“Desire and effort must come from you. God will provide the power and the results.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“Two factors are involved in man’s Salvation: the Grace of God and the will of man. Both must work together, if Salvation is to be attained.”
Saint Nektarios of Aegina
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“God provides the wind, man must raise the sail.”
Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo
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“God is everywhere. You decide if you are close to Him or not.”
Saint John Chrysostom
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“We must struggle with philotimo to be saved, and so that we not sadden Christ. Christ will say to us: ‘My child, I did so much to save you. I shed my blood and endured so many passions, what did you do to save yourself?’”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“You will achieve nothing by your own efforts alone; yet God will not give you anything unless you work with all your strength.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“The help of God is always ready and near, but only given to those who seek and work.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but to actually be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name.”
Saint Ignatius of Antioch
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“I am a Christian, you say, and content yourself with this. This is the first deceit – transferring to yourself the privileges and promise of Christianity, without any care to root true Christianity into yourself; or to ascribe to yourself that which can only be acquired by your strength and inner worthiness. Explain to yourself that it is illusory to hope in a name, that God can raise a son of Abraham from a stone and can take away your promise at any time if the conditions for participating in them are not soon fulfilled. Mainly, clarify to yourself what it means to be a Christian, unite yourself to this ideal, and you will see just how stable is this buttress to your blindness.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“Where the will is not present, even God Himself does nothing, though He could, because of man’s freedom. The effectual working of God depends upon the will of man. On the other hand, if we give our whole will, He ascribes to us the whole work.”
Saint Makarios the Great of Egypt
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“It is our part to seek, His to grant what we ask; ours to make a beginning, His to bring it to completion; ours to offer what we can, His to finish what we cannot.”
Saint Jerome
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“And so it is incumbent upon us to strive, rather, to correct our faults and to improve our behaviour.”
Saint John Cassian
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“Never by our sole diligence or zeal nor by our most tireless efforts can we reach perfection. Human zeal is not enough to win the sublime rewards of blessedness. The Lord must be there to help us and to guide our hearts toward what is good. Every moment we must join in the prayer of David: Direct my footsteps along Thy paths so that my feet do not move astray’ (Ps. 16:5)”
Saint John Cassian
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“It is not our free will but ‘it is the Lord who sets the captive free’ (Ps. 145:7). It is not our own virtue but ‘it is the Lord who lifts up those who were laid low’ (Ps. 145:8). It is not application to reading but ‘it is the Lord who gives light to the blind’ (Ps. 145:8). It is not our cautiousness but ‘it is the Lord who protects the stranger’ (Ps. 145:9). It is not our endurance but ‘it is the Lord who raises or gives support to the fallen’ (Ps. 144:14).”
Saint John Cassian
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“The Lord is hidden in His own Commandments, and He is to be found there in the measure that He is sought.”
Saint Mark the Ascetic
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