Words from the Saints -- November 13, 2018

"The genuineness of a friend is shown at a time of trial, if he shares the distress you suffer." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"Whatever you are doing, with whomever you are speaking, whether you are going somewhere or sitting, let your mind be with the Lord. You will forget yourself, and stray from this path; but again turn to the Lord and rebuke yourself with sorrow. This is the discipline of spiritual attentiveness." --St. Theophan the Recluse

"The devil does not hunt after those who are lost; he hunts after those who are aware, those who are close to God. He takes from them trust in God and begins to afflict them with self-assurance, logic, thinking, criticism. Therefore we should not trust our logical minds." --Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos

"Such are the souls of the saints: they love their enemies more than themselves, and in this age and in the age to come they put their neighbor first in all things, even though because of his ill-will he may be their enemy. They do not seek recompense from those whom they love, but because they have themselves received they rejoice in giving to others all that they have, so that they may conform to their Benefactor and imitate His compassion to the best of their ability; ‘for He is bountiful to the thankless and to sinners’ (Luke 6:35)." --St. Peter of Damascus

Words from the Saints -- November 6, 2018

"If you want to be free of all the passions, practice self-control, love and prayer." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"God and our conscience know our secrets. Let them correct us." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"How can you find out if you are living within the will of God? Here is the sign: If you are troubled about anything, this means that you have not completely given yourself over to the will of God. A person who lives in the will of God is not concerned over anything. And if he needs anything, he gives both it and himself over to God. And if he does not receive the necessary thing, he remains calm nevertheless, as if he had it. The soul which has been given over to the will of God is afraid of nothing, not of thunder nor of thieves - nothing. But whatever happens, she says, "Thus it pleases God." If she is sick, she thinks: this means that I need to be sick, or else God would not have given it to me. Thus peace is preserved in both soul and body." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"Happy is the man in whom there is love for God, for he bears God within himself. The one in whom there is love is with God, above all things. Whoever has love in himself does not fear. He is never mad at anyone, nor does he exalt himself above anyone. He does not calumniate anyone, nor does he listen to the calumniator. He does not compete with anyone, is not jealous, does not rejoice in the fall of another, does not slander the fallen, but sympathizes with him and helps him. He does not disdain his brother who is fallen into need, but helps him and is ready to die for him. Whoever has love fulfills the will of God." --St. Ephraim the Syrian

Words from the Saints -- October 30, 2018

"'Like a tree planted by streams of water,' (Psalm 1:3) the soul is irrigated by the Holy Scriptures and acquires vigor, produces tasty fruit, namely, true faith, and is beautified with a thousand green leaves, namely, actions that please God." --St. John of Damascus

"I am not ignorant of what is said of my Lord in the Psalm: 'You destroy those who speak a lie.' And again: 'A lying mouth deals death to the soul.' And likewise the Lord says in the Gospel: 'On the day of judgment men shall render account for every idle word they utter.'" --St. Patrick of Ireland

"When Scripture says 'He will reward every man according to his works' (Matthew 16:27), do not imagine that works in themselves merit either hell or the kingdom. On the contrary, Christ rewards each man according to whether his works are done with faith or without faith in Himself; and He is not a dealer bound by contract, but God our Creator and Redeemer." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"In everything that we do God searches out our purpose to see whether we do it for Him or for some other motive." --St. Maximos the Confessor

Words from the Saints -- October 2, 2018

"Blessed is the mind which, during prayer, is drawn neither to the material nor to possessions." --St. Nilus of Sinai

"To know God we have no need of riches. We need only love our neighbor and be lowly in spirit, sober, and obedient; and for these virtues the Lord allows us to know Him. Could anything in this world be more precious than this knowledge?" --St. Silouan of Mount Athos

"He who has genuinely renounced worldly things, and lovingly and sincerely serves his neighbor, is soon set free from every passion and made a partaker of God’s love and knowledge." --St. Maximus the Confessor

"In your struggle to acquire every virtue and to fulfill every commandment, always seek 'the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.'" --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Even the saints of God were at times overcome with diabolical despair and despondency. What, therefore, can we sinners expect? O, the enemy often wounds us with the wrath, humiliation, and cruel despondency of the heart! We must continually turn to God and be every moment with Him, lest we be besieged by the wrath and despondency of the enemy... My life is Christ, the Beloved of all." --St. John of Kronstadt

Words from the Saints -- September 25, 2018

"What I see around me would drive me insane if I did not know that no matter what happens, God will have the last word." --St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

"Whoever does not want to know the will of God is mentally walking a path next to a cliff, and easily falls with any wind. If he is praised, he is proud. If he is rebuked he is angry. If he eats pleasant food, he is drawn into bodily passions. When he suffers he weeps. When he knows something, he wants to show that he knows. When he doesn't understand, he pretends to understand. When he is rich he puts on airs. When he is poor, he is a hypocrite. When he is full, he is bold. When he fasts he is vainglorious. When he is denounced he loves to argue, while he looks on those who forgive him as fools." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"For Your sake we came into being, so that we might delight in the paradise which You have planted and in which You have placed us." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"A hypocrite is someone who teaches his neighbor something he makes no effort to do himself." --St. Poemen

"No one can heal my disease except He Who knows the depths of the heart." --St. Ephraim the Syrian

Words from the Saints -- September 18, 2018

"The Lord, though he was God, became man. He suffered for the sake of whose who suffer, he was bound for those in bonds, condemned for the guilty, buried for those who lie in the grave; but he rose from the dead, and cried aloud: 'Who will contend with me? Let him confront me. I have freed the condemned, brought the dead back to life, raised men from their graves. Who has anything to say against me? I,' he said, 'am the Christ; I have destroyed death, triumphed over the enemy, trampled hell underfoot, bound the strong one, and taken men up to the heights of heaven: I am the Christ.'" --St. Melito of Sardis

"God does not disdain prayers, but sometimes does not grant the desires expressed therein, specifically in order to have things come out better, in accordance with His Divine intent. What would happen if the All-knowing God completely fulfilled our wishes? I believe all human beings would eventually perish." --Elder Leo of Optina

"It is better to be consoled by your conscience alone, even if the whole world slanders you, than to be accused by your conscience, when the whole world heaps praises upon you." --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

"Let no man's place, or dignity, or riches, puff him up; and let no man's low condition or poverty abase him. For the chief points are faith towards God, hope towards Christ, the enjoyment of those good things for which we look, and love towards God and our neighbor." --St. Ignatius of Antioch

"The devil tries to soil and defile every good thing a man would do by intermingling with it his own seeds in the form of self-esteem, presumption, complaint, and other things of this kind, so that what we do is not done for God alone, or with a glad heart. Abel offered a sacrifice to God of the fat and firstlings of his flock, while Cain offered gifts of the fruits of the earth, but not of the firstfruits; and that is why God looked with favor on Abel's sacrifices, but paid no attention to Cain's gifts (Gen. 4:3-5). This shows us that it is possible to do something good in the wrong way - that is to say, to do it negligently, or scornfully, or else not for God's sake but for some other purpose; and for this reason it is unacceptable to God." --St. Symeon Metaphrastis

Words from the Saints -- August 21, 2018

"Of course, every good deed done for Christ's sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us this grace most of all, for it is always at hand, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit. For instance, you would like to go to church, but there is no church or the service is over; you would like to give alms to a beggar, but there isn't one, or you have nothing to give; you would like to preserve your virginity, but you have not the strength to do so because of your temperament, or because of the violence of the wiles of the enemy which because of your human weakness you cannot withstand; you would like to do some other good deed for Christ's sake, but either you have not the strength or the opportunity is lacking. This certainly does not apply to prayer. Prayer is always possible for everyone, rich and poor, noble and humble, strong and weak, healthy and sick, righteous and sinful." --St. Seraphim Of Sarov

"Consider that your soul is an image. Before daubing on the true color of the Spirit, erase the bad habits which have become implanted in you, whether it be swearing, lying, uttering insults, foul language, buffoonery, or any other of the disreputable things you are in the habit of doing. Erase the habit, that you may not come back to it after baptism. The bath takes away the sins, but you must correct the habit, so that after the pigments have been daubed on and the royal image shines forth, you may never thereafter blot it out or cause wounds or scars on the beauty which God has given you." --St. John Chrysostom

"It is patience that reveals every grace to you, and it is through patience that the saints received all that was promised to them." --St. Pachomius

"Spiritual knowledge comes through prayer, deep stillness, and complete detachment, while wisdom comes through humble meditation on Holy Scripture and above all, through grace given by God." --St. Diadochos of Photiki

"We receive salvation by grace and as a divine gift of the Spirit. But to attain the full measure of virtue we need also to possess faith and love, and to struggle to exercise our free will with integrity." --St. Makarios of Egypt

"I reckon silence more profitable than speech, for in the words of the Preacher, 'The words of wise men are heard in quiet' (Eccles. 9:17)." --St. Basil the Great

Words from the Saints -- August 14, 2018

"The secret sinner is worse than those who do evil openly; and so he receives a worse punishment." 
--St. Mark the Ascetic

"Beloved, even if we should attain the very pinnacle of virtue, let us consider ourselves least of all, as we have learned that pride is able to cast down even from the heavens the person who does not take heed, and humility of mind is able to bring up on High from the very abyss of sin the person who knows how to be sober. For this is what placed the Publican before the Pharisee. By pride I mean an overwhelming boastful spirit, surpassing even incorporeal powers, that of the devil himself while humility of mind and acknowledgment of sins by the robber is what brought him into Paradise before the Apostles." --St. John Chrysostom

"The truly intelligent man pursues one sole objective: to obey and to conform to the God of all. With this single aim in view, he disciplines his soul, and whatever he may encounter in the course of his life, he gives thanks to God for the compass and depth of His providential ordering of all things. For it is absurd to be grateful to doctors who give us bitter and unpleasant medicines to cure our bodies, and yet to be ungrateful to God for what appears to us to be harsh, not grasping that all we encounter is for our benefit and in accordance with His providence. For knowledge of God and faith in Him is the salvation and perfection of the soul." --St. Anthony the Great

"We must keep in mind that whatever we do, openly or in secret, we do in the presence of our guardian angel." --St. Nikolai of Zicha

"It is not darkness and desolateness of place that give demons power against us, but barrenness of soul." --St. John Climacus

"I have found the words and the commandments of Christ pure, holy, true, splendid, brighter than the sun; and whoever believes in Christ and calls Him God and lives in accordance with His teaching, contained in the Holy Gospels, is fortunate and thrice-blessed." --St. Kosmas Aitolos

Words from the Saints -- August 7, 2018

"Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife." --St. Leo the Great, Pope of Rome

"It is a great virtue to accept patiently whatever comes and, as the Lord enjoins, to love a neighbor who hates you." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"The Kingdom of Heaven, O man, requires no other price than yourself. The value of it is yourself. Give yourself for it and you shall have it." --St. Augustine of Hippo

"So, morning or evening, immediately before you begin to repeat your prayers, stand awhile, sit for awhile, or walk a little and try to steady your mind and turn it away from all worldly activities and objects. After this, think who He is to whom you turn in prayer, then recollect who you are; who it is who is about to start this invocation to Him in prayer. Do this in such a way as to awake in your heart a feeling of humility and reverent awe that your are standing in the presence of God. It is the beginning of prayer, and a good beginning is half the complete task." --St. Theophan the Recluse

"Before the war begins, seek after your ally; before you fall ill, seek out your physician; and before grievous things come upon you, pray, and in the time of your tribulations you will find Him, and He will listen to you." --St. Isaac the Syrian

Words from the Saints -- July 31, 2018

"The righteous have no sorrows that are not turned into joy, as sinners have no joy that is not turned into sorrow." --St. Dmitri of Rostov

"A wise man is one who accepts advice, especially that of a spiritual father counseling him in accordance with the will of God." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"The principal thing is to walk before God, or under God’s eye, aware that God is looking at you, searching your soul and your heart, seeing all that is there. This awareness is the most powerful lever in the mechanism of the inner spiritual life." --St. Theophan the Recluse

"Behold how harmful and soul-destroying is envy, ever wishing harm to others. The envious is ready to harm himself, if only his neighbor might be harmed twice as much. We have presented an advanced degree of envy. But it, too, like other passions, has varying degrees and sizes; and therefore we should strive to squash and expel it at the first sensation, praying to God, the all- powerful Seer of Hearts, with the Psalmists words: “from my secret sins cleanse me, and from those of others spare Thy servant” (Ps. 18:12). Also, with humility we must confess this infirmity to our spiritual father. The third means [to overcome envy] is to try in every way never to say anything bad about any person that we envy. Using these means we can, with God’s help, be healed of the infirmity of envy, though it may not be right away." --Elder Ambrose of Optina

"Mary properly bore the name of Virgin, and possessed to the full all the attributes of purity. She was a virgin in both body and soul, and kept all the powers of her soul and her bodily senses far above any defilement. This she did authoritatively, steadfastly, decisively and altogether inviolably at all times, as a closed gate preserves the treasure within, and a sealed book keeps hidden from sight what is written inside. The Scriptures say of her, 'This is the sealed book' (cf. Revelation 5:1-6:1; Daniel 12:4) and 'this gate shall be shut, and no man shall enter by it' (Ezekiel 44:2)." --St. Gregory Palamas

Words from the Saints -- July 10, 2018

"A man wanted to do evil, but first prayed as usual; and finding himself prevented by God, he was then extremely thankful." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"The Lord seeks a heart filled to overflowing with love for God and our neighbor; this is the throne on which He loves to sit and on which He appears in the fullness of His heavenly glory." 
--St. Seraphim of Sarov

"Patiently endure the distressing and painful things that befall you, for through them God in His providence is purifying you." --St. Thalassios the Libyan 

"When a man severs himself from evil, he gains an exact understanding of all the sins he has committed against God..." --St. Isaiah the Solitary

"If you want spiritual health, listen to your conscience, do all it tells you, and you will benefit." 
--St. Mark the Ascetic

"When you hear that Christ descended into hell in order to deliver the souls dwelling there, do not think that what happens now is very different. The heart is a tomb and there our thoughts and our intellect are buried, imprisoned in heavy darkness. And so Christ comes to the souls in hell that call upon Him, descending, that is to say, into the depths of the heart; and there He commands death to release the imprisoned souls that call upon Him, for He has power to deliver us. Then, lifting up the heavy stone that oppresses the soul, and opening the tomb, He resurrects us--for we were truly dead--and releases our imprisoned soul from its light-less prison." --St. Makarios of Egypt

"A true man is one who understands that the body is corruptible and short-lived, whereas the soul is divine and immortal and, while being God's breath, is joined to the body to be tested and deified. Now he who has understood what the soul is regulates his life in a way that is just and conforms to God." --St. Anthony the Great

Words from the Saints -- July 3, 2018

"Hell can't be made attractive, so the devil makes attractive the road that leads there." 
--St. Basil the Great

"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

"We must not mind insulting men, if by respecting them we offend God." --St. John Chrysostom

"There are many differing methods of prayer. No method is harmful; if it were, it would be not prayer but the activity of Satan." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Destroy within you the devil’s rule over you; destroy all his influence over you; acquire spiritual freedom." --St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

"Ever let mercy outweigh all else in you. Let our compassion be a mirror where we may see in ourselves that likeness and that true image which belong to God. A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure." --St. Isaac of Syria

Words from the Saints -- June 26, 2018

"We are not asked merely to call ourselves Christians; we are asked to be Christians through our deeds." --St. Ignatius of Antioch

"We must begin with thanksgiving for everything. The beginning of joy is to be content with your situation." --St. Ambrose of Optina

"The Lord listens equally to the monk and to the man of the world provided both are true believer. He looks for a heart full of true faith into which to send his Spirit. For the heart of a man is capable of containing the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God are one." 
--St. Seraphim of Sarov

"Always let mercy outweigh everything else in you. A hard and unmerciful heart will never be pure." 
--St. Isaac of Syria

"Stand patiently and pray steadfastly, brushing off the impacts of worldly cares and all thoughts; for they distract and worry you in order to disturb the motivation of your prayer."  --St. Nilus of Mount Sinai

"To yield and give way to our passions is the lowest slavery, even as to rule over them is the only liberty." --St. Justin Martyr

"We must keep in mind that whatever we do, openly or in secret, we do in the presence of our guardian angel." --St. Nikolai of Zicha

Words from the Saints -- June 19, 2018

"What is more precious than anything in the world? Time! And what do we waste uselessly and without being sorry? Time! What do we not value and what do we disregard more than anything? Time! When we waste time, we lose ourselves. Time is given by God to use correctly for the salvation of the soul and the acquisition of the life to come. The Lord will call us to account for having stolen time for our own whims, and for not using it for God and our souls." --St. Sebastian of Optina

"Our own evil inclinations are far more dangerous than any external enemies." --St. Ambrose of Milan

"The remembrance of Jesus’ sufferings cures the remembrance of wrongs, which is mightily shamed by His forbearance." --St John Climacus

"A saint-like soul helps its neighbor and when ill-treated by him is patient, enduring what it suffers at his hands." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"When elated by praise, be sure disgrace will follow; for it is said: 'Whoever exalts himself will be humbled' (Luke 14: 11)." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Every day you provide your bodies with food to keep them from failing. In the same way your good works should be the daily nourishment of your hearts. Your bodies are fed with food and your spirits with good works. You aren't to deny your soul, which is going to live forever, what you grant to your body, which is going to die." --St. Gregory the Great

"Learn something from the Scriptures by heart, and keep your mind focused on it. These things impede the demons from making assaults against us." --St. Nil of Sora

Words from the Saints -- June 12, 2018

“Look to the end of every involuntary suffering and you will find in it removal of sins.” --St. Mark the Ascetic

"A person is humble when he knows that his very being is on loan to him." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"He who restrains his mouth from speech guards his heart from passions." --St. Isaac the Syrian

"How absurd and unnatural are anger and rage. Look at the face of a gentle person — how beautiful it is… but look at the face of an angry one: it is restless, gloomy and ugly." --St. John of Kronstadt

"There is still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for change. Have you slipped? Rise up. Have you sinned? Cease. Do not stand among sinners, but leap aside." --St. Basil the Great

"Prayer is called a virtue, but in reality it is the mother of the virtues: for it gives birth to them through union with Christ." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Love and humility form a holy pair; what the first builds, the second binds, thus preventing the building from falling asunder." --St. John Climacus

"Shun the satisfactions of this age, so as to be happy in the age to come. Do not be sad when you are cursed by men; be sad when you sin--this is the true curse." --St. Pachomius the Great

Words from the Saints -- June 5, 2018

"The soul must be constantly ready and alert and always in contact with the spiritual headquarters, that is, God. Only then, it will feel secure, full of hope and joy." --St. Paisios

"Prayer is a great weapon, a rich treasure, a wealth that is never exhausted, and undisturbed refuge, a couse of tranquility, the root of a multitude of blessings and their source." --St. John Chrysostom

"If you do not want to suffer evil, do not inflict it, since the suffering of it inevitably follows its infliction. 'For whatever a man sows he will also reap' (Galatians 6:7)." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Afflictions, illness, ill health and the pains that our bodies experience are counted for the remission of our trespasses. They are the furnace in which we are purified." --St. John Chrysostom

"We have such a law: If you forgive your brother it means that God has forgiven you, but if you do not forgive your brother it means that your sin remains with you." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"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

Words from the Saints -- May 1, 2018

"Jesus became what we are that He might make us what He is." --St. Athanasius the Great

"God's desire to save you is greater than your enemy’s desire to destroy you." --St. Nicodemos

"God has granted us existence - the greatest gift of His goodness, and after we had fallen away from Him, from life into death, He gave us for our regeneration, to bring us back to life, His Son. How small in proportion are all the other gifts which we ask of Him in prayer, and how easy it is for Him to give them to us at the first word of true faith, if they are really necessary for us! Therefore it is perfectly unpardonable in us if we still doubt that we shall obtain what we ask of God in prayer. The Lord said plainly: 'Ask, and it shall be given you.' (Matthew 7:7)." --St. John of Kronstadt

"It is good that we make God's mercy known to all and speak to those close to us of the compassion and inexpressible bounty He has shown us." --St. Symeon the New Theologian

"He who does not make his will agree with God is tripped up by his own schemes and falls into the hands of his enemies." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"As long as there are holy people on earth, the earth will stand. If the earth stops producing saints then will come to an end." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

A meditation on the Resurrection (By Archimandrite Justin Popovic)

    People condemned God to death; with His Resurrection He condemned them to immortality. For striking Him, God returned embraces; for insults, blessings; for death, immortality. Never did men show more hate towards God than when they crucified Him; and God never showed His love towards people more than when He was resurrected. Mankind wanted to make God dead, but God, with His Resurrection, made people alive, the crucified God resurrected on the third day and thereby killed death ! There is no more death. Immortality is surrounding man and his entire world.
    With the Resurrection of the God-Man, the nature of man is irreversibly led toward the road of immortality and man's nature becomes destructive to death itself. For until the Resurrection of Christ, death was destructive for man; from the Resurrection of Christ, man's nature becomes destructive in death. If man lives in the faith of the Resurrected God Man, he lives above death, he is unreachable for her; death is under man's feet. Death where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory? And when a man who believes in Christ dies, he only leaves his body as his clothes, in which he will be dressed again on the Day of Last Judgement.
    Before the Resurrection of the God-Man, death was the second nature of man; life was first and death was second. Man became accustomed to death as something natural. But after His Resurrection the Lord changed everything: and it was only natural until Christ's Resurrection, that the people became mortal, so after Christ's Resurrection it was natural that the people became immortal.
    Through sin, man becomes mortal and temporal; with the Resurrection of the God-Man, he becomes immortal and eternal. In this lies the strength, in this lies the power, in this lies the might of Christ's Resurrection. Without the Resurrection there is no Christianity. Among the miracles, this is the greatest one; all other miracles begin and end with it. From it sprouted the faith and the love and the hope and the prayer and the love toward God.

Troparion of Pascha

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing Life!

Holy Saturday (April 7)

Holy Saturday (April 7)
Today hell cries out groaning: "My power has been swallowed up. The Shepherd is crucified and Adam is raised. I have been deprived of the ones whom I ruled. Those whom I devoured in my strength I have given up. He Who was crucified has emptied the tombs." The power of Death has been vanquished. Lord, glory to Your Cross and Resurrection.

Let all mortal flesh keep silent, and in fear and trembling stand, pondering nothing earthly-minded.  For the King of kings, and Lord of Lords comes to be slain, to give Himself as food to the faithful. Before Him go the ranks of angels, all the Principalities and Powers, the many-eyed Cherubim, and the six-winged Seraphim, covering their faces, chanting the hymn:  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!