St. Symeon the New Theologian Orthodox Church

The Kingdom

"The blessings of the Kingdom within us - which the world-loving eye has not seen. and the presumptuous ear has not heard, and which have not entered into a heart empty of the Holy Spirit (cf. I Cor. 2:9) - are a pledge and foretaste of the blessings to be given by God to the righteous in the Kingdom that is to come. If we do not savor the first, which are the fruits of the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22), we will not be able to enjoy the second. "

- Elias the Presbyter

With Perfect Repentance

"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 Savior, 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 His grace. Such people were once seen by the holy seer of mysteries, John the Theologian, 'clothed in white robes,' that is, in robes of justification, and 'palms in their hands,' as a sign of victory, and they were singing to God a wonderful song: Alleluia. And no one could imitate the beauty of their song. Of them an angel of God said: 'These are they who have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb' (Rev 7:9-14). They were washed with their sufferings and made white in the Communion of the immaculate and life-giving Mysteries of the Body and Blood of the most pure spotless Lamb - Christ - Who was slain before all ages by His own will for the salvation of the world. "

- St. Seraphim of Sarov

Fighting the Passions

" If you love God genuinely and you also persevere in His love (cf. Jn. 15:9-10), you will never be dominated by any passion, nor will you be reduced to subjection by any necessity of the body. For since the body cannot be moved to anything apart from the soul, so the soul that is united to God by love cannot be led astray to the pleasures and cravings of the body, nor indeed to any other desires of anything visible or invisible, whether desire or passion. For by the sweet love of God the impulse of its heart or, rather, the whole inclination of its will is bound. When once it has been bound to its Maker, how can it be inflamed by the body or in any way fulfill its own desires? In no way! "

- St. Symeon the New Theologian

The Lord Wants Patience

"God always helps. He always comes in time, but patience is necessary. He hears us immediately when we cry out to Him, but not in accordance with our own way of thinking. You think that your voice did not immediately reach the saints, the Panaghia, and Christ. On the contrary, even before you cried out, the saints rushed to your aid, knowing that you would call upon them and seek their God-given protection. However, since you do not see beyond what is apparent and do not know how God governs the world, you want your request to be fulfilled like lightning. But this is not how things are. The Lord wants patience. He wants you to show your faith. You cannot just pray like a parrot. It is necessary also to work towards whatever one prays for, and then to learn to wait. "

- Elder Joseph the Hesychast

What God Permits

"God permits everything for our own good; we should believe this. He lets the devil be so that man may keep up the fight. No pain, no gain. If the devil did not torment us, we would have taken ourselves for Saints. Thus, God allows the devil to attack us with malice, because these beatings clear out all the dust from our dusty soul. "

- Elder Paisios the Athonite

Love One Another

"Live as members of one body, as children of God, in love. harmony, tranquility and above all in peace, esteeming one another, being indulgent to one another, as the Lord is indulgent to us. Do not be proud, do not envy, do not bear ill-will, do not be slothful in prayer to God. to the Virgin Mary, and the Saints and pray for all as yourself, wish well to all as yourself, and peace that passeth all understanding will live in your heart. "

- St. John of Kronstadt

God's Mercy

"Nothing equals the mercy of God or surpasses it. To despair is therefore to inflict death on oneself. "

- St. John Climacus

Refreshment in the Desert

"We are the people of &od who, liberated from the yoke of Egyptian servitude, passed through the Red Sea, for when we were baptized by water we received forgiveness of the sins which were oppressing us. In the midst of the hardships of the present life. as though in the dryness of a desert, we await the entry promised to us into our heavenly Fatherland, In this desert we are in danger of wasting away from spiritual thirst and hunger, if our Redeemer's gifts do not strengthen us, if the Sacraments of His Incarnation do not renew us. He Himself is the manna which refreshes us with heavenly nourishment so that we may not waste away in the journey of this world. He Himself is the rock Who, when struck by the wood of the Cross, pours forth from His side the drink which is life for us. Hence He says in the Gospel, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will not thirst.' "

- The Venerable Bede

Heavenly Treasures

"The truth is that people are frightened of being poor because they have no faith in Him who promised to provide all things needful to those who seek the Kingdom of God (cf. Matt. 6:33). It is this fear that spurs them, even when they are endowed with all things, and it prevents them from ever freeing themselves from this sickly and baneful desire. They go on amassing wealth, loading themselves with a worthless burden or, rather, enclosing themselves while still living in a most absurd kind of tomb. "

- St. Gregory Patamas

The Light of God

"While we cannot see God, there is something we can do to open a way for the eye of our understanding to come to Him. It is certain that we can see now in His servants.. When we see them doing astonishing things, we can be sure that God dwells in their hearts...None of us can look directly at the rising sun by gazing at its orb. Our eyes are repelled as they strain to see its rays. But we look at mountains bathed in sunlight and see that it has risen. Because we cannot see the Sun of righteousness Himself, let us see the mountains bathed in His brightness, I mean the holy Apostles. They shine with virtues and gleam with miracles. The brightness of the risen Sun has poured over them. Since He is invisible Himself, He has made Himself visible to us through them, as if through mountains bathed in light. "

- St Gregory of Sinai