A collection of scriptural meditations from Saints and Fathers of the Church.

Just as desire and rage multiply our sins, so self-control and humility erase them.

The greatest weapons of someone striving to lead a life of inward stillness are self-control, love, prayer, and spiritual reading.

Spiritual reading and prayer purify the intellect, while love and self-control purify the soul's passionate aspect.

Prayer... by its action it is the reconciliation of man with God, the mother and daughter of tears, a bridge for crossing temptations, a wall of protection from afflictions, a crushing of conflicts, boundless activity, the spring of virtues, the source of spiritual gifts, invisible progress, food of the soul, the enlightening of the mind, an axe for despair, a demonstration of hope, the release from sorrow.

Fear of the Lord conquers desire, and distress that accords with God's will repulses sensual pleasure.

If you are not willing to repent through freely choosing to suffer, unsought sufferings will providentially be imposed on you.

Strive to love every man equally, and you will simultaneously expel all the passions.

Spiritual freedom is release from the passions; without Christ’s mercy you cannot attain it.

Self-control and strenuous effort curb desire; stillness and intense longing for God wither it.

Abba Or used to say this, 'Do not speak in your heart against your brother like this: 'I am a man of more sober and austere life than he is,' but put yourself in subjection to the grace of Christ, in the spirit of poverty and genuine charity, or you will be overcome by the spirit of vainglory and lose all you have gained. For it is written in the Scriptures: 'Let him who stands take heed lest he fall.' (I Corinthians 10:12) Let your salvation be founded in the Lord.'

Do not neglect the practice of the virtues; if you do, your spiritual knowledge will decrease, and when famine occurs you will go down into Egypt (Genesis 41:57, 46:6).

Self-love -- that is, friendship for the body -- is the source of evil in the soul.

It is an insult to the intelligence to be subject to what lacks intelligence and to concern itself with shameful desires.

According to the degree to which the intellect is stripped of the passions, the Holy Spirit initiates the intellect into the mysteries of the age to be.

The person who listens to Christ fills himself with light; and if he imitates Christ, he reclaims himself.

The soul's health consists in dispassion and spiritual knowledge; no slave to sensual pleasure can attain it.

If you lay down rules for yourself, do not disobey yourself; for he who cheats himself is self-deluded.

He who fears God will pay careful attention to his soul and will free himself from communion with evil.

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Archangel Michael Orthodox Church
5025 E. Mill Rd
Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147

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[email protected]
440-526-5192 (Phone)