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

True patience grows with the growth of love. We put up with our neighbors to the extent that we love them. If you love, you are patient. If you cease loving, you will cease being patient. The less we love, the less patience we show. If we truly preserve patience in our souls, we are martyrs without being killed.

Have confidence in the compassion of our Creator. Reflect well on what you are now doing, and keep before you the things you have done. Lift up your eyes to the overflowing compassion of heaven, and while He waits for you, draw near in tears to our merciful Judge. Having before your mind that He is a Just Judge, do not take your sins lightly; and having also in mind that He is compassionate, do not despair. The God-Man gives man confidence before God.

If you have spoken evil of your brother, and you are stricken with remorse, go and kneel down before him and say: 'I have spoken badly of you; let this be my surety that I will not spread this slander any further.' For detraction is death to the soul.

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

Control your stomach, sleep, anger, and tongue, and you will not 'dash your foot against a stone.'

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

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

Make the body serve the commandments, keeping it so far as possible free from sickness and sensual pleasure.

Listlessness is an apathy of soul; and a soul becomes apathetic when sick with self-indulgence.

Through anger wisdom is lost, so that we no longer know what we are to do, or in what manner we should do it.

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

And so it often comes about that the life of one burning with love after having sinned is more pleasing to God than a life of innocence that grows languid in its sense of security.

Love and self-control purify the soul.

Worldly virtues promote human glory, spiritual virtues the glory of God.

If therefore holy men, even when they do mighty things, think themselves worthless, what must be said of those who, without fruit of virtue, are yet swollen with pride? But any works, although they be good, are as nothing unless seasoned with humility. A great deed done boastfully, lowers rather than uplifts a man. He who would gather virtue without humility, carries dust in the wind; and where he seems to possess something, from the same is he blinded and made worse.

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

If you abandon God and are a slave to the passions, you cannot reap God's mercy.

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

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

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