant will be healedone body; for we all partake of that one bread.’” —Matthew 8“ —1 Corinthians 10:816-17
“And “Do you look at things according to the tax collectoroutward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, standing afar offlet him again consider this in himself, would not so much that just as raise his eyes to heavenhe is Christ’s, but beat his breasteven so we are Christ’s. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, saying, ‘Godwhich the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be merciful to me a sinner!’” —Luke 18ashamed…” —2 Corinthians 10:137-8
“Pray without ceasing“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” —1 Thessalonians —Ephesians 5:1711
“This “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is a faithful saying naked and destitute of daily food, and worthy one of all acceptanceyou says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, that Christ Jesus came into ” but you do not give them the world to save sinnersthings which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, of whom I am chiefis dead.” —1 Timothy 1—James 2:1514-17
“for all have sinned “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and fall short its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the glory good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of God…” —Romans 3the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” —Matthew 12:2333-35
“And I also say to you that you are Peter“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against itnor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” —Matthew 16:18 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” —Matthew 28:19 “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let For every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirittree is known by its own fruit."” —Acts 2:38 “ThenFor men do not gather figs from thorns, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when nor do they saw the Lordgather grapes from a bramble bush. “So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins A good man out of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."” —John 20:19-23 “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” —Luke 10:1 “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men good treasure of his heart brings forth good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry an evil man out of the word."” —Acts 6:2-4 “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” —Hebrews 13:17 “Now on the first day evil treasure of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” —Acts 20:7 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last dayheart brings forth evil. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.“ —John 6:53-56 “The cup out of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion abundance of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.“ —1 Corinthians 10:16-17 “Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed…” —2 Corinthians 10:7-8 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose themheart his mouth speaks.” —Ephesians 5:11 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” —James 2—Luke 6:1443-1745
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out “Out of the abundance of the heart the same mouth speaksproceed blessing and cursing. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good thingsMy brethren, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil these thingsought not to be so.” —Matthew 12—James 3:33-3510
“For a good tree does “But above all, my brethren, do not bear bad fruitswear, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known either by heaven or by its own fruitearth or with any other oath. For men do not gather figs from thornsBut let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; ’ and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaksyour ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment.” —Luke 6—James 5:43-4512
“Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.” —2 Corinthians 10:11
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” —Jeremiah 1:5
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” —1 Timothy 4:12
“But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” —John 13:35
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” —Matthew 24:36-39
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” —Matthew 25:34-36,40
“For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For 'He has put all things under His feet.' But when He says 'all things are put under Him,' it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” —1 Corinthians 15:25-28
“Anyone who truly wants to follow God must be free from the bonds of attachment to this life. To do this we must make a complete break with our old way of life. Indeed, unless we avoid all obsession with the body and with the concerns of this world, we shall never succeed in pleasing God. We must depart as it were to another world in our way of thinking, as the Apostle said: ‘Our citizenship is in heaven’.” —St. Basil the Great, Gateway to Paradise
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” —Philippians 3:20-21
“When someone opens your heart, I'd like him to find nothing there but Christ.” —Elder Amphilochios of Patmos
“Think nothing and do nothing without a purpose directed to God. For to journey without direction is wasted effort.” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest achievement.” —St. Augustine
“The end of each discovery becomes the starting point for the discovery of something higher, and the ascent continues. Thus our ascent is unending. We go from beginning to beginning by way of beginnings without end.” —St. Gregory of Nyssa
“He who forsakes all worldly desires sets himself above all worldly distress.” —St. Maximus the Confessor
“He is with me, He who left the world behind. He is present in me, He who left His nature. He dwells in me, He who denied Himself. He is wholly for me, He who lost His life for me.” —St. Ambrose of Milan
“For You are God ineffable, beyond comprehension, invisible, beyond understanding, existing forever and always the same.” —St. John Chrysostom
“Brethren, He is near each one of us, even if unseen. That is why He said to the apostles when He ascended, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world’ (Matt 28:20). Every day we should stand in awe of Him, as He is with us, and do what is pleasing before Him. If we are unable now to perceive Him with our physical eyes, we can, if we are watchful, see Him continuously with the eyes of our understanding, and not just see Him, but reap great benefits from Him. This vision destroys all sin, demolishes all evil, and drives away everything bad. It yields every virtue, gives birth to purity and dispassion, and bestows eternal life and the kingdom without end. As we attend to this joyful sight, gazing with our mind's eye on Christ as though He were present, each of us will say with David, ‘Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident’ (Ps. 27:3).” —St. Gregory of Palamas, Homily 23, The Appearance of Jesus
“Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Enemies have driven me into your embrace more than friends have.
Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.
Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world. Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.
They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.
They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.
They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself.
They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.
Bless my enemies, O Lord, Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.
Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.
Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.
Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.
Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.
Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.
Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of your garment.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly against me:
so that my fleeing to You may have no return;
so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs;
so that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul;
so that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins, arrogance and anger;
so that I might amass all my treasure in heaven;
ah, so that I may for once be freed from self-deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.
Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world except himself.
One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.
It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies.
Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and enemies.
A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand. But a son blesses them, for he understands.
For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life.
Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.” —St. Nikolai Velimirovich, Prayers by the Lake
“O Lord,
Grant me to greet the coming day in peace.
Help me in all things
to rely upon Thy Holy Will.
In every hour of the day,
reveal Thy will to me.
Bless my dealings with all who surround me.
Teach me to treat all that comes to me
throughout the day with peace of soul,
and with firm conviction
that Thy will governs all.
In all my deeds and words,
guide my thoughts and feelings.
In unforeseen events, let me not forget
that all are sent by Thee.
Teach me to act firmly and wisely,
without embittering and embarrassing others.
Give me strength to bear the fatigue
of the coming day with all that it shall bring.
Direct my will.
Teach me to pray.
Pray Thou Thyself in me.
Amen.” —St. Philaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan of Moscow, The Morning Prayer of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow
“In that anxious and dreadful hour when the heavenly powers are roused, when all the angels, archangels, seraphim and cherubim will stand with fear and trembling before Thy glory, when the foundations of the earth will be shaken, and when all that breathes will be terrified by the incomparable greatness of Thy glory – in that hour mayest Thou take me under Thy wing and may my soul be delivered from the terrible fire and from the gnashing of teeth, from outer darkness and eternal lamentation, that I may bless Thee and say: Glory to Him Who has desired to save a sinner according to the great compassion of His mercy!” —St. Ephrem the Syrian
“If there is any rest for us in this world, then it consists only in purity of the conscience and patience. This is a harbor for us who sail upon the sea of life…” —St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
“As to the fatalism of those who believe that man must be a slave to the spirit of the age, it is disproved by the experience of every Christian worthy of the name, for the Christian life is nothing if it is not a struggle against the spirit of every age for the sake of eternity.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina
“There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.” —C. S. Lewis
“God and our conscience know our secrets. Let them correct us.” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart.” —St. Jerome
“What, then, is greater than that the Father of the only-begotten Son Himself recognizes in us His members and finds the very form of the Son in our faces?” —St. Nicholas Cabasilas
“This, then, is the way in which we interpret the Eighth Day…namely that when the time that is measured in weeks comes to an end, an Eight Day will come into being…It will remain one day continually, never to be divided by the darkness of night. Another Sun will bring it into being, radiating the true light; embracing all things in it's luminous power, it will produce light continually and will make those who share in that Light into other suns.” —St. Gregory of Nyssa, Commentary on the Psalms
“The Son of God became man, that we might become god.” —St. Athanasius of Alexandria
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." —Romans 8:28
“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” —Matthew 19:26
“«δόξα τῷ θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν» (Glory be to God for all things!)” —St. John Chrysostom, the last words of
