SO GOOD QUOTES

  • I’ve seen lives changed on the sick bed, monsters turn into babies on the sick bed—monsters—people that no one can talk to, and they’re babies, holding the hands of their loved ones, saying, “Forgive me, I know I was difficult. I’m sorry—you endured a lot from me. I caused you a lot of pain, and I was a monster, and I was a terrible person, and I hope God can forgive me.”

    —Fr. Paul Girguis

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

    —St. Thalassios the Libyan

  • For the gain from fasting will not balance the loss from anger, nor is the profit from reading so great as the harm which results from despising a brother.

    —St. John Cassian, Conferences, CHAPTER VII. How peace of mind should be sought.

  • 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

  • 13. She also said, ‘It is good not to get angry, but if this should happen, the Apostle does not allow you a whole day for this passion, for he says: “Let not the sun go down.” (Eph. 4.25) Will you wait till all your time is ended? Why hate the man who has grieved you? It is not he who has done the wrong, but the devil. Hate sickness but not the sick person.’

    Sayings of Amma Syncletica

  • Those who scorn to grasp what is profitable and salutary are considered to be ill. Those, on the other hand, who comprehend the truth but insolently enjoy dispute, have an intelligence that is dead; and their behavior has become brutish. They do not know God and their soul has not been illumined.

    Anthony the Great: On the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: One Hundred and Seventy Texts

    Philokalia

  • I should like to add that Isaac the Syrian insists on penitence, necessary alike for those who are conscious of sinning greatly and for those who are not; there is no perfection in any of us here on earth. The true signs of sincere penitence are the taming of the beast of anger, and the abstinence from all condemnation of others. Anger is always a sign of great pride. Our Lord calls him who condemns others, oblivious of his own faults, a hypocrite.

    Letters of Elder Macarius of Optina

  • I can assure you I have not the slightest suspicion that you are seeking to hide any detail of your life from me; nor have I ever thought you double-faced. But I cannot fail to see how subtly you contradict yourself, how you misunderstand and misinterpret yourself. Remember always that the whole of our human misery is the consequence of pride.

    Letters of Elder Macarius of Optina

  • When someone hurts you, do not answer back, but meet the hurt with silence.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, A Whisper of Love: Poems, Prayers and Sayings

  • Keep in mind one thing that’s very important, controlling the tongue cannot happen without asking the grace of God. Sometimes people say, You know what, I held my tongue, but I couldn’t. Well, of course, when you control yourself and your feelings and you don’t offer them to God, you will only be able to do it in a natural way, which only would last you for a small part of time. But this is not the Christian way of controlling. The Christian way of controlling is to lift all our pain and suffering to the Lord that he may use his suffering to transform us and transform our community and transform people around us.

    —Fr. Mina Dimitri