Words from the Saints -- May 13, 2021

"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 of Egypt

"We were created for eternal life by our Creator, we are called to it by the word of God, and we are renewed by holy Baptism. And Christ the Son of God came into the world for this, that He should call us and take us there, and He is the one thing needful. For this reason your very first endeavor and care should be to receive it. Without it everything is as nothing, though you have the whole world under you." --St Tikhon of Zadonsk

"It is called 'Gospel' because it announces to us things that are good, namely, remission of sins, being counted as righteous, ascent into the heavens, and adoption as sons by God. It also announces that we can receive these things easily. For we ourselves have not labored to obtain these good things, nor have we received them as a result of our own accomplishments, but by God’s grace and love for man we have been deemed worthy of such good things." --Blessed Theophylact

"When you delight in hearing evil talk, be angry with your-self and not with the speaker. For listening in a sinful way makes the messenger seem sinful." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"As the branch separated from the roots soon loses all life and verdure, so it is with good works which are not united with charity." --St. Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome