“Blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”
Saint Paul the Holy Apostle
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“God in His goodness has arranged things perfectly, so that with our gifts, we can help each other, and with our faults, we can be humbled by each other. For every person has some gifts; but everyone also has some faults which one must struggle to overcome.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“Every drop of kindness has a ripple effect. You never know how far reaching each ripple might be.”
Saint Joseph the Hesychast
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“The Lord seeks a heart filled to overflowing with love for God and our neighbour; this is the Throne on which He loves to sit and on which He appears in the fullness of His Heavenly Glory. “Son, give me thine heart” (Proverbs 23:26), for in the human heart the Kingdom of God can be contained.”
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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“Do not deny others the crumbs falling off your table from the Bread of Life which is given to you whole by the Lord. So many hunger and thirst for love, like Lazarus who fed on the crumbs falling off the table of the rich man.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“The merciful person is he, who gives to others what he, himself, received from God, whether it be money, or food, or strength, a helpful word, a Prayer or anything else that he has through which he can express his compassion for those in need.”
Saint Peter of Damascus
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“The Lord personally gives us the Commandment to love one another, so that, by consoling one another with mutual love, we may lighten the sorrowful and narrow way of our journey to the Heavenly country. Why did He descend to us from Heaven, if not for the purpose of taking upon Himself our poverty and making us rich with the riches of His Goodness and His unutterable generosity? He did not come to be served by men but to serve them Himself and to give His life for the Salvation of many.”
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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“Do whatever good you can to your beloved loved-ones, whatever the Commandments declare, but always commit their care to God. And your blind, carnal, careless love will transform – little by little – into a Spiritual, wise, Holy love.”
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov
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“Establish yourself in God and then you will be helpful to others.”
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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“If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the Church door, you will not find Him in the Chalice.”
Saint John Chrysostom
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“Love and say it with your life.”
Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo
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“God arranges for us to meet certain people so that we could pass on the good given to us by God and enriched each other Souls. The devil will try to do everything to make sure these meeting become useless and even harmful. Keep this in mind!”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“If you are not sick, and if you do not suffer, it is not because you are lucky, but because the Lord calls you to participate in the suffering of others. You should be eyes for those who are blind, ears for those who are deaf, and feet for those who cannot walk. You must be an assistant to people with disabilities, those who cannot move themselves, so that the love of Christ is revealed in this ministry.”
Saint Luke the Surgeon, Archbishop of Simferopol
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“Which of us, having a wound on his hand or foot, or any other member, would despise it and cut it off, even if it turned septic? Would he not rather bathe it and take away the poison and put a plaster on it, sign it with the Cross or a Relic, and beg and Pray the Saints to Pray for its cure… In this way we ought to bear one another’s burdens.”
Saint Dorotheos of Gaza
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“If you can help a person – help, if you cannot help – Pray, if you do not know how to Pray – think about the person in a good way! And this will already be a help, because godly thoughts are also a weapon!”
Saint Nikolai Velimivoric
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“Friendship is more necessary for the Soul than for the body. When you’re sad, the thought of a friend brings a smile to your face. On your death-bed, the presence of a friend beautifies the face of death. Friendship is always the life-giving breath of the Angel who accompanies us through life, who raises us when we fall and who inspires us when our strength fails.”
Saint Nikolai Velimivoric
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“If you only knew how unworthy I feel of this immeasurable happiness that God bestows on me, granting me good health and the opportunity to work for Him.”
Saint Elizabeth the New Martyr of Russia
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“Not only did the Lord ask us to refrain from injustice, but He also calls us to active goodness. Not merely ‘do not hate’, but rather, ‘love’.”
Saint John Chrysostom
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“Love not only those close to you and your benefactors, but even your enemies, so that you might thereby pacify them, correct them, and make them good people.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.”
Saint John Chrysostom
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“The only valuables on Earth are good works done for Christ: These win us the Grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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“If you want with a few words to benefit one who is eager to learn, speak to him about Prayer, right Faith, and the patient acceptance of what comes. For all else that is good is found through these.”
Saint Mark the Ascetic
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To a young woman he said: “For the love you showed your bedridden mother you did well. God has forgiven you everything.”
Saint George Karslides
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“Have you done everything you can and should according to your gifts? You are responsible for more, because you have been given more The concern is not abilities, but their application. Do you have anything to show for them?”
Saint Theophan the Recluse
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“Bear in your heart continually the words “Christ is Love” and endeavour to love all.”
Saint John of Kronstadt
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“Where there is no love, put love, and you will find love.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“Seven brothers were ill in one hospital. One recovered from his illness and got up and rushed to serve his other brothers with brotherly love, to speed their recovery. Be like this brother. Consider all men to be your brothers, and sick brothers at that. And if you come to feel that God has given you better health than others, know that it is given through mercy, so in health you may serve your frailer brothers.”
Saint Nikolai Velimivoric
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“A good deed is a Miracle that makes two hearts happy.”
Saint Nikolai Velimivoric
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“When a person speaks to you, do not think about his body, do no look at his body, but look into his Soul, check his Soul, live into his Soul and then you will understand him. And when you talk to a person, do not think about your own body or his, but think about your Soul and his Soul, repeating to yourself: “This is the Soul that speaks to the Soul, communicates with the Soul.” And then you will feel the presence of God between you. And you will be understood and understand.”
Saint Nikolai Velimivoric
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“Giving advice is like throwing stones from the bell-tower, and taking one’s advice is like carrying the stones up to the top of the bell-tower.”
Saint Ambrose of Optina
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“If you see your neighbour’s misfortune, start Praying for him. Learn to do this little by little. And believe that Prayer can move mountains.”
Saint Gabriel, the New Confessor of Georgia
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“When you are about to begin a conversation, first Cross in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, so that God directs your word for good.”
Saint Gabriel, the New Confessor of Georgia
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“When we must be helped, God will send someone to us. We are all fellow-travellers.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“We all help ourselves in helping others. Some indirectly, some directly.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“Experience has taught me that no one can help anyone, no matter how strong his wish and love may be. Help comes only in the Hour of God, from the One.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“Like Simon of Cyrene, we must be always ready to rush to the help of our fellow-man.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“Three things are needful. First Love, Second Love, Third Love.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“We should not be proud because we supposedly help people. We don’t help anybody. He is the Helper, He is the Guide, if we adhere to Him and He guides us.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“I wish that God grant you His Grace, His Power and His Love, so that you may be near to those who are in need and who seek Him.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“Looking after is one thing and love another.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“We are the first to feel the joy we give to others.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“The ministry of service should be constant. We should continually be “forgetting” ourselves. It is not a momentary action, it is life. It is the sign of the presence of Christ.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“The world is not in need of something to eat or something to drink – it is in need of our love. If we give it as much as we can, then we will blossom as Monks in this life.”
Saint Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia
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“About the good deed, which you wish to do, do not say anything at all – fullfil it without first having divulged it.”
Saint Anthony the Great
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“True love is like the flame of a candle. However many candles you light from the flame, the initial flame remains unaffected. It doesn’t lessen at all. And every freshly lit candle has as much flame as the others do.”
Elder Epiphanios of Athens
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“Piety, piety, but where is the love that moves mountains?”
Saint Maria Skobtsova of Paris
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“Always live modestly and humbly, without selfishness. Always make sure to love the elderly, the orphans, the sick. Socialize with the poor and people that others humiliate.”
Saint George Karslides
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“Our actions have a tongue of their own; they have an eloquence of their own, even when the tongue is silent. For deeds prove the lover more than words.”
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
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“Remember that the Lord is in every Christian. When your neighbour comes to you, always have great respect for him, because the Lord is in him, and often expresses His Will through him.”
Saint John of Kronstadt
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“We are not made for ourselves alone, we are made for the good of all our fellow creatures.”
Saint Gregory of Nazianzus
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“If you find that there is no love in you, but you want to have it, then do deeds of love, even though you do them without love in the beginning. The Lord will see your desire and striving and will put love in your heart.”
Saint Ambrose of Optina
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“God put the senses in the head. Why? Do you know? So that we can not see ourselves. Yes! So that we see only the other and love only the other. And so that we see ourselves only in the eyes of the other.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“The more a person loves God, the more he loves other people. He loves them with Holiness, respect and refinement, as Images of God.”
Saint Amphilochios Makris of Patmos
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“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”
Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo
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“Blessed is he who can love all men equally.”
Saint Maximos the Confessor
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“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection with you.”
Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo
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“The way to God lies through love of people. At the Last Judgement I shall not be asked whether I was successful in my Ascetic exercises, nor how many bows and prostrations I made. Instead I shall be asked, did i feel the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoners. That is all I shall be asked. About every poor, hungry, and imprisoned person the Saviour says “I”; “I was hungry, and thirsty, I was sick and in prison…”
Saint Maria Skobtsova of Paris
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“Do not think only about what you eat, what to wear, how large a house you will build. Knock on the doors of the poor, the sick, orphans. Prefer more the houses of the sad rather than happy. If you do good works, you will have a large reward from God. You will be made worthy to see Miracles, and in the other life you will have endless jubilation.”
Saint George Karslides
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“The Panagia does not want big candles, she wants charity shown to the poor.”
Saint George Karslides
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“Saint Paisii the Great Prayed for his disciple, who had renounced Christ, and while he was Praying, the Lord appeared and said to him, “Paisii, who are you Praying for? He has renounced Me.” But Paisii continued to sorrow for his disciple, whereupon the Lord said, “Paisii, you have become like Me in your love.”
Saint Silouan the Athonite
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“Let the weight of compassion tip within you to the point that you feel within your heart God’s own compassion to the world.”
Saint Isaac the Syrian
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“I see in the face of each person the Image of God. And for this Image of God I am willing to sacrifice everything.”
Saint Amphilochios Makris of Patmos
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“My child, in the face of every stranger, I see Christ Himself.”
Saint Amphilochios Makris of Patmos
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“He who plants kindness gathers love.”
Saint Basil the Great