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

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

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

Love and self-control purify the soul.

The kingdom of God is always present for him who desires and wills it. When a man's disposition and way of life are like that of an angel, most assuredly this is the kingdom of God. For God indeed is said to rule as King when nothing worldly meddles in the governing of our souls and when in every respect we live not of this world. This manner of life we have within us, that is to say, we have it within us when we desire and will it. We do not need to wait a long time, or until our departure from this life; instead, faith and a God-pleasing life which accompanies faith are very near us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are sons of God or of Satan according to whether we conform to goodness or to evil.

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

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

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.

You were commanded to keep the body as a servant, not to be unnaturally enslaved to its pleasures.

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

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.

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)