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

Beware of envy. Wherever there is envy, God's spirit does not exist.

The adversary will sit in the temple of Jerusalem, in order to show himself as Christ, he will demand that those who are captivated by him should worship him as Christ. The Antichrist will demand worship as if he were God.

Blessed stillness gives birth to blessed children: self-control, love and pure prayer.

Control the tongue, so that it will not utter empty words. Whoever preserves his tongue, preserves his soul from grief.

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

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

A dog is better than I am, for he has love and he does not judge.

Let us look after those who precede us into the other world, and do for them all that we can, remembering that Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Keep the commandments, and you will find peace; love God, and you will attain spiritual knowledge.

Paschal joy is a foretaste of eternal joy in the approaching kingdom of Christ.

Remember, O my soul, the terrible and frightful wonder: that your Creator for your sake became Man, and deigned to suffer for the sake of your salvation. His angels tremble, the Cherubim are terrified, the Seraphim are in fear, and all the heavenly powers ceaselessly give praise; and you, unfortunate soul, remain in laziness. At least from this time forth arise and do not put off, my beloved soul, holy repentence, contrition of heart and penance for your sins.

But let thine apparel be plain, not for adornment, but for necessary conversing: not to minister to thy vanity, but to keep thee warm in winter, and to hide the unseemliness of the body: lest under the pretence of hiding the unseemliness, thou fall under another kind of unseemliness by thy extravagant dress.

A wise man is one who pays attention to himself and is quick to separate himself from all defilement.

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

Concern for one's soul means hardship and humility, for through these God forgives us all our sins.

Break the bonds of your friendship for the body and give it only what is absolutely necessary.

Everything must be directed towards acquiring the Kingdom of God and fulfilling Christ's Gospel. True Christianity does not consist in intellectual abstract deliberations and teachings; rather, it is incarnate in life itself. Christ descended to earth not to instruct people in new forms of knowledge, but to call them to a new life. During our earthly life we prepare ourselves for eternity.

If anyone thinks that he has love but does not have the same love for all, but distinguishes between persons, separating the lowly from the rich, the infirm from the healthy, a sinner from a righteous man, one far off from one near, one who is an enemy from one who loves you, such love is not perfect, but partial. Actual and perfect love consists in considering everyone and loving them equally, both those who love you and those who hate you. Such love, with which mercy is inseparable, is, in brief, a net for all virtues. It embraces and contains all the commandments of God within itself.

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

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440-526-5192 (Phone)