Elder Ephraim of Arizona Do not feed your passions by yielding to them, so that you do not suffer pain and affliction later! Labor now, as much as you can, because otherwise, if the passions are not tended to, in time they become second nature, and then try and Read more
Metropolitan Ioïl (Frangkakos) of Edessa, Pella, and Almopia ‘When he heard this, he became sad’ The nobleman who approached Christ wasn’t a person of bad intentions. On the contrary, he was well-disposed, a strict observer of the commandments of the Law and, indeed, the sort of person who was Read more
Elder Efraim Vatopaidinos Abbas Pimen had a wonderful saying: ‘Bind yourself to a man who fears God and you will have fear of God’. Who is it who really fears God? People who are without passions, are virtuous, sanctified, and constantly repenting. And how beneficial it is for us Read more
Abba Dorotheos Set your minds, brethren, to the examination of your affairs and don’t neglect yourselves, because even a little neglect can lead us into great danger. I lately paid a visit to a monk and found him recovering from an illness. As we were talking I learned that Read more
Saint John of Kronstadt All the passions are fire in the soul, a huge fire that rages within us. We have to extinguish them with the water of love, which is so powerful it can put out any internal fire of wickedness and the passions. But woe to us, Read more
Elder Moses the Athonite † Christians who are striving aren’t feather-brained dupes, nor are they naïve, simplistic, superficial, shallow, gloomy, weird or abstracted. If they are, they’re not real Christians. Striving Christians are hopeful, joyful, sincere, honourable, whole and humble. The starting-point for self-improvement isn’t at all self-centred. The Read more
Saint Cassian the Roman The second struggle we have to engage in is against the spirit of lust and bodily desire, which begins to bother people at an early age. This is a great and difficult struggle, that’s fought on two fronts. Because, whereas the other failings battle away Read more