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

Most of us call ourselves sinners, and perhaps really think it; but it is indignity that tests the heart.

Do not go into detail in confessing carnal acts, lest you become a traitor to yourself.

Patience is an unbroken labor of the soul which is never shaken by deserved or undeserved blows.

He who has tasted the things on high easily despises what is below. But he who has not tasted the things above finds joy in possessions.

Do not allow human respect to get in your way when you hear someone slandering his neighbor. Instead, say to him, 'Brother, stop it! I do worse things every day, so how can I criticize him?' You accomplish two things when you say this. You heal yourself and you heal your neighbor with one bandage.

As with the appearance of light, darkness retreats; so, at the fragrance of humility, all anger and bitterness vanishes.

A fish swiftly escapes a hook and a sensual soul shuns solitude.

Repentance raises the fallen, mourning knocks at the gate of Heaven, and holy humility opens it.

No one in the face of blasphemous thoughts need think that the guilt lies within him, for the Lord is the Knower of hearts, and He is aware that such words and thoughts do not come from us but from our foes.

He who has obtained the fear of the Lord has forsaken lying, having within himself an incorruptible judge – his own conscience.

A characteristic of those who are still progressing in blessed mourning is temperance and silence of the lips; and of those who have made progress – freedom from anger and patient endurance of injuries; and of the perfect – humility, thirst for dishonors, voluntary craving for involuntary afflictions, non- condemnation of sinners, compassion even beyond one’s strength. The first are acceptable, the second laudable; but blessed are those who hunger for hardship and thirst for dishonor, for they shall be filled with the food whereof there can be no satiety.

Satiety of the stomach dries the tear sprints, but the stomach when dried produces these waters.

Blessed is he who, though maligned and disparaged every day for the Lord's sake, constrains himself to be patient. He will join the chorus of the martyrs, and boldly converse with the angels.

Demons often transform themselves into angels of light and take the form of martyrs, and make it appear to us during sleep that we are in communication with them. Then, when we wake up, they plunge us into unholy joy and conceit. But you can detect their deceit by this very fact. For angels reveal torments, judgments and separations; and when we wake up we find that we are trembling and sad. As soon as we begin to believe the demons in dreams, then they make sport of us when we are awake too. He who believes in dreams is completely inexperienced. 'But he who distrusts all dreams is a wise man. Only believe dreams that warn you of torments and judgments. But if despair afflicts you, then such dreams are also from demons.

Lying is wiped out by the tortures of superiors; but it is finally destroyed by an abundance of tears.

Those who mourn and those who are insensitive are not subject to fear, but the cowardly often have become deranged. And this is natural. For the Lord rightly forsakes the proud that the rest of us may learn not to be puffed up.

As writing is washed out by water, so sins can be washed out by tears.

Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart will never be made captive by any earthly thing.

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

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440-526-5192 (Phone)