Do not believe your thoughts, neither when they tell you that you are terrible, nor when they tell you that you are a saint.
“
| — | Elder Paisios of Mount Athos |
As with the appearance of light, darkness retreats; so at the fragrance of humility, all anger and bitterness vanishes.
“
| — |
Saint John of the Ladder (Step 8:6)
|
Nowadays, for instance, it seems to be a commonplace to consider suffering as an evil and to think that suffering must be avoided, or alleviated, or pushed back as completely and as far as possible. The result of this is, I think, the growth of cowardice: people are afraid, and this fear of suffering at times is more disastrous than the suffering itself.
“
| — | Orthodoxy |
A common struggle for our age,
in these so-called, “modern times” is ―
the want to change what we know; of life, the world and its people, as well as of ourselves.
By reason of, fearing to change. In this way, we stay still, and do nothing. So, as a result in this kind of matter, we start to repeat our unwanted acts in time over and over. Until, effortlessly we numb ourselves in accepting such things as a belief of who we are.
Therefore, in order for one to do, or become someone greater than himself, he must first desire it in his mind and heart. Thus, then the first step becomes the last. And everything that comes afterwards will be a far more comfortable task to consume.
“
| — |
Konstantine, the Cretan
|
Only with pure humility towards our fellow brethren, who has done us wrong and harm to the spirit, can there strongly live truth of forgiveness amongst our heart. We must not forget that we are forgiving not the flesh, but the spirit of those whom have trouble us in this world.
“
| — | Konstantine the Cretan |
There is no better teacher than death. Have death before your minds: the time when you will leave this unreal world and will go to the other one, which is eternal.
“
| — | Saint Cosmas of Aitolos |
Orthodoxy” is not easy, and-so life itself. Without any struggles in our everyday lives, and patience to endure them; our heart will not learn true humility, and the ability to transform spiritually stronger during growth.
“
| — | KTC |
There once was a monk who happened to slip and sin by himself continually, yet he would always arise at once and do his prayer rule. The demon that kept throwing him into sin lost his patience seeing the courage and hopefulness of this brother. So he visibly appeared to him, and said to him with vexation:
“Don’t you fear God, you defiled wretch? You have just sinned, so with what face can you now stand before God? Aren’t you afraid that God will burn you?”
But since this brother had a valiant soul, he said to the demon:
“This cell is a forge: you hit and get hit. As God is my witness, Who came to save the world, I will not stop fighting you, falling and getting up, beating and being beaten, until my final breath—and let’s see who will win: you or Christ!”
When the demon heard this unexpected reply, he said:
“I won’t fight you any more, because if I do, I’ll make you win crowns.”
Thenceforth, this brother was delivered from the warfare, and he sat in his cell weeping for his sins.
“When we accept whatever happens to us with ahold and positive thought, we are helped; while on the contrary, we are tormented and come apart at the seams emotionally and physically when negative and evil thoughts prevail.”
We [who were in prison] are [now] free and we are very happy that we are free, but we have a kind of nostalgia for prison. And we can’t explain it to anyone else. They say we’re krazy. How can you miss prison?
Because in prison I lived the most spiritual life. I attained to spiritual heights that I am not capable of reaching in freedom. Isolated, anchored in ΙϹ ΧϹ, I had a joy and an enlightenment that the world cannot offer. I can’t find the words to express with precision the feeling that I had there. Those that did not live this experience cannot understand how we could be happy in prison.
“
Let us remember to not only have admiration for our neighbor apart by the gifts he is given, without also bearing in mind to honor him as a brother and human being first.
“
| — | Konstantine, the Cretan |
…”If something did not reach the heart, stay with it until it reaches.
“
| — | Saint Theophan Zatvornik, the Recluse ( Quote on; rule for reading of nourishing the soul.) |
