Category: LOVE

  • Long-suffering and readiness to forgive curb anger; love and compassion wither it. 

    —St. Thalassios the Libyan

  • Remember people’s love for you and their good past with you, whenever you are fought by doubts of their sincerity and whenever you see them erring against you, for then their past love will intercede for them and your anger will subside.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III

  • Let me not be deceived by my own insecurity and weakness which would make me hurt another as I try desperately to help myself.

    —Dr. Howard Thurman

  • We cannot withdraw love without damaging ourselves. I have been badly hurt again but I see this morning that it does not really matter because I perceive the truth. Rage is the deprived infant in me but there is also a compassionate mother in me and she will come back with her healing powers in time.

    ― May Sarton, Recovering: A Journal

  • These angers are crippling, like a fit when they happen, and then, when they are over, haunting me with remorse. Those who know me well and love me have come to accept them as part of me; yet I know they are unacceptable.

    —May Sarton, Journal of a Solitude

  • One of the saints said, “Those who come closest to Christ achieve the greatest victories.” What does that mean? It means that if you’re generous, and kind, you’re giving, you might overcome anger inside your heart, you might overcome resentment, hatred, lack of forgiveness inside your heart.

    —Fr. Mina Dimitri

  • “People will love you, people will hate you, and none of it will have anything to do with you.”

    — Abraham Hicks

  • It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.

    —St Teresa of Calcutta

  • A bad word makes even good people bad, but a good word turns even bad people into good.
    —Saint Macarius the Elder

    Our words have so much power, yet it’s so easy to say them without thinking.

    Have you ever chosen to say something nice when you didn’t feel like it? What happened?

    Like an oasis in the desert, a kind word can bring forth beauty.

    Choose to say something good today and see what comes of it!

    Edna King, One Good Thought: A Good Word is an Oasis

  • I was told of such an instance in St. Petersburg. There was some sort of meeting of young people who were advocates of universal welfare – this was at the very height of the progressive raving. One gentleman was making an impassioned speech about love for mankind and the people. Everyone was enraptured.

    But when He returned home, his servant did not open the door quickly enough – he had not seen him coming. The servant did not give him a candle quickly enough, something had happened to his pipe, and it was a little cold in his room. Our philanthropist could not stand this, and finally he sharply reprimanded his servant. The latter answered something back, and the former struck him in the chest. And so here is our fine fellow who was overflowing with love toward mankind in one place, who could not behave properly toward even one person at home.

    Also at the very height of progressive raving, there were some pretty girls who threw themselves into the work of bookbinding establishments, who often left their mothers without a crust of bread. All the same, they imagined that they were in some way moving forward and establishing the happiness of mankind.

    All troubles come from a mental outlook that is too broad. It is better to humbly cast your eyes down toward your feet, and to figure out which step to take where. This is the truest path.

    —St. Theophan the Recluse, The Spiritual Life