“A Monk’s consolation is born of his weeping.”
“At the time of darkness, more than anything else kneeling is helpful.”
“Afflictions for God’s sake are dearer to Him than any Prayer of sacrifice.”
“God does not grant a great gift without a great trial.”
“Every day and every hour the proof of our love for God is demanded of us through warfare and struggle against temptations.”
“Thirst after Jesus and He will satisfy thee with His love.”
“The Soul that loves God has its rest in God and in God alone. In all the paths that men walk in the world, they do not attain peace until they draw nigh to hope in God.”
“Through tears thereupon peace comes to the senses and passions are curtailed within you.”
“When Grace begins to open your eyes so that you perceive the Divine vision, then you will shed torrents of tears.”
“We advance toward humility by means of trials. He who rests on his virtue without suffering tribulation has the door of pride open before him.”
“God can never leave a contrite heart without solace.”
“Blessed is the man who knows his weakness. This knowledge becomes for him the foundation and the beginning of his coming unto all good and beautiful things.”
“To acquire the capacity to see into his own Soul, a man must first open his heart to Grace.”
“Every adversity and affliction, if not accompanied by patience, produces double torment, for a man’s patience casts off his distress, while faintness of heart is the mother of anguish. Patience is the mother of consolation and is a certain strength which is usually born of largeness of heart. It is hard for a man to find this strength in his tribulations without a gift from God, received through his ardent pursuit of Prayer and the outpouring of his tears.”
“Just as the eyebrows approach each other, so are the temptations close to men. It was the economy of God to be so, with wisdom that we may receive benefit: namely, through knocking persistently, because of the sorrows, on the door of God’s mercy and to enter into your mind, due to the fear of grievous events, the seed of the memory of God, so that you may approach Him with supplications and your heart be sanctified through the continuous remembrance of Him. And while you ask Him, He will listen.”
“Do not avoid the sorrows, because being helped by them you learn the truth and love of God well. And do not fear the temptations (negative experiences) for through them you discover treasures. Pray that you may not enter into spiritual temptations, while for the bodily ones, prepare to face them with all your strength, for without them you cannot approach God. Through them comes the Divine rest. Whoever avoids the bodily temptations avoids virtue.”
“Dispassion does not mean that a man feels no passions, but that he does not accept any of them.”
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