“That’s how we should live through difficulties and tragedies. We should see them all as opportunities for Prayer, for approaching God. That’s the secret: how the man of God will transform everything into Prayer. That’s what Saint Paul the Apostle means when he says ‘I rejoice in my sufferings’… This is how Sanctification takes place. May God grant this to us.”
Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
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“Do not grow faint in spirit, and do not despond during times of trouble; but turn to the Lord with humble Prayers, and believe that help will come to you.”
Saint Moses of Optina
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“There is a lot of bitterness in life: failure, illness, poverty, and so on. But if a person believes in God, then the Lord can sweeten a bitter life.”
Saint Barsanuphius of Optina
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“The bigger our faith in Heaven is, the less our worries on Earth are.”
Saint Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love
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“Suffering reminds the wise man of God, but crushes those who forget Him.”
Saint Mark the Ascetic
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“We should refer all our problems, whatever they are, to God, just as we say in the Divine Liturgy that we ‘commend our whole life to Christ our God.’ We leave everything to You, O Lord. Whatever You Will. Let Your Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
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“Where is Faith, there is no sadness, no fear, there is the courage and firmness, which nothing can resist.”
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov
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“In every trial and in all warfare use Prayer as your invincible weapon, and by the Grace of Christ you will be victorious.”
Saint Maximus the Confessor
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“A drop of Prayer is worth more than a sea of worrying.”
Saint Nikolai Velimirovic
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“Grumbling is caused by misery and it can be put aside by doxology [Glorifying and thanking God]. Grumbling begets grumbling and doxology begets doxology. When someone doesn’t grumble over a problem troubling him, but rather Glorifies God, then the devil gets frustrated and goes off to someone else who grumbles, in order to cause everything to go even worse for him. You see, the more one grumbles, the more one falls into ruin. Sometimes the devil deceives us and makes us unable to be pleased with anything; however, one can celebrate all things in a Spiritual manner, with doxology, and secure God’s constant Blessing.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“No matter what bitterness has befallen you, no matter what unpleasantness has happened to you, say, “I shall endure this for Jesus Christ!” and it will be easier for you. For the Name of Jesus Christ is powerful. Through it all unpleasantness is calmed, and demons disappear. Your disappointments will also be calmed and you pusillanimity will be quitted.”
Saint Anthony of Optina
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“So in every test, let us say, ‘Thank you God, because this was needed for my Salvation.’
Saint Paisios the Athonite
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“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.”
Saint Isaac the Syrian
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