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

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.

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

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

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

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

Spiritual freedom is release from the passions; without Christ’s mercy you cannot attain it.

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

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

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

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

A treasure that is known is quickly spent: and even so any virtue that is commented on and made a public show of is destroyed. Even as wax is melted before the face of fire, so is the soul enfeebled by praise, and loses the toughness of its virtue.

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

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

Do not neglect the practice of the virtues; if you do, your spiritual knowledge will decrease, and when famine occurs you will go down into Egypt (Genesis 41:57, 46:6).

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

Patient endurance is the soul's struggle for virtue; where there is struggle for virtue, self-indulgence is banished.

In the beginning, there is struggle and a lot of work for those who come near to God. But after that, there is indescribable joy. It is just like building a fire: at first it's smoky and your eyes water, but later you get the desired result. Thus we ought to light the divine fire in ourselves with tears and effort.

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

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