Words from the Saints -- October 8, 2019

"You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." --St. Paul (Colossians 3:12)

"The reading of Scriptures is a great means of security against sinning. Ignorance of Scripture is a great cliff, a deep abyss. It gives birth to heresies and introduces a corrupt way of life. Even one parable can help the soul to have contrition for a sin, to find a little rest from the concerns of the world. Reading Scripture each day will accomplish some great and noble good in us." --St. John Chrysostom

"What is perfection in love? Love your enemies in such a way that you would desire to make them your brothers … For so did He love, Who hanging on the Cross, said ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do'" (Luke 23:34). --St. Augustine of Hippo

Readings for the Week of October 6, 2019

10/6: 1 Corinthians 4:9-16; 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Matthew 25:14-30; John 20:19-31

10/7: Ephesians 1:22-2:3; Mark 10:46-52

10/8: Ephesians 2:19-3:7; Mark 11:11-23

10/9: Ephesians 3:8-21; Mark 11:23-26

10/10: Ephesians 4:14-19; Mark 11:27-33

10/11: Ephesians 4:17-25; Mark 12:1-12

10/12: 1 Corinthians 14:20-25; Matthew 25:1-13

Words from the Saints -- October 1, 2019

"Always have a little icon of the Mother of God in your shirt, and venerate it when you go to sleep. The more you love her, the more she will love you. And whenever you cry out to her in difficult times, you will feel her help and consolation appreciably. She always intercedes unceasingly for all her children who fervently cry out to her." --St. Joseph the Hesychast

"The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies. The soul that has learned of God’s grace to pray, feels love and compassion for every created thing, and in particular for mankind, for whom the Lord suffered on the Cross, and His soul was heavy for every one of us." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"When you take food to nourish your body, you can scarcely be induced to leave the table before you have fully satisfied your need and, except for an urgent reason, you will not readily do so. How much more eagerly ought you to linger over spiritual nourishment and strengthen your soul with prayer; for the soul is as far superior to the body as heaven is above the earth and -heavenly things above those of earth." --St. Basil the Great

"Do not steal anything from anyone, and take nothing, and be content with what you earn by your own labors. Be diligent and avoid idleness. For as diligence is pleasing to God, so idleness on the contrary, as a source of every evil, is a sin very offensive to God." --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

"If you believe in the Gospel that you like, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe in, but yourself." --St. Augustine of Hippo

"Blessed the one who loves truth continually and has not lent his mouth as an instrument of impiety by lying, for he fears the commandment about idle speech." --St. Ephraim of Syria

"Do not fear conflict, do not flip it. Where there is no struggle, there is no virtue; where faith and love are not tempted, it is not possible to be sure whether they are really present. They are approved and revealed in adversity, that is, in difficult and grievous circumstances, both outward and inward—during sickness, sorrow or privations." --St. John of Kronstadt

Words from the Saints -- September 24, 2019

“‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…’ Anyone who has not forgiven from the bottom of the heart the brother or sister who has done him wrong will only obtain from this prayer his own condemnation, rather than any mercy. It will be his own action that draws in much more severe judgment on himself, seeing that in effect by these words we are asking God to behave as we have behaved ourselves.“ —St. John Cassian

“To learn Christ-like humility is a great good. To the man who knows humility life is smooth and joyous, and the heart finds all things pleasant. Only to the humble does the Lord reveal Himself in the Holy Spirit, and if we do not humble ourselves, then we shall not see God. Humility is the light in which we may behold the light which is God; in the words of the Psalmist: ‘In Your light shall we see light (Psalm 36:9).’” —St. St Silouan of Mt Athos

“Let us receive correction, beloved, on account of which no one should feel displeased. Those exhortations by which we admonish one another are both good and highly profitable, for they tend to unite us to the will of God.” —St. Clement of Rome

“A true Christian is made by faith and love toward Christ. Our sins do not in the least hinder our Christianity, according to the Word of the Savior Himself. He deigned to say: not the righteous have I come to call, but sinners to salvation; there is more joy in heaven over one who repents than over ninety righteous ones. Likewise, concerning the sinful woman who touched His feet, He deigned to say to the Pharisee, Simon: ‘To one who has love, a great debt is forgiven, but from one who has no love, even a small debt will be demanded.’ From these judgments a Christian should bring himself to hope and joy, and not in the least accept an inflicted despair. Here one needs the shield of faith.” —St. Herman of Alaska

“Therefore, don’t despair when you fall, but get up eagerly and... say, ‘Forgive me dear Christ. I am human and weak.’ The Lord has not abandoned you. But since you still have a great deal of worldly pride, a great deal of vainglory, our Christ lets you make mistakes and fall, so that you perceive and come to know your weaknesses every day, so that you become patient with others who make mistakes, and so that you do not judge the brethren when they make mistakes, but rather put up with them. —St. Joseph the Hesychast

Words from the Saints -- September 17, 2019

"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 (cf. 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 -- September 10, 2019

"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

"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

Words from the Saints -- September 3, 2019

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

"Always be on your guard against your anger, and then you will not be carried away by other violent desires. Anger gives fuel to all sorts of other passions and always clouds the spiritual eye, disrupting the state of pure prayer." --Evagrios of Pontus

"Do you want to come to God; do you want to not be deluded and not to get lost; do you want not to die and to live forever? The Lord says: 'I am the Way, Truth and Life' (John 14:6). Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!' (Matthew 11:28)" --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Words from the Saints -- August 6, 2019

"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

Words from the Saints -- July 23, 2019

"The love of God inspires the love of our neighbor, and the love of our neighbor serves to keep alive the love of God." --St. Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome

"The person who fears the Lord has humility as his constant companion and, through the thoughts which humility inspires, reaches a state of divine love and thankfulness. For he recalls his former worldly way of life, the various sins he has committed and the temptations which have befallen him since his youth; and he recalls, too, how the Lord delivered him from all this, and how He led him away from a passion-dominated life to a life ruled by God. Then, together with fear, he also receives love, and in deep humility continually gives thanks to the Benefactor and Helmsman of our lives." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"You are indignant that God is indignant, as if you deserved anything good by living evilly, as if all those things that happen were still not less and lighter than your own sins." --St. Cyprian of Carthage

"When you pray, try to let the prayer reach your heart; in other words, it is necessary that your heart should feel what you are talking about in your prayer, that it should wish for the blessing for which you are asking…. Observe, during prayer, whether your heart is in accord with that which you are saying." --St. John of Kronstadt

"The principal vices - stupidity, cowardice, licentiousness, injustice - are the "image" of the "earthy" man. The principal virtues - intelligence, courage, self-restraint, justice - are the "image" of the "heavenly" man. As we have borne the image of the earthy, let us also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:49)." --St. Maximos the Confessor

Words from the Saints -- June 18, 2019

"The highest form of prayer is to stand silently in awe before God." --St. Isaac the Syrian

"A man went into the forest to choose a tree from which to make roof beams. And he saw two trees, one beside the other. One was smooth and tall, but had rotted away inside, and the other was rough on the outside and ugly, but its core was healthy. The man sighed, and said to himself: “What use is this smooth, tall tree to me if it is rotten inside and useless for beams? The other one, even if it is rough and ugly, is at least healthy on the inside and so, if I put a bit more effort into it, I can use it for roof beams for my house.” And without thinking any more about it, he chose that tree. So will God choose between two men for His house, and will choose not the one who appears outwardly righteous, but the one whose heart is filled with God’s healthy righteousness." --St. Nikolai of Zhicha

"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

"Perfume is not to be found in mud, nor the fragrance of love in the soul of a rancorous man." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"A mole burrowing in the earth is blind and cannot see the stars; and he who does not trust God in temporal things will not trust Him in eternal things." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor." --St. Bede the Venerable

Penitential Hymns (Tone 3)

I have spent the days of my life in laziness, drawing near to the end in condemnation. I have given no thought to the judgment that awaits me, nor to my separation from God. But Savior, turn me back and take me from all of this.

Save me, O Lord my God: You are the salvation of all! The storm of my passions troubles me; the yoke of my sins weighs me down! Stretch out Your hand to help me; lead me to the light of repentance, for You alone are the compassionate Lover of mankind!

O Lord, gather my scattered mind and cleanse my barren heart. Grant me repentance as You gave to Peter, groans as You gave the Publican and tears as the harlot, so that I may cry to You with a loud voice: save me, O God, as You alone are tender-hearted and the Lover of mankind!

Often when I stand to sing the hymns, I am found to be committing sins! With my tongue I am singing praises, but with my soul, I am considering inappropriate things! But correct both through repentance, Christ God, and save me!

Penitential Hymns (Tone 2)

I have sinned against You, Christ our Savior, like the prodigal son. Father, accept me in repentance. Have mercy on me, O God.

I cry to You, Christ our Savior, with the voice of the publican. Be merciful to me, as to him. Have mercy on me, O God.

When I think of my detestable and horrible deeds, I fly for refuge to Your compassion, imitating the publican, the weeping harlot and the prodigal son. So I fall before You, Merciful One: Before You condemn me, my God rather spare me and have mercy on me!

Overlook my transgressions, Lord born of the Virgin. Cleanse my heart, making it a temple of the Holy Spirit! Do not make me as nothing before Your face, since You have boundless mercy!

Penitential Hymns (Tone 1)

Savior, I have fallen into a great abyss because of my sins, and my transgressions weigh me down. Stretch out Your hand to me as You did to Peter, Lord. Save me, O God, and have mercy on me.

My thoughts and deeds condemn me, Savior. Give me the thought of turning back, that i may cry out to You: Save me, O God, and have mercy on me!

Another world awaits you, my soul: A Judge will soon reveal your secret and terrible thoughts and deeds! Do not linger, then, among the things that are here. Anticipate the judgment and cry out to the Judge: Be merciful to me, O God, and save me!

Do not reject me at the testing, My Savior, though I am held fast by the laziness of sin. Arouse my thoughts to repentance; make me a proven worker of Your vineyard: Grant me the wages of the eleventh hour and great mercy!

Penitential Hymns (Tone 8)

The angels never cease singing praises to You, and I fall before You, King and Master! I cry out like the Publican: Be merciful to me, O God, and save me!

Since you are immortal, my soul, do not be overwhelmed by the waves of life. Come to your senses and cry out to the Benefactor: Be merciful to me, O God, and save me!

When I grasp with my mind the great number of terrible things I have done, and go in my thoughts to that terrible reckoning, I tremble with fearfulness! I flee for refuge to You, O God and Lover of Mankind! I humbly pray: do not turn from me, Sinless Lord, but grant my lowly soul repentance before the end and save me!

Give me tears, O God, as You once did to the woman who had sinned, and thus count me worthy to drench Your feet -- those feet which freed me from the path of error. As fragrant ointment let me offer You a life of purity acquired by me through repentance that I too may hear that voice for which i pray, saying: Your faith has saved you; go in peace!

Words from the Saints -- February 26, 2019

"Forgiveness is better than revenge." --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

"Another man's sin does not increase our own, unless we ourselves embrace it by means of evil thoughts." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"My son, always strive to be simple and kind. Do not have one thing in your heart and another thing on your tongue, for this is a ruse and a lie." --St. Nilus of Mount Sinai

"Gentleness attains its highest expression when we keep our heart calm in the face of someone who is provoking us, and actually show him our love." --St. John Climacus

"Do not become harsh and unmerciful. Think that behind him who seeks charity from you, is the Lord Himself… Give charity for your own benefit and for the benefit of those who are really poor. The Lord will reward you." --St. John Chrysostom

"Ascetic struggle--fasting, vigils, patience, forbearance - produces a clear conscience." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

Words from the Saints -- February 19, 2019

"As a fish cannot swim without water, and as a bird cannot fly without air, so a Christian cannot advance a single step without Christ." --St. Gregory the Theologian

"We are not without hope of salvation, nor is it at all the right time for us to despair. All our life is a season of repentance, for God 'desires not the death of the sinner', as it is written, 'but that the wicked turn from his way and live' (Ezekiel 33:11). For, if there were no hope of turning back, why would death not have followed immediately on disobedience, and why would we not be deprived of life as soon as we sin? For where there is hope of turning back, there is no room for despair." --St. Gregory Palamas

"Give no ear to the slanderer's talk nor let your talk run on in the fault-finder's hearing, by readily speaking and listening to things against your neighbor; otherwise you will fall from divine charity [love] and be found a foreigner to eternal life." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"Humility consists, not in condemning our conscience, but in recognizing God's grace and compassion." --St. Mark the Ascetic

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

Words from the Saints -- February 12, 2019

"A self-indulgent heart becomes a prison and chain for the soul when it leaves this life; whereas a diligent heart is an open door." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"Destroy two thoughts within yourself: do not consider yourself worthy of anything great, and do not think that any other man is much lower than you in worthiness. Learn humility beforehand, which the Lord commanded in word and showed forth in deed. Hence, do not expect obedience from others, but be ready for obedience yourself." --St. Basil the Great

"The memory of insults is the residue of anger. It keeps sins alive, hates justice, ruins virtue, poisons the heart, rots the mind, defeats concentration, paralyzes prayer, puts love at a distance, and is a nail driven into the soul. If anyone has appeased his anger, he has already suppressed the memory of insults…. In order to appease the anger, love is necessary." --St. John Climacus

"Has someone offended you? Guard your breast with the sign of the Cross; remember what took place on the Cross, and all will be extinguished. Think not of offenses only, but recall also whatever good you have received from the one who has offended you, and at once you shall grow meek. Bring to mind the fear of God, and quickly you shall grow more temperate and calm. Train yourself not to offend another during offenses themselves, and then, when offended, you will not feel grief. Think to yourself that he who is offending you is in a frenzy and not in his right mind, and then you will not be annoyed at the offense." --St. John Chrysostom

Words from the Saints -- February 5, 2019

"You should seek to have, as your friends, persons who will be of help to you in the way of life you want. Let your friends be lovers of peace, those who are spiritual soul mates, and those who are saintly." --St. Theodoros the Ascetic

"Love sinners, but hate their works, and do not despise them for their faults, lest you be tempted by the same. Remember that you share the earthly nature of Adam and that you are clothed with his infirmity." --St. Isaac the Syrian

"Do not be irritated either with those who sin or those who offend; do not have a passion for noticing every sin in your neighbor, and for judging him, as we are in the habit of doing. Everyone shall give an answer to God for himself. Everyone has a conscience, everyone hears God's Word, and knows God's Will, either from books, or from conversation with other people. Especially do not look with evil intention upon the sins of your elders, which do not regard you; 'to his own master he stands or falls.' Correct your own sins, amend your own life." --St. John of Kronstadt

"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 holiness of our souls and to guard the purity of our bodies with all fervor. Ye are the temple of God, says the divine Apostle Paul; If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy." --St. Nicholas of Myra

"Troubles are usually the brooms and shovels that smooth the road to a good man’s fortune; and many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away hunger." --St. Basil the Great

Words from the Saints -- January 29, 2019

"If we have a strong relationship with God, this will distinguish our relationship with others. We will be able to be a source of peace, tranquility, and comfort to them." --St. Anthony the Great

"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. Maximos the Confessor

"How can we have victory over the enemy? By running to God for shelter." --St. John Chrysostom

"A little fire softens a large piece of wax. So, too, a small indignity often softens, sweetens and wipes away suddenly all the fierceness, insensibility and hardness of our heart." --St. John Climacus

"The demons very much fear six virtues: 1) hunger, 2) thirst, 3) the Prayer of Jesus, 4) the sign of the Cross, that is, he who makes the sign of the Cross correctly upon himself, 5) frequent Communion of the Most Pure Mysteries of Christ (Holy Communion), if one worthily communes, and 6) undoubting hope in God. There is nothing more frightful than this weapon against the demons." --St. Paisius

Words from the Saints -- January 15, 2019

"All material wealth is the same, but is acquired in many different ways; similarly, virtue is one, but is many-sided in its operations." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"What is it to be a fool for Christ? It is to control one's thoughts when they stray out of line. It is to make the mind empty and free..." --St. John Chrysostom

"From humility it is known that a man is a true disciple of Jesus, meek and humble of heart. If we wish to show evidence that we are true Christians, let us learn from Christ to be humble as He Himself enjoins us, 'Learn of Me; for I am meek, and lowly in heart'" (Matthew 11:29). --St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

"Death is, properly speaking, separation from God, and 'the sting of death is sin.' In taking it on, Adam was banished at once from the Tree of Life, from Paradise, and from God, whereupon there followed, of necessity, the death of the body. On the other hand, life is, properly speaking, the One who says 'I am the life.' By His death He brought back to life again the one who had died." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"If you see your neighbor in sin, don’t look only at this, but also think about what he has done or does that is good, and in frequently trying this in general, while not partially judging, you will find that he is better than you." --St. Basil the Great