Black as the night
Saint Theophan the Recluse When we’re outside Grace, the encasement around the soul is as black as night, if we surrender to and serve our passions. If we don’t give in entirely to those passions, then it’s as grey as fog. But we’re still living an empty life. Source:...
Real freedom
Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis Only the Son of God can free us, because He is Himself true freedom. Only if we follow the Savior are we able to remain free and can cast off the slavery of sin. So, if we wish to be free, we should follow Christ...
No-one’s excluded
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninoff The prayer of repentance has been given to all, without exception. It’s been given to those who are dominated by the passions and to those who fall into in sin in practice. They, too, have the right to cry out to the Lord for their salvation....
An ever-flowing torrent
Saint John Maximovich If we turn our attention to our mind, we’ll see a torrent of successive thoughts and ideas. This torrent is unrelenting, it tumbles quickly in every direction and at every moment- at home, in church, at work, when we’re reading, when we’re talking. Saint Theophan the...
The lesser good
Saint John Maximovich The lesser good is necessary: As a matter of fact, the lesser good is more necessary for mankind than the greater. People can get along with their lives without the greater good; without the lesser they cannot exist. Mankind perishes not from a lack of the...
They ’ll live with the angels
Saint Ephraim the Syrian Blessed are those who have acquired love, because they depart to God with this in their possession and He will therefore recognize them as His own and welcome them into His bosom. In other words, those who have labored in love will live with the...
By itself it doesn’t save
Saint Nicholas Velimirovich You can prepare for being charitable by fasting, but you’re really charitable only when you forgive offences against you. Fasting precedes forgiveness, but forgiveness by itself isn’t enough to save you. Source: pemptousia.com ABOUT THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) is a...
Don’t interfere
Elder Cleopa Ilie In all things, we have to watch what we say and how we say it. We should always concentrate on how to please God and never want anything more than we want Him. We shouldn’t be hasty in judging the words and deeds of others and...
They’re blown away
Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis Believers who have loosed the bonds of egotism, which strangle their love and prevent them from acting and from seeing beyond their limited horizon, are blown far away and are liberated from the tyrannical yoke of slavery to egotism, thus abolishing the wretched worship of...
Directly linked
Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of the Vatopaidi Monastery We believe that the sole ray of hope and optimism concerning the doubtful quality of life of young people today can come only from heaven, from God. Because the Triune God, Who is revealed and lives in the Orthodox Church, is a...
