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, freedom, 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 - Archdiocese of Canada received me into membership by Holy Chrismation by priest/monk Fr. Rev. E.A. (Simeon) Weare, memory eternalMemory Eternal, in the parish St. Nicholas the Wonder-Maker in 1992.
—the unworthy servant and chief of sinners, th
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 Saints… We are the HOLY ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH…
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“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” —Albert Einstein
“People will never come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” —Aldous Huxley
“When two men [in business] always agree, one of them is unnecessary.” —William Wrigley Jr., The American Magazine, 1931
“Assume the person you're listening to knows something you don't.” —Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
“I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation.” —George Bernard Shaw “Inequality is the price of civilization.” —George Orwell “When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king, the palace becomes a circus.” —Turkish Proverb “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” —George Orwell “The only thing we learn further a society drifts from history is the truth, the more it will hate those that we learn nothing from historyspeak it.” —Friedrich Hegel—George Orwell
“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 endless present in which the Party is always right.” —George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.” —George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
“We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” —George Orwell
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” —George Orwell
“People will never come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” —Aldous Huxley
“The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison.” —Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.” — Potter Stewart
“Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it.” —Mark Twain
“Where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings.” —Heinrich Heine
“The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.” —Friedrich Hegel
“Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” —Edmund Burke
“Those who forget the past, they lose an eye. Those who dwell on the past, they lose both eyes.” —Hungarian Proverb
“According to Hegel, man will be completely free only ‘by surrounding himself with a world entirely created by himself.’ But this is precisely what he has done, and man has never been so enchained, so much a slave as now.” —E. M. Cioran “Hard men make good times, good times make soft men, soft men make bad times.” —Alex Jones, Tucker on X, Ep. 46 “[Behold] I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” —J. Robert Oppenheimer (, the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 11 verse 32 of the Bhagavad Gita)
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” —John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton
“An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” —Mahatma Gandhi
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.” —Mark Twain
“There's nothing that divides nations like a common language.” —George Bernard Shaw
“Democracy is the dictatorship of the ignorant masses.” —Plato
“Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around.” —G. K. Chesterton
“That the dead are as much a part of the present as the unborn is a fundamental conservative idea.” —Armin Mohler
“Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” —William Wilberforce
“He who strikes terror in others is himself continually in fear.” —Claudius Claudianus
“Ignorance is the cause of fear.” —Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Who feareth to suffer suffereth already, because he feareth.” —Michel de Montaigne
“…the brain, in and of its physical self, does not think, any more than a musical instrument can give forth melody without the touch of the musician's hand. The brain is indeed the instrument of thinking, but the mind is the skillful player that makes it give forth the beautiful harmony of thought… … It is because of the disastrous results of fear thought not only on the individual but on the nation, that it becomes the duty of every sane man and woman to establish quarantine against fear. Fear is a psychic disease which is highly contagious and extraordinarily infectious. Fear though is most dangerous when it parades as forethought. Combat fear by replacing it with faith. Resist worry with confidence.” —William Samuel Sadler (1875-1969), M.D., F.A.C.S. Director of the Chicago Institute of Research and Diagnosis
“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.” —Thomas Jefferson
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.” —Albert Einstein
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” —Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
“Time is a violent torrent; no sooner is a thing brought to sight then it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.” —Marcus Aurelius
“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.” —Marcus Aurelius
“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habbit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” —Lao Tzu
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else. It is about your outlook towards life. You can either regret or rejoice.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Men are, unfortunately generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children.” —William Penn
“The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.” —Fred Astaire
“Political correctness is tyranny with manners.” —Charlton Heston
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be ‘cured’ against one's will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.” —C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology (Making of Modern Theology)
“All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force.” —George Orwell
“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” —William Pitt the Younger
“In the time of heroes and tyrants, the true heroes are the small men.” —unknown
“Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.” —unknown
“Don't try to do two things at once and expect to do justice to both.” —Traditional Proverb
“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.” —Abraham Lincoln
“Birds of a feather flock together.” —English Proverb
“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” —William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2
“You can want a women for her body, but you can only love her for her character.” —Spanish Proverb
“Silence speaks volumes.” —Traditional Proverb
“Silence is golden.” —Traditional Proverb
“Silence is 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 rule.” —Thomas Carlyle
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” —Mark Twain
“We must always takes sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” —Elie Wiesel
“The reason it is difficult is that we have been conditioned to laugh at conspiracy theories, and few people will risk public ridicule by advocating them. On the other hand, to endorse the accidental view is absurd. Almost all of history is an unbroken trail of one conspiracy after another. Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception.” —G. Edward Griffin
“Facts don't care about feelings.” —Ben Shapiro
“Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” —Edward Snowden
“[The best solution to offensive speech is] more speech, not enforced silence.” —Louis Brandeis, US Supreme Court Justice
“I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.” —Voltaire
“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 culmination of the kind of horror that can occur when man loses his integrity, his belief in the sanctity of human life.” —Dr. Randolph Braham, Holocaust Survivor
“Do not judge by appearances; a rich heart may be under a poor coat.” —Scottish Proverb
“Don't talk to me of female beauty, rather virtues of her soul. A beautiful woman who has not decorated herself with virtue is like a painted coffin.” —St. John Chrysostom
“A wife is appealing not in the beauty of her body, rather for the virtues of her soul, neither in creams and cosmetics, nor gold and expensive clothes, rather chastity, meekness, and abiding awe before God.” —St. John Chrysostom
“The beauty of woman is the greatest snare. Or rather, not the beauty of woman, but unchastened gazing! For we should not accuse the objects, but ourselves, and our own carelessness. Nor should we say, ‘Let there be no women’, but ‘Let there be no adulteries’. We should not say, ‘Let there be no beauty’, but ‘Let there be no fornication’. We should not say, ‘Let there be no belly’, but ‘Let there be no gluttony’; for the belly makes not the gluttony, but our negligence. We should not say, that it is because of eating and drinking that all these evils exist; for it is not because of this, but because of our carelessness and insatiableness. Thus the devil neither ate nor drank, and yet he fell! Paul ate and drank, and ascended up to heaven!” —St. John Chrysostom, Homily 15 on the Statues, 10
“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” —Margaret Mead
“Better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie.” —Russian Proverb
“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act“Lies written in ink can never disguise facts written in blood.” —George Orwell “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.” —George Orwell—Lu Xun
“Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.” —Friedrich Nietzsche
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“The root of all wisdom is knowing what an asshole you are.” —Tucker Carlson, Tucker on X, Ep. 46
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” —Alexander Pope
“It is through error that man tries and rises. It is through tragedy he learns. All the roads of learning begin in darkness and go out into the light.” —Hippocrates of Kos
“When the solution is simple, God is answering.” —Albert Einstein
“There's no mask for a treacherous heart like an honest face.” —Captain Kidd (1945)
“[S]he has an honest face even if it is the result of triumph of plastic surgery.” —The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), s2e13
“Sometimes when you're troubled and hurt, you pour yourself into things that can't hurt back.” —Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
Man never is, but always to be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.” —Alexander Pope (, An Essay on Man, Epistle I, 1733)
“Patriotism is as fierce as a fever, pitiless as the grave, blind as a stone, and irrational as a headless hen.” —Ambrose Bierce
“They knew that the tree is known by its fruit and that injustice corrupts a tree, that its fruit withers and shrivels and falls at last 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 nation.” —Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
“Freedom – truthful free speech, open discourse, and debate – is the soil for real science to emerge from which we may uncover truth to identify real problems so as to innovate real solutions for the health of our body, community and world.” —Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” —Abraham Lincoln
“Only the courteous can love, but it is love that makes them courteous.” —C. S. Lewis, The Allegory of Love
“How long is love blind? Love has eyes and sees. And if love can see, and seeing, you love anyway, that's love.” —Gertrude Berg (, The Goldbergs, s1e10, 1955)
“You never receive love until you learn how to accept it.” —Mr. Roarke (, Fantasy Island, s4e7)
“You never deny love until you learn how to reject it.” —th
“Truth can never be told so as to be understood and not be believed.” —William Blake
“The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of… We know the truth not only by the reason, but by the heart.” —Blaise Pascal
“The human heart can see what is hidden to the eyes, and the heart knows things that the mind does not begin to understand.” —They Might Be Giants (1971)
“At the center of our being is a point of 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 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 everywhere.” —Thomas Merton
“I myself am nothing; all that is good in me is accomplished by the grace of God.” —St. John of Kronstadt
“Humility collects the soul into a single point by the power of silence. A truly humble man has no desire to be known or admired by others, but wishes to plunge from himself into himself, to become nothing, as if he had never been born. When he is completely hidden to himself in himself, he is completely with God.” —St. Isaac the Syrian
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots.” —Frank A. Clark
“And she [Athens] has brought it about that 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 a common blood.” —Isocrates
“Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed by the masses.” —Plato
“He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare; and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
“What a lot of things there are a man can do without.” —Socrates
“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” —Aristotle
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” —Aristotle
“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” —William Congreve (, The Mourning Bride, spoken by Zara in Act III, Scene VIII)
“Control thy passions lest they take vengeance on thee.” —Epictetus
That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him
In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,
As I do thee.” —William Shakespeare (, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2, Page 3)
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” —C. S. Lewis
“There are more things in heaven and earth, …
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” —William Shakespeare (, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5, Page 8)
“A philosophical vogue is as irresistible as a gastronomic one: an idea is no better refuted than a sauce.” —E. M. Cioran
“Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they're fools, and fools who think they are wise.” —Socrates
“I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind is and how prone to error.” —Descartes—René Descartes
“…a…transparent mind, …in no way implies clear thinking.” —Columbo (1971)
“While the admission of 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 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 itself.” —Werner Von Braun, Ph.D., the father of the NASA space program
“Relativity applies to physics“With me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, not ethicswhich has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy.” —Albert Einstein—Charles Darwin
“Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit“Evolutionary naturalism implies that we should not take any of our convictions seriously, you would stay out and your dog would go inincluding the scientific world picture on which evolutionary naturalism depends.” —Mark Twain
That is, naturalism, and therefore atheism, undermines the foundations of the very rationality that is needed to construct or understand or believe in any kind of argument whatsoever, let alone a scientific one.” —Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos “Supposing there was no intelligence behind the universe, no creative mind. In that case, nobody designed my brain for the purpose of thinking. It is merely that when the atoms inside my skull happen, for physical or chemical reasons, to arrange themselves in a certain way, this gives me, as a by-product, the sensation I call thought. But, if so, how can I trust my own thinking to be true? It's like upsetting a milk jug and hoping that the way it splashes itself will give you a map of London. But if I can't trust my own thinking, of course I can't trust the arguments leading to Atheism, and therefore have no reason to be an Atheist, or anything else. Unless I believe in God, I cannot believe in thought: so I can never use thought to disbelieve in God.” —C. S. Lewis “Do not say, ‘this happened by chance, while this came to be of itself.’ In all that exists there is nothing disorderly, nothing indefinite, nothing without purpose, nothing by chance… … How many hairs are on your head? God will not forget one of them. Do you see how nothing, even the smallest thing, escapes the gaze of God?” —St. Basil the Great “There are no coincidences in life. All things are providential. They are allowed for our salvation, in correspondence with our inner state and needs.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina “Relativity applies to physics, not ethics.” —Albert Einstein “Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” —Mark Twain “When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing – they believe in anything.” —G. K. Chesterton “Those who stand for nothing, fall for everything.” —Alexander Hamilton
“Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.” —Rick Warren
“Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it tries to silence good.” —Charles J. Chaput “If everyone has his own truth, where is falsehood? Falsehood hides behind the guise of truth. They say to us: Every person has his own truth, we should respect everyone’s everyone's opinion and 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 absolute Truth.” —Archbishop Stephan (Kalaidjishvili) of Tsageri and Lentekhi, Georgia “Tolerance of falsehood is intolerance to Truth.” —th “Orthodox Christianity is not true because I believe It, I believe It because It is Truth.” —th
“Faithful copies of a counterfeit original yield only more counterfeits.” —unknown
“Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn't believing. It's where belief stops, because it isn't needed any more.” —Terry Pratchett
“To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark – that is faith.” —Charles Spurgeon
“Faith is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the heart.” —Abraham Joshua Heschel
“For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.” —Malachi 1:11
“God tends the pagans too, but the Christian knows the donor.” —St. Tikhon of Voronezh
“We do not worship a created thing, but the Master of created things, the Word of God made flesh. Although the flesh itself, considered separately, is a part of created things, yet it has become the body of God. We do not worship this body after having separated it from the Word. Likewise, we do not separate the Word from the body when we wish to worship Him. But knowing that ‘the Word was made flesh,’ we recognise the Word existing in the flesh as God.” —St. Athanasius the Great, Ep. ad Adelph., par. 3
“Take, in the next place, the subjection by which you subject the Son to the Father. What, you say, is He not now subject, or must He, if He is God, be subject to God? You are fashioning your argument as if it concerned some robber, or some hostile deity. But 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.
“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 begotten, not created, does not proceed; the Son is begotten; the Holy Ghost proceeds from the 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, and thus 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, which they that believe on Him should receive.’ 415 He also compared the Holy Ghost to the air or wind: ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’” —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
“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 Son] is Born, yet This One [i.e. the Holy Ghost] Proceeds, just as in the Gospel of Blessed 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. Mochta of Ireland, "Profession of Faith" of St. Mochta [+535AD]
“For when we mention the 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 referred 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.” —St. Mansuetus, Letter of St. Mansuetus (Archbishop of Milan) at 679 Synod of Milan to Emperor Constantine IV [+685AD]
“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 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 the one. When I think of anyone of the three I think of him as the whole, and my eyes are filled, and the greater part of what I am thinking escapes me. I cannot grasp the greatness of that one so as to attribute a greater greatness to the rest. When I contemplate the three together, I see but one torch, and cannot divide or measure out the undivided light.” —St. Gregory the Theologian, Orations 40.41, as quoted by Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity, 378
“God – who is truly none of the things that exist, and who, properly speaking, is all things, and at the same time beyond them – is present in the logos of each thing in itself, and in all the logoi together, according to which all things exist… God is whole in all things commonly, and in each being particularly, without separation or being subject to division…but on the contrary is truly all things in all, never going out of His own indivisible simplicity.” —St. Maximus the Confessor
“Perhaps you will say: ‘Then tell me, did the virgin become the mother of the Godhead?’ And to this we reply: There can be no doubt that the living and enhypostatic Word was begotten from Originator the very essence of God his Father, and has his existence without beginning in time, eternally co-existing with his Begetter. He is conceived of as existing in him and with him, but in these last times of the age since he became flesh, that is was united to flesh endowed with a rational soul, he is also said to have been born of a woman in a fleshly manner. This mystery concerning him is in some ways like the mystery of our own birth, for earthly mothers, assisting nature as regards the birth, have the embryonic flesh in their wombs, which in a short time by certain ineffable workings of God, increases and is perfected into the human form. Then God introduces the spirit to this living creature in a manner known to him alone; for ‘he fashions the spirit of a man within him’ (Zech.12.1), as the prophet says. Nonetheless, the Word is different to the flesh, and equally different to the soul. But even if these mothers have produced only the earthly bodies, nonetheless they are said to have given birth to the whole living creature, I mean that of soul and body, and not to have given birth to just a part. To take an example, surely no one would say that Elizabeth was only the mother of the flesh, but not the mother of the soul, since she gave birth to the Baptist who was already endowed with a soul? Surely she is the mother of one thing constituted from both realities; that is a man, of soul and body. We take it, then, that something like this happened in the birth of Emmanuel.” —St. Cyril of Alexandria, the chief opponent of Nestorianism, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy
“The power to bear Mysteries, which the humble man has received, which makes him perfect in every virtue without toil, this is the very power which the blessed apostles received in the form of fire. For its sake the Saviour commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until they should receive power from on high, that is to say, the Paraclete, which, being interpreted, is the Spirit of consolation. And this is the Spirit of divine visions. Concerning this it is said in divine Scripture: ‘Mysteries are revealed to the humble’ (Ecclus 3:19). The humble are accounted worthy of receiving in themselves this Spirit of revelations Who teaches mysteries.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 77
“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 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 chinks of contemplation, He does not speak to us, but whispers, in that though He does not fully develope Himself, yet something of Himself He does reveal to the mind of man. But then He no longer whispers at all, but 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 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 His 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 hastily and slightly. But we must bear in mind, that in proportion as the soul being lifted up contemplates His Excellency, so being held back it shrinks from His Righteous Perfectness.” —St. Gregory the Great (Gregory the Dialogist), Book V, Sec. 52, Morals on the Book of Job
“‘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 would promptly put it all in order for fear something there might offend your friend's eyes when he came in. Let all of us then who are preparing our inner homes for God cleanse them of anything our wrongdoing has brought into them.” —St. Gregory the Great, on Pentecost in Be Friends of God
The three persons of the Holy Trinity constitute the eternal Church.” —St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, Wounded by Love
“In “Christ, invisible to the history of bodily eye, manifests Himself on earth clearly through His Church … The Church is the human race there have been three principal falls: that Body of Adam, that of Judas, Christ both because its parts are united to Christ through His divine mysteries and that of because through her Christ works in the popeworld.” —St. Justin PopovichJohn (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
“But “How does the Church Liturgy begin? ‘Blessed is the kingdom of God is not subject to a wicked pope; nor even absolutelythe Father, and on all occasionsof the Son, to a good oneand of the Holy Spirit.” —Archbishop Arnulf Amen.’ …What is this kingdom, which is blessed, glorified, honored…? It is the kingdom of Orléansheaven, Synod the kingdom of VerzyGod. It is paradise, 991in which Christ has placed us; it is our holy Church. Its king is the God of three suns: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
“They [Rome] do not know The servants of the king are the angels and archangels, along with the thrones, principalities, authorities, dominions, powers, the many-eyed cherubim, and do not wish the six-winged seraphim. The king's generals are the saints. Our Lady the Theotokos is the queen. The faithful soldiers of this kingdom are all those Christians who are ready to know follow Christ, whatever the truthcost; they argue with all those who proclaim the truth are ready to thembear His honorable Name, and assert their heresyall those who make up His Church.” —St. Basil All of them… are with us during the Great, letter to Eusebius celebration of Samosatathe Liturgy…
“When we Greeks find fault During the celebration of the Liturgy, Christ is with us exactly as he was when he was teaching, when he made the lame leap and walk, the filioqueblind see, they shake Peter's keys at us… … Nevertheless differences of custom and usage are no sufficient ground for schismthe dead return to life. Experience shows that arguing about azyma And this is not simply having the memory of Christ within our thoughts, but having Christ Himself truly and Lenten fasts gets nowhereconcretely present before us. The Greeks should be accommodating and make concessions to He is present – He, the teacher, the ignorant western barbariansprophet, hoping that in time they will correct their errors to conform to the apostolic tradition stemming from Jerusalemmiracle-worker.” —Blessed Theophylact of OchridChrist Who was crucified, The Errors of Who was raised from the Latins in Ecclesiastical Mattersdead, Who ascended into heaven, is now before us! …
“Even if The priest turns his eyes to heaven, and calls the whole universe holds communion with things of heaven down to earth. He commands the [heretical] patriarchcherubim, I will not communicate with him. For I know from the writings of seraphim, even the holy Apostle Paul: Holy Trinity, because God gives the Holy Spirit declares that even priest the angels would be anathema if they should begin power to preach another Gospelhave rights over Jesus Christ. Because He is not visibly present, introducing some new teachingChrist delegates His work to His priests.” —St. Maximus And when the priest is in the Confessorsanctuary, The Life he is beyond every earthly ruler, for he does not govern men, but rather the choirs of St. Maximus saints and the Confessorarmies of angels…
“Those …Saint Gregory Palamas said that the church ‘resides on high, being an angelic and transcendent place’ which ‘raises man to heaven and presents him to the God who do not belong to is above all’ …When we enter church… we are traversing the Truth do not belong distance from earth to heaven. We pass beyond the Church of Christ either; and all stars, we leave the more so, if they speak falsely of themselves by calling themselves, or calling each otherangels below us, holy pastors and hierarchs; [for it has been instilled in us that] Christianity is characterized not by persons, but by we rise up to the truth and exactitude heights of Faiththe Holy Trinity.” —St. Gregory Palamas
“Chrysostomos loudly declares not only hereticsDon't think that when we go to church, we are simply entering and exiting an ordinary building. Instead, we go up to, and make our entrance into, the Holy of Holies, into the heavens themselves… we sinners open the doors of heaven and enter! Although we are sinners, when we enter into the Liturgy, but also those who we go up to the heavenly Jerusalem… So we have communion with them, come to be enemies the church… Let nothing disturb the tranquility of your soul. Godis present.Wherever we look, God is before us!” —St—Archimandrite Aimilianos, The Church at Prayer, pp. Theodore the Studite54, 56-57, 69, Epistle of Abbot Theophilus71-72.
“Some have suffered final shipwreck with regard “Whosoever should ever call himself a bishop over all bishops or a universal bishop shall be the forerunner to the faith. Others, though they have not drowned in their thoughts, are nevertheless perishing through communion with heresyAntichrist.” —St—Pope St. Theodore Gregory (I) the StuditeGreat (Gregory the Dialogist), Forty Gospel Homilies
“Guard yourselves from soul-destroying heresy“And so I, communion with which is alienation from by the will of God Allmighty the Bishop of Rome, am the Universal Bishop, the Bishop over Bishops, the only Vicar of Christon Earth.” —St. Theodore the Studite—Pope Gregory VII, Dictatus Papae
“It “We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is better to have discord absolutely necessary for piety’s sake, than harmony full the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the passionsRoman Pontiff.” —St. Gregory the Theologian, Oration 6, PG 35—Pope Boniface VIII, 736Bull Unam Sanctam
“All “Even if the teachers of the ChurchPope were Satan incarnate, and all the Councilswe ought not to raise up our heads against him, and all the Divine Scriptures advise us but calmly lie down to flee from the heterodox and separate from their communion.” —Strest on his bosom. Mark of Ephesus
“‘But ifHe who rebels against our Father is condemned to death,’ they say, ‘we had devised some middle ground between the dogmas (of the Papists and the Orthodox), then thanks for that which we do to this him we would have united with them and accomplished our business superbly, without at all having been forced do to say anything except what corresponds to custom and has been handed down (by Christ: we honor Christ if we honor 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 impietyPope; believing that there is some middle ground between we dishonor Christ if we dishonor the two teachings that can reconcile obvious contradictions, they have been exposed to peril.” —StPope. Mark of Ephesus, Encyclical Letter, Orthodox Word, March-April-May, 1967
“Whoever preserves himself from them (I know very well that many defend themselves by boasting: ‘They are so corrupt, and work all manner of evil!’ But God has commanded that, even if the priests, the Latins) pastors, and Christ-on-earth were incarnate devils, we be obedient and keeps his faith pure will stand rejoicing at subject to them, not for their sakes, but for the right hand sake of God, but whoever willfully draws close and out of obedience to them will stand weeping bitterly with them on the leftHim.” —Catherine of Siena, ‘St. For there is no eternal life for those living in the faith Catherine of Siena’, SCS, pp. 201-202, p. 222 (‘Canonized’ by the Latins or the Saracens…RC ‘Church’ in 1461)
If someone says to you“In the history of the human race there have been three principal falls: ‘Both your and our faith are from God’that of Adam, you child, must reply to him as follows: ‘Who are you, you heretic? Do you think that God has two faiths? Have you not heardof Judas, accursed and perverted as you are by an evil faith that which is written: Thus saith of the Lord: one Lord, one faith, one baptism…’pope.” —St. Justin Popovich
Thus they “But the Church of evil faith, after holding God is not subject to the Orthodox faith for so many yearsa wicked pope; nor even absolutely, have turned away to an evil faith and on all occasions, to Satan's teaching…a good one.” —Archbishop Arnulf of Orléans, Synod of Verzy, 991
They have renounced the preaching of the apostles “They [Rome] do not know and do not wish to know the edification of truth; they argue with those who proclaim the holy fatherstruth to them, and have accepted a faith based on error and a perverted dogma leading to perditionassert their heresy. Therefore, they have been torn away from us and set apart…” ” —St. Theodosius Basil the Great, letter to Eusebius of Kiev, 11th centurySamosata
“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 true solely on the basis that they thus wrote and thought.’ Then, in a letter to Fortunatus “The Greeks [St. Mark continues in his citations of AugustineOrthodox] he writes the following: ‘We should … are not hold heretics or schismatics but the judgment of a man, even though this man might have been orthodox most Christian people and had an high reputation, as the same kind best followers of authority as the canonical Scripturesgospel on earth.” —Martin Luther, to the extent of considering it inadmissible for usLuther, out of the reverence we owe such menMartin (1999), to disapprove and reject something in their writing if we should happen to discover that they taught other than the truth which, with GodLuther's helpWorks, has been attained by others or by ourselvesVol. This is how I am with regard to the writings 32: Career of other men; and I desire that the reader will act thus with regard to my writings alsoReformer II, J.’” —StJ. Mark of EphesusPelikan, Second Homily on Purgatorial FireH. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, chsEd. 15-16; Pogodin, pp. 127-13259, Philadelphia: Fortress Press
“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 “When we Greeks find fault with the worldfilioque, they would not disown the truth shake Peter's keys at us… … Nevertheless differences of the value custom and the spiritual richness of Church Tradition and of the Holy Fathersusage are no sufficient ground for schism. 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 to disturb our march. Eliminating God from the world Experience shows that arguing about azyma and of the soul in any way – this is the goal of the Ecumenism also repelled by Saint Justin PopovichLenten fasts gets nowhere. The Ecumenism Greeks should be accommodating and the globalization are at the forefront of the apocalyptic times. They want make concessions to accustom the eye and the spirit of the Orthodox with the habit to serve together with these hereticsignorant western barbarians, until hoping that in time they get to have Communion from the same chalice. Because this could give them the right to build will correct their own churches. But no, they want strategically errors to compromise the shrines and the faint hearted priests who are quick conform 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 apostolic tradition stemming from Christ Who is the Path, the Truth and the LifeJerusalem. 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 ” —Blessed Theophylact of GodOchrid, not of the bearers of human interests. The Christian Church has never gone after the crowd; not the many lead 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 embarrass 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. But, by not solving these dogmatic problems the untruth slowly settles in our Orthodox Christian Church. All the Ecumenical attempts Errors of unifying the other Christian communities found in heresy, the dialogues which have developed Latins 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 JustinEcclesiastical Matters
“In our evil time“For Petra (Rock) is not derived from Peter, when the servants of the coming Antichrist are putting forth all their efforts so but Peter from Petra; just as to undermine and replace authentic Orthodoxy with a false ‘Orthodoxy’ - an Orthodoxy only in name, there have appeared Christ is not a few ‘pastors’ also who bear only called so from the name of Orthodox Christian, but deny the authentic power and spirit of true OrthodoxyChristian from Christ. Precisely such false pastors filled up For on this very account the ranks Lord said, ‘On this Rock will I build my Church,’ because Peter had said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ On this Rock, therefore, He said, which thou hast confessed, I will build my Church. For the Rock (SovietPetra) ‘Living Church’ was Christ; and the ‘Renovationist Church’ clergy in our Russiaon this Foundation was Peter himself also built. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus.” —St.Augustine of Hippo, Tractate, CXXIV
But “There is nothing more serious than the ‘Living Church’ and ‘Renovationalism’ were not recognized by the believing Russian people, who felt in their hearts their whole falsity; and they brilliantly collapsed on the Russian soil, ceasing their official existence. However, the spirit of the ‘Living Church’ and ‘Renovationalism’ has not died, but has continued and up until now continues to live among us also in the Russian homeland, which has been enslaved by the godless, and also abroad among all the Orthodox Local Churches who have become infected with thispestilential spirit, not without, sacrilege of course, schism because there is no just cause for severing the most strenuous cooperation of those same servants unity of the coming AntichristChurch.” —St. Augustine of Hippo
These pseudo-pastors“Do not fear sorrows, modernists and ecumenists, in place but fear the stubbornness of true Orthodoxy, preach and insistently propagandize heretics who try to separate a false Orthodoxyman from Christ, flattering all the sinful passions and vices of fallen man - striving in everything which is why Christ commanded us to go in step with the times consider them as pagans and to adapt the Christian to the ‘world which lies in evil,’ under all possible cunning and well sounding pretextspharisees. Everywhere now they are seizing the reigns of government in the contemporary Orthodox Local Churches” —St. They are striving to play everywhere the leading guiding role, and often they have success, for they skillfully and cunningly make themselves seem to be zealots Anatoly of Orthodoxy.Optina
But their actual aim “This is to undermine true Orthodoxy by a false ‘Orthodoxy,’ in order to make it come about, in how you have union with the expression of Christ the Savior, ‘that the salt has lost its savor’ (Matthew 5Roman Catholics and Protestants:13), that it might lose its saltiness - that it might lose its spirit and poweryou baptize them. This is a special kind ” —Bishop Luke of battle against the Church!Syracuse
Behold of what a frightful undertaking (of which) we are “…anyone joining the Church ought to become renewed [by baptism], in order that within, through the living holy elements, he become sanctified… There being but one baptism, and immediate witnesses! By all means there being but one Holy Spirit, there is also but one Church, founded by Christ our Lord… And for this reason whatever they [heterodox] do is false and empty and vain, everything being conducted in counterfeit and unauthorized… And to those who from error and crookedness come for knowledge of the world a frightful battle against true and ecclesiastic faith we ought to give freely the Faith mystery of Christdivine power, by a path of falsification unity as well as of faith, and imitations!of truth.” —St. Cyprian of Carthage, Third Holy Council held under St. Cyprian of Carthage, On the Reception of the Heterodox, p. 81
…“Holy priests, you must have large baptismal fonts in your churches so that the entire child can be immersed. The child should be able to swim in it so that not even an area as large as a tick's eye remains dry. Because it is from there (thisthe dry area) truly most frightful that the devil advances, and nightmarish phenomenon (this is) something more frightful than open atheism and warfare against Godwhy your children become epileptics, are possessed by demons, have fear, suffer misfortune; they haven't been baptized properly.” —St. Kosmas Aitolos, (for it) threatens to destroy our holy Orthodoxy from On the Reception of the rootHeterodox, having corrupted it from within…” —Vladyka Averky of Jordanvillep. 49
“Being born, then, of “One Baptism has been handed down to us Orthodox Christians (Ephesians 4:4) by our Lord as well as by the divine Apostles and the holy Fathers; because the light of truth, shun division Cross and bad doctrines. Where the shepherd is, there you, being sheep, must follow. For many wolves there are, apparently worthy Death of confidencethe Lord, who with in the bait type or similitude of baneful pleasure seek to capture the runners in God's race; which baptism is celebrated, were but if you stand united they will have no success…” —Stone. Ignatius of Antioch
“We For this reason the present Apostolic Canon prescribes that any Bishop or Priest will be deposed should he baptize a second time anew and beginning all want God to give unity of faith to the world. But you are confusing thingsover again someone who has been truly baptize as though he were dealing with one utterly unbaptized.
The reconciliation This is in accordance with the order given by the Lord and which was spoken of people by the Apostles and divine Fathers. He shall be deposed if he rebaptizes someone who has been baptized in the very same manner as Orthodox Christians, because with this second baptism he is one thing, while re-crucifying and publicly ridiculing the reconciliation Son of religions God, which St. Paul says is impossible, and he is another. Christianity requires all of us offering a second death to love everyone with all our heartsthe Lord, over whom death no longer has dominion (Hebrews 6:4; Romans 6:5), whatever faith they may haveaccording to the same St. Paul.
At Likewise in the same time we are ordered event that any Bishop or Priest should refuse to keep our faith and doctrines intactbaptize with the regular Orthodox baptism of the Catholic Church one who has been polluted, that is a person who has been baptized by the impious, or in plain language, baptized by heretics. As Christians you must Such a Bishop is to be merciful to deposed, since he is mocking the Cross and death of the whole world, to all peopleLord. Even your life you should give on their behalf” —St.Nikodemos the Hagiorite
But you have “This food is called among us the Eucharist, of which no right one is allowed to touch partake but the truths of Christ. Because they one who believes that the things we teach are not yours. The faith true, and who has been washed with baptism for the forgiveness of Christ sins, and who is not our property to do with it living his life as we wishChrist has commanded.” —St. Nikolai VelimirovichJustin the Martyr
“We do not change “Even if the boundaries marked out by our Fathers. We keep whole universe holds communion with the Tradition we have received[heretical] patriarch, I will not communicate with him. If we begin to lay down For I know from the Law writings of the Church holy Apostle Paul: the Holy Spirit declares that even in the smallest thingsangels would be anathema if they should begin to preach another Gospel, the whole edifice will fall to the ground in no short timeintroducing some new teaching.” —St. John Maximus the Confessor, The Life of DamascusSt. Maximus the Confessor
“Finally, in “Those who do not belong to the twilight of history, Truth do not belong to the dictator Church of Christ either; and all the world will comemore so, the son if they speak falsely of perdition… whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth (2 Thess. 2:8). And themselves by calling themselves, or calling each other, holy pastors and hierarchs; [for it has been instilled in all us that time of peace] Christianity is characterized not by persons, happiness but by the truth and prosperity, there ‘will be great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world, nor will ever be after’ (Mat. 24:21). Because exactitude of these troubles, many will repent and turn to God the SaviourFaith. And in them the Lord will have His last harvest” —St.Gregory Palamas
The countries “Faith is the unreserved acceptance of divine revelation and the world will lead full conviction that all things preached by the fight against Christ and His Church… The Church grace of Christ will be put outside God constitute the law, and public commemoration of Christ's name will be proscribed with severe penaltiesonly truth. But only those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” —St. And Basil the Son of ManGreat, On Faith, when He suddenly comes and destroys the ‘son of perdition’ [iPG 31.e677D-680A. Antichrist], that last tyrant, will He find faith on the earth?
It will be found, but “Chrysostomos loudly declares not in public. It will be foundonly heretics, but not in magnificent temples, such as are present, but in the caves and deserts. It will be found, but not as approved and protectedalso those who have communion with them, but as something tossed to and fro. It will be found, but not in lavish liturgies and psalmody but in the temples enemies of the human heart and in whispered speakings. For the Church began in Martyrdom, and in the end there She will find Martyrdom, O holy brethrenGod.” —St. Nikolai VelimirovichTheodore the Studite, The Orthodox Church in the "twilight Epistle of history"Abbot Theophilus
“So mine is a little flock? But it is not being carried over a precipice“Some have suffered final shipwreck with regard to the faith. So mine is a narrow fold? But it is unapproachable by wolves; it cannot be entered by a robber, nor overcome by thieves and strangers. I shall yet see it, I know wellOthers, 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 though they that know God and are known of God. My sheep hear from my voice that which I have heard from the oracles of God, which I have been taught by the Holy Fathers, which I have taught in like manner on all occasions, not conforming myself to fashion, and which I will never cease to teach; drowned in which I was borntheir thoughts, and in which I will departare nevertheless perishing through communion with heresy.” —St. Gregory Theodore the TheologianStudite
“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, 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 “Guard yourselves 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 desiresoul-destroying heresy, 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 is alienation 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 ChurchChrist.” —St. Mark of Ephesus, The Example of, [as quoted in The Orthodox Word, June-July, 1967, pp. 103ff.]Theodore the Studite
“With all our strength let us beware lest we receive Communion from or give it to heretics. ‘Give not what “It is holy better to the dogshave discord for piety’s sake,’ says than harmony full of the Lord. ‘Neither cast ye your pearls before swine’, lest we become partakers in their dishonour and condemnationpassions.” —St. John of DamascusGregory the Theologian, Exposition of the Orthodox FaithOration 6, IVPG 35, 13736
“In sum, “All the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in theory embracing almost teachers of the whole universe and in fact extending its authority only over several diocesesChurch, and in other places having only a higher superficial supervision and receiving certain revenues for this, persecuted by all 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 divisionCouncils, and at all the same time being possessed by an exorbitant love of power--represents a pitiful spectacle which recalls Divine Scriptures advise us to flee from the worst periods in the history of the See of Constantinopleheterodox and separate from their communion.” —St. John (Maximovitch) Mark of Shanghai and San Francisco, from Orthodox Word, vol. 8, no. 4 (45), July-August 1972, pp. 166-168, 174-175.Ephesus
“The Lord of all gave to His apostles the power of the gospel“Therefore, and in so far as this is what has been commanded you by them we also have learned the truthHoly Apostles, that isstand aright, hold firmly to the teaching of the Son of God—as the Lord said to them, ‘He who hears traditions which you hears Mehave received, both written 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 gospel came to us. The first preached it abroad, and then later by the will word of God handed it down to us in Scripturesmouth (2 Thessalonians 2:15), to that you be the foundation and pillar not deprived of our faith. For it is not right to say that they preached before they had come to perfect knowledge, as some dare to say, boasting that they your firmness if you are led away by the correctors delusions of the apostleslawless. For after our Lord had risen from the dead, and they were clothed with the power from on high when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were filled with all things and had perfect knowledge. They went out to the ends of the earth, preaching the good things that come to us from God, and proclaiming peace from heaven to all men, all and each of them equally being in possession of the gospel of God.” —St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, III
“Those that wish to discern the truth may observe the apostolic tradition made manifest in every church throughout the world. We can enumerate those who were appointed bishops in the churches by the apostlesMay God, 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 secretWho is all-powerful, they would rather have committed make them also to those to whom they entrusted the churches. For they wished those men to be perfect know their delusion; and unbelievable whom they laughed having delivered us from them as their successors from evil tares, may He gather us into His granaries like pure and to whom they handed over their own office of authority. But as it would be very tedioususeful wheat, in a book of this sortJesus Christ our Lord, to enumerate the successions in Whom belongs all the churchesglory, we can found all those who in any wayhonor, whether for self-pleasingand worship, or vainglory, or blindness, or evil mindedness, hold on authorized meetings. This we do by pointing to the apostolic tradition and the faith that with His Father Who is preached to menwithout beginning, which has come down to us through the successions of bishops; the tradition and creed of the greatest, His All-holy and most ancient church, the church known to all men, which was founded Good and set up at Rome by the two men most glorious apostlesLife-giving Spirit, Peter now and Paul. For with this church, because of its position of leadership ever and authority, must needs agree every church, that is, unto the faithful everywhere; for in her the apostolic tradition has always been preserved by the faithful from all partsages of ages. Amen.” —St. Irenaeus Mark of Lyons, Against Heresies, IIIEphesus
"True Christianity is glorifying God “‘But if,’ they say, ‘we had devised some middle ground between the dogmas (of the Papists and the Orthodox), then thanks to this we would have united with them and accomplished our own livesbusiness superbly, without at all having been forced to say anything except what corresponds to custom and has been handed down (by the Fathers). To glorify God with our own life ’ This is possible only when we precisely the means by which many, from of old, have true faith been deceived and when persuaded to follow those who have led them off the steep precipice of impiety; believing that faith indeed existsthere is some middle ground between the two teachings that can reconcile obvious contradictions, we express it in words and in deedsthey have been exposed to peril.” —St. John (Maximovitch) Mark of Shanghai and San FranciscoEphesus, Encyclical Letter, Orthodox Word, March-April-May, 1967
“I will tell you my opinion briefly and without reserve. We ought to remain in that Church which was founded by “Whoever preserves himself from them (the Apostles Latins) and continues to this day. If ever you hear of any that are called Christians taking their name not from keeps his faith pure will stand rejoicing at the Lord Jesus Christ, but from some other, for instance, Marcionites, Valentinians, Men right hand of the mountain or the plain, you may be sure that you have there not the Church of ChristGod, but whoever willfully draws close to them will stand weeping bitterly with them on the synagogue of Antichristleft. For there is no eternal life for those living in the fact that they took their rise after the foundation faith of the Church is proof that they are those whose coming Latins or the Apostle foretold.Saracens…
And let them not flatter themselves if they think they have Scripture authority for their assertionsMy son, since the devil himself quoted Scripture, and the essence of the Scriptures it is not the letter, but the meaningappropriate to praise another's faith. Whoever praises an alien faith is like a detractor of his own Orthodox faith. OtherwiseIf anyone should praise his own and another's faith, if we follow the letter, we too can concoct then he is a new dogma man of dual faith and assert that such persons as wear shoes is close to heresy. If anyone should say to you: ‘Your faith and have our faith is from God,’ you, my son, should reply: ‘Who are you, you heretic? Do you consider God to be of two coats must faiths? Have you not be received into heard, accursed and perverted as you are by an evil faith that which is written: Thus saith the Church.” —St. JeromeLord: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism’ (Ephesians 4:5)?…
“Sometimes Japanese protestants come Thus they of evil faith, after holding to me the Orthodox faith for so many years, have turned away to an evil faith and ask me to clarify some place in the Holy Scriptures.Satan's teaching…
"You They have your own missionary teachersrenounced the preaching of the apostles and the edification of the holy fathers," I tell themand have accepted a faith based on error and a perverted dogma leading to perdition. Therefore, "Go ask them. What do they say?" "We have asked thembeen torn away from us and set apart…” —St. They say: understand as you know how. But I need Theodosius of Kiev Caves, Testament to know the real thought Great Prince Izyaslav of God, not my own personal opinion."Kiev
…It's not like that with us. Everything “It is clear, trustworthy and simple, since we accept Holy Tradition in addition impossible to recall peace without dissolving the Holy Scriptures. And Holy Tradition is a living, unbroken voice cause of our Church from the time of Christ and His Apostles until now, and which will exist until schism – the end primacy of the world. In it all the meaning of the Holy Scriptures are preservedPope exalting himself equal to God.” —St. Nicholas Mark of JapanEphesus
“It “The Holy Spirit is Christ Himself, not nowhere to be found among them (the BiblePapists), Who is the true word of Godbecause their mysteries are graceless. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance ” —Dositheos of good teachers, will bring us to Him. We must not use the Bible as a sort of encyclopedia out of which texts can be taken for use as weapons.” —C. S. LewisJerusalem
“The humility of Jesus is not a superfluous detail in the gospel narrative. The humility of Jesus is essential to the gospel. If Jesus lacked humility, there would be no incarnation, no crucifixion, “Holy Orthodoxy has two eternal enemies: Mecca and no redemptionRome.” —Jack Wisdom—St. Kosmas Aitolos
“A false interpretation of Scripture causes that “You should curse the gospel of the Lord becomes the gospel of man, or, which is worsePope, of because he will be the devilcause.” —St. JeromeKosmas Aitolos
“How long shall we continue in this manner“We do not have merely ‘a group of Orthodox that consider Roman Catholics and Protestants to be heretics’ or ‘only pronouncements by particular ecclesiastical writers’, our intellect reduced to futilityas some erroneously contend, failing to make but the spirit totality of the Gospel Saints of our own, Church who dealt with this issue unanimously conclude that Papism is heresy. There is not knowing what it means to live according to one Saint of our conscienceChurch – no, making no serious effort to keep it pure?not one – who contends that Papism is not a heresy.” —St—Fr. Mark Anastasios Gotsopoulos, On Common Prayer with the AsceticHeterodox
“It is self evident“The Anglican Communion ignores the Orthodox Church's dogmas and teachings, however, that sincere Christians who are Roman Catholics, or Lutherans, or members such as the invocation of other non-Orthodox confessionsSaints, cannot be termed renegades or heretics—i.e. those who knowingly pervert prayers for the truth… They have been born and raised and are living according dead, special honor to the creed which they have inherited, just as do Blessed Virgin Mary the majority Mother of you who are Orthodox; in their lives there has not been a moment God, and reverence for sacred relics, holy pictures and icons. They say of personal such teaching that it is ‘a foul thing, vainly invented, and conscious renunciation grounded upon no warranty of Orthodoxy. The LordScripture, ‘Who will have all men but rather repugnant to be saved’ (I Tim. 2:4) and ‘Who enlightens every man born into the world’ word of God’ (Jn. 1.43Article of Religion, XXII), undoubtedly is leading them also towards salvation in His own way.” —Metropolitan Philaret of New York
“You ask, will the heterodox be saved… Why do you worry about them? They have There is a Saviour Who desires striking variance between their wording of the salvation Nicene Creed and that of every human being. He will take care the Holy Orthodox Church; but sadder still, it contains the heresy 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, and enter a different faith, you will lose your soul forever‘filioque.” —St. Theophan the Recluse’
“The I do not deem it necessary to mention all the striking differences between the Holy Orthodox confess Church and the Anglican Communion in reference to the authority of Holy Tradition, the number of the General Councils, etc. Sufficient has already been said and pointed out to show that SHE IS the OneAnglican Communion differs but little from all other Protestant bodies, and, therefore, there cannot be any intercommunion until she returns to the ancient HolyOrthodox Faith and practices, Universal (katholikos) and Apostolic Ecclesia! Any other model is gnosticrejects Protestant omissions and commissions.” —St. Irenaeus of Lyons
“Orthodoxy is what Christ taughtTherefore, as the official head of the Syrian Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church in North America and as one who must ‘give an account’ (Hebrews 13:17) before the judgment throne of the ‘Shepherd and Bishop of Souls’ (I St Peter 2:25), that I have fed the ‘flock of God’ (I St. Peter 5:2), as I have been commissioned by the Holy Orthodox Church, and inasmuch as the Anglican Communion (Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States) does not differ in things vital to the well being of the Holy Orthodox Church from some of the most errant Protestant sects, I direct all Orthodox people residing in any community not to seek or to accept the ministrations of the Sacraments and rites from any clergy excepting those of the Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, for the Apostolic command, that the apostles preachedOrthodox should not commune in ecclesiastical matters with those who are not of ‘the same household of Faith’ (Galatians 6:10), is clear: ‘Any Bishop; or presbyter or deacon who will pray with heretics, let him be anathematized; and if he allows them as clergymen to perform any service, let him be deposed’ (Apostolic Canon 45). ‘Any bishop, or presbyter, who accepts baptism or the Fathers keptHoly Sacrifice from heretics, we order such to be deposed, for ‘what concord hath Christ with Belial, or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?’’ (Apostolic Canon 46).” —St”—St. Athanasius Raphael of AlexandriaBrooklyn, On the Anglican Communion
“He “If a Bishop or Priest baptize anew anyone that has had a true baptism, or fail to baptize anyone that has been polluted by the impious, let him be deposed, on the ground that he is ‘the same yesterday mocking the Cross and today Death of the Lord and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8). Orthodox Christians are committed for failing to the truth claim of the Christian Faith not as ideology but as an expression of holinessdistinguish priests from pseudo-priests.” —Rev. Dr. George C. Papademetriou, An Orthodox Reflection on Truth & Tolerance—Apostolic Canon 47
“The beginning of theology is not “Whosoever has fallen from the card catalogue, but doing battle against the passions; and the end of theology is not becoming a professor, but becoming True Faith cannot be called a saintChristian.” —Dr—St. David FagerbergAthanasius the Great
“Only “The heretics obey the Religion of Christ unites and all of us must pray that demons; they come to this. Thus union will occurhonor falsehood, 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 at every moment they provoke God to other religionsanger.” —St. Porphyrios Symeon the KapsokalyviteNew Theologian
“Orthodoxy “Ecumenism is lifethe common name for the pseudo-Christianity of the pseudo-churches of Western Europe. Within it is the heart of European humanism, with Papism as its head. All of pseudo-Christianity, all of those pseudo-churches, are nothing more than one must not talk about itheresy after another. Their common evangelical name is: ‘pan-heresy.’ Why? This is because through the course of history various heresies denied or deformed certain aspects of the God-Man and Lord Jesus Christ; these European heresies remove Him altogether and put European man in His place. In this there is no essential difference between Papism, Protestantism, ecumenism, and other heresies, one must live itwhose name is ‘Legion’.” —St. Nektary of OptinaJustin Popovich
“Orthodoxy can't “For Western Christendom God is indeed dead, and its leaders only prepare for the advent of the enemy of God, Antichrist. But Orthodox Christians know the living God and dwell within the saving enclosure of His True Church. It is here, in faithful and fervent following of the unchanging Orthodox path – and not in the dazzling ‘Ecumenical’ union with the new unbelievers that is pursued by Orthodox modernists – that our salvation is to be comfortable unless it is fakefound.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina
“As for all those who pretend “Orthodoxy has one thing to confess sound Orthodox Faithsay to the ecumenical movement: here is the truth, but are in communion with people who hold different opinion, if they are forewarned and still join yourself to it; to remain stubborn, you must to ‘discuss’ this truth not only be in communion with themmerely weakens the Orthodox witness, but you must NOT even call them brothersit destroys it.” —St—Fr. Basil the GreatSeraphim Rose of Platina
“Today“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, while they would not disown the truth of the value and the overall teachings 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 under attack 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 to disturb our march. Eliminating God from the world and of the soul in any way – this is the shipwrecks goal of Faith the Ecumenism also repelled by Saint Justin Popovich. The Ecumenism and the globalization are numerous, at the mouths forefront of the faithful are silentapocalyptic times. Anyone who is capable They want to accustom the eye and the spirit of speaking the truth but remains silentOrthodox with the habit to serve together with these heretics, until they get to have Communion from the same chalice. Because this could give them the right to build their own churches. But no, 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 be heavily judged by God, especially bring something new in this casethe Church of Christ. Let us not forget that the Church is the body whose head is Christ. You can not break it from Christ Who is the Path, where the faith Truth and the very foundation 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 entire bearers of human interests. The Christian Church has never gone after the crowd; not the many lead or hold the truth, but the few, chosen, as the carriers of the Orthodox is in dangerHoly Spirit. To remain silent We do work only under these circumstances is to betray thesethis Father’s truth, the Gospel of our Lord and the appropriate witness belongs Orthodox Church Tradition. All this falsehood which has appeared in our world has no other purpose than to those embarrass 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 reproach (stand up for has been written at the faith)official level.” —StBut, by not solving these dogmatic problems the untruth slowly settles in our Orthodox Christian Church. Basil All the Ecumenical attempts of unifying the other Christian communities found in heresy, the Greatdialogues which have developed in our Orthodox Christian Church, since I know, haven’t got any result because they have false basis, epthey are untrue and do nothing but disturb the authentic Christian life. 92” —Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Romania, Din învățăturile și minunile Părintelui Justin
“I beseech you “We must prepare for martyrdom and beyond this, I would not have to do speak if people were not powerless in spirit and mind to carry out good understand. It's not easy to all men live these days. But if the Lord has so pleased that we should suffer these times, then we must obey and receive with care and assiduity, becoming joy all things to all menthat comes upon us, as from the need hand of each is shown to you; I want and pray you to be wholly harsh God, 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 not from Divine love to lend support to error, so that those previously seized by it might be even more greatly corrupted.” —St. Maximus the Confessor, Patrologia Graeca, Vol. 91enemy…
“Be aware Therefore, please stop looking for solutions. Human solutions are not existent, my dears! The solution is to be corrupted from love of the heretics; die for this reason do not accept any false belief (dogma) in Christ. Fathers will give up their sons, mothers, their daughters, unto death. Behold, we witness the name fulfillment of lovethis prophecy.” —St. John ChrysostomIf the mother will let the child be vaccinated, it's as if giving him over to die…
“Genuine love is displayedTherefore I say to you, not by trust that the common table, nor by lofty addresses or flattering wordsLord will give you power to confess Him. We live in an anarchic world, but by the correcting entire political class is an enemy of Christ and the seeking a servant of the benefit of one's neighbour evil, that is why even living our simple life without abdicating our Christian principles is a daily confession and the lifting up of the one who has fallen.” —Stmartyrdom. John Chrysostom
“Never, never, never let anyone tell 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 own it because they have no shyness. Everything is in sight and they are aware thatthey have no opponent to fear and they fight to depopulate the world, in order with the few who will remain to be Orthodoxworship them. Now they're studying and sorting, and the way they're going to distinguish people from each other is the chips. Do you must also be eastern. The West was Orthodox for or do you not have a thousand years, and her venerable liturgy chip? For what is far older than any of her heresiesthe chip after all? A weapon against Man.” —StAnd we have no weapons; our youth is weary, that even if they want to rise from the spell in which they live, they have no power. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
“Where 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 bishop truth, what sacrifice do we have? Or if we do not care about our neighbor who isunaware and we do not inform him and we let him fall prey to this system, there let what love do we have? Those who still struggle today to awaken their brother, who have not remained indifferent to the multitude future of believers be; even as where Jesus isa nation and a church, there is those are the children of the Catholic Church.” —St. Ignatius love of AntiochGod, who lay their lives down for their brethren…
“Take care It is important to do oppose all things in harmony with God, with the bishop presiding in the place of God, and with the presbyters in the place of the council of the apostles, antichrists and die with the deacons, who are most dear dignity; not to me, entrusted with the business of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and is at last made manifesthave a cowardly position.” —St. Ignatius —Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Antioch, Letter to the Magnesians 2, 6:1Romania
“Moreover“Modern man lives on the dregs of Christianity, on Christian experience digested and turned into ‘ideas’ for mass consumption. Hence the parody of Christianity is to be seen in the Catholic Church itselfmodern ideas like ‘equality’, all possible care must be taken‘brotherhood’, that we hold that faith ‘charity.’ … And Christian messianism - the coming Kingdom which is not of this world (Jon 18:36) - has been believed everywhere, always, by all. For perverted into the coming Kingdom in this world that is truly and practically everyone believes in today. Even those who see through the delusion of idealism… fall prey to the strictest sense ‘Catholicsecond idea,’ whichthe idea that Truth can somehow be realized in this world, as in the name itself and the reason coming age of the thing declare‘spirit, comprehends all universally’ or in the relation of ‘man with man. This rule we shall observe if we follow universality’ But this world cannot hold the Truth in its fullness, antiquity, consent. We shall follow universality if we confess that one faith any more than it could tolerate the presence in it of the God-Man; for man is called upon to be truemore than man, which the whole Church throughout the world confesses; antiquityhe is called to deification, if we and this can only happen fully in no wise depart from those interpretations the ‘other world’ - which , though it is manifest were notoriously held by our holy ancestors and fathers; consentconstantly impinges on this world, in like mannernever does so more than partially, if in antiquity itself we adhere to the consentient definitions giving us warnings and determinations indications of allwhat is to come. This world must end, man as we know him must die, or at the least of almost all priests and doctorsmust be crucified before that ‘other’ world can come into being.” —St—Fr. Vincent of Lérins, Commonitory, For the Antiquity and Universality Seraphim Rose of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies., Chapter II (circa 434 AD)Platina
“Roman Catholics teach that original sin robbed Adam of the original righteousness“Let not us, grace-filled perfectionwho would be Christians, but did not harm his very natureexpect anything else from it than to be crucified. And the original righteousness, according For to be Christian is to their teachingsbe crucified, was not an organic part of in this time and in any time since Christ came for the first time. His life is the spiritual example – and moral nature of manwarning – to us all. We must be crucified personally, but an external gift of gracemystically; for through crucifixion is the only path to resurrection. If we would rise with Christ, a special addition we must first be humbled with Him – even to the natural forces of manultimate humiliation, being devoured and spit forth by the uncomprehending world. Hence And we must be crucified outwardly, in the sin eyes of the first man, which consists in rejecting world; for Christ’s Kingdom is not of this purely externalworld, supernatural graceand the world cannot bear it, separating man from God, is nothing more than depriving even a person single representative of this graceit, depriving even for a person of primitive righteousness and returning man single moment. The world can only accept Antichrist, now or at any time. No wonder then, that it is hard to be a purely natural stateChristian – it is not hard, it is impossible. No one can knowingly accept a state way of grace. The very same human nature remained after life which, the fall as more truly it was before is lived, lead the fallmore surely to one’s own destruction. Before sinAnd that is why we constantly rebel, Adam was like a royal courtiertry to make life easier, try to be half-Christian, from whom external glory was taken away because try to make the best of a crimeboth worlds. We must ultimately choose – our felicity lies in one world or the other, and he returned not in both. God give us the strength to pursue the original state path to crucifixion; there is no other way to be Christian.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina, from his journal as printed in which he had been before.the biography Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene
The decrees of the Council of Trent concerning original sin state that the progenitor sin consisted “One who merely knows these truths 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 mind will be unpleasant helpless to God. Only lust remains, which, due to its motivation resist the temptations of a person to fight, is more 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 hertimes, and those many who bravely fight by recognize the grace Antichrist when he comes will nonetheless worship him – only the power of Jesus Christ, but, on given to the contrary, crowns the one who heart will gloriously strugglehave strength to resist him. The Holy Council declares that this lust, which the Apostle sometimes calls sin, the Universal Church never called sin in the sense that it is true and proper to the regenerated, but that it is from sin and entails sin” —Fr.’Seraphim Rose of Platina
This Roman Catholic teaching is unfounded, since it represents “A lukewarm clergy lulls the original righteousness and perfection of Adam as an external giftpeople to sleep, as an advantage, which is added to nature from the outside and from nature separableleaves them in their former condition so they won't be upset. Meanwhile, it is clear from the ancient apostolic-church doctrine that this primitive righteousness of Adam was not an external gift and advantage‘Look’, but an integral part of his divinely-created naturethey say. The Holy Scripture claims that sin has shaken and upset human nature so deeply ‘By all means don't say that there'll be a person is weak for good and when he wantswar, he cannot do good ( Romans 7: 18-19 ), but he cannot commit it just because sin has a strong influence on or the nature of man. In additionSecond Coming, if sin did not damage human nature so much, there would be no need that one must prepare oneself for the Only Begotten Son of God 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 )death. In addition, Roman Catholics can We must 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?make people alarmed!’
In the same way, there is an inaccurate Roman Catholic statement that in And others speak with a regenerated person nothing remains sinful and unpleasant to God and that all this gives way to that which is immaculatefalse kindness, holy and pleasing to God. For we know from Holy Revelation and the teachings of the ancient Church that the grace given to a fallen man through Jesus Christ does not act mechanically, does not give sanctification saying: ‘We mustn't expose heretics and salvation immediately, in the blink of an eyetheir delusions, but gradually penetrates all the psychophysical powers of man, in proportion so as to his personal feat in the new thus he simultaneously heals from all sinful ailments, and sanctifies in all thoughts, feelings, desires and deedsshow our love for them. It is an unreasonable exaggeration to think and argue that the regenerated have absolutely no remnants of sinful ailments when the mystery beloved by Christ clearly teaches: ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not 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’ Today's people are water-soluble. But if I do what I do not want, it is There's no longer I who do it, but the sin that lives leaven in me’ ( Romans 7: 19-20, Romans 8: 23-24 )them.” —St. Justin Popovich, Orthodox philosophy of truth (Dogma of the Orthodox Church)
“In all the Eastern Churches, candles are lit even in the daytime when one is If I avoid upsetting myself to read the Gospels, in truth not protect my fleshly comfort then I'm indifferent to dispel the darknessholiness! Spiritual meekness is one thing, but as a sign of joy…in order under that factual light to feel that Light of which we read in the Psalms (119:105)and softness and indifference are quite another. Some say: Thy word is ‘I'm a lamp Christian and therefore I have to my feet, be joyful and a light to my pathcalm.” —St’ But they're not Christian. Jerome, Works, part IV, 2nd edThey're simply indifferent., Kiev, 1900, ppAnd their joy is only a worldly joy.301-302
“The candles lit before icons of saints reflect their ardent love for God for Whose sake they gave up everything that man prizes He in life, including their very lives, as did the holy apostles, martyrs and others. These candles also mean that whom these saints worldly seeds are lamps burning for us and providing light for us by their own saintly livingpresent is no spiritual person. A spiritual person consists of nothing but pain. In other words, he's in pain at what's going on, their virtues and their ardent intercession he's in pain for us before God through their constant prayers by day and nightpeople's condition. The burning candles also stand And divine comfort is bestowed upon him for our ardent zeal and the sincere sacrifice we make out of reverence and gratitude to them for their solicitude on our behalf before Godhis pain.” —St. John Paisios of KronstadtMt. Athos
“The saints of God live even after their death“You have grown soft. Thus, I often hear in church So the Mother of God singing her wonderful, heart-penetrating song which she said in worthless have risen up against the house of her cousin Elizabethhonourable, after the Annunciation of disreputable against the Archangel. At timesrenowned, I hear the song of Moses; foolish against the song of Zacharias--the father of the Forerunner; that of Hannahwise, the mother of young against the prophet Samuel; that of the three children; aged. Righteousness and that of Miriam. And how many holy singers of the New Testament delight until now the ear of the whole Church of God! And the Divine service itself--the sacramentspeace are far from you, inasmuch as you have abandoned the rites? Whose spirit is there, moving and touching our hearts? That fear of God and of His saintsbecome blind in faith.” —St. John Clement of Kronstadt, My Life in ChristRome
“Each person is an icon of God“In our evil time, when the servants of God 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 heaven and of God on the cross. Yetname, each person is there have appeared not a few ‘pastors’ also an icon who bear only the name of Orthodox but deny the Mother authentic power and spirit of God, who bears Christ through the Holy Spirittrue Orthodoxy. Our soul, therefore, unites itself in two images; participating in Precisely such false pastors filled up the principles and realities ranks of both Christ the (Soviet) ‘Living Church’ and his Mother. These are age old archetypes, symbols by which the soul orients itself on the journey.” —St‘Renovationist Church’ clergy in our Russia. Maria Skobtsova, On The Imitation of the Mother of God
“The Christian But the ‘Living Church’ and ‘Renovationalism’ were not recognized by the believing Russian people, who does felt in their hearts their whole falsity; and they brilliantly collapsed on the Russian soil, ceasing their official existence. However, the spirit of the ‘Living Church’ and ‘Renovationalism’ has not feel that died, but has continued and up until now continues to live among us also in the Russian homeland, which has been enslaved by the godless, and also abroad among all the Orthodox Local Churches who have become infected with this pestilential spirit, not without, of course, the most strenuous cooperation of those same servants of the Virgin Mary is his or her mother is an orphancoming Antichrist.” —Pope Francis
“Creating man according to his imageThese pseudo-pastors, God diffused into man's very being the longing for the divine infinitude of lifemodernists and ecumenists, in place of knowledgetrue Orthodoxy, preach and insistently propagandize a false Orthodoxy, flattering all the sinful passions and vices of perfection. It is precisely for this reason that fallen man - striving in everything to go in step with the immeasurable longing times and thirst of humanity is not able to be completely satisfied by anything or anyone except God. Declaring divine perfection as adapt the Christian to the main purpose for humanity's existence ‘world which lies in the world – ‘Be ye therefore perfectevil, even as your father who is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matthunder all possible cunning and well sounding pretexts. 5: 48) – Christ, Everywhere now they are seizing the Savior, answered reigns of government in the most elemental demand and need of our God-like and God-longing humanitycontemporary Orthodox Local Churches.” —St. Justin PopovichThey are striving to play everywhere the leading guiding role, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christoften they have success, Highest Value for they skillfully and Last Criterion in cunningly make themselves seem to be zealots of Orthodoxy.
“Concerning But their actual aim is to undermine true Orthodoxy by a false ‘Orthodoxy,’ in order to make it come about, in the charge expression of idolatry: Icons are not idols but symbols. Therefore, when an Orthodox venerates an iconChrist the Savior, he is not guilty of idolatry. He is not worshiping ‘that the symbolsalt has lost its savor’ (Matthew 5:13), but merely venerating that it might lose its saltiness - that itmight lose its spirit and power. Such veneration This is not directed toward wood, or paint or stone, but towards a special kind of battle against the person depicted. Therefore relative honor is shown to material objects, but worship is due to God alone.” —St. John of DamascusChurch!
“We do not bow before the nature Behold of what a frightful undertaking (of wood, but which) we revere are the living and bow before immediate witnesses! By all means there is being conducted in the world a frightful battle against the one who is depicted.” —St. John Faith of Christ, by a path of Damascusfalsification and imitations!
“We do not make obeisance to the nature of wood…(this) truly most frightful and nightmarish phenomenon (is) something more frightful than open atheism and warfare against God, but we revere and do obeisance (for it) threatens to Him who was crucified on the Cross… When destroy our holy Orthodoxy from the two beams of the Cross are joined together I adore the figure because of Christ who was crucified on the Crossroot, but if the beams are separated, I throw them away and burn them.” —St. John having corrupted it from within…” —Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of DamascusSyracuse
“The whole earth is a living icon fundamental task of the face servants of God. … I do not worship matter, but the Creator of matter, who for my sake became material coming Antichrist is to destroy the old world with all its former concepts and deigned ‘prejudices’ in order to dwell build in matter, its place a new world suitable for receiving its approaching ‘new owner’ who through matter effected my salvation. Never will I cease honoring take the matter place of Christ for people and give them on earth that which wrought my salvation! I honor it, but Christ did not as God. Because of this I salute all remaining matter with reverence, because God has filled it with his grace and power. Through it my salvation has come to me.” —St. John of Damascusgive them…
“That which the word communicates by soundOne must be completely blind spiritually, the painting shows silently by representation.completely alien to true Christianity not to understand all this!” —St. Basil the Great, On the 40 Martyrs —Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of SebasteSyracuse
“We depict Christ as our King and Lord, and do not deprive Him “Those forces that are preparing the appearance of His armyAntichrist will have a leading significance in public life. The saints constitute the Lord's army. Let the earthly king dismiss his army before he gives up his King Antichrist will be a man and Lord. Let him put off not the purple before he takes honour away from his most valiant men who have conquered their passionsdevil incarnate. For if the saints are heirs … That man wants to be in place of GodChrist, to occupy His place and co-heirs of possess that which Christ, (Romought to possess. 8.17) they will be also partakers of He wants to possess the same attraction and authority over the divine glory of sovereignty.” —Stwhole world. John of Damascus
“Our afflictions are well known without my telling; the sound of them has now gone forth over all Christendom. The doctrines And he will receive that authority before his own destruction and that of the fathers are despised; apostolical traditions are set at nought; the speculations of innovators hold sway in the churcheswhole world. Men He will have learned to be theorists instead of theologians. The wisdom of the world has the place of honoura helper, a Magus, who, having dispossessed by the boasting power of the cross. The pastors are driven away, grievous wolves are brought in insteadfalse miracles, will fulfill his will and plunder kill those that do not recognize the flock authority of Christ, Houses Antichrist.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of prayer are destitute of preachers; the deserts are full of mourners: the old bewailShanghai and San Francisco, 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 Antichrist and the sympathy Signs of those who are taught in the love End of Christ, yet compared with the factsWorld, it is far from reaching their seriousness.” —St. Basil Homily on the Great, ep. 90Last Judgement
“Let us “The miracles of Antichrist will be firm, my brothers, on the rock of faith, chiefly manifested in the tradition of the Church, and not remove or change the boundaries established by our Holy Fathers. Let us close the road to innovators and not permit them to demolish the structure of the holyaerial realm, catholic, and apostolic Church of God. If we allow, however, the introduction of any innovation, we unconsciously support the collapse of the Church. No, my brothers, you who love Christ, no, you children of the Church, you will never want to surround your Mother Church with confusionwhere Satan chiefly has dominion.” —St—Fr. John Seraphim Rose of Damascus, Concerning Images, III.41Platina
“Therefore“Without sanctification and illumination from above, brethren, let our love – if it indeed is within us stand on the rock of faith – lacks Gospel purity and holiness. It is poisoned by our self-love and on the tradition of the Churchegoism, which is so subtle and hard to grasp that we do not remove the boundaries which our Holy Fathers have seteven notice it. Thus, We think that we will not give the opportunity to those who wish to innovate truly love God and destroy the edifice of the holyour neighbor, catholic and apostolic Church of God. For if permission but in reality this is granted to everyone who wants it, little by little the whole body of the Church will be destroyed. Do notself-love, brethren, do not, oh Christ-loving children of the Church of love for God …” —Patriarch Jeremias II, prophetic warning and neighbor.” —Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of to the Lutheran scholarsSyracuse
“Unbelief is an evil offspring “The faithful remnant of an evil heartChristians in the last days, as our Lord has told us, will be very small; for the guileless and pure vast majority of heart discovers God everywherethose who call themselves Christians will welcome Antichrist as the Messiah … those who are not true Orthodox Christians belong the ‘new Christianity’, everywhere discerns Him, and always unhesitatingly believes in His existencethe ‘Christianity’ of Antichrist.” —St. Nectarios of Aegina
“He who learns must sufferAnd even in our sleep pain that cannot forgetFalls drop The Pope of Rome and practically everyone else today speaks of ‘transforming the world’ by drop upon the heart,And Christianity: priests and nuns take part in our own despitedemonstrations for ‘racial equality’ and similar causes. These have nothing to do with Christianity: they do nothing but distract men from their true goal, against our will,Comes wisdom to us by which is the awful grace Kingdom of GodHeaven.” —Aeschylus
“The greatest wisdom often emerges from The coming age of ‘peace’, ‘unity’, and ‘brotherhood’, if it comes, will be the deepest woundsreign of Antichrist: it will be Christian in name, but Satanic in spirit.” —Jane Lee Logan
“Monarchy can easily be debunkedΕveryone today seeks happiness on earth, but watch and they think this is ‘Christianity’; true Orthodox Christians know that the facesage of persecutions, mark well which began again under the debunkers. These are the men whose taproot in Eden has been cut: whom no rumour of the polyphonyBolsheviks, the danceis still with us, can reach - men to whom pebbles laid in a row and that only by much sorrow and tribulation are more beautiful than an arch. … Where men are forbidden we made fit to honour 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 poisonenter the Kingdom of Heaven.” —C—Fr. S. LewisSeraphim Rose of Platina
“There is nothing impossible unto those who believe; lively “It may be, brethren, that soon you will again experience a time of turmoil, and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in some of you will be called to take the twinkling path of an eyedenying those sacred laws and to submit to laws established by mere human authority. BesidesBeware of such a path! Beware of the path taken by the thief on the left, even without our sincere and firm faithfor by the weight of blasphemy, miracles are accomplishedby the weight of reviling Christ he went to his eternal perdition. Those who revile the laws of the Church revile Christ Himself, such as Who is the miracles Head of the sacraments; Church, for God's Mystery is always accomplished, even though we the laws of the Church were incredulous or unbelieving at given by the Holy Spirit through the time of its celebrationApostles. 'Shall their unbelief make And the faith laws of God without effect?' (Romlocal Churches are based on those same laws and canons of the Church. 3:3). Our wickedness shall Let us not overpower consider ourselves wiser than those saints and hierarchs who established the unspeakable goodness and mercy rules of Godthe Church; our dullness shall let us not overpower God's wisdomimagine ourselves to be great sages. Rather, let us humbly call out together with the wise thief: Remember me, O Lord, nor our infirmity God's omnipotence.in Thy kingdom!” —St. John (Maximovitch) of KronstadtShanghai and San Francisco, My Life in ChristHomily on the Sunday of Orthodoxy
“The human “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 self-crucifixion – a faith of labor and, laboring lawfully as the Word of God teaches, let us suffer all things for the Truth, not moving away from it, as do many because of their poverty of spirit needs places or self-interest. And let us remember well: where nature has not been rearranged by there is no labor, where there is no steadfastness in the hand of manfaith – there is neither Orthodoxy nor true faith in God and in His Christ. Amen.” —unknown—Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse
“People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used“Being born, then, of the light of truth, shun division and bad doctrines. The reason why Where the world is in chaos shepherd is because things are , there you, being loved and people sheep, must follow. For many wolves there are being used, 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.” —unknownIgnatius of Antioch
“No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child“We must not mind insulting men, if by respecting them we offend God.” —unknown—St. John Chrysostom
“If we could look into each others hearts“A time is coming when men will go mad, and understand the unique challenges each of us faceswhen they see someone who is not mad, I think we would treat each other much more gentlythey will attack him, with more lovesaying, patience, tolerance, and care‘You are mad; you are not like us.” —Marvin J’” —St. AshtonAnthony the Great
“Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide “There will come a time when corruption and lewdness among the youth will reach the fault I utmost point. There will hardly be any virgin youth left. They will see; their lack of punishment and will think that mercy I everything is allowable for them to others showsatisfy their desires. God will call them, however, and they will realize that mercy show it will not be possible for them to mecontinue such a life.” —Alexander Pope
“The human heart can see what is hidden Then in various ways they will be led to God… that time will be beautiful. That today they are sinning greatly, will lead them to a deeper repentance. Just like the eyescandle before it goes out, it shines strongly and throws sparks; with its light, it enlightens the heart knows things that surrounding darkness; thus, it will be the Church’s life in the mind does not begin to understandlast age.” —They Might Be Giants (1971)
“The greatest thing a man can do to a woman And that time is to lead her closer to God than to himselfnear.” —unknown—St. Seraphim of Vyritsa
“A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations“When I remember the evil sins from which the Lord has delivered me, but look what they can do when they stick together!I have imperishable food for salvation.” —unknown—St. Mary of Egypt
“God cannot “We all want God to give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not thereunity of faith to the world. There is no such thingBut you are confusing things.” —C. S. Lewis
“The supreme happiness The reconciliation of life people is one thing, while the conviction reconciliation of religions is another. Christianity requires all of being loved for yourselfus to love everyone with all our hearts, or more correctly, being loved in spite of yourselfwhatever faith they may have.” —Victor Hugo
“It is hardly complimentary to God that At the same time we should choose him as an alternative are ordered to hellkeep our faith and doctrines intact.” —CAs Christians you must be merciful to the whole world, to all people. SEven your life you should give on their behalf. Lewis
“Hell can't be made attractive, so But you have no right to touch the devil makes attractive the road that leads theretruths of Christ. Because they are not yours. The faith of Christ is not our property to do with it as we wish.” —St. Basil the GreatNikolai Velimirovich
“If you die before you die, than when you die“We do not change 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, you the whole edifice will not diefall to the ground in no short time.” —written on a cell wall, St. Paul's Monastery, Mt—St. AthosJohn of Damascus
“War in “At this dawn of modern history, the name thirteenth century, all the seeds of religion modern mentality are present. And modern history follows logically from these seeds. Essentially, it is war against religionone 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.” —His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
“Believe meLater on, if God revealed to us this will take forms which go through atheism and all kinds of wild beliefs, but essentially the search remains the disasters to which we were exposed same, and from in the end the world will be Christian, because it's Antichrist who gives them a new religion, which He protected us, our whole lives would is not suffice something foreign to offer Him thanksChristianity.” —HIt will not be some kind of paganism.HIt will be something which everyone will accept as Christianity, but will be anti-christian. A substitute for Christianity which denies the very essence of Christianity. Pope Shenouda
“In heavenAnd 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 it was in the beginning, God but by means of taking Christianity and changing it so that it will not ask us why no longer be Christian. And this is what we have sinned; He will ask us why we did not repentcan call the Unfolding of the Mystery of Iniquity in preparation for Antichrist.” —H—Fr.H. Pope Shenouda IIISeraphim Rose of Platina, excerpt from Orthodox Survival Course
“Even if “We who wish to remain in the true tradition of Orthodoxy will have to be zealous and firm in our Orthodoxy without being fanatics, and without presuming to teach our bishops what they should do. Above all spiritual fatherswe must strive to preserve the true fragrance of Orthodoxy, patriarchs, hierarchsbeing at least a little ‘not of this world’, detached from all the cares and all politics even of the people forgive youChurch, you are unforgiven if you don’t repent nourishing ourselves on the otherworldly food the Church gives us in actionsuch abundance.” —St—Fr. Kosmas AitolosSeraphim Rose of Platina
“Nobody is as gracious “Test your bishops in only one respect: try and find out whether they are Orthodox, whether they teach dogmas contrary to the true Faith, and mercifulwhether they concelebrate with heretics, or schismatics. As far as the Lord isother things, but even He does not forgive the sins they act out of ignorance or because the man who does not repent; … we days are being condemned not because of the multitude of our evils, but because we do not want evil and they will give an account to repentGod only.” —St. Mark the AsceticGennadios (II) Scholarios, Patriarch of Constantinople
“As a handful “Regarding the affairs of sand thrown into the oceanChurch, so in the words of the Saviour, one of the most awesome phenomena of the last days is that at that time ‘the stars shall fall from heaven’ (Matt. 24.29). According to the Saviour’s own explanation, these ‘stars’ are the sins Angels of the Churches, in other words, the Bishops (Rev. 1.20). The religious and moral fall of the Bishops is, therefore, one of the most characteristic signs of the last days. The fall of the Bishops is particularly horrifying when they deviate from the doctrines of all flesh the faith, or, as compared with the mercy Apostle put it, when they ‘would pervert the Gospel of GodChrist’ (Gal. 1.7).” —StThe Apostle orders that such people be pronounced ‘anathema’. He said, ‘If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed (anathema)’ (Gal. 1.9). And one must not be slow about this, for he continues, ‘A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted, being condemned of himself’ (Titus 3.10-11). Isaac Moreover, you may be subject to God’s judgement if you are indifferent to deviation from the Syriantruth: ‘So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth’ (Rev. 3.16).” —Archbishop Theophan of Poltava
“Just as a strongly flowing fountain is not blocked up by a handful “The bishops of earth, so the compassion end times will be subservient [obedient and compliant] to the powerful of the Creator is not overcome by world, and they will make decisions according to the wickedness gifts they receive from everywhere, and consulting the rational logic of his creaturesthe academics.” —St. Isaac the SyrianPambo
“God is loving “Do not show obedience to bishops who exhort you to man, do and loving in no small measure. For to say not, I have committed fornication and adultery: I have done dreadful to believe in things, and which are not once only, but often: will He forgiveto your benefit. What pious man would hold his tongue? Will He grant pardonWho would remain completely calm? Hear what the Psalmist says: ‘How great is the multitude of Your goodnessIn fact, O Lord!’ Your accumulated offenses surpass not the multitude of God's mercies: your wounds surpass not the great Physician's skillsilence equates to consent. Only give yourself up in faith: tell the Physician your ailment: say thou also, like David: ‘I said, I will confess me my sin unto the Lord’: and the same shall be done in your case, which he says immediately: ‘And you forgave the wickedness of my heart.’” ” —St. Cyril Meletios of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 2, On Repentance and Remission of Sins and Concerning the Adversary, Ezekiel xviii. 20-23Antioch
“Years are not needed for true repentance“Geronda, is the silence of the Church an indication of approval?Yes. Someone wrote some blasphemous things about Panaghia and no one spoke up. Then I told someone, ‘Did you see what so-and not days-so has written?’ And he told me, but only an instant‘Well, what can you do with those people? You'll get soiled if you try to deal with them.” —St’ They're afraid to speak up. Ambrose of Optina
“There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except that one which lacks repentanceWhat did he have to fear, Geronda?That people might write something about him and there is no gift which is not augmented save that which remains without acknowledgementridicule him in the press. For And so he tolerates blasphemous things about Panaghia! We want others to pull the portion chestnuts out of the fool is small in his eyesfire so that we can have our peace of mind. This indicates a lack of love. Then man begins to act out of self-interest.”—Elder Paisios of Mt.” —StAthos, Spiritual Counsels II, Spiritual Awakening, p. Isaac the Syrian40
“When a man abandons his sins and returns “If Christians don't begin to Godwitness their faith, his repentance regenerates him and renews him entirelyto resist evil, then the destroyers will become even more insolent.But today's Christians are no warriors. If the Church keeps silent, to avoid conflict with the government, if the Metropolitans are silent, if the monks hold their peace, then who will speak up?” —St—Elder Paisios of Mt. Isaiah the SolitaryAthos
“And so it is incumbent upon us to strive“When they are blaspheming your faith, ratherand you stay silent, to correct our faults and to improve our behavioryou become worse than that blasphemer.” —St. John CassianGabriel Urgebadze of Georgia, Confessor and Fool for Christ
“Let us strive to purify ourselves through repentance and humility, and to unite all our senses as one to the God who is good, and transcends “The clergy in the good. Then, truly, everything which I have not quite been able to say or to demonstrate with my many words, you last years will be taught in become an instant, all at onceinstrument of the Antichrist. You They will hear with your sight, teach blind obedience as a virtue of peace and see with your hearingsalvation. You A satanic obedience, which will be taught while seeing require from the believer ‘ignorance’ and, again, hear what is unveiledcontempt for the teachings of the Saints and indifference to the truth and superficial piety.” —St. Symeon the New TheologianNiphon of Constantia (Cyprus)
“Where there is God“Christian shepherds, there that is no evil. Everything coming from God is peaceful, healthy bishops and leads a person priests, are going to be filled with vainglory (with some exceptions), utterly failing to distinguish the right way from the judgment left… The Churches of his own imperfections God are going to be deprived of godly and humilitypious shepherds.” —St. Nilus the Myrrhgusher of Mt.Athos
When a person accepts anything Godly“Just as the unskilled doctor sends many people to the gates of Hades [physical death], then he rejoices in his heartsimilarly, but when he has accepted anything devilishthe incompetent and irresponsible spiritual father sends many souls to Hades. O, then he becomes tormentedwhat a terrible evil for someone to find [spiritual] death while seeking treatment.” —St.Nektarios of Aegina
The devil is like a lion, hiding in ambush (Ps 10:19, 1Pe 5:8)“The time will come when you will be sold by your shepherds. He secretly sets out nets of unclean They will watch you being ripped apart by the wild beasts and unholy thoughtsthey will not come to your help. So, it is necessary to break them off as soon as we notice them, by means ” —Elder Justin (Pârvu) of pious reflection and prayer.Romania
It is necessary “In the last days, evil and heresy will have spread so widely that the Holy Spirit enter our heartfaithful will not be able to find a priest or shepherd to protect them from delusion and guide them to salvation. Everything good At that we dotime, that we do for Christ, is given to us by the faithful will not receive safe guidance from men; but their guide will be the writings of the Holy SpiritFathers. Especially at this time, but prayer most every believer will be responsible for the whole fulness of allthe Church. Brethren, which it is always available time for us all to usundertake our responsibility to God and to history. Do not tolerate any more foolishness or misguidance from priests or archpriests. Do not turn a blind eye for you will be co-responsible. The Saints are forewarning you.” —St.John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
A sign of spiritual life is “The last days are starting. Soon, there will be an ecumenical council called ‘holy’. But that will be the very ‘eighth council’ which will be the immersion assembly of a person within himself and the hidden workings within his heartgodless. All religions will unite into one at that council. Then, all fasts will be canceled, monasticism will be completely destroyed, bishops will be married.” —StThe new calendar will be implimented in the Universal Church. Seraphim of Sarov
“The Spirit offers its own light Be vigilant. Try to go to every mindGod's church while they are still ours. Soon, you won't be able to go there. Everything will change. Only the chosen will see this. They will be forcing people to help it go to church, but we should not go there under any circumstances. Stand in its search for truth.the Orthodox Faith until the end and you will be saved!” —St. Basil the GreatKuksha (Velichko) of Odessa
“Sometimes a man's happiness is so deep inside him that he may forget it's there “When the traces of the past historical order have become extinguished, and start looking elsewhere hunting a fantasythe new order has taken ground, an illusionthe Holy Mount will have no peace. Monastic dignity will be destroyed or disposed of for the freedom of the state and the bishops to squander its priceless treasures and relics.” —Mr—Elder Costas the Caveot and Fool for Christ of Mt. Roarke (Fantasy Island, s2e14)Athos
“If he seeks answers “But woe to questions related the monks in those days who will be bound with possessions and riches, who because of love of peace will be ready to submit to his faiththe heretics. They will lull to sleep their conscience, saying, his purpose in life‘We are preserving and saving the monastery and the Lord will forgive us.’ The unfortunate and blind ones do not at all consider that through heresy the demons will enter the monastery and then it will no longer be a holy monastery, he but merely walls from which grace will find happinessdepart.” —Elder Justin (Pârvu) —St. Anatoly the Younger of RomaniaOptina
“The person “Let us flee from those who loves God values knowledge reject patristic interpretations and attempt by themselves to deduce the complete opposite. While pretending to concern themselves with the literal sense of God the passage, they reject its godly meaning. We should run away from them more than anything created by we would from a snake, for when a snake bites it kills the body temporarily, separating it from the immortal soul, but when these evil men get their teeth into a soul, they separate it from God, which is eternal death for that soul. Let us escape as far as we can from such people, and pursues such knowledge ardently take refuge with those who teach piety and ceaselesslysalvation in accordance with the traditions of the Fathers.” —St. Maximus Gregory Palamas, Homily 34, On the ConfessorHoly Transfiguration of Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus
“A time is coming when men will go mad“Brother Christians! Raise your voices in defense of the Church's Apostolic Faith, the holy things of the Church, the Church's heritage. Defend your right to believe and confess your faith as you learned it in days of old, as you were taught it by the holy apostles, the holy martyrs, the God-wise fathers of the Church, the Christian ascetics. Take care of the holiness of your souls, the freedom of your consciences. Say loudly that you have been accustomed to pray and when they see someone who save yourselves in the churches, that the holy things of the Church are dearer to you than life itself, that without them salvation is impossible. No power can demand from you that which is not madagainst your faith, they will attack himyour religious conscience: ‘We must obey God rather than men’, said the holy apostles. That is what we, sayingtoo, ‘You are mad; must say. The apostles joyfully suffered for the faith. Be you also ready for sacrifice, for podvig, and remember that physical arms are not like uspowerless against those who arm themselves with powerful faith in Christ.Faith moves mountains, ‘the faith of the Christians has conquered the pagan boldness’. May your faith be bold and courageous! Christ destroyed Hades. He will also destroy the snares of the enemies of our Church. Believe - and the enemy will flee from before your face. Stand in defense of your faith and with firm hope say: ‘Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered!’” —St. Anthony Hermogenes, Hieromartyr and Bishop of Tobolsk, response to the GreatBolshevik tyranny in 1918
“Adorn yourself with truth“The times ahead, try to speak truth more perhaps than ever before in all things; and do not support the Church's history, are a lietime of what St. Gregory the Theologian called ‘suffering Orthodoxy.’ We truly live in apocalyptic times: atheism is conquering the public sphere in the whole world, no matter false religion increases as never before and captures many of those who asks you.If you speak awaken from the truth and someone gets mad at yousleep of unbelief, don’t be upsetthe ecumenical movement draws nearer its goal of a false world church (the harlot of the Apocalypse), but take comfort in and the words spirit of the Lord:Blessed are those coming Antichrist begins to place its seal on everywhere. Those who are persecuted would be faithful to Christ in these terrible times must be prepared for sufferings and trials which will truly test the sake faithfulness of truthour hearts to Him. And yet, for theirs greater than these sufferings and the prince of this world who will inflict them upon us is He Who has promised to be with us even to the Kingdom end of Heaven the age (Matt. 528:1020).” —St. Gennadius —Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of ConstantinopleSyracuse, The Golden ChainApocalypse, 26,2translated by Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina
“You that are strong with all might in the inner man ought by rights to carry “Satan has spread 666 traps. His seal will be made not only invisibly but also visibly, on the struggle against the enemies of the truth, forehead and not to shrink from arm. If the taskseal impression is made by force, that we fathers may in God’s sight it will be gladdened by the noble toil of our sons; considered like a virgin disgraced. The hardest trial for this is Christians will be their relatives who accepted the prompting of the law of nature: but as you turn your ranks, and send seal. The seal won’t affect if made against us someone's will. But imagine the assaults of those darts which are hurled trap set by the opponents of the truth, and demand that their hot burning coals and their shafts sharpened by knowledge falsely so called should be quenched antichrist for a mother having left with five children. How to feed them if she does not accept the shield of faith by us old men.” —St. Gregory of Nyssaseal?
“I shall set forth At first, the best contributions of seal will be offered to volunteers. However, within the philosophers enthronement of the Greeks, because whatever there is of good has been given Antichrist everyone will be forced to men from above by God, since ‘every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from accept the Father of lights’ (Jsseal. 1Disobedience will be claimed a treachery.17)People will flee to the forests. If, however, there is anything that is contrary Precautions should be taken to the truth, then it is a dark invention move in groups of the deceit of Satan and a fiction of the mind of an evil spiritabout ten-fifteen, 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 demons might try to nudge single people from our enemies themselves gather the fruit of salvationcliffs. But all that is worthless and falsely labeled as knowledge I shall reject. Then, next, after this, I shall set forth in order the absurdities of the heresies hated of God, so that The believers will be protected by recognizing the lie we may more closely follow the truthHoly Spirit. ThenWhatever happens, with never lose your hope. Help each other. God's help will clear your mind and by His grace I shall expose the truth–that truth which destroys deceit and puts falsehood you will know how to flight and whichreact. The one who endures will be saved. No true believer will feel either hunger, as with golden fringes, has been embellished and adorned by or thirst. The believers won't wither in the sayings time 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, disasters. The Lord will work miracles for them that are duly purified and rid . One leaf of troublesome speculationsa plant will be enough food for a month. However, as I have said, I shall add nothing Even the lump of my own, but shall gather together the earth will be changed into one those things which have been worked out the bread by the most eminent of teachers and make making a compendium sign of them, being in all things obedient to your commandthe cross over it.” —St. John Gabriel Urgebadze of DamascusGeorgia, The Fount of KnowledgeConfessor and Fool for Christ
“If we have obtained “Everyone is under the grace influence of a power that masters the mind, the will, and all the powers of the soul. And this power is cunning, because its source is the devil, and his tools are cunning people. Through them work the Antichrist and his forerunners. The Apostle said, ‘Because of that, Goddelivered them into the spirit of delusion, of deception, because they did not accept the love of the truth’. Something dark and scary is coming over the world. The human will stay more or less under his mastery, none shall prevail against usand the more the power of that cunning one has on the human under his mastery, but we shall the less the human will be stronger than all who oppose usaware of what he is doing.” —St. John ChrysostomBarsanuphius
“But our opinion “The servants of Antichrist more than anything else strive to force God out of the life of men, so that men, satisfied with their material comfort, might not feel any need to turn to God in prayer, might not remember God, but might live as though He did not exist. Therefore, the whole order of today's life in the so-called ‘free’ countries, where there is no open bloody persecution against faith, where everyone has the right to believe as he wishes, is an even greater danger for the soul of a Christian (than open persecution), for it chains him entirely to the earth, compelling him to forget about heaven. The whole of contemporary ‘culture’, directed to purely earthly attainments and the frantic whirlpool of life bound up with it, keeps a man in accordance with the Eucharista constant state of emptiness and distraction which gives no opportunity for one to go at least a little deeper into his soul, and so the Eucharist spiritual life in turn establishes our opinionhim gradually dies out.” —St. Irenaeus —Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of LyonsSyracuse, Against Heresies, 4:18:5True Orthodoxy and the Contemporary World
“If “They have built a church career for themselves on a false but attractive premise: that the poison of pride is swelling up in you, turn chief danger to the Eucharist; and that Bread, Which Church today is your God humbling and disguising Himself, will teach you humility. If the fever lack of selfish greed rages in you, feed on this Bread; and you will learn generositystrictness. If No – the cold wind of coveting withers you, hasten to chief danger is something much deeper – the Bread loss of Angels; and charity will come to blossom in your heart. If you feel the itch savor of intemperanceOrthodoxy, nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christa movement in which they themselves are participating, Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life; and you will become temperateeven in their ‘strictness. If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things, strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food; and you ’… ‘Strictness’ will grow fervent. Lastly, not save us if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity, go to the banquet of we don't have any more the Angels; feeling and the spotless Flesh taste of Christ will make you pure and chasteOrthodoxy.” —St—Fr. Cyril Seraphim Rose of AlexandriaPlatina
“Don't “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, as much as possible ‘one in 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 own Bishop Nektary also, have warned us to prepare for catacomb times ahead, when the grace of God may even be anxious about taken away from the ‘Church organization’ and only isolated groups of believers will remain. Soviet Russia already gives us an example of what you havewe may expect–only worse, but about what you arefor the times do not get better.” —St—Fr. Gregory the GreatSeraphim Rose of Platina, Hope, Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene
“The soul that is in all things devoted to “In those days the will remnant of God rests quiet the faithful are to experience in Him, for she knows of experience and from the Holy Scriptures themselves something like that which was experienced once by the Lord loves us much and watches over our soulsHimself when He, hanging on a cross, quickening all things felt Himself so forsaken by His grace in peace and love. Nothing troubles the man who is given over to the will of Divinity, that He cried out ‘My God, be it illness, poverty or persecution. He knows that the Lord why hast Thou forsaken me?’ The last Christians will experience in His mercy is solicitous for us. The Holy Spirit, whom themselves a similar abandonment of humanity by the soul knows, is witness therefore. But the proud and the self-willed do not want to surrender to Grace of God's will because they like their own way, and that is harmful but only for the soula short time.” —St. Silouan the Athonite (From the Life and Teachings Seraphim of Elder Siluan by Bishop Alexander and Natalia Bufius translated by Anatoly Shmelev)Sarov
“The man who cries out against evil men“Finally, but does in the twilight of history, 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). And in all that time of peace, happiness and prosperity, there ‘will be great tribulation such as was not pray for them from the beginning of the world, nor will never know the grace ever be after’ (Mat. 24:21). Because of these troubles, many will repent and turn to Godthe Saviour.” —StAnd in them the Lord will have His last harvest. Silouan the Athonite
“Those The countries of the world will lead the fight against Christ and His Church… The Church of Christ will be put outside the law, and public commemoration of Christ's name will be proscribed with severe penalties. But only those who dislike and reject their fellow-man are impoverished in their beingcall upon the name of the Lord will be saved. They do not know And the true GodSon of Man, who is all-embracing lovewhen He suddenly comes and destroys the ‘son of perdition’ [i.” —Ste. Silouan Antichrist], that last tyrant, will He find faith on the Athoniteearth?
“If we detect hatred It will be found, but not in public. It will be found, but not in our hearts against any man whatsoever for committing any faultmagnificent temples, we such as are utterly estranged from love for Godpresent, since love for God absolutely precludes us from hating any manbut in the caves and deserts. It will be found, but not as approved and protected, but as something tossed to and fro. It will be found, but not 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, O holy brethren.” —St. Maximus Nikolai Velimirovich, The Orthodox Church in the Confessor"twilight of history"
“One must not harbour anger nor hatred towards a person that “During the days of Antichrist, the strongest temptation will be the anticipation of salvation coming from the cosmos, from humanoids–that is hostile towards usfrom extraterrestrials, who are actually demons. On One should rarely look up to search the skies with the contrary. You must love him naked eye, since the signs might be deceptive and do as much good as possible towards him. Following the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christone might be deceived.” —St. Seraphim Gabriel Urgebadze of SarovGeorgia, Confessor and Fool for Christ
“Do “So mine is a little flock? But it is not being carried 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 thieves and strangers. I shall yet see it, I know well, grow wider… I fear not ask for love 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. My sheep hear from your neighbormy voice that which I have heard from the oracles of God, which I have been taught by the Holy Fathers, which I have taught in like manner on all occasions, for if you ask and he does not respondconforming myself to fashion, you will be troubled. Instead show your love for your neighbour and you which I will be at restnever cease to teach; in which I was born, and so in which I will bring your neighbour to lovedepart.” —St. Dorotheos of GazaGregory the Theologian
“Love “If it should never happen that a patriarch, metropolitan, or bishop is a heretic, and such a heretic publicly professes heresy and disseminates heretical opinions boldly and confidently among the people, whoever separates from him will not only not be sacrificed punished, but rather honored, for the sake of some dogmatic differencethey deserve recognition for separating from an association with a certain faith.” —St—Fr. Nektarios of AeginaJoannes Zonaras (9th century Byzantine canonist and historian on Canon 15)
“No term “If every Orthodox Christian is used–and misused–among commanded by the Orthodox people in America canons to depart from a heretical bishop even before he is officially condemned, or be guilty also of his heresy, how much more must we depart from those who are worse (and more often unfortunate) than heretics, because they openly serve the term canonical.cause of Antichrist?” —Fr. Alexander SchmemannSeraphim Rose of Platina, The Problems of Orthodoxy in AmericaLetter 40, The Canonical Problem1970
“Men are converted “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, 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 God those who do not because someone was able know my views well and fully to give brilliant explanationssuspect some kind of conciliation, I hereby state and testify before the many worthy men here present that I do not desire, but because they saw in any manner and absolutely, and do not accept communion with him or with those who are with him that light, joynot in this life nor after my death, depthjust as (I accept) neither the Union nor Latin dogmas, seriousnesswhich he and his adherents have accepted, and love for the enforcement of which alone reveal he has occupied this presiding place, with the aim of overturning the true dogmas of the Church. I am absolutely convinced that the presence farther I stand from him and power of 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 worldChurch. 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.” —Fr—St. Mark of Ephesus, The Example of, [as quoted in The Orthodox Word, June-July, 1967, pp. 103ff. Alexander Schmemann]
“Even “With all our strength, therefore, let us beware lest we receive Communion from or give it to heretics. ‘Give not what is holy to the slightest thought that is not founded on love destroys peacedogs,’ saith the Lord. ‘Neither cast ye your pearls before swine’, lest we become partakers in their dishonour and condemnation.” —Archimandrite Thaddeus Strabulovich—St. John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, IV, 13
“What does love look like? It has “And, you see, people are not at all aware that we are living during the signs of the hands to help otherstimes, that the sealing is already advancing. It has This is why the feet to hasten to Sacred Scripture says that even the poor and needyelect will be deceived. It has eyes to see misery and want” —St. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows Paisios of menMt. That is what love looks likeAthos, Spiritual Counsels, Vol.” —StII, Spiritual Awakening, p. Augustine of Hippo198
“Your Lord “The Church is love: love Him suffering today because Divine illumination is missing and in Him all men, people understand things as His Children in Christit suits them. Your Lord is fire: do not let your heart be coldThe human element gets involved; passions are aroused, and then, but burn with faith the devil comes and lovethrashes about. Your Lord That is light: do why people who are governed by their passions should 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 bountifulness seek to your neighbors. If you will be such, you will find salvation yourself with everlasting glorygovern others.” —St. John Paisios of KronstadtMt. Athos
“I guard you “In sum, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in advance against beasts theory embracing almost the whole universe and in the form of menfact extending its authority only over several dioceses, whom you must not and in other places having only not receivea higher superficial supervision and receiving certain revenues for this, but if it is possible persecuted by the government at home and not even meetsupported by any governmental authority abroad: having lost its significance as a pillar of truth and having itself become a source of division, but only pray for them, if perchance they may repent…” and at the same 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 Constantinople.” —St. Ignatius John (Maximovitch) of AntiochShanghai and San Francisco, from Orthodox Word, vol. 8, no. 4 (45), Letter to the SmyrnaeansJuly-August 1972, App.D166-168, 174-175. 117
“Until “The Lord of all gave to His apostles the power of the gospel, and by them we also have learned the truth, that is, the teaching of the Son of God—as the Lord said to them, ‘He who hears you hears Me, and he who despises you have eradicated evildespises Me, do not obey your heart; for 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 gospel came to us. The first preached it abroad, and then later by the will seek more of what God handed it down to us in Scriptures, to be the foundation and pillar of our faith. For it already contains within itselfis not right to say that they preached before they had come to perfect knowledge, as some dare to say, boasting that they are the correctors of the apostles. For after our Lord had risen from the dead, and they were clothed with the power from on high when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were filled with all things and had perfect knowledge. They went out to the ends of the earth, preaching the good things that come to us from God, and proclaiming peace from heaven to all men, all and each of them equally being in possession of the gospel of God.” —St. Mark the AsceticIrenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, III
“Whatever of “Those that wish to discern the truth may observe the apostolic tradition made manifest in every church throughout the world. We can 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 is best has flowed into 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 book of this sort, to enumerate the successions in all the heartchurches, we should not pour out without need; 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, which has been gathered can be free 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, Peter and Paul. For with this church, because of its position of danger from visible leadership and invisible enemies only when it authority, must needs agree every church, that is guarded , the faithful everywhere; for in her the interior of apostolic tradition has always been preserved by the heartfaithful from all parts.” —St. Seraphim Irenaeus of SarovLyons, Against Heresies, III
“No one professing faith sins“If you wait for the perfect conditions to work out your salvation, nor does does anyone possessing love hate. The tree is known by its fruit; thus those who profess to be Christ's then you will be recognized by their actions. For the work is never begin a matter not of what one promises now, but of persevering to the end in the power of faithGod-pleasing life.” —St. Ignatius Nikon of Antioch (to the Ephesians)Optina
“Indeed"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 when that faith indeed exists, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossiblewe express it in words and in deeds.” —St. AugustineJohn (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco
“The confession “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 evil works is the first beginning Soviet consulate, I became quite alarmed and regretted that I was not here, since I would have decisively opposed much of good workswhat took place.” —StIn particular, holding a moleben in such a place. AugustineDid 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 evil powers love I must say frankly that I am always seized by dismay when I hear of protests, demonstrations, and the like. In the USSR, life is governed by him (the one with horns) who fears only Christ and His Cross; and who fears nothing else in the world. And he merely chortles over protests and demonstrations. Public opinion? Why, the antichrist regime has nothing but the darkness uttermost contempt for it! They wanted to seize Czechoslovakia and tremble at every lightthey seized it, especially at paying no heed to the commotion that which belongs was raised. They wanted to invade Afghanistan and they invaded it, again paying no attention to God the protests and threats of the various Carters & Co. All attempts to shape public opinion in the so-called Free World in favor of those who please Him.” —St. Nikolai Velimirovichsuffering from Communism are powerless and fruitless, since the Free World stubbornly closes its eyes and imitates the ostrich, which hides its head under its wing and imagines that it cannot be seen…” —Metropolitan Philaret of New York, A letter from Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) to ROCOR Priest Victor Potapov concerning Father Dimitry Dudko and the Moscow Patriarchate
“The one “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 has 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 yet obtained divine knowledge activated by love makes accept their teaching as true solely on the basis that they thus wrote and thought.’ Then, in a lot letter to Fortunatus [St. Mark continues in his citations of Augustine] he writes the religious works he performs. But following: ‘We should not hold the one who has judgment of a man, even though this man might have been deemed worthy orthodox and had an high reputation, as the same kind of authority as the canonical Scriptures, to obtain this says with conviction the words extent of considering it inadmissible for us, 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 the patriarch Abraham spoke when he was graced , with the divine appearanceGod's help, ‘I has been attained by others or by ourselves. This is how I am but earth with regard to the writings of other men; and ashesI desire that the reader will act thus with regard to my writings also.’” —St. Maximus the ConfessorMark of Ephesus, Second Homily on Purgatorial Fire, chs. 15-16; Pogodin, pp. 127-132
“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 believing“All who foolishly and proudly reject the Holy Fathers, ‘even who approach the devils believe Gospels directly with foolish brazenness and trembleunclean mind and heart, fall into lethal self-deception.’” The Gospel has rejected them, for it only accepts those who are humble.” —St. Maximus the ConfessorIgnatius Brianchaninov (Bryanchaninov) of Caucasus, The Field, Chapter 3
“We see the water of a river flowing uninterruptedly and passing away, and all “The holy scriptures were not given to us 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 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 agewe should enclose them in books, but that too passes; I approach the end and will go the way of all flesh. I was born we should engrave them in order to die. I die that I may liveour hearts. Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom!” —St. Tikhon of VoronezhJohn Chrysostom
“You should look downward“I will tell you my opinion briefly and without reserve. We ought to remain in that Church which was founded by the Apostles and continues to this day. Remember: If ever you hear of any that are earth and called Christians taking their name not from the Lord Jesus Christ, but from some other, for instance, Marcionites, Valentinians, Men of the mountain or the plain, you may be sure that you will return to have there not the Church of Christ, but the earthsynagogue of Antichrist.” —StFor the fact that they took their rise after the foundation of the Church is proof that they are those whose coming the Apostle foretold. Ambrose of Optina
“Just as a pauperAnd let them not flatter themselves if they think they have Scripture authority for their assertions, seeing since the royal treasuresdevil himself quoted Scripture, all and the more acknowledges his own poverty; so also essence of the spiritScriptures is not the letter, reading but the accounts of the great deeds of meaning. Otherwise, if we follow the Holy Fathersletter, involuntarily is all we too can concoct a new dogma and assert that such persons as wear shoes and have two coats must not be received into the more humbled in its way of thoughtChurch.” —St. John ClimacusJerome
“Do not shun poverty “The key [to interpreting Holy Scripture]… is the Tradition of the Church… Now if you want to interpret the way you want, due to your satanic pride, then you will most certainly fail. You will become a heretic, and affliction, heresy is nothing other than the fuel logical interpretation of dogma. When I attempt to interpret things that gives wings cannot be interpreted with logic and intellect, when I attempt to prayerinterpret a deep mystery using my mere mind and my intellect, then I go astray.” —Evagrios —Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios, Homiles on the SolitaryBook of the Revelation, Vol. I, p. 46
“What is the meaning of the exclamation so often sung in church“Christianity did not come from Judaism: ‘Lord, have mercy upon us’? It is the lament of the guilty, condemned sinnerrather, imploring forgiveness of an irritated justice. We are all under the eternal curse and doomed to eternal fire for our innumerable 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 Judaism is the lament of the repentant sinner, expressing his firm intention to amend and begin a new life, becoming for a Christian. It is the lament perversion of the repentant sinner, ready to forgive others, as he himself was and is immeasurably forgiven by God, the Judge of his deedsChristianity.” —St. John Ignatius of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ, pg. 406Antioch
“It seems that we do not understand one thing: it “Jesus Christ is not good when we return the love King of those who love us, yet hate those who hate usIsrael. We Christians are not on the right path if we do thisIsraelite race.” —St. We are the sons of light and love – Justin the sons of God, his children. As such, we must have His qualities and His attributes of love, peace, and kindness towards all.” —Elder Thaddeus of VitovnicaMartyr
“We suffer because we have no humility “The synagogue is a refuge for demons, and we do it is more correct to say not love our brother. From love of our brother comes only the love of God. People do not learn humilitysynagogue but also Jewish souls; if you consider yourself a true Jew, and because of their pride cannot receive then why are you burdening the grace of the Holy Spirit, and therefor the whole world suffersChurch.” —St. Silouan John Chrysostom, Against the AthoniteJews (Adversus Judeos), Homily 1 IV:2
“Some suffer much from poverty “So it is that I exhort you to flee and sicknessshun their gatherings. The harm they bring to our weaker brothers is not slight; they offer no slight excuse to sustain to the folly of the Jews. For when they see that you, who worship the Christ whom they crucified, but are not humbledreverently following their rituals, how can they fail to think that the rites they have performed are the best and so they suffer without profitthat our ceremonies are worthless? For after you worship and adore at our mysteries, you run to the very men who destroy our rites. But one who is humbled will Paul said: ‘If a man sees you that have knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not his conscience, being weak, be happy emboldened to eat those things which are sacrificed to idols’? And let me say: If a man sees you that have knowledge come into the synagogue and participate in all circumstancesthe festival of the Trumpets, shall not his conscience, being weak, be emboldened to admire what the Jews do? He who falls not only pays the penalty for his own fall, but he is also punished because he trips others as well. But the Lord man who has stood firm is rewarded not only because of his riches and joy, and all own virtue but people will wonder at admire him for leading others to desire the beauty of his soulsame things.” —St. Silouan John Chrysostom, Against the AthoniteJews (Adversus Judeos), Homily 1 V:7
“My joy, “But do not be surprised that I beg you, acquire called the Spirit of PeaceJews pitiable. That means to bring oneself to such a state that our spirit will not be disturbed by anythingThey really are pitiable and miserable. For one must go through When so many sorrows blessings from heaven came into their hands, they thrust them aside and were at great pains to enter the Kingdom reject them. The morning Sun of HeavenJustice arose for them, but they thrust aside its rays and still sit in darkness. This is the way all righteous men were saved and inherited the Heavenly Kingdom…” ” —St. Seraphim of SarovJohn Chrysostom, Against the Jews (Adversus Judeos)
“My will“Certainly it is the time for me to show that demons dwell in the synagogue, thereforenot only in the place itself but also in the souls of the Jews. As Christ said: ‘When an unclean spirit is gone out, He took he walks through dry places seeking rest. If he does not find it he says: I shall return to Himself, my griefhouse. In confidence I call And coming he finds it griefempty, because I preach His Cross. Mine is the will which He called His Own, for as Man He bore my grief, as Man He spakeswept, and therefore said, ‘Not as I will, but as Thou wiltgarnished.’ Mine was the grief, Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter into him and mine the heaviness with which He bore it, for no last state of that man exults when at is made worse than the point first. So shall it be also to diethis generation. With me ’ Do you see that demons dwell in their souls and for me He Suffers, for me He that these demons are more dangerous than the ones of old? And this is sad, for me He is heavyvery reasonable.” —St. In my stead thereforeJohn Chrysostom, and in me He grieved Who had no cause to grieve for Himself.Against the Jews (Adversus Judeos)
Not Thy Wound, but mine, hurt Thee“The teachers of Judaism refuse to admit that the Septuagint is correct. They attempt to frame another translation of the Scriptures. Observe that they have taken away many Old Testament Scriptures, Lord Jesus; not Thy Death, but our weakness, even as by which the Prophet saith: ‘For He proof of Christ's crucifixion is afflicted for our sakes’--and we, Lord, esteemed Thee afflicted, when Thou grievedst not for Thyself, but for meset forth.” —St.Justin the Martyr
And what wonder if He grieved for all, Who wept for one? What wonder if, “The Jews are wise only in the hour of deathdoing evil, He is heavy for all, Who wept when at the point and are thus unable to raise Lazarus from know the dead? Then, indeed, He was moved by a loving sister's tears, for they touched His human heart,--here by secret grief He brought it to pass that, even as His Death made an end hidden plan of death, and His Stripes healed our scars, so also His Sorrow took away our sorrowGod.” —St. Ambrose of Milan, (+397), Ch. 7, Book II, Exposition on Justin the Christian FaithMartyr
“Peace “It is not absence absurd to speak of struggleJesus Christ with the tongue, but absence and to cherish in the mind a Judaism which has now come to an end. For where there is Christianity there cannot be Judaism. For Christ is one, in whom every nation that believes, and every tongue that confesses, is gathered unto God. And those that were of uncertainty a stony heart have become the children of Abraham, the friend of God and confusionin his seed all those have been blessed who were ordained to eternal life in Christ.” —Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) —St. Ignatius of SourozhAntioch, On the Delusion of Being a ‘Jewish’ Christian, Epistle to the Magnesians, Chapter X
“Humility is perfect quietness “Jews are slayers of heartthe Lord, murderers of the prophets, enemies of God, it is to expect nothingadversaries of Grace, to wonder at nothing that is done to meenemies of their Fathers’ faith, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises meadvocates of the devil, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lordbrood of vipers, slanderers, scoffers, men of darkened minds, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secretleaven of Pharisees, and am at peace as in a deep sea congregation of calmnessdemons, sinners, wicked men, when all around and above is troublehaters of Goodness!” —St.” —Andrew MurrayGregory of Nyssa
“However great “It is true that Muhammad started from the afflictions we suffereast and came to the west, as the sun travels from east to west. Nevertheless he came with war, knives, pillaging, forced enslavement, murders, what and acts that are they compared with not from the good God but instigated by the chief manslayer, the promised future rewarddevil.” —St. Macarius the GreatGregory Palamas
“Shun “They furthermore accuse us of being idolaters, because we venerate the praise cross, which they abominate. And we answer them: ‘How is it, then, that you rub yourselves against a stone in your Ka'ba and kiss and embrace it?’ Then some of men them say that Abraham had relations with Agar upon it, but others say that he tied the camel to it, when he was going to sacrifice Isaac. And we answer them: ‘Since Scripture says that the mountain was wooded and had trees from which Abraham cut wood for the holocaust and laid it upon Isaac, [108] and love then he left the one whoasses behind with the two young men, why talk nonsense? For in that place neither is it thick with trees nor is there passage for asses.’ And they are embarrassed, but they still assert that the fear stone is Abraham's. Then we say: ‘Let it be Abraham's, as you so foolishly say. Then, just because Abraham had relations with a woman on it or tied a camel to it, you are not ashamed to kiss it, yet you blame us for venerating the cross of Christ by which the power of the demons and the deceit of the Devil was destroyed.’ This stone that they talk about is a head of that Aphrodite whom they used to worship and whom they called Khabár. Even to the Lordpresent day, reprimands you.” —Sttraces of the carving are visible on it to careful observers. Pachomius
“When people begin As has been related, this Mohammed wrote many ridiculous books, to each one of which he set a title. For example, there is the book On Woman, in which he plainly makes legal provision for taking four wives and, if it be possible, a thousand concubines—as many as one can maintain, besides the four wives. He also made it legal to praise usput away whichever wife one might wish, let us hurry and, should one so wish, to take to oneself another in the same way. Mohammed had a friend named Zeid. This man had a beautiful wife with whom Mohammed fell in love. Once, when they were sitting together, Mohammed said: ‘Oh, by the way, God has commanded me to take your wife.’ The other answered: ‘You are an apostle. Do as God has told you and take my wife.’ Rather—to tell the story over from the beginning—he said to remember him: ‘God has given me the multitude of ours transgressionscommand that you put away your wife.’ And he put her away. Then several days later: ‘Now,’ he said, ‘God has commanded me to take her.’ Then, after he had taken her and we committed adultery with her, he made this law: ‘Let him who will see that we are truly unworthy of that put away his wife. And if, after having put her away, he should return to her, let another marry her. For it is not lawful to take her unless she have been married by another. Furthermore, if a brother puts away his wife, let his brother marry her, should he so wish.’ [110] In the same book he gives such precepts as this: ‘Work the land which they say God hath given thee and beautify it. And do this, and do it in our honorsuch a manner’ –not to repeat all the obscene things that he did.” —St. John Climacusof Damascus, Fount of Knowledge, Heresies in Epitome: How They Began and Whence They Drew Their Origin
“…Don“Sometimes Japanese protestants come to me and ask me to clarify some place in the Holy Scriptures. ‘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 God, not my own personal opinion.’ … It't be frightened at your burden; s not like that with us [Orthodox]. Everything is clear, trustworthy and simple, since we accept Holy Tradition in addition to the Holy Scriptures. And Holy Tradition is a living, unbroken voice of our Lord Church from the time of Christ and His Apostles until now, and which will help you to carry exist until the end of the world. In itall the meaning of the Holy Scriptures are preserved.” —St. John VianneyNicholas of Japan, Diary, January 15, 1897
“Every tribulation reveals “It is Christ Himself, not the state Bible, Who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of our good teachers, willbring us to Him. We must not use the Bible as a sort of encyclopedia out of which texts can be taken for use as weapons.” —St—C. Mark the AsceticS. Lewis
“Every affliction tests our will“If Scripture is perfect and sufficient for everything, showing whether it is inclined to good or evil. That is why an unforeseen affliction is called a testthe Church's interpretation necessary? Because, because it enables a man to test his hidden desiresquite plainly, Scripture is not accepted by everyone as having the same meaning.” —St. Mark the AsceticVincent of Lérins
“Many are “The humility of Jesus is not a superfluous detail in the wiles gospel narrative. The humility of Jesus is essential to the enemy to despoil us of inner peacegospel. If Jesus lacked humility, there would be no incarnation, no crucifixion, so watch!and no redemption.” —St. Theophan the Recluse—Jack Wisdom
“In every situation confusion “When they are refuted by the Scriptures, they take to maligning the Scriptures themselves. … But when we refer them to that tradition which originates with the apostles and which is preserved 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 is clearly 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 devilrest, from they would most certainly have communicated these things to those to whom may they were entrusting the Lord shield and protect us.” —Stchurches themselves. Leo of Optina
“It And if a dispute should be noted that when the fallen spirit wants to get dominion arise over Christ's asceticssome point or other, he does should we not act imperiously or domineeringly, but tries to draw a man to consent have recourse to the proposed delusionmost ancient churches, and after getting his consent he takes possession of in which the person who has given his consent. Holy Davidapostles were actively interested, in describing his and find out from them what is certain and clear with regard to the fallen angel attacks manpoint at issue? What if, has very rightly said: "He lurketh in secret as a lion in his denfact, that he may ravish the poor; apostles had left us no Writings? Would it not be necessary to ravish follow the line indicated by the poor, when he getteth him into his net."tradition which they handed down to those to whom they entrusted the churches?” —St. Ignaty Bryanchaninov, The Arena, chapter 11, On the Solitary LifeIrenaeus of Lyons
“The devil presents minor sins as insignificant in our eyes, because otherwise he would “[Heretics] should not be able lead us into major ones.” —St. Mark admitted to any discussion of the AsceticScriptures…
“Do not leave unobliterated The Lord Jesus sent the apostles to preach. … 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, as they say, and later by letters. Such being the case, it is consequently certain that any faultdoctrine which agrees with [what is held by] these apostolic churches, moulds and original sources of the faith, must be considered the truth, undoubtedly containing that which these churches received from the apostles, the apostles from Christ, however smalland Christ from God; but any other doctrine must be presumed false, for since it may lead you on smacks of opposition to greater sinsthe truth of the churches, of the apostles, of Christ, of God.” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“He who honours Come now! Would they all have fallen into error? Would the Lord does steward of God, the Vicar 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 Lord bidscase of many different individuals. A doctrinal error in so many different churches would of necessity have taken different forms. When he sins or is disobedientBut when unity exists amid diversity, this can be the result, he patiently accepts what comes as something he deservesnot of error, but only of Tradition.” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“It is a great error to think that you must undertake important and great laborsLet us inquire, therefore, whether for heaventradition, orunless it be written, should be accepted. Certainly we shall say that it ought not to be accepted if we can allege as precedent no cases of other practices which we justify without any written document, but solely on the grounds of tradition and because of the 'progressives' thinkapproval of subsequent custom… If you demand scriptural justification for these and other such practices, in order to make one's contribution to humanity. That is not necessary at allyou will find none. It is necessary only Tradition will be held out to do everything in accordance with the Lord's commandmentsyou as their author, custom as their consolidator, and faith as their observer.” —St. Theophan the Recluse—Tertullian
“When we “Since there are immersed in sinsmany who think they share the mind of Christ and yet some of them think differently from their predecessors, let the preaching of the Church be held fast, that preaching which has been handed down from the apostles through the ranks of succession and our mind perdures in the churches to the present day. That alone is occupied solely with worldly cares, we do not notice to be believed as the state of our soultruth which varies in no wise from ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition.” —St. John Maximovitch—Origen
“We “It suffices as proof of our thesis that we have a tradition coming to be aware that what is being pounded in upon us is all of one piece; it has a certain rhythmfrom the fathers, like a certain message to give us, this message of self-worship, of relaxing, of letting go, of enjoying yourself, of giving up any thought of legacy handed down from the apostles through the other world … It is actually an education saints who followed them in atheismsuccession. We have to fight back by knowing just what the world is trying to do to us…” —Fr” —St. Seraphim Rose Gregory of PlatinaNyssa
“I saw “Of the snares that beliefs and practices [disciplinary regulations] preserved in the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaningChurch, ‘What can get through some we possess from such snares?’ Then I heard teaching handed down in written form; others we have received as delivered to us in a voice saying to memystery from the tradition of the Apostles, ‘Humilityand both of these have the same force as far as religion is concerned.’” ” —St. Anthony Basil the Great
“Learn to love humility, “There is need of tradition also; for it will cover all your sinsnot everything can be found in Scripture. All sins are repulsive before God, but That is why the most repulsive of all holy apostles left some things in writing and others in tradition. Paul affirms this very fact as follows: ‘as I handed it on to you.’ Likewise in another passage: ‘This is pride of the heart. Do not consider yourself learned my teaching and wise; otherwise, all your efforts will be destroyed, and your boat will reach thus have I handed it on to the harbor emptychurches. If ’ Similarly: ‘If you have great authority, do not threaten anyone with death. Know that, according continue to nature, you too are susceptible cling firmly to deathit, and that every soul sheds its body as its final garmentI preached it to you—unless your faith has all been for nothing.” ’” —St. Anthony the GreatEpiphanius
“Wouldst thou comprehend “Baptize first the height of God? First comprehend the lowliness of God. Condescend to be humble for thine own sakechildren, seeing that God condescended to be humble and if they can speak for thy sake toothemselves let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for it was not for his ownthem.” —St. AugustineHippolytus of Rome, The Apostolic Tradition, 21:16
“The greatness of a man consisteth of humility“We baptize even infants, for though they are not defiled by sins, so they too may be given holiness, righteousness, adoption, inheritance, brotherhood with Christ, and membership in proportion as a man descendeth to humility, he becometh exalted to greatnessHim.” —Paradise of the Holy Fathers, Vol—St. 2John Chrysostom
“It is easier “We believe the first man created by God to have fallen in Paradise, when, disregarding the Divine commandment, he yielded to measure the entire sea with deceitful counsel of the serpent. And as a tiny cup than result hereditary sin flowed to his posterity; so that everyone who is born after the flesh bears this burden, and experiences the fruits of it in this present world. But by these fruits and this burden we do not understand [actual] sin, such as impiety, blasphemy, murder, sodomy, adultery, fornication, enmity, and whatever else is by our depraved choice committed contrarily to grasp the Divine Will, not from nature. For many both of the Forefathers and of the Prophets, and vast numbers of others, as well of those under the shadow [of the Law], as well as under the truth [of the Gospel], such as the divine Precursor, and especially the Mother of God's ineffable greatness with the human mindWord, the ever-virgin Mary, did not experience these [sins], or such like faults. But only what the Divine Justice inflicted upon man as a punishment for the [original] transgression, such as sweats in labor, afflictions, bodily sicknesses, pains in child-bearing, and, finally, while on our pilgrimage, to live a laborious life, and lastly, bodily death.” —St. Basil the Great—Confession of Dositheus, Synod of Jerusalem, 1672, Decree 6
“You don't “We believe Holy Baptism, which was instituted by the Lord, and is conferred in the name of the Holy Trinity, to be of the highest necessity. For without it none is able to be saved, as the Lord says, ‘Whoever is not born of water and of the Spirit, shall in no way enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens.’ {John 3:5} And, therefore, baptism is necessary even for infants, since they also are subject to original sin, and without Baptism are not able to obtain its remission. Which the Lord showed when he said, not of some only, but simply and absolutely, ‘Whoever is not born [again],’ which is the same as saying, ‘All that after the coming of Christ the Savior would enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens must be regenerated.’ And since infants are men, and as such need salvation, needing salvation they need also Baptism. And those that are not regenerated, since they have a soulnot received the remission of hereditary sin, are, of necessity, subject to eternal punishment, and consequently cannot without Baptism be saved. So that even infants should, of necessity, be baptized. You Moreover, infants are a Soulsaved, as is said in Matthew; {Matthew 19:12} but he that is not baptized is not saved. And consequently even infants must of necessity be baptized. You have a bodyAnd in the Acts {Acts 8:12; 16:33} it is said that the whole houses were baptized, and consequently the infants.” —CTo this the ancient Fathers also witness explicitly, and among them Dionysius in his Treatise concerning the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy; and Justin in his fifty-sixth Question, who says expressly, ‘And they are guaranteed the benefits of Baptism by the faith of those that bring them to Baptism. S’ And Augustine says that it is an Apostolic tradition, that children are saved through Baptism; and in another place, ‘The Church gives to babes the feet of others, that they may come; and the hearts of others, that they may believe; and the tongues of others, that they may promise;’ and in another place, ‘Our mother, the Church, furnishes them with a particular heart. Lewis’
“Learn to love humilityNow the matter of Baptism is pure water, for and no other liquid. And it will cover all your sinsis performed by the Priest only, or in a case of unavoidable necessity, by another man, provided he is Orthodox, and has the proper intention to Divine Baptism. All sins And the effects of Baptism are repugnant before God but , to speak concisely, firstly, the remission of the most repugnant hereditary transgression, and of all is pride any sins of any kind that the heartbaptized may have committed. Secondly, it delivers him from the eternal punishment, to which he was liable, as well for original sin and for mortal sins he may have individually committed. Thirdly, it gives to the person immortality; for in justifying them from past sins, it makes them temples of God.
Do And it cannot be said that there is any sin which may have been previously committed that remains, though not imputed, that is not consider yourself learned washed away through Baptism, For that were indeed the height of impiety, and a denial, rather than a confession of piety. Indeed, truly, all sin existing, or committed before Baptism, is blotted out, and is to be regarded as never existing or committed. For the forms of Baptism, and on either hand all the words that precede and that perfect Baptism, do indicate a perfect cleansing. And the same thing even the very names of Baptism do signify. For if Baptism is by the Spirit and wiseby fire, {Matthew 3:11} it is obvious that it is in all a perfect cleansing; otherwisefor the Spirit cleanses perfectly. If it is light, {Hebrews 6:4} it dispels the darkness. If it is regeneration, {Titus 3:5} old things are passed away. And what are these except sins? If the baptized puts off the old man, {Colossians 3:9} then sin also. If he puts on Christ, {Galatians 3:27} then in effect he becomes free from sin through Baptism. For God is far from sinners. This Paul also teaches more plainly, saying: ‘As through one [man] we, being many, were made sinners, so through one [are we made] righteous.’ {Romans 5:19} And if righteous, then free from sin. For it is not possible for life and death to be in the same [person]. If Christ truly died, then remission of sin through the Spirit is true also. Hence it is evident that all who are baptized and fall asleep while babes are undoubtedly saved, being predestinated through the death of Christ. Forasmuch as they are without any sin; – without that common [to all your effort will ], because delivered from it by the Divine laver, and without any of their own, because as babes they are incapable of committing sin; – and consequently are saved. Moreover, Baptism imparts an indelible character, as does also the Priesthood. For as it is impossible for any one to receive twice the same order of the Priesthood, so it is impossible for any once rightly baptized, to be destroyed and your boat will reach again baptized, although he should fall even into myriads of sins, or even into actual apostasy from the Faith. For when he is willing to return unto the Lord, he receives again through the Mystery of Penance the harbor emptyadoption of a son, which he had lost.” —Confession of Dositheus, Synod of Jerusalem, 1672, Decree 16
If you have great authority“A dangerous lie is preached by sectarians when they say that children should not be baptized, but when children grow up and know what faith is, then they should be baptized. Man and son of man, shut your ears from such crazy words. Because if your child dies unbaptized, do not threaten anyone with deathhe will enter the other world as unclean and undone by God. KnowWith whom, then, will he be in eternity, that according and whose name will he be? Look, you don't wait for your child to naturegrow up and find out what water and milk and honey and bread and medicine are, and only then can you give him all that. But you too are susceptible give it to death him even though he doesn't know it. You know what's good and life saving for her, does she have to know that every soul sheds its body in the cradle? And if your child has cough, will you treat it, or will you wait until it grows up and find out what cough is? And hereditary sin is an unequally heavier pain than gout. So when you are treating your child from gout, treat him also from itself as that more serious illness, for which the final garmentcure is baptism. Don't let your unbaptized child die, because otherwise you will never and anywhere in eternity meet his soul.” —St.Nikolai Velimirovich
In Byzantium there existed an unusual “…[T]here were no New Testamental writings for the earliest Christians and yet they possessed the fullness of the truth and instructive custom during faith of Christianity. On the crowning day of Pentecost the emperors Church was born and yet there were no Gospels as we know them today. It would not be a theological exaggeration to assert that the Church would be the Church in Her fullness even if She did not possess the New Testament. For many raised on the Church Reformational principle of the Divine Wisdom ‘sola scriptura’ this may seem a radical – even heretical – statement. …[St. SophiaT]. The custom here was that a time when the patriarch placed Church did not possess this corpus of inspired writing and yet the crown on Church existed in Her fullness, Christians experienced the emperor's head, at truth of the same timefaith in all its fullness.” —Fr. Georges Florovsky, he handed him a silk purse filled with dirt from The Byzantine Fathers of the grave.Fifth Century
Then“… Word and sacrament long ago lost touch with each other and became subjects of independent study and definition … I daresay that the gradual ‘decomposition’ of scripture, even its dissolution in more and more specialized and negative criticism, is a result of its alienation from the emperor would recall death Eucharist - and to avoid all pride and become humblepractically from the Church herself - as an experience of a spiritual reality.” —St—Fr. Alexander Schmemann, The Eucharist, p. Anthony the Great66
“Pride more than anything else“Anti-sacramental, anti-ritual evangelicalism emphasizes a personal relationship with God, but tends to encourage what Anthony Giddens calls ‘pure relationship,’ a relationship that is not tacked down with external anchors and supports. A live-in relationship, deprives people without benefit of both their good deeds the rites and help legalities of marriage, is a pure relationship. Evangelicalism tends to encourage a live-in relationship with Jesus. This is wrong, a departure from Christian tradition, and unbiblical. It also places unbearable burdens on the soul. Tempted by the devil, Luther slapped his forehead to remind himself of his baptism. His standing before Godwas anchored in Christ, to whom he had been joined by baptism. For evangelicals, assurance cannot be grounded in anything so external and objective. Spontaneous enthusiasm is the test of sincerity, and the source of assurance. Where there But eternal, self-scrutinizing vigilance is no humilitynecessary to ensure that the enthusiasm is really spontaneous. Enthusiasm was supposed to liberate the soul from all the dead forms, pride takes but it comes with its placeown set of chains.” —St—Rev. Macarius of OptinaDr. Peter J. Leithard
“This “In the Orthodox approach to Scripture, it is the wisdom job of the individual not to strive for originality in interpretation, but rather to understand what is already present in the traditions of the Church. We are obliged not to go beyond the boundary set by the Fathers and power Creeds of God: the Church, but to be victorious through weaknessfaithfully pass on the Tradition just as we have received it. To do this requires a great deal of study and thought–but even more, exalted through humilityif we are to truly understand the Scriptures, rich through povertywe must enter deeply into the mystical life of the Church.” —St—ibid., p. Gregory Palamas44
“You will lose nothing “The scriptures and the Church are reduced here to the category of two formal authorities, two ‘sources of what you have renounced faith’ – as they are called in the scholastic treatises, for which the Lord’s sakeonly question is which authority is the higher: which ‘interprets’ which…” —Ibid. For in its own time it will return to you greatly multiplied, p.” —St. Mark the Ascetic66
“Where can I flee“For if we proclaim holy scripture to be the supreme authority for teaching the faith in the Church, then what is the ‘criterion’ of scripture? A place cannot save you because there is no place you can flee from yourselfSooner or later it becomes ‘biblical science’ – i.e., in the final analysis, naked reason…” —Ibid.” —St, p. Nikon of Optina66-67
“If our purpose “It is to fight therefore clear that [the spiritual fight apostles] did not teach everything in epistolary form, but that they taught many things besides in unwritten form, and to defeatthese things, with God's helptoo, the demons are worthy of malice, acceptance. Wherefore we should take every care to guard our heart from consider the demon tradition of dejection, just the Church also as a moth devours clothing and a worm devours wood, so dejection devours a man’s soulworthy of belief. It persuades him to shun every helpful encounter and stops him accepting advice from his true friends or giving them If there is a courteous and peaceful reply. Seizing the entire soultradition, it fills it with bitterness and listlessness. Then it suggests to the soul that we should go away from other people, since they are the cause of its agitationlook no further. It 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” —St.John Chrysostom
A man can be harmed “Certain men who hold different opinions (i.e. heretics) misuse these passages. They essentially destroy free will by another only through the causes introducing ruined natures incapable of the passions which lie within himself. It is for this reason that God, the Creator of all salvation and the Doctor of men’s souls, who alone has 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 to recognize that the soul’s health is achieved not by introducing others as being saved in such a man’s separating himself from his fellows, but by his living the ascetic life in 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 circumstancesway that they cannot be lost.” —St. John Cassian—Origen
“A life lived in false interpretation of Scripture causes that the gospel of the world can be as good, in Lord becomes the eyes gospel of Godman, or, as one spent in a monastery. It which is indeed only the keeping of God's commandmentsworse, love of all, and a true sense of humility that matter, wherever we arethe devil.” —Elder Macarius of Optina—St. Jerome
“Those who“Truth cannot be acquired, because of the rigor flesh with its passions and lusts cannot be crucified, the heart cannot be filled with the Light of their own ascetic practiceChrist and united with Him, despise the less zealousthrough salvation, think that they unless these are made righteous preceded by physical works. But we are even more foolish if we rely on theoretical knowledge and disparage the ignorantfrequent prayer.” —St. Mark the Ascetic—The Way of a Pilgrim
“A remedy against straying thoughts is mental attention“How long shall we continue in this manner, attention our intellect reduced to futility, failing to make the fact that spirit of the Lord is before us and we are before Him.Gospel our own, not knowing what it means to live according to our conscience, making no serious effort to keep it pure?” —St. Theophan Mark the RecluseAscetic
“The roots “It is self evident, however, that sincere Christians who are Roman Catholics, or Lutherans, or members of evil thoughts 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 obvious vicescreed which they have inherited, which we keep trying to justify just as do the majority of you who are Orthodox; in our words their lives there has not been a moment of personal and actionsconscious renunciation of Orthodoxy.” —StThe Lord, ‘Who will have all men to be saved’ (I Tim. Mark 2:4) and ‘Who enlightens every man born into the Asceticworld’ (Jn. 1.43), undoubtedly is leading them also towards salvation in His own way.” —Metropolitan Philaret of New York
“Guard your speech from boasting “You ask, will the heterodox be saved… Why do you worry about them? They have a Saviour Who desires the salvation of every human being. He will take care of them. You and I should not be burdened with such a concern. Study yourself and your thoughts from presumption; otherwise own sins… I will tell you one thing, however: should you may be abandoned by God , being Orthodox and fall into sin. For man cannot do anything good without possessing the help of GodTruth in its fullness, betray Orthodoxy, and enter a different faith, who sees everythingyou will lose your soul forever.” —St. Mark Theophan the AsceticRecluse
"The higher a person’s position in society “The Orthodox confess that SHE IS the more he should help others without ever reminding them of his positionOne, Holy, Universal (katholikos) and Apostolic Ecclesia! Any other model is gnostic.” —Tsar St—St. Nicholas IIIrenaeus of Lyons
“If you want your sins to be absolved by “Orthodoxy is what Christtaught, then don't speak to others about any virtue that you may havethe apostles preached, because God will treat our sins and the same way we treat our virtuesFathers kept.” —St. Mark Athanasius the AsceticGreat
“If any man “He is able in power to continue in purity, ‘the same yesterday and today and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8). Orthodox Christians are committed to the honour truth claim of the flesh Christian Faith not as ideology but as an expression 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 himselfholiness.” —St—Rev. Dr. George C. Ignatius of AntiochPapademetriou, An Orthodox Reflection on Truth & Tolerance
“Guarding “The beginning of theology is not the card catalogue, but doing battle against the mouth wakes up passions; and the conscience to Godend of theology is not becoming a professor, if it is with knowledge that but becoming a man keeps silencesaint.” —St—Dr. Isaac the SyrianDavid Fagerberg
“Silence is more profitable than speech“Men are converted to God not because someone was able to give brilliant explanations, for as it has been saidbut because they saw in him that light, "The words joy, depth, seriousness, and love which alone reveal the presence and power of wise men are heard even God in quietthe world."” —St—Fr. Basil the GreatAlexander Schmemann
“Never give your opinion if “When conversion does take place, the process of revelation occurs in a very simple way: a person is in need, he suffers, and then somehow the other world opens up. The more you are not asked in suffering and difficulties and are desperate for itGod, even if you think that the more He is going to come to your view aid, reveal Who He is , and show you the bestway to get out.” —Josemaria Escriva—Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina, Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene, p. 98
“Not only for every idle word must man give an account“We think we know a lot, but for every idle silencewhat we know is very little. Even all those who have striven all their life to bring progress to mankind – learned scientists and highly educated people – all realize in the end that all their knowledge is but a grain of sand on the seashore. All our achievements are insufficient.” —St. Ambrose —Elder Thaddeus of MilanVitovnica, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives
“Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning“Men are often called intelligent wrongly. Intelligent men are not those who are erudite in the sayings and books of the wise men of old, but those who have an intelligent soul and can discriminate between good and evil. 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 called intelligent.” —St. Anthony the Great, that without listening speaking no longer healsOn the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: One Hundred and Seventy Texts, that without distance closeness cannot cureText 1, The Philokalia: The Complete Text, Vol.” —Henri Nouwen1
“Let your mouth continually administer blessing; then “It is impossible to replace the spiritual with the scorn of emotional. If anyone tries to forcibly replace one with the other, then he will never hurt youassimilate lies instead of truth, falsehood masquerading as truth.” —St. Isaac the SyrianIgnatius Brianchaninov (Bryanchaninov) of Caucasus, The Refuge, Chapter 9, p. 119
“Just as swine run to a place where there “Not knowledge that you learn, but knowledge that you suffer: that is mire, and bees dwell where there are fragrances and incenseOrthodox spirituality.” —Gerontissa Gabrielia, likewise demons gather where there are carnal songs and the grace Sayings of the Holy Spirit settles where there are spiritual melodies, sanctifying both mouth and soul.” —St. John ChrysostomGerontissa Gabrielia
“A psalm implies serenity of soul; it “Our religion is the author of peacefounded on spiritual experience, which calms bewildering seen and seething thoughtsheard as sure as any physical fact in this world. ForNot theory, it softens the wrath of the soulnot philosophy, and what is unbridled it chastensnot human emotions, but experience. A psalm forms friendships, unites those separated, conciliates those at enmity” —St. Who, indeed, can still consider as an enemy him with whom he has uttered the same prayer to God?Nikolai Velimirovich
So that psalmody, bringing about choral singing, a bond, as it were, toward unity, and joining “Only the people into a harmonious union Religion of one choir, produces also the greatest Christ unites and all of blessings, charityus must pray that they come to this. A psalm is a city of refuge from the demonsThus union will occur, a means not by believing that all of inducing help from us are the angels, a weapon in fears by night, a rest from toils by day, a safeguard for infants, an adornment for those at same thing and that all religions are the height of their vigor, a consolation for same. They are not the elders, a most fitting ornament for womensame… our Orthodoxy is not related to other religions.” —St.Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
It peoples the solitudes; it rids the market place of excesses; it “Orthodoxy is the elementary exposition of beginnerslife, the improvement of those advancingone must not talk about it, the solid support of the perfect, the voice of the Churchone must live it. It brightens the feast days; it creates a sorrow which is in accordance with God” —St.Nektary of Optina
For, a psalm “Orthodoxy can't be comfortable unless it is the work of angels, a heavenly institution, the spiritual incensefake.” —St—Fr. Basil the GreatSeraphim Rose of Platina
“Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration “As for all those who pretend to paradiseconfess sound Orthodox Faith, our ascension into the kingdom of heaven, our return to the adoption of sons, our liberty to call God our Father, our being made partakers of the grace of Christ, our being called children of light, our sharing but are in eternal glorycommunion with people who hold different opinion, if they are forewarned andstill remain stubborn, you must not only be in a wordcommunion with them, our being brought into a state of all "fulness of blessing," both in this world and in 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 enjoymentbut you must NOT even call them brothers.” —St. Basil the Great
“Humility consists, “It is a commandment of the Lord that we should not be silent when the Faith is in condemning our conscienceperil. So, when it is a matter of the Faith, one cannot say, but ‘Who am I? A priest, a ruler, a soldier, a farmer, a poor man? I have no say or concern in recognizing God's grace this matter.’ Alas! The stones shall cry out, and compassion.you remain silent and unconcerned?” —St. Mark Theodore the AsceticStudite
“Children“At the present time of universal wavering, I beseech you to correct your hearts disturbance of minds and thoughtscorruption, so it is especially demanded of us that you may we should confess the true teaching of the Church no matter what might be pleasing the person of those who listen and despite the unbelief which surrounds us. If for the sake of adaptation to God. Consider that although the errors of this age we may reckon ourselves to shall be righteous and frequently succeed silent about the truth or give a corrupt teaching in deceiving menthe name of pleasing this world, then we can conceal nothing from God. Let us therefore strive would actually be giving to preserve those who seek the holiness of our souls and to guard the purity truth a stone in place of our bodies with all fervorbread. Ye are The higher is the temple standing of Godone who acts in this way, says the divine Apostle Paul; If any man defile greater the temple of Godscandal that is produced by him, him shall God destroyand the more serious can be the consequences.” —St. Nicholas —Metropolitan Philaret of MyraNew York
“Those who suffer for “Today, while the overall teachings of the Fathers is under attack and the shipwrecks of Faith are numerous, the sake mouths of true devotion receive helpthe faithful are silent. This must Anyone who is capable of speaking the truth but remains silent, will be learnt through obeying heavily judged by God's law , especially in this case, 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 our own consciencethe appropriate witness belongs to those that reproach (stand up for the faith).” —St. Mark Basil the AsceticGreat, ep. 92
“When “I beseech you are wronged to do and your heart to carry out good to all men with care and feelings are hardenedassiduity, do not be distressedbecoming all things to all men, for this has happened providentiallyas the need of each is shown to you; but I want and pray you to be glad wholly harsh and reject the thoughts that arise within you, knowing that if they are destroyed at implacable with the stage when they are heretics only provocations, in regard to cooperating with them or in any way whatever supporting their evil consequences will be cut offderanged belief. For I reckon it hatred towards man and a departure from Divine love to lend support to error, whereas if the thoughts persist the evil may so that those previously seized by it might be expected to developeven more greatly corrupted.” —St. Mark Maximus the AsceticConfessor, Patrologia Graeca, Vol. 91
“Struggle “Be aware not to become immortal be corrupted from now, by dying here on love of the earth to your bad self. In heretics; for this way, you won't be sad, but you'll be very glad, living together with Christreason do not accept any false belief (dogma) in the name of love.” —Elder Porphyrios—St. John Chrysostom
“This being He placed in Paradise, whatever the Paradise may have been, having honoured him “If anyone prays 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 ofheretics, 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 punishmentheretic.” —St— Pope St. Gregory the Theologian, Oration 38, XII, On Theophany, On the Birth of our Saviour (On the Nativity of Christ)Agatho I
“I saw that there was no tragedy in God. Tragedy “Genuine love is to be found solely in displayed, not by the fortunes common table, nor by lofty addresses or flattering words, but by the correcting and the seeking of the man whose gaze has not gone beyond benefit of one's neighbour and the confines lifting up of this earththe one who has fallen.” —Archimandrite Sophrony—St. John Chrysostom
“The Christian “It is not the case that there is one church at Rome and another in all the world nowadays presents a terrifying beside. Gaul and Britain, Africa and Persia, India and the East worship one Christ and cheerless picture observe one rule of profound religious and moral decaytruth. The servants of Antichrist do their utmost to completely displace God from people’s livesIf you ask for authority, in order that mankindthe world outweighs its capital. Wherever there is a bishop, content with its material well-beingwhether it be at Rome or at Engubium, would not feel any need to turn to God in prayerwhether it be at Constantinople or at Rhegium, would not think of God whether it be at Alexandria or at allZoan, but would live as though God did not existhis dignity is one and his priesthood is one. Thus Neither the entire structure command of contemporary life in wealth nor the so-called ‘free’ world, where there is no open and bloody persecution lowliness of faith, where everyone has the right to believe as he wishes, represents poverty makes him more a far greater danger to bishop or less a Christian’s soul by drawing bishop. All alike are successors of the Christian wholly down apostles.” —St. Jerome, Letter CXLVI to earth and making him forget heaven.Evangelus
The entire modern culture“Never, which is aimed at purely worldly achievementsnever, and the resultant whirlwind of everyday lifenever let anyone tell you that, keep a person in such order to be Orthodox, you must also be eastern. The West was Orthodox for a state of constant bustle thousand years, and absent-mindedness that he has no opportunity for her venerable liturgy is far older than any soul-searching, and spiritual life within him gradually becomes extinguishedof her heresies.” —Archbishop Averky —St. John (TaushevMaximovitch) of SyracuseShanghai and San Francisco
“In advising against being carried away by artificial practices such as Transcendental Meditation I am but repeating “Where the age-old message of bishop is, there let the Church … The way multitude of the Fathers requires firm faith and long patience, whereas our contemporaries want to seize every spiritual gift, including believers be; even direct contemplation of the Absolute God, by force and speedily, and will often draw a parallel between prayer in the Name of as where 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 , there 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 AbsoluteCatholic Church. 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” —St. But the God Ignatius of Truth, the Living God, is not in all this.Antioch
It is man’s own beauty“Take care to do all things in harmony with God, created with the bishop presiding in the image place 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 with the matter lies presbyters 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 place of the divine principle in the very nature council of man. Man is then drawn to the idea of self-deification—the cause of apostles, and with the original Fall. The man deacons, who is blinded by the imaginary majesty of what he contemplates has in fact set his foot on the path are most dear to self-destruction. He has discarded me, entrusted with the revelation business of a personal God … The movement into the depths of his own being is nothing else but attraction towards Jesus Christ, who was with the non-being Father from which we were called by the will of the Creatorbeginning and is at last made manifest.” —Archimandrite Sophrony —St. Ignatius of Mt. AthosAntioch, His Life is MineLetter to the Magnesians 2, 115-1166:1
“Christ said“Moreover, 'I came not to send peacein the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, but a sword' by all. For that is truly and 'division'. Christ summoned us to war on in the plane of strictest sense ‘Catholic,’ which, as the spirit, name itself and our weapon is 'the sword reason of the Spiritthing declare, which is the word of Godcomprehends all universally.' Our battle is waged in extraordinarily unequal conditionsThis rule we shall observe if we follow universality, antiquity, consent. We are tied hand and foot. We dare not strike with fire or sword: our sole armament is loveshall follow universality if we confess that one faith to be true, which the whole Church throughout the world confesses; antiquity, even for enemies. This unique war if we in no wise depart from those interpretations which we are engaged it is indeed a manifest were notoriously held by our holy war. We wrestle with ancestors and fathers; consent, in like manner, if in antiquity itself we adhere to the last consentient definitions and only enemy determinations of mankind death. Our fight is all, or at the fight for universal resurrectionleast of almost all priests and doctors.” —Archimandrite Sophrony —St. Vincent of MtLérins, Commonitory, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies. Athos, His Life is MineChapter II (circa 434 AD)
“I ask you “‘Shun profane novelties of words,’ which to try somethingreceive and follow was never the part of Catholics; of heretics always was. If someone grieves youIn truth, what heresy ever burst forth save under a definite name, or dishonors youat a definite place, or takes something at a definite time? Who ever originated a heresy that did not first dissever himself from the consentient agreement of yours, then pray like the universality and antiquity of the Catholic Church? That this: ‘Lord, we are all your creaturesis so is demonstrated in the clearest way by examples. Pity your servantsFor who ever before that profane Pelagius attributed so much antecedent strength to Free-will, and turn them as to repentance,’ and then you will perceptibly bear deny the necessity of God's grace to aid it towards good in your soul. Induce your heart to love your enemies, and every single act? Who ever before his monstrous disciple Cœlestius denied that the Lord, seeing your good will, shall help you whole human race is involved in all things, and will Himself show you experience. But whoever thinks evil the guilt of his enemies does not have love for God and has not known God.Adam's sin?” —St. Silouan the AthoniteVincent of Lérins, WritingCommonitory, IX.2162
“When I"But if neither injunctions nor ecclesiastical decrees may be violated, while still in Australiaby which, began to receive information from America already post factum that here [in New York City] there had been protestsaccordance with the sacred consent of universality and antiquity, demonstrationsall heretics always, and even molebens in front , last of the Soviet consulateall, Pelagius, Cœlestius, I became quite alarmed and regretted that I was not hereNestorius have been rightly and deservedly condemned, since I would have decisively opposed much then assuredly it is incumbent on all Catholics who are anxious to approve themselves genuine sons of what took place. In particularMother Church, holding a moleben in such a place. Did they not sing the Lord's song in a strange land? What cause was there to display adhere henceforward to the holy things faith of the Church's services before holy Fathers, to be wedded to it, to die in it; but as to the gaze profane novelties of the frenzied servants profane men— to detest them, abhor them, oppose them, give them no quarter.” —St. Vincent of Antichrist? Was it really not possible to pray in church?Lérins, Commonitory, 86
I must say frankly “Roman Catholics teach that I am always seized by dismay when I hear original sin robbed Adam of proteststhe original righteousness, demonstrationsgrace-filled perfection, and the likebut did not harm his very nature. In And the USSRoriginal righteousness, life is governed by him (according to their teachings, was not an organic part of the one with horns) who fears only Christ spiritual and His Cross; and who fears nothing else in the world. And he merely chortles over protests and demonstrations. Public opinion? Whymoral nature of man, the antichrist regime has nothing but the uttermost contempt for it! They wanted to seize Czechoslovakia and they seized itan external gift of grace, paying no heed a special addition to the commotion that was raisednatural forces of man. They wanted to invade Afghanistan and they invaded it, again paying no attention to Hence the protests and threats sin of the various Carters & Co. All attempts to shape public opinion first man, which consists in the so-called Free World in favor rejecting this purely external, supernatural grace, separating man from God, is nothing more than depriving a person of this grace, depriving a person of those suffering from Communism are powerless primitive righteousness and fruitlessreturning man to a purely natural state, since a state of grace. The very same human nature remained after the Free World stubbornly closes its eyes and imitates fall as it was before the ostrichfall. Before sin, Adam was like a royal courtier, which hides its head under its wing and imagines that it cannot be seen…” —Metropolitan Philaret from whom external glory was taken away because of New Yorka crime, A letter from Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) and he returned to ROCOR Priest Victor Potapov concerning Father Dimitry Dudko and the Moscow Patriarchateoriginal state in which he had been before.
“The whole therapeutic method The decrees of the Orthodox Church 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 useful than harmful to people. In any case, it is not aimed simply at making human beings morally sin, although it itself from sin and entails sin. The fifth decree says: ‘The Holy Council confesses and socially balancedknows that lust remains among baptized persons; but she, as left to fight, but at re-establishing their relationship cannot bring harm to those who disagree with God her, and one another. This comes about through those who bravely fight by the healing grace of Jesus Christ, but, on the contrary, crowns the soul's wounds and one who will gloriously struggle. The Holy Council declares that this lust, which the cure of Apostle sometimes calls sin, the passions through Universal Church never called sin in the Sacraments sense that it is true and proper to the Church's ascetic practiceregenerated, but that it is from sin and entails sin.” —Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, The Science of Spiritual Medicine: Orthodox Psychotherapy in Action’
“A wise heart can transfer This Roman Catholic teaching is unfounded, since it represents the original righteousness and perfection of Adam as an external gift, as an advantage, which is added to nature from the outside and from nature separable. Meanwhile, it is clear from the ancient apostolic-church doctrine that this primitive righteousness of Adam was not an external gift and advantage, but an affliction into integral part of his divinely-created nature. The Holy Scripture claims that sin has shaken and upset human nature so deeply that a person is weak for good and when he wants, he cannot do good ( Romans 7: 18-19 ), but he cannot commit it just because sin has a blessingstrong influence on the nature of man. In addition, even if sin!! He benefits did not damage human nature so much, there would be no need for the Only Begotten Son of God to incarnate, come into the world as the Savior and demand from itus a complete bodily and spiritual rebirth ( John 3: contrition3, humility3: 5-6 ). In addition, keenness 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 sympathy for sinners.” —H.H. Pope Shenouda IIIthe healthy nature?
“Humility In the same way, there is an inaccurate Roman Catholic statement that in a regenerated person nothing remains sinful and unpleasant to God and that all this gives way to that which is immaculate, holy and pleasing to God. For we know from Holy Revelation and suffering free the teachings of the ancient Church that the grace given to a fallen man through Jesus Christ does not act mechanically, does not give sanctification and salvation immediately, in the blink of an eye, but gradually penetrates all the psychophysical powers of man , in proportion to his personal feat in the new thus he simultaneously heals from all sinful ailments, and sanctifies in all thoughts, feelings, desires and deeds. It is an unreasonable exaggeration to think and argue that the regenerated have absolutely no remnants of sinful ailments when the mystery beloved by Christ clearly teaches: ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us’ ( 1 John 1: 8 ); for and the great Apostle of the Nations writes: ‘I do not do the first cuts out spiritual passionsgood I want, and but I do the evil that I do not want. But if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but the latter bodilysin that lives in me’ ( Romans 7: 19-20, Romans 8: 23-24 ).” —St. Maximus Justin Popovich, Orthodox philosophy of truth (Dogma of the ConfessorOrthodox Church)
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny“In all the Eastern Churches, candles are lit even in the daytime when one is to read the Gospels, in truth not to dispel the darkness, but as a sign of joy…in order under that factual light to feel that Light of which we read in the Psalms (119:105): Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” —C—St. SJerome, Works, part IV, 2nd ed. Lewis, Kiev, 1900, pp.301-302
“The soul candles lit before icons of saints reflect their ardent love for God for Whose sake they gave up everything that man is not impure at birthprizes in life, but pureincluding 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 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 God.” —Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos—St. John of Kronstadt
“By nature “The saints of God live even after their death. Thus, I often hear in church the Mother of God singing her wonderful, heart-penetrating song which she said in the house of her cousin Elizabeth, after the Annunciation of the Archangel. At times, I 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 soul is passionless… so you must believe three children; and that of Miriam. And how many holy singers of the passions do not belong to New Testament delight until now the soul by natureear of the whole Church of God! And the Divine service itself--the sacraments, the rites? Whose spirit is there, moving and touching our hearts? That of God and of His saints.” —St. Isaac the SyrianJohn of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
“Just as in legal marriage, the pleasure derived from procreation cannot exactly be called a gift “Each person is an icon of God, because it is carnal and constitutes a gift of nature God in heaven and not of grace (even though that nature has been created by God); even so on the knowledge that comes from profane education, even if well usedcross. Yet, each person is a gift also an icon of nature, and not the Mother of grace-a gift which God accords to all without exception , who bears Christ through naturethe Holy Spirit. Our soul, therefore, unites itself in two images; participating in the principles and realities of both Christ and his Mother. These are age old archetypes, symbols by which one can develop by exercisethe soul orients itself on the journey.” —St. This last point-that no one acquires it without effort and exercise-is an evident proof that it is a question Maria Skobtsova, On The Imitation of the Mother of a natural, not a spiritual, gift.God
It is our sacred wisdom “The Christian who does not feel 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 Virgin Mary is his or her mother 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 deathan orphan.” —St. Gregory Palamas, Triads in Defence of the Holy Hesychasts, Philosophy does not save, pages 29-30—Jorge Mario Bergoglio ("Pope Francis")
“Fiery lust“Creating man according to his image, God diffused into man's very being the desire longing for marriagethe divine infinitude of life, of knowledge, sexual union … and all of perfection. It is precisely for this reason that the other things that, immeasurable longing and thirst of humanity is not able to be completely satisfied by anything or anyone except God. Declaring divine perfection as most people think, the body seeks main purpose for - it is not humanity's existence in the body world – ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as such … but your father who is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matth. 5: 48) – Christ, the soulSavior, which through answered the body seeks pleasure by their means… Let no one think he is being driven towards these things most elemental demand and need of our God-like and compelled by his own body… the body cannot be moved to anything apart from the soulGod-longing humanity.” —St. Symeon the New TheologianJustin Popovich, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ, Highest Value and Last Criterion in Orthodoxy
“Just as the virtues are begotten “He who refuses to give in the soul, so are the to his passions. But does the virtues are begotten in accordance with nature, the passions in a mode contrary same as he who refuses 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 bow down and vice, the first as its natural birthright, the second as the result of the self-incurred proclivity of our moral willworship idols.” —St. Gregory of SinaiTheophan the Recluse
“The heart “Concerning the charge of a perfectly healthy man becomes weakened for faith and love to God and his neighbor, and easily gives itself up to carnal desiresidolatry: to slothfulnessIcons are not idols but symbols. Therefore, negligencewhen an Orthodox venerates an icon, coldness, gluttony, avarice, fornication, pridehe is not guilty of idolatry. Whilst He is not worshiping the heart of a sick man, or a wounded, oppressed, weary heartsymbol, but merely venerating it. Such veneration is strengthened in faithnot directed toward wood, hopeor paint or stone, and love, and is far removed from carnal passionsbut towards the person depicted. This Therefore relative honor is why the Heavenly Fathershown to material objects, Who careth for our salvation, chastises us by various sicknesses. The oppression and afflictions of sickness make us turn again but worship is due to Godalone.” —St. John of KronstadtDamascus
“If you wish to live long on the earth, “We 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 bow before the nature of life constitutes deathwood, but we revere and therefore, in bow before the Holy Scripture, our flesh one who is called mortal, or, ‘the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lustsdepicted.” —St.’ 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 John of the body, ye shall live,’ both here on earth and there in heaven.Damascus
One cannot eat and drink and smoke continually. One cannot turn human life into constant eating, drinking“We do not make obeisance to the nature of wood, but we revere and smoking, although there are men do obeisance to Him who do eat, drink, and smoke almost uninterruptedly; and thus was crucified on the Cross… When the spirit two beams of evil has turned life into smoking, and made the mouth, which ought to be employed in thanking and praising Cross are joined together I adore the figure because of Christ who was crucified on the LordCross, into a smoking furnace. The less and lighter but if the food and drink you takebeams are separated, the lighter I throw them away and more refined your spirit will becomeburn them.” —St.John of Damascus
Smoking is a whim. From this comes foot pain and depression. That “We do not worship the devil is relics of the father martyrs, but honor them in our worship of the cigarette I especially figured out today: something impacted negatively upon me from head to toeHim Whose martyrs they are. I felt that We honor the enemy nested servants in my sides and in my heart and he opposed me strongly, preventing me from saying order that the prayer, scaring me, paralyzing me and saddening me respect paid to them may be reflected back to the point of sinLord.” —St.Jerome
By smoking an unclean spirit enters “The whole earth is a personliving icon of the face of God. Last night after smoking … I do not worship matter, but the devil made his presence felt through continuous hiccups which pestered me from the time Creator of the Cherubic Hymn until a little before Holy Communion. My nerves were stretchedmatter, who for my voice was ‘escaping’ mesake became material and deigned to dwell in matter, who through matter effected my salvation. Never will I was shivering and cease honoring the matter which wrought my salvation! I was exhausted. That's why smoking is futilehonor it, but not as God. It is a silly whim, a desecration Because of the lipsthis I salute all remaining matter with reverence, a large because God has filled it with his grace and unnecessary irritation, a fog that covers voluntarilypower. Through it my salvation has come to me.” —St.John of Damascus
The taste “That which the word communicates by sound, the painting shows silently by representation.” —St. Basil the Great, On the 40 Martyrs 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?Sebaste
I came to church“We depict Christ as our King and Lord, falling on my knees with a contrite heart before the Holy Altar. How could I serve my enemy every day and do not deprive Him of His army. The saints constitute the Lord with zeal? 's army. Let the earthly king dismiss his army before he gives up his King and Lord, help me to be free . Let him put off the purple before he takes honour away from all evilhis most valiant men who have conquered their passions. For if the saints are heirs of God, because I am an evil manand co-heirs of Christ, dirty, full (Rom. 8.17) they will be also partakers of the divine glory of sinssovereignty.” —St. John of Damascus
The “We define that the holy icons should be exhibited in the holy churches of God… and in houses and along the roads, namely the icons of our Lord knows God and Savior Jesus Christ, that of our weaknesses. He is ready to forgive us everythingLady the Theotokos, as long as we repent those of the venerable angels and seek forgiveness. The essential thing is those of all saintly people… We define also that our hearts not become petrified, they should be kissed and that is to stop hesitating to think they are an object of our committed sinveneration and honor… He who venerates the icon, to immediately repent, and to leave ourselves to venerates in it the mercy of Godreality for which it stands.” —St. John of Kronstadt—The Seventh Ecumenical Council
“Suffering reminds “In the wise man radiance of His light the world is not commonplace. The very floor we stand on is a miracle of atoms whizzing about in space. The darkness of sin is clarified, and its burden shouldered. Death is robbed of its finality, trampled down by Christ's death. In a world where everything that seems to be present is immediately past, everything in Christ is able to participate in the eternal present of God, but crushes those who forget Him.” —St—Fr. Mark the AsceticAlexander Schmemann
“God permits tribulations “Christ surpasses both ends of the world, where the drama ends and adversities where it began. Of all the mysteries, the greatest mystery is He. From His Nativity to befall people – even His Crucifixion on the saintly – so that they may persist in humility. But if we harden our hearts against adversities and tribulationsCross, he also hardens these tribulations against us. On From His Crucifixion on the other hand if we accept them in humility and with a contrite heartCross to His Resurrection, He is the true measure of all God will mingle tribulation with mercy's creation.” —St. Isaac the SyrianNikolai Velimirovich
“But do not be troubled or sad“Let no one think that there is anything interpretive in the works of the six days.” —St. The Ephrem the Syrian “It is [the Lord sometimes allows people who ] that sitteth upon the orb (חוּג, γῦρον, gyrum) of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are devoted as locusts: he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing and spreadeth them out as a tent to Him dwell in.” —Isaiah 40:22 “For if the world, being made spherical, is confined within the circles of heaven, and the Creator of the world is above the things created, managing that by His providential care of these, what place is there for the second god, or for the other gods? … Beautiful without doubt is the world, excelling, as well in its magnitude as in the arrangement of its parts, both those in the oblique circle and those about the north, and also in its spherical form.” —St. Athenagoras of Athens, A Plea for the Christians, Ch. 8 and 16 (Father of the Church, Ante-Nicene Christian apologist, c. 175, E) “Let's start with the earth: you see how big it is and how many every creature is on it – living and soulless. Looking at the earth in all directions, you notice that it seems to fall be flat; in fact, it is round like a ball: land surveyors have found this out as surely as possible, and we ourselves can be sure of this. You are often by the sea – look into such dreadful vices; the distance for departing ships or steam ships. At first you see the whole ship, but the farther it goes, the more the bottom of the ship is hidden from you, so that at last you see only the sails or one smoke from the steam ship, and finally this also disappears, as if the ship had sunk into a hole. Why does this happen? Because the earth is spherical. If at first glance it seems flat to us, it is because we are very small in comparison with the earth, and the earth is too large and, with its size, its sloping is imperceptible to us, insignificant ones. So, brethren, the earth is round.” —St. John of Kronstadt, Diaries of Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt, 1857–1858 “You often see, brethren, that the Lord Almighty is mostly written on icons with a ball, on top of which is a cross. This ball means the globe of the earth and is called the power – from the fact that in ancient times the Roman kings had the custom, on solemn occasions, to hold it in their hands. Our Lord Jesus Christ holds in his hand the globe of the earth, as the king of heaven and earth, as the Almighty. We say this in order to prevent them show you that our earth is round like a ball. But how is the sphericity of the earth proved by the phenomena at the rising and setting of the sun? As follows: if the earth were not spherical, but flat; then the sun would now hide under the earth, or come out from under it, and immediately leave us either in the full shadow of the earth, or illuminate us with full light. Now, since the earth is round, we use the remnants of light from falling into the sun even when it illuminates the sloping side of the earth, when the sun, so to speak, is under the mountain and produces a dawn for us, as if the glow of a still greater sin huge fire. This dawn happens because the rays of the setting or rising sun, illuminating the sloping side of the earth, at the same time illuminate the air that is near the earth and surrounds it like water, and thus makes the light of dawn. Watching the dawn, we see from the gradual decrease in light – pridefrom the way it gradually becomes paler and paler from light pink - that the earth is exactly round, and the sun, as it were, glides, step by step, evenly, in a circle.” —St. John of Kronstadt, Catechetical Talks “How does the sun rule by day? Because carrying everywhere light with it, it is no sooner risen above the horizon than it drives away darkness and brings us day. Your temptation Thus we might, without self deception, define day as air lighted by the sun, or as the space of time that the sun passes in our hemisphere… Those who have written about the nature of the universe have discussed at length the shape of the earth. If it be spherical or cylindrical, if it resemble a disc and is equally rounded in all parts, or if it has the forth of a winnowing basket and is hollow in the middle; all these conjectures have been suggested by cosmographers, each one upsetting that of his predecessor. It will pass not lead me to give less importance to the creation of the universe, that the servant of God, Moses, is silent as to shapes; he has not said that the earth is a hundred and eighty thousand furlongs in circumference; he has not measured into what extent of air its shadow projects itself while the sun revolves around it, nor stated how this shadow, casting itself upon the moon, produces eclipses. He has passed over in silence, as useless, all that is unimportant for us.” —St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily 6:8; 9:1 “Verily, it is most true what one of heathen culture is recorded to have said, that it is the mind that sees and the mind that hears. Else, if you will spend not allow this to be true, you must tell me why, when you look at the remaining days of sun, as you have been trained by your life instructor to look at him, you assert that he is not in humilitythe breadth of his disc of the size he appears to the many, but that he exceeds by many times the measure of the entire earth. Do you not confidently maintain that it is so, because you have arrived by reasoning through phenomena at the conception of such and such a movement, of such distances of time and space, of such causes of eclipse? And when you look at the waning and waxing moon you are taught other truths by the visible figure of that heavenly body, viz. Only that it is in itself devoid of light, and that it revolves in the circle nearest to the earth, and that it is lit by light from the sun; just as is the case with mirrors, which, receiving the sun upon them, do not forget your sinreflect rays of their own, but those of the sun, whose light is given back from their smooth flashing surface. Those who see this, but do not examine it, think that the light comes from the moon herself. But that this is not the case is proved by this; that when she is diametrically facing the sun she has the whole of the disc that looks our way illuminated; but, as she traverses her own circle of revolution quicker from moving in a narrower space, she herself has completed this more than twelve times before the sun has once travelled round his; whence it happens that her substance is not always covered with light. For her position facing him is not maintained in the frequency of her revolutions; but, while this position causes the whole side of the moon which looks to us to be illumined, directly she moves sideways her hemisphere which is turned to us necessarily becomes partially shadowed and only that which is turned to him meets his embracing rays; the brightness, in fact, keeps on retiring from that which can no longer see the sun to that which still sees him, until she passes right across the sun's disc and receives his rays upon her hinder part; and then the fact of her being in herself totally devoid of light and splendour causes the side turned to us to be invisible while the further hemisphere is all in light; and this is called the completion of her waning. But when again, in her own revolution, she has passed the sun and she is transverse to his rays, the side which was dark just before begins to shine a little, for the rays move from the illumined part to that so lately invisible. You see what the eye does teach; and yet it would never of itself have afforded this insight, without something that looks through the eyes and uses the data of the senses as mere guides to penetrate from the apparent to the unseen. It is needless to add the methods of geometry that lead us step by step through visible delineations to truths that lie out of sight, and countless other instances which all prove that apprehension is the work of an intellectual essence deeply seated in our nature, acting through the operation of our bodily senses.” —St. Seraphim Gregory of SarovNyssa, On the Soul and the Resurrection
“We must “As, when the sun shines above the earth, the shadow is spread over its lower part, because its spherical shape makes it impossible for it to be prepared to accept clasped all round at one and the same time by the rays, and necessarily, on whatever side the will sun's rays may fall on some particular point of God. The Lord permits all sorts of things to happen to us contrary to our willthe globe, for if we always have it our wayfollow a straight diameter, we will not be prepared for shall find shadow upon the opposite point, and so, continuously, at the opposite end of the direct line of the rays shadow moves round that globe, keeping pace with the sun, so that equally in their turn both the upper half and the Kingdom under half of Heaventhe earth are in light and darkness.” —Elder Thaddeus —St. Gregory of VitovnicaNyssa, "Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives"On the Soul and the Resurrection
“What should not be heard by little ears“Further, some hold that the Earth is in the form of a sphere, others that it is in that of a cone. At all events it is much smaller than the heaven, should not and suspended almost like a point in its midst. And it will pass away and be said by big mouthschanged. But blessed is the man who inherits the Earth promised to the meek.” —unknown—St. John of Damascus, Orthodox Faith, Book 2, Ch 10
“I am incurably convinced that “Thus, by His transcendent might He established the heavens, and by His incomprehensible understanding He ordered them: the earth He separated from the object water now encircling it, and firmly grounded it on the unshakable foundation of opening His own will … about antipodes: ‘The ocean, impassable for men, and the worlds beyond it are governed by the mind, as same decrees of opening the mouthMaster’…” —St. Clement of Rome, is Epistle to shut it again on something solid.” —G. K. Chestertonthe Corinthians
“What is slander? It is every sort “Clement indeed, a disciple of the apostles, mentions those whom the Greeks call ‘people of the opposite earth’, and speaks of other parts of the world which none of wicked word we would dare not speak in front our people can reach, nor can any of those who live there cross over to us; and these parts themselves he called ‘worlds’, when he says, ‘The ocean is impassable to men, and the person whom we worlds beyond it are complaining about.” —St. Anthony governed by the same ordinances of God the GreatRuler’…” —Origen, On First Principles
“If you want “But if the light first created enveloped the earth on all sides, whether it was motionless or travelling round, it could not be followed anywhere by night, because it did not vacate any place to make room for night. But was it made on one side, so that as it travelled it would permit the night to follow after from the other? Although water still covered all the earth, there was nothing to overcome prevent the spirit massive watery sphere from having day on one side by the presence of slanderlight, blame not and on the person who fallsother side, but night by the demon absence of light. Thus, in the evening, darkness would pass to that prompted them side from which light would be turning to sinthe other … These writers are then asked why Saturn is cold.” Its temperature should be higher in proportion to the rapid movement it has by reason of its height in the heavens. For surely when a round mass is rotating, the parts near the center move more slowly, and those near the edge more rapidly, so that the greater and lesser distances may be covered simultaneously in the same circular motion…” —St. John ClimacusAugustine of Hippo, On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis
“You cannot be too gentle“The prophet David, too kindour Saints, Basil the Great, who wrote about creation, all of them, with the Grace of God knew everything about the creation by God. Shun even The Holy Spirit took them to appear harsh in your treatment the depths of each other. Joythe waters, radiant joy, streams from the face of him who gives He showed them and kindles joy in they saw the heart of him who receives. All condemnation is from earth revolving around the devil. Never condemn each sun, and many otherthings. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves. When we gaze at our own failingsThe Saints, we see such a swamp that nothing in another can equal it. That is why we turn awayhowever, and make much of spoke to people according to the faults knowledge of otherstheir age. Instead of condemning others, strive This is so that they wouldn't look like fools by revealing everything to reach inner peace. Keep silent, refrain from judgment. This will raise you above their age that they saw with the deadly arrows Grace of slanderGod. Since simple people were not able to see all those things and understand them, insult and outrage and will shield your glowing hearts against all evil.they would not have believed them!” —St. Seraphim Paisios of SarovMt. Athos, «ΣΚΕΥΟΣ ΕΚΛΟΓΗΣ: ΓΕΡΩΝ ΠΑΙΣΙΟΣ», 1924-1994, p. 142
“A man may seem to be silent“Truly, but if his heart is condemning othersthis necessary? No, not at all, he is babbling ceaselesslyfor we know that many and great scientists were at the same time great believers. But there may be another For example, such was the Polish astronomer Copernicus who talks from morning till night and yet laid the foundation of all contemporary astronomy. Copernicus was not only a believer but was also a cleric. Another great scientist, Newton, whenever he is truly silent, that ismentioned the word God, he says nothing removed his hat. He was a great believer… Would Haeckel therefore dare say that is these men did not profitablehave enlightened minds because they believed in God?” —St.” —Abba PoemenLuke the Surgeon, On Science and Religion
“If your tongue “The faithful have little need for scientists now, the world is used to chatteringfull of them! They are in need of holy men, your heart will remain dim and foreign to of those who live the luminous intuitions holy life; of those who can attract the Holy SpiritGrace of God to them.” —St. John —Elder Justin (Pârvu) of DalyathaRomania
“He who does not control “Once, when standing before a window at night, St. Barsanuphius (of Optina) pointed to the moon and said to his tongue when spiritual children:"Look – what a picture! This is left to us as a consolation. It is no wonder the Prophet David said, ‘Thou hast gladdened me’, he says, although this is angryonly a hint of that wondrous beauty, incomprehensible to human thought, which was originally created. We don't know what kind of moon there was then, what kind of sun, will not control his passions eitherwhat kind of light… All of this changed after the fall."” —Abba Hyperchius—Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina, Genesis, Creation, and Early Man: The Orthodox Christian Vision, p. 44
“Are you angry? Be angry at your sins“As for the ‘scientific’ information given in the book of Genesis – and since it talks about the formation of the world we know, there cannot but be some scientific information there – contrary to popular belief, there is nothing ‘out-of-date’ about it. Its observations, it is true, are all made as seen from earth and as affecting mankind; but they do not put forth any particular teaching, beat your soulfor example, afflict your conscienceon the nature of the heavenly bodies or their relative motions, and so the book can be strict read by each generation and understood in the light of its own scientific knowledge. The discovery in judgement recent centuries of the vastness of space and a terrible punisher the immensity of many of its heavenly bodies does nothing but add grandeur in our minds to the simple account of Genesis. When the Holy Fathers talk about Genesis, of course, they try to illustrate it with examples taken from the natural science of your own sinstheir time; we do the same thing today. This All this illustrative material is open to scientific criticism, and some of it, in fact, has become out-of-date. But the benefit text of angerGenesis itself is unaffected by such criticism, wherefore God placed and we can only wonder at how fresh and timely it in usis to each new generation. And the theological commentary of the Holy Fathers on the text partakes of this same quality.” —St—Fr. John ChrysostomSeraphim Rose of Platina, Genesis, Homilies on Ephesians 2Creation and Early Man: The Orthodox Christian Vision, p. 87
“Firmly purpose in your soul to hate every sin “One who has the judgment of thoughtChrist before his eyes, 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 who has seen the person of your brother great danger that threatens those who gave occasion for dare to subtract from or add to those things which have been handed down by the sin. Hate the sin with all your heartSpirit, must not be ambitious to innovate, but pity your brother; instruct him, and pray for him to must content himself with those things which have been proclaimed by the Almighty, Who sees all of us and tries our hearts and innermost partssaints.” —St. John of KronstadtBasil the Great, Against Eunomius 2, PG 29.573-652
“These eight passions should be destroyed as follows: gluttony by self-control“Our afflictions are well known without my telling; unchastity by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store; avarice by compassion for sound of them has now gone forth over all Christendom. The doctrines of the poor; anger by goodwill and love for all men; worldly dejection by spiritual joy; listlessness by patience, perseverance and offering thanks to Godfathers are despised; self-esteem by doing good in secret and by praying constantly with a contrite heartapostolical traditions are set at nought; and pride by not judging or despising anyone in the manner speculations of innovators hold sway in the boastful Pharisee (cfchurches. Luke 18 : 11–12), and by considering oneself the least Men have learned to be theorists instead of all mentheologians. When The wisdom of the intellect world has been freed in this way from the passions we have described and been raised up to God, it will henceforth live the life place of blessednesshonour, receiving having dispossessed the pledge boasting of the Holy Spirit (cfcross. 2 Cor. 1 : 22). And when it departs this lifeThe pastors are driven away, grievous wolves are brought in instead, dispassionate and plunder the flock of Christ, Houses of prayer are destitute of preachers; the deserts are full of true knowledgemourners: the old bewail, comparing what is with what was; more pitiable are the young, it will stand before as not knowing what they are deprived of. What has been said is sufficient to kindle the light sympathy of those who are taught in the Holy Trinity and love of Christ, yet compared with the divine angels will shine in glory through all eternityfacts, it is far from reaching their seriousness.” —St. John of Damascus, On Basil the Virtues and the VicesGreat, from The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Volep. 2)90
“We must consider all evil things“I urge you not to faint in your afflictions, even but to be risen by the passions which war against uslove of God and to increase every day to your zeal, knowing that it is necessary to preserve in 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 ownmind and by our purpose, but and by a true love to our Creator. Think that in the attack of our enemy Lord, the great priests and the scribes and the elders have designed the conspiracy, and that few people have been found getting the devilWord. This Remember that it is very importantnot the multitude that is being saved, but the elected ones of God. You can only conquer So don't be scared by the multitude of people who are swept away by the winds like the waters of the sea. If one is saved, as a Lot in Sodom, he must remain in a passion when you do fair judgment, keeping his hope in Christ steadfast, for the Lord will not consider it as part of youabandon His saints. Say hello to all the brothers in Christ from me. Pray with fervor for my miserable soul.” —St. Nikon of OptinaBasil the Great
“A sinful soul“So, full of passionsto the question, cannot have peace and rejoice ‘Do we believe in the Lord, even if it had charge over all earthly richesconspiracy theories?’, even if it ruled over the whole world. If it was suddenly said to such a king, happily feasting and sitting on his throneanswer is, ‘We don'Kingt believe in them, now you will die,' his soul would be troubled and he would tremble with fear, and he would see his powerlessnesswe have long experience of them.’” —Fr. But how many beggars there are, whose only wealth is love for God, and who, if you said to themPeter Heers, 'You will die nowOn Demonic Methodology,' would answer peacefullyPart II: Q & A, 'Let God's will be done. Glory to the LordMay 6, that He has remembered me and wants to take me to Himself.'” —St. Silouan the Athonite2020
“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 “Let us be nothing.To come to firm, my brothers, on the knowledge rock of alldesire faith, in the knowledge tradition of nothing.To come to the pleasure you have Church, and notyou must go remove or change the boundaries established by our Holy Fathers. Let us close the way in which you enjoy road to innovators and not.To come permit them to demolish the knowledge you have notyou must go by structure of the way in which you know notholy, catholic, and apostolic Church of God.To come to If we allow, however, the possession you have notyou must go by introduction of any innovation, we unconsciously support the way in which you possess not.To come by collapse of the what you are notyou must go by a way in which you are notChurch.When No, my brothers, you turn toward somethingyou cease to cast yourself upon the all.For to go from all to the allwho love Christ, no, you must deny yourself children of all in all.And when you come to the possession of the allyou must possess it without wanting anything.Because if Church, you desire will never want to have something in allsurround your treasure in God is not purely your allMother Church with confusion.” —St. John of the CrossDamascus, Concerning Images, Ascent of Mount CarmelIII.41
“Man’s will“Therefore, brethren, out let us stand on the rock of cowardicefaith and on the tradition of the Church, tends away from sufferingand 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 manapostolic Church of God. For if permission is granted to everyone who wants it, against his own little by little the whole body of the Church willbe destroyed. Do not, brethren, do not, remains utterly dominated by oh Christ-loving children of the fear Church of deathGod …” —Jeremiah II (Jeremias II) Tranos, Ecumenical Patriarch andArchbishop of Constantinople, letter to the Most Wise Theologians, Residents of the Famous City of Tübingen, in his desire to livethe month of May, 1579, Indiction 7, clings to his slavery pp. 197-8 (prophetic warning of to pleasure.” —St. Maximus the ConfessorLutheran scholars)
“Sin makes man a coward; “For to err is human, but a life in the Truth of Christ makes Him boldcorrection is angelic and salvific.” —St. John Chrysostom—Jeremiah II (Jeremias II) Tranos, Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople, letter to the Most Wise Theologians, Residents of the Famous City of Tübingen, Homilies on in the Statuesmonth of May, 1579, Indiction 7, VIIIp. 2210
“Of all “Unbelief is an evil offspring of an evil heart; for the good things in the worldguileless and pure of heart discovers God everywhere, life is dearest to meneverywhere discerns Him, and men love life better than truth, although there is no life always unhesitatingly believes 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 bloodexistence.” —St. Nikolai VelimirovichNectarios of Aegina
“The natural passions become good “He who learns must sufferAnd even in our sleep pain that cannot forgetFalls drop by drop upon the heart,And in those who struggle whenour own despite, wisely unfastening them from the things of the fleshagainst our will, use them Comes wisdom 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 us by the cooperation awful grace of the mind with divine gifts; fear into care to evade future misfortune due to sin and sadness into corrective repentance for present evilGod.” —St. Maximus the Confessor—Aeschylus
“How good it is to conquer “The greatest wisdom often emerges from the passions! After the victory one feels such lightness of heart, such peace and greatness of spirit!deepest wounds.” —St. John of Kronstadt—Jane Lee Logan
“He who believes“Monarchy can easily be debunked, fears; he who fears is humblebut watch the faces, mark well the debunkers. These are the men whose taproot in Eden has been cut: whom no rumour of the polyphony, the dance, can reach - men to whom pebbles laid in a row are more beautiful than an arch. … Where men are forbidden to honour a king they honour millionaires, athletes or film stars instead: … For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; he who is humble becomes gentledeny it food and it will gobble poison.” —St—C. S. Maximus the ConfessorLewis
“For every humble person “There is gentlenothing impossible unto those who believe; lively and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in the twinkling of an eye. Besides, even without our sincere and every gentle person firm faith, miracles are accomplished, such as the miracles of the sacraments; for God's Mystery is invariably humblealways accomplished, even though we were incredulous or unbelieving at the time of its celebration. A person is humble when he knows that his very being is on loan to him'Shall their unbelief 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. Maximus the ConfessorJohn of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
“A humble person lives on earth “The quality of mercy is not strained.It droppeth as if the gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath. It is twice blest:It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.'Tis mightiest in the Kingdom mightiest; it becomesThe thronèd monarch better than his crown.His scepter shows the force of Heaven - always happytemporal power, peaceful The attribute to awe and satisfied with everythingmajestyWherein 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. Anthony —William Shakespeare, Portia, The Merchant of OptinaVenice, Act 4, Scene 1
“Not every quiet man is humble, but every humble “The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man is quiet.” —St. Isaac the Syrian—unknown
“If you wish “People were created to be truly humble, then consider yourself lower than all, worthy of loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being trampled on by all; for you yourself daily, hourly trample upon the law of the Lord, loved and therefore upon the Lord Himselfpeople are being used.” —St. John of Kronstadt—unknown
“You wish to be great, begin from the least. You are thinking “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to construct some mighty fabric in height; first think of the foundation of humility. And how great soever help 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 foundationchild.” —St. Augustine—unknown
“A humble person lives on earth as if in “If we could look into each others hearts, and understand the Kingdom unique challenges each of Heaven - always happyus faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, peaceful and satisfied with everythingcare.” —St—Marvin J. Anthony of OptinaAshton
“In them [“Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide 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 Christfault I see; there is no tormentthat mercy I to others show, 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 Himthat mercy show to me.” —St. Justin Popovich—Alexander Pope
“A servant “Tolerance is the last virtue of a depraved society. When you have an immoral society that has blatantly, proudly, violated all of the Lord commandments of God, there is he who in body stands before men, but in mind knocks at Heaven with prayerone last virtue they insist upon: tolerance for their immorality.” —St. John Climacus—Dennis James Kennedy
“In the Christian East – in fact, in the East in general – we love old age because we think that it “The greatest thing a man can do to a woman is made for praying. When one is old, and feels the nearness of to lead her closer to 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 than to another kind of lighthimself.” —unknown
A civilization in which “A snowflake is one no longer prays is a civilization in which old age has no meaning. One walks backward towards deathof God's most fragile creations, 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.but look what they can do when they stick together!” —unknown
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, “God cannot give us happiness and that oblivion peace apart from Himself because it is not the last wordthere. There is no such thing.” —C. S.Lewis
Every monk whose spiritual practice has born fruit is called in the East, whatever his age, 'a beautiful old man.' He “The supreme happiness of life is beautiful with the beauty that rises from the heart. In him all the periods conviction of his life have come into harmonybeing loved for yourself, as with a symphonyor more correctly, one might say. And especially the original child is found again: shining with a transfigured shining, the beautiful old man has the eyes being loved in spite of a childyourself.” —Olivier Clément—Victor Hugo
“It is of great significance if there is a person who truly prays in a familyhardly complimentary to God that we should choose him as an alternative to hell. Prayer attracts God's grace and all the members of the family feel it, even those whose hearts have grown cold” —C. Pray alwaysS.” —Elder Thaddeus of VitovnicaLewis
“Prayer is “Hell can't be made attractive, so the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadnessdevil makes attractive the road that leads there.” —St. John ChrysostomBasil the Great
“He who angers you, controls you!“What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.” —Bishop Melchisedek Pleska—Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“[The desire for] equality is from the Devil“If you die before you die, because it comes entirely from envythan when you die, you will not die.” —Fr—written on a cell wall, St. Paul's Monastery, Mt. Alexander SchmemannAthos
“In your prayer seek only righteousness and “War in the kingdom name of God, that religion is, virtue and spiritual knowledge; and everything else 'will be given to you' (Matt. 6:33)war against religion.” —St. Evagrius of Ponticus—His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
“Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride “Believe me, if God revealed to us the disasters to which we were exposed and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spiritfrom which He protected us, and raises man our whole lives would not suffice to Heavenoffer Him thanks.” —St—H. Ephrem the SyrianH. Pope Shenouda
“Even if “In heaven, God will not ask us why we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that have sinned; He will ask us why we shall be saveddid not repent.” —St—H.H. John ChrysostomPope Shenouda III
“The goodness of God is so rich “Even if all spiritual fathers, patriarchs, hierarchs, and all the people forgive you, you are unforgiven if you don’t repent in graces, that it seeks a cause to have mercy on a personaction.” —St. Anthimus of ChiosKosmas Aitolos
“The Holy Spirit has accomplishing in each believer the work of Christ. Each Christian “Nobody is a communicant of as gracious and merciful, as the spirit. This Lord is something so necessary, that in fact whoever but even He does not have forgive the sins of the Spirit is man who does not repent; … we are being condemned not because of Christthe multitude of our evils, but because we do not want to repent.” —St. Theophan Mark the RecluseAscetic
“The Church is nothing but “As a handful of sand thrown into the world on the way to deification; for ocean, so are the Church, sins of all flesh as compared with the world is no longer a tomb but a wombmercy of God.” —Olivier Clément—St. Isaac the Syrian
“The church “Just as a strongly flowing fountain is an earthly heaven in which not blocked up by a handful of earth, so the compassion of the Creator is not overcome by the super-celestial God dwells and walks aboutwickedness of his creatures. ” —St. Germanus of ConstantinopleIsaac the Syrian
“Nothing “God is more abiding than 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 once only, but often: will He forgive? Will He grant pardon? Hear what the ChurchPsalmist says: she ‘How great is the multitude of Your goodness, O Lord!’ Your accumulated offenses surpass not the multitude of God's mercies: your salvation; she is wounds surpass not the great Physician's skill. Only give yourself up in faith: tell the Physician your ailment: say thou also, like David: ‘I said, I will confess me my sin unto the Lord’: and the same shall be done in your refugecase, which he says immediately: ‘And you forgave the wickedness of my heart.” ’” —St. John ChrysostomCyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 2, On Repentance and Remission of Sins and Concerning the Adversary, Ezekiel xviii. 20-23
“There is no need “The Lord calls to weep much over the destruction of a churchHim all sinners; after all, each of usHe opens His arms wide, according even to God's mercy, has or should have his own church - the heart - go worst among them. Gladly He takes them in there and prayHis arms, 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 if only they will be of little benefitcome to Him.” —Archbishop Barlaam—St. Macarius of Optina
“Our prayer reflects our attitude towards God. He who “Repentance is careless the daughter 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 hope and very short prayers, all must issue forth from the heart refusal to God, seen before youdespair.” —St. Theophan the RecluseJohn Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
“It is sometimes well during prayer to say a few words of your own“Years are not needed for true repentance, breathing fervent faith and love to the Lord. Yes, let us not always converse with God in the words of othersdays, 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 but 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 insincerelyan instant.” —St. John Ambrose of KronstadtOptina
“Chastisement through “There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except that one which lacks repentance, and there is no gift which is not augmented save that which remains without acknowledgement. For the trials imposed on us portion of the fool is a spiritual rod, teaching us humility when small in our foolishness we think too much of ourselveshis eyes.” —St. Thalassios Isaac the LibyanSyrian
“Goodness is not confirmed without trial. Every Christian is tested by something: one by poverty, another by illness, “When a third by various thoughts, a forth by some calamity or humiliation, while another by various doubts. And, through thisman abandons his sins and returns to God, firmness of faith, hope his repentance regenerates him and love of God are testedrenews him entirely.” —St. Ambrose of OptinaIsaiah the Solitary
“Sometimes men are tested by pleasure, sometimes by distress or by physical suffering. By means of His prescriptions “Through repentance the Physician filth of souls administers our foul actions is washed away. After this, we participate in the remedy Holy Spirit, not automatically, but according to the cause faith, humility and inner disposition of the passions lying hidden repentance in which our soul is engaged. For this reason it is good to repent each day as the soulact of repentance is unending.” —St. Maximus Symeon the ConfessorNew Theologian, The Philokalia
“If you want, or rather intend, “There is nothing higher than what is called repentance and confession. The sacrament is the offering of God's love to take mankind. In this perfect way a splinter out person is free of another person, then do not hack at it evil. We go and confess and we sense our reconciliation with a stick instead of a lancet, for you will only drive it in deeperGod; Joy enters us and guilt departs. In the Orthodox Church there is no impasse.” —St. John ClimacusPorphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
“To exalt oneself “…confession is one thingsuch a potent treatment that it immediately neutralizes every poison of pardonable and mortal sin, which is an infinite evil, not and causes every invisible illness to do so anotherdisappear, restoring to the soul its initial health and to humble oneself grace. It is something less entirelysuch a wondrous treatment that it instantly changes the sinner into a beautiful angel from that which it was before…” —St. A man may always be passing judgement on othersNikodemos the Hagiorite, while another man passes judgement neither on others nor on himself. Exomologetarion: A thirdManual of Confession, however, though actually guiltless, may always be passing judgement on himself.” —Stp. John Climacus234
“If a man accuses himself“And so it is incumbent upon us to strive, he is protected on all sidesrather, to correct our faults and to improve our behavior.” —St. PoemenJohn Cassian
“It is not then wealth that is “If the foundation grace of pleasureGod doesn't enlighten man, though you say many words, nor poverty of sadnessthey won't be beneficial. The person listens to you for a moment, but our own judgment and soon after returns to that which holds him captive. If, however, grace works immediately, together with your words, then a change is effected at that moment, corresponding to the fact person's predisposition. And from that the eyes of our mind neither see clearly nor remain fixed in one placemoment on, but flutter abroadhis life is changed. This happens with those who haven't hardened their hearing and conscience.” —St. John Chrysostom—Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit
“One who knows oneself“Let us strive to purify ourselves through repentance and humility, knows God: and to unite all our senses as one to the God who knows God is worthy to worship Him as is rightgood, and transcends the good. ThereforeThen, truly, everything which I have not quite been able to say or to demonstrate with my beloveds many words, you will be taught in the Lordan instant, all at once. You will hear with your sight, and see with your hearing. You will be taught while seeing and, again, know yourselveshear what is unveiled.” —St. Anthony Symeon the GreatNew Theologian
“In whatever state a person “Where there isGod, he sometimes finds himself making pure and intense prayersthere is no evil. For even Everything coming from that first God is peaceful, healthy and lowest sort, which has to do with recalling the future judgment, the one who is still subject leads a person 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 own imperfections and delight. For, according to the words of the Lord, the one who realizes that more has been forgiven him begins to love more.” —Sthumility. John Cassian
“If When a man's self is not kept clean and brightperson accepts anything Godly, then he rejoices in his glimpse of God will be blurred.” —C. Sheart, but when he has accepted anything devilish, then he becomes tormented. Lewis
“The pure heart sees God The devil is like a lion, hiding in ambush (Ps 10:19, 1Pe 5:8). He secretly sets out nets of unclean and unholy thoughts. So, it is necessary to break them off as in a mirrorsoon as we notice them, by means of pious reflection and prayer.” —Abba Philemon
“The blessedness of seeing God It is justly promised to necessary that the pure of Holy Spirit enter our heart. For the eye Everything good that is unclean would not be able to see the brightness of the true lightwe do, and what would be happiness to clear minds would be a torment to those that are defiled. Thereforewe do for Christ, let is given to us by the mists of worldly vanities be dispelledHoly Spirit, and the inner eye be cleansed but prayer most of all the filth of wickedness, so that the soul's gaze may feast serenely upon the great vision of Godwhich is always available to us.” —St. Leo the Great
“God rests A sign of spiritual life is the immersion of a person within gentle hearts. The gentle himself and merciful shall sit fearless in His regions, and will inherit Heavenly glorythe hidden workings within his heart.” —St. John ClimacusSeraphim of Sarov
“That which “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 word communicates by soundgrace of the Holy Spirit from within. He who dwells in peace collects spiritual gifts as it were with a scoop, and he sheds the painting shows silently by representationlight 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 him.” —St. Basil the Great, on the 40 Martyrs Seraphim of SebasteSarov
“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 “The Spirit offers its own light to us that He is good and kind. ‘He is good,’ He saysevery mind, ‘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 help it; and thus He bare witness concerning Him. Where, then, is God's justice, in its search 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 changetruth.” —St. Isaac Basil the Syrian, Homily LXGreat
“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“Sometimes a man's chastisement happiness is for correction, but does not aim at retribution. … The man who chooses to consider God as avenger, presuming so deep inside him that in this manner he bears witness to His justicemay forget it's there and start looking elsewhere hunting a fantasy, the same accuses Him of being bereft of goodnessan illusion. Far be it that vengeance could ever be found in that Fountain of love and Ocean brimming with goodness!” —St—Mr. Isaac the SyrianRoarke (Fantasy Island, s2e14)
“Among all God's actions there is none which is not entirely a matter of mercy“If he seeks answers to questions related to his faith, his purpose in life, love and compassion: this constitutes the beginning and end of His dealings with ushe will find happiness.” —St. Isaac the Syrian—Elder Justin (Pârvu) of Romania
“‘The world’ is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to call the passions “The person who loves God values knowledge of God more than anything created 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 passionGod, 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 pursues such knowledge ardently and how far you are dead to itceaselessly.” —St. Isaac Maximus the SyrianConfessor
“We don't understand that happiness is “Adorn yourself with truth, try to speak truth in eternity all things; and do not support 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 vanitythe 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).” —Elder Paisios —St. Gennadios (II) Scholarios, Patriarch of Mt. AthosConstantinople, The Golden Chain, 26,2
“Why do you beat “You that are strong with all might in the inner man ought by rights to carry on the struggle against the enemies of the air truth, and run in vain? Every occupation has a purposenot to shrink from the task, obviously. Tell me thenthat 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, what is and send against us the purpose assaults of all those darts which are hurled by the activity opponents of the world? Answertruth, I challenge you! It is vanity and demand that their hot burning coals and their shafts sharpened by knowledge falsely so called should be quenched with the shield of vanity: all is vanityfaith by us old men.” —St. John ChrysostomGregory of Nyssa
“The sun shines on all alike, “Be the bee and vainglory beams on all activities. For instancenot the fly… The fly only knows where the unclean things are, I am vainglorious when I fast; and when I relax while the honeybee knows where 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.beautiful flowers are!” —St. John ClimacusPaisios of Mt. Athos
“Watch your heart during all your life — examine it“I shall set forth the best contributions of the philosophers of the Greeks, listen because whatever there is of good has been given to itmen from above by God, since ‘every best gift and see what prevents its union with every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the most blessed LordFather of lights’ (Js. 1.17). Let this be for you the science of all sciencesIf, and with God’s helphowever, you will easily observe what estranges you from Godthere is anything that is contrary to the truth, then it is a dark invention of the deceit of Satan and what draws you towards Him and unites you to Him. It is a fiction of the mind of an evil spirit more than anything , as that stands between 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 hearts 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 shall set forth in order the absurdities of the heresies hated of God; he estranges , so that by recognizing the lie we may more closely follow the truth. Then, with God from us 's help and by various passionsHis grace I shall expose the truth–that truth which destroys deceit and puts falsehood to flight and which, as with golden fringes, or has been embellished and adorned by the desire sayings of the fleshdivinely inspired prophets, the divinely taught fishermen, and the God-bearing shepherds and teachers–that truth, by the desires glory of the eyeswhich 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 worldly pridethe most eminent of teachers and make a compendium of them, being in all things obedient to your command.” —St. John of KronstadtDamascus, My Life in ChristThe Fount of Knowledge
"Have you ever observed “If we have obtained the life grace of the heart? Try it even for a short time and see what you find. Something unpleasant happensGod, and you get irritated; some misfortune occursnone shall prevail against us, and you pity yourself; you see someone whom you dislike, and animosity wells up within you; you meet one of your equals but we shall be stronger than all 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 heartoppose us.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San FranciscoChrysostom
“As water and fire oppose one another when combined“But our opinion is in accordance with the Eucharist, so are self-justification and humility opposed to one anotherthe Eucharist in turn establishes our opinion.” —St. Mark the AsceticIrenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, 4:18:5
“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 Eucharist is the very moment Flesh of his deathour Lord Jesus Christ, pass no judgmentwhich suffered for our sins, because and which the judgment of God is hidden Father, in his loving-kindess, raised 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 eyesdead.” —St. John ClimacusIgnatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrnians, 7:1
“Christians“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, above all menfeed on this Bread; and you will learn generosity. If the cold wind of coveting withers you, are forbidden hasten to correct the stumblings Bread of sinners by force… it is necessary Angels; and charity will come to make a man better not by force but by persuasionblossom in your heart. God gives If you feel the itch of intemperance, nourish yourself with the crown to those who Flesh and Blood of Christ, Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life; and you will become temperate. If you are kept from evillazy and sluggish about spiritual things, not strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food; and you will grow fervent. Lastly, if you feel scorched by forcethe fever of impurity, but by choicego to the banquet of the Angels; and the spotless Flesh of Christ will make you pure and chaste.” —St. John ChrysostomCyril of Alexandria
“I “Don't be anxious about what you 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 about what you are willing to use it to their advantage.” —St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 15, Section 38Gregory the Great
“Humility is “Teach your child this lesson: the only thing that no devil can imitaterewards of evil are temporary; the rewards of Godliness (good character) are eternal.” —St. John ClimacusCyprian of Carthage
“An angel fell “Let everything take second place to our care of our children, our bringing them up to the discipline and instruction of the Lord. If from Heaven without any other passion except pridethe beginning we teach them to love true wisdom, they will have greater wealth and so we may ask whether it glory than riches can provide. If a child learns a trade, or is highly educated for a lucrative profession, all this is possible nothing compared to ascend the art of detachment from riches; if you want to Heaven by humility alonemake your child rich, teach him this. He is truly rich who does not desire great possessions, without any other or surrounds himself with wealth, but who requires nothing…Don’t think that only monks need to learn the Bible; Children about to go out into the world stand in greater need of the virtuesScriptural knowledge.” —St. John ClimacusChrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Homily 21
“Run from pride“If a man really sets his heart upon the will of God, for it God will enlighten a little child to tell that man what is His will. But if a man does not truly desire the will of God, even if he goes in search of a prophet, God will put into the heart of the prophet a passion more treacherous than any otherreply like the deception in his own heart.” —St. John Chrysostom—Abba Dorotheos of Gaza
“Pride more than anything else“Learn from small children: if a child is attacked by someone in the presence of his parent, deprives people of both their good deeds he does not respond to the attacker himself, but looks at the parent and help from Godcries. He knows that the parent will protect him. Where there And how can you not know what the little child knows? Your heavenly Parent is no humilitycontinually beside you. Therefore do not revenge, do not repay evil for evil, pride takes its placebut look at the Parent and cry. Only in this way will you secure your victory in a clash with evil people.” —St. Macarius of OptinaNikolai Velimirovich
“‘Exile “The soul that is separation in all things devoted to the will of God rests quiet in Him, for she knows of experience and from everything the Holy Scriptures that the Lord loves us much and watches over our souls, quickening all things by His grace in order peace and love. Nothing troubles the man who is given over to keep the mind inseparable from will of God, be it illness, poverty or persecution. An exile loves and produces continual weepingHe knows that the Lord in His mercy is solicitous for us.’ From ParadiseThe Holy Spirit, whom the soul knows, we must become exiled from is witness therefore. But the proud and the world if we hope self-willed do not want to returnsurrender to God's will because they like their own way, and that is harmful for the soul.” —Fr—St. Seraphim Rose Silouan the Athonite (From the Life and Teachings of PlatinaElder Siluan by Bishop Alexander and Natalia Bufius translated by Anatoly Shmelev)
“Day and night I “The man who cries out against evil men, but does not pray the Lord for love, and them will never know the Lord gives me tears to weep for the whole worldgrace of God. 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” —St. Yet do I begin again to entreat forgiveness of Silouan the Lord, and the Lord in His mercy forgives me, a sinner.Athonite
Brethren“Begin to pray with those whom you love most, for example, before for your children. Then pray for the face rest of my God I write: Humble your heartsthe family. Then for the people around you, and while yet on this earth then bless the city in which you will see live…bless the mercy residents of other cities… Then ask God to calm the Lordhearts of other countries so that there is no war. Then, and know your Heavenly Creatorwhen you have already prayed for the whole world, and your souls will never you only have to pray for enemies. And to not miss them, ask God to fill their fill of lovehearts with kindness, and the mind with wisdom. You see, it turns out that you can pray for enemies too.” —St. Silouan the AthoniteGabriel Urgebadze of Georgia, Confessor and Fool for Christ
“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 “True faith is no one found 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's heart, so to speak – a heresy surpassing all others in its impiety and greatest blasphemynot mind. They are buried underneath it…. The one People who speaks have faith in such a manner turns all of Scripture upside down…. These antichrists affirm, ‘It is impossible, impossible’. Why then is it impossible? Tell metheir mind will follow the antichrist. In what other way did But the saints shine on earth and did they become lamps of the world? If ones who have 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 their heart will directed toward the goodrecognize him. They had zeal, patience, humility, and love for God” —St. Therefore, acquire all this and your soul which today is as hard as rock shall become a fountain Gabriel Urgebadze of tears inside you. HoweverGeorgia, if you refuse to suffer such anguish Confessor and affliction, at least do not say that all this is impossible.” —St. Symeon the New Theologian, The Discourses, Discourse XXIX: The Heresy of PusillanimityFool for Christ
“He who “When people are so steeped in evil that they do not yield to any admonishment and continue doing evil, a Christian cannot and should not take refuge in this teaching of the forgiveness of all, sit indifferently with his heart is proud arms crossed, and apathetically watch evil abuse good, as it increases and destroys people, his close ones. To indifferently watch the ruin of a close one by one who has lost his tears senses and secretly condemns those who do not weep become a bearer of evil is like a man who asks nothing other than the breaking of the king commandment of love for a weapon against his enemy and then commits suicide with itone's neighbor.” —St. John Climacus—Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse
“Do “Those who dislike and reject their fellow-man are impoverished in their being. They do not grow conceited if you shed tears when you pray. For it know the true God, who is Christ who has touched your eyesall-embracing love.” —St. Mark Silouan the AsceticAthonite
“And here also “If we have diligently to consider, that it is far more secure and safe that every detect hatred in our hearts against any man should do that whatsoever for himself whiles he is yet alivecommitting any fault, which he desireth that others should do we are utterly estranged from love for him after his death. For far more blessed it isGod, to depart free out of this world, than being in prison to seek since love 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 absolutely precludes us the death of the Son of God: who although being risen from death, doth not now die hating 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 faithfulman. 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 Maximus the Great, Book 4, ch. 58Confessor
“… One “One must clean the royal house from every impurity and adorn it with every beauty, then not harbour anger nor hatred towards a person that is hostile towards us. On the king may enter into itcontrary. In a similar way one You must first cleanse the earth of the heart and uproot the weeds of sin love him 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 growdo as much good as possible towards him. For Following the Holy Spirit does not dwell in a man until he has been cleansed from passions teaching of the soul and bodyour Lord Jesus Christ.” —St. Paisius Velichkovsky, ‘Field Flowers’Seraphim of Sarov
“I do “As fire is not know how I came into the world; Nor what the things here in it are. What my sight extinguished by fire, so anger isnot conquered by anger, 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 but is 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 Theeeven more inflamed. Let me But meekness often subdues even the needy one, me most miserable; Disburden all the sickness of my soul Crushedbeastly enemies, alas softens them 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 Theepacifies them.” —St. Symeon the New Theologian, On the right attitude to LifeTikhon of Zadonsk
“Ask with tears“For wherever love disappears, seek with obediencehatred immediately appears in its place. And if God is love, knock with patiencethen hatred is the devil. For thus he Therefore, at one who asks receiveshas love has God within himself, and so he who seeks finds, and to has hatred within himself nurtures the devil within him that knocketh it shall be opened.” —St. John ClimacusBasil the Great
“The passions of the flesh may “Do not ask for love from your neighbor, for if you ask and he does not respond, you will be troubled. Instead show your love for your neighbour and you will be described as belonging to the left handat rest, self-conceit as belonging and so will bring your neighbour to the right handlove.” —St. Maximus the ConfessorDorotheos of Gaza
“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 “Love should never be sacrificed for the servants sake 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 statesome dogmatic difference.” —St. Theognostos, On the Practice Nektarios of the Virtues, Philokalia, Vol. 2Aegina
“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 “No term is used–and misused–among the Heavenly Kingdom and receive eternal life – then refine your flesh, taste voluntary bitterness, and endure difficult sorrows, as all Orthodox people in America more often than the Saints tasted and enduredterm canonical. 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” —Fr. He does not fear deathAlexander Schmemann, and nothing can separate such a one from the love The Problems of Christ. Have you heardOrthodoxy in America, my beloved soul, how the Holy Fathers spent their lives? O my soul! Imitate them at least a little.” —St. Paisius VelichkovskyThe Canonical Problem
“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 “Even the slightest thought that is 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.’” —Stfounded on love destroys peace. Moses of Optina” —Archimandrite Thaddeus Strabulovich
“Where there is pride there cannot be grace, and if we lose grace we also lose both “What does love of God look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and assurance in prayerneedy. The soul is then tormented by evil thoughts It has eyes to see misery and does not understand that she must humble herself want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love her enemies, for there is no other way to please Godlooks like.” —St. Silouan the AthoniteAugustine of Hippo
“A good “Your Lord is love: love Him and in Him all men, as His Children in Christ. Your Lord is fire: do not let your heart produces good thoughtsbe cold, but burn with faith and love. Your Lord is light: its thoughts correspond 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 bountifulness to what it stores up in itselfyour neighbors. If you will be such, you will find salvation yourself with everlasting glory.” —St. Thalassios the LibyanJohn of Kronstadt
“Fasting “To love our brothers is for the purification of the soul a need that is endemic to our nature. Contemporary man does not recognize this need, because it is suppressed and bodysuffocated by egoism.” —St—Archbishop Averky (Taushev), The Struggle for Virtue: Asceticism in a Modern Secular Society, p. John Chrysostom54
“Fasting “Many think that love is wonderfula feeling, because but this is not the case. It is a state of the will. If love were a feeling it tramples our sins like would not be a dirty weedcommandment. Naturally, love is accompanied by certain feelings, while but in essence it cultivates and raises truth like is a flowerstate of the will.” —St—Fr. Basil the GreatDaniel Sysoev, How Can I Learn God's Will?
“Fasting “Love is – the bond of life, the mother of health; the friend poor and the teacher of chastity; the partner rich. It is the nurse of orphans, the attendant of humilitythe elderly, the treasure of the indigent and the common port of all the afflicted.” —St. Symeon the New theologianGregory of Nyssa
“As salt is needed for all kinds “I guard you in advance against beasts in the form of foodmen, so humility whom you must not only not receive, but if it is needed possible not even meet, but only pray for all kinds them, if perchance they may repent…” —St. Ignatius of virtuesAntioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans, A.” —StD. Isaac the Syrian117
“Virtue is not “If the manifestation of many Christian recognizes and various works performed by the bodyunderstands under what condition, under what law he has believed, but a heart he will know that is most wise he must labor more in its hope and unites the world than others, as he must carry on a right aim to godly worksgreater struggle against the assault of the devil. OftenDivine Scripture teaches and forewarns, the mind can accomplish that which is good without bodily workssaying: ‘Son, but when thou comest to the body without wisdom service of God, stand in justice, and in fear, and prepare thyself for temptation’ (Sirach 2:1), and again: ‘in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience, for gold and silver are tried in the heart can gain no profit for all it may dofire’ (Sirach 2:4,5).” —St. Isaac the SyrianCyprian of Carthage, Homily 40Mortality
“Let it be known “The person who has surrendered himself entirely to you that if sin indulges with enjoyment and pleasure in your life you have mastered every virtue unnatural and every good deed such as mercyshameful passions – licentiousness, unchastity, prayergreed, fasthatred, guile and other forms of vice – as though they were natural. The genuine and perfected Christian, on the other virtues but have no humility in youhand, your toil will be in vain. For humility with great enjoyment and spiritual pleasure participates effortlessly and without impediment in all these the virtues is and all the solid foundation. Without it, we cannot master any supranatural fruits of the virtues and all these virtues will become impureSpirit – love, peace, patient endurance, filthyfaith, humility and discarded before God because the entire truly golden galaxy of virtue – as though they were not sown with humility and lovenatural.” —St. John ChrysostomSymeon Metaphrastis
“Fasting “When a man is given over to the mother passions, he does not see them in himself and does not fight against them, because he lives in them and by them. But when the grace of health; God becomes active in him, he begins to discern the passionate and sinful in himself, acknowledge them, and to repent and decide to guard against them. A struggle begins. At first, the struggle begins with deeds, but when released from shameful deeds, then the struggle begins with shameful thoughts and feelings. And here the friend struggle encounters many steps … The struggle continues. The passions increasingly are torn out of chastity; the partner heart. It even happens that they are entirely torn out … The sign that the passions are torn out of humilitythe heart is that the soul begins to feel repulsion and hatred for the passions.” —St. Symeon Theophan the Recluse, Unseen Warfare, How the New theologianSpiritual Life Proceeds
“What can sin “Until you have eradicated evil, do where there is penitence? And not obey your heart; for it will seek more of what use is love where there is pride?it already contains within itself.” —Abba Elias—St. Mark the Ascetic
“Pride “Whatever of that which is poverty of best has flowed into the soulheart, we should not pour out without need; for that which imagines itself to has been gathered can be rich, free of danger from visible and being invisible enemies only when it is guarded in darkness, thinks it has lightthe interior of the heart.” —St. John ClimacusSeraphim of Sarov
“Modern society calls the beggar bum and panhandler and gives him the bum“No one professing faith sins, nor does anyone possessing love hate. The tree is known by its fruit; thus those who profess to be Christ's rushwill be recognized by their actions. But For the Greeks used work is a matter not of what one promises now, but of persevering to say that people the end in need are the ambassadors power of the godsfaith.” —Peter Maurin—St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Ephesians
“Every family should have a room where Christ is welcome in the person of the hungry and thirsty stranger“Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible.” —St. John ChrysostomAugustine of Hippo
“Who “The confession of evil works is the greedy man? One for whom plenty does not sufficefirst beginning of good works. 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 GreatAugustine of Hippo
“The bread you do not use is evil powers love the bread of the hungry. The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of the person darkness and tremble at every light, especially at that which belongs to God and to those 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 commitplease Him.” —St. Basil the GreatNikolai Velimirovich
“You are not making a gift of what “There is yours no benefit to be gained from a pure life when one possesses heretical dogma. And likewise the poor man, but you are giving him back what opposite is histrue. You have been appropriating things Correct dogma is of no benefit when one leads a corrupt life. Let us not think that are meant to be holding faith alone is alone sufficient for the common use of everyone. The earth belongs to everyone, salvation if we do not to the richalso show forth a pure life.” —St. Ambrose of MilanJohn Chrysostom
“Do “The one who has not consider your riches as belonging yet obtained divine knowledge activated by love makes a lot of the religious works he performs. But the one who has been deemed worthy to yourselves alone; open wide your hand to those who are in needobtain this says with conviction the words which the patriarch Abraham spoke when he was graced with the divine appearance, ‘I am but earth and ashes.” ’” —St. Cyril of AlexandriaMaximus the Confessor
“The man who loves his “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 believing, ‘even the demons believe and tremble’ (James 2:19). The action of love consists in heartfelt good deeds towards one's neighbor as himself possesses no more than his neighbor…thus, as much as your wealth increasesmagnanimity, patience, so much does your love decreaseand sober use of things.” —St. Basil Maximus the GreatConfessor
“If “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, and therefore say they to the Lord, ‘What have we to do with You?’ When you cannot find Christ hear the devils say this, do you think that they do not acknowledge Him? ‘We know,’ they say, ‘who You are: You are the Son of God.’ This Peter says, and is commended; the devil says it, and is condemned. Whence comes this, but that though the words be the same, the heart is different? Let us then make a distinction in our faith, and not be content to believe. This is no such faith as purifies the beggar at heart. ‘Purifying their hearts,’ it is said, ‘by faith.’ But by what, and what kind of faith, save that which the Apostle Paul defines when he says, ‘Faith which works by love.’ That faith distinguishes us from the faith of devils, and from the church doorinfamous and abandoned conduct of men. ‘Faith,’ he says. What faith? ‘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 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 itself defined as that ‘which works by love.’ Take away faith, and all you will 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 love, you do not apply yourself to good works; or if you do, it is as a servant, not as a son, through fear of punishment, not find Him in through love of righteousness. Therefore I say, that faith purifies the chaliceheart, which works by love.” —St. John ChrysostomAugustine of Hippo, Sermon III on the New Testament, Section XI
“A rich man is “Refuse to listen to the Devil when he whispers to you: ‘Give me now, and you will give tomorrow to God.’ No, no! Spend all the hours of your life in a way pleasing to God. Keep in your mind the thought that after the present hour, you will not one who has muchbe given another, but one who gives much. For what he gives away remains his foreverand that you will have to render a strict account for every minute of this present hour.” —St. John ChrysostomTheophan the Recluse
“No one in creation “Human life is rich but he that fears Godof brief duration. ‘All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades; no one is truly poor but he the word of our God shall stand forever’ (Isa. 40:6). Let us hold fast to the commandment that lacks abides, and despise the truthunreality that passes away.” —St. Ephrem Basil the SyrianGreat
“Do you fast? Then feed “We see the hungrywater of a river flowing uninterruptedly and passing away, give drink to the thirstyand all that floats on its surface, visit the sickrubbish or beams of trees, do not forget the imprisonedall pass by. So does our life. I was an infant, have pity on the torturedand that time has gone. I was an adolescent, comfort those who grieve and who weepthat too has passed. I was a young man, be mercifuland that too is far behind me. The strong and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white, humbleI succumb to age, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so but that God might accept your fasting too passes; I approach the end and might plentifully grant you will go the fruits way of repentanceall 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
“The Lord Himself said in the Gospel: ‘The last shall be first and the first, last’ (Matt 20“You should look downward. Remember:16). Thus, may Divine mercy shine forth with His love upon the poor, so that it may make great ones from the little, you are earth and that from the weak it may make co-inheritors with His Only Begotten Son. For it exhalts the poverty of this world you will return 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 comeearth.” —St Gregory . Ambrose of Tours, Via PatrumOptina
“In all your undertakings and in every way of life“Just as a pauper, whether you are living in obedienceseeing the royal treasures, or are not submitting your work to anyoneall the more acknowledges his own poverty; so also the spirit, whether in outward or in spiritual mattersreading the accounts of the great deeds of the Holy Fathers, let it be your rule and practice to ask yourself: Am I really doing this involuntarily is all the more humbled in accordance with God's will?its way of thought.” —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“Do not shun poverty and affliction, they will not draw the wickedness of the demons onto themselvesfuel that gives wings to prayer.” —St. John Climacus—Evagrios the Solitary
“A hypocrite “Prayer is someone a refuge for those who teaches his neighbor something are shaken, an anchor for those tossed by waves, a walking stick for the infirm, a treasure house for the poor, a stronghold for the rich, a destroyer of sicknesses, a preserver of health. He who can sincerely pray is richer than everyone else, even though he is the poorest of all. On the contrary, he makes no effort who does not have recourse to do himself.” prayer, even though he sit on a king's throne, is the poorest of all…” —St. PoemenJohn Chrysostom
“I prefer a man who sins “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 repents doomed to one who does not sin eternal fire for our innumerable sins, and does not repent. The first has good thoughtsit is only the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, interceding for he admits us before the Heavenly Father, that he saves us from eternal punishment. It is sinfulthe lament of the repentant sinner, expressing his firm intention to amend and begin a new life, becoming for a Christian. But It is the second has falselament of the repentant sinner, soul-destroying thoughtsready to forgive others, for as he imagines himself to be righteouswas and is immeasurably forgiven by God, the Judge of his deeds.” —Abba Poemen the Great—St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ, pg. 406
“At meals don't speak about food“It seems that we do not understand one thing: that's vulgar and unworthy it is not good when we return the love of youthose who love us, yet hate those who hate us. Speak about something noble -- We are not on the right path if we do this. We are the sons of light and love – the soul or sons of the mind -- God, his children. As such, we must have His qualities and His attributes of love, peace, and you will have dignified this dutykindness towards all.” —Josemaria Escriva—Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
“When someone learns “Pride is trying to acknowledge every man imagine a world and live in it. Humility receives the world as being better than himself, then he has attained humilityGod created it.” —St. Sisoes the GreatSophrony of Essex
“It is a spiritual gift from “We suffer because we have no humility and we do not love our brother. From love of our brother comes the love of God for a man to perceive his sins. People do not learn humility, and because of their pride cannot receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, and therefor the whole world suffers.” —St. Isaac Silouan the SyrianAthonite
“The man “Some suffer much from poverty and sickness, but are not humbled, and so they suffer without profit. But one who is deemed worthy to see himself humbled will be happy in all circumstances, because the Lord is greater than he who is deemed worthy to see angelshis riches and joy, and all people will wonder at the beauty of his soul.” —St. Isaac Silouan the SyrianAthonite
“The truly blessed are “My joy, I beg you, acquire the Spirit of Peace. 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 ones who can work miracles or see angels; Kingdom of Heaven. This is the truly blessed are way all righteous men were saved and inherited the ones who can see their own sins.” Heavenly Kingdom…” —St. Anthony the GreatSeraphim of Sarov
“The nearer a man draws “My will, therefore, He took to GodHimself, my grief. In confidence I call it grief, because I preach His Cross. Mine is the more he sees himself a sinnerwill 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. It ’ Mine was the grief, and mine the heaviness with which He bore it, for no man exults when Isaiah at the prophet saw Godpoint to die. With me and for me He Suffers, that he declared himself ‘a man of unclean lipsfor me He is sad, for me He is heavy.’” —StIn my stead therefore, and in me He grieved Who had no cause to grieve for Himself. Mateos
“The condition of peace among men Not Thy Wound, but mine, hurt Thee, Lord Jesus; not Thy Death, but our weakness, even as the Prophet saith: ‘For He is that each should keep a consciousness of his own wrongdoingafflicted for our sakes’--and we, Lord, esteemed Thee afflicted, when Thou grievedst not for Thyself, but for me.” —St. Silouan the Athonite
“The way And what wonder if He grieved for all, Who wept for one? What wonder if, in the hour of death, He is heavy for all, Who wept when at the point to perfection is through raise Lazarus from the realization dead? Then, indeed, He was moved by a loving sister's tears, for they touched His human heart,--here by secret grief He brought it to pass that we are blind, naked even as His Death made an end of death, and poorHis Stripes healed our scars, so also His Sorrow took away our sorrow.” —St. Theophan Ambrose of Milan, (+397), Ch. 7, Book II, Exposition on the RecluseChristian Faith
“The perfect person does “Peace is not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear absence of punishmentstruggle, still less in order to qualify for the hope but absence 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 uncertainty 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 Godconfusion.” —St. Clement —Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of AlexandriaSourozh
“Every day “Humility is perfect quietness of heart, it is to expect nothing, to wonder at nightfallnothing that is done to me, before sleep comes upon youto feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, excite and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the judgment of your conscience, demand an account from itLord, where I can go in and whatever evil counsels you may have taken during shut the day … pierce themdoor, tear them and kneel to piecesmy Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and do penance for themabove is trouble.” —St. John Chrysostom—Andrew Murray
“As I became more wretched you drew nearer to me“However great the afflictions we suffer, what are they compared with the promised future reward.” —St. AugustineMacarius the Great
“Sin is “Shun the fruit praise of free will. There was a time when sin did not existmen and love the one who, in the fear of the Lord, and there will be a time when it will not existreprimands you.” —St. Isaac the SyrianPachomius
“Prove your love “When people begin to praise us, let us hurry to remember the multitude of ours transgressions, and zeal for wisdom we will see that we are truly unworthy of that which they say and do in actual deedsour honor.” —St. Callistus XanthopoulosJohn Climacus
“Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing“…Don't be frightened at your burden; our Lord will help you to carry it.” —Thérèse de Lisieux—St. John Vianney
“Do not leave unobliterated any fault, however small, for it may lead you on to greater sins“Every tribulation reveals the state of our will.” —St. Mark the Ascetic
“Everyday I lay “Every affliction tests our will, showing whether it is inclined to good or evil. That is why an unforeseen affliction is called a foundation for building my repentancetest, and again with my own hands I demolish because itenables a man to test his hidden desires.” —St. Ephrem Mark the SyrianAscetic
“Having fulfilled a commandment“Many are the wiles of the enemy to despoil us of inner peace, expect temptations; because love toward Christ is tested by difficulties.so watch!” —St. Mark Theophan the AsceticRecluse
“Do not be surprised that when you draw near to virtue“In every situation confusion is from the devil, grievous from whom may the Lord shield and intense tribulations come to you on all sides: for virtue is not considered virtue, if it does not involve hard workprotect us.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Directions on Spiritual Training, The PhilokaliaLeo of Optina
“Do not “It should be surprised noted that you fall every day; do when the fallen spirit wants to get dominion over Christ's ascetics, he does not give upact imperiously or domineeringly, but stand your ground courageouslytries 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. And assuredlyHoly David, in describing his the fallen angel who guards you will honor your patience. While attacks man, has very rightly said: "He lurketh in secret as a wound is still fresh and warm it is easy to heallion in his den, but old, neglected and festering ones are hard that he may ravish the poor; to cureravish the poor, and require for their care much treatment, cutting, plastering and cauterization. Many from long neglect become incurable. But with God all things are possiblewhen he getteth him into his net."” —St. John ClimacusIgnaty Bryanchaninov, The Ladder of Divine AscentArena, Step 5chapter 11, Section 30On the Solitary Life
“The life of the righteous was radiant. How did it become radiant if it wasn’t by patience? Love patience, O monkdevil presents minor sins as insignificant in our eyes, as the mother of couragebecause otherwise he would not be able lead us into major ones.” —St. Ephrem Mark the SyrianAscetic
“Seek in everything the deep meaning. All the events that take place around us and with us have their meaning“Do not leave unobliterated any fault, however small, for it may lead you on to greater sins. Nothing happens without a cause…” ” —St. Nektary of OptinaMark the Ascetic
“…should we fall“Obedience is necessary not only for monks, we should not despair and so estrange ourselves from but for all people. Even the Lord's lovewas obedient. For if He so chooses, He can deal mercifully with our weakness. Only we should The proud and self-regarding do 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 allow grace to make a new start. If you falllive in them, rise up. If you fall againand therefore they never have spiritual peace, rise up againwhile in the obedient soul the grace of the Holy Spirit enters easily and gives joy and peace. Only do not abandon your Physician, lest you be condemned as worse than Whoever bears even a suicide because of your despairlittle grace in himself joyfully submits himself to all direction. Wait on HimHe knows that God directs even the heavens and the netherworld, and He will be mercifulhimself, either reforming youand his business, or sending you trialsand everything in the world, or through some other provision of which you are ignorantand therefore he is always at peace.” —St. Peter of DamascusSilouan the Athonite, Writings, XV.2
“Faintness of heart “The fact that I am a monk and you are a layman is a sign of despondency, no importance. The Lord listens equally to the monk and negligence is to the mother man of the world provided bothare true believer. A cowardly man shows that he suffers from two diseases: love of his flesh and lack of faith; He looks for love of one’s flesh is a sign heart full of unbelieftrue faith into which to send his Spirit. But he who despises the love of For 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 a man is capable of two causes: either from hardness of heart or from great faith in God. Pride accompanies hardness containing the Kingdom 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 The Holy Spirit and manliness of heart are born of the testimony Kingdom of the conscience, and by the truthful testimony of the mind we possess confidence towards Godare one.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 40Seraphim of Sarov
“Just as “He who honours the Lord does what the Lord bids. When he sins or is solicitous about our salvationdisobedient, so too he patiently accepts what comes as something he deserves.” —St. Mark the murder of men, the devil, strives to lead a man into despair.Ascetic
A lofty “It is a great error to think that you must undertake important and sound soul does not despair over misfortunesgreat labors, whether for heaven, or, as the 'progressives' think, of whatever sort they may bein order to make one's contribution to humanity. Our life That is as it were a house of temptations and trials; but we will not renounce necessary at all. It is necessary only to do everything in accordance with the Lord for as long as He allows 's commandments.” —St. Theophan the tempter to remain with us and for as long as we must wait to be revived through patience and secure passionless!Recluse
Judas the betrayer was fainthearted and unskilled “When we are immersed in battlesins, and so our mind is occupied solely with worldly cares, we do not notice the enemystate of our soul. We are indifferent to who we are inwardly, seeing his despair, attacked him and forced him to hang himself, but Peter, we persist along 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, false path without being aware of it.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and the enemy, seeing these tears, his eyes scorched as by fire, fled far form him wailing in pain.San Francisco
And so brothers, St. Antioch teaches, when despair attacks us let us not yield “We have to it, but be aware that what is being strengthened and protected by the light pounded in upon us is all of faithone piece; it has a certain rhythm, with great courage let us say to the evil spirit: ‘What are you a certain message to give us, estranged from Godthis message of self-worship, of relaxing, a fugitive from heaven and evil servant? You dare do nothing to us. Christof letting go, the Son of Godenjoying yourself, has authority both over us and over everything. of giving up any thought of the other world … It is against Him that we actually an education in atheism. We have sinned, and before Him that we will be justified. And you, destroyer, leave us. Strengthen to fight back by His venerable Cross, we trample under foot your serpent's head’ (St. Antioch Discourse 27).” —Stknowing just what the world is trying to do to us…” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Sarov, Little Russian PhilokaliaPlatina
“I think it needs to be pointed out with utmost charity saw the snares that the religion of compromise is self-deception and that there exist today only two absolutely irreconcilable alternatives for man: faith in enemy spreads out over the world and the religion of selfI said groaning, whose fruit is death; and the faith in Christ the Son of God‘What can get through from such snares?’ Then I heard a voice saying to me, in Whom alone is eternal life‘Humility.” —Fr’” —St. Seraphim Rose of PlatinaAnthony the Great
“Keep “Learn to love humility, for it will cover all your mind in hell and do not despairsins.” —StAll sins are repugnant before God but the most repugnant of all is pride of the heart. Silouan the Athonite
“Stand at the brink of the abyss of despair, Do not consider yourself learned and when you see that you cannot bear it anymore, draw back a littlewise; otherwise, all your effort will be destroyed and have a cup of teayour boat will reach the harbor empty.” —Elder Sophrony of Essex
“So in every testIf you have great authority, let us say: "Thank youdo not threaten anyone with death. Know, my Godthat according to nature, because this was needed for my salvation."” —Elder Paisios of Mtyou too are susceptible to death and that every soul sheds its body from itself as the final garment. Athos
“Only In Byzantium there existed an unusual and instructive custom during the crowning of the benumbed soul doesn't pray. Preserve emperors in yourselves the feeling Church of need, and you will always have stimulation for prayerthe Divine Wisdom [St.” —StSophia]. Theophan The custom was that when the patriarch placed the crown on the emperor's head, at the same time, he handed him a silk purse filled with dirt from the Reclusegrave.
“Make sure that you do not limit your prayer merely to a particular part of Then, even the day. Turn emperor would recall death and to prayer at anytimeavoid all pride and become humble.” —St John Chrysostom. Anthony the Great, The Prologue of Ochrid
“The “What made our Lord knows Jesus Christ lay aside His garments, gird Himself with a towel, and, pouring water into a basin, begin to wash the feet of those who were below Him, if not to teach us humility? For it was humility He showed us by the example of what He then did. And indeed those who want to be accepted into the foremost rank cannot achieve this otherwise than through humility; for in the beginning, the thing that I love you caused downfall from heaven was a movement of pride. So, if a man lacks extreme humility, if he is not humble with all his heart, all his mind, allhis spirit, but I cannot speak with God all his soul and people at body – he will not inherit the same timekingdom of God.” —St. Arsanius Anthony the Great, Early Fathers from the Philokalia, E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer, Faber and Faber, London, 1954, pp. 45-46
“A Christian…is not his own master; he puts his time “People who are filled with egoism and pride because of their education, resemble satellites that orbit in the sky, giving one the impression that they are stars. If, however, you observe them carefully you will see their crooked steps and see that it is all a human sham… Internally-oriented people, on account of their humility, are the true stars that move at God's disposaldizzying speeds, but noiselessly and humbly, without anyone understanding how they move even though they are immense planets. They hide in the depths of heaven and give men the impression that they are little oil lamps aflame with a humble light.” —St. Ignatius Paisios of AntiochMt. Athos
“Do not seek “Wouldst thou comprehend the perfection height of God? First comprehend the Law in human virtueslowliness of God. Condescend to be humble for thine own sake, seeing that God condescended to be humble for thy sake too, for it is was not found perfect in them. Its perfection is hidden in the Cross of Christfor his own.” —St. Mark the AsceticAugustine of Hippo
“The knowledge greatness of the Cross is concealed a man consisteth of humility, for in the sufferings proportion as a man descendeth to humility, he becometh exalted to greatness.” —Paradise of the Cross.” —StHoly Fathers, Vol. Isaac the Syrian2
“God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering“It is easier to measure the entire sea with a tiny cup than to grasp God's ineffable greatness with the human mind.” —St. AugustineBasil the Great
“Nevertheless one who regards only the dissolution of the “You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a 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” —C.”” —StS. Gregory of Nyssa, The Great Catechism, §VIIILewis
“Man “This is, by nature, afraid of both death the wisdom and the dissolution power of the body; but there is this most startling factGod: that he who has put on the faith of the Cross despises even what is naturally fearfulto be victorious through weakness, exalted through humility, and for Christ's sake is not afraid even of deathrich through poverty.” —St. Athanasius the GreatGregory Palamas
“Only struggle a little more. Carry your cross without complaining. Don't think “You will lose nothing of what you are anything specialhave renounced for the Lord’s sake. Don't justify your sins and weaknesses, but see yourself as For in its own time it will return to you really are. And, especially, love one anothergreatly multiplied.” —Fr—St. Seraphim Rose of PlatinaMark the Ascetic
“Remember “God often isolates those whom He chooses, so 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 we have nowhere to live according turn except to the Spirit of God. Just as salvation of the world is by the Cross of GodHim, so our salvation is by our crucifixion on our own crossthen He reveals Himself to us.” —St—Fr. Theophan the RecluseSeraphim Rose of Platina
“Everyone carries their own cross, both Christians and non-Christians, believers and pagans. The difference “Where can I flee? A place cannot save you because there is that for some, their crosses serve as a means of attaining the Kingdom of Heaven, while for the others they bring no such valueplace you can flee from yourself. 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.Nikon of Optina
Therefore“No one and nothing can harm a man if he does not harm himself; on the contrary, Christianif one does not avoid sin, do a thousand means of salvation will not shun your lifelong crosshelp him. Consequently, the only evil is sin: Judas fell while in the presence of the Savior, but, on the contrary, thank Jesus Christ that He honored you to follow and imitate Himrighteous Lot was saved while living in Sodom.” —St. Innocent Nikon of AlaskaOptina, November 15-16/28-29, 1922, Optina Monastery, Indication Of The Way Into The Kingdom Of HeavenOrthodox Word, 1980, vol. 16, no. 2 (91), March-April
“Everyone has a cross “If our purpose is to carry. Why? Since fight the leader of our faith endured the crossspiritual fight and to defeat, we will also endure it. On one handwith God's help, the cross is sweet and lightdemons of malice, but, on we should take every care to guard our heart from the otherdemon of dejection, it can also be bitter just as a moth devours clothing and heavya worm devours wood, so dejection devours a man’s soul. It depends on our will. If you bear Christ’s cross with love then it will be very light; like a sponge persuades him to shun every helpful encounter and stops him accepting advice from his true friends or giving them a corkcourteous and peaceful reply. But if you have a negative attitudeSeizing the entire soul, it becomes heavy; too heavy fills it with bitterness and listlessness. Then it suggests to liftthe soul that we should go away from other people, since they are the cause of its agitation.” —Elder Ephraim It 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 Katounakia, 20th Century staretz on Mtour ascetic efforts. Athos, Suffering; Trials
“When you meet with sufferingA man can be harmed by another only through the causes of the passions which lie within himself. It is for this reason that God, contemptthe Creator of all and the Doctor of men’s souls, who alone has accurate knowledge of the Crosssoul’s wounds, your thought should be: what does not tell us to forsake the company of men; He tells us to root out the causes of evil within us and to recognize that the soul’s health is this compared with what I deserve?achieved not by a man’s separating himself from his fellows, but by his living the ascetic life in 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.” —Josemaria Escriva—St. John Cassian
“Behold, for years and generations“A life lived in the world can be as good, in the way eyes of God has been leveled by the cross and by death, as one spent in a monastery. How It is this with thee, that thou seest indeed only the afflictions keeping of the way as if they were out of the way? Doest not thou wish to follow the steps God's commandments, love of the saints? Or doest thou wish to go a way which is especially for theeall, without suffering? The way unto God is and a daily cross. No one can ascend unto heaven with comforttrue sense of humility that matter, wherever we know where the way of comfort leadsare.” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Mystic Treatises, Homily LIX—Elder Macarius of Optina
“I know “Those who, because of the rigor of my spiritual povertytheir own ascetic practice, my own nothingness without faith. I am so weakdespise the less zealous, think that it is only they are made righteous 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 oprpressed; without the Lord's cross I should have been long since the victim of the most cruel distress and despairphysical works. Only Christ keeps me alive: But we are even more foolish if we rely on theoretical knowledge and disparage the Cross is my peace and my consolationignorant.” —St. John of KronstadtMark the Ascetic
“Understand two thoughts, “When you get bitter and fear them. One saysannoyed, 'You are a sainteven if only in thought,' you ruin the other, 'spiritual atmosphere. You won't be saved.' Both of these thoughts are stop the Holy Spirit from the enemy, working and there is no truth in them. But think this way: I am a great sinner, but you allow the Lord is mercifuldevil to increase evil. He loves people very muchYou should always pray, love and He will forgive my sins. Believe in this way, rejecting each and you will see, the Lord will forgive every bad thought within 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 AthonitePorphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
“He made Him who was righteous to be a sinner“When you are praying alone, and your spirit is dejected, and you are wearied and oppressed by your loneliness, remember then, as always, that He might make sinners righteousGod the Trinity looks upon you with eyes brighter than the sun; also all the angels, your own Guardian Angel, and all the Saints of God.” —St. John Chrysostomof Kronstadt
“Love sinners“A remedy against straying thoughts is mental attention, but hate their deeds, and do not disdain sinners for their failings, so attention to the fact that you yourself do not fall into the temptation in which they abide… Do not be angry at anyone Lord is before us 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 thembefore Him.” —St. Isaac Theophan the Syrian, Ascetical Homilies 57,90Recluse
“Love every man in spite “The roots of his falling into sin. Never mind evil thoughts are the sinsobvious vices, but remember that the foundation of the man is the same - the image of Godwhich we keep trying to justify in our words and actions.” —St. John of KronstadtMark the Ascetic
“Never confuse the person, formed in the image of “Guard your speech from boasting and your thoughts from presumption; otherwise you may be abandoned by God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverieand fall into sin. But the very essence of the person is For man cannot do anything good without the image help of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurementwho sees everything.” —St. John of KronstadtMark the Ascetic
“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 "The higher a perversion of nature, person’s position in society 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, more he should not hate the person because of the fault, nor should he love the fault because help others without ever reminding them 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 hatehis position.” —St. Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, 14:6, Penguin ed., transl—Tsar St. BettensonNicholas II
“As Jesus “If you want your sins to be absolved by Christ is my Witness, I profess then don't speak to others about any virtue that I hate heresyyou may have, 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 God will cling to all men by treat our sins the bond of brotherhood, because it is written, ‘Bear ye one another's burden and so fulfill the law of Christ’ (Galsame way we treat our virtues. 6:2)” —St.” —Orosius of Braga, Book in Defense Against Mark the PelagiansAscetic
“Our life and “If any man is able in power to continue in purity, to the honour of the flesh of our death Lord, let him continue so without boasting; if he boasts, he is with our neighborundone; if he become known apart from the bishop, he has destroyed himself.” —St.Ignatius of Antioch
If we gain our brother, we have gained “Guarding the mouth wakes up the conscience to God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christit is with knowledge that a man keeps silence.” —St.Isaac the Syrian
This “Silence is the great work more profitable than speech, for as it has been said, ‘The words of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breathwise men are heard even in quiet.” ’” —St. Anthony Basil 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 “Never give your opinion if you are not help a person by discerning what is wrongasked for it, what even if you think that your view 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 beautybest.” —Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh—Josemaria Escriva
“He who busies himself with the sins of others“Not only for every idle word must man give an account, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet even begun to repent or to examine himself so as to discover his own sinsbut for every idle silence.” —St. Maximus the ConfessorAmbrose of Milan
“As long as “Somewhere we pay attention to the negative sides of various people we meetknow that without silence words lose their meaning, we will not find peace and repentance. As long as we keep in ourselves the thought of offensethat without listening speaking no longer heals, caused to us by enemies, friends, family and neighbours, we will not find peace and quiet and we will live in a hellish statethat without distance closeness cannot cure.” —Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica—Henri Nouwen
“If you are offended by anything, whether intended or unintended, you do not know “Let your mouth continually administer blessing; then the way scorn of peace, which through love brings the lovers of divine knowledge to the knowledge of Godanyone will never hurt you.” —St. Maximus Isaac the ConfessorSyrian
“Especially“Just as swine run to a place where there is mire, do not be disturbed by blasphemous thoughtsand bees dwell where there are fragrances and incense, which clearly come from likewise demons gather where there are carnal songs and the envy grace of the Enemy. They occur in a person either because of proud self-opinion or the condemnation of othersHoly Spirit settles where there are spiritual melodies, sanctifying both mouth and soul.” —St. Ambrose of OptinaJohn Chrysostom
“In hell there “A psalm implies serenity of soul; it is democracy the author of peace, which calms bewildering and seething thoughts. For, it softens the wrath of the soul, and in Heaven there what is a Kingdomunbridled it chastens.” —StA psalm forms friendships, unites those separated, conciliates those at enmity. John of KronstadtWho, indeed, can still consider as an enemy him with whom he has uttered the same prayer to God?
“We shall not care what people think of usSo that psalmody, bringing about choral singing, a bond, 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 as it a condition of salvation that they should love us. Indeedwere, toward unity, 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 joining the whole world dismiss us as unworthy people into a harmonious union of attentionone choir, trust or respect – it will not matter provided that the Lord accept us. And vice versa: it will profit us nothing if produces also the whole world thinks well greatest of us and sings our praisesblessings, if the Lord declines to abide with uscharity. This A psalm is only a fragment city of refuge from the freedom Christ meant when Hial 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 patiencedemons, whereas our contemporaries want to seize every spiritual gift, including even direct contemplation a means of inducing help from the Absolute Godangels, a weapon in fears by force and speedilynight, and will often draw a parallel between prayer in the Name of Jesus and yoga or Transcendental Meditation ande saidrest from toils by day, ‘Ye shall know the trutha safeguard for infants, and an adornment for those at the truth shall make you free’ (John 8.32). Our sole care will be to continue in the word height of Christtheir vigor, to become His disciples and cease to be servants of sin.” —Archimandrite Sophrony of Essexa consolation for the elders, His Life is Mine, Chapter 6; pga most fitting ornament for women. 55
“The Church is a hospital, and not a courtroom, for souls. She does not condemn on behalf It peoples the solitudes; it rids the market place of sins, but grants remission of sins. Nothing excesses; it is so joyous in our life as the thanksgiving that we experience in the Church. In the Churchelementary exposition of beginners, the joyful sustain their joy. In the Church, improvement of those worried acquire merrimentadvancing, and those saddened, joy. In the Church, solid support of the troubled find reliefperfect, and the heavy-laden, rest. ‘Come,’ says the Lord, ‘near me, all voice 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 It brightens the burden of your sins. He heals worries feast days; it creates a sorrow which is in accordance with thanksgiving, and sadness with joyGod. 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 itselfFor, nor a psalm is it in manthe work of angels, but in God. By giving man freedom God has yielded to man a piece of His divine authorityheavenly institution, but with the intention that man himself would voluntarily bring it as a sacrifice to God, as a most perfect offeringspiritual incense.” —St. Theophan Basil the Recluse, The Path to SalvationGreat
“When you are depressed“Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to paradise, bear in mind our ascension into the Lord’s command kingdom of heaven, our return to Peter the adoption of sons, our liberty to forgive call God our Father, our being made partakers of the grace of Christ, our being called children of light, our sharing in eternal glory, and, in a word, our being brought into a sinner seventy times seven. And you may be sure that He Who gave state of all ‘fullness of blessing,’ both in this command world and in the world to another will Himself do very much morecome, 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.” —St. John ClimacusBasil the Great
“The time of this present life is a time for harvesting“Humility consists, 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 winin condemning our conscience, but whoever is insulted and forbears, whoever is wronged in recognizing God's grace and forgives, whoever is slandered and endures, whoever becomes a sponge and mops up whatever they might say to himcompassion. Such a person is cleansed and polished even more. He reaches great heights” —St. He delights in Mark 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-dwellerAscetic
“When you are ready to stand in the presence “The source of self-delusion and demonic deception is the Lord, let your soul wear a garment woven from the cloth of your forgiveness of othersfalse thought…” —St. Otherwise, your prayer will be Ignatius Brianchaninov (Bryanchaninov) of no value whatsoever.” —St. John ClimacusCaucasus
“Forgiveness “Spiritual deception is better than revengethe state of all men without exception, and it has been made possible by the fall of our original parents. All of us are subject to spiritual deception. Awareness of this fact is the greatest protection against it. Likewise, the greatest spiritual deception of all is to consider oneself free from it.” —St. Tikhon Ignatius Brianchaninov (Bryanchaninov) of ZadonskCaucasus
“When God forgave you, it means He forgave you for eternity“Knowing the perpetual impurity of our spiritual state must bring us humility of heart.” —Elder Arsenios Papacioc—Tonia Howell
“Love alone harmoniously joins “Where there is pride and at the same time one has a vision – it can not be from God, but by all created things with God and with each othermeans – from the evil one.” —St. Thalassios the Libyan—Archimandrite Seraphim Alexiev
“A monk “If you are silent in a good way, desiring to be with God, never accept any physical or spiritual appearances, either outside or inside yourself, even if it might be an image of Christ, or an angel, or some Saint, or if light should appear, or imprint itself in the mind...Be attentive, that you may not come to believe something, even if it is he something good, and be not captivated by it before consulting those who withdrawing from all menare experienced and are able to analyze the matter, so that you do not suffer harm...God is united not displeased with all mankind. … A monk the person who is attentive to himself, even if he who regards himself as existing with all men , out of fear of deception, does not accept even that which is from Him, without consulting and sees himself in each man.” testing…” —St. Nilus Gregory of Sinai
“Love towards Christ is without limits“Children, I beseech you to correct your hearts and thoughts, so that you may be pleasing to God. Consider that although we may reckon ourselves to be righteous and frequently succeed in deceiving men, we can conceal nothing from God. Let us therefore strive to preserve the same is true holiness of love towards our neighbour. It should radiate everywhere, souls and to guard the ends purity of our bodies with all fervor. Ye are the earthtemple of God, to every person. I wanted to go and live with says the hippies at …… in order to show them divine Apostle Paul; If any man defile the love temple of Christ and how great it is and how it could transfigure themGod, him shall God destroy. Love is above everything” —St.” —Wounded by Love, Elder Porphyrios, pg 188Nicholas of Myra
“So God created man in His own image; in “Those who suffer for the image sake of true devotion receive help. This must be learnt through obeying God He created him; male 's law and female He created themour own conscience.” —Genesis 1:27—St. Mark the Ascetic
“For God knows that in the day “When you eat of it are wronged and your eyes will heart and feelings are hardened, do not be openeddistressed, 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 like Godcut off, knowing good and whereas if the thoughts persist the evilmay be expected to develop.” —Genesis 3:5—St. Mark the Ascetic
“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light“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.” —2 Corinthians 11:14—Elder Porphyrios
“You shall not murder“On the one hand He is Being, eternally Being of the Eternal Being, above every cause and word…And on the other hand for our sake he is also Becoming, so that He who gives us our being might also give us our well-being.” —Exodus 20:13—St. Gregory the Theologian, Oration 38
“Cursed is “For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His Spirit; and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the one who treasure of Life. He takes a bribe my flesh, to slay an innocent personsanctify me; He gives me His Spirit that He may save me.” —Deuteronomy 27:25—St. John Chrysostom
“He shall judge between “Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the nationsspeech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been inplanted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels. Why is this? Because God is now on earth,And rebuke many peopleand man in heaven;They shall beat their swords into plowshareson every side all things commingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore He became flesh,And their spears into pruning hooks;Nation shall so that He Whom heaven did not lift up sword against nationcontain,Neither shall they learn war anymorea manger would this day receive.” —Isaiah 2:4—St. John Chrysostom, Homily on the Nativity
“But Jesus said “This Christmas night bestowed peace on the whole world;So let no one threaten.This is the night of the Most Gentle One;Let no one be cruel.This is the night of the Humble One;Let no one be proud.Now is the day of joy;Let us not revenge.Now is the day of good will;Let us not be mean.In this day of peace --Let us not be conquered by anger.Today the Bountiful impoverished Himself for our sake;So, rich one, invite the poor to him, ‘Put your sword in its place, table.Today we receive a Gift for all which we did not ask;So let us give alms to those who implore and beg us.This present day throws open the doors of heaven to our prayers; Let us open our doors to those who take ask our forgiveness.Today the sword will perish Divinity took upon himself the seal of our humanity,In order for humanity to be decorated by the swordseal of Divinity.’” —Matthew 26:52” —St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily on the Nativity
“You know “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 commandments: ‘Do Tree of Knowledge; not commit adultery,’ ‘Do however, because it was evil from the beginning when planted; nor was it forbidden because God grudged it to us…Let not murderthe 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,’ ‘Do 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 stealgood for those who are yet tender,’ ‘Do not 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 false witnessupon the man, as she was the more apt to persuade,’ ‘Honor your 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 your motherfor 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.’” —Luke 18This was the first thing that he learned – his own shame; (Romans 1:2022-31) 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)
“So when they continued asking Him“It is no wonder that the shepherds were able to know of the world's redemption before rulers, for the Angels made their announcement not to kings or judges but to countryfolk. It is not to be wondered at, then, if innocence merited to know the Grace of Christ before power did and simple country manners merited to recognize the Truth before proud dominion. For what the Shepherds recognized the rulers were unable to recognize; hence the Blessed Apostle says: 'What none of the rulers of this age recognized,' and so forth. At the Birth of Christ, therefore, the Angels rejoiced together with the Shepherds, giving God high glory, He raised Himself up for in close and said even joined choruses, so to themspeak, they preached the glory of God.” —St. Maximus of Turin, ‘He who is without sin among youHomily on the Nativity, let him throw a stone at her firstsec.’” —John 8:72
“Whoever hates his brother “The Angel-Messenger of the pre-eternal Counsel of the Holy Trinity comes to the earth. This is not an ordinary messenger; it is a murdererthe Only-begotten Son of God Himself. He brings peace to men. ‘Peace be unto you’, and he said more than once to His disciples. ‘Peace I leave with you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him, my peace I give unto you’, He says to the apostles at the Mystical Supper, ‘not as the world giveth, give I unto you’. And appearing after His Resurrection, again He says: ‘Peace be unto you’.” —1 John 3‘For he is our peace’, the holy Apostle Paul says concerning Him:15‘He came to the earth to reconcile man unto God by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. And having come, He preached peace to those afar off and to those near, because through Him we both have access unto the Father’.
“And The wall that separated heaven and earth is destroyed; the sword that barred the way to the tree of life disappears. Unto man that had sinned comes his Creator, calling him into His embrace! By the second commandment mouths of the Teaching; Thou shalt apostles, the Holy Spirit cries out: ‘In Christ, be ye reconciled to God’. You that had sinned came not commit murderto God, thou shalt not commit adulterybut the Son of God, before Whom you sinned, came to you! He calls everyone to Himself; He gives forgiveness to everyone who merely thirsts for this. For without the desire of man himself, thou shalt not commit paederastywithout at least his little effort, thou shalt not commit fornicationGod's peace cannot settle in him. The Lord forces no one to come to Him, thou shalt not stealbut calls everyone: ‘Come unto me, thou shalt not practise magicall ye that labour and are heavy laden, thou shalt not practise witchcraftand I will give you rest’. Come all ye who are heavy laden with sins, thou shalt who are exhausted from your labours and who do not murder a child by abortion nor kill find rest! You shall find that inner peace, which is begottenyou will find nothing on earth more desirable than. The soul will feel unearthly peace and joy.” —Didache 2:2—St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco, Epistle on the Nativity, 1962
“You shall “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 take gone beyond the life confines of the child by obtaining an abortion. Nor, again, shall you destroy him after he is bornthis earth.” —St. Barnabas, Epistle of St. Barnabas—Archimandrite Sophrony
“The mold 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 womb may not be destroyedentire 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.” —Tertullian
“We acknowledgeThe entire modern culture, thereforewhich is aimed at purely worldly achievements, that and the resultant whirlwind of everyday life begins with conception, because we contend keep a person in such a state of constant bustle and absent-mindedness that the he has no opportunity for any soul begins at conception. Life begins when the soul begins-searching, and spiritual life within him gradually becomes extinguished.” —Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse
For us“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, we may not destroy including even direct contemplation of the fetus Absolute God, by force and speedily, and will often draw a parallel between prayer in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from other parts Name of Jesus and yoga or Transcendental Meditation and the body for its sustenancelike. To hinder a birth I must stress the danger of such errors … He is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter when you take away a life deluded who endeavors to divest himself mentally of all that is borntransitory and relative in order to cross some invisible threshold, to realize his eternal origin, or destroy one his identity with the Source of all that is coming exists, in order to birthreturn and merge with him, the nameless transpersonal Absolute. That is 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 which is going to be one: you 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 fruit already God of Truth, the Living God, is not in the seedall this.” —Tertullian, Apology 9:6
“Now It is man's own beauty, created in the entire process image of sowing, formingGod, that is contemplated and completing the human embryo in the womb is no doubt regulated by some powerseen as divinity, which ministers herein to whereas he himself still continues within the will confines of God, whatever may be the method which it his creatureliness. This is appointed to employa vastly important concern. Even the superstition The tragedy of Rome, by carefully attending to these points, imagined the goddess Alemona to nourish matter lies in the foetus fact that man sees a mirage which, in the womb; as well as [the goddesses] Nona and Decimahis longing for eternal life, called after the most critical months he mistakes for a genuine oasis. This impersonal form of gestation; and Partula, ascetics leads finally to manage and direct parturition; and Lucina, to bring an assertion of the child to divine principle in the birth and light very nature of dayman. We, on our part, believe the angels Man is then drawn to officiate herein for God. The embryo therefore becomes a human being in the womb from idea of self-deification—the cause of the moment that its form is completed (conception)original Fall. The law of Moses, indeed, punishes with due penalties the man who shall cause abortion, inasmuch as there exists already is blinded by the rudiment imaginary majesty of a human being, which what he contemplates has imputed in fact set his foot on the path to it even now self-destruction. He has discarded the condition revelation of life and death, since it a personal God … The movement into the depths of his own being is already liable to nothing else but attraction towards the issues of both, although, non-being from which we were called by living still in the mother, it for will of the most part shares its own state with the motherCreator.” —Tertullian, Treatise on the Soul, Ch—Archimandrite Sophrony of Mt. XXXVIIAthos, On the Formation and State of the EmbryoHis Life is Mine, Its Relation with the Subject of this Treatise115-116
“The blood “Blessed is the mind that prays, worships God without imagination, for Christ had no imagination, being God. Adam lost his paradise after falling into imagination, because he imagined, at the instigation of martyrs Lucifer, that if he tasted from the forbidden tree, he would never die. The Holy Fathers say that the greatest disease and temptation during prayer is the seed imagination of the Churchmind, which they called the ‘soul cuttlefish with eight tentacles’ or ‘octopus’. Imagination is also called the ‘bridge for demons’. During the prayer offered from the heart, it is most difficult to preserve the imagination; it is even harder than keeping the mind away from thoughts. Let's not forget that everything limited, represented is not God. In the meantime, if we stop at the images, we are being deceived and we can neither pass through the narrow gate to the heart nor reach God.” —Tertullian—Archimandrite Cleopas (Ilie) of Romania
“…if we would not kill off the human race born “Yes, one must disregard doubts, just like lustful and developing according blasphemous thoughts; pay no attention to God's planthem. Disregard them, and your enemy, the devil, then our whole lives would will not be lived according able to naturewithstand it; he'll leave you, since he's proud and cannot bear the disdain. Women who make use of some sort of deadly abortion drug kill But if you enter into conversation with them – since the lustful thoughts, blasphemies and doubts are not only the embryo butyours – he'll bombard you, together with itswamp you, all human kindnesskill you.” —St. Clement —Elder Barsanuphius of Alexandria, Christ the Educator, Volume II, page 10Optina
“Those who use abortifacients commit homicide“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.” —St—Archimandrite Sophrony of Mt. Clement of AlexandriaAthos, His Life is Mine
“Women who were reputed believers began “But since our discourse has now turned to resort the subject of blasphemy, I desire to drugs ask one favour of you all, in return for producing sterilitythis my address, and speaking with you; which is, that you will correct on my behalf the blasphemers of this city. They also girded themselves aroundAnd should you hear anyone in the public thoroughfare, or in the midst of the forum, blaspheming God; go up to him and rebuke him; and should it be necessary to inflict blows, spare not to do so as to expel what was being gestated. For Smite him on the face; strike his mouth; sanctify your hand with the blow; and if they did not wish are accused, and be brought to have court, go. And if a child by either slave or by any common fellow - out judge before the court demands an answer, boldly say that he blasphemed the King of concern angels, for their family and their excessive wealth. See what a great impiety if those who blaspheme the lawless one has advanced! He teaches adultery and murder at earthly king are to be punished, how much more insulting is it to Him (the same time!” King)…” —St. HipploytusJohn Chrysostom, Conversations on Statues, Refutation Of All Heresiesaddress to the people of Antioch, Conversation 1, pt. 1 12
“He [Novatian] struck “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 womb Lord, seeing your good will, shall help you in all things, and will Himself show you experience. But whoever thinks evil of his wife with his heel enemies does not have love for God and produced a hurried an abortion, thereby causing parricidehas not known God.” —St. Cyprian of CarthageSilouan the Athonite, Writing, Epistle 52 To CorneliusIX.21
“The wealthy, in order that their inheritance may not “Where there is pride there cannot be divided among severalgrace, deny in the very womb their own progeny. By use of' parricidal mixtures they snuff out the fruit and if we lose grace we also lose both love of their wombs God and assurance in the genital organs themselvesprayer. In this way life The soul is taken away before it then tormented by evil thoughts and does not understand that she must humble herself and love her enemies, for there is born… Who except man himself has taught us ways of repudiating children?no other way to please God.” —St. Ambrose of MilanSilouan the Athonite
“Sometimes “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 sadistic licentiousness goes so far that they procure poison to produce infertility, relationship with God and when this is of no avail, they find one means or another to destroy . This comes about through the unborn and flush it from healing of the mothersoul'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 wounds and the cure of the passions through the Sacraments and the motherChurch's body before it is bornascetic practice.” —St. Augustine of Hippo—Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, The City Science of God, Book One, Ch. 16Spiritual Medicine: Orthodox Psychotherapy in Action
“A woman who has deliberately destroyed a fetus must pay “The acquisition of of holiness is not the penalty for murder… those exclusive business of monks, as certain people think. People with families are also who give drugs causing abortions are murderers themselvescalled to holiness, as well as are those in all kinds of professions, who receive live in the poison which kills world, since the fetuscommandment about perfection and holiness is given not only to monks, but to all people.” —St. Basil the Great, First Canonical Letter, 188:2 and 188:8—Hieromartyr Onuphry Gagaluk
“Women also who administer drugs “Many passions are hidden in our souls; they can be brought to cause abortion, as well as those who take poisons to destroy unborn children, light only when the objects that rouse them are murderessespresent.” —St. Basil the Great, Letter CLXXXVIII: Canonica Prima, to Amphilochius, concerning Maximus the CanonsConfessor, VIIFour Hundred Texts on Love
“The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child “What is guilty holiness? Freedom from every sin and the fullness of murderevery virtue. The hair-splitting difference between formed 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 unformed makes no difference to us.” manifold sorrows, sicknesses, and labors, by fasting, vigilance, prayer, and that not by their own strength, but by the grace of Christ…” —St. Basil the GreatJohn of Kronstadt
“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 “A wise heart can transfer an affliction into a blessing, even let a harlot remain only a harlotsin!! He benefits from it: contrition, but you make her a murderess as well. Indeedhumility, it is something worse than murder keenness and I do not know what to call it; sympathy for she does not kill what is formed but prevents its formationsinners. 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” —H. 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?” —StH. John ChrysostomPope Shenouda III
“You see how drunkenness leads to whoredom, whoredom to adultery, adultery to murder; or rather to a something even worse than murder. For I have no name to give it, since it does not take off the thing born, but prevent its being born. Why then dost thou abuse the gift of God, “Humility and fight with His laws, and follow after what is suffering free a curse as if a blessing, and make man from all sin; for the chamber of procreation a chamber for murderfirst cuts out spiritual passions, and arm the woman that was given for childbearing unto slaughter?latter bodily.” —St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on Maximus the Epistle to the Romans, XXIVConfessor
“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 “Hardships 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 murderprepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” —St—C. S. Jerome, Letter to Eustochium, 22:13Lewis
“The rich women“Christ did not come into the world to eliminate suffering, Christ has not even come into the world to avoid dividing the inheritance among manyexplain it. Rather, kill their own unborn in the womb and He came to fill human suffering with lethal extracts terminate their own offspring while yet in the wombHis presence.” —St—Fr. Ambrose, On the HexaemeronGeorge Calciu
“For every argument there “The soul of man is a counter-argumentnot impure at birth, but who can argue against life?pure.” —St. Gregory Palamas, Triads in Defence of the Holy Hesychasts—Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos
“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 “By nature the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it soul is between passionless… so 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 believe 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 the passions do not teaching its people belong 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 faithfulsoul by nature.”“Go out into the world today and love the people you meet—St. Let your presence light new light in Isaac 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.”—Blessed Mother Teresa of CalcuttaSyrian
“No “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 heals himself can develop by wounding anotherexercise.” —StThis 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. Ambrose of Milan
“Abortion 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 anti-Christ's demonic parody very bounds of the Eucharistuniverse. That's why it uses By this grace, even publicans are made merchants of souls; and even the same holy words ‘This burning zeal of persecutors is my body’ with 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 blasphemous opposite meaningimage of God and continue to be such after death.” —Dr—St. Peter KreeftGregory Palamas, Triads in Defence of the Holy Hesychasts, Philosophy does not save, pages 29-30
“An Irish pro-abortion leader described their vote as “We know that even the facts that a marriage means relations between a man and a decision to enter the "modern" world. That was extremely well-said. Modernity suggests to us woman and that we are the masters a choice of historygender is not an intellectual and volitional one, but a Divine choice, the arbiters of life and deathare now being disputed. Children are already being taught this. Our compassion for the suffering They are told: ‘You should choose yourself whether you are a boy or a girl’; that is always expressed, ultimatelywhat was founded by God is being destroyed by people, in our willingness to kill them, without remorseostensibly for the sake of freedom.
For manyBut then, abortion has become what is freedom like? If freedom ruins the Divine plan of the sacrament world and of modernitymankind, in which then it is not freedom, but slavery. And we learn know that the devil enslaves a man, because the most dangerous captivity is to say be not free from sin, when a person cannot live in blasphemous irony: ‘This is my body.’” —Fraccordance with his or her calling. Stephen Freeman” —His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
“O God“Fiery lust, grant us a deeper sense of fellowship with the desire for marriage, sexual union … and all living the other thingsthat, 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. Thusmost people think, 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 body seeks for themselves and for you - it is not for us alone. They too love the goodness of life, body as we dosuch … but the soul, which through the body seeks pleasure by their means… Let no one think he is being driven towards these things and serve you better in their way than we do in ours. Amencompelled by his own body… the body cannot be moved to anything apart from the soul.” —St. Basil Symeon the GreatNew Theologian
“We follow the ways “Often this demon [of wolves, the habits of tigers: or, rather we are worse than they. To them nature has assigned that they should be thus fedlust] goes away altogether for a while, while God has honoured us with rational speech and one can have a false sense of equitysecurity that one is ‘above’ this passion; but all the Holy Fathers warn that one cannot consider this passion conquered before the grave. And yet we Continue your struggle and take refuge in humility, seeing what base sins you are capable of and how you are become worse than lost without the wild beastconstant help of God Who calls you to a life above these sins.” —St—Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina, Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene, p. John Chrysostom803
“…surely we ought to show kindness and gentleness to animals for many reasons, and chiefly because they are of “Pornography is the same origin as ourselvesdevil's iconography.” —St—Fr. John ChrysostomSeraphim Rose of Platina
“Concepts create idols; only wonder comprehends anything“Just as the virtues are begotten in the soul, so are the passions. People kill 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 over idols. Wonder makes us fall to , 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 kneesmoral will.” —St. Gregory of NyssaSinai
“The unspeakable and prodigious fire hidden in the essence of things“Afflictions, as in the bushillness, is ill health and the fire of divine love and pains that our bodies experience are counted for the dazzling brilliance remission of His beauty inside every thingour trespasses.” They are the furnace in which we are purified…” —St. Maximus the ConfessorJohn Chrysostom
“Blessed the one who observes with spiritual understanding the choirs “The heart of stars shining with glory 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 beauty 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 heavens Heavenly Father, Who careth for our salvation, chastises us by various sicknesses. The oppression and longs afflictions of sickness make us turn again to contemplate the Maker of all thingsGod.” —St. Ephrem the SyrianJohn of Kronstadt
“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 “Gluttony says 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 her child is hardly better than that of an ant in discerning the ways of God. Simply accept all his plans and rejoice in themwar against chastity.” —St. John Chrysostom, On Living Simply, pg 54Climacus
“For as long as you are on earth, consider yourself a guest in the Household of Christ. If you are at the table, it “You can't stop smoking tobacco? What is He who treats you. If you breathe air, it impossible for man is His air you breathepossible with God's help. If you batheJust firmly decide to quit, realizing how harmful it is in His water you are bathing. If you are travelingfor the soul and the body, 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 since tobacco weakens the company of mensoul, you and increases and strengthens the others are His guests. If you are out in naturepassions, you are in His garden. If you are alonedarkens the mind, He is presentand destroys physical health with a slow death.” —St. Nikolai VelimirovichAmbrose of Optina, Living Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of the Holy Elders of Optina, pg. 70
“Some people see “If you wish to live long on the houses in which they earth, do not hurry to live as their kingdom; and although in their minds they know that death will one day force them a carnal manner, to satiate yourself, to get drunk, to smoke, to leavecommit fornication, to live in their hearts they feel they will stay forever. They take pride luxury, to indulge yourself. The carnal way of life constitutes death, and therefore, in the size of their houses and Holy Scripture, our flesh is called mortal, or, ‘the old man, which is corrupt according to the fine material with which they are builtdeceitful lusts. They take pleasure in decorating their houses with bright colors’ If you wish to live long, and in obtaining live through the best 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 most solid furniture to fill the roomsthere in heaven. They imagine that they can find peace One cannot eat and security by owning a house whose walls drink and roof will last for many generationssmoke continually. WeOne cannot turn human life into constant eating, by contrastdrinking, and smoking, know that we although there are only temporary guests on earth. We recognize that men who do eat, drink, and smoke almost uninterruptedly; and thus the spirit of evil has turned life into smoking, and made the houses mouth, which ought to be employed in which we live serve only as hostels on thanking and praising the road to eternal lifeLord, into a smoking furnace. We do not seek peace or security from The less and lighter the material walls around us or food and drink you take, the roof above our headslighter and more refined your spirit will become. Rather we want to surround ourselves with Smoking is a wall of divine grace; whim. From this comes foot pain and we look upward to heaven as our roofdepression. And That the devil is the furniture father of our lives should be good worksthe 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, performed in paralyzing me and saddening me to the point of sin. By smoking an unclean spirit enters a spirit person. Last night after smoking the devil made his presence felt through continuous hiccups which pestered me from the time of lovethe Cherubic Hymn until a little before Holy Communion. My nerves were stretched, my voice was ‘escaping’ me, I was shivering and I was exhausted.” —StThat's why smoking is futile. John ChrysostomIt is a silly whim, On Living Simplya 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, My Life in Christ “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 “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 “How we debase our God-like immortal soul by attaching ourselves to the perishable, tarnishable, fleeting glitter of gold and silver, and by averting our gaze from the higher eternal, all-rejoicing light, or by attaching ourselves to corruptible sweetness that soon passes away, and is harmful and weakening both to soul and body, and turning away our gaze from the eternal, spiritual sweetness; from the sweetness of the intuition of God, or to vain earthly glory, turning away our eyes from the glory of the higher heavenly calling: from the glory of God's children, the heirs of the eternal Kingdom of God. O, earthly vanity! O, attachment to worldly things! Look upwards, Christian!” —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ “As in the theater, when the audience departs, and the kings remove their costumes, they are revealed to be what they are; so also when death arrives and the theater of this life is dissolved, everyone puts off their masks of wealth or poverty and departs. Some are revealed as truly wealthy, others poor.” —St. John Chrysostom “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 “Sometimes in the affliction of your soul you wish to die. It is easy to die, and does not take long; but are you prepared for death? Remember that after death the Judgment of your whole life will follow. You are not prepared for death, and if it were to come to you, you would shudder all over. Therefore do not waste words in vain. Do not say: ‘It is better for me to die,’ but say rather, ‘How can I prepare for death in a Christian manner?’ By means of faith, by means of good works, and by bravely bearing the miseries and sorrows that happen to you, so as to be able to meet death fearlessly, peacefully, and without shame, not as a rigorous law of nature, but as a fatherly call of the eternal, heavenly, holy, and blessed Father unto the everlasting kingdom.” —St. John of Kronstadt “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 “Limitless and without consolation would have been our sorrow for close ones who are dying, if the Lord had not given us eternal life. Our life would be pointless if it ended with death. What benefit would there then be from virtue and good deed? Then they would be correct who say: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’ But man was created for immortality, and by His resurrection Christ opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom, of eternal blessedness for those who have believed in Him and have lived righteously. Our earthly life is a preparation for the future life, and this preparation ends with our death. ‘It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment’ (Heb 9:27). Then a man leaves all his earthly cares; the body disintegrates, in order to rise anew at the General Resurrection. Often this spiritual vision begins in the dying even before death, and while still seeing those around them and even speaking with them, they see what others do not see.” —St. John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily on Life After Death “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 “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 “Do not fall into despair because of stumbling. I do not mean that you should not feel contrition for them, but that you should not think them incurable. For it is more expedient to be bruised than dead. There is, indeed, a Healer for the man who has stumbled, even He Who on the Cross asked that mercy be shown to His crucifiers, He Who pardoned His murders while He hung on the Cross. ‘All manner of sin’, He said, ‘and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men’, that is, through repentance.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “Do not say: ‘I have sinned much, and therefore I am not bold enough to fall down before God.’ Do not despair. Simply do not increase your sins in despair and, with the help of the All-merciful One, you will not be put to shame. For He said, ‘he who comes to Me I will not cast out.’ (John. 6:37) And so, be bold and believe that He is pure and cleanses those who draw near to Him. If you want to accomplish true repentance, show it with your deeds. If you have fallen into pride, show humility; if into drunkenness, show sobriety; if into defilement, show purity of life. For it is said, ‘Turn away from evil and do good.’ (I Pet. 3:11)” —St. Gennadios (II) Scholarios, Patriarch of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, The Golden Chain, 87-89 “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 of Hippo “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 “A Christian should never and for no reason worry, for God's Providence carries him in its arms. Our only care should be that we would ever remain faithful to the Lord.” —St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (Bryanchaninov) of Caucasus “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 “This is how you pray continually – not by offering prayer in words, but by joining yourself to God through your whole way of life, so that your life becomes one continuous and uninterrupted prayer.” —St. Basil the Great “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… Someone has said of the Saints that while alive they were 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 “Always have the fear of God before your eyes. Remember Him who gives death and lives. Hate the world and all that is in it. Hate the peace that comes from the flesh. Renounce this life, so that you may be alive to God.” —St. Anthony the Great “Thus let us live to Him Who while He dies for us is Life; and let us die to ourselves that we may live to Christ; for we cannot live to Him unless first we die to ourselves, that is, to our wills. Let us be Christ's and not our own; ‘for we are not our own, for we are bought at a Great Price’ (1 Cor. 6. 19-20), and truly a Great One, when the Lord is given for a slave, the King for a servant, and God for man. What ought we to render ourselves, if the Creator of the universe for us ungodly men, yet His creation, is unjustly put to death? Do you think you ought not to die to sin? Certainly you ought. Therefore let us die, let us die for the sake of life, since Life dies for the dead, so that we may be able to say with Paul, ‘I live, yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me’ (Gal. 2. 20), He Who for me has died; for that is the cry of the elect. But none can die to himself, unless Christ lives in him; but if Christ be in him, he cannot live to himself. Live in Christ, that Christ may live in you.” —St. Columbanus of Bobbio, Sermons of Columbanus of Bobbio, Sermon X:2 “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.” —St. 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 “Many times we call ourselves sinners, not in truth, but for showing off and vainglory, so that others will praise us for being humble, for if someone calls us a sinner, we become upset.” —St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite “An evident sinner will turn towards good more easily than a secret sinner hiding under the cloak of visible virtues.” —St. Theophan the Recluse “The sun shines on all alike, and vanity springs out in front of each virtue. When, for example, I keep a fast – I am given over to vanity, and when I in concealing the fasting from others permit myself food, I am again given over to vanity – by my prudence. Dressing up in bright clothing, I am vanquished by love of honour and, having changed over into drab clothing – I am overcome by vanity. If I stand up to speak – I fall under the power of vanity. If I wish to keep silence, I am again given over to it. Wherever this thorn comes up, it everywhere stands with its points upwards. It is vainglorious…, on the surface to honour God, and in deed to strive to please people rather than God… People of lofty spirit bear insult placidly and willingly, but to hear praise and feel nothing of pleasure is possible only for the saints and for the unblameworthy… When thou hearest, that thy neighbour or friend either afront the eyes or behind the eyes slandereth thee, praise and love him… Does this not shew humility, and who can reproach himself, and be intolerant with himself? But who, having been discredited by another, would not diminish in his love for him… Whoever is exalted by natural gifts – a felicitous mind, a fine education, reading, pleasant elocution and other similar qualities, which are readily enough acquired, that person might yet never obtain to supernatural gifts. Wherefore whoever is not faithful in the small things, that one also is not faithful in the large, and is vainglorous. It often happens, that God Himself humbles the vainglorious, sending a sudden misfortune… If prayer does not destroy a proud thought, we bring to mind the leaving of the soul from this life. And if this does not help, we threaten it with the shame of the Last Judgement. ‘Rising up to humble oneself’ even here, before the future age. When praisers, or better – flatterers, start to praise us, immediately we betake ourselves to recollection of all our iniquities and we find, that we are not at all worth that which they impute to us.” —St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 22 “The whole year will be fortunate for you, not if you are drunk on the new-moon [New Year' Day], but if both on [that day] and each day, you do those things approved by God. For days come wicked and good, not from their own nature; for a day differs nothing from another day, but from our zeal and sluggishness. If you perform righteousness, then the day becomes good to you; if you perform sin, then it will be evil and full of retribution. If you contemplate these things, and are so disposed, you will consider the whole year favourable, performing prayers and charity every day; but if you are careless of virtue for yourself, and you entrust the contentment of your soul to beginnings of months and numbers of days, you will be desolate of everything good unto yourself.” —St. John Chrysostom “Let your demeanour, your dress, your walking, your sitting down, the nature of your food, the quality of your being, your house and what it contains, aim at simplicity. And let your speech, your singing, your manner with your neighbour, let these things also be in accord with humility rather than with vanity. In your words let there be no empty pretense, in your singing no excess sweetness, in conversation be not ponderous or overbearing. In everything refrain from seeking to appear important. Be a help to your friends, kind to the ones with whom you live, gentle to your servant, patient with those who are troublesome, loving towards the lowly, comforting those in trouble, visiting those in affliction, never despising anyone, gracious in friendship, cheerful in answering others, courteous, approachable to everyone, never speaking your own praises, nor getting others to speak of them, never taking part in unbecoming conversations, and concealing where you may whatever gifts you possess.” —St. Basil the Great “For what purpose does the Lord add day after day, year after year, to our existence? In order that we may gradually put away, cast aside, evil from our souls, each one his own, and acquire blessed simplicity; in order that we may become, for instance, gentle as lambs, simple as infants; in order that we may learn not to have the least attachment to earthly things, but like loving, simple children, may cling with all our hearts to God alone, and love Him with all our hearts, all our souls, all our strength, and all our thoughts, and our neighbor as ourselves. Let us hasten, therefore, to pray to the Lord, fervently and tearfully, to grant us simplicity of heart, and let us strive by every means to cast out the evil from our souls - for instance, evil suspiciousness, malevolence, malignity, malice, pride, arrogance, boastfulness, scornfulness, impatience, despondency, despair, irascibility and irritability, fearfulness and faint-heartedness, envy, avarice, gluttony, and satiety; fornication, mental and of the heart, and actual fornication; the love of money, and in general the passion for acquisition; slothfulness, disobedience, and all the dark horde of sins. Lord, without Thee we can do nothing! Bless us Thyself in this work, and give us the victory over our enemies and our passions. So be it!” —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ “If you are a scholar, a student in any educational establishment, or an official in some ministry, an officer in any of the branches of the military service, or a technologist, a painter, a sculptor, a manufacturer, a mechanic – remember that the first science for each one of you is to be a true Christian, to believe sincerely in the Holy Trinity, to converse daily with God in prayer, to take part in the Divine service, to observe the rules and regulations of the Church, and to bear in your heart, before your work, during your work, and after your work, the name of Jesus, for He is our light, our strength, our holiness, and our help.” —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ: Part II, Holy Trinity Monastery, pg . 286 “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 “Always to want your own way, becoming accustomed to having it, always to seek the easy path – all this leads straight to depression. But love, quietness, and contemplation of the inner life cleanse our hearts.” —Sayings of the Egyptian Fathers “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 “It was pride that changed angels into devils.” —St. Augustine of Hippo “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 “Time is continually passing; it is decreasing more and more. Every day that passes is another step toward death. We should know that even one tear of repentance is equivalent to a spiritual bath. Just as the body feels refreshed when it bathes, and just as clothes become clean when they are washed, similarly, the tears of a repentant soul purify the heart, purify the mind, purify the body, purify life, purify speech, and purify a person’s every action. Let us kneel and pray with extreme humility! Every repentant soul is given words: it is granted enlightened prayer.” —Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona “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 “There is yet another special, most terrible and destructive type of sin. This is blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. Even the prayers of the Church cannot help one who is found in this condition. The Apostle John the Theologian speaks of this directly when he entreats us to pray for a brother who has sinned, but points out the uselessness of prayer for the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself says that this sin – the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – is not forgiven and will not be forgiven either in this age or in the future. He pronounced these terrible words against the Pharisees who, though they clearly saw that he worked everything according to the will of God and by God's power, nevertheless distorted the truth. They perished in their own blasphemy and their example is instructive and urgent for all those who would sin mortal sin: by an obdurate and conscious adversity to the undoubted Truth and thereby blaspheming the Spirit of truth – God's Holy Spirit. We must note that even blasphemy against the Lord Jesus Christ can be forgiven man (according to His own words) since it can be committed in ignorance or temporary blindness. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit could be forgiven, says St Athanasios the Great, only if a man ceased from it and became repentant. But the very nature of the sin is such that it makes it virtually impossible for a man to return to the truth. One who is blind can regain his sight and love the one who revealed the truth to him and one who is soiled with vices and passions can be cleansed by repentance and become a confessor of the Truth, but who and what can change a blasphemer who has seen and known the Truth and who has stubbornly refused and hated it? This horrible condition is similar to the condition of the devil himself who believes in God and trembles but who nevertheless hates Him, blasphemes Him and is in adversity to Him.” —Metropolitan Philaret of New York “…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, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 7 “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 “Reflect, O brother: For this sacred food and drink, which are the Body and Blood of Christ, all our forefathers from the first-created Adam, and all the prophets hungered and thirsted, but did not receive them; but you, so distant from them by your unworthiness, partake of this Divine meal. Thank God for His unspeakable mercy, that He makes you worthy of this. And at the same time understand this also: that even if you had or shall have the purity of angels or the holiness and sanctity of St. John the Baptist– even then, without the special mercy of God, you could not be worthy of this Divine Mystery.” —Abbot Nazarius, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. II, p. 65 “… 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 “It is a wonderful thing that, no matter how much we trouble about our health, however much care we take of ourselves, whatever wholesome and pleasant food we eat, whatever wholesome drinks we drink, however much we walk in the fresh air, still, notwithstanding all this, in the end we are subjected to maladies and corruption; whilst the saints, who despised their flesh, and mortified it by continual abstinence and fasting, by lying bare on the earth, by watchfulness, labours, unceasing prayer, have made both their souls and bodies immortal.” —St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ, p. 286 “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 “True fasting lies in rejecting evil, holding one's tongue, suppressing one's hatred, and banishing one's lust, evil words, lying, and betrayal of vows.” —St. Basil the Great “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 “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 “Be like gods to the poor, imitating God's mercy. Humanity has nothing so much in common with God as the ability to do good.” —St. Gregory the Theologian “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 “When you are weary of praying and do not receive, consider how often you have heard a poor man calling, and have not listened to him.” —St. John Chrysostom “Do not ever say: ‘These beggars annoy me!’ So many millions of men live on earth and all are beggars before the Lord; emperors as well as laborers, the wealthy as well as servants, all are beggars before the Lord and the Lord never said: ‘These beggars annoy me!’” —St. Nikolai Velimirovich “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 “Be careful not to despise one of the least of these who are scorned and sick in this world. For this contempt and affront of yours doesn’t stop at those unfortunate fellows, but ascends through them to the presence of the Creator and Fashioner, whose image they bear. You will be greatly astonished in that day, if you see the Holy Spirit of God resting in them more than in your heart.” —Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Monastic Wisdom, Seventh Letter, p. 67 “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 “Blessed is the man who knows his own weakness, because this knowledge becomes to him the foundation, root, and beginning of all goodness.” —St. Isaac the Syrian “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 of Hippo “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 “Every day I lay a foundation for building my repentance, and again with my own hands I demolish it.” —St. Ephrem the Syrian “The Lord is hidden in His commandments, and He is to be found there in the measure that He is sought.” —St. Mark the Ascetic “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 “The purpose of temptations is to reveal hidden passions … so that you can battle against them in order to heal the soul. They are examples of divine mercy.” —St. Anatoly of Optina “In one day, brethren, you can gain all eternity. And in one day, brethren, you can lose all eternity. You are given thousands of days on earth to determine your own personal, eternal salvation or your own personal, eternal damnation. But blessed a hundredfold be the day in which you repent of all your unclean deeds, words and thoughts, and return to God crying out for mercy! That day will be worth more to you than a thousand other days.” —St. Nikolai Velimirovich “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 “Modern men have faith in machines, in material well-being, in the substantiality of all that seems obvious to common sense; this is a petty faith, the faith of petty men. The Christian has faith in God and the world to come, in the insubstantiality of all that is obvious, in the passing of this world and the coming of the new, transfigured world; if there is a faith worthy of men, it is surely this.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina, The Orthodox Word, No. 128, 1986 “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."” —St. 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 of Hippo “Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.” —St. Augustine of Hippo “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 “A Christian without a cross is no Christian at all.” —St. John of Kronstadt “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 “A Christian should avoid unhealthy religiosity: both the feeling of superiority due to virtue, and the feeling of inferiority due to sinfulness.” —St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia “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 “The genuineness of a friend is shown at a time of trial, if he shares the distress you suffer.” —St. Thalassios the Libyan “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 “Do not do anything without signing yourself with the sign of the Cross! When you depart on a journey, when you begin your work, when you go to study, when you are alone, and when you are with other people, seal yourself with the Holy Cross on your forehead, your body, your chest, your heart, your lips, your eyes, your ears. All of you should be sealed with the sign of Christ's victory over hell. Then you will no longer be afraid of charms, evil spirits, or sorcery, because these are dissolved by the power of the Cross like wax before fire and like dust before the wind.” —Archimandrite Cleopas (Ilie) of Romania “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 “Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbours, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness or unforgiveness of your sins, then, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself. For without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how serious it is.” —St. Tikhon of Zadonsk “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 “For animals, man is like God. Just as we ask God for help, they ask man for help.” —St. Paisios of Mt. Athos “Concepts create idols; only wonder comprehends anything. People kill one another over idols. Wonder makes us fall to our knees.” —St. Gregory of Nyssa “…it is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery. God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of our wonder.” —Kallistos Ware “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 “Leave behind the senses and the operations of the intellect, and all things sensible and intellectual, and all things in the world of being and non-being, that thou mayest arise by unknowing towards the union, as far as is attainable, with Him who transcends all knowledge.” —St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Mystical Theology “Supernal Triad, Deity above all essence, knowledge and goodness, Guide of Christians to Divine Wisdom: direct our path to the ultimate summit of Thy mystical Lore, most incomprehensible, most luminous and most exalted, where the pure, absolute and immutable mysteries of theology are veiled in the dazzling obscurity of the secret Silence, outshining all brilliance with the intensity of their Darkness, and surcharging our blinded intellects with the utterly impalpable and invisible fairness of glories surpassing all beauty.” —St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Mystical Theology “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 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 chinks of contemplation, He does not speak to us, but whispers, in that though He does not fully develope Himself, yet something of Himself He does reveal to the mind of man. But then He no longer whispers at all, but 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 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 His 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 hastily and slightly. But we must bear in mind, that in proportion as the soul being lifted up contemplates His Excellency, so being held back it shrinks from His Righteous Perfectness.” —St. Gregory the Great (Gregory the Dialogist), Book V, Sec. 52, Morals on the Book of Job “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 “When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God's feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. 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 “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.” —St. Paisios of Mt. Athos “The fundamental Christian eschatology has been destroyed by either the optimism leading to the Utopia, or by the pessimism leading to the Escape. If there are two heretical words in the Christian vocabulary, they would be "optimism" and "pessimism." These two things are utterly anti-biblical and anti-Christian.” —Fr. Alexander Schmemann “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 “Everything in this life passes away – only God remains, 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 of Hippo “‘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
“What hinders you from fulfilling Christ’s commandments?“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,But he who heeds counsel is wise.” —Proverbs 12:15
The flesh and the world: that “There 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 way that which appertains seems right to thema man, that But its end is, money, food, drink, their favour, their good opinion and good word, and flattering themthe way of death.” —Proverbs 14:12
Therefore fight against every worldly enticement“Pride goes before destruction, 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-lovingAnd a haughty spirit before a fall.” —St. John of Kronstadt—Proverbs 16:18
“Let us be satisfied simply with what sustains our present lifeanother man praise you, and 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 livingyour own mouth;A stranger, and not be guilty of living for the sake of eating. The first is a sign of intelligence, the second proof of its absenceyour own lips.” —St. Maximus the Confessor—Proverbs 27:2
“[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 “Open rebuke 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 FaithbetterThan love carefully concealed."
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", Faithful are reduced to senseless and pernicious chauvinism. If "Serbianism" flourishes not by the power wounds 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 righteousnessfriend, does it exist, and itself becomes and remains eternal. Only such patriotism can be justified from an evangelical point of view. This is But the patriotism kisses of the holy apostles, the holy martyrs, the holy fathersan enemy are deceitful. When the emperor” —Proverbs 27:5-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)6
The blessed Metropolitan Anthony is the most gifted contemporary representative of Russian Orthodox nationalism, “If a nationalism consecrated and enlightened by Christ; a nationalism by which all men are brothers in Christ; wise man contends with a nationalism by which the mighty must serve the weakfoolish man, Whether the wise the unwise, the humble the proudfool rages or laughs, 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 there is his affinity to divinity, and his homeland is virtueno peace."” —St. Justin Popovich—Proverbs 29:9
“Worldly glory does not lead God's children to heaven“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.” —St. Raphael—Ecclesiastes 1:2, the Newly-revealed Martyr of Lesvos14
“Satan has no need to tempt those “For in much wisdom is much grief,And he who tempt themselves, and are continually dragged down by worldly affairsincreases knowledge increases sorrow.” —St. John of Karpathos—Ecclesiastes 1:18
“The devil does not hunt after those who are lost; he hunts after those who are awarework of righteousness will be peace, those who are close to God. He takes from them trust in God And the effect of righteousness, quietness and begins to afflict them with self-assurance, logic, thinking, criticism. Therefore we should not trust our logical mindsforever.” —Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos—Isaiah 32:17
“Only He is worth struggling towards. We have a choice: to follow “Children’s children are the way crown of this worldold men, of And the society that surrounds us, and thereby find ourselves outside glory of God; or to choose the way of life, to choose God Who calls us and for Whom our heart children is searchingtheir father.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina—Proverbs 17:6
“Let the hearing of worldly tales be to you as a bitter taste “The righteous man walks in your mouth, but the discourse of holy men as a honeycombhis integrity;His children are blessed after him.” —St. Basil the Great—Proverbs 20:7
“All “The father of the things of this world are no more than earth. Place them in righteous will greatly rejoice,And he who begets a heap under your feet and you wise child will be so much nearer to heavendelight in him.” —Josemaria Escriva—Proverbs 23:24
“A “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 dedicated himself once and for all to God goes through life his quiver full of them;They shall not be ashamed,But shall speak with a restful mindtheir enemies in the gate.” —St. Isaac the Syrian—Psalm 127:3-5
“Do you seek any further reward beyond that “The sons of having pleased God? In truthwisdom are the church of the just: and their generation, you know not how great a good it is to please Him.” —Stobedience and love. John Chrysostom
“Faith is to believe what you do not see; Children, hear the reward judgment of this faith is to see what your father, and so do that you believe.” —Stmay be saved. Augustine
“‘You shall love For God hath made the father honourable to the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, children: and with all your mind.’ This is seeking the first and great commandment. And judgment of the second is like mothers, hath confirmed it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all upon the Law and the Prophetschildren.” —Matthew 22:37-40
“And Thomas answered He that loves God, shall obtain pardon for his sins by prayer, and said to Himshall refrain himself from them, "My Lord and my God!"” —John 20:28shall be heard in the prayer of days.
“For the Father judges no And he that honours his mother is as 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 Himlays up a treasure.” —John 5:22-23
“But I say to youHe that honours his father shall have joy in his own children, 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 5:44in the day of his prayer he shall be heard.
“The fool has said in He that honours his heartfather shall enjoy a long life: and he that obeys the father,‘There is no God.’They are corrupt,They have done abominable works,There is none who does goodshall be a comfort to his mother.” —Psalm 14:1
“Trust in He that fears the Lord with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding;honours his parents, and will serve them as his masters that brought him into the world.” —Proverbs —Sirach 3:51-8
“Hatred stirs up strife“But Jesus said,But love covers all sins‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” —Proverbs 10’” —Matthew 19:1214
“When pride comes“Reflect on the statutes of the Lord, then comes shame;But with the humble and meditate at all times on his commandments.It is he who will give insight to your mind,and your desire for wisdomwill be granted.” —Proverbs 11—Sirach 6:237
“The way of a fool “Childless with virtue is better than this,For immortality is right in his own eyes,its memory;But he who heeds counsel Because it is wiseknown both by God and by man.” —Proverbs 12—Wisdom of Solomon 4:151
“There is a way that seems right to a man,But its end is the way of death“Jesus wept.” —Proverbs 14—John 11:1235
“Pride goes before destruction“Blessed are the poor in spirit,And a haughty spirit before a fallFor theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” —Proverbs 16:18Blessed are those who mourn,For they shall be comforted.“Let another man praise youBlessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and not your own mouth;thirst for righteousness,A strangerFor they shall be filled.Blessed are the merciful, and not your own lipsFor 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.” —Proverbs 27—Matthew 5:23-10
“Open rebuke is betterThan love carefully concealed“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
Faithful are the wounds “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of a friendstripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given,But from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the kisses of an enemy are deceitfulmore.” —Proverbs 27—Luke 12:5-648
“If a wise man contends with a foolish man“Then Abraham answered and said,Whether ‘Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the fool rages or laughs, there is no peaceLord.” —Proverbs 29’” —Genesis 18:927
“Vanity of vanities“The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, all is vanity. … I have seen all the works am not worthy that are done You should come under the sun; and indeedmy roof. But only speak a word, all is vanity and grasping for the windmy servant will be healed.” —Ecclesiastes 1’” —Matthew 8:2,148
“For in “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much wisdom is much griefas raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God,And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” —Ecclesiastes 1be merciful to me a sinner!’” —Luke 18:1813
“The work of righteousness will be peace,And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever“Pray without ceasing.” —Isaiah 32—1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Children’s children are the crown “This is a faithful saying and worthy of old menall acceptance,And that Christ Jesus came into the glory world to save sinners, of children is their fatherwhom I am chief.” —Proverbs 17—1 Timothy 1:615
“The righteous man walks in his integrity;His children are blessed after him.” —Proverbs 20“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” —Romans 3:723
“The father of the righteous “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will greatly rejoicebuild My church,And he who begets a wise child will delight in himand the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” —Proverbs 23—Matthew 16:2418
“Behold, children are a heritage from “Go therefore and make disciples of all the Lordnations,The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows baptizing them in the hand name of a warrior,So are the children Father and of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full Son and of them;They shall not be ashamed,But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” —Psalm 127Holy Spirit…” —Matthew 28:3-519
“The sons “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of wisdom are you be baptized in the church name of Jesus Christ for the just: remission of sins; and their generation, obedience and loveyou shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."” —Acts 2:38
Children“Jesus said to them, hear the judgment of your father‘Most assuredly, and so do that I say to you may be saved, before Abraham was, I AM.’” —John 8:58
For God hath made “But when the father honourable Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the children: and seeking Father, the judgment Spirit of truth who proceeds from the mothersFather, hath confirmed it upon the childrenHe will testify of Me.” —John 15:26
He that loves God“that they all may be one, as You, shall obtain pardon for his sins by prayerFather, and shall refrain himself from themare in Me, and shall I in You; that they also may be heard one in Us, that the prayer of daysworld 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 he that honours his mother is as one that lays up a treasurewhen 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 that honours his father shall have joy in his own children, and in the day of his prayer he shall be heardHimself was about to go.” —Luke 10:1
He “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that honours his father shall enjoy a long life: we should leave the word of God and he that obeys serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the fatherHoly Spirit and wisdom, shall be a comfort whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to his motherprayer and to the ministry of the word."” —Acts 6:2-4
He that fears “Now on the Lordfirst day of the week, honours his parentswhen the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and will serve them as continued his masters that brought him into the worldmessage until midnight.” —Sirach 3—Acts 20:1-87
“But Jesus said“Most assuredly, ‘Let the little children come I say to Meyou, and do not forbid them; for unless you eat the flesh of such is the kingdom Son of heavenMan 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 day. 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.’” —Matthew 19“ —John 6:1453-56
“Reflect on “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the statutes communion of the Lordblood of Christ? The bread which we break,and meditate at all times on his commandments.It is he who will give insight to your mindit not the communion of the body of Christ? For we,though many, are one bread and your desire one body; for wisdom will be grantedwe all partake of that one bread.” —Sirach 6“ —1 Corinthians 10:3716-17
“Childless with virtue “Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is better than convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider thisin himself,that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s. For immortality is in its memory;Because it is known both by God even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and by man.” —Wisdom of Solomon 4not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed…” —2 Corinthians 10:17-8
“Jesus wept“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” —John —Ephesians 5:11:35
“Blessed are the poor in spirit“What does it profit, my brethren,For theirs if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is the kingdom naked and destitute of heaven.Blessed are those who mourndaily food,For they shall be comforted.Blessed are the meekand one of you says to them,For they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness“Depart in peace,For they shall be warmed and filled.Blessed are ,” but you do not give them the merciful,For they shall obtain mercy.Blessed things which are needed for the pure in heartbody,For they shall see God.Blessed are the peacemakerswhat does it profit? Thus also faith by itself,For they shall be called sons of God.Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sakeif it does not have works,For theirs is the kingdom of heavendead.” —Matthew 5—James 2:314-1017
“Therefore submit to God. Resist “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the devil tree bad and he will flee from youits fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Draw near to God and He will draw near to Brood of vipers! How can you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your heartsbeing evil, you double-mindedspeak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in A good man out of the sight good treasure of the Lordhis heart brings forth good things, and He will lift you upan evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” —James 4—Matthew 12:733-1035
“But he who did “For a good tree does not knowbear bad fruit, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with fewnor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For everyone to whom much every tree is givenknown by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from him much will be requireda bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and to whom much has been committed, an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of him they will ask the moreheart his mouth speaks.” —Luke 126:4843-45
“Then Abraham answered “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and said, ‘Indeed nowcursing. My brethren, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself these things ought not to speak to the Lordbe so.’” —Genesis 18” —James 3:2710
“The centurion answered and said“But above all, ‘Lordmy brethren, I am do not worthy that You should come under my roofswear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But only speak a wordlet your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes, ’ and my servant will be healedyour ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment.’” —Matthew 8” —James 5:812
“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast“Let such a person consider this, saying, ‘Godthat what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be merciful to me a sinner!’” —Luke 18in deed when we are present.” —2 Corinthians 10:1311
“Pray without ceasing“So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.” —1 Thessalonians 5—Acts 8:1730-31
“This “…but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is a faithful saying and worthy the church of all acceptancethe living God, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, pillar and ground of whom I am chiefthe truth.” —1 Timothy 13:15
“for all have sinned and fall short of “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the glory of God…” —Romans 3world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” —John 21:2325
“And “Before I also say to formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you that were born I sanctified you are Peter, and on this rock ; I will build My church, and ordained you a prophet to the gates of Hades shall not prevail against itnations.” —Matthew 16—Jeremiah 1:185
“Go therefore and make disciples of all “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the nationsbelievers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” —Matthew 28purity.” —1 Timothy 4:1912
“Then Peter said “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to themthe hand, "RepentI have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, and let every one "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 baptized 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 name of Jesus Christ body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the remission of sinsmembers suffer with it; and you shall receive the gift of or if one member is honored, all the Holy Spiritmembers rejoice with it."” —Acts 2:38
“Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to “Now youare the body of Christ, before Abraham was, I AMand members individually.’” —John 8And God has appointed these in the church…” —1 Corinthians 12:5820-28
“But when “Do not remove 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 Meancient landmarkWhich your fathers have set.” —John 15—Proverbs 22:2628
“that they all may be one“For I know this, as Youthat after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, Fathernot sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, are in Mespeaking perverse things, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that to draw away the world may believe that You sent Medisciples after themselves.” —John 17—Acts 20:2129-30
“I “Reject a divisive man after the first and My Father are onesecond admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.” —John —Titus 3:10:30-11
“Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, 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 thisdepart from that house or city, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw shake off the Lorddust from your feet.” —Matthew 10:14
“So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent “And in vain they worship Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive Teaching as doctrines the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins commandments of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retainedmen."” —John 20—Matthew 15:19-239
“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also “Obey those who rule over you, and sent be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them two by two before His face into every city do so with joy and place where He Himself was about to gonot with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” —Luke 10—Hebrews 13:117
“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“Therefore, brethren, seek out from among stand fast and hold the traditions which you seven men of good reputationwere taught, 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 whether by wordor our epistle."” —Acts 6—2 Thessalonians 2:2-415
“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“For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” —Hebrews 13—Matthew 12:178
“Now on “Having wiped out the first day handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the weekway, when having nailed it to the disciples came together to break breadcross.” —Colossians 2:14 “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, Paulor regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ready which are a shadow of things to depart come, but the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnightsubstance is of Christ.” —Acts 20—Colossians 2:716-17
“Most assuredly“…where there is neither Greek nor Jew, I say to youcircumcised nor uncircumcised, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His bloodbarbarian, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal lifeScythian, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeedslave nor free, and My blood but Christ is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, all and I in himall.“ —John 6” —Colossians 3:53-5611
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it “For sin shall not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we breakhave dominion over you, is it for you are 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 breadunder law but under grace.“ —1 Corinthians 10” —Romans 6:16-1714
“Do you look at things according “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that Lord; and he is Christ’swho does not observe the day, let him again consider this in himself, that just as to the Lord he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’sdoes not observe it. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authorityHe who eats, which eats to the Lord gave us , for edification he gives God thanks; and he who does not for your destructioneat, I shall to the Lord he does not be ashamed…” —2 Corinthians 10eat, and gives God thanks.” —Romans 14:75-86
“And have no fellowship with “…and to the unfruitful works Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law.” —1 Corinthians 9:20 “For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of darknessthe saints, but rather expose themalso is abounding through many thanksgivings to God.” —Ephesians 5—2 Corinthians 9:1112
“What does it profit“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, my brethrenin that they received the word with all readiness, 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 searched the Scriptures daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the find out whether these things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is deadwere so.” —James 2—Acts 17:14-1711
“Either make “So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the tree good prophet Isaiah, and its fruit goodsaid, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can "Do you understand what you, being evil, speak good thingsare reading? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."” —Matthew 12—Acts 8:33-3530
“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs “So they read distinctly from thornsthe book, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of in the good treasure Law of his heart brings forth goodGod; and an evil man out of they gave the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of sense, and helped them to understand the heart his mouth speaksreading.” —Luke 6—Nehemiah 8:43-458
“Out of “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the same mouth proceed blessing church and cursingtaught a great many people. My brethren, these things ought not to be soAnd the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” —James 3—Acts 11:1026
“But above all, my brethren“Beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘Nobelieve every spirit,’ ‘Nobut test the spirits,’ lest you fall whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into judgmentthe world.” —James 5—1 John 4:121
“Let such a person consider this“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that what we are in word by letters when we are absentthey might be made manifest, such we will also be in deed when we are presentthat none of them were of us.” —2 Corinthians 10—1 John 2:1119
“…but if I am delayed“…for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, I write so that strife, and divisions among you may know how , are you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar not carnal and ground of the truth.behaving like mere men?” —1 Timothy Corinthians 3:153
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you ? Or were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to baptized in the nations.name of Paul?” —Jeremiah —1 Corinthians 1:513
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to the believers in word, in conduct, in lovedesolation, in spirit, in faith, in purityand every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” —1 Timothy 4—Matthew 12:1225
“But now indeed there “Do you not know that you are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need temple of you"; nor again the head to God and that the feet, "I have no need Spirit of God dwells in you." No, much rather, those members of ? If anyone defiles the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members temple of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modestyGod, 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 anotherwill destroy him. And if one member suffers, all For the members suffer with it; or if one member temple of God is honoredholy, all the members rejoice with itwhich temple you are.” —1 Corinthians 3:16-17
“Now I plead with you are , brethren, by the body name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and members individually. And God has appointed these that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the church…” same judgment.” —1 Corinthians 121:20-2810
“Do “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not remove have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the ancient landmarkWhich your fathers have setthrone of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Proverbs 22—Hebrews 4:2814-16
“For “Therefore I know thisalso, that after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my departure savage wolves will come prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in among the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that youmay know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, not sparing according to the flock. Also working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from among yourselves men will rise upthe dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, speaking perverse thingsand every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to draw away the disciples after themselvescome.” —Acts 20:29-30
“Reject a divisive man after And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the first and second admonitionchurch, knowing that such a person which is warped and sinningHis body, being self-condemnedthe fullness of Him who fills all in all.” —Titus 3—Ephesians 1:1015-1123
“And whoever will not receive “…endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you nor hear were called in one hope of your wordscalling; one Lord, when you depart from that house or cityone faith, shake off the dust from your feet.one baptism;” —Matthew 10—Ephesians 4:143-5
“And in vain they worship Me“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of menwhich is Jesus Christ.” —Matthew 15—1 Corinthians 3:911
“Therefore“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, brethren, stand fast but Christ lives in me; and hold the traditions life which you were taughtI now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, whether by word or our epistlewho loved me and gave Himself for me.” —2 Thessalonians —Galatians 2:1520
“For “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the Son of Man is Lord even right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the Sabbathearth.” —Matthew 12—Colossians 3:81-2
“Having wiped out “If the handwriting of requirements world hates you, you know that was against us, which was contrary to usit hated Me before it hated you. And He has taken it out If you were of the wayworld, having nailed it to the crossworld would love its own.” —Colossians 2:14 “So let no one judge Yet because you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow not of things to comethe world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the substance is of Christworld hates you.” —Colossians 2—John 15:1618-1719
“…where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” —Colossians 3“Thus says the Lord:11
“For sin shall not have dominion over you"Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,And walk in it;Then you are will find rest for your souls.But they said, ‘We will not under law but under gracewalk in it.’"” —Romans —Jeremiah 6:1416
“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike“I pray for them. Let each be fully convinced in his own mindI do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. He who observes the dayAnd all Mine are Yours, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the dayYours are Mine, to and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the Lord he does not observe it. He who eatsworld, eats to but these are in the Lordworld, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eatI come to You. Holy Father, to the Lord he does not eatkeep through Your name those whom You have given Me, and gives God thanksthat they may be one as We are.” —Romans 14—John 17:59-611
“…and “The Lord is my shepherd;I shall not want.He makes me to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jewslie down in green pastures; to those who are under He leads me beside the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the lawstill waters.” —1 Corinthians 9:20 He restores my soul;“For He leads me in the administration paths of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to GodrighteousnessFor His name’s sake.” —2 Corinthians 9:12
“These were more fair-minded than those in ThessalonicaYea, in that they received though I walk through the valley of the word shadow of death,I will fear no evil;For You are with all readinessme;Your rod and Your staff, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were sothey comfort me.” —Acts 17:11
“So Philip ran to him, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;You anoint my head with oil;My cup runs over.Surely goodness and heard him reading mercy shall follow meAll the days of my life;And I will dwell in the house of the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"LordForever.” —Acts 8:30—Psalm 23
“So they read distinctly from the book“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the readingAnd saves such as have a contrite spirit.” —Nehemiah 8—Psalm 34:818
“And when he had found him“O Lord, he brought him to Antiochdo not rebuke me in Your wrath,Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!For Your arrows pierce me deeply,And Your hand presses me down.For my iniquities have gone over my head;My wounds are foul and festeringBecause of my foolishness. So it was that for Like a whole year heavy burden they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antiochare too heavy for me.Do not forsake me, O Lord;O my God, be not far from me!Make haste to help me,O Lord, my salvation!” —Acts 11—Psalm 38:261,2,4,5,21,22
“Beloved“Be still, do not believe every spirit, but test and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the spiritsnations, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into I will be exalted in the world.earth!” —1 John 4—Psalm 46:110
“They went out “Truly my soul finds rest in God;my salvation comes from ushim.Truly he is my rock and my salvation;he is my fortress, but they were not of us; for if they had been of usI will never be shaken.One thing God has spoken, they would two things I have continued heard:"Power belongs to you, God,and with usyou, Lord, is unfailing love"; but and, "You reward everyoneaccording to what they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of ushave done."” —1 John —Psalm 62:1-2:19,11,12
“…for you are still carnal. For where there are “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, strifeis not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, and divisions among youis not provoked, are you thinks no evil; does not carnal and behaving like mere men?rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” —1 Corinthians 313:34-8
“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?his friends.” —1 Corinthians 1—John 15:13
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation“By this all will know that you are My disciples, and every city or house divided against itself will not standif you have love for one another.” —Matthew 12—John 13:2535
“Do you not know “But of that you are the temple of God day and that hour no one knows, not even the Spirit angels of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles heaven, but My Father only. But as the temple days of GodNoah were, God so also will destroy himthe 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 temple ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of God is holy, which temple you areMan be.” —1 Corinthians 3—Matthew 24:1636-1739
“Now I plead with you“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, brethren‘Come, by the name you blessed of our Lord Jesus ChristMy Father, that inherit the kingdom prepared for you all speak from the same thing, 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 that there be no divisions among you, but that clothed Me; I was sick and you be perfectly joined together visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ And the same mind King will answer and in say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the same judgmentleast of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” —1 Corinthians 1’” —Matthew 25:1034-36,40
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through “…that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the heavens, Jesus evil and on the Son of Godgood, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to and sends rain on the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy just and find grace to help in time of needon the unjust.” —Hebrews 4—Matthew 5:14-1645
“Therefore I also“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, comes down from the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Himlights, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what with whom there is the hope no variation or shadow of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to cometurning.” —James 1:17
And He put all things under His feet“Most assuredly, and gave Him I say to be head over all things to the church, which is His bodyyou, the fullness of Him he who fills all believes in allMe has everlasting life.” —Ephesians 1—John 6:15-2347
“…endeavoring “Jesus spoke to keep them again, saying, 'I am the unity light of the Spirit world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the bond light of peacelife. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;'” —Ephesians 4—John 8:3-512
“For no other foundation can “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone lay than loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” —1 John 2:15-17 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is laidyour reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, which that you may prove what is Jesus Christthat good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” —1 Corinthians 3—Romans 12:111-2
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and “They are of the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in world. Therefore they speak as of the Son of Godworld, who loved me and gave Himself for methe world hears them.” —Galatians 2—1 John 4:205
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at “For what will it profit a man if he gains the right hand of God. Set your mind on things abovewhole world, not on things on the earth.and loses his own soul?” —Colossians 3—Mark 8:1-236
“If “For God so loved the world hates youthat He gave His only begotten Son, you know that it hated Me before it hated youwhoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. If you were of For God did not send His Son into the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of to condemn the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore that the world hates youthrough Him might be saved.” —John 153:1816-1917
“Thus “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 LordSon 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
"Stand “To have faith in Christ means more than simply despising the ways and seedelights of this life. It means we should bear all our daily trials that may bring us sorrow,And ask for the old pathsdistress, where the good way isor unhappiness,And walk in it;Then you will find rest and bear them patiently for your soulsas long as God wishes and until He comes to visit us.But they For it is said, ‘We will not walk in it‘I waited on the Lord and He came to me.’” —St.’"” —Jeremiah 6:16Symeon the New Theologian
“I pray for them“Anyone who truly wants to follow God must be free from the bonds of attachment to this life. I To do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Methis we must make a complete break with our old way of life. Indeed, for they are Yours. And unless we avoid all Mine are Yours, obsession with the body and Yours are Minewith the concerns of this world, and I am glorified we shall never succeed in thempleasing God. Now I am no longer We must depart as it were to another world in our way of thinking, as the world, but these are Apostle said: ‘Our citizenship is in heaven’.” —St. Basil the worldGreat, and I come Gateway to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ” —John 17:9-11Paradise
“The Lord “For our citizenship is my shepherd;I shall not want.He makes me to lie down in green pastures;He leads me beside heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the still waters.He restores my soul;He leads me in Savior, the paths of righteousnessFor Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His name’s sakeglorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” —Philippians 3:20-21
Yea“Therefore it was not one man, though I walk through but rather the valley of One Universal Church, that received these 'keys' and the shadow of death,I will fear no evil;For You are with me;Your rod right 'to bind and Your staff, they comfort meloosen.'” —St.Augustine of Hippo
You prepare a table before me in “The Lord calls the Holy Spirit the presence 'voice of my enemies;You anoint my head with oil;My cup runs overa gentle breeze'.Surely goodness For God is breath, and mercy shall follow meAll the days breath of my life;And I will dwell in the house of the LordForeverwind is shared by all.” —Psalm 23—St. Maximus the Confessor
“The Lord “Nothing is near to those who have a broken heart,And saves such so characteristically Christian as have being a contrite spiritpeacemaker.” —Psalm 34:18—St. Basil the Great
“Be still“Now there is no more chaos, and know no more death, no more slaying, no more Hell. Now everything is joy, thanks to the resurrection of our Christ. Human nature is resurrected with Him. Now we too can rise again that I am God;I will be exalted among we might live with Him eternally … What bliss is contained in the nationsResurrection! In every sorrow, with every failure, in anything that causes you pain,I collect yourself for half a minute and slowly say this hymn. Then, you will be exalted see that the most important thing in your life and in the earth!life of the entire universe has already been accomplished with the resurrection of Christ. It is our salvation. And then, you realize that all our setbacks are so insignificant, that you don’t need to allow them to spoil your mood.” —Psalm 46:10—Elder Porphryios
“Truly my soul finds rest in God“Let no one fear death;my salvation comes from him.Truly he is my rock and my salvation;he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.One thing God for the death of the Savior has spoken,two things I have heard:"Power belongs to you, God,and with you, Lord, is unfailing love";and, "You reward everyoneaccording to what they have doneset us free."” —Psalm 62:1-2,11,12—St. John Chrysostom
“Love suffers long and “He who is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provokedinitiated into the mystery of the Resurrection, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in learns the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures end for which God created all things. Love never fails” —St.” —1 Corinthians 13:4-8Maximus the Confessor
“Greater love has no one than this“This bread is at first common bread; but when the Mystery sancifies it, than to lay down one’s life for his friendsIt is called, and actually becomes the Body of Christ.” —John 15:13—St. Gregory of Nyssa
“By this all will know “Since Christ Himself has said, ‘This is My Body’ who shall dare to doubt that you are My disciples, if you have love for one anotherIt is His Body?” —St.” —John 13:35Cyril of Jerusalem
“But of that day “You freed me from slavery, gave me Your Name and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah weremarked me with Your Blood, 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 that I would always keep You 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 bemy heart.” —Matthew 24:36-39—St. Augustine of Hippo
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father“When someone opens your heart, 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 'd like him to Mefind nothing there but Christ.’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one ” —Elder Amphilochios of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” —Matthew 25:34-36,40Patmos
“…that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil “Think nothing and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjustdo nothing without a purpose directed to God. For to journey without direction is wasted effort.” —Matthew 5:45—St. Mark the Ascetic
“Every good gift and every perfect gift “To fall in love with God is from abovethe greatest romance; to seek Him, and comes down from the Father of lightsgreatest adventure; to find Him, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turningthe greatest achievement.” —James 1:17—St. Augustine of Hippo
“Most assuredly“Love bestows prophecy; love yields miracles; love is an abyss of illumination; love is a fountain of fire, I say to youin the measure that it wells up, he who believes in Me has everlasting lifeit inflames the thirsty soul. Love is the state of angels. Love is the progress of eternity.” —John 6:47—St. John Climacus
“Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am “The end of each discovery becomes the starting point for the light discovery of something higher, and the worldascent continues. Thus our ascent is unending. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light We go from beginning to beginning by way of lifebeginnings without end.'” —John 8:12—St. Gregory of Nyssa
“Do not love the world or the things in the world“He who forsakes all worldly desires sets himself above all worldly distress. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” —St. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does Maximus the will of God abides forever.” —1 John 2:15-17Confessor
“I beseech you therefore“He is with me, brethren, by He who left the mercies of God, that you world behind. He is present your bodies a living sacrificein me, holyHe who left His nature. He dwells in me, acceptable to God, which He who denied Himself. He is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this worldwholly for me, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of GodHe who lost His life for me.” —Romans 12:1-2—St. Ambrose of Milan
“They are “You brought us into being out of the world. Therefore they speak as of the worldnothing, and the world hears themwhen we fell, You raised us up again.” —1 — St. John 4:5Chrysostom
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, “You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven and loses his own soul?granted us Your kingdom to come.” —Mark 8:36—St. John Chrysostom
“For You are God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Sonineffable, beyond comprehension, invisible, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the worldbeyond understanding, but that existing forever and always the world through Him might be savedsame.” —John 3:16-17—St. John Chrysostom
“For “Brethren, He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feetis near each one of us, even if unseen. The last enemy that will be destroyed That is death. For 'why He has put all things under His feet.' But said to the apostles when He says 'all things are put under 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,' it as He is with us, and do what is evident that He who put all things under pleasing before Him is excepted. Now when all things If we are made subject unable now to perceive Himwith our physical eyes, we can, if we are watchful, then see Him continuously with the Son Himself will also be subject to eyes of our understanding, and not just see Him, but reap great benefits from Him who put . This vision destroys all things under Himsin, that God may be 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 allthis will I be confident’ (Ps. 27:3).” —1 Corinthians 15:25-28—St. Gregory of Palamas, Homily 23, The Appearance of Jesus
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior“Why do men learn through pain and suffering, the Lord Jesus Christnot pleasure and happiness? Very simply, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed pleasure and happiness accustom one to His glorious bodysatisfaction with things in this world, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things whereas pain and suffering drive one to Himselfseek more profound happiness beyond limitations of this world.” —Philippians 3:20-21—Fr. Seraphim Rose of Platina
“Therefore it was “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 one mancurse them.They, but 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 One Universal Churchworld 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 received these 'keys' 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 right 'world except himself.One hates his enemies only when he fails to bind 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 loosenenemies.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. AugustineNikolai Velimirovich, Prayers by the Lake, For Enemies, Prayer LXXV
“The “For all the sins of men I repent before You, Most Merciful Lord calls . Indeed, the Holy Spirit seed of all sins flows in my blood! With my effort and Your mercy I choke this wicked crop of weeds day and night, so that no tare may sprout in the 'voice field of the Lord, but only pure wheat. (Matt. 13:24-30.)I repent for all those who are worried, who stagger under a gentle breeze'burden of worries and do not know that they should put all their worries on You. For feeble man even the most minor worry is unbearable, but for You a mountain of worries is like a snowball thrown into a fiery furnace.I repent for all the sick, for sickness is the fruit of sin. When the soul is cleansed with repentance, sickness disappears with sin, and You, my Eternal Health, take up Your abode in the soul.I repent for unbelievers, who through their unbelief amass worries and sicknesses both on themselves and on their friends.I repent for all those who blaspheme God is breath, who blaspheme against You without knowing that they are blaspheming against the Master, who clothes them and feeds them.I repent for all the slayers of men, who take the life of another to preserve their own. Forgive them, Most Merciful Lord, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34) For they do not know that there are not two lives in the universe, but one, and that there are not two men in the universe, but one. Ah, how dead are those who cut the breath heart in half!I repent for all those who bear false witness, for in reality they are homicides and suicides.For all my brothers who are thieves and who are hoarders of unneeded wealth I weep and sigh, for they have buried their soul and have nothing with which to go forth before You.For all the wind is shared by arrogant and the boastful I weep and sigh, for before You they are like beggars with empty pockets.For all drunkards and gluttons I weep and sigh, for they have become servants of their servants.For alladulterers I repent, for they have betrayed the trust.” —Stof the Holy Spirit, who chose them to form new life through them. Instead, they turned serving life into destroying life. Maximus For all gossipers I repent, for they have turned Your most precious gift, the Confessorgift of speech, into cheap sand.For all those who destroy their neighbor’s hearth and home and their neighbor’s peace I repent and sigh, for they bring a curse on themselves and their people.For all lying tongues, for all suspicious eyes, for all raging hearts, for all insatiable stomachs, for all darkened minds, for all ill will, for all unseemly thoughts, for all murderous emotions–I repent, weep and sigh.“Nothing For all the history of mankind from Adam to me, a sinner, I repent; for all history is in my blood. For I am in Adam and Adam is so characteristically Christian as being a peacemakerin me.For all the worlds, large and small, that do not tremble before Your awesome presence, I weep and cry out: O Master Most Merciful, have mercy on me and save me!” —St. Basil Nikolai Velimirovich, Prayers by the Lake, Repentance for the GreatWorld, Prayer XXIX
“Now there is no more chaos“O Lord, no more death, no more slaying, no more HellGrant me to greet the coming day in peace.Help me in all thingsto rely upon Thy Holy Will. Now everything is joyIn every hour of the day, thanks reveal Thy will to the resurrection of our Christme. Human nature is resurrected Bless my dealings with Himall who surround me. Now we too can rise again Teach me to treat all that we might live comes to methroughout the day with Him eternally … What bliss is contained in the Resurrection! In every sorrowpeace of soul, and with every failure, in anything firm convictionthat causes you painThy will governs all.In all my deeds and words, collect yourself for half a minute guide my thoughts and slowly say this hymnfeelings. ThenIn unforeseen events, you will see let me not forgetthat the most important thing in your life all are sent by Thee.Teach me to act firmly and wisely,without embittering and in embarrassing others.Give me strength to bear the life fatigueof the entire universe has already been accomplished coming day with the resurrection of Christall that it shall bring. It is our salvationDirect my will. And then, you realize that all our setbacks are so insignificant, that you don’t need Teach me to allow them to spoil your moodpray.Pray Thou Thyself in me.Amen.” —Elder Porphryios—St. Philaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan of Moscow, The Morning Prayer of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow
“Let no one “In that anxious and dreadful hour when the heavenly powers are roused, when all the angels, archangels, seraphim and cherubim will stand with fear death; for and trembling before Thy glory, when the foundations of the death 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 Savior 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 set us free.desired to save a sinner according to the great compassion of His mercy!” —St. John ChrysostomEphrem the Syrian
“He who “If there is initiated into the mystery any rest for us in this world, then it consists only in purity of the Resurrection, learns conscience and patience. This is a harbor for us who sail upon the end for which God created all things.” sea of life…” —St. Maximus the ConfessorTikhon of Zadonsk
“Since “I would like to address all believers of our church of Christ Himself has said, "This is My Body" who shall dare to doubt that It is His Body?” —St. Cyril of Jerusalem
“You freed me from slaveryDon't be afraid of anything. Be steadfast in your love for God. Keep the purity of the Holy Orthodox Faith, it is the way that leads man to God! Love one another, tolerate one another, gave me Your Name help one another. Evil will pass – and marked me with Your Bloodgood will live forever. If we endure everything, so that I would always keep You live in my heartlove for all and among ourselves, then no evil will defeat us.” —StGod is a God of strength, and evil has no power. We will live with God – and we will be joyful, happy and blessed. Augustine
“When someone opens your heart, Iknow that Our church of Christ will be till the end of the world because the Lord said the gates of hell will not prevail against Her. Don'd like him to find nothing there but t be afraid because We are in a church founded by Christ, not by men.” —Elder Amphilochios —Metropolitan Onufriy of PatmosKyiv and all Ukraine
“To fall in love with God is “As to the greatest romance; fatalism of those who believe that man must be a slave to seek Himthe spirit of the age, it is disproved by the greatest adventure; to find Himexperience 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 greatest achievementsake of eternity.” —St—Fr. AugustineSeraphim Rose of Platina
“Love bestows prophecy; love yields miracles; love is an abyss of illumination; love is a fountain of fire“There are far, in the measure that it wells up, it inflames the thirsty soulfar better things ahead than anything we leave behind. Love is the state of angels. Love is the progress of eternity” —C.” —StS. John ClimacusLewis
“The end of each discovery becomes the starting point for the discovery of something higher, “God and the ascent continues. Thus our ascent is unendingconscience know our secrets. We go from beginning to beginning by way of beginnings without endLet them correct us.” —St. Gregory of NyssaMark the Ascetic
“He “The face is with methe mirror of the mind, He who left and eyes without speaking confess 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 mesecrets of the heart.” —St. Ambrose of MilanJerome
“You brought us into being out of nothing“What, and when we fellthen, You raised is greater than that the Father of the only-begotten Son Himself recognizes in us up again.” — St. John Chrysostom “You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven His members and granted us Your kingdom to come.finds the very form of the Son in our faces?” —St. John ChrysostomNicholas Cabasilas
“For You are God ineffable“This, beyond comprehensionthen, invisibleis the way in which we interpret the Eighth Day…namely that when the time that is measured in weeks comes to an end, beyond understandingan Eighth Day will come into being…It will remain one day continually, existing forever 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 always the samewill make those who share in that Light into other suns.” —St. John ChrysostomGregory of Nyssa, Commentary on the Psalms
“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 “He made Him, as He is with us, and do what is pleasing before Him. If we are unable now who was righteous 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 sinbe a sinner, 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 that 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)might make sinners righteous.” —St. Gregory of Palamas, Homily 23, The Appearance of Jesus “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 ZadonskJohn Chrysostom
“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 “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 “The Son Word of God became man, that we man might become god.” —St. Athanasius of Alexandria “becoming god… becoming by grace what God is by nature.” —St. Athanasius of Alexandriathe Great, On the Incarnation
“Thine own of Thine own we Offer unto Thee, in behalf of all and for all!” —Anaphora offering (OCA), Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
“…nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.” —Luke 20:36-38
“It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” —2 Maccabees 12:46
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13
"And “And we know that to them that love God, all things work together for unto good , to those who love Godsuch as, according to those who his purpose, are the called according to His purposebe saints." ” —Romans 8:28
“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” —Matthew 19:26
“When I am dead, come to me at my grave, and the more often the better. Whatever is in your soul, whatever may have happened to you, come to me as when I was alive and kneeling on the ground, cast all your bitterness upon my grave. Tell me everything and I shall listen to you, and all the bitterness will fly away from you. And as you spoke to me when I was alive, do so now. For I am living and I shall be forever.” —St. Seraphim of Sarov
“Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man takest thy crown (Revelation 3:11).” —Metropolitan Philaret of New York, the last words of
“«δόξα τῷ θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν» (Glory be to God for all things!)” —St. John Chrysostom, the last words of