People who do not know where they are going or what kind of world they are heading toward, who wonder if bringing forth children into this chaotic world is not an act of cruelty rather than love, will often be tempted to be sarcastic or even cynical. They laugh at their busy friends, but have nothing to offer in place of their activity. They protest against many things, but do not know what to witness for.
—Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer
Category: DISCERNMENT
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The demons generally produce in us the opposite of what has just been said. For when they take possession of the soul and extinguish the light of the mind, then there is no longer in us poor wretches either sobriety, or discernment, or self-knowledge or shame; but there is indifference, lack of perception, want of discernment and blindness.
What has just been said is known very vividly by those who have subdued their lust in order to become chaste, who have curbed their freedom of speech and have changed from shamelessness to modesty. They know how after the sobering of the mind, after the ending of its blindness, or rather its maiming, they are inwardly ashamed of themselves for what they said and did before when they were living in blindness.
—St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
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“There’s a solo journey that everyone goes on. You can be with all your people [that you love], but if you don’t feel fulfilled with the place or your purpose in the place, then it doesn’t matter how much love you have [around you].”
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“We may lose our peace due to our being upset at other people’s errors, even if these errors are not directed at us! For we want people to behave how we want them to otherwise we get upset. What is preferable for them and us for the sake of keeping our peace and theirs, is that we do not interfere in other people’s affairs, else we would be setting ourselves as critics over their actions”
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Attempting to have tough conversations in writing is pure amateur activity.
—Michael Ardelean, HOW TO HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS -
The spiritual person is socially successful, loved by all, at the same time, he uses a correct spiritual and faultless way.
It is easy for a spiritual person to train himself to be silent so that he would not err by the tongue… Stronger than him is the spiritual person who talks, not only without fault, but in a positive way to benefit others. He is a tactful speaker whose talk people enjoy…
It is quite easy for a spiritual person to abstain from joking and become always serious. Few will be able to harmonise with his continual seriousness. They will be pleased to see a spiritual person who is at the same time cheerful and happy, laughs with them without any fault on his side or theirs.
Spirituality does not mean being grave, it turns people off…
Spirituality has nothing to do with isolation from society and its faults. Otherwise, religion would not be good for society…
To become adapted to society is a side of spirituality. It is a higher level than the social. It is not wise for some to put it on a lower level, or else that could be one way of self-centeredness…
—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, WORDS OF SPIRITUAL BENEFIT VOL. II
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“Never assume anything. I’ve been learning this over and over from assuming. I’ve told people don’t assume, and I still assume. It takes a long time to root this out. Don’t assume. Don’t assume you know. Don’t assume you understand. Don’t assume you have enough data. Don’t assume you’re qualified. One fact can change your whole interpretation of a scenario—just one fact. I’ve seen people hold grudges for years and years and years and years, and then one fact being presented changed it all, like, Oh, I didn’t know that. And then suddenly it’s like, oh man, but like, the last seven years we didn’t talk because you assumed. If somebody says something, don’t assume their intention, even if it looks blatantly obvious, don’t assume you’ve interpreted it right. If you’ve lived with someone for 40 years, still don’t assume just because you know them that well, that you’re right. You don’t know.”
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You will get as many opinions – if not more – from the number of people you talk to.
—Fr. Antony Paul, Discerning God’s Will
SO GOOD QUOTES 