Quotes

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

Tears

What rain is for seeds tears are for those who are afflicted.

St. John Chrysostom

Tears

As the earth, long awaiting moistening and at last receiving it in abundance, suddenly is covered by tender and bright greenery, so also the heart, exhausted by dryness, and afterwards revived by tears, emits from itself a multitude of spiritual thoughts and feelings, adorned by the common flower of humility. The labor of weeping, being inseparable from the labor of prayer, requires the same conditions for success as prayer requires. Prayer needs patient, constant dwelling in itself; weeping requires the same. Prayer needs wearying of the body, and brings about exhaustion of the body; this exhaustion produces weeping, which must be born in the troubling and wearying of the body.

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

Pride

Where a fall has overtaken us, there pride has already pitched its tent; because a fall is an indication of pride.

St. John Climacus

Pride

Arrogance cannot bear to see itself scorned and humility held in honor.

St. Symeon the New Theologian

Tears

Satiety of the stomach dries the tear sprints, but the stomach when dried produces these waters.

St. John Climacus

Commandments

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

Abba Agathon

Tears

Such tears should be preserved... because they have great power and action in destroying and uprooting sins and passions.

St. Nilus of Sora

Pride

Those who mourn and those who are insensitive are not subject to fear, but the cowardly often have become deranged. And this is natural. For the Lord rightly forsakes the proud that the rest of us may learn not to be puffed up.

St. John Climacus

Tears

Above all pray for the gift of tears...

St. Nilus of Sora

Commandments

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

St. Thalassios the Libyan

Pride

Pride is the forerunner of every fall.

St. Macarius of Optina

Tears

God is visiting you when tears come during prayer.

Elder Amphilochios Makris

Pride

It is no small struggle to be freed from self-esteem. Such freedom is to be attained by the inner practice of the virtues and by more frequent prayer; and the sign that you have attained it is that you no longer harbor rancor against anybody who abuses or has abused you.

St. Maximus the Confessor

Pride

Nothing so abets our secret destruction as conceit and self-satisfaction, or so cuts us off from God and provokes our chastisement at the hands of other men as grumbling, or so disposes us to sin as a disorderly life and talkativeness.

St. Peter of Damascus

Pride

Pride is known by its deeds as a tree is known by its fruits.

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Tears

Lying is wiped out by the tortures of superiors; but it is finally destroyed by an abundance of tears.

St. John Climacus

Pride

I prefer a defeat accompanied by humility to a victory accompanied by pride.

The Desert Fathers

Pride

Keep a strict watch against any appearance of pride: it appears imperceptibly, particularly in time of vexation and irritability against others for quite unimportant causes.

St. John of Kronstadt

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What rain is for seeds tears are for those who are afflicted.

Where a fall has overtaken us, there pride has already pitched its tent; because a fall is an indication of pride.

Arrogance cannot bear to see itself scorned and humility held in honor.

Satiety of the stomach dries the tear sprints, but the stomach when dried produces these waters.

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

Such tears should be preserved... because they have great power and action in destroying and uprooting sins and passions.

Those who mourn and those who are insensitive are not subject to fear, but the cowardly often have become deranged. And this is natural. For the Lord rightly forsakes the proud that the rest of us may learn not to be puffed up.

Above all pray for the gift of tears...

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

Pride is the forerunner of every fall.

God is visiting you when tears come during prayer.

It is no small struggle to be freed from self-esteem. Such freedom is to be attained by the inner practice of the virtues and by more frequent prayer; and the sign that you have attained it is that you no longer harbor rancor against anybody who abuses or has abused you.

Nothing so abets our secret destruction as conceit and self-satisfaction, or so cuts us off from God and provokes our chastisement at the hands of other men as grumbling, or so disposes us to sin as a disorderly life and talkativeness.

Pride is known by its deeds as a tree is known by its fruits.

Lying is wiped out by the tortures of superiors; but it is finally destroyed by an abundance of tears.

I prefer a defeat accompanied by humility to a victory accompanied by pride.

Keep a strict watch against any appearance of pride: it appears imperceptibly, particularly in time of vexation and irritability against others for quite unimportant causes.

"Leaves, whether of gold or lead, placed over the eyes, obstruct the sight equally, for the value of gold does not affect the blindness it produces. Similarly, anger, whether reasonable or unreasonable, obstructs our spiritual vision."

St. John Cassian

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