Love of pleasure opens the door of our soul to the enemy. If you fight this with firm resolve, then it will be very difficult for any passion to overcome you. "Saint Theophan the Recluse" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Where people’s confidence in themselves ends is where help from God begins. "Dimitrios Panagopoulos, preacher" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Give something to God as a “thank you” present, for the fact that you’re one of those who can give charity rather than someone who has to live off it. For the fact that you don’t expect help from the hands of others, but that others hope for it from yours. Bestow not only possessions on people, but also respect, not only gold, but also virtue, or even better, only virtue. "Saint Gregory the Theologian" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Where people's confidence in themselves ends is where help from God begins. "Dimitrios Panagopouloos, preache" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Just looking at something isn't in itself a sin. What is a sin is looking at things with envy, pride and greed. "Saint Anthony the Great" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
All the trials which the love of God sends us are so that we can acquire patience and become like Him, Who is called ‘the God of patience and comfort’. "Elder Ephraim of Arizona" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Just as a healthy eye desires the light, so, if fasting's undertaken with discretion, it's followed by a desire for prayer. "Saint Isaak the Syrian" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
All the evil you'll ever come across is the offshoot of the love of money. Wherever you find it growing: in the home, in the market-place, in the courts, in the legislatures or in the highest places in the land. "Saint John Chrysostom" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
When you see somebody becoming rich through wrong-doing and then living prosperously, sigh and weep for them. Because this wealth adds to their punishment. What they’ve saved is lost and what they’ve wasted remains. Nobody can snatch it from the hand of God. "Saint John Chrysostom" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
The indolent, the idle and the lazy are not all right with God. Laziness isn’t a good thing at all. Indolence is a sickness, it’s a sin. God doesn’t want us to be indolent. Great effort, movement, labour and action are a virtue. "Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
You can hide yourself more easily from the wind than from the sight of God. All the secrets of humanity – the good and the bad – are revealed before God. He uncovers numberless such mysteries, in accordance with His providence, all over the world. People who are able to understand this truth, guard the depths of their hearts from bad thoughts and, in particular, bad actions "Saint Nicholas Velimirovich" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
God will behave towards us in the same way as we behave to our brothers and sisters. We’ll be measured by the same standard we use to measure others. "Saint Nicholas Velimirovich" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Consider yourself lower and worse than everyone else and don’t seek praise, honor or glory from other people. "Saint Macarius of Egypt" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
When those who have sinned and seen all the great evil that they themselves have caused and the consequences thereof, they’re penitent. Penitence is an inclination to return to God, from Whom they have become estranged. In this way they seek communion with God, as well as His mercy. In His love for us, God doesn’t want anyone to be lost, but rather desires that all of us should come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved. He not only accepts the repentance of those who willingly repent, once they’ve become aware of their sins, but also calls to repentance those who, through callousness and excess have slid into sin. "Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Just as we wish for God to love us, to forgive us, to overlook our errors, to watch over us and protect us with His providence, so we should extend the same to other people. Forgiveness doesn’t require effort, it isn’t difficult. What does it need? It needs humility. By forgiving another person we’ll be given forgiveness for our own countless sins and we’ll have every right to say to God: ‘What people did to me, I forgave with all my heart and love, in accordance with Your Gospel, and Your Word. Now I’m asking You to express Your love for me and to forgive me my own sins. "Elder Ephraim of Arizona" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Allow yourself whatever’s constructive for you, but not what causes spiritual damage, upset and turmoil. What rational person would drink from a glass which they knew had been poisoned? "Saint Theophan the Recluse" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Nothing happens without God’s providence, and wherever there’s God’s providence it’s certain that whatever happens, however bitter it may be, will bring benefit to the soul. "Saint Paisios the Athonite" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
Don’t foster sorrows in your heart because the joy of the evil one is sorrow and despondency, which beget many things which fill the soul with bitterness. "Blessed Joseph the Hesychast" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
God doesn’t discriminate. He doesn’t take into consideration what people were – good or bad, virtuous or sinful – before they desired Grace. He simply awaits the expression of this desire from each of us, and as soon as that happens, Grace begins to act. "Saint Theophan the Recluse" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
If you are purified from the passions, then you can leave your heart freely to its will. But the more active its passions are, if you leave your heart to its will, it’ll condemn itself to general instability and insecurity. "Saint Theophan the Recluse" Read more “Words of Life” at www.pemptousia.com
