Quote for 10-2-02:
From St. Makarios of Egypt (The Homilies, I: Spiritual Perfection no. 5, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 286):
"The virgin soul that desires to be united to God must keep itself pure not only from overt sins like unchastity, murder, theft, gluttony, backbiting, falsity, avarice, greed and so on; but to an even greater degree it must keep itself pure from sins that are hidden, such as desire, self-esteem, love of popularity, hypocrisy, love of power, wiliness, malice, hatred, unbelief, envy, self-love, affectation and other things of this kind. According to Scripture, these concealed sins of the soul are just as pernicious as the overt sins."
Quote for 10-1-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XV no. 3, Paulist Press pg. 195):
"God is light (I John 1:5), and to those who have entered into union with Him He imparts of His own brightness to the extent that they have been purified. When the lamp of the soul, that is, the mind, has been kindled, then it knows the divine fire has taken hold of it and inflamed it. How great a marvel! Man is united to God spiritually and physically, since the soul is not separated from the mind, neither the body from the soul."
Quote for 9-30-02:
From St. Gregory Palamas (The Homilies Vol. 1, Homily Two para. 9; St. Tikhon's Seminary Press pg. 13):
"...he is spiritually courageous who manages to take refuge in repentance when caught in the snares of the enemy and fallen into the nets of sin."
Quote for 9-29-02:
From St. John Chrysostom (as quoted in The Mystery of Death by Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis, Chapter 9: Death Before and After Christ; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 227):
"Before Christ nothing was stronger than death, and nothing weaker than us. Now the opposite is true: nothing is weaker than death and nothing is stronger than us."
Quote for 9-28-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 57, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 75):
"There are virtues of the body and virtues of the soul. Those of the body include fasting, vigils, sleeping on the ground, ministering to peoples needs, working with one's hands so as not to be a burden or in order to give to others (cf. I Thess. 2:9, Ephes. 4:28). Those of the soul include love, long-suffering, gentleness, self-control and prayer (cf. Gal. 5:22). If as a result of some constraint or bodily condition, such as illness or the like, we find we cannot practise the bodily virtues mentioned above, we are forgiven by the Lord because He knows the reasons. But if we fail to practise the virtues of the soul, we shall not have a single excuse, for it is always within our power to practise them."
Quote for 9-27-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 130):
"The more a man leads the spiritual life, the more he becomes spiritualised: he begins to see God in everything; the manifestation of His power and might in everything; he sees himself always and everywhere abiding in God, and depending from God even in the smallest matters. But the more a man leads the carnal mode of life, the more carnal he becomes: he does not see God in anything, not even in the most wonderful manifestations of His divine powers - he sees flesh and matter in everything, and nowhere, nor at any time, is God before his eyes."
Quote for 9-26-02:
From St. Makarios of Egypt (The Homilies I: Spiritual Perfection no. 4, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 286):
"Moses indicates figuratively that the soul should not be divided in will between good and evil, but should pursue the good alone; and that it must cultivate not the dual fruits of virtue and vice but those of virtue only. For he says: 'Do not yoke together on your threshing floor animals of a different species, such as ox and ass; but yoke together animals of the same species and so thresh your corn' (cf. Deut. 22:10). This is to say do not let virtue and vice work together on the threshing floor of your heart, but let virtue alone work there. Again he says: 'Do not weave flax into a woolen garment, or wool into a linen garment' (cf. Deut. 22:11); and: 'Do not cultivate two kinds of fruit together on the same patch of your land' (cf. Deut. 22:9)... All this is a concealed way of saying that you must not cultivate virtue and vice together in yourself, but you must devote yourself single-mindedly to producing the fruit of virtue; and you must not share your soul with two spirits - the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world - but you must give it solely to the Spirit of God and must reap only the fruits of the Spirit. It is for this reason that the Psalmist writes: 'I have prospered in all Thy commandments; I hate every false way' (Ps. 119:128)."
Quote for 9-25-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XV no. 2, Paulist Press pg. 194):
"...those who sit in the darkness of passions and whose minds are blinded by ignorance, or, rather, those who have not acquired 'the mind of Christ' (I Cor. 2:16), think that he who has the mind of Christ is foolish, and that he who has it not is sensible. Of these the prophet David rightly states, 'The ignorant and foolish perish together' (Ps. 49:11). Therefore such men twist the whole of Scripture according to their own desires (cf. II Pet. 3:3, 16) and corrupt themselves in their own passions. But it is not divine Scripture that suffers from this, but those who disfigure it!"
Quote for 9-24-02:
From St. Gregory Palamas (The Homilies Vol. 1: Homily Two para. 8; St. Tikhon's Seminary Press pg. 13):
"Thanksgiving for the benefits received from God is made acceptable by humility and not looking down on those who lack them. It is rendered unacceptable, however, by being conceited, as if those benefits resulted from our own efforts and knowledge, and by condemning those who have not received them."
Quote for 9-23-02:
From St. Athanasios the Great (On the Incarnation as quoted in The Mystery of Death by Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis pg. 226):
"Ever since the God-Man was resurrected and ascended, all the faithful (can) trample death as if it did not exist. They prefer to die than to deny their faith in Christ. Now there are no dead. Now the only dead one is the devil, who in the past used to boast about the death of men. The devil is the only truly dead, since 'the pangs of death' have been loosed (Acts 2:24). And the proof of this is the following: People who were afraid of death before believing in Christ, once baptized and members of the Church, despised death so much that they would readily rush towards it and become martyrs. Death became so weak that even children and women, who were at first deceived by it in the person of Eve, can now mock death as something truly dead and altogether weakened."
Quote for 9-22-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 52, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 74):
"The intellect joined to God for long periods through prayer and love becomes wise, good, powerful, compassionate, merciful and long-suffering; in short, it includes within itself almost all the divine qualities. But when the intellect withdraws from God and attaches itself to material things, either it becomes self-indulgent like some domestic animal, or like a wild beast it fights with men for the sake of these things."
Quote for 9-21-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 127):
"That our union with God in the future world will come to pass, and that it will be for us the source of light, peace, joy, and beatitude, this we partly recognise by experience even in the present life. During prayer, when our soul is wholly turned towards God, and is united to Him, we feel happy, calm, easy, and joyful, like children resting on their mother's breast; or' I would rather say, we experience a sensation of inexpressible well-being. 'It is good for us to be here' (Luke 9:33). Therefore struggle unremittingly to obtain future everlasting bliss, the beginning of which you know by experience even in the present life..."
Quote for 9-20-02:
From St. Makarios of Egypt (Homily 1: Spiritual Perfection no. 2, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 285):
"What is the will of God that St. Paul urges and invites us to attain (cf. I Thess. 4:3)? It is total cleansing from sin, freedom from the shameful passions and the acquisition of the highest virtue. In other words, it is purification and sanctification of the heart that comes about through fully experienced and conscious participation in the perfect and divine Spirit. 'Blessed are the pure in heart,' it is said, 'for they shall see God' (Matt. 5:8), and again: 'Become perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect' (Matt. 5:48)."
Quote for 9-19-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XV no. 1, Paulist Press pgs. 193-194):
"Those, then, who from their birth are under the dominion of darkness and are unwilling to contemplate the spiritual light from which their forefather fell look on those who have come to that light and speak of the things of the light as adversaries and enemies, since their words wound them. When a sunbeam in some way penetrates into a dark house it pierces and cuts through the darkness like an arrow. So the divinely inspired word of a spiritual and holy man is like a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12) in the heart of a carnal man. It causes him pain and provokes him to contradict and to hate because of his ignorance and unbelief."
Quote for 9-18-02:
From St. Gregory Palamas (The Homilies Vol. 1, Homily 2 para. 3; St. Tikhon's Seminary Press pg. 10):
"Why does humility lead up to the heights of righteousness, whereas self-conceit leads down to the depths of sin? Because anybody who thinks he is something great, even before God, is rightly abandoned by God, as one who thinks that he does not need His help. Anybody who despises himself, on the other hand, and relies on mercy from above, wins God's sympathy, help and grace. As it says, 'The Lord resisteth the proud: but He giveth grace unto the lowly' (Prov. 3:34, James 4:6)."
Quote for 9-17-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 9: Death Before and After Christ; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 225):
"Since, after the Cross and Resurrection of the Lord the nature of the sad things has been changed, we no longer accompany the death of the Saints with mournings and lamentations, but rather celebrate over their graves. For the righteous, death after Christ is a journey to a better, happier and more blessed life."
Quote for 9-16-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 51, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 74):
"When you find your intellect occupied pleasurably with material things and become fondly attached to its conceptual images of them, you may be sure that you love these things more than God. 'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also' (Matt. 6:21)."
Quote for 9-15-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 126):
"When praying, I firmly believe (1) that God alone is and fills everything, and that He is therefore at my right hand; (2) that I am His image; (3) that He is an abyss of mercy, the Source of every mercy, and that He Himself has authorised me to pray to Him."
Quote for 9-14-02:
From St. Makarios of Egypt (Homily I: Spiritual Perfection no. 1, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and ware; Faber and Faber pg. 285):
"We do not reach the final stage of spiritual maturity through divine power and grace alone, without ourselves making any effort; but neither on the other hand do we attain the final measure of freedom and purity as a result of our own diligence and strength alone, apart from any divine assistance. If the Lord does not build the house, it is said, and protect the city, in vain does the watchman keep awake, and in vain do the labourer and the builder work (cf. Ps. 27:1-4)."
Quote for 9-13-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XIV no. 5, Paulist Press pgs. 191-192):
"...let us not desire to learn by mere words that which is beyond utterance; it is equally impossible both for those who teach about such matters and for those who listen to them. Those who teach about intellectual and divine realities are not able to supply clear proofs, strictly speaking, from examples, or to express their truth concretely. Nor are their pupils able to learn by mere words the meaning of that about which they speak. It is by practice and effort and labors that we must be anxious to grasp these things and attain to contemplation of them."
Quote for 9-12-02:
From St. Gregory Palamas (The Homilies Vol. 1: Homily 2 para. 1; St. Tikhon's Seminary Press pg. 9):
"The unseen patron of evil is full of evil ingenuity...But stand firm, do not be alarmed, for a diligent man is even more ingenious in good things, and virtue has superior forces to deploy against evil. It has at its disposal supplies and support in battle from Him Who is all- powerful, Who in His goodness strengthens all lovers of virtue. So not only can virtue remain unshaken by the various wicked devices prepared by the enemy, but it can also lift up and restore those fallen into the depths of evil, and easily lead them to God by repentance and humility."
Quote for 9-11-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 9: Death Before and After Christ; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 225):
"Because death has been abolished and has become a sleep and the end of our earthly life a dormition; because we have the certain hope of the resurrection, since we are transferred from one life to the other, we can be peaceful and optimistic. We can rejoice and be glad. Joy and gladness are even more enhanced when we realize that the transfer is not done simply from life to life. That is, we do not simply leave from one form of life to be found in another form of life. Rather, we are transferred from the lesser, that is, corruptible, to the better and greater life."
Quote for 9-10-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 49, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 74):
"If a man is not envious or angry, and does not bear a grudge against someone who has offended him, that does not necessarily mean that he loves him. For, while still lacking love, he may be capable of not repaying evil with evil, in accordance with the commandment (cf. Rom. 12:17), and yet by no means be capable of rendering good for evil without forcing himself. To be spontaneously disposed to 'do good to those who hate you' (Matt. 5:44) belongs to perfect spiritual love alone."
Quote for 9-9-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 126):
"When we call upon the Saints in prayer, if we pronounce their names from the heart, it already means that we bring them near our heart itself. Therefore ask their prayers and intercession undoubtingly for yourself. They will hear you, and will speedily lay your prayers before the Lord, in the twinkling of an eye, for He is omnipresent and omniscient."
Quote for 9-8-02:
From St. Makarios of Egypt (Homily 1: Spiritual Perfection no. 1, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 285):
"We receive salvation by grace and as a divine gift of the Spirit. But to attain the full measure of virtue we need also to possess faith and love, and to struggle to exercise our free will with integrity."
Quote for 9-7-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XIV no. 4; Paulist Press pg. 190):
"...God who is all goodness fills the soul in which He dwells with all goodness (cf. Ps.107:9) as far as our nature is capable of receiving it, because God is infinite and cannot be contained by any created nature. I speak of those blessings that 'eye has not seen and ear has not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man' (I Cor. 2:9)...God who dwells in him teaches such a man about things to come and things present, not by word, but by action and experience and reality. As God removes the veil from the eyes of his mind he shows him what is His will and what is useful for him."
Quote for 9-6-02:
From St. Gregory Palamas (The Homilies Vol. 1, Homily 1 para. 9; St. Tikhon's Seminary Press pg. 5):
"...it is impossible for those who do not love their own brethren to have love towards God or to enjoy His grace and care (cf. I John 3:17; 4:20)."
Quote for 9-5-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 9: Death Before and After Christ; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 223):
"While, before the coming of Christ and the economy of the Cross, the name of death was fearsome, now its name is sleep, dormition or transfer (metastasis), and it is sweet, since it contains the profound hope of resurrection."
Quote for 9-4-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 47, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 73):
"Certain things stop the movement of the passions and do not allow them to grow; others subdue them and make them diminish. For instance, where desire is concerned, fasting, labour and vigils do not allow it to grow, while withdrawal, contemplation, prayer and intense longing for God subdue it and make it disappear. The same is true with regard to anger. Forbearance, freedom from rancour, gentleness, for example, all arrest it and prevent it from growing, while love, acts of charity, kindness and compassion make it diminish."
Quote for 9-3-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pgs. 125-126):
" 'Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually' (I Kgs. 9:3), is said of the Temple; 'there', that is, chiefly in the hearts of those assisting and praying in the Temple, for the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands. How comforting it is to read these words of the wise King Solomon! The eyes of the Master in God's temple are turned upon each of us, His heart is turned to each of us! Is it possible to require greater nearness? The Master's very heart is turned to me. Sometimes you stand face to face with another man and converse with him, but his heart is not turned towards you, and is occupied with something else; whilst here God's heart is wholly turned to you, with all its love, all its mercy, and according to your faith. He is ready to pour all His bounties upon you."
Quote for 9-2-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pgs. 277):
"...to one who truly prays the prayer of the body, God gives the prayer of the intellect; and to one who diligently cultivates the prayer of the intellect, God gives the imageless and formless prayer that comes from the pure fear of Him. Again, to one who practises this prayer effectively, God grants the contemplation of created beings. Once this is attained - once the intellect has freed itself from all things and, not content with hearing about God at second hand, devotes itself to Him in action and thought - God permits it to be seized in rapture, conferring on it the gift of true theology and the blessings of the age to be."
Quote for 9-1-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XIII no. 2, Paulist Press pg. 182):
"...we have now come out of the world and entered into the tomb of repentance and humiliation by being assimilated to the sufferings of the Lord (Rom. 6:5, II Cor. 1:5, Phil. 3:10), He Himself comes down from heaven and enters into our body as into a tomb. He unites Himself to our souls and raises them up, though they were undoubtedly dead, and then grants to him who has thus been raised with Christ that he may see the glory of His mystical resurrection."
Quote for 8-31-02:
From St. Gregory Palamas (The Homilies: Vol. 1, Homily 1 para. 7; St. Tikhon's Seminary Press pg. 4):
"Our soul is like a lamp with good works for oil. Instead of a wick it holds love, upon which rests, not light, but the grace of the divine Spirit. When the oil of good works fails, the wick of love in the soul must grow cold. So the light of God's care and love departs from those who leave virtue and put love to flight. God has turned His face from them and they are stirred up against one another. As David said, 'Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled' (Ps. 104:29)."
Quote for 8-30-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pg. 212):
"Our Lord leaves this earth, but the Holy Spirit comes. The Son and Logos ascends to the unoriginate light-glory, and the all-Holy Spirit transmits this glory to creation!"
Quote for 8-29-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 41, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg 72):
"Almost every sin is committed for the sake of sensual pleasure; and sensual pleasure is overcome by hardship and distress arising either voluntarily from repentance, or else involuntarily as a result of some salutary and providential reversal. 'For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, so that we should not be condemned with the world' (I Cor. 11:31-32)."
Quote for 8-28-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 125):
"When praying, we must believe in the power of the words of the prayer, in such a manner as not to separate the words from the deeds they express; we must believe that the deeds follow the words, as the shadow follows the body, for the word and the deed of the Lord are indivisible, 'for He commanded and they were created' (Ps. 148:5). And you must likewise believe that that which you say in prayer, for which you have asked will be done. You have praised God, and God has received your praise. You have thanked God, and God has received your thanks as a spiritual fragrance."
Quote for 8-27-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 125):
"When praying, we must believe in the power of the words of the prayer, in such a manner as not to separate the words from the deeds they express; we must believe that the deeds follow the words, as the shadow follows the body, for the word and the deed of the Lord are indivisible, 'for He commanded and they were created' (Ps. 148:5). And you must likewise believe that that which you say in prayer, for which you have asked will be done. You have praised God, and God has received your praise. You have thanked God, and God has received your thanks as a spiritual fragrance."
Quote for 8-26-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XI no. 6, Paulist Press pg. 171):
"He who sits at table and has no desire for the food set before him is clearly lacking in physical health. So he who hears the divine reading without unspeakable pleasure and spiritual desire, and fails to take immaterial and spiritual delight in the immaterial oracles of God and intellectually fill all his senses with their sweetness, is weak in the faith (cf. Rom. 4:19). He has never tasted the spiritual gifts; for in the midst of many good gifts he wastes away with hunger and thirst. Just as a corpse, when it is being washed with water, cannot feel it, so this man feels nothing when God's life-giving streams of His word flow over him."
Quote for 8-25-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 7, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pgs. 104-105):
"The Lord seeks a heart filled to overflowing with love for God and our neighbor; this is the throne on which He loves to sit and on which He appears in the fullness of His heavenly glory. 'Son, give me thy heart,' He says, 'and all the rest I Myself will add to thee,' for in the human heart the Kingdom of God can be contained."
Quote for 8-24-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 211):
"....for one to make the gifts of the Ascended Christ one's own it is necessary together with Jesus to live His life as one's own."
Quote for 8-23-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 43, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware, Faber and Faber pg. 73):
"As long as you have bad habits do not reject hardship, so that through it you may be humbled and eject your pride."
Quote for 8-22-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 125):
"God's omnipresence is in space and thought - that is, God is everywhere, both in respect to space and in respect to thought; wheresoever I may go, either in the body or in thought, everywhere I meet God, and everywhere God meets me."
Quote for 8-16-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pgs. 274-275):
"If someone seeks for success and pleasure, comfort and glory in this world, then he loves the wisdom of this world. But if someone struggles for what is contrary to these things - if he suffers, practises self-control, and endures all kinds of affliction and disgrace for the sake of the kingdom of heaven - then he loves the wisdom of God. The first longs to attain material benefits, secular learning and secular power, and often suffers on this account; but the second shares the sufferings of Christ. Thus the first places all his hopes in the things of this world, desiring to possess them even though they are transitory and hard to come by; while the second is hidden from 'the eyes of the foolish', as Holy Scripture puts it (Wisd. 3:2), but is clearly revealed in the world to come, when everything hidden is disclosed."
Quote for 8-15-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: XI no. 2, Paulist Press pg. 168):
"Fasting gradually disperses and drives away spiritual darkness and the veil of sin that lies on the soul, just as the sun dispels the mist. Fasting enables us spiritually to see that spiritual air in which Christ, the Sun who knows no setting, does not rise, but shines without ceasing. Fasting, aided by vigil, penetrates and softens hardness of heart. Where once were the vapors of drunkenness it causes fountains of compunction to spring forth."
Quote for 8-14-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 7, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 104):
"Our faith consists not in the plausible words of earthly wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power."
Quote for 8-13-02:
From St. John Chrysostom (On the Ascension as quoted in The Mystery of Death by Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pgs.. 210-211):
"In the beginning of creation the Creator created man in the image of God, while now He has united man to God. Then he was given authority to rule over the fish and the animals. Now God has raised our new beginning above the heavens. Since the ascended Christ with His holy flesh has become, like the first fruits, the beginning of those who had fallen asleep, He has caused our entire human race to be blessed through that one flesh and beginning. Before because of sin , nothing was more debased than man, while now nothing has become more honored than man. Through the resurrected and ascended Christ man conquers corruption and acquires incorruption. Man conquers death, because death has been entirely defeated and abolished and appears nowhere, while man acquires immortality and is deified. Now, indeed, God and mankind have become one race."
Quote for 8-12-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 39, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 72):
"The person who has come to know the weakness of human nature has gained experience of divine power. Such a man, having achieved some things and eager to achieve others through this divine power, never belittles anyone. For he knows that just as God has helped him and freed him from many passions and difficulties, so, when God wishes, He is able to help all men, especially those pursuing the spiritual way for His sake. And if in His providence He does not deliver all men together from their passions, yet like a good and loving physician He heals with individual treatment each of those who are trying to make progress."
Quote for 8-11-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 125):
"When you stand praying, burdened with many sins and overpowered with despair, begin to pray with hope, with a fervent spirit, and remind yourself that 'the Spirit Itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered!' (Rom. 8:26). When you remember with faith this action of the Spirit of God within us, then tears of emotion will flow from your eyes, you will feel in your soul peace, sweetness, justification, 'and joy in the Holy Ghost,' (Rom. 14:17) and you will cry in your heart, 'Abba, Father!' "
Quote for 8-10-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 274):
"A person is said to have faith when, on the basis of what he can see, he believes in what he cannot see. But to believe in what we can see of God's works is not the same as to believe in Him who teaches and proclaims the truth to us. Hence the trials sent to test our faith are visible, while God's assistance comes to us invisibly. In this way, the person who in faith endures these trials patiently will discover, once they have passed, that he has acquired spiritual knowledge, through which he knows things previously unknown to him, and that blessings have been bestowed on him."
Quote for 8-9-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: X no. 4; Paulist Press pg. 165):
"...if we practice every virtue and perform miracles and omit nothing either great or small from the commandment, yet desire nothing but the glory that comes from men and seek it, however slightly, by our endeavors and hasten to receive it, we shall be deprived of the reward for all the rest. For if we receive the glory that is from men and do not prefer that which comes from God (Jn. 5:44), we shall be judged as idolaters, because we worship the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25)."
Quote for 8-8-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 6, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 98):
"...the Lord has frequently demonstrated before many witnesses how the grace of the Holy Spirit acts on people whom He has sanctified and illumined by His great inspirations. Remember Moses after his talk with God on Mount Sinai. He so shone with an extraordinary light that people were unable to look at him. He was even forced to wear a veil when he appeared in public. Remember the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. A great light encircled Him, 'and His raiment became shining, exceedingly white like snow' (Mk.. 9:3), and His disciples fell on their faces from fear. But when Moses and Elias appeared to Him in that light, a cloud overshadowed them in order to hide the radiance of the light of the divine grace which blinded the eyes of the disciples. Thus the grace of the All-Holy Spirit of God appears in an ineffable light to all to whom God reveals its action."
Quote for 8-7-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pgs. 207-208):
"...by virtue of the divine Ascension man has the possibility for personal deification, which is offered... by grace from the victor of death and Hades... Our Lord Jesus Christ did not only give us life, while we were dead, but He also granted us the gift of divinity and prepared eternal blessings whose magnitude of gladness the human mind cannot comprehend... With these immeasurable and inconceivable gifts, the new creation in Christ is much higher than the first creation. For the Lord did not simply benefit us to the degree Adam's sin had hurt us, but much more. Our redemption, regeneration and return to God is complete and definite Through the resurrected and ascended Christ humble and mortal human nature is honored so much that it exceeds all the degrees of created beings... the nature of mortals, which was united with the divine nature of the almighty God the Logos, in an inexplicable manner, was raised to heaven and became a partaker of the blessed glory of the Trinity."
Quote for 8-6-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 48, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 73):
"When a man's intellect is constantly with God, his desire grows beyond all measure into an intense longing for God and his incensiveness is completely transformed into divine love. For by continual participation in the divine radiance his intellect becomes totally filled with light; and when it has reintegrated its passible aspect, it redirects this aspect towards God...filling it with an incomprehensible and intense longing for Him and with unceasing love, thus drawing it entirely away from worldly things to the divine."
Quote for 8-5-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 123):
"Through His[Christ's] Incarnation the Most Holy Virgin has become our All-Powerful Intercessor and our protection from sins, disasters, and misfortunes, praying for us day and night, our Queen and Lady, Whose power no visible and invisible enemies can withstand, and our very Mother by grace, in accordance with the words of Christ on the Cross to His disciple St. John: 'Behold thy Mother!' - and to Her: 'Behold Thy son!' Glory to Thy bountifulness, Lord!"
Quote for 8-4-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 272):
"...a person becomes humble and grieves because he is a sinner. In consequence of this he begins to practise self-control and patient endurance in the face of afflictions sought and unsought. What comes from the demons he endures through ascetic discipline, and what comes from men he endures as a test of his faith. In this way it becomes clear whether he puts his trust in God, or in man, or in his own strength and judgment."
Quote for 8-3-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: X no. 3; Paulist Press pg. 164):
"...in paradise Adam was enjoined to till the ground and are for it (Gen. 2:15), and there is in us a natural bent for work, the movement toward the good. Those who yield themselves to idleness and apathy, even though they may be spiritual and holy, hurl themselves into unnatural subjection to passions."
Quote for 8-2-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 6, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 97):
"...the grace of the Holy Spirit which is granted at baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in spite of men's falls into sin, in spite of the darkness surrounding our soul, nevertheless shines in the heart with the divine light (which has existed from time immemorial) of the inestimable grace of Christ. In the event of a sinner's impenitence, this light of Christ cries to the Father: 'Abba, Father! Be not angry with this impenitence to the end (of his life).' And then, at the sinners conversion to the way of repentance, it effaces completely all trace of past sin and clothes the former sinner once more in a robe of incorruption woven from the grace of the Holy Spirit..."
Quote for 8-1-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 206):
"...the Lord ascended to heaven bodily and sat at the right hand of the throne of God the Father (Ps. 110:1; Heb. 1:3)... He is crowned with perfect 'glory and honor' to guide many persons to eternal glory (cf. Heb. 2:9-10)... He entered His pre-existing glory and called the entire human race to be and remain with Him in heaven (cf. Eph 2:4-6), there 'at the right hand of God' the Father where He himself 'sat' eternally (Heb. 10:12). Through the glorious and bodily Ascension of the Lord, man, who was the target of the devil, the originator of evil, is not simply honored; man also sits together and jointly reigns with God the Logos."
Quote for 7-31-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 38, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 72):
"...our Lord has said, 'Without me you can do nothing' (John 15:5). For even when impelled towards what is good, our weakness cannot bring anything to fruition without the Giver of all goodness."
Quote for 7-30-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 123):
"Through His Incarnation the Lord has clearly taught us all the mysteries of faith, which were not known, or but little known, in the Old Testament. Through His Incarnation we, accursed sinners, have been deemed worthy of the Communion of His Most Pure Body and Blood, and are thus united to Him in the closest manner; we dwell in Him and He in us."
Quote for 7-29-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 270):
"...it is good to say 'I do not know', so that we neither disbelieve what is said by an angel nor place credence in what occurs through the deceitfulness of the enemy. By thus accepting patiently whatever comes we may avoid both pitfalls. We may wait for many years until the answer is given us, unsolicited and unperceived, in the form of some concrete action...In this way we reach the haven of active spiritual knowledge. When we see this knowledge persisting in us over many years, then we will understand that truly we have been heard and have invisibly received the answer."
Quote for 7-28-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: X no. 1, Paulist Press pgs. 162-163):
"...if that 'which no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, which God has prepared for those who love Him' (I Cor. 2:9) is above human comprehension and above all visible blessings, how much more is God Himself who has prepared them! Not only is He above them, but also those who have been counted worthy to see Him and to stand before Him and have converse with Him, and who have become partakers and sharers of His divinity and His glory. They have become altogether superior to the good things that God has prepared for them, since they have received as their inheritance the very Lord who has prepared these good things."
Quote for 7-27-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 6, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 97):
" 'Whoever lives and believes in Me shall not die forever' (Jn. 11:26). He who has the grace of the Holy Spirit in reward for right faith in Christ, even if on account of human frailty his soul were to die for some sin or other, yet he will not die forever, but he will be raised by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 'Who takes away the sin of the world' (Jn. 1:29) and freely gives grace upon grace. Of this grace, which was manifested to the whole world and to our human race by the God-Man, it is said in the Gospel: 'In Him was life, and the life was the light of men' (Jn. 1:4), and further: 'And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness did not overpower it' (Jn. 1:5)."
Quote for 7-26-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pg. 205):
"After the Resurrection of Christ we die, but do not remain in death; this means that it is not really a death. We have tyranny of death and real death when the dead person has no possibility to return to life. But when, after dying, one is able to live again and enjoy a better life at that, 'this is not really a death, but a sleep' (St. John Chrysostom, On Hebrew)!...Now we no longer die as we were dying before the Resurrection of the Lord; we do not die the death that was the result of the condemnation of the forefathers, for the condemnation has now ended. But because the grace of the Resurrection both puts an end to and abolishes corruption, the mortal part of our body is decomposed only at the time determined for each of us by God. This happens so that we may be made worthy to receive a better resurrection. For, as seeds sown in the earth do not really disappear, so is it with us; when we die we do not disappear by decomposition, but are raised up as if we were sown..."
Quote for 7-25-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love nos. 35-36, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 71):
"Many human activities, good in themselves, are not good because of the motive for which they are done. For example, fasting and vigils, prayer and psalmody, acts of charity and hospitality are by nature good, but when performed for the sake of self-esteem they are not good. In everything that we do God searches out our purpose to see whether we do it for Him or for some other motive."
Quote for 7-24-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 123):
"The minds of the angels cannot grasp and cannot sufficiently marvel at the wisdom, mercy, and omnipotence which the Lord has manifested to us in His Incarnation from the Most Holy Virgin Mary. 'All angelic nature wonders at this great act of Thine Incarnation, beholding the unapproachable God in approachable man' (Acathistos Condakion). Glory to Thy mercy! Glory to Thy bountifulness! Glory to Thy wisdom! Glory to Thy power!"
Quote for 7-23-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 270):
"It is those lacking...endurance who in their ignorance impetuously hurry on to seize what they have not yet been given, failing to realize that one day in the eyes of the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a single day (cf. Ps. 90:4). But he who by enduring patiently has gained experience of the devil's machinations will fight and strive forward with patience so as to reach the goal, as St. Paul puts it (cf. I Cor. 9:26; Phil. 3:12)."
Quote for 7-22-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: X sect. 1, Paulist Press pg. 162):
"Do you not see how those who attend on an earthly king regard it as a great glory, that they are proud of it, and are considered objects of envy by those in the world? If, then, this is so in vain and transitory matters, how much more should we, who have been enrolled in the army of the heavenly King and have taken His service upon ourselves, rejoice and be glad that we have been found worthy to be taken into His service and called on to render worship to His Name?"
Quote for 7-21-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Chapter 5, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 95):
"Though the enemy and devil seduced Eve, and Adam fell with her, yet the Lord not only granted them in the fruit of the seed of a woman a Redeemer Who trampled down death by death; but also granted us all in the woman, the Ever-Virgin Mary Mother of God - who crushes the head of the serpent in herself and in all the human race - a constant mediatress with her Son and our God, and a blameless, invincible intercessor even for the most desperate sinners. That is why the Mother of God is called the 'Scourge of Demons' for it is not possible for a devil to destroy a man so long as the man himself does not refrain from running to the help of the Mother of God."
Quote for 7-20-02:
From Nikolaos P, Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 204):
"While physical death was overcome with the descent of the God-Man into Hades, the resurrection of our own bodies and their reunion with the souls will take place at the second and glorious coming of the Lord. This is not an arbitrary belief. We have a small but powerful example. The Evangelist Matthew writes that immediately after the death of the Savior and His descent into Hades 'the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many'! (Mt. 27:52-53). Consequently, the Resurrected Lord was 'the first-born from the dead' (Col. 1:18), who was followed by those He liberated! The Resurrected Lord was not alone; He had companions whose resurrection occurred directly after the Resurrection of the Master, in order to prove that Christ indeed destroyed the power of death and abolished the kingdom of Hades."
Quote for 7-19-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 34, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 71):
"The rewards for the toils of virtue are dispassion and spiritual knowledge. For these are mediators of the kingdom of heaven, just as passions and ignorance are mediators of eternal punishment. It is because of this that he who seeks these rewards for the sake of human glory and not for their intrinsic goodness is rebuked by the words of Scripture, 'You ask , and do not receive, because you ask wrongly' (James 4:3)."
Quote for 7-18-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 122):
"What a truly heavenly sight it is when, before sitting down to table, the numerous and various members of a family with one heart and mouth say: 'Our Father,' acknowledging the one Heavenly Father as the All-Holy King, desiring the fulfillment of His will alone upon earth, recognizing Him alone as the Nourisher of all! What an elevating sight it is when the master of the household ascribes the blessings of food and drink, not to himself, but to God..."
Quote for 7-17-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 269):
"...even when we do not have a visible guide, we do have Christ...We should therefore put questions to Him through prayer from the heart, in faith hoping His answer will manifest itself in our thoughts and actions."
Quote for 7-16-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: IX no. 10, Paulist Press pg. 160):
"...let us endeavor to attain to purity of heart, which comes from paying heed to our ways and from constant confession of the secret thoughts of the soul. For if we, moved by a penitent heart, constantly and daily confess these, it produces in us repentance for what we have done or even thought. Repentance gives rise to the tear from the depths of the soul; the tear cleanses the heart and wipes away great sins. When these have been blotted out through tears the soul finds itself in the comfort of the Spirit of God and is watered by streams of sweetest compunction. By these it is spiritually fructified day by day so that it produces the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22f.) and in due time yields them like an abundant harvest of grain as an unfailing supply of food for the incorruptible and eternal life of the soul. When the soul by a good zeal has reached this state it is identified with God and becomes the house and abode of the Divine Trinity. It sees its own Maker and God clearly, and as it converses with Him day by day...it rests from its labors together with all the righteous and is found in the infinite and divine Light, where the hosts of Christ's apostles, of the martyrs, of the blessed ones and of all the powers on high sing in chorus together."
Quote for 7-15-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 5, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 94):
"The word of God does not say in vain: 'The Kingdom of God is within you (Lk. 17:21), and it "suffers violence, and the violent take it by force' (Matt. 11:12). This means that the people who, in spite of the bonds of sin which fetter them and hinder them (by constraint and by inciting them to new sins), come to Him, our Saviour, with perfect repentance for tormenting Him, who despise all the strength of the fetters of sin and force themselves to break their bonds - such people at last actually appear before the face of God made whiter than snow by grace. 'Come, says the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them whiter than snow' (Is. 1:18)."
Quote for 7-14-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 8: Resurrection - Ascension - Pentecost; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pg. 195):
"...while men led the Son of God to death, He on the contrary led them to immortality through His Resurrection! Instigated by the killer of men, men sought to make God mortal, but God made men immortal through His Resurrection."
Quote for 7-13-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 33, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 71):
"There are three things that impel us towards evil: passions, demons and sinfulness of intention. Passions impel us when, for example, we desire something beyond what is reasonable, such as food which is unnecessary or untimely, or a woman who is not our wife or for a purpose other than procreation, or else when we are excessively angered or irritated by, for instance, someone who has dishonoured or injured us. Demons impel us when, for example, they catch us off our guard and suddenly launch a violent attack upon us, stirring up the passions already mentioned and others of a similar nature. We are impelled by sinfulness of intention when, knowing the good, we choose evil instead."
Quote for 7-12-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pgs. 119-120):
"What would it have been if God's preventive grace had not been bestowed on us; if it did not unexpectedly, suddenly embrace all our being after we had sinned, and incline our hearts to repentance and tears? What if it had been left to us to obtain it by our own efforts only? How accursed would we men then have been! Few, very few, could have been delivered from the burden of their sins, for our nature is slothful in exerting itself to effort, especially in the spiritual life; and without help, without powerful facility and the delights of spiritual labours, it would have abandoned them, and would have thrown aside the work of its salvation. But now God, the Most Wise and Merciful Father, sometimes lightens and sweetens our spiritual burden, sometimes makes it heavier for our trial, to teach us patience, and to weaken our crafty, destructive flesh, wisely changing the one by the other; and the work of our salvation,thank God, is thus always made possible - not too difficult, and very often pleasant to us."
Quote for 7-11-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 24, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 269):
"Time and experience make it clear when a particular passion has been transformed into a virtue. When, on the other hand, a virtue veers towards passion, time and experience permit us to set them apart through patient endurance. For if such endurance is not born in the soul out of faith, the soul cannot possess any virtue at all. 'You will gain possession of your souls through your patient endurance', said the Lord (Luke 21:19), who alone has fashioned the hearts of men, as the psalmist puts it (cf. Ps. 33:15). From this it is clear that the heart, that is, the intellect, comes into possession of itself through the patient endurance of what befalls it."
Quote for 7-10-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: IX no. 9, Paulist Press pg. 159):
"By piety (cf. I Tim. 4:8) we must train the soul to think as it ought to think (Rom. 12:3) and constantly meditate on the things that belong to eternal life, to be humble, meek (cf. Matt. 11:29), and contrite, filled with compunction, to mourn daily and by prayer invoke on itself the light of the Spirit."
Quote for 7-9-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 5, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pgs. 89-90):
"...the Lord created Adam from the dust of the ground with the constitution...the holy Apostle Paul describes: 'May your spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' (I Thess. 5:23). And all these parts of our nature were created from the dust of the ground; Adam was not created dead, but an active living being like all the other animate creatures of God living on earth. The point is that if the Lord God had not breathed afterwards into his face this breath of life (that is, the grace of our Lord God the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son and is sent into the world for the Son's sake), Adam would have remained without having within him the Holy Spirit Who raises him to Godlike dignity...when the Lord God breathed into Adam's face the breath of life, then, according to Moses' word, Adam 'became a living soul' (Gen. 2:7), that is, ...like God, and, like Him, forever immortal."
Quote for 7-8-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 7: The Descent of the Lord into Hades; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pgs. 182-184):
"For the Lord, since He was sinless, there was no necessity, no inevitability of death. He condescended though and accepted death out of love for us; out of the desire to redeem us from sin and eternal death. the solemn passion of the Lord and His death were expressions of the good will of God for His creation (cf. Jn 7:26). All of this the Lord enacted with His divine power and authority. For He accepted death voluntarily, with His own will...And His holy Soul was separated from His pure Body authoritatively, since He died when He so willed...He appeared... in Hades as a new and paradoxical visitor; He was dead and yet most life-giving; dead and omnipotent. In seeing the dead man, who was badly wounded and who had suffered the passion but who was a deified man, Adam rejoiced."
Quote for 7-7-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 32, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 71):
"There are three things that impel us towards what is holy: natural instincts, angelic powers and probity of intention. Natural instincts impel us when, for example, we do to others what we would wish them to do to us (cf. Luke 6:31), or when we see someone suffering deprivation or in need and naturally feel compassion. Angelic powers impel us when, being ourselves impelled to something worthwhile, we find we are providentially helped and guided. We are impelled by probity of intention when, discriminating between good and evil, we choose the good."
Quote for 7-6-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 118):
"In order to communicate of the life-giving Sacrament with undoubting faith and to vanquish all the wiles, all the calumnies of the enemy, represent to yourself that that which is received by you from the Cup is 'He Which Is' - that is, alone existing. If the disposition of your thoughts and of your heart is such, then by receiving the Holy Mysteries you will obtain peace, joy, and new life, and will recognize in your heart that the Lord truly and essentially dwells within you, and you in the Lord."
Quote for 7-5-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 23, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 267):
"Whoever is experienced in the spiritual interpretation of Scripture knows that the simplest passage is of a significance equal to that of the most abstruse passage, and that both are directed to the salvation of man."
Quote for 7-4-02:
St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: IX no. 9, Paulist Press pg. 159):
"You must be clothed...through penitence with that radiant garment which is the Holy Spirit Himself. This can happen only through the persistent practice of the virtues and by the endurance of afflictions. The afflicted soul is moved to tears through trials; as the tears cleanse the heart they make it into a temple and a resting place for the Holy Spirit."
Quote for 7-3-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 4, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pgs. 87-88):
"Distribute the Holy Spirit's gifts of grace to those in need of them, just as a lighted candle burning with earthly fire shines itself and lights other candles for the illumining of all in other places, without diminishing it own light...For earthly riches when distributed are diminished, yet the more the heavenly riches of God's grace are distributed, the more they increase in him who distributes them."
Quote for 7-2-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 7: The Descent of the Lord into Hades; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pgs. 180-181):
"As the divine Logos appeared among men with a human body, He also appeared bodiless, with only His rational soul, among the bodiless souls in Hades...The divine soul of the Lord descended into hell to shine His light upon those who were in the land and darkness of death, exactly as the Sun of righteousness shone upon those who were on earth. Thus what had been preached on earth could also be realized in Hades. Thus, the soul of the God-Man, united to the divinity but released from the all-pure body, which remained in the grave, entered into the sunless darkness of death...This is precisely what we underline and proclaim in the hymn of Bright Week (following Easter): 'You, O Christ, were in the grave bodily; in Hades you were with the soul as God; together with the thief You were in Paradise, sitting at the throne together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, filling all things, You who are uncircumscribed'. "
Quote for 7-1-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 30, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 70):
"For him who is perfect in love and has reached the summit of dispassion there is no difference between his own or another's, or between Christians and unbelievers, or between slave and free, or even between male and female. But because he has risen above the tyranny of the passions and has fixed his attention on the single nature of man, he looks on all in the same way and shows the same disposition to all. For in him there is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female, bond nor free, but Christ who 'is all, and in all' (Col. 3:11; cf. Gal. 3:28)."
Quote for 6-28-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 118):
"All my happiness and unhappiness are contained in the thoughts and inclinations of my heart. If the thoughts and inclinations of my heart are in accord with God's truth or with the will of my God, then I am at rest, filled with divine light, joy, and blessedness; if not, I am uneasy, filled with spiritual, soul-corrupting darkness, heaviness and despondency."
Quote for 6-27-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 23, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 267):
"...the resurrection of the dead appeared contrary to nature, whereas...it is not contrary to nature but it transcends nature. This at least is how it looks to us; in God's eyes, however, it does not transcend nature, but is quite natural..."
Quote for 6-26-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: IX no. 8; Paulist Press pg. 158):
"...he who has given...to the poor and has endured troubles with thankfulness of soul and persevered in difficulties, and feels all the bitterness and pain of sufferings, keeps his mind inviolate in the present time. In the life to come he has great reward, in that he has imitated the sufferings of Christ and patiently waited for Him in the days when temptations and trials assailed him."
Quote for 6-25-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Chapter 4; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 87):
"...just as in business the main point is not merely to trade, but to get just as much profit as possible, so in the business of the Christian life the main point is not merely to pray or to do some other good deed...If we understand the commandments of Christ and of the Apostles aright, our business as Christians consists not in increasing the number of our good deeds, which are only the means of furthering the purpose of our Christian life, but in deriving from them the utmost profit, that is, in acquiring the most abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit."
Quote for 6-24-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 7: The Descent of the Lord into Hades; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pgs. 177-178):
"Jesus Christ, coming into the world unarmed, received the weapon of man, that is, the body. And through it He fought and killed death; the enemy was killed by a dead body; and through the same weapon He condemned sin in the body. Thus, human nature, which from Adam to Christ was repeatedly defeated by sin, acquired through the God-Man a unique victory that is obvious and universal. Sin and death attempted to insult even the Lord. They presumed to be able to acquire rights of possession over Him. But they were miserably deceived. In their attempt they were totally defeated. They were condemned and so sentenced...condemned as one committing an injustice. Consequently, the rights of death over man were destroyed by Christ. And this was followed by the joyous result: resurrection and immortality."
Quote for 6-23-02):
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 29, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 70):
"...it is necessary both to maintain the one God and to confess the three Persons, each in His own individuality...the Divinity is divided but without division and is united but with distinctions. Because of this both the division and the union are paradoxical. For what paradox would there be if the Son were united to the Father and divided from Him only in the same manner as one human being is united to and divided from another, and nothing more?"
Quote for 6-22-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 117):
"If anyone has offended you, do not bear malice, and when he who has offended you looks kindly upon you and turns to speak to you, do not let your heart incline to evil, but talk pleasantly and good-humouredly to him, as if nothing had happened between you...Do not be proud and bear malice."
Quote for 6-21-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 23, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 265):
"...the saints neither know the whole of God's purpose with regard to every object or scriptural text, nor on the other hand do they write down once and for all everything that they do know. This is because in the first place God is beyond comprehension, and His wisdom is not limited in such a way that an angel or man can grasp it in its entirety...with regard to a certain point of spiritual exegesis, we say about it as much as should be said at the moment, but God, in addition to what we say, knows other unfathomable meanings as well. And, in the second place, because of men's incapacity and weakness it is not good for even the saints themselves to say all that they know, for they might speak at too great a length, thus making themselves offensive or unintelligible because of the confusion in their reader's mind...what is said should be commensurate to the capacity of those to whom it is addressed."
Quote for 6-20-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: IX no 8, Paulist Press pg. 158):
"Since, then, 'the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force' (Mt. 11:12), and it is impossible for the faithful to enter it by any other way, unless they come through the narrow gate of trials and tribulations, the divine oracle rightly commands us, saying: 'Strive to enter by the narrow door' (Luke 13:24). Again He says, 'By your endurance you will gain your souls' (Luke 21:19), and, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of heaven' (Acts 14:22)."
Quote for 6-19-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 3, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 86):
"The soul speaks and converses during prayer, but at the descent of the Holy Spirit we must remain in complete silence in order to hear clearly and intelligibly all the words of eternal life which He will then deign to communicate."
Quote for 6-17-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 23, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 68):
"Some men abstain from the passions because of human fear, others because of self-esteem, and others through self-control. Some, however, are delivered from the passions by divine providence."
Quote for 6-14-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 117):
"A man who is wrathful with us is a sick man; we must apply a plaster to his heart - love; we must treat him kindly, speak to him gently, lovingly. And if there is not deeply-rooted malice against us within him, but only a temporary fit of anger, you will see how his heart, or his malice, will melt away through your kindness and love - how good will conquer evil. A Christian must always be kind, gracious, and wise in order to conquer evil by good."
Quote for 6-13-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 23, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 264):
"...we often understand a certain passage [of Scripture] in the course of our contemplation, grasping one or two of the senses in which it was written; then after a while our intellect may increase in purity and be allowed to perceive other meanings, superior to the first. As a result, in bewilderment and wonder at God's grace and His ineffable wisdom, we are overcome with awe before 'the God of knowledge'..."
Quote for 6-11-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Chapter 3; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 84):
"Truly in prayer we are granted to converse with Him, our all-gracious and life-giving God and Saviour Himself. But even here we must pray only until God the Holy Spirit descends on us in measures of His heavenly grace known to Him. And when He deigns to visit us, we must stop praying...I will explain this... by an example. Imagine that you have invited me to pay you a visit and at your invitation I come to have a talk with you. But you continue to invite me, saying: 'Come in, please. Do come in!' Then I should be obliged to think: 'What is the matter with him? Is he out of his mind?' So it is with regard to our Lord God the Holy Spirit. That is why it is said: 'Be still and know that I am God...' (Ps. 45:10)."
Quote for 6-10-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 7: The Descent of the Lord Into Hades; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pgs. 164-165):
"The Lord died and His all-holy soul was separated from His all-pure body and descended into Hades. The lifeless body was received by Joseph, the respected and official member of the Jewish Sanhedrin (Mk. 15:43, Jn. 19:39) and by Nicodemus and was buried in a new grave. But from that very moment began the fulfillment of the mystery of our resurrection. For the Lord's body would undo the laws of corruption and would prove death powerless...the body of the Lord was naturally supposed to begin to decay and decompose. Yet it remained absolutely unaffected and incorrupt...as foretold by the Psalmist...'He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption' (Ps. 16:10). It could not be otherwise. For the pure body of the Lord was free of the death to which, because of sin and disobedience, original human nature had been subjected."
Quote for 6-9-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 28, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 69):
"He who combines the practice of the virtues with spiritual knowledge is a man of power. For with the first he withers his desire and tames his incensiveness, and with the second he gives wings to his intellect and goes out of himself to God."
Quote for 6-8-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pgs. 116-117):
"Both the spiritual and bodily powers of a man increase and become perfected and strengthened by their exercise...if you cease praying, or pray seldom; prayer will be oppressive to you. If you do not fight against your passions, or only do so seldom and feebly, you will find it very difficult to fight against them, you will often be conquered by them..."
Quote for 6-7-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 22, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 263):
"...the man of spiritual knowledge finds that everything contributes to his soul's salvation and to God's glory..."
Quote for 6-6-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourse: IX no. 7, Paulist Press pg. 156):
"Once we have been set free we can proceed without hindrance to the practice of His[God's] commandments and 'serve Him with fear and trembling' (Ps. 2:11), not as though we were doing Him some favor, but as receiving a benefit by being admitted into His service."
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Chapter 3; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 84):
"Great is the power of prayer, and it brings most of all the Spirit of God and is most easily practiced by everyone."
Quote for 6-4-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 6: The Crucifixion; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pg. 149):
"...in the Orthodox doctrine of salvation the center of emphasis in the redemptive power of the Cross is not so much on the satisfaction of divine righteousness and the removal of guilt from the transgressor (man), as it is on the very destruction of death and the power of the devil...the Sacred Scripture does not simply say that the crucified Lord 'opened the doors of bronze', but rather that 'He shattered the doors of bronze' (cf. Ps. 107:16, Is. 45:3 LXX) precisely in order to render entirely useless the prison of death and of Hades. The God-Man did not simply remove the bars of gloomy Hades; He completely destroyed them, not only so that the horrible prison would not again be opened, but so that He may render it entirely useless and harmless. For where there is no bar and no door, even if one enters he cannot be imprisoned."
Quote for 6-3-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 27, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 69):
"If you are about to enter the realm of theology, do not seek to descry God's inmost nature, for neither the human intellect nor that of any other being under God can experience this; but try to discern, as far as possible, the qualities that appertain to His nature - qualities of eternity, infinity, indeterminateness, goodness, wisdom, and the power of creating, preserving and judging creatures, and so on. For he who discovers these qualities, to however small an extent, is a great theologian."
Quote for 6-2-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 116):
"We must pray that we may be constantly and firmly assured in our hearts that everything we have - both of soul and body, in prosperity and adversity, and all our possessions as well as all the circumstances of our life - come from God, from His Power, and not from nature, or chance, or from ourselves."
Quote for 6-1-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 22, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 262):
"...it takes much time to make a moral virtue effective in ourselves, while what has been achieved with so much time and effort can be lost in a single instant."
Quote for 5-31-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: IX, no. 7; Paulist Press pg. 156):
"Cheerfulness consists in not regarding...things as our own, but as entrusted to us by God for the benefit of our fellow-servants. It consists in scattering them abroad generously with joy and magnanimity, not reluctantly or under compulsion (cf. II Cor. 9:7 ff.)."
Quote for 5-30-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit: Chapter 3, The Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pgs. 83-84):
"You may judge how great the power of prayer is even in a sinful person, when it is offered wholeheartedly, by the following example from Holy Tradition. When at the request of a desperate mother who had been deprived by death of her only son, a harlot whom she chanced to meet, still unclean from her last sin, and who was touched by the mother's deep sorrow, cried to the Lord: 'Not for the sake of a wretched sinner like me, but for the sake of the tears of a mother sorrowing for her son and firmly trusting in Thy lovingkindness and Thy almighty power, Christ God, raise up her son, O Lord!' And the Lord raised him up."
Quote for 5-29-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 6: The Crucifixion; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pgs. 146-147):
"The death of the Savior on the Cross was voluntary, because in the sinless human nature of the Theanthropos, free from original sin, death did not exist as an inherent necessity. Death is an inherent necessity in our bodies which are polluted by sin. Our Lord died freely, by virtue of His infinite love for us His creatures. Death had no authority at all over our absolutely sinless Lord. The Theanthropos gave up His spirit upon the Cross with His own will...When God commanded death to come...for death to be abolished by death, then death itself obeyed as a slave to the divine command and approached the Crucified One, but with fear and terror....This voluntary death is the death of Him who is Eternal Life itself, who is truly the Resurrection and the Life. It is a death of man, of course, but within the hypostasis of the Logos, the Incarnate God. And for this reason it is a death that resurrects..."
Quote for 5-28-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 26, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 69):
"When the intellect practises the virtues correctly, it advances in moral understanding. When it practises contemplation, it advances in spiritual knowledge. The first leads the spiritual contestant to discriminate between virtue and vice; the second leads the participant to the inner qualities of incorporeal and corporeal things. Finally, the intellect is granted the grace of theology when, carried on wings of love beyond these two former stages, it is taken up into God and with the help of the Holy Spirit discerns - as far as this is possible for the human intellect - the qualities of God."
Quote for 5-27-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 115):
"The Lord reigns everywhere, in the whole visible world (being in every place) and in all the angelic hosts. He also reigns by His infinite Power and Truth over the spirits of evil, and over evil and unrighteous men...But He, the Truth, does not reign in demons and in unrighteous men by His truth because falsehood is in them; He does not reign in them by His love, because malice is in them; He does not reign in the unrighteous by faith, neither by hope, but He reigns in them by the strict fulfillment of His laws."
Quote for 5-26-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no, 22, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 261):
"...the practice of the moral virtues is effectuated by meditating on what has happened during the day, so that during the stillness of the night we can become aware of the sins we have committed and can grieve over them."
Quote for 5-24-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Chapter 3; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 83):
"...every good deed done for Christ's sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives it to us most of all, for it is always at hand, so to speak, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit...Prayer is always possible for everyone, rich and poor, noble and humble, strong and weak, healthy and sick, righteous and sinful."
Quote for 5-23-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 4: The Incarnation of God the Logos; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pgs. 131-132):
"The devil baited the Lord with temptations which attacked simultaneously His sight, imagination and judgment. But the Lord resisted him steadily and successfully. Therefore, the devil departed not only in defeat, but, also, in utter shame at the command of the Master: 'Begone, Satan!' (cf. Mt. 4:1-11, Lk. 4:1-13). The Theanthropos also remained victorious over the so-called blameless passions of human nature, that is, hunger, thirst, pain, tears etc. He even received these very passions on His immaculate body. For, after the fast of forty days, the Lord was hungry; He was thirsty at the well of Jacob; He slept on the ship and He wept as He was going to the tomb of His friend Lazarus. But the Lord had these blameless passions without sin. These particular passions are indeed natural and irreproachable, and yet, if one is not careful, they can lead to sin and to spiritual death. The Lord, however, was not overcome by these even for a moment! On the contrary, He bore all of them without a word of complaint and, thus, defeated the devil and was victorious over death as a perfect human being."
Quote for 5-22-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 18, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 68):
"When the demons expel self-restraint from your intellect and besiege you with thoughts of unchastity, turn to the Lord with tears and say, 'Now they have driven me out and encircled me' (Ps. 17:11 LXX); 'Thou art my supreme joy: deliver me from those who encircle me' (Ps. 32:7 LXX). Then you will be safe."
Quote for 5-21-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 115):
"Do not hurry; say and do everything calmly. You will succeed. It is the enemy who hurries and disturbs us, for there is no sense in confused hurry."
Quote for 5-20-02:
From St. Peter of Damascus (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 22, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 261):
"...when the intellect is gladdened by the remembrance of God, then it forgets the afflictions of this world, places its hope in Him, and is no longer troubled or anxious. Freedom from anxiety makes it rejoice and give thanks; and the grateful offering of thanks augments the gifts of grace it has received. And as blessings increase so does the thankfulness, and so does the pure prayer offered with tears of joy."
Quote for 5-19-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: VIII, no. 5; Paulist Press pg. 147):
"Tell me, what can be as great 'in heaven or on earth' (cf. Ps. 73:25) than that one may become a son of God, His heir, and fellow heir with Christ (Rom. 8:!7)? Nothing whatever! But because we prefer earthly things and things that are at hand, and do not seek the blessings that are 'laid up in heaven' (Col. 1:5) nor cleave to them with longing, we provide sure proof to those who look at us that we are victims of the disease of unbelief, as it is written, 'How can you believe, who receive glory from men and do not seek that glory that comes from the only God?' (Jn. 5:44), Then, when we have become slaves of passion we are nailed fast to the earth and what is on it and altogether refuse to look up to heaven and to God. Being deceived by folly of soul we disobey His commandments and fall away from His adoption of us as His sons."
Quote for 5-18-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Chapter 3; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 82):
"The Holy Spirit Himself takes up His abode in our souls, and this very settling into our souls of His Omnipotence and His abiding with our spirit of His Trinal Unity grants to us every possible means of acquiring the Holy Spirit which prepares in our soul and body a throne for God by means of His all-creating indwelling with our spirit, according to the unlying Word of God: 'I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be to them a God and they shall be my people' (II Cor. 6:16)."
Quote for 5-17-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 5: The Incarnation of God the Logos; The Brotherhood of Orthodox Theologians pg. 131):
"...because death entered by way of the disobedience of man, for his sake death is expelled and banished by the obedience of the second Man. This is why Christ becomes obedient unto death, 'so that He may through obedience heal the crime of disobedience, and through the resurrection from the dead annihilate death that had entered with disobedience. For the resurrection of man from death is precisely the annihilation of death' (St. Gregory of Nyssa, vs. Apollinarios)."
Quote for 5-16-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love no. 17, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pgs. 67-68):
"...vice is the wrong use of our conceptual images of things, which leads us to misuse the things themselves. In relation to women, for example, sexual intercourse, rightly used, has as its purpose the begetting of children. He, therefore, who seeks in it only sensual pleasure uses it wrongly, for he reckons as good what is not good. When such a man has intercourse with a woman, he misuses her. And the same is true with regard to other things and our conceptual images of them."
Quote for 5-15-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pgs. 113-114):
"When praying, keep to the rule that it is better to say five words from the depth of your heart than ten thousand words with your tongue only. When you observe that your heart is cold and prays unwillingly, stop praying and warm your heart by vividly representing to yourself either your own wickedness, your spiritual poverty, misery, and blindness, or the great benefits which God bestows every moment upon you and all mankind, especially upon Christians, and then pray slowly and fervently.If you do not have time to say all your prayers, it does not matter, and you will receive incomparably greater benefit from praying fervently and not hurriedly than if you had said all your prayers hurriedly and without feeling: 'I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue' (I Cor. 14:19)...It is well to pray long and continually; but 'All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given' (Mt. 19:11,12)."
Quote for 5-14-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 21, The Philokalia Vol.3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 260):
"...each of us is attacked and led astray by the passions; but if he is at peace with God and with his neighbour he overcomes them all. These passions are the 'world' which St. John the Theologian told us to hate (cf. I Jn. 2:15), meaning that we are to hate, not God's creatures, but worldly desires."
Quote for 5-13-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: no. VII, Paulist Press pg. 142):
"May we not be taken captive by any passion, but walk in the way without turning aside and hasten to come to Jesus (Phil. 3:12), who walks before us. Once we have taken hold of Him let us fall before Him and weep before His goodness and fervently ask that He may never at all be separated from us nor allow us to depart from the way. He is that way, for He Himself said, 'I am the way and the resurrection and the life' (Jn. 11:25, 14:6). Let us then seek Him out, let us endeavor to attain to Him, that we may lay hold on Him (cf. Phil. 3:12). If we attain to this, if we live with Him and associate with Him, we shall ascend with Him and be assumed with Him into heaven, and that not merely when we depart this life, but even now."
Quote for 5-12-02:
From St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, Chapter 3; St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pg. 81):
"...we are influenced by three wills: the first is God's all-perfect and all-saving will; the second is our own human will which, if not destructive, yet neither is it saving; and the third will is the devil's will - wholly destructive. And this third will of the enemy teaches man either not to do any good deeds, or to do them out of vainglory, or for some other good, but not for Christ's sake. The second, our own will, teaches us to do everything to flatter our passions, or else it teaches us to do good for the sake of good and not to care for the grace which is acquired by it. But the first, God's all-saving will, consists in doing good solely to acquire the Holy Spirit as an eternal, inexhaustible treasure which cannot be rightly valued."
Quote for 5-11-02:
From Nikolaos P. Vassiliadis (The Mystery of Death, Chapter 5: The Incarnation of God the Logos; The Orthodox Brotherhood of Theologians pgs. 128-129):
"...the basis of this absolute sinlessness of the Lord is the hypostatic union in Him of the two natures, that is, the divine and the human. The human nature is strengthened and sanctified, because of its union with the divine nature...human nature, which because of sin had become divided unto itself, rediscovers the harmony, the regular and canonical rhythm of its function. The body, which before Christ was easily attacked by sin, now becomes an obedient instrument and a good conductor of the Holy Spirit. And, while divine nature, which by itself is complete...was not at all changed, human nature greatly benefited by its supernatural union with the divine nature; it acquired ineffable and indescribable glory...the sublime...does not lose any of its glory, but the humble is exalted by the great humility. This is what happened exactly with Christ. For His own divine nature was not only entirely undiminished because of His incarnation, but we humans, who were in dishonor and in the darkness of sin, were raised up and exalted by Him to inexpressible glory."
Quote for 5-10-02:
From St. Maximos the Confessor (Second Century on Love nos. 15-16, The Philokalia Vol. 2 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 67):
"When the intellect turns its attention to the visible world, it perceives things through the medium of the senses in a way that accords with nature. And the intellect is not evil, nor is its natural capacity to form conceptual images of things, nor are the things themselves, nor are the senses, for all are the work of God. What, then, is evil? Clearly it is the passion that enters into the conceptual images formed in accordance with nature by the intellect; and this need not happen if the intellect keeps watch. Passion is an impulse of the soul contrary to nature, as in the case of mindless love or mindless hatred for someone or for some sensible thing."
Quote for 5-9-02:
From St. John of Kronstadt (My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 113):
"...be firmly persuaded that your life is not money and food, but mutual love for the sake of love for God. Remember that God is Love, uniting all things animated by the laws of love, and bringing forth life from the union of love."
Quote for 5-8-02:
From St. Peter of Damaskos (Twenty-Four Discourses no. 21, The Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pgs. 259-260):
"...Christ's peace is the peace that transcends every intellect (cf. Phil. 4:7), and which God gives to those who love Him with all their soul, because of the dangers and battles they have been through. In the same spirit the Lord also said, 'In Me you have peace', and added, 'In the world you will experience affliction; but have courage, for I have overcome the world' (John 16:33). By this He meant that though a person may experience many afflictions and dangers at the hands of demons and other men, these will be as nothing if he possesses the Lord's peace."
Quote for 5-7-02:
From St. Symeon the New Theologian (The Discourses: VII no. 6, Paulist Press pgs. 134-135):
"...one may believe in Him [Christ] in great matters, such as that He was God and without change became man; that He was crucified, died, and rose again; and that when He had risen He entered when the doors were shut and appeared to His disciples (Jn. 20:19); that He was taken up and is seated on God the Father's right hand (Mk. 16:19; Col. 3:1). One may believe that He is to come to judge the living and the dead (I Pet. 4:5) and requite every man according to his works (Rom. 2:6), that is, after that He has first raised up all of us from Adam to those who will be born till the last day. Yet if he disbelieves when Christ says, 'Truly I say to you, that on the day of judgment men will render account even for every careless word they utter' (Mt. 12:36), how can he be a believer and be counted with those who believe?"
|
|
