St. Symeon the New Theologian Orthodox Church

Prayer for Others

"When you are asked to pray that someone may be saved from bodily death, for instance, from death through any sickness, from fire, or from any other disaster, commend the faith of those who ask you to do so, and say in yourself: 'Blessed be your faith. According to your faith may the Lord fulfill my unworthy, feeble prayer, and may He increase my faith. "

- St. John of Kronstadt

On Patience

"It is Solomon again who discloses how high patience is on a scale of virtues: Better a patient man than a brave one, a man who is master of himself than one who takes cities (Pr. 16:32). Taking cities is a smaller victory because the places we conquer are outside of ourselves; a greater victory is won by patience, because a person overcomes himself, and subjects himself to himself, when patience brings him low in bearing with others in humility. "

- St. Gregory the Dialogist

"It is God, Who is merciful and grants everyone what he needs, Who is building him up when He gives him more than he needs; in doing so He shows the abundance of His love for men and teaches him to give thanks. When He does not grant him what he needs, He makes him compensate for the thing he needs through the working of the mind and teaches him patience. "

- St. Dorotheos of Gaza

"We know we have faith when we have contentment. Because we do not believe, endurance is far from us. "

- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"An Athonite elder said, "Sorrows cleanse and polish a person. There is nothing greater than that, even the Jesus Prayer is not greater. The late Father Tychon used to say that 'The prayer "Lord Jesus have mercy on us" is worth one hundred drachmas, but "Glory to God" is worth one thousand.' By this he meant that glorifying God is more valuable than anything else, because in the first instance, people often say the Jesus Prayer when needing something; but when one glorifies God in the midst of suffering, it is an ascesis. "

- An Athonite Gerontikon

"Sometimes a person seeks the will of God or to be delivered from some passion, and God allows some predicament to befall us which will bring the desired result. But at first sight the thing seems arduous, and he thinks that it is a temptation due to his carelessness. Yet when the benefit ensuing from the predicament or the temptation is revealed, it is seen clearly that hidden within it was God's will or the deliverance from the passion for which he had begged God - Thus we learn that in each temptation we need patience and forbearance in order to ascertain what is hidden within it once it passes. Many times a temptation happens which, at first glance, does not seem to contain anything salvific within it. Yet afterwards, we see that within it is eternal life! "

- Elder Ephraim

"Let us bear everything patiently, that we may gain the God of all. When we patiently bear sufferings, immediately the future blessings are confirmed. When we are deprived of the joy of this world, then without a doubt, we store up the joy of God in our immortal soul. It is impossible not to enjoy with an everlasting recompense the good which we are deprived of here! Let us give a little here on earth so as to receive it with interest from the impregnable treasury of the gifts of God. Let us sow the seeds of virtue so that we may crown our heads with most fragrant flowers in a crown of eternal glory. "

- Elder Ephraim

"Greater practice is rewarded by greater knowledge; and from the understanding thus acquired we gain control of the passions and learn how to endure our sufferings patiently. "

- St. Peter of Damascus