Someone asked Mother Gavrilia, what does God want me to do? She replied “God is not interested in where you are or what you do… He is interested only in the quality and quantity of the love you give. Nothing else. Nothing else.”
“The more the door of our cell is closed, the more the Gate of Heaven is open.”
“The Spiritually advanced person is the one who arrives at a place of no identity and who has understood in his depths that whatever happens is either the Will of God, or by the permission of God.”
“When we are with God, we have no problems, neither psychological nor any other personal problems. We solve them all with the Holy Bible, with our Spiritual Guide, with the writings of the Fathers, with Christ Himself Who tells us, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” …I listen to the problem of the others and have only love to give them. When this happens, everyone will come to you, because people need to talk of what troubles them. You will be the one who listens – in God, always.”
“I could not get worried, even if I tried. When we worry it is as if we say to God: “I do not agree. You don’t do things right”. Besides, this is sheer ingratitude.”
“It is the oil-lamp of our Soul that must be always lighted, burning forever.”
“Miracle is the normal course of events according to God’s Will. What we call a Miracle is only what is natural to God.”
“When we lose something, let us say: ‘In this manner, Lord, deliver me also from any evil thought I may have for my neighbour’.”
“We ourselves cannot get rid of any of our faults. He takes them away from us, one by one.”
“Poor onion! It also offers what it can.”
“Like a little bird who, when the branch he is standing on breaks, doesn’t worry but opens his wings and flies, so our faith and hope in God give us the strength and joy to fly when the twig breaks beneath our feet.”
“The more we take things and problems to heart, the more we show our pride and lack of faith.”
“Someone truly humble does not get upset, because whoever gets upset starts off with judgement, with condemnation and rebellion.”
“Christ said to us: Go and make disciples of all nations. And we – hushing up – what do we do?”
“Condemnation, mockery, contempt, hypocrisy, saying “Yes, but…” – these are the weapons of the weak man who has failed in what he wanted to do in his life and his destination before God.”
“Never say that it is too late, even if you have fallen very low…”
“I find the faith of the Centurion very moving.”
“Christ said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. But, who is it that does not know what he is doing? A madman. You understand?”
“Egoism is self-protection. A Christian’s security should be Divine protection.”
“Our Souls are Divine Breath. Our body is His Creation. In the whole of us we are the Icon of God.”
“Have a Cross in the door and window of your cell. It should be wooden like the one we wear.”
“Jerusalem, as it says in the hymn “Shine, shine [new Jerusalem]”, enlightens us all. Whoever goes there at the right time, will get direction for his path.”
“We should live permanently in the joy of the Resurrection.”
“What a gift God gave to the world, in sending His Son Jesus Christ.”
“If we are asked, you or I or anybody, where we come from, we will say in reply, not Athenians, Constantinopolitans, whatever… but citizens of Heaven! Even if we have’t yet ever been up there.”
“Read Isaac the Syrian.”
“Always obey your conscience. Your conscience is from God.”
“When we believe and someone says, “Do you want to come to Lebanon with me?” I say, “Yes.” “How do you say Yes to everything?” I say yes because I believe that if it is not for my good God will make it so that the No will come from the very one who invited me. Some paper will not be ready, or something will happen.”
“Only one thing do I know that I have always, and it is not pride, nor fantasy, but that which I have day and night, wherever I find myself – three things: first, Faith; second, Faith; third, Faith. That’s all! Nothing else can I say to you. It has directed all my life.”
“Man wants his freedom. Why? So that he may be a slave to his own passions.”
“Some people want to go to the Resurrection without passing by the way of Golgotha.”
“Two things are very important… “Love one another,” and “Fear not, only believe.””
“To learn how to love God: this is the one and only education. There is nothing cheaper than money. Better Hell in this world than in the other.”
“When the mind is not distracted by worldly matters and remains united to God, then even the ‘Good day’ that we say becomes a blessing.”
“The Guardian Angel is within us… And he has his friends; for there are also other Angels protecting us, not just one… How willing to help us the Angels are! This is their purpose. All we have to do is call for their help and everything will become much easier than it would have been otherwise.”
“Truth and light are synonymous. When you follow the truth you are in the light, you are with Christ.”
“You may sleep, as long as you are in a state of watchfulness.”
“The Angels always come. You should have continual conversation with your Guardian Angel. About everything. Especially in difficulties and when you cannot get across to someone. He always helps.”
“The sermon on the mount and the Epistle of Saint James. Every day! What a pity that we do not hear them more often…”
“My wishes: may the Grace of Our Christ, the Love of the Omnipotent Father and the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit be with you! May your example be the life of the Mother of God, who will lead you at every step with her Archangels and Angels as your Heavenly Mother; that you love your mother who brought you into life and brought you up, and may you give love and joy first to her, and then to all who come near you.”
“Our purpose should be to have the Paraclete in our heart, even when we have the… parasite in our head.”
“When God created us, He gave us Life and breathed His Spirit into us. This Spirit is Love. When love deserts us, we become as dead as corpses. We are not alive any more.”
“If one can live in the world and yet not mix with it – just as the oil and water do not mix in the oil-lamp – then he can live in God. He is in this world but not of this world.”
“We are all vessels, sometimes of Light and sometimes of darkness.”
“We live in Vanity, and believe that this is life. How pitiable we are!”
“Poor human beings! We consider the perishable as immortal and the immortal as non-existant.”
“Don’t forget in Church to always light a candle “for the sick and for travellers”.”
“We can recognize a person who has Spiritual experiences only by the way he lives and behaves. For these experiences direct his life.”
