100    Quotes from the Fathers of the Church

 

1             From St. Gregory Palamas (The Homilies Vol. 1: Homily Two para. 8; St. Tikhon's Seminary Press pg. 13):

"Thanksgiving for the benefits received from God is made acceptable by humility and not looking down on those who lack them. It is rendered unacceptable, however, by being conceited, as if those benefits resulted from our own efforts and knowledge, and by condemning those who have not received them

 

2            From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 126):

"When we call upon the Saints in prayer, if we pronounce their names from the heart, it already means that we bring them near our heart itself. Therefore ask their prayers and intercession undoubtingly for yourself. They will hear you, and will speedily lay your prayers before the Lord, in the twinkling of an eye, for He is omnipresent and omniscient."

 

3            From St. Makarios of Egypt (Homily 1: Spiritual Perfection no. 1, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 285):

"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

 

4            From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 7, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pgs. 104-105):

"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. 'Son, give me thy heart,' He says, 'and all the rest I Myself will add to thee,' for in the human heart the Kingdom of God can be contained."

 

5            From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XI no. 2, Paulist Press pg. 168):

"Fasting gradually disperses and drives away spiritual darkness and the veil of sin that lies on the soul, just as the sun dispels the mist. Fasting enables us spiritually to see that spiritual air in which Christ, the Sun who knows no setting, does not rise, but shines without ceasing. Fasting, aided by vigil, penetrates and softens hardness of heart. Where once were the vapors of drunkenness it causes fountains of compunction to spring forth

 

6            From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 122):

"What a truly heavenly sight it is when, before sitting down to table, the numerous and various members of a family with one heart and mouth say: 'Our Father,' acknowledging the one Heavenly Father as the All-Holy King, desiring the fulfillment of His will alone upon earth, recognizing Him alone as the Nourisher of all! What an elevating sight it is when the master of the household ascribes the blessings of food and drink, not to himself, but to God..."

 

7            From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: IX no. 8; Paulist Press pg. 158):

"...he who has given...to the poor and has endured troubles with thankfulness of soul and persevered in difficulties, and feels all the bitterness and pain of sufferings, keeps his mind inviolate in the present time. In the life to come he has great reward, in that he has imitated the sufferings of Christ and patiently waited for Him in the days when temptations and trials assailed him."

 

8            From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 3, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 86):

"The soul speaks and converses during prayer, but at the descent of the Holy Spirit we must remain in complete silence in order to hear clearly and intelligibly all the words of eternal life which He will then deign to communicate."

 

9            From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 117):

"A man who is wrathful with us is a sick man; we must apply a plaster to his heart - love; we must treat him kindly, speak to him gently, lovingly. And if there is not deeply-rooted malice against us within him, but only a temporary fit of anger, you will see how his heart, or his malice, will melt away through your kindness and love - how good will conquer evil. A Christian must always be kind, gracious, and wise in order to conquer evil by good."

 

10        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pgs. 113-114):

"When praying, keep to the rule that it is better to say five words from the depth of your heart than ten thousand words with your tongue only. When you observe that your heart is cold and prays unwillingly, stop praying and warm your heart by vividly representing to yourself either your own wickedness, your spiritual poverty, misery, and blindness, or the great benefits which God bestows every moment upon you and all mankind, especially upon Christians, and then pray slowly and fervently.If you do not have time to say all your prayers, it does not matter, and you will receive incomparably greater benefit from praying fervently and not hurriedly than if you had said all your prayers hurriedly and without feeling: 'I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue' (I Cor. 14:19)...It is well to pray long and continually; but 'All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given' (Mt. 19:11,12)."

 

11        From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 21, The Philokalia Vol.3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 260):

"...each of us is attacked and led astray by the passions; but if he is at peace with God and with his neighbour he overcomes them all. These passions are the 'world' which St. John the Theologian told us to hate (cf. I Jn. 2:15), meaning that we are to hate, not God's creatures, but worldly desires."

 

12        From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 21, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pgs. 259-260):

"...Christ's peace is the peace that transcends every intellect (cf. Phil. 4:7), and which God gives to those who love Him with all their soul, because of the dangers and battles they have been through. In the same spirit the Lord also said, 'In Me you have peace', and added, 'In the world you will experience affliction; but have courage, for I have overcome the world' (John 16:33). By this He meant that though a person may experience many afflictions and dangers at the hands of demons and other men, these will be as nothing if he possesses the Lord's peace."

13         From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 3, The Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 79):

"Prayer, fasting, vigil and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, do not constitute the aim of our Christian life, although they serve as the indispensable means of reaching this end. The true aim of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God."

 

14        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 112):

"People offend you, irritate you, breathe contempt and malice against you; do not repay them in the same way, but be gentle, meek, and kind, respectful and loving towards those very persons who behave unworthily to you. If you are agitated yourself, and speak excitedly, rudely, contemptuously - that is, unlovingly - then you will be vanquished yourself, and those who offend you will have the right to say, 'Physician, heal thyself' (Lk. 4:23)...Do not wonder, then, if the affronts of those who offend you are often repeated, for they will notice your weakness and will irritate you intentionally

 

15        From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: VI no. 4, Paulist Press pg. 123):

"Those who have longed to see 'the land of promise' (Heb. 11:9), which the eyes of the meek, the humble, and the poor have been granted to see, accept every difficulty and tribulation."

 

16        From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 8, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 66):

"He who drives out self-love, the mother of the passions, will with God's help easily rid himself of the rest, such as anger, irritation, rancour and so on. But he who is dominated by self-love is overpowered by the other passions, even against his will."

 

17        From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: VI, no. 4; Paulist Press pg. 122):

" 'The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force' (Matt. 11:12), since it is 'through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom' (Acts 14:22) of heaven. The 'kingdom of heaven' consists in partaking of the Holy Spirit, for this is what the saying 'The kingdom of heaven is within you' (Luke 17:21) means. So we must endeavor to receive the Holy Spirit within ourselves and to keep Him."

 

18        From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 7, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 66):

"Whatever a man loves he inevitably clings to, and in order not to lose it he rejects everything that keeps him from it. So he who loves God cultivates pure prayer, driving out every passion that keeps him from it."

 

19        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part I, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 109):

"When you go to visit any of your relations or friends, do not go to their house in order to eat and drink well, but go there in order to take part in friendly and sincere conversation with them, to refresh your soul from worldly vanities by friendly and loving intercourse, to be mutually comforted by your common faith. For ' I seek not yours, but you,' (II Cor. 12:14) says the Apostle."

 

20        From St. Seraphim of Sarov (Spiritual Instructions no. 37, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 54):

"More than anything else one should adorn oneself with silence...I have seen many being saved by silence, but not one by talkativeness...silence is the mystery of the future age, while words are the implement of the world."

 

21        From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses, V: On Penitence no. 10; Paulist Press pgs. 101-102):

"In the beginning Adam was free and without sin and violence; yet of his own free will he obeyed the enemy and was deceived by him and transgressed God's commandment. So we have been born again in Holy Baptism and have been released from slavery and become free, so that the enemy cannot take any action against us unless we of our own will obey him."

 

22        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1; Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 105):

"That man is of a noble and elevated spirit who mercifully and generously scatters his gifts upon all, and rejoices when he has an opportunity of doing good and giving pleasure to everybody without thinking of being rewarded for it."

 

23        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 104):

"Our soul is like a heavenly bird; the Devil, a wicked fowler, seeking to devour souls. As the bird, flying up to heaven, thus saves itself from the fowler, so likewise we, when we see the enemy - the Devil - striving to catch our soul by means of earthly things, must immediately forsake these things with all our heart, and must not for a moment attach ourselves to them, but must fly up in our thoughts to Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and thus we shall easily be delivered 'from the snare of the fowler' (Ps. 91:3)."

 

24        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 102):

"Watch yourself when a poor man, needing help, asks it of you. The enemy will endeavour at that time to chill your heart, and fill it with indifference, and even scorn, towards him that is in want. Overcome in yourself these un-Christian and inhuman dispositions..."

 

25        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 101):

"It is necessary to rouse the heart to pray, otherwise it will become quite dry. The attributes of prayer must be: love of God, sincerity, and simplicity."

 

26        From St. Seraphim of Sarov (Spiritual Instructions no. 25, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 43):

"One must by every means strive to preserve peace of soul and not to be disturbed by others; for this, one must in every way strive to restrain anger and by means of attentiveness to keep the mind and heart from improper feelings...If, however, it is impossible not to be disturbed, then at least one must strive to restrain the tongue, according to the Psalmist: 'I was troubled, and spoke not' (Ps. 76:5)."

 

27        From St. Seraphim of Sarov (Spiritual Instructions no. 24, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 42):

"Nothing is better than peace in Christ; in it is destroyed every warfare of the spirits of the air and earth...When a man enters into a peaceful state, he can give out from himself and also upon others light for the enlightenment of the mind..."

 

28        From St. Maximos the Confessor (First Century on Love no. 53, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 58):

"If you wish not to fall away from the love of God, do not let your brother go to bed feeling irritated with you, and do not go to bed yourself feeling irritated with him. Reconcile yourself with your brother, and then come to Christ with a clear conscience and offer Him your gift of love in earnest prayer (cf. Matt. 5:24)."

 

29        From St. Seraphim of Sarov (Spiritual Instructions no. 23, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 41):

"One should nourish the soul with the word of God: for the word of God...is angelic bread, by which are nourished souls that hunger for God. Most of all one should occupy oneself with reading the New Testament and the Psalter...One should habituate oneself in this way so that the mind might as it were swim in the Lord's law; it is under the guidance of this law that one should direct one's life."

 

30        From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 9, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pgs. 237-238):

"Humility is the gateway to dispassion, said St. John Klimakos; and, according to St. Basil the Great, the fuel of humility is gentleness. It is this that gives man constancy, so that he is always the same whether circumstances and thoughts are pleasant or unpleasant. He is indifferent to both honour and dishonour, joyfully accepting things sweet and painful, and remaining unperturbed

 

31        From St. Maximos the Confessor (First Century on Love nos. 23- 24, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 55):

"He who loves God will certainly love his neighbour as well. Such a person cannot hoard money, but distributes it in a way befitting God, being generous to everyone in need. He who gives alms in imitation of God does not discriminate between the wicked and the virtuous, the just and the unjust, when providing for men's bodily needs. He gives equally to all according to their need, even though he prefers the virtuous man to the bad man because of the probity of his intention."

 

32        From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 9, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 234):

"So that we will not think that we are doing something great through our ascetic efforts and our many sighs and tears, we are given knowledge of the sufferings of Christ and His saints...For by contemplating the numberless trials that the saints joyfully accepted and the many sufferings that the Lord endured on our behalf, we become aware of our own feebleness."

 

33        From St. Peter of Damascus (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 9,The Philokalia vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 233):

"...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."

 

34        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 87):

"...no soul can exist without God, without His Son, without His Spirit. God is my being, my breath, my light, my strength, my drink, my food. He carries me as a mother carries her infant in her arms. More than this. Carrying me, my soul and body, He dwells in me, and is united to me."

 

35        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1; Holy Trinity Monastery pgs 85-86):

"Remember that not a single word is lost during prayer, if you say it from your heart; God hears each word, and weighs it in a balance. Sometimes it seems to us that our words only strike the air in vain, and sound as the voice of one crying in the wilderness. No, no; it is not so!...The Lord responds to every desire of the heart, expressed in words or unexpressed."

 

36        From St. Peter of Damascus (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 6, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 226):

"He who wishes to inherit the kingdom of heaven, yet does not patiently endure what befalls him, shows himself...ungrateful... For he was created by God's grace, has received all things in this world, awaits what is to come, and has been called to reign eternally with Christ, who has honoured him, in spite of his nothingness, with such great gifts, visible and invisible, to the extent even of shedding His most precious blood for him, not asking anything from him at all except that he should choose to receive His blessings."

 

37        From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 5, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 224):

"Endurance is like an unshakeable rock in the winds and waves of life. However the tempest batters him, the patient man remains steadfast and does not turn back; and when he finds relief and joy, he is not carried away by self-glory: he is always the same, whether things are hard or easy, and for this reason, he is proof against the snares of the enemy"

 

38        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ, Part 1; Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 80):

"Conscience in men is nothing else but the voice of the omnipresent God moving in the hearts of men, as He Who alone Is and has created everything, the Lord knows all as Himself - all the thoughts, desires, intentions, words, and works of men, present, past, and future. However far in front I may let my thoughts, my imagination, run He is there before me and I ever inevitably finish my course in Him, ever having Him as the witness of my ways. 'His eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men' (Jer 32:19). 'Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?' (Ps 139:7)."

 

39        From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 74):

"In all your works, either at home or at the place of your service, do not forget that all your strength, your light and your success are in Christ and His Cross; therefore, do not fail to call upon the Lord before beginning any work, saying: Jesus, help me! Jesus, enlighten me! Thus your heart will be supported and warmed by lively faith and hope in Christ, for His is the power and glory unto ages of ages."

 

40        From the Monks Callistus and Ignatius (Directions to Hesychasts no. 16f, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pg. 186):

"He who forbids his lips to gossip (to speak much) preserves his heart from passions. He who preserves his heart from passions, sees God every hour."

 

41       Faith and love which are gifts of the Holy Spirit are such great and powerful means that a person who has them can easily, and with joy and consolation, go the way Jesus Christ went. Besides this, the Holy Spirit gives man the power to resist the delusions of the world so that although he makes use of earthly good, yet he uses them as a temporary visitor, without attaching his heart to them. But a man who has not got the Holy Spirit, despite all his learning and prudence, is always more or less a slave and worshipper of the world. St. Innocent of Irkutsk, Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven

 

42       He that loves Me, saith the Lord, will keep My commandments; and 'this is My commandment, that you love one another.' He therefore who does not love his neighbor does not keep the commandment. Nor is he that does not keep the commandment able to love the Lord. St. Maximus the Confessor, Century 1

 

43       If you love Christ God, then endure as He endured, and do all that is pleasing to Him. He taught and did. Unfailingly your love also should be such as does good, endures, is disturbed by nothing present, and in everything ever thanks Him not with words and tongue, but with very deeds. You must love Him with heart, with mind, with your whole soul, strength, and mind. Abbot Nazarius of Valaam, Little Russian Philokalia, Vol. II

 

44       Let us, then, speak here about Christian love which enfolds within its embrace and holds not only our own relatives, brothers, friends, and acquaintances, but all men, and most of all those that are of the household of faith and brethren according to the Christian spirit. Two fruits of this love are explained here; first, to do evil to no one; and second, to show mercy and compassion to a neighbor in need. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Journey to Heaven

 

45       Patient endurance is the fruit of love, for 'love patiently endures all things' (I Cor. 13:7), and teaches us to achieve such endurance by forcing ourselves so that through patience we may attain love... St. Gregory Palamas (Those Who Practice a Life of Stillness no. 8, The Philokalia Vol. 4 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 338)

 

46       If we do not have love we are deprived of everything...Nothing attracts God so much as mercy, philanthropy...Nothing enrages God so much, as for us to be uncharitable. REF:Saint John Chrysostom

 

47       If we desire to acquire faith the foundation of all blessings, the door to God's mysteries, unflagging defeat of our enemies, the most necessary of all the virtues, the wings of prayer and the dwelling of God within the soul--we must endure every trial imposed by our enemies and by our many and various thoughts....if we forcibly triumph over the trials and temptations that befall us, it will not be we who are victorious, but Christ, Who is present in us through faith. St. Peter of Damaskos

 

48       To have faith in Christ means more than simply despising the delights of this life. It means we should bear all our daily trials that may bring us sorrow, distress, or unhappiness, and bear them patiently for as long as God wishes and until He comes to visit us. For it is said: 'I waited on the Lord and He came to me.' St. Symeon the New Theologian, The Practical and Theological Chapters

 

49       It is good to hold fast to the principal commandment, and not to be anxious about particular things or to pray for them specifically, but to seek only the kingdom and the word of God (cf. Mt 6:25-33). If, however, we are still anxious about our particular needs, we should also pray for each of them. He who does or plans anything without prayer will not succeed in the end. And this is what the Lord meant when He said: 'Without Me you can do nothing' (Jn 15:5). REF:Saint Kosmas Aitolos +1779

 

50       ...Send your treasures to the heavenly storage room. Deposit your wealth in God's Bank, distributing it to the poor, the orphans and the widows, so that you can receive a million times more in the Second coming of Christ... REF:Elder Joseph the Hesychast

 

51       Do you wish to honor the Body of the Savior? Do not despise it when it is naked. Do not honor it in church with silk vestments while outside it is naked and numb with cold. He who said, "This is my body," and made it so by his word, is the same who said, "You saw me hungry and you gave me no food. As you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me." Honor him then by sharing your property with the poor. For what God needs is not golden chalices but golden souls. St. John Chrysostom "On the Gospel of St. Matthew", 50, iii (PG 58, 508)

 

52       Just as the poor should give thanks to God and return rich love to those who assist them, so all the more should the wealthy give thanks, for through God's providence they are able to perform acts of charity and so are saved both in this age and in the age to be. For without the poor they cannot save their souls or flee the temptations of wealth. St. Simeon the New Theologian (Practical and Theological Precepts no. 125, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pg. 127)

 

53       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 the 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 4th century

 

54       When you fast and are nourished with abstinence, do not store the leftovers for tomorrow, but, as the Lord became poor and enriched us, feed someone who does not want to be hungry, you who hungers willingly. Then your fast will be like the dove who brings and joyfully proclaims salvation to your soul from the flood. St. Gregory Palamas quoted in The Festive Fast

 

55       Whoever will sacrifice houses, or fields, or riches, or glory, father or mother, brothers or sisters, wife or children, or whatever good on earth, will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. For this reason never regret any charitable act, humiliating the poor man that you gave him something, lest by chance, instead of a reward, you suffer double damage; because he who does a good deed and later repents or humiliates the poor man, not only loses his wages, but is also found guilty on Judgment Day. Stories, Sermons and Prayers of St. Nephon: An Ascetic Bishop

 

56       Deem him to be a man of God who by reason of much compassion has mortified himself even with regard to necessary wants; for he who gives alms to a poor man has God to take care of him. And a man who has become poor for His sake has found inexhaustible treasures. The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian.

 

57       When we are in trouble or despair or have lost hope, we should do what David did: pour out our hearts to God and tell Him of our needs and troubles, just as they are (cf. Ps. 142:2). It is because He can deal with us wisely that we confess to God: He can make our troubles easy to bear, if this is for our benefit, and can save us from the dejection which destroys and corrupts. St. Hesychius the Priest, Philokalia, Vol. I.

 

58       Beware of limiting the good of fasting to mere abstinence from meats. Real fasting is alienation from evil. 'Loose the bands of wickedness.' For give your neighbor the mischief he has done you. Forgive him his trespasses against you. Do not 'fast for strife and debate.' You do not devour flesh, but you devour your brother. You abstain from wine, but you indulge in outrages. You wait for evening before you take food, but you spend the day in the law courts. Woe to those who are 'drunken, but not with wine.' Anger is the intoxication of the soul, and makes it out of its wits like wine. St. Basil, in his homilies on the Holy Spirit

 

59       Fasting is acceptable to God when abstention from food is accompanied by refraining from sins, from envy, from hatred, from calumny, from vainglory, from wordiness, from other evils. He who is fasting the true fast 'that is agreeable' to God ought to shun all these things with all his strength and zeal, and remain impregnable and unshakeable against all the attacks of the Evil one that are planned from that quarter. On the other hand, he who practices abstention from food, but does not keep self-control in the face of the aforesaid passions, is like unto one who lays down splendid foundations for a house, yet takes serpents and scorpions and vipers as fellow-dwellers therein. St. Photios the Great, Sermon on Wed. of Cheese Fare Week

 

60       Fasts and vigils, the study of Scripture, renouncing possessions and everything worldly are not in themselves perfection, as we have said; they are its tools. For perfection is not to be found in them; it is acquired through them. It is useless, therefore, to boast of our fasting, vigils, poverty, and reading of Scripture when we have not achieved the love of God and our fellow men. Whoever has achieved love has God within himself and his intellect is always with God. St John Cassian

 

61       It is necessary most of all for one who is fasting to curb anger, to accustom himself to meekness and condescension, to have a contrite heart, to repulse impure thoughts and desires, to examine his conscience, to put his mind to the test and to verify what good has been done by us in this or any other week, and which deficiency we have corrected in ourselves in the present week. This is true fasting. St. John Chrysostom.

 

62       By His own example, the Lord showed us how great a weapon fasting is. With this weapon, He vanquished Satan in the wilderness, and with it was victorious over the three chief satanic passions with which Satan tempted Him: love of ease love of praise and love of money. These are three destructive greeds, the three greatest traps into which the evil enemy of the human race lures Christ's soldiers." St. Nikolai Velimirovic

 

63       When our good and all-gracious Lord and Master sees people too lazy in their exercises, He lays their flesh low with sickness, an asceticism with less toil; and sometimes it also cleanses the soul from evil thoughts or passions. St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978), Step26: On Discernment of Thoughts, Passions and Virtue

 

64       Meekness and humility of heart are virtues without which it is impossible to inherit the Heavenly Kingdom, to be happy on earth, or to experience inner calm. Counsels of Venerable St. Antony (Putilov) of Optina

 

65       "There is nothing stronger than meekness, nothing more powerful; it preserves our soul in quiet, and strives to lead it as into a harbor, and is the cause of every kind of satisfaction for us; and nothing else can give the soul repose and great quiet as well as meekness and humble mindedness." St. John Chrysostom

 

66       Let those of us with children give heed to their upbringing, and, in general, let everyone have an interest in those they live with and regard their neighbor's welfare as their own greatest asset, so that each person may be instructed in the way of virtue and thus succeed in avoiding an experience of evil, and, by opting for virtue, win much favor from on high. May it be the good fortune of us all to attain this, thanks to the grace and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, Vol. III

 

67       Come now, my brethren - all who have received the name of faith, who have been deemed worthy to be called people of Christ - do not put aside our calling; let us not violate our faith through improper works. It is not enough for someone merely to be known as a believer, so let us show our faith through works. St. John of Damascus, Homily on the Withered Fig Tree and the Parable of the Vineyard

 

68       For to despise the present age, not to love transitory things, unreservedly to stretch out the mind in humility to God and our neighbor, to preserve patience against offered insults and, with patience guarded, to repel the pain of malice from the heart, to give one's property to the poor, not to covet that of others, to esteem the friend in God, on God's account to love even those who are hostile, to mourn at the affliction of a neighbor, not to exult in the death of one who is an enemy, this is the new creature whom the Master of the nations seeks with watchful eye amid the other disciples, saying:"If, then, any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away. Behold all things are made new" (2Cor. 5:17). St. Gregory the Great, Homilies On the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

 

69       It is in the renewing of the mind, and the peace of the thoughts, and the love and heavenly attachment for the Lord, that the new creation-the Christian-is distinguished from all the men of the world. This was the purpose of the Lord's coming: to vouchsafe these spiritual blessings to those who truly believe in Him. Christians have a glory and a beauty and a heavenly wealth which is beyond words, and it is won with pains, and sweat, and trials, and many conflicts, and all by the grace of God. St. Macarius the Great (+390)

 

70       The Christian ought not to grudge another's reputation, nor rejoice over any man's faults; he ought in Christ's love to grieve and be afflicted at his brother's faults, and rejoice over his brother's good deeds. He ought not to be indifferent or silent before sinners. He who shows another to be wrong ought to do so with all tenderness, in the fear of God, and with the object of converting the sinner. He who is proved wrong or rebuked ought to take it willingly, recognizing his own gain in being set right. St. Basil the Great.

 

71       Sin, to one who loves God, is nothing other than an arrow from the enemy in battle. The true Christian is a warrior fighting his way through the regiments of the unseen enemy to his heavenly homeland. According to the word of the Apostle, our homeland is in heaven; and about the warrior he says: 'our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.' St. Seraphim of Sarov, Letters, Little Russian Philokalia, V.3

 

72       Do we forgive our neighbors their trespasses? God also forgives us in His mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness, then, of your sins or unforgiveness, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself, man. For without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how terrible it is. St. Philotheos of Sinai

 

73       If you want cure your soul, you need four things. The first is to forgive your enemies. The second is to confess thoroughly. The third is to blame yourself. The fourth is to resolve to sin no more. If we wish to be saved, we must always blame ourselves and not attribute our wrong acts to others. And God, Who is most compassionate, will forgive us. Modern Orthodox Saints I, St. Cosmas Aitolos).Dr. Constantine Cavarnos., INSTITUTE FOR BYZANTINE AND MODERN GREEK STUDIES., Belmont, Massachusetts., pp.81-94

 

74       ...The husband and wife must lay virtue, and not passion, as the foundation of their love, that is, when the husband sees any fault in his wife, he must nudge her meekly, and the wife must submit to her husband in this. Likewise when a wife sees some fault in her husband, she must exhort him, and he is obliged to hear her. In this manner their love will be faithful and unbroken, and thereby having mutually composed their happiness, they shall take pleasure in the virtue. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk (+1783)

 

75       Let us first consider what peace is. Surely it is nothing else but a loving disposition towards one's neighbor. But what is held to be the opposite of love? It is hate and wrath, anger and envy, harboring resentment as well as hypocrisy and the calamity of war. Do you see for how many different diseases this single word is an antidote? For peace is equally opposed to every one of the things mentioned, and wipes out these evils by its own presence. Just as illness vanishes when health supervenes, and as no darkness is left when light begins to shine, so also when peace appears, all the passions connected with its opposite are eliminated. St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Beatitudes, Sermon 9: Blessed are thepeacemankers, for thy shall be called sons of God

 

76       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. Abba Epiphanios

 

77       The real and true life then is the Father, who through the Son in the Holy Spirit pours forth as from a fountain His heavenly gifts to all; and through His love to man, the blessing of life eternal are promised without fail to us men also. We must not disbelieve the possibility of this, but having an eye not to our own weakness but to His power, we must believe; for with God all things are possible. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lectures: Lecture 18 no. 29)

 

78       If you do not feel like praying, you have to force yourself. The Holy Fathers say that prayer with force is higher than prayer unforced. You do not want to, but force yourself. The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force (Matt. 11:12). REF:St. Ambrose of Optina (+1891)

 

79       Disciplined piety feeds the soul on holy thoughts. What can be more blessed than to imitate on earth the chorus of the angels; to begin the opening day with prayer, honoring the Creator with hymns and songs; and when the sun is up to turn to work, always accompanied by prayer, and to season one's labors with singing? Cheerfulness and freedom from sorrow are the gifts which the soul received from the singing of hymns. St. Basil the Great

 

80       Do all in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall. But if you do fall, get up again at once and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times because of the withdrawal of God's grace, rise up again each time, and keep on doing this until the day of your death. For it is written, 'If a righteous man falls down seven times' - that is, repeatedly throughout his life - 'seven times shall he rise again' [Prov. 24:16]. St. Ephrem

 

81       He who chooses to live well for eternity, will live in discomfort for the present. He will be subjected to all types of troubles and burdens as long as he is on earth, so that in the end he will have divine and heavenly consolation. On the other hand, he who chooses to live well for the present will fare badly in eternity. Lactantius (260-330 AD) Institutes bk. 7, chap. 5)

 

82       Of course, it would be easier to get to paradise with a full stomach, all snuggled up in a soft feather-bed, but what is required is to carry one's cross along the way, for the kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles, but many! Elder Anthony of Optina

 

83       The evil one cannot comprehend the joy we receive from the spiritual life; for this reason he is jealous of us, he envies us and sets traps for us, and we become grieved and fall. We must struggle, because without struggles we do not obtain virtues. Abba Isaiah the Solitary

 

84       The strength of those who wish to acquire the virtues is as follows: if they fall, let them not lose their courage, but let them be sure to make a new beginning at their endeavor. Insofar, then, as we put all our energy into practicing the virtues, let us await the Lord, showing Him a generous resolve and calling on His aid, and without fail He will strengthen us with His mercy and bestow His Grace on us in abundance, in which case we will accomplish every good easily and without exertion. Abba Moses in The Evergetinos, Book I, Vol. III/

 

85       True prayer is a gift of God, which is granted to him that prayeth, that is, to those who labor in it unremittingly, continually, without sloth, according to what is written: He granteth his prayer to him that prayeth. If with every virtue habit is not acquired at once, but according to the measure of one's practice in it, then even more the habit of prayer requires long-continued labor and unremitting forcing of oneself. Abbess Thaisia, Letters to a Beginner

 

86       What toil we must endure, what fatigue, while we are attempting to climb hills and the summits of mountains! What, that we may ascend to heaven! If you consider the promised reward, what you endure is less. Immortality is given to the one who perseveres; everlasting life is offered; the Lord promises His Kingdom. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Journey to Heaven

 

87       Talkativeness is the throne of vainglory, on which it loves to show itself and make a display. Talkativeness is a sign of ignorance, a door to slander, a guide to jesting, a servant of falsehood, the ruin of compunction, a creator and summoner of despondency, a precursor of sleep, the dissipation of recollection, the abolition of watchfulness, the cooling of ardor, the darkening of prayer. St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978), Step 11: On Talkativeness and Silence

 

88       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

 

89       The passion of self-esteem is a three-pronged barb heated and forged by the demons out of vanity, presumption and arrogance. Yet those who dwell under the protection of the God of heaven (cf. Ps. 91.1) detect it easily and shatter its prongs, for through their humility they rise above such vices and find repose in the tree of life. Nikitas Stithatos, Philokalia, Vol. 4

 

90       Christanity is similar to tasting deeply of truth, eating and drinking of truth - to eat and drink on and on unto power and energy. It is like a certain spring when someone very thirsty begins to drink from it. But then, while he is drinking, someone rushes him off before he has drunk his fill. Afterward, he burns more ardently, because he has tasted the water and eagerly seeks it. So also in the spiritual life, a person tastes and partakes of the heavenly food, but while he is eating it is taken away and no one given him to eat his fill. St. Macarius the Great, Fifty Spiritual Homilies

 

91       He is a foolish traveler who sees pleasant meadows on his journey and forgets where he is going. Therefore let our hearts yearn with all our desire for our heavenly home, let them desire nothing in this world which they must leave quickly. If we are truly sheep of the heavenly Shepherd, and are not arrested by any delight alone the way, we shall be satisfied with eternal pastures on our arrival there. St. Gregory the Great.

 

92       A true lover of wisdom is he who, through natural things, has learnt to know their Creator, and from the Creator has understood natural things and things Divine; and such as knows not from teaching only but from experience. Or: a perfect lover of wisdom is he who has perfected himself in the moral, natural and Divine love of wisdom, or rather in love of God. St. Gregory of Sinai (Texts on Commandments and Dogmas no.127)

 

93       The reception of wisdom is normally accomplished through keeping the commandments, for God does not grant it before receiving our good works. As someone versed in true godliness said: "If thou desirest wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord God will supply thee with it. The Second Century of St. John of Karpathos, A Supplement to the Philokalia

 

94       God's will is done on earth as in heaven when, in the way indicated, we do not disparage one another, and when not only are we without jealousy but we are united one to another in simplicity and in mutual love, peace and joy, and regard our brother's progress as our own and his failure as our loss. St. Symeon Metaphrastis, Paraphrase of the Homilies of St. Makarios of Egypt, Philokalia, Vol. 3

 

95       How many times have I prayed for what seemed a good thing for me and not leaving it to God to do as He knows best But having obtained what I begged for, I found myself in distress because I had not asked for it to be, rather, according to God's will. St. Nilus of Sinai

 

96       We Christians are disciples as were the apostles. We must be followers of both of the teachings and of the example set by the life of the Master ---- And what is it then, to follow Christ? To do good and to suffer for the sake of the will of God who desires our forbearance; to endure all, looking upon Christ who suffered; for many wish to be glorified with Christ, yet few seek to remain with the suffering Christ. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

 

97       Wrath is a reminder of hidden hatred, that is to say, remembrance of wrongs. Wrath is a desire for the injury of the one who has provoked you. Irascibility is the untimely blazing up of the heart. Bitterness is a movement of displeasure seated in the soul. Anger is an easily changeable movement of one's disposition and disfiguration of soul. St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978), Step 8: On Freedom From Anger and On Meekness

 

98       Silence of lips is better and more wonderful than any edifying conversation.Strive to acquire humility and submissiveness. Never insist that anything should be according to your will, for this gives birth to anger. Do not judge or humiliate anyone, for this gives birth to anger. Do not judge or humiliate anyone, for this exhausts the heart and blinds the mind, and thereon leads to negligence and makes the heart unfeeling. St.Barsanuphius and St.John

 

99       The first step toward freedom from anger is to keep the lips silent when the heart is stirred; the next, to keep thoughts silent when the soul is upset; the last, to be totally calm when unclean winds are blowing. St. John Climacus (The Ladder of Divine Ascent: Step 8)

 

100   Prayer is truly a heavenly armor, and is alone can keep safe those who have dedicated themselves to God. Prayer is the common medicine for purifying ourselves from the passions, for hindering sin and curing our faults. Prayer is an inexhaustible treasure, an unruffled harbor, the foundation of serenity, the root and mother of myriads of blessings. "Modern Orthodox Saints, St. Nectarios of Aegina", Dr. Constantine Cavarnos, Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Belmont, Massachusetts., 1981., pp. 154-187