“You should know that you have been greatly benefited when you have suffered deeply because of some insult or indignity; for by means of the indignity self-esteem has been driven out of you.”
— St. Maximos the Confessor
Author: SO GOOD QUOTES
-
“We have very little faith in the Lord, very little trust. If we trusted the Lord as much as we trust a friend when we ask him to do something for us, neither we as individuals nor our whole country would suffer so much.”
— Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica -
“When you observe some thought suggesting that you seek human fame, you can be sure it will bring you disgrace.”
—St. Mark the Ascetic -
… the same saint may say one thing about a certain matter today, and another tomorrow; and yet there is no contradiction, provided the hearer has knowledge and experience of the matter under discussion. Again, one saint may say one thing and another something different about the same passage of the Holy Scriptures, since divine grace often gives varying interpretations suited to the particular person or moment in question. The only thing required is that everything said or done should be said or done in accordance with God’s intention, and that it should be attested by the words of Scripture. For should anyone preach anything contrary to God’s intention or contrary to the nature of things, then even if he is an angel St. Paul’s words, ‘Let him be accursed’ (Gal. 1:8), will apply to him.
—St. Peter of Damaskos (The Philokalia Vol. 3; Faber and Faber pg. 207)
-
So when you feel a cooling for spiritual things and occupations and generally for all divine things, enter deeply into yourself and examine carefully why it has happened; and, if it is your fault, hasten to eliminate and efface it, not so much because you are anxious for the return of spiritual delights, but rather because you want to destroy in yourself all that is unfitting and not pleasing to God. If you find nothing of this kind, submit to God’s will, saying to yourself: ‘God has so decided: let Thy will be done on me, O Lord, weak and unworthy as I am.’ Then be patient and wait, never allowing yourself to deviate from the habitual order of your spiritual life and spiritual works and exercises. Overcome the lack of taste for them, which has assailed you, by forcibly making yourself practice them, paying no attention to thoughts which try to distract you from your efforts by suggesting that this occupation is useless; drink willingly your cup of bitterness, saying to the Lord: ‘See my humility and my efforts, O Lord, and deprive me not of Thy mercy,’ and let your efforts be inspired by the faith that this cup comes from God’s love for you, because He desires you to attain a greater spiritual perfection.
—Lorenzo Scupoli, Unseen Warfare
-
The best prayer is: “Lord! Thou knowest all things. Do with me as Thou willest!”
—St. Theophan the Recluse -
“It is not freedom when we say to people that everything is permitted. That is slavery.”
—Saint Paisios the Athonite
“Whatever you perceive as joy or freedom sometimes is slavery.”
—Fr. Paula Balamon -
“When you perceive in yourself something worthy of praise, and you feel a desire to tell others about it, try immediately to destroy this desire with the thought that you will not receive any benefit from relating it, but only harm.”
— Metropolitan Gregory (Postnikov) of St. Petersburg, How to Live a Holy Life
SO GOOD QUOTES 