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

The ignorance of Scripture is a great cliff and a deep abyss; to know nothing of the divine laws is a great betrayal of salvation.

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

Along with an evil thought, a hostile power enters into us, and then the soul is clouded, and evil thoughts harass her.

One should nourish the soul with the word of God: for the word of God, as St. Gregory the Theologian says, is angelic bread, by which are nourished souls who hunger for God. Most of all, one should occupy oneself with reading the New Testament and the Psalter, which one should do standing up. From this there occurs an enlightenment in the mind, which is in the mind, which is changed by a Divine change.

Every man that loves God loves a quiet life.

Almsgiving heals the soul's incensive power; fasting withers sensual desire; prayer purifies the intellect and prepares it for contemplation of created beings. For the Lord has given us commandments which correspond to the powers of the soul.

A fish swiftly escapes a hook and a sensual soul shuns solitude.

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

Nothing is better for rendering the heart penitent and the soul humble than wise solitude and complete silence.

Put aside bodily considerations when you stand in prayer, lest the bite of a flea, a gnat or a fly deprive you of the greatest gain afforded by prayer.

Unless a man keeps the commandments of God, he cannot progress, even in a single virtue.

The zeal which wishes to destroy great evil without appropriate preparation is a great evil in itself.

If you love to enjoy true and complete delight from the Scriptures, seek to read them not merely with simple understanding, but with deeds and practical realities. Moreover, seek to read them not merely for the mere love of learning but also for the sake of ascetic endeavors & discipline, as St. Mark wrote: 'Read the words of Holy Scripture with an eye to practical applications and not merely to be puffed up by any fine thought that you may receive from it.' Another Father said: 'This is why the lover of knowledge must also be a lover of discipline. For knowledge alone does not give light to a lamp.'

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

The arrows of the enemy cannot touch one who loves quietness; but he who moves about in a crowd will often be wounded.

The Scriptures were not given merely that we might have them in books, but that we might engrave them on our hearts.

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

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

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

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