SO GOOD QUOTES

Author: SO GOOD QUOTES

  • Wisdom is much broader than intelligence; intelligence is a mere fragment of wisdom. A person may possess extraordinary intelligence yet does not behave wisely.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Characteristics of the Spiritual Path

  • Saint Antony, at the beginning of his monastic life, sought counsel from the ascetics and was like the bee, sucking nectar from every flower. Many are those who seek wisdom from one person and become a carbon copy of them, but Saint Antony learned asceticism from one person, prayer from a second one, meekness from a third, cheerfulness from a fourth, knowledge from a fifth, etc.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Characteristics of the Spiritual Path

  • The practical person does not spend his life in the past, but he learns a lesson from it and works for the present and the future, with all his might…

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

  • To cease talk on any subject:

    There are some subjects which are not your concern, therefore do not speak about them, especially matters relating to the secrets of others. Also abstain from talking on subjects which are not your speciality, such as pure scientific or artistic or political matters that surpass your knowledge.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

  • One who loves his sick relative may hide from him the seriousness of his sickness and never gives him a chance to prepare for his eternity. This is also a non-spiritual and unwise love.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

  • Pastoral care and service without discretion could complicate matters instead of settling them.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

  • When St. Anthony was asked about the best of virtues he answered, “Discretion…”, as virtue without discretion might destroy its possessors.

    —Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

  • Another person takes the advice of those who are close to him without examining or discussing this advice… Or he might follow the steps of others, once more without examining them…
    …

    The reasonable and wise person is the one who chooses the wise advice, without depending on one opinion.

    God gave man two ears: to hear the first opinion with one, and to listen to the opposite opinion with the other. The mind is in between, to weigh each opinion and choose the best…

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

  • Listen to your heart. It’s there that Jesus speaks most intimately to you. Praying is first and foremost listening to Jesus who dwells in the very depths of your heart. He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t thrust himself upon you. His voice is an unassuming voice, very nearly a whisper, the voice of a gentle love. Whatever you do with your life, go on listening to the voice of Jesus in your heart. This listening must be an active and very attentive listening, for in our restless and noisy world God’s so loving voice is easily drowned out. You need to set aside some time every day for this active listening to God if only for ten minutes. Ten minutes each day for Jesus alone can bring about a radical change in your life.

    You’ll find it isn’t easy to be still for ten minutes at a time. You’ll discover straightaway that many other voices, voices that are very noisy and distracting, voices that do not come from God, demand your attention. But if you stick to your daily prayer time, then slowly but surely you’ll come to hear the gentle voice of love and will long more and more to listen to it.

    —Henri Nouwen

  • Do not treat your conscience with contempt, for it always advises you to do what is best. It sets before you the will of God and the angels; it frees you from the secret defilements of the heart; and when you depart this life it grants you the gift of intimacy with God.

    —St. Maximos the Confessor