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

Love and self-control purify the soul.

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

The intellect becomes a stranger to the things of this world when its attachment to the senses has been completely sundered.

God-fearing sorrow mourns either its own sins, or those of others.

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

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

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

For forgiveness of sins is most efficaciously prayed for with almsgiving and fasting, and supplications that are winged by such aids mount swiftly to God’s ears; since it is written, 'the merciful man doeth good to his own soul' (Prov. xi. 17), and nothing is so much a man’s own as that which he spends on his neighbor. For that part of his material possessions with which he ministers to the needy, is transformed into eternal riches, and such wealth is begotten of this bountifulness as can never be diminished or in any way destroyed, for 'blessed are the merciful, for God shall have mercy on them' (Matt. v.7), and He himself shall be their chief Reward, who is the Model of His own command.

The feeding of the needy is the purchase money of the heavenly kingdom and the free dispenser of things temporal is made the heir of things eternal.

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

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

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

Praise God continually with spiritual hymns and always remain in meditation and in this way you will be able to bear the burden of the temptations that come upon you. A traveler who is carrying a heavy load pauses from time to time and draws in deep breaths; it makes the journey easier and the burden lighter.

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

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

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

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

Struggle until death to fulfill the commandments: purified through them, you will enter into life.

Filters
Search By Keyword
Filter By
See more See less
Topics (Love, Anger, Confession, etc.)
Parish

Mailing Address

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

Email, Phone, and Fax

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