Blessed Repose: July 1st 2009
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“Give the keys of your Soul to God.”
“Faith in the Lord solves everything because everything is derived from Him. He alone has granted us His own comprehension. He alone has held us near Him, despite our trespasses. He alone has united us and bonded us devotedly and sturdily with His Grace. How is it possible to believe that He will abandon us if we believe in His own declarations?”
“Either we become the children of God, or the devil takes us!”
“In our lives, God must come first and then ourselves!… If we labour here a little, it is for the attainment of Heaven.”
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“The greatest benefit which God has granted our fallen nature is none other than repentance. Without it no man would ever secure his Salvation no matter how perfect God’s plan to save the world is. Because man’s “every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood” (Genesis 9:21). Given that our inclination towards sin is therefore natural, no one is able to remain without sin.”
“No one is obliged to repent if he has kept thoroughly all the promises he has made during the Mystery of his Baptism. However, he who has disobeyed even one of the most insignificant of the Commandments, he needs to repent and all that it entails. Since, therefore, the issue of not committing a sin does not arise, even if we only live for one day, repentance becomes our absolute duty and desirable vocation”.
“Blessed is he, who did not permit his enthusiasm to cool down.”
“Let every involuntary misery be your reason to remember God, and you will always have an occasion for repentance.”
“When we talk to people today about mourning, it seems strange to them, because they’re ashamed of crying. If we’re talking about vain, passing things, of course they’re not worth crying over. But that kind of mourning is only about social convention. Spiritual mourning has to do with our relationship with God and is the product, not so much of our own choice, but of the Grace of the Holy Spirit. The sense of responsibility for our wicked deeds is such a weight in our heart that it brings about a state of deepest contrition.”
“All Merciful Lord, You Who have not despised us in our deficiencies, but instead wore our nature and lowered Yourself to our level and even down to Hell to pull us out of there. Please transfer unto us the essentials of Your love, All Merciful, and banish the malicious wickedness which the enemy has pressed inside us.”
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A disciple asked an elder, “Elder, why are you happy all day long?” The elder replied, “Because all night long I weep for my sins before God.”
“The Grace of God allows us to taste the gall and vinegar (difficulties of life), because what will we have to show at the time when the Martyrs will be showing their wounds and the Confessors will present their beatings? What will we then present?”
“If someone wants to lift a heavy rock and holds it far from his body, he won’t be able to lift it, it’s impossible. To lift this rock he must hold it close to him, to his chest, to embrace it. Likewise, embrace your cross…”
“We are all sitting inside God’s palm, Who is full of love. Let Him do unto us whatever He wishes.”
“Press forward you who are doubtful, you who are despondent, you distressed, you in ignorance, you of little faith, and you who are suffering trials of various kinds; forward to consolation and to the solution to your problems. Our Sweet Jesus Christ, Our Life, has proclaimed to us that “Without Me you can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:5) Thus behold that, calling upon Him continuously, we are never alone; and consequently “We can and will do all things through Him.” (cf Phil. 4:13) Behold the correct meaning and application of the significant saying of the Scripture, “Call upon Me in your day of trouble and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Ps. 49(50):15).”
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“How could I ever imagine, that Grace would allow me to have so many Spiritual children and such a brotherhood? I, an insignificant villager? That’s why I weep and Pray: “My Lord, withdraw from me the waves of your Grace…”
“If you’ve got a problem with another person, that’s a Spiritual sickness. The only person we should have a problem with is ourself. You should never say to somebody: ‘You know, I have a problem with you.'”
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“As far as children are concerned, the only way to succeed with them and to be able to have better results is to show them love. This is the only thing that, either directly or indirectly, has any gains and never misses its target, even though sometimes children seem to ignore it. Love will definitely bear fruit in the future, if not straight away.”
“It is very difficult to bring up children these days, since wickedness has overcome everything! Loving behaviour will convince them, when it is applied softly rather harshly.”
“Children would like to feel their parents’ love. Neither clothes nor jewelry have any value for them. As soon as they grow up a little, they will recognize that all these are worthless and will throw them away. But they will be left with their parents’ love and understanding. This is the big gain!”
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“It is through the violent struggle against the irrational laws which affect our corrupted body, that we convince the restoring Grace to reform us. That is the reason why our Fathers have embraced the love for hard work even to an extent well beyond their own ability.”
“Therefore, guard your mind! Do not waste your time in vain! Do not listen to useless things! Do not spread rumours about each other! Keep your schedule tight! Do you have too much time? Run to your room and open a book!”
“The various temptations neither get sleepy nor tired! Even though they are always beneficial, they are intense and tiring. It is only after our Souls open up with the love for trials and head towards humility, that temptations somehow become more tolerable and even desirable.”
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“I remain with you day and night, I hold you in my arms and I suffer for you. I am watching over you and Pray, weeping for you, my children.”
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“Faith, devoutness, self denial and respect for the Elder. The more you have the more you get.”
“Do not be scared. You will not be lost. The Grace of our Jesus will not abandon us neither will the Prayers of our Fathers and our Elders.”
“Blessed is he, who did not permit his faith to diminish towards his Elder.”
“We believe that the Saints will help us succeed if we hold on to their Fatherly affection and are encouraged by their mediation. Our All Merciful Lord, who has called both, them and us, has not made a mistake in the decision of His kindness. He will most certainly award us the trophy of success too.”
With his Spiritual Elder Saint Joseph the Hesychast
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With his Spiritual Elder Saint Ephraim of Katounakia, and Elder Ephraim of Arizona
With his Spiritual Elder Saint Ephraim of Katounakia, and Elder Ephraim of Arizona
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With Saint Paisios the Athonite
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with Saint Sophrony of Essex
Holy Quotes
“The three great giants of the passions, as the Fathers call them, are love of pleasure, avarice and ambition. If these take hold of us, they beget another three, which are worthy of them: inattentiveness, forgetfulness and ignorance, which destroy our Spiritual powers and our mind.”
“Everything is resolved by patience and perseverance. The more people forget the meaning of the Cross, the more wickedness increases and is amplified by the different pressures which occur both naturally and by various means. Blessed is he who remains alert and Prays.”
“This is, therefore, what you must do without any further excesses and if you do not succeed sometimes, you must start again and again, and finally you will certainly win, with the Grace of our Christ.”
“It often happens that the struggler cannot win over his former-self despite hating and detesting his passions. According to the tradition of our Church, this state is regarded as ‘repentance’. It stops being ‘repentance’ as soon as the person gives up struggling and says: ‘I cannot go on anymore. There is nothing for me’. This is regarded as ‘despair’. The Church condemns it as ‘a blasphemy’ against the Holy Spirit and severs and rejects this member as rotten and blasphemous, because it turns against the Lord’s kindness. Under no circumstances must we let our Faith diminish. Let no one ever think that it is impossible for him to reach comprehensive repentance which is the state that Our Jesus has called him to follow. We will accomplish this with the Grace of Jesus. It is not possible to attain to it through human exertion and effort alone. This is selfish and the Holy Fathers have condemned it… If we remain faithful and do not go back in our intention, we will certainly succeed. This is the truth. Our Fathers accept no other way. Any other way of thinking is regarded as ‘despair. There is no such a thing as ‘I cannot go on anymore. Why can’t you go on? We derive strength through Our Jesus. ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me’ (Phil 4:13).”
“Everything that disturbs peace and moderation in our life is called temptation.”
“I have met a young girl, she was very decent, so innocent… She never had bodily thoughts… but one day she started to have sinful thoughts. She tried to expel them but she couldn’t do it because she was inexperienced. So she went to the Parish Priest that she knew and said to him: “You know, Father, this is very strange, I have never had this kind of thought, but now it’s bothering me and it won’t go away…” The Priest Blessed her: “May God forgive you!” And he told her: “If the thought appears again, come and tell me”. You see, this is the practice of humility which eradicates the devil. Hiding, following one’s own will, based on self-centeredness, is the seat of satan. We have to eradicate this! Are you afraid to tell your Elder: “Father, I face a battle…”? Lord of the Powers! Is there any human not facing this battle? We came here to fight… Christ didn’t bring us here for comfort… He brought us here walking in front of us and He showed us the way of this real warfare…”
“Every Crucifixion is followed by the Resurrection, like spring follows winter. But if our times are only the preamble of what is coming, how much more difficult will the future be?”
“Man’s divided personality which was the result of the expulsion from Paradise, creates divisions and separations. This is the whole point: To be able to stand other people’s weaknesses and not to judge them, no matter who he is and what he believes in. He needs our forbearance and our patience.”
“Distress is everywhere, temptations have increased during our difficult times and everywhere you go you hear cries of anguish. We pray, but for whom first, for how much and when? May the Lord have mercy on all of us.”
“Beware, believe, Pray and get on with the struggle. There are difficult times ahead. May our Lord save us from the events which will take place to tempt those living on Earth.”
“This is the great injury which befell on man: he lost his faith as a basis and as a principle. Therefore he has no recourse to remedy!”
“As we request the Lord’s Mercy, in the same way we must show mercy to others and love them. Who doesn’t like the meek person, since even the animals in nature love him? And again, who doesn’t despise the selfish and conceited person?”
“Do not be hasty in judging people because of some event which happened by chance. Since, as you well know, everything is unstable and subject to change. Therefore, no man can safely judge someone’s entire character because of his fleeting moves or statements. Remember: it is not just man but nature itself and even time, which are subject to change.”
“No one should be afraid of wickedness which is spreading in the world, because the Lord will not leave His own children alone, even if the evil is becoming more organized. “The One who is inside us is greater than the one who is in the world””
“Since you are under the law of obedience do not be afraid of temptation. What will they do to you? They only throw droplets and spit at you! Do not be frightened. You will neither rescind your vows nor will you abdicate.”
“What can one say about temptations? Which ones? The present or those coming? The present ones have either passed or are still at work, but they are softer than those on the way and therefore, we must realize that it is necessary to be prepared more now than we have done in the past.”
“We now live in the times for which the Fathers prophecied that “those living on earth will be tempted”. Everything points to the fact that we must love Christ and understand the meaning of the Cross, which nowadays has special relevance.”
“All that is human is changing and shifting and transformed… but we remain the same and sometimes we fight with… ourselves.”
“Persecution and sorrow are distinctive of our times, in this unjust world we live in. These are not even the preamble of what the future has in store for us in order to promote social justice.” Therefore, do not wonder why all these are taking place, but face everything with perseverance, patience and Prayer.
“In each and every day there are temptations, sicknesses, divorces and adventures. One hears of them and is constantly distressed! What has the world come to, by denying God! We have become a jungle, a human butchery shop. May the Lord have mercy on us.”
“I am watching how evil has assumed an immense force which consumes everything day by day. Sin is not only committed but has control over and has everything enslaved. How much care and courage we need!”
“We need to have courage and turn wholeheartedly and firmly towards God because it won’t be long when even the prudent and the sensible will be deceived.”
“You must keep three principles: Austerity for yourselves, sympathy for your fellow men and faith to God. All these attract God’s Grace and Mercy.”
“Persevere in Prayer, my dear children, because the time, which our Fathers have described, is at hand and who can safely say that he can stand before the Lord’s Throne?”
“We must be watchful all the time because the evil one neither sleeps nor hesitates, but seeks out someone to devour. This does not mean that we will get frightened or hesitate, but we must use self-contempt and patience in temptations, because they will result in our redemption.”