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

Do not want things to turn out as you would like, but want whatever happens. That way you will be at peace with everyone.

Holy Scripture is presented to the mind’s eye like a mirror in which the appearance of our inner being can be seen.

No one can be saved without the renunciation of his will, even though he might struggle fervently, for our will and our manner are like a bronze wall between us and God.

A humble and spiritually active man, when he reads the Holy Scripture, will refer everything to himself and not to another.

Keep the body properly slim so that you reduce the burden of the heart's warfare, with full benefit to yourself.

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

God in His mercy gave us the Holy Scriptures that we might read them, and reading them we might fulfill what is sent by God to man, revealing His Holy Will and teaching us how to live. Consider with what attention and willingness that we ought to read God's letter to us. If an earthly king...wrote to you a letter, would you not read it with great joy? Certainly, with great rejoicing and careful attention. The King of Heaven has sent a letter to you, an earthly and mortal man; yet you almost despise such a gift, so priceless a treasure. Whenever you read the Gospel, Christ Him self is speaking to you. And while you read, you are praying and talking with Him. God speaks to man, the King of Heaven talks with the corruptible creature, the Lord holds converse with the servant. What can be more pleasant... more instructive?

If you love the Sender, then also love the letter which is sent from Him to you. For the word of God is given by God to me, to you, and to everyone, so that everyone who desires to be saved may receive salvation through it.

Our own will is like a wall of brass between us and God, preventing us from coming near to Him or contemplating His mercy.

Our flesh is an unfaithful friend.

What is the source from which man's will can draw suitable principles of guidance? For a non-believer, an answer to this is extremely difficult and essentially impossible. Are they to be drawn from science? In the first place, science is interested primarily in questions of knowledge and not morals, and secondly, it does not contain anything solid and constant in principles because it is constantly changing. From philosophy? Philosophy teaches about the relativity of its truths and does not claim their unconditional authority. From practical life? Even less. This life itself is in need of positive principles which can remove from it unruly and unprincipled conditions. But while the answer to the present question is so difficult for non-believers, for a believing Christian the answer is simple and clear. The source of good principles is God's will, and this is revealed to us in the Savior's teaching, in His Holy Gospel. It alone has an unconditional, steadfast authority in this regard; and it alone teaches us self-sacrifice and Christian freedom, Christian equality and brotherhood (a concept stolen by those outside the Faith). The Lord Himself said of true Christians, 'Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father' (Matt. 7:21).

Keep the body properly slim so that you reduce the burden of the heart's warfare, with full benefit to yourself.

Vanity is eliminated by acting secretly, and pride by ascribing to God all that is well done.

Reading the Scriptures is a great means of security against sinning.

It is an insult to the intelligence to be subject to what lacks intelligence and to concern itself with shameful desires.

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

You are accustomed to look upon your body as upon your own inalienable property, but that is quite wrong, because your body is God's edifice.

As a man cannot remain unscathed who spares his enemy on the field of battle, so a man engaged in spiritual warfare cannot save his soul if he spares his body.

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

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