Today's Message

Don't be discouraged

You may find yourself hampered by someone who sows tares of despondency. He tries to prevent you from climbing to such heights of holiness by discouraging you with various thoughts. For instance, he will tell you that it is impossible for you to be saved and to keep every single one of God's commandments while you live in this world. When this happens you should sit down in a solitary place by yourself, collect yourself, concentrate your thoughts and give good counsel to your soul, saying: "Why, my soul, are you dejected, and why do you trouble me? Put your hope in God, for I will give thanks to Him; for my salvation lies not in my actions but in God (cf. Ps. 42:5). Who will be vindicated by actions done according to the law (cf. Gal 2:16)? No living person will be vindicated before God (cf. Ps. 143:2). Yet by virtue of my faith in God I hope that in His ineffable mercy He will give me salvation. Get behind me, Satan (cf. Matt. 16:23). I worship the Lord my God (cf. Matt. 4:10) and serve Him from my youth; for He is able to save me simply through His mercy. Go away from me. The God who created me in His image and likeness will reduce you to impotence."

August 29 , 2012

St. Symeon the New Theologian

Righteousness

"The Lord says: 'blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied' (Mt. 5:6). It is nothing bodily, nothing earthly, that this hunger, this thirst seeks for: but it desires to be satiated with the good food of righteousness, and wants to be admitted to all the deepest mysteries, and be filled with the Lord Himself. Happy the mind that craves this food and is eager for such drink: which it certainly would not seek if it had never tasted of its sweetness. But hearing the Prophet's spirit saying to him: 'taste and see that the Lord is sweet' (Ps. 34:8); it has received some portion of sweetness from on high, and blazed out into love of the purest pleasure, so that spurning all things temporal, it is seized with the utmost eagerness for eating and drinking righteousness, and grasps the truth of that first commandment which says: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your strength' (Lk. 10:27): since to love God is nothing else than to love righteousness."

August 27 , 2012

St. Leo the Great

Love

"The person who loves God cannot help loving every man as himself, even though he is grieved by the passions of those who are not yet purified. But when they amend their lives, his delight is indescribable and knows no bounds."

August 9 , 2012

St. John Cassian

Perfection

"Perfection... is clearly not achieved simply by being naked, by the lack of wealth or by the rejection of honors, unless there is also that love whose ingredients the apostle described (cf. I Cor. 13) and which is to be found solely in purity of heart. Not to be jealous, not to be puffed up, not to act heedlessly, not to seek what does not belong to one, not to rejoice over some injustice, not to plan evil - what is this and its like if not the continuous offering to God of the heart that is perfect and truly pure, a heart kept free of all disturbance?"

August 7 , 2012

St. John Cassian

Seed

"Just as the farmer wearies himself by merely plowing, digging and sowing the seed on the ground, but it grows and produces fruit early and late (cf. Jms. 5:7) by God's gift, so it is in reality, as you will discover, in spiritual matters. It belongs to us to engage in every activity and with much toil and weariness to sow the seeds of virtue, but by God's gift and mercy alone the rain of His loving-kindness and grace falls and causes the unfruitful soil of our hearts to bear fruit. When the grain of the word falls on our souls it receives the moisture of God's goodness; it germinates, grows, and becomes a great tree (cf. Mt. 13:31-32), that is, it attains to mature manhood, to 'the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' (Eph. 4:13)."

July 31 , 2012

St. Symeon

Love

Love does not depend on time, and the power of love continues always. There are some who believe that the Lord suffered death for love of man but because they do not attain to this love in their own souls it seems to them that it is an old story of bygone days. But when the soul knows the love of God by the Holy Spirit she feels without a shadow of doubt that the Lord is our Father, the closest, the best and dearest of fathers, and there is no greater happiness than to love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds, according to the Lord's commandment, and our neighbor as ourself. And when this love is in the soul, everything rejoices her; but when it is lost sight of man cannot find peace, and is troubled, and blames others as if they had done him an injury, and does not realize that he himself is at fault – he has lost his love for God and has accused or conceived hatred for his brother.

July 24 , 2012

- St. Silouan the Athonite

Moral grief

Remember, moral outrage is a form of confession. Because we hate most in others what we fear most in ourselves. Moral grief is not moral outrage. Moral grief is an expression of co-suffering love. Not howling, shrieking, screaming, waving arms and dancing around a stage, spewing hate and malice, as if in the name of God.

July 23 , 2012

Archbishop Lazar

A stranger

There is a stranger in us - a naked, needy, hungry portion of ourselves - unwanted and neglected whom we must embrace. In this way, we welcome Christ into our lives, for he is the Unwanted One, "the least of the brethren" within us, the Samaritan. By embracing what is unwanted in us we embrace Him and in this way we become whole. We reach out, but it is the Despised One in use who actually saves. (Isaiah 53:3)

July 20, 2012

Fr. Antony

Judgemnt of God

"Fire and water do not mix, neither can you mix judgment of others with the desire to repent. If a man commits a sin before you at the very moment of his death, pass no judgment, because the judgment of God is hidden from men. It has happened that men have sinned greatly in the open but have done greater deeds in secret, so that those who would disparage them have been fooled, with smoke instead of sunlight in their eyes."

July 19, 2012

—St. John Climacus

After the ressurection

"...after the resurrection of the Lord - which was in truth the resurrection of a real body, for no other person was raised again than He who had been crucified and died - what else was accomplished during the interval of forty days than to make our faith entire and clear of all darkness? For a while He conversed with His disciples, and dwelt with them, and ate with them, and allowed Himself to be handled with careful and inquisitive touch by those who were under the influence of doubt; and this was His purpose in entering in to them when the doors were shut, and by His breath giving them the Holy Spirit and opening the secrets of Holy Scripture after bestowing on them the light of intelligence, and again in His selfsame person showing to them the wound in the side, the prints of the nails and all the fresh tokens of the Passion, saying, 'Behold My hands and feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have' (Lk. 24:39); that the properties of the divine and the human nature might be acknowledged to remain in Him without causing a division, and that we might in this way know that the Word is not what the flesh is as to confess that the one Son of God is both Word and flesh? 'Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (that dissolves Jesus) is not of God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist' (I Jn. 4:2-3). Now what is to dissolve Jesus, but to separate human nature from Him, and to make void by shameless inventions that mystery by which alone we have been saved?... For if a man does not think the Lord's crucifixion to be unreal... let him acknowledge His flesh also, and not doubt that He who he recognizes as having been capable of suffering is also man... since to deny His true flesh is also to deny His bodily sufferings."

July 10, 2012

St. Leo the Great

Grace of the Holy Spirit

In spite of our sinfulness, in spite of the darkness surrounding our souls, the Grace of the Holy Spirit, conferred by baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, still shines in our hearts with the inextinguishable light of Christ ... and when the sinner turns to the way of repentance the light smooths away every trace of the sins committed, clothing the former sinner in the garments of incorruption, spun of the Grace of the Holy Spirit. It is this acquisition of the Holy Spirit about which I have been speaking.

July 06, 2012

St. Seraphim of Sarov

They went down to Egypt and provided food when famine reigned;
they came to the obstinate sea, and taught it wisdom with a rod;
they went out into the hostile desert and adorned it with a pillar;
they entered the furnace, fiercely heated, and sprinkled it with their dew;
into the pit where they had been thrown an angel entered and
taught its wild beasts to fast.

July 03, 2012

St. Ephrem

God gives

For Christians above all men are forbidden to correct the
stumblings of sinners by force...it is necessary to make a man
better not by force but by persuasion. We neither have autority
granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor, if it were, should we
know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are
kept from evil, not by force, but by choice.

June 22, 2012

Infinite grace

Oh, what great happiness and bliss, what exaltation it is to
address oneself to the Eternal Father. Always, without fail, value
this joy which has been accorded to you by God's infinite grace
and do not forget it during your prayers; God, the angels and
God's holy men listen to you.

June 21, 2012

St. John of Kronstadt

Wine

Wine makes glad the heart of man' (Ps. 104:15). But you who have
professed sorrow and grief should turn away from such gladness and
rejoice in spiritual gifts. If you rejoice in wine, you will live
with shameful thoughts and distress will overwhelm you.

June 20, 2012

St. Theodore of Edessa

Remember me

We see the water of a river flowing uninterruptedly and passing
away, and all that floats on its surface, rubbish or beams of
trees, all pass by. Christian! So does our life. . . I was an
infant, and that time has gone. I was an adolescent, and that too
has passed. I was a young man, and that too is far behind me. The
strong and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white,
I succumb to age, but that too passes; I approach the end and will
go the way of all flesh. I was born in order to die. I die that I
may live. Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom!

June 19, 2012

St. Tikhon of Voronezh

Prelest

Even a pious person is not immune to spiritual sickness if he does
not have a wise guide -- either a living person or a spiritual
writer. This sickness is called _prelest_, or spiritual delusion,
imagining oneself to be near to God and to the realm of the divine
and supernatural. Even zealous ascetics in monasteries are
sometimes subject to this delusion, but of course, laymen who are
zealous in external struggles (podvigi) undergo it much more
frequently. Surpassing their acquaintances in struggles of prayer
and fasting, they imagine that they are seers of divine visions,
or at least of dreams inspired by grace. In every event of their
lives, they see special intentional directions from God or their
guardian angel. And then they start imagining that they are God's
elect, and often try to foretell the future. The Holy Fathers
armed themselves against nothing so fiercely as against this
sickness -- prelest.

June 18, 2012

Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky

Resist the devil

June 14, 2012

St. Symeon the New Theologian

Great courage

When despondency seizes us, let us not give in to it. Rather,
fortified and protected by the light of faith, let us with great
courage say to the spirit of evil: "What are you to us, you who
are cut off from God, a fugitive for Heaven, and a slave of evil?
You dare not do anything to us: Christ, the Son of God, has
dominion over us and over all. Leave us, you thing of bane. We are
made steadfast by the uprightness of His Cross. Serpent, we
trample on your head."

June 11, 2012

St. Seraphim of Sarov

Yoke of Christ

My poor soul! Sigh, pray and strive to take upon you the blessed
yoke of Christ, and you will live on earth in a heavenly manner.
Lord, grant that I may carry the light and goodly yoke, and I
shall be always at rest, peaceful, glad and joyous; and I shall
taste on earth of crumbs which fall from the celestial feast, like
a dog that feeds upon the crumbs which fall from the master's
table.

June 5, 2012

St. Tikhon of Voronezh

Watchfullness

Let us go forward with the heart completely attentive and the soul fully conscious. For if attentiveness and prayer are daily joined together, they become like Elias' fire-bearing chariot, raising us to heaven. What do I mean? A spiritual heaven, with sun, moon and stars, is formed in the blessed heart of one who has reach a state of watchfulness, or who strives to attain it.

May 28, 2012

St. Philotheus of Sinai

Prayer

Those who have truly decided to serve the Lord God should practice
the remembrance of God and uninterrupted prayer to Jesus Christ,
mentally saying: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,
a sinner.

May 25, 2012

St. Seraphim of Sarov

God is the centre

First of all it must be understood that it is the duty of all
Christians - especially of those whose calling dedicates them to the spiritual life - to strive always and in every way to be united with God, their creator, lover, benefactor, and their
supreme good, by Whom and for Whom they were created. This is because the center and the final purpose of the soul, which God created, must be God Himself alone, and nothing else - God whom
Whom the soul has received its life and its nature, and for Whom it must eternally live.

May 23, 2012

St. Dimitry of Rostov

Gained Crowns

Long ago, the wily one cast his weapon and wounded Adam and killed him;
Indeed, he completely destroyed the weak man.
But now, even if he struck the bodies of the noble men,
he did not destroy their spirits.
He persuaded the first-created man to fall by words,
but not even by deeds, the noble ones.
Bewitching the former, he made promises; he made offers to the latter:
For Adam, the making of a god; for the martyrs, honor.
He offers what he does not have; he suggests bestowing things not in his authority.
Therefore, saints, having shattered his scheme,
You gained crowns.

May 22, 2012

Kontakia of Romanos, On the Forty Martyrs of Sebasteia I.

John The Little

It was said about John the Little that one day he said to his
older brother: I want to be free from care and not to work but to
worship God without interruption. And he took his robe off, and
went into the desert. After staying there one week, he returned to
his brother. And when he knocked at the door, his brother asked
without opening it: Who is it? He replied: It's John, your
brother. The brother said: John has become an angel and is not
among people anymore. Then he begged and said: It's me! But his
brother did not open the door and left him there in distress until
the next morning. And he finally opened the door and said: If you
are a human being, you have to work again in order to live. Then
John repented, saying: Forgive me, brother, for I was wrong.

May 17, 2012

Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Possible with God

There is nothing impossible unto those who believe; lively and
unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in the twinkling of
an eye. Besides, even without our sincere and firm faith, miracles
are accomplished, such as the miracles of the sacraments; for
God's Mystery is always accomplished, even though we were
incredulous or unbelieving at the time of its celebration. "Shall
their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Rom. 3:3).
Our wickedness shall not overpower the unspeakable goodness and
mercy of God; our dullness shall not overpower God's wisdom, nor
our infirmity God's omnipotence.

May 14, 2012

St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

The Risen Lord Appears to Us Each

Today we should give thought to one important thing that not everyone remarks upon when turning to Holy Scripture, when reading about those bright days during which the Lord appeared after His Resurrection. He appeared to many, and to each person differently. In one circumstance it was the weeping Mary Magdalene, lonely and grieving at the empty tomb; in another it was Peter, bewildered and confused, having returned from the garden where He had found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then we see the disciples on the sea. John senses Him in his heart and recognizes Him, while Peter throws himself into the sea and hurries to Him. And, as we read in the epistles of the Apostle Paul, among the last to whom the Lord appeared was he, Paul-Saul, who had persecuted the Church of God.
This continues even now. Christ, risen invisibly, appears tangibly to each person. In the lives of each of us who has felt the proximity of other worlds if only for a moment, a meeting with the Risen Lord is accomplished; He comes to each person, knocking at the door of his heart, finding words for each. It is our task to listen, our task to respond to this knocking, for the Lord has come to save, spiritualize, and transform the lives not just of everyone, but of each one of us.
Therefore today, on this Paschal day, let each of you, returning home, carry in his heart this joy and the thought that the Lord has appeared to me, too. He is risen for me, and speaks for me, and remains with me, and will forever be as my Lord, as my Savior, as my God. May the Lord protect you!

Christ is Risen!

15-16 Aprli 2012

Great love for our burdens

Let us hearken, my dear ones, to what the Savior is silently proclaiming: “I died for you, for your salvation. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s soul for one’s friends. The thought of you, the sinner, and the desire to save you gave Me the strength to bear the unbearable. You have heard of how I, in My human nature, grieved and mourned in the Garden of Gethsemane on the threshold of My suffering. My heart cried out wordlessly to the Heavenly Father: let this cup pass from Me. But remembrance of you, of your eternal perdition, and My compassion and mercy for God’s perishing creation, conquered the fear of these temporal inhuman torments. My will commingled with that of My Father, as did His love and My love for you, and by that power I overcame the unbearable. The sins of the whole world pressed heavily upon Me. Your burden, which is beyond your strength, I took upon Myself.”

13 Aprli 2012

Archimandrite John Krestiankin

Be thankful

People have different talents, but everyone is given the talent of thankfulness. Only, some bury it in the ground, while others increase it and return it to God a hundredfold. Beware of ungrateful people! If you see an ungrateful person, pray for him without judging him, for by judging him we fall into the same sin, and we are anyway so often ungrateful to God, to our loved ones, even to our closest ones, to other people known and unknown to us. But just the same, beware of ungrateful people. Parents, teach your children to be thankful. This is the most important thing that we can cultivate in them. I am not talking about external knowledge. But spiritually, you must teach your children faith and thankfulness, and everything else will be added unto them. But if you object, and consider that thankfulness should grow by itself in your child's heart, you are cruelly mistaken. The devil will not sit back with arms folded, but will begin to instill his characteristic ingratitude into the hearts of your children. You will reap the fruits of your inaction, and of the most frightful human fault—ingratitude, which will alarm and horrify you. Only after long and serious trials, when very little can be changed, your children will admit their mistakes. But as you well know, this often happens too late.

12 Aprli 2012

Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)

Bodily illness

The body is a slave, the soul a sovereign, and therefore it is due
to Divine mercy when the body is worn out by illness: for thereby
the passions are weakened, and a man comes to himself; indeed,
bodily illness itself is sometimes caused by the passions.

11 Aprli 2012

St. Seraphim of Sarov, Spiritual Instructions

Silent

A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning
others, he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who
talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent, that is,
he says nothing that is not profitable.

10 Aprli 2012
Abba Pimen

Endure

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.

09 Aprli 2012

St. Cyprian

Forgive

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.

04 Aprli 2012

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Journey to Heaven.

Gift

When the blessed Eulogius saw an angel distributing gifts to the
monks who toiled at all-night vigils, to one he gave a gold piece
with the image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to another a silver piece
with a cross, to another a copper piece, to another a bronze
piece, and to another nothing. The others who had remained in the
church, left the church empty-handed. It was revealed to him that
the ones who had obtained the gifts are those who toil at vigils
and are diligent in prayers, supplications, psalms, chants, and
readings. Those who received nothing or who left the church
empty-handed are those who are heedless of their salvation, are
enslaved to vainglory and the clamors of life, and stand feebly
and lazily at vigils and whisper and jest.

02 Aprli 2012

St. Joseph of Volokalamsk

Purpose

What purposelessness, oh the deceit of life; truly in vain does
each man vex himself, and truly blessed and thrice-blessed are
those who have left everything for the Lord, that they may attain
the good things announced in the Gospels. For what profit will it
be for a man to enjoy the whole world, but lose his soul, to which
the whole universe is not equivalent? All the splendor of man is
like the blossom of grass. For the grass departs and the blossom
dies, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever.

30 March 2012

St. Nicon "Repent Ye"

Our nature

Let us consider, then, brethren, of what matter we were formed,
who we are, and with what nature we came into the world, and how
He Who formed and created us brought us into His world from the
darkness of a grave, and prepared his benefits for us before we
were born. Since, therefore, we have everything from Him, we ought
in everything to give Him thanks, to Whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen.

28 March 2011

St. Clement of Rome

Watchfulness

We should zealously cultivate watchfulness, my brethren; and when,
our mind purified in Christ Jesus, we are exalted by the vision it
confers, we should review our sins and our former life, so that
shattered and humbled at the thought of them we may never lose the
help of Jesus Christ our God in the invisible battle.

22 March 2011

St. Hesychius the Presbyter

Promised gifts

What, then, are the things which are being prepared for those who
wait for Him? The Creator and Father of the ages, the All-holy
One, Himself knows their greatness and beauty. Let us then strive
to be found among the number of those that wait, that we may
receive a share of the promised gifts.

21 March 2011

St. Clement of Rome

What is from God?

When anyone is disturbed or saddened under the pretext of a good
and soul-profiting matter, and is angered against his neighbour,
it is evident that this is not according to God: for everything
that is of God is peaceful and useful and leads a man to humility
and to judging himself.

17 March 2012

St. Barsanuphius the Great

Put your hope in God

16 March 2012

—St. Symeon the New Theologian

Be silent

If you are praised, be silent. If you are scolded, be silent. If
you incur losses, be silent. If you receive profit, be silent. If
you are satiated, be silent. If you are hungry, also be silent.
And do not be afraid that there will be no fruit when all dies
down; there will be! Not everything will die down. Energy will
appear; and what energy!

12 March 2012

St. Feofil, the Fool for Christ

Guarding the heart

Our holy fathers have renounced all other spiritual work and concentrated wholly on this one doing, that is, on guarding the heart, convinced that, through this practice, they would easily attain every other virtue, whereas without it not a single virtue can be firmly established.

9 March 2012

St. Symeon the New Theologian

World deception

Beguiling and deceptive is the life of the world, fruitless its
labor, perilous its delight, poor its riches, delusive its honors,
inconstant, insignificant; and woe to those who hope in its
seeming goods: because of this many die without repentance.
Blessed and mos blessed are those who depart from the world and
its desires.

1 March 2012

Elder Nazarius

advice

Be strong in Me; and you, too, Andrew; just as you were the first
to find Me, you were found by me; so find the one who has
wandered;
Do not forget your first skill; from it I shall educate you for
this new art.
Formerly, naked into the deep sea, now naked into life;
Formerly, hunting with a fishing-rod, now taught to fish with the
cross;
Formerly, you used a worm as bait; now I order you to hunt with My
flesh.
I alone know what is in the heart.

28 Februar 2012

Kontakia of St. Romanos, On the Mission of the Apostles

Christianity-every day beginning

This is the mark of Christianity--however much a man toils, and
however many righteousnesses he performs, to feel that he has done
nothing, and in fasting to say, "This is not fasting," and in
praying, "This is not prayer," and in perseverance at prayer, "I
have shown no perseverance; I am only just beginning to practice
and to take pains"; and even if he is righteous before God, he
should say, "I am not righteous, not I; I do not take pains, but
only make a beginning every day."

St. Macarius the Great

27 Februar 2011

Oh soul fear the Lord

"Remember, O my soul, the terrible and frightful wonder: that your
Creator for your sake became Man, and deigned to suffer for the
sake of your salvation. His angels tremble, the Cherubim are
terrified, the Seraphim are in fear, and all the heavenly powers
ceaselessly give praise; and you, unfortunate soul, remain in
laziness. At least from this time forth arise and do not put off,
my beloved soul, holy repentence, contrition of heart and penance
for your sins."

24 Februar 2011

St. Paisius Velichkovsky

Alive with him

"The soul of our Lord, when it was deified, descended into Hades, in order that, just as the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2) rose for those upon the earth, so likewise He might bring light to those who sit under the earth in darkness and shadow of death (Is. 9:2): in order that just as He brought the message of peace to those upon the earth, and of release to the prisoners, and of sight to the blind (Is. 61:1), and became to those who believed the Author of everlasting salvation and to those who did not believe a reproach of their unbelief (I Pet. 3:19), so He might become the same to those in Hades: 'That every knee should bow to Him, of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth' (Phil. 2:10). And thus after He had freed those who had been bound for ages, straightway He rose again from the dead, showing us the way of resurrection."

23 Februar 2011

St. John of Damascus

Humility

I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I
said groaning, "What can get through from such snares?" Then I
heard a voice saying to me, "Humility."

22 Februar 2011

St. Anthony the Great

Soul

Every day you provide your bodies with good 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.

17 Februar 2011

St. Gregory the Great

Poverty

In the matter of piety, poverty serves us better than wealth, and
work better than idleness, especially since wealth becomes an
obstacle even for those who do not devote themselves to it. Yet,
when we must put aside our wrath, quench our envy, soften our
anger, offer our prayers, and show a disposition which is
reasonable, mild, kindly, and loving, how could poverty stand in
our way? For we accomplish these things not by spending money but
by making the correct choice. Almsgiving above all else requires
money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms
are given from our poverty. The widow who paid in the two mites
was poorer than any human, but she outdid them all.

15 Februar 2011

St. John Chrysostom

Fire

God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts.
Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold which comes from the
devil - for the devil is cold - let us call on the Lord. He will
come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but
also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good will
flee before the heat of His countenance.

14 Februar 2011

St. Seraphim of Sarov

Fight

Let us charge into the good fight with joy and love without being
afraid of our enemies. Though unseen themselves, they can look at
the face of our soul, and if they see it altered by fear, they
take up arms against us all the more fiercely. For the cunning
creatures have observed that we are scared. So let us take up arms
against them courageously. No one will fight with a resolute
fighter.

3 Februar 2011
St. John Climacus

Historical Jesus Christ

In Christianity truth is not a philosophical concept nor is it a
theory, a teaching, or a system, but rather, it is the living
theanthropic hypostasis - the historical Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Before Christ men could only conjecture about the Truth since they
did not possess it. With Christ as the incarnate divine Logos the
eternally complete divine Truth enters into the world. For this
reason the Gospel says: "Truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

2 Februar 2011

St. Justin Popovich

Fasting

I shall speak first about control of the stomach, the opposite to
gluttony, and about how to fast and what and how much to eat. I
shall say nothing on my own account, but only what I have received
from the Holy Fathers. They have not given us only a single rule
for fasting or a single standard and measure for eating, because
not everyone has the same strength; age, illness or delicacy of
body create differences. But they have given us all a single goal:
to avoid over-eating and the filling of our bellies... A clear
rule for self-control handed down by the Fathers is this: stop
eating while still hungry and do not continue until you are
satisfied.

1 februar 2011

St. Symeon the New Theologian

Grace of God

The roof of any house stands upon the foundations and the rest of
the structure. The foundations themselves are laid in order to
carry the roof. This is both useful and necessary, for the roof
cannot stand without the foundations and the foundations are
absolutely useless without the roof - no help to any living
creature. In the same way the grace of God is preserved by the
practice of the commandments, and the observance of these
commandments is laid down like foundations through the gift of
God. The grace of the Spirit cannot remain with us without the
practice of the commandments, but the practice of the commandments
is of no help or advantage to us without the grace of God.

31 Januar 2011

St. Symeon the New Theologian

Save me

The wicked one, on the watch, carried me off as booty as I lazily
slept.
He led my mind into error; he plundered my spirit and snatched
away
The wealth of Thy grace, this arch robber.
So raise me up, as I am fallen, and summon me, Saviour,
Thou who dost will that all men be saved.

30 Januar 2011

Kontakia of St. Romanos, A Prayer.

The Lords day

The Lord's Day is a mystery of the knowledge of the truth that is
not received by flesh and blood, and it transcends speculations.
In this age there is no eighth day, nor is there a true Sabbath.
For he who said that `God rested on the seventh day,' signified
the rest [of our nature] from the course of this life, since the
grave is also of a bodily nature and belongs to this world. Six
days are accomplished in the husbandry of life by means of keeping
the commandments; the seventh is spent entirely in the grave; and
the eighth is the departure from it.

25 Januar 2011

St. Isaac of Syria, The Ascetical Homilies.I

The Gospel

The Lord of all gave to His apostles the power of the gospel, and
by them we also have learned the truth, that is, the teaching of
the Son of God - as the Lord said to them, `He who hears you hears
Me, and he who despises you despises Me, and Him Who sent Me'
[Lk.10:16]. For we learned the plan of our salvation from no other
than from those through whom the gospel came to us. The first
preached it abroad, and then later by the will of God handed it
down to us in Scriptures, to be the foundation and pillar of our
faith. For it is not right to say that they preached before they
had come to perfect knowledge, as some dare to say, boasting that
they are the correctors of the apostles. For after our Lord had
risen from the dead, and they were clothed with the power from on
high when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were filled with
all things and had perfect knowledge. They went out to the ends of
the earth, preaching the good things that come to us from God, and
proclaiming peace from heaven to all men, all and each of them
equally being in possession of the gospel of God.

20 Januar 2011

St. Gregory The Great

Freedom - pride

He, therefore, who sets himself to act evilly and yet wishes
others to be silent, is a witness against himself, for he wishes
himself to be loved more than the truth, which he does not wish to
be defended against himself. There is, of course, no man who so
lives as not sometimes to sin, but he wishes truth to be loved
more than himself, who wills to be spared by no one against the
truth. Wherefore, Peter willingly accepted the rebuke of Paul;
David willingly hearkened to the reproof of a subject. For good
rulers who pay no regard to self-love, , take as a homage to their
humility the free and sincere words of subjects. But in this
regard the office of ruling must be tempered with such great art
of moderation, that the minds of subjects, when demonstrating
themselves capable of taking right views in some matters, are
given freedom of expression, but freedom that does not issue into
pride, otherwise, when liberty of speech is granted too
generously, the humility of their own lives will be lost.

19 Januar 2011

St. Gregory The Great

Humility

Those who seek humility should bear in mind the three following
things: that they are the worst of sinners, that they are the most
despicable of all creatures since their state is an unnatural one,
and that they are even more pitiable than the demons, since they
are slaves to the demons. You will also profit if you say this to
yourself: how do I know what or how many other people's sins are,
or whether they are greater than or equal to my own? In our
ignorance you and I , my soul, are worse than all men, we are dust
and ashes under their feet. How can I not regard myself as more
despicable than all other creatures, for they act in accordance
with the nature they have been given, while I, owing to my
innumerable sins, am in a state contrary to nature.

18 Januar 2011

St. Gregory of Sinai,

Repentance

Repentance is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract
with God for a second life. A penitent is a buyer of humility.
Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort. Repentance is
self-condemning reflection, and carefree self-care. Repentance is
the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair. A penitent
is an undisgraced convict. Repentance is reconciliation with the
Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins.
Repentance is purification of conscience. Repentance is the
voluntary endurance of all afflictions. A penitent is the
inflicter of his own punishments. Repentance is a mighty
persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into
vigorous awareness.

17 Januar 2011

St. John Climacus

Christ suffered

O strange and inconceivable thing! We did not really die, we were
not really buried, we were not really crucified and raised again,
but our imitation was but a figure, while our salvation is in
reality. Christ was actually crucified, and actually buried, and
truly rose again; and all these things have been vouchsafed to us,
that we, by imitation communicating in His sufferings, might gain
salvation in reality. O surpassing loving-kindness! Christ
received the nails in His undefiled hands and feet, and endured
anguish; while to me without suffering or toil, by the fellowship
of His pain He vouchsafed salvation.

16 Januar 2011

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Christian Sacraments.

Grief

When we lay bare the hidden meaning of the history, scripture is
seen to teach that the birth which distresses the tyrant is the
beginning of the virtuous life. I am speaking of the kind of birth
in which free will serves as the midwife, delivering the child
amid great pain. For no one causes grief to his antagonist unless
he exhibits in himself those marks which give proof of his victory
over the other.

13 Januar 2011

St. Gregory of Nyssa, The Life of Moses.

Fear God

When a man walks in the fear of God he knows no fear, even if he
were to be surrounded by wicked men. He has the fear of God within
him and wears the invincible armor of faith. This makes him strong
and able to take on anything, even things which seem difficult or
impossible to most people. Such a man is like a giant surrounded
by monkeys, or a roaring lion among dogs and foxes. He goes
forward trusting in the Lord and the constancy of his will to
strike and paralyze his foes. He wields the blazing club of the
Word in wisdom.

12 Januar 2011

St. Symeon the New Theologian, The Practical and Theological
Chapters

Just pray
"When the holy Abba Antony lived in the desert he was attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God, "Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts do not leave me alone; what shall I do in my affliction? How can I be saved?" A short while afterwards, when he got up to go out, Antony saw a man like himself sitting at his work, getting up from his work to pray, then sitting down and plaiting a rope, then getting up again to pray. It was an angel of the Lord sent to correct and reassure him. He heard the angel saying to him, "Do this and you will be saved." At these words, Antony was filled with joy and courage. He did this, and he was saved."

3 Januar 2011

Abba Antony The Great

To be a true Christian
“Unless a man gives himself entirely to the Cross, in a spirit of humility and self-abasement; unless he casts himself down to be trampled underfoot by all and despised, accepting injustice, contempt and mockery; unless he undergoes all these things with joy for the sake of the Lord, not claiming any kind of human reward whatsoever – glory or honor or earthly pleasures – he cannot become a true Christian”

16 December 2011

St Mark the monk

A Shirt Struggle

"We must run from sin to righteousness. In the same way, those who practise righteousness must beware lest they open themselves to sin. For it is written that "righteousness shall not profit the righteous on the day on which he has gone astray." We must stand up for this then. We who have escaped from sin must work hard not to lose the rewards. The enemy is ready to strike those who are stripped of the shield of faith. Therefore, we must not throw aside our shield; otheriwse our side will be exposed to the attack. We must not put away our sword; otheriwse the enemy will begin to lose all his fear. We know that if the enemy sees us fully armed, that he will retreat. We aren't unaware that it is hard and difficult to fight daily against the flesh and the world. But if we think about eternity and consider the kingdom of heaven which the Lord will give even us sinners, I ask us, how can we suffer enough to deserve such things? Besides, our struggle in this world is short. For although death doesn't catch up to us quickly, old age inevitably comes"

Sulpitius Severus

14 December 2011

Acts 8:5-17

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

7 December 2011

Be eager to have companions on your way toward God. Any of you going to the market, or perhaps to the public baths, will invite someone you see has nothing else to do to come along. It is so natural we make it a habit. So, if you are going toward God take care not to go to Him alone. It is written, `Let him who hears say, Come!' Those who haved received in their hearts a word of heavenly love an respond with a word of encouragement to their neighbors. They may have no bread to give as an alms to another who is in need, but one who has a tongue has something greater with which to make an offering. It is worth more to offer a nourishing word to refresh a heart that is going to live forever than to satisfy with earthly bread the stomach of a body that is going to die."

St. Gregory the Great

25 November 2011

Gentle & meek

EVERY virtue is a good thing, but most of all gentleness and meekness. This showeth us men; this maketh us to differ from wild beasts; this fitteth us to vie with Angels. Wherefore Christ continually expendeth many words about this virtue, bidding us be meek and gentle. Nor doth He merely expend words about it, but also teacheth it by His actions; at one time buffeted and bearing it, at another reproached and plotted against; yet again coming to those who plotted against Him. For those men who had called Him a demoniac, and a Samaritan and who had often desired to kill Him, and had cast stones at Him, the same surrounded and asked Him, "Art thou the Christ?" Yet not even in this case did He reject them after so many and so great plots against Him, but answered them with great gentleness."

St. John Chrysostom

24 November 2011

Gods wills

"...the Son subjects to the Father those who freely accept subjection (I Cor. 15:28). This subjection will be voluntary, and through it the last enemy, death, will be destroyed. That which is in our power,our free will, through which the power of corruption entered into us, will surrender voluntarily to God and will have mastery of itself because it had been taught to refrain from willing anything other than what God wills. As our Savior Himself said, taking what is ours into Himself, ' Yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt' (Mt. 26:39). And later St. Paul, as though he denied himself and did not have his own life, said: 'It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me' (Gal. 2:20)."

St. Maximos the Confessor

22 November 2011

Four types of prayer

"The apostle notes four types of prayer. 'My advice is that first of all supplication should be offered up for everyone, prayers, pleas, and thanksgiving' (I Tim. 2:1)... A supplication is a plea or petition made on account of present and past sin by someone who is moved by contrition to seek pardon. In prayers we offer or promise something to God. The Greek term means 'vow'... Third comes pleas. We usually make them for others when we ourselves are deeply moved in spirit. We offer them for those dear to us or when we beg for peace in the world... Fourth are thanksgivings. Unspeakably moved by the memory of God's past kindnesses, by the vision of what He now grants or by all that He holds out as a future reward to those who love Him, the mind gives thanks. In this perspective richer prayers are often uttered. Looking with purest gaze at the rewards promised to the saints, our spirit is moved by measureless joy to pour out wordless thanksgiving to God."

St. John Cassian

18 November 2011

Love

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; It is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way;
It is not irritable or resentful; It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.
So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Cor 13:4-8

09 November 2011

Word is life

"It was necessary... for the phrase 'You are earth and to earth you shall return' to be relaxed through having the fallen body united in an ineffable manner with the Word that endows all things with life. And it was necessary that when the flesh had become His own flesh it should partake of His immortality. Considering that fire has the power to transfer to wood the physical quality of the energy naturally present within it and all but transform into itself whatever it comes to be in by participation, it would be quite absurd if we did not take it for granted that the Word of God who transcends all things could make His own proper good, which is life, operative in the flesh."

St. Cyril of Alexandria

07 November 2011

Humbled Lord

"Our Lord humbled without humiliation His lofty station which yet could not be humbled, and condescends to His servants, with a condescension ineffable and incomprehensible. God being perfect becomes perfect man, and brings to perfection the newest of all new things (cf. Eccles 1:10), the only new thing under the sun, through which the boundless might of God is manifested. For what greater thing is there than that God should become man?"

04 November 2011

An uncontrolled tongue, prayer and anger

Abba Peter, the disciple of Abba Lot, said, One day when I was in Abba Agathon's cell a brother came in and said to him, "I want to live with the brethren; tell me how to dwell with them." The old man answered him, "All the days of your life keep the frame of mind of the stranger which you have on the first day you join them, so as not to become too familiar with them." The Abba Macarius asked, "And what does this familiarity produce?" the old man replied, "It is like a strong, burning wind, each time it arises everything flies swept before it, and it destroys the fruit of the trees." So Abba Macarius said, "Is speaking too freely really as bad as all that?" Abba Agathon said, "No passion is as worse than an uncontrolled tongue, because it is the mother of all the passions." Accordingly the good workman should not use it, even as he is living as a solitary in the cell. I know a brother who spent a long time in his cell using a small bed who said, "I should have left my cell without making use of that small bed if no one had told me it was there." It is the hard-working Monk who is a warrior.

The brethren also asked Abba Agathon "Amongst all good works, which is the virtue which requires the greatest effort?" He answered "Forgive me, but I think there is no labour greater than that of prayer to God. For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons, want to prevent him. For they know that it is only by turning him from prayer that they can hinder his journey. What ever good work a man undertakes, if he perseveres in it, he will attain rest. But prayer is warfare to the last breath.

The same Abba said "a man who is angry, even if he were to raise the dead, is not acceptable to God"

17 October 2011

Vine & branches

[1] "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
[2] Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and
every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
[3] You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you.
[4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
[5] I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
[6] If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.
[7] If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
[8] By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
[9] As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.
[10] If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
[11] These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
[12] "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

—John 15:1-12...

Prophecy

"What shall I say of John, of whom his holy mother testifies that, while he yet lay in her womb, he perceived in spirit the presence of his Lord, and leaped for joy, as we remember it to be written, his mother saying: 'For lo, as soon as the voice of the salutation entered my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy' (Lk. 1:44). Was he, then, who prophesied, in existence or not? Surely he was ? surely he was in being who worshipped his Maker; he was in being who spoke in his mother's womb. And so Elizabeth was filled with the spirit of her son, and Mary sanctified by the Spirit of hers, for thus you may find it recorded, that 'the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit' (Lk. 1:41). Consider the proper force of each word. Elizabeth was indeed the first to hear the voice of Mary, but John was first to feel His Lord's gracious Presence. Sweet is the harmony of prophecy with prophecy, of woman with woman, of babe with babe. The women speak words of grace, the babes move hiddenly, and as their mothers approach one another, so do they engage in mysterious converse of love; and in a two-fold miracle, though in diverse degrees of honor, the mothers prophesy in the spirit of their little ones. Who, I ask, was it that performed this miracle? Was it not the Son of God, Who made the unborn to be?"

06 October 2011

St. Ambrose

Communion

The same Cyril [of Alexandria] says in another place that, through communion, we are cleansed from every impurity of soul and receive eagerness and fervor to do good: “The precious blood of Christ not only frees us from every corruption but also cleanses us from every impurity lying hidden within us, and it does not allow us to grow cold on account of sloth, but rather makes us fervent in the Spirit.

03 October 2011

Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Mammon (money)

"...it is presumptuous ridicule of God if someone thinks that only the person who desires great wealth chooses mammon. Alas, the person who insists on having a penny without God, wants to have a penny all for himself. He thereby chooses mammon. A penny is enough, the choice is made, he has chosen mammon; that it is little makes not the slightest difference. The love of God is hatred of the world and love of the world hatred of God."

14th September 2011

Soren Kierkegaard

‎Prayer

"Prayer is all-powerful on account of the all-powerful God Who acts in it. It is the sword of the Spirit ,which is the Word of God. Prayer by its nature is communion and union of man with God; by its action it is the reconciliation of man with God, the mother and daughter of tears, a bridge for crossing temptations, a wall of protection from afflictions, a crushing of conflicts, boundless activity, the spring of virtues, the source of spiritual gifts, invisible progress, food of the soul, the enlightening of the mind, an axe for despair, a demonstration of hope, release from sorrow, the wealth of monks."

7th September 2011

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

One God

"In threefold lights the one nature of God is established, not a numberless unity, since it subsists in three excellencies, nor a Threesome worshipped severally, since the nature is inseparable. In the Godhead is the unity, but they whose Godhead it is are three in number. Each is the one God, if you should talk of them singly. Again, there is one God, without beginning, whence comes the wealth of Godhead whenever the word refers to all three, so that, on the one hand, it might reverently proclaim to men the threefold lights, and on the other hand, that by it we might extol the strong-shining Monarchy, and not content ourselves with a pluralist marketplace of gods."

St. Gregory Nazianzen

29th of August

God's strenght

Sin settled deeply within man’s nature, almost melding with it. Every person is born with the seed of sin, and emancipation from it requires struggle within oneself. That is why this struggle is tortuous yet necessary in order to approach God. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The cross that one must take up is the battle with one’s failings, faults and sins. Gradually freeing ourselves from them, man approaches God, in Whose image he was created. Man himself does not have enough strength for this, but the grace of God comes to his aid, granted by God through the Church established by His Son. For this reason, He assumed human flesh, in order to raise up once again His image in us.

—St. John (Maximovich)

24th of August

Fight against discouragment

—St. Symeon the New Theologian

16th of August

Self Control

"... we grapple with this 'law of sin' (Rom. 8:2) and expel it from our body, establishing in its place the surveillance of the intellect. Through this surveillance we prescribe what is fitting for every faculty of the soul and every member of the body. For the senses we prescribe what they should take into account and to what extent they should do so, and this exercise of the spiritual law is called self-control."

St. Gregory Palamas

01 July 2011

Pray for your neighbours

"It very often happens that the mist of the spirit of malice surrounds our heart, and does not allow us to speak peaceably with our neighbours, who have once or several times offended us, or expressed ill-will towards us. We must pray fervently to the Lord, that He Himself would disperse this mist of malice, and fill our heart with mercy and love, even towards our enemies, for they, in the blindness of the passions - of pride, envy, covetousness, malice - do not themselves know what they do, as the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ knew not what they did when they persecuted Him all His life and at last put Him to a shameful death. We must remember that the Christian religion consists in loving our enemies: 'For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?' (Mt. 5:46)."

St. John of Kronstad

01 Jun 2011

Doubt

On reading the lives of the saints, it would appear that doubts never creep into their minds and souls. Sometimes the stories seem to imply that these saintly men and women never doubted their faith. How could someone who is at such a lofty plain ever have doubts about their faith? But, could this be true? We all, the saints included have been created with a Free Will and a questioning nature. Each of us experience moments of doubts. It is what we do with this doubt that matters. If we allow doubt to consume us and to direct us away from our faith, then we have chosen doubt as our guide. Doubt then has become the road away from faith. St. John of Kronstadt wrote that doubt is Evil One working against us. He wrote that we should flee with all your power from doubt, unbelief and the passions through which the evil serpent, the thief and destroyer of our souls creeps in. Consider St. Peter. Here is a man who can’t open his mouth without thrusting his foot beyond his vocal cords. Upon seeing Jesus walking on the sea, St. Peter, doubting his vision says “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water”. He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31) Despite this show of doubt, Jesus did not eject Peter from his chosen twelve, but He continued to nurture and teach him along with the other disciples. Even after rejecting the Saviour, Peter was forgiven by Christ. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you. (Mark 16:7). In a wonderful show of love, Christ sends a message to Peter that though Peter doubted and denied knowing Christ, his tears have shown that he is truly repentant.

Fr. Paul Stoll

24 May 2011

Longing for salvation; desiring to know Christ

"Behold, He has lifted up my head above my enemies who surround me, and I will enter into His tabernacle and offer sacrifices of joy" (Ps.28:6).

Zaccheus of Jericho was a sinful man. As a tax collector, he was able to cheat and swindle people, especially the poor, who did not have power to defend themselves.
Although he was surrounded at all times by demons who tempted him toward greed, cruelty and every passion, his heart was not completely hardened. Somewhere, deep inside him, a longing gnawed, unfulfilled.
What could this longing be? What was it that the soul of this sinful man hungered for that could not be fulfilled by all his wealth, possessions and authority?
Everyone in Israel had heard something about this new teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. Some said that He was a holy prophet, others, a great teacher and healer. Many people spoke of His gentleness and compassion, while others hated Him and spoke evil of Him.
When Zaccheus heard that Jesus was coming to Jericho, he longed to see Him and discover Who He was. Since Zaccheus was short in stature, the crowd which surrounded him prevented him from seeing Jesus. As a tax collector, the crowd around him despised him and considered him an enemy, thus he was truly "surrounded by enemies."
As Jesus approached, the desire in Zaccheus grew stronger and stronger. Spotting a sycamore tree with a large limb, Zaccheus rushed to it and began to climb above the crowd of human enemies that surrounded him. This was as far as he could go. Little did he know that Jesus was about to do the rest for him.
When Jesus reached the place where Zaccheus was, He looked upon him and called the sinner to Himself. "Come, Zaccheus. I will abide with thee and heal thy soul." Zaccheus had lifted himself above the worldly crowd and sought out Jesus, now Jesus would heal him and lift him above his spiritual enemies __ the hoard of demons which also surrounded him. Soon, because Jesus Christ came to him and abode with him, Zaccheus would become a friend to those who hated him. Healed by the co-suffering love of Jesus Christ, Zaccheus would use his own newly found love to help heal the sorrow and want of those whom he had formerly hurt. The co-suffering love of Christ began to take root in the heart of the sinful man and transform him.
By lifting himself up above worldly things, Zaccheus had taken the first step along the path to the Heavenly Kingdom.
Let us, brothers and sister, on this day take our first step also. Putting aside the ideals and limitations of worldly things, let us lift ourselves above the crowd, desiring with all our hearts to see Jesus and fully know in our hearts who He is. As if climbing into the sycamore tree to see Him, let us begin our spiritual ascent toward Great Lent, taking into our heart the Apostle reading for today, "This is a saying worthy of trust: we have put our hope in the living God, Who is the saviour of all.... Be diligent in these matters...so that everyone may see your progress" (1Tm.4:9, 15).

Archbishop Lazar Puhalo

26 April 2011

Our Faith

"The accursed one does not allow the eye of the heart to see the Lord or His saints. He darkens our heart in every way. He scatters faith, oppressing, burning and darkening us inwardly. We must look upon all such actions as illusions and falsehood, and break through this imaginary wall to the Lord, or to His Holy Mother, or His saints. As soon as you break through this wall you will be immediately saved. 'Your faith has made you whole' (Mt. 9:22)."

St. John of Kronstadt

18 April 2011

The word-Logos

"God is praised as 'Logos' by the sacred scriptures... because... This Word is simple total truth. Divine faith revolves around it because it is pure and unwavering knowledge of all. It is the one sure foundation for those who believe, binding them to the truth, building the truth in them as something unshakably firm so that they have an uncomplicated knowledge of the truth of what they believe. If knowledge unites knower and known, while ignorance is always the cause of change and of the inconsistency of the ignorant, then, as scripture tells us (Rom. 8:39), nothing shall separate the one who believes in truth from the ground of true faith, and it is there that he will come into the possession of enduring, unchanging identity."

St. Dionysius

7 April 2011

Spiritual death

"The person who cannot endure for Christ's sake a physical death should at least be willing to endure death spiritually. Then he will be a martyr? in that he does not submit to the demons that assail him, or to their purposes, but conquers them, as did the holy martyrs and the holy fathers. The first were bodily martyrs, the latter spiritual martyrs. By forcing oneself slightly, one defeats the enemy; through slight negligence one is filled with darkness and destroyed."

St. Peter of Damaskos

4 April 2011

The Logos

"The Logos restores human nature to itself. First, He became man and kept His will dispassionate and free from rebellion against nature, so that it did not waver in the slightest from its own natural movement even with regard to those who crucified Him; on the contrary, it chose death for their sake instead of life, thereby demonstrating the voluntary character of His passion, rooted as it is in His love for humankind. Second, having nailed to the Cross the record of our sins, He abolished the enmity which led nature to wage an implacable war against itself ? making peace and reconciling us through Himself to the Father and to one another: our will is no longer opposed to the principle of nature, but we adhere to it without deviating in either will or nature."

St. Maximos the Confessor

30 March 2011

The unclean spirit

"The unclean spirit, banished by baptism, and not caring to be homeless, seeks rest, walking here and there; finding no home, he returns to the house from whence he came out, for he is shameless. If he finds that Christ is held by the attention and the love of the baptized man, and is established and dwelling in the place from whence he had been cast out, that is in the heart, he fails to enter and again turns away. But if he finds his former place empty, occupied by no one, through absence of attention towards God and memory of Him, he enters hastily, with greater malice than before. And the last state of that man is worse than the first."

St. Gregory the Theologian

18 March 2011

Waiting on the Lord

"...those called by Christ's name should order their lives. They should persevere in prayers and supplications and, in imitation of the angels, have their eyes lifted up to the Master above the heavens, praising and blessing Him with irreproachable conduct, and waiting for His mystical Coming. As the Psalmist says to Him, 'I will sing and will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt Thou come unto me?' (Ps. 101:2)."

St. Gregory Palamas

16 March 2011

Purification

"What is the will of God that St. Paul urges and invites each of us to attain (cf. I Thes. 4:3)? It is total cleansing from sin, freedom from the shameful passions and the acquisition of the highest virtue. In other words, it is the purification and sanctification of the heart that comes about through fully experienced and conscious participation in the perfect and divine Spirit."

St. Makarios of Egypt

15 March 2011

Eucharist

"...if we really yearn for eternal life, if we long to have the provider of immortality within ourselves, let us not abstain from the Eucharist like some of the more negligent, nor let us provide the devil in the depths of his cunning with a trap and a snare for us in the form of a pernicious kind of reverence. 'Yes, indeed,' someone might say. 'But it is written: "Anyone who eats of the bread and drinks of the cup unworthily, eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (cf. I Cor. 11:29). I have examined myself and I see that I am not worthy.' But then when will you be worthy? My response would be: 'When will you present yourself to Christ? If you are always going to be afraid of falling, you will never cease falling - "For who can discern his faults," as the holy Psalmist says (Ps. 18:12 LXX) - and you will end up totally bereft of a share in saving sanctification.' Make up your mind, then, to lead a more devout life in conformity with the law, and so partake of the Eucharist in the conviction that it dispels not only death but even the diseases that are in us (cf. I Cor. 11:30). For when Christ has come to be within us he lulls to sleep the law that rages in the members of flesh. He rekindles our reverence towards God, while simultaneously causing the passions to atrophy. He does not reckon our faults against us. Instead, He binds up that which has been wounded, he raises that which has fallen, as a good shepherd who has laid down His life for the sheep (Ez. 34:16; Jn. 10:11)."

St. Cyril of Alexandria

10 March 2011

Believe and do

"'Unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Mt. 5:20). What does 'exceed' refer to? In the first place, we must believe not only in the Father, but also in His Son now revealed; for He it is Who leads man into fellowship and unity with God. In the next place, we must not only say, but we must do; for they said and did not. And we must not only abstain from evil deeds, but even from the desires after them. Now He did not teach us these things as being opposed to the Law, but as fulfilling the law, and implanting in us the varied righteousness of the Law."

St. Irenaeus

08 March 2011

As God

"As the Holy Trinity, our God is One Being, although Three Persons, so, likewise, we ourselves must be one. As our God is indivisible, we also must be indivisible, as though we were one man, one mind, one will, one heart, one goodness, without the smallest admixture of malice - in a word, one pure love, as God is Love. "That they may be one, even as We are One" (John 17:22)."

St. John of Kronstadt

25 February 2011

Rise up

"…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."

From St. Peter of Damascus

24 February 2011

Love

"Apart from love nothing whatever has existed, nor ever will. Its names and actions are many. More numerous still are its distinctive marks; divine and innumerable are its properties. Yet it is one in nature, wholly beyond utterance whether on the part of angels or men or any other creatures, even such as are unknown to us. Reason cannot comprehend it; its glory is inaccessible, its counsels unsearchable. It is eternal because it is beyond time, invisible because thought cannot comprehend it, though it may perceive it. Many are the beauties of this holy Sion not made with hands! He who has begun to see it no longer delights in sensible objects; he ceases to be attached to the glory of this world."

St. Symeon the New Theologian

23 February 2011

God loves

"God, Who is by nature good and dispassionate, loves all men equally as His handiwork. But He glorifies the virtuous man because in his will he is united to God. At the same time, in His goodness he is merciful to the sinner and by chastising him in this life brings him back to the path of virtue. Similarly, a man of good and dispassionate judgment also loves all men equally. He loves the virtuous man because of his nature and the probity of his intention; and he loves the sinner, too, because of his nature and because in his compassion he pities him for foolishly stumbling in darkness."

St. Maximos the Confessor

22 February 2011

The grace of the Holy Spirit

St. Seraphim of Sarov

18 February 2011

Put your hope in God

St. Symeon the New Theologian

17 February 2011

His masterpiece

"'Let Us make man according to Our image and likeness' (Gen. 1:26). From this, begin to know yourself. These words had not yet been applied to any of the creations. Light appeared, and the commandment was simple. God said, 'Let there be light.' The firmament came into being and there was no deliberation concerning its coming to be. The luminaries came to be without any previous deliberation regarding them. The sea and the boundless ocean: a command and they were brought into being. The wild beasts: one word and they came to be. At this point, man does not yet exist, and there is deliberation regarding man. God did not say as He did for others, 'Let there be man!' Note the dignity befitting you. He has not initiated your origin by a command, but there has been counsel in God to determine how to introduce into life this living being worthy of honor. 'Let us make man,' the wise One deliberates, the artisan ponders. Do you not fall short of His art, and does not He, with care offer to His masterpiece its intended achievement: perfection and exactitude?"

St. Basil the Great

10 February 2011

Holy flesh

"... as our Lord approached a city called Nain, 'a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother' (Lk. 7:12)? He 'touched the bier' and said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise' (Lk. 7:14). He does not simply leave it to the word to effect the raising of the dead, but in order to show that His own body was life-giving? He touches the corpse, and by this act puts life into him who had already decayed. And if by the touch alone of His holy flesh He gives life to that which has decayed, how shall we not profit more richly from the life-giving Eucharist when we taste it? For it will certainly transform those who partake of it and endow them with its own proper good, that is, immortality."

St. Cyril of Alexandria

26 January 2011

He is Lord

"We should in all things be renewed in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ Who, remaining 'in the form of God' (Phil. 2:6-7), deigned to 'take the form' of sinful flesh? For all our weaknesses, which come from sin, He took on Him without sharing in sin, so that He felt the sensation of hunger and thirst and sleep and fatigue, and grief and weeping, and suffered the fiercest pangs up to the extremity of death, because no one could be loosed from the snares of death, unless He in Whom alone all men's nature was guileless allowed Himself to be slain by the hands of wicked men. And hence our Savior the Son of God provided for all that believe in Him both a mystery and an example, that they might apprehend the one by being born again, and follow the other by imitation."

St. Leo the Great

14 December 2010

God's love

Great is Your love, O Lord: You have wholly spent Yourself out of love for me. I gaze upon the cross and marvel at Your love to me and to the world, for the cross is the evident token of Your love to us. 'Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' (Jn. 15:13). Your life-giving Mysteries, Lord, serve as a perpetual glorious proof of Your love for us sinners; for this Your Divine Body was broken for me, for us all, and this Blood was poured out for me, for us all. Lord, I glorify the wonders accomplished by Your Holy Mysteries upon Your believers, to whom I have ministered Them; I glorify the innumerable cures of which I was witness; I glorify Their all-saving action in myself. I glorify Your mercy to me, revealed to me in Them and through Them, and Your life-giving power, acting in Them. Lord, in return for Your great love, grant that I may love You with all my heart, and my neighbor as myself, grant that I may also love my enemies, and not only those who love me."

St. John of Kronstadt

06 December 2010

God's word

"...how highly do you value God's Word? Imagine a lover who has received a letter from his beloved. I assume that God's Word is just as precious to you as this letter is to the lover. I assume that you read and think you ought to read God's Word in the same way the lover reads this letter. Yet you perhaps say, 'Yes, but Scripture is written in a foreign language.' Let us assume, then, that this letter from the beloved is written in a language that the lover does not understand. But let us assume that there is no one around who can translate it for him. Perhaps he would not even want any such help lest a stranger be initiated into his secrets. What does he do? He takes a dictionary, begins to spell his way through the letter, looks up every word in order to obtain a translation. Now let us imagine that, as he sits there busy with his task, an acquaintance comes in. He knows that the letter has come, because he sees it lying there, and says, 'So, you are reading a letter from your beloved.' What do you think the other will say? He answers, 'Have you gone mad? Do you think this is reading a letter from my beloved! No, my friend, I am sitting here toiling... with a dictionary to get it translated. At times I am ready to explode with impatience; the blood rushes to my head, and I would just as soon hurl the dictionary on the floor - and you call that reading! You must be joking! No, thank God, as soon as I am finished with the translation I shall read my beloved's letter; that is something altogether different.'... All the scholarly preliminaries were regarded as nothing but a necessary evil so that he could come to the point - of reading the letter from his beloved... Let us assume that this letter contained not only an expression of affection, but also a wish, something the beloved wanted her lover to do... the lover... he is off at once to fulfill his beloved's wish... think of God's Word. When you read it in a scholarly way, with a dictionary or a commentary, then you are not reading God's Word... If you happen to be a scholar, then please see to it that even with all your learned reading you do not forget to read God's Word. If you are not a scholar, rejoice! Be glad that you can listen to God's address right away! And if in the listening you hear a wish, a command, an order, then - remember the lover! - off with you at once to do what it asks."

Soren Kierkegaard

24 September 2010

Love will never cease

The blessed apostle described even the higher gifts of the Holy Spirit as things that would vanish. He points to love as alone without end. 'Prophecies will end, languages cease and knowledge will fail' (I Cor. 13:8). As for love, 'love will never cease'. Actually, all gifts have been given for reasons of temporal use and need and they will surely pass away at the end of the present dispensation. Love, however, will never be cut off. It works in us and for us, and not simply in this life. For when the burden of physical need has been laid aside in the time to come, it will endure, more effectively, more excellently, forever unfailing, clinging to God with more fire and zeal through all the length of incorruption.

St. John Cassiar

23 September 2010

Renunciation

Renunciation teaches us not only that we not greedily seek advantages for our soul but that we not be stingy, that we always be extravagant in our love, that we achieve a spiritual nakedness, that our soul holds nothing back, that we not hold back anything sacred and valuable which we would not be ready to give up in Christ's name to those who need it. Spiritual renunciation is the way of holy foolishness, folly in Christ. It is the opposite of the wisdom of this age. It is the blessedness of those who are poor in spirit. It is the outer limit of love ... According to material laws ... if I give away a piece of bread, then I became poorer by one piece of bread ... (and by extension) if I give my love, I have become impoverished by that amount of love, and if I give up my soul then I become completely ruined and have nothing left to save ... According to the law of the spirit, every spiritual treasure given away not only returns to the giver like an unspent ruble but it grows and becomes stronger. He who gives receives back in return; he who becomes poor becomes wealthier. ... In turning away from the exclusive focus upon Christ in a genuine act of self-negation and love, one offers himself to others...then one meets Christ himself face to face in the one for whom he offers himself and in that communion he unites with Christ himself ... the mystery of union with man becomes the mystery of union with God. That which was given away returns. The love which was expended never diminishes the source of that love, because the source of love in our heart is Love itself, Christ ... Here we are speaking about a genuine emptying out, in a partial imitation of how Christ emptied himself by becoming incarnate in humanity. We must likewise empty ourselves completely, becoming, so to speak, incarnate in another human soul, offering to it the full measure of God's image which is contained in ourselves.

Mother Maria Skobtsova

05 August 2010

Rich man

"The man seized by spiritual joy is astounded by the many blessings that God in his grace has bestowed on him, and he loves his Benefactor. But he who obdurately indulges in luxury and splendour, like the rich man (cf. Lk. 16:19), thinks that those consumed by fear and facing trials and temptation suffer in this way because of their sins, and in his comfort and complacency he despises them. He imagines that he deserves his easy life, although in fact he does not deserve it at all; for, blinded by his inane love for the ephemeral, he had made himself unworthy of the life held in store. He may even think that he has attained the state of love and on account of this has received greater benefits than others have. This shows that he is totally unaware of God's forbearance towards him. For this reason he will find himself defenceless on the day of judgment and deservedly will hear the words, 'You received your good things during your lifetime' (Lk. 15:25)."

St. Peter of Damascos

07 Jul 2010

Logos

"So long as we only see the Logos of God as embodied multifariously in symbols in the letter of Holy Scripture, we have not yet achieved spiritual insight into the incorporeal, simple, single and unique Father as He exists in the incorporeal, simple, single and unique Son, according to the saying, 'He who has seen Me has seen the Father...and I am in the Father and the Father in Me' (Jn. 14:9-10). We need much knowledge so that, having first penetrated the veils of the sayings which cover the Logos, we may with a naked intellect see - in so far as men can - the pure Logos, as He exists in Himself, clearly showing us the Father in Himself. Hence a person who seeks God with true devotion should not be dominated by the literal text, lest he unwittingly receives not God but things appertaining to God; that is, lest he feel a dangerous affection for the words of Scripture instead of for the Logos. For the Logos eludes the intellect which supposes that is has grasped the incorporeal Logos by means of His outer garment, like the Egyptian woman who seized hold of Joseph's garments instead of Joseph himself (cf. Gen. 39:7-13), or like the ancients who were content merely with the beauty of physical things and mistakenly worshipped the creation instead of the Creator (cf. Rom. 1:25)."

St. Maximos the Confessor

05 Jul 2010

Spirit in us

"... the all-wise Moses initiated us into true spiritual knowledge and the holy prophets, apostles and evangelists who came after him did not deviate from his teaching. The same single theological approach may be seen in all of them and one will not find them at odds with each other in any matter whatsoever. Truly inspired by God, they derive what they say from the one Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ does not allow us to entertain any doubt on this point, for He says most clearly in their presence: 'It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you' (Mt. 10:20). Since we possess an authentic doctrine concerning God that has come down to us from above through holy Fathers, we exult in it?"

St. Cyril of Alexandria

28 June 2010

Blood and Flesh

"The bread and the wine are not merely figures of the body and blood of Christ (God forbid!) but the deified body of the Lord itself: for the Lord has said, 'This is My body,' not, this is a figure of My body: and 'My blood,' not a figure of My blood. And on a previous occasion He had said to the Jews, 'Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. For My flesh is food indeed and My blood is drink indeed.' And again, 'He who eats My flesh shall live' (Jn. 6:51-55). Wherefore with all fear and a pure conscience and certain faith let us draw near and it will be assuredly to us as we believe, doubting nothing. Let us pay homage to it in all purity both of soul and body: for it is twofold. Let us draw near to it with an ardent desire, and with our hands held in the form of a cross let us receive the body of the Crucified One: and let us apply our eyes and lips and brows and partake of the divine coal, in order that the fire of the longing, that is in us, with the additional heat derived from the coal may utterly consume our sins and illumine our hearts, and that we may be inflamed and deified by the participation in the divine fire."

St. John of Damascus

15 June 2010

Christ is Lord

"In the tradition of the faith delivered by the Truth we are taught to believe in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If it were right to believe that the Son was created, how was it that the Truth in delivering to us this mystery bade us believe in the Son, and not in the creature? And how is it that the inspired Apostle, himself adoring Christ, lays it down that they who worship the creature besides the Creator are guilty of idolatry (Rom. 1:25)? Were the Son created, either St. Paul would not have worshipped Him, or he would have refrained from classing those who worship the creature along with idolaters, lest he himself should appear to be an idolater, in offering adoration to the created. But he knew that He Whom he adored was God over all (cf. Rom. 9:5), for so he terms the Son in the epistle to the Romans."

St. Gregory of Nyssa

14 June 2010

Judgement

St. John Climacus

31 May 2010

The Prefect Man

"The perfect man will certainly become the equal of the angels, as the Lord affirms; but he will do so in the resurrection of the dead, and not in this present world. Even then the perfect will not be angels, but 'equal to the angels' (Lk. 20:36). This means that men cannot forsake their own nature, though like angels they can become changeless through grace and released from all necessity, free in everything they do, possessing ceaseless joy, love of God, and all that 'the eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard' (I Cor. 2:9)."

St. Peter of Damaskos

27 May 2010

Unceasing Tranquility

""If you see the fury and hear the howling of the tempest, or read of shipwrecks, think of the storm of human passions causing daily groans and disturbance in the hearts of men, wrecking the spiritual ship of the soul or the ship of human society; and pray fervently to the Lord that He may subdue the tempest of sins, as He once subdued the tempest at sea by His word, and that He may root our passions from our hearts, and re-establish in them unceasing tranquility."

St. John of Kronstadt

26 May 2010

The Will of God

St. Makarios of Egypt

22 May 2010

Operative in the Flesh

St. Cyril of Alexandria

21 May 2010

Confessing Christ in it's Integrity

"Truly 'God is glorious in His saints' (Ps. 68:35 LXX). Let us call to mind the martyrs' superhuman struggles, how in the weakness of their flesh they put to shame the evil one's strength, disregarding pain and wounds as they struggled bodily against fire, sword, all different kinds of deadly tortures, patiently resisting while their flesh was cut, their joints dislocated and their bones crushed, and keeping the confession of faith in Christ in its integrity, complete, unharmed and unshaken. As a result there were bestowed on them the incontrovertible wisdom of the Spirit and power to work miracles."

St. Gregory Palamas

20 May 2010

Guard with Respect

"A Christian man is on his guard with respect to those who philosophize according to the elements of this world, not according to God, by Whom the world itself was made; for he is warned by the precept of the apostle and faithfully hears what has been said, 'Beware that no one deceive you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the elements of the world' (Col. 2:8)."

St. Augustine

19 May 2010

The Fire of God

"The fire of God is hidden in the time of captivity, during which sin reigns, but in the time of liberty it is brought forth. And though it is changed into the appearance of the water (in baptism), yet it preserves its nature as fire so as to consume the sacrifice. Do not wonder when you read that God the Father said: 'I am a consuming fire' (Dt. 4:24). And again: 'They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water' (Jer. 2:13). The Lord Jesus, too, like a fire inflamed the hearts of those who heard Him, and like a fount of waters cooled them. For He Himself said that He came to send fire on the earth (cf. Lk. 12:49) and to supply a draught of living waters to those who thirst (cf. Jn. 7:37-38)."

St. Ambrose

18 May 2010

Changable Nature

"Through contemplation one comes to understand the changeable nature of visible created things: how they derive from the earth and return again to the earth. All human affairs, all that does not exist after death, are vanity. Riches vanish. Glory leaves us. When death comes, all such things disappear."

St. Peter of Damaskos

17 May 2010

Wounded Unaware

"... alas for the soul that is unaware of its wounds and that in its endless sinfulness and obduracy does not think it has anything evil within it: the good doctor will not visit it or heal it, since it does not seek Him out or have any concern for its wounds, because it thinks it is well and in good health. As the Lord said: 'It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick' (Mt. 9:12)."

St. Makarios of Egypt

14 May 2010

The Glory of God

"... the glory of the Gospel is reserved for Christ's true children only. Therefore the Lord spoke in parables to those who could not hear (Mt. 13:13): but to the Disciples he explained the parables in private (Mk. 4:34): for the brightness of the glory is for those who have been enlightened, the blinding for them that believe not."

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

13 May 2010

Pray Without Ceasing

"Even when carrying out needful tasks, do not let your intellect be idle but keep it meditating inwardly and praying. For in this way you can grasp the depths of divine Scripture and the power hidden in it, and give unceasing work to the intellect, thus fulfilling the apostolic command: 'Pray without ceasing' (I Thess. 5:17). Pay strict attention to your heart and watch over it, so that it does not give admittance to thoughts that are evil or in any way vain or useless. Without interruption, whether asleep or awake, eating, drinking, or in company, let your heart inwardly and mentally at times be meditating on the psalms, at other times be repeating the prayer, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me'. And when you chant, make sure that your mouth is not saying one thing while your mind is thinking another."

Abba Philimon

12 May 2010

Owe One Thing

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13: 8-10

11 May 2010

Sharpen the Conscience

"Once our conscience is active, what some call righteous indignation and others natural wrath is roused in three ways ? against the demons, against our nature and against our own soul; for such indignation or wrath impels us to sharpen our conscience like a keen-bladed sword against our enemies. If this righteous indignation triumphs and subjects sin and our own unregenerate self to the soul, then it is transmuted into the loftiest courage and leads us to God. But if the soul enslaves itself to sin and our unregenerate self, then this righteous indignation turns against it and torments it mercilessly, for it has enslaved itself to its enemies by its own free will. Thus enslaved, the soul commits terrible crimes, for its state of virtue is lost and it has alienated itself from God."

St. Gregory of Sania

10 May 2010

Unaware of it's Wounds

St. Makarios of Egypt

7 May 2010

Today's Message

St. Seraphim of Sarov

Eucharist

Believe and do

As God

Rise up

Love

God loves

The grace of the Holy Spirit

Put your hope in God

His masterpiece

Holy flesh

He is Lord

God's love

God's word

Love will never cease

Renunciation

Rich man

Logos

Spirit in us

Blood and Flesh

Christ is Lord

Judgement

The Prefect Man

Unceasing Tranquility

The Will of God

Operative in the Flesh

Confessing Christ in it's Integrity

Guard with Respect

The Fire of God

Changable Nature

Wounded Unaware

The Glory of God

Pray Without Ceasing

Owe One Thing

Sharpen the Conscience

Unaware of it's Wounds

The Lord is in Every Christian