Quotes

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

Watchfulness

Watch constantly, learning to understand God's law, for this warms the heart with heavenly fire. Guard your lips from the idle word, or empty talk, lest the heart gets used to evil words.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Humility

Let us have recourse to humility on all occasions; for the humble lie prone on the ground, and how can a man fall if he lies on the ground? But a man who stands on a height can easily fall.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Self-Justification

What is self-justification? - Self-justification is when a man denies his sin, as we see in the case of Adam, Eve, Cain and others who have sinned but, wishing to justify themselves, denied their sin.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Food

During a time of disturbance and warfare of thoughts, one should lessen a little even the ordinary quantity of food and drink.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Fasting

Concerning fasting, do not grieve, as I have said to you before: God does not demand of anyone labors beyond his strength. And indeed, what is fasting if not a punishment of the body in order to humble a healthy body and make it infirm for passions, according to the word of the Apostle: 'When I am weak, then am I strong' (II Corinthians 12:10).

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Anger

Silence of lips is better and more wonderful than any edifying conversation. Strive to acquire humility and submissiveness. Never insist that anything should be according to your will, for this gives birth to anger. Do not judge or humiliate anyone, for this gives birth to anger. Do not judge or humiliate anyone, for this exhausts the heart and blinds the mind, and thereon leads to negligence and makes the heart unfeeling.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Jesus Prayer

My brother, the passions are afflictions; and so the Lord does not excommunicate us because of them, but He says: 'Call upon me in the time of affliction; and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me'. Therefore, when beset by any kind of passion, there is nothing more useful than to call upon the Name of God. All we can do, weak as we are, is to flee for refuge to the Name of Jesus. For the passions, being demons, retreat if this Name is invoked.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Scriptures

Reading the scriptures is a great safeguard against sin.

St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis

Theotokos

Was there ever anyone of any breeding who dared to speak the name of Holy Mary, and being questioned, did not immediately add, 'the Virgin'? For by such added names the positive proofs of merit are apparent... And to the Holy Mary, Virgin is invariably added, for that Holy Woman remains undefiled.

St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis

Silence

Silence of the lips is better and more wonderful than any edifying conversation. Our fathers embraced it with reverence and were glorified through it.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Perseverance

Leave off all evasions, bend your neck to humility and obedience, and you will receive mercy. If you practice with humility and obedience what you hear from the fathers, God will grant you His blessed help not only in the work you are doing, but will make all your works successful, for He protects the path of those who fear Him and watches their progress.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Sexual Temptation

If you wish to be delivered from shameful passions, do not behave with anyone familiarly, especially with those toward whom your heart is inclined by a lustful passion; through this you will be delivered also from vainglory. For in vainglory is involved the pleasing of men, in the pleasing of men is involved familiarity of behavior, and familiarity of behavior is the mother of all passions.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Scriptures

Ignorance of the scriptures is a precipice and a deep abyss.

St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis

Heresy

A holy man told us one day, that the source of all heresies and schisms in the church was, loving God too little, and ourselves too much.

St. John Moschus

Self-Criticism

He who smells the smell of one's own foul odor doesn't smell the foul odor of anyone else.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Thanksgiving

Give thanks to God for all things, because thanksgiving is intercession before God for our weakness. Judge yourself always and in everything as a sinner and as one seduced - and so God will not judge you; be humble in everything and you will receive grace.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Self-Love

A holy man told us one day, that the source of all heresies and schisms in the church was, loving God too little, and ourselves too much.

St. John Moschus

Sexual Temptation

But a sober and prudent man who desires to be saved, when he sees from what it is that he suffers harm, carefully preserves himself from evil remembrances, is not drawn into passionate thoughts, avoids meetings and conversations with those for whom he feels attraction and avoids every occasion for sin, fearing lest he himself ignite a fire within himself. This is the warfare which proceeds from one’s own lust, which a man brings on himself

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

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Watch constantly, learning to understand God's law, for this warms the heart with heavenly fire. Guard your lips from the idle word, or empty talk, lest the heart gets used to evil words.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Let us have recourse to humility on all occasions; for the humble lie prone on the ground, and how can a man fall if he lies on the ground? But a man who stands on a height can easily fall.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

What is self-justification? - Self-justification is when a man denies his sin, as we see in the case of Adam, Eve, Cain and others who have sinned but, wishing to justify themselves, denied their sin.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

During a time of disturbance and warfare of thoughts, one should lessen a little even the ordinary quantity of food and drink.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Reading the scriptures is a great safeguard against sin.

Was there ever anyone of any breeding who dared to speak the name of Holy Mary, and being questioned, did not immediately add, 'the Virgin'? For by such added names the positive proofs of merit are apparent... And to the Holy Mary, Virgin is invariably added, for that Holy Woman remains undefiled.

Silence of the lips is better and more wonderful than any edifying conversation. Our fathers embraced it with reverence and were glorified through it.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Ignorance of the scriptures is a precipice and a deep abyss.

A holy man told us one day, that the source of all heresies and schisms in the church was, loving God too little, and ourselves too much.

He who smells the smell of one's own foul odor doesn't smell the foul odor of anyone else.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

Give thanks to God for all things, because thanksgiving is intercession before God for our weakness. Judge yourself always and in everything as a sinner and as one seduced - and so God will not judge you; be humble in everything and you will receive grace.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

A holy man told us one day, that the source of all heresies and schisms in the church was, loving God too little, and ourselves too much.

St. Barsanuphius the Great, St. John the Prophet

"The key to Divine gifts is given to the heart by love of neighbor, and, in proportion to the heart's freedom from the bonds of the flesh, the door of knowledge begins to open before it."

St. Isaac the Syrian

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