Abba Dorotheos Excerpt from Instruction 1 What, then, is the cause and what’s the cure for this arrogant and disdainful behaviour? Listen to what the Lord says: ‘Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest [1] for your souls’ [Matth. 11, Read more…
Fr. Lev Gillet The day after Christmas is consecrated to the ‘synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary: all believers are invited to assemble in honour of her who made the Incarnation humanly possible. In the same way, the day after Epiphany (January 7) is consecrated to the ‘synaxis’ of Read more…
Fr. Lev Gillet* Epiphany was the first public manifestation of Christ. At the time of His birth, our Lord was revealed to a few privileged people. Today, all those who surround John, that is to say his own disciples and the crowd that has come to the banks of Read more…
Saint Efraim Katounakiotis People who praise others and reproach themselves have reached a measure of sanctity. If somebody distresses you and you ask them to make a prostration to you, you’ve got a problem. You’re quite wrong. Source: pemptousia.com
Saint Theophan the Recluse Health and sickness are both means of salvation, when we use them in the spirit of faith in the fact that God loves and provides for us. The same things are also means of perdition, however, when we approach them with the wrong attitude. So Read more…
Saint Nicholas Velimirovich Their mockery comes from a malicious heart; let your smile be without any badness. Mockery sits well with ignorance; a smile is more suited to knowledge. Through their mockery they’re increasing the value of your prayer before the eternal Judge. Because God is more enamored of Read more…
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Why we were not made perfect from the beginning. (Saint Irenaeus ends the previous chapter, 37, by saying that God has arranged things in such a manner that we will be brought to perfection over time). But what if someone should say: ‘Could God not Read more…
Saint Ephraim the Syrian Brethren, this life is the time for repentance. So those who have never fallen into the snares of the enemy are blessed. But if people have fallen into his snares and managed to tear them and break free of them in the course of this Read more…
Elder Efraim Vatopaidinos I think that, if young people today are to ‘come to their senses’, they’ll have to come to know the message of the Gospel. Then the attraction exercised by the passions will wane before the attraction, the sweetness of the inner spiritual life. And when we Read more…
Saint Nicholas Velimirovich Don’t ask, man of God, where the present crisis comes from and what it means. Who am I that you should ask me about such a great mystery? Saint Gregory the Theologian says, ‘Speak when you have something better than silence’. But, although I think that Read more…