Words from the Saints -- March 2, 2023

"The demons either tempt us themselves or arm against us those who have no fear of the Lord. They tempt us themselves when we withdraw from human society, as they, tempted our Lord in the desert. They tempt us through other people when we spend our time in the company of others, as they tempted our Lord through the Pharisees. But whichever line of attack they choose, let us repel them by keeping our gaze fixed on the Lord's example." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"Obedience is the complete renunciation of one's own soul, demonstrated, however, by actions. More exactly, it is the death of the senses in a living soul. Obedience is a freely chosen death, a life without cares, danger without fears, unshakable trust in God, no fear of death. It is a voyage without perils, a journey in your sleep. Obedience is the burial of the will and the resurrection of humility. Obedience is to give up one's own judgment but to do it with wise consultation. It is very costly, beginning to die to the will and the senses. To continue dying is hard but not indefinitely so. In the end all aversion stops and absolute peace takes command." --St. John Climacus

"The greater a man's faith that Christ will reward him, the greater his readiness to endure every injustice." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"You propose to give up everything to God; be sure, then, to include yourself among the things to be given up." --St. Benedict of Nursia

"We depict Christ as our King and Lord, and we do not strip Him of His army. For the saints are the Lord's army." --St. John of Damascus