Quotes

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

Thanksgiving

Prayer is the fruit of joy and thankfulness.

St. Evagrius the Solitary

Thanksgiving

Lips that utter frequent thanksgivings shall be blessed by God, and the grateful heart is visited by grace.

St. Isaac the Syrian

Dejection

Just as a moth devours clothing and a worm devours wood, so dejection devours a man’s soul.

St. John Cassian

Thanksgiving

Be glad and rejoice that you were granted to be pious Orthodox Christians. Likewise again cry and mourn for the impious and unbelievers who walk in darkness, in the hands of the devil.

St. Cosmas of Aitolos

Thanksgiving

We ought to think of God even more often than we draw our breath; and if the expression is permissible, we ought to do nothing else.

St. Gregory Nazianzen

Thanksgiving

He who gives thanks, and he who glorifies, have kindred feelings, in that they bless their Helper for the benefits they have received.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria

Thanksgiving

When a good thought comes to your mind, turn to God and, realizing that it was sent by Him, give thanks.

Lorenzo Scupoli

Thanksgiving

Labor to acquire thanksgiving toward God for everything, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and then you will find peace.

St. Barsanuphius the Great

Thanksgiving

Wouldest thou learn words of thanksgiving? hearken unto the Three Children, saying, 'We have sinned, we have transgressed. Thou art righteous, O Lord, in all that thou hast done unto us, because thou hast brought all things upon us by a true judgment.'(4) For to confess one's own sins, this is to give thanks with confessions unto God: a kind of thing which implies one to be guilty of numberless offenses, yet not to have the due penalty exacted. This man most of all is the giver of thanks.

St. John Chrysostom

Vanity

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

St. Maximus the Confessor

Compunction

Compunction comes when you consider how much you have grieved God Who is so good, so sweet, so merciful, so kind, and entirely full of love; Who was crucified and suffered everything for us. When you meditate on these things and other things the Lord has suffered, they bring compunction.

St. Joseph the Hesychast

Thanksgiving

Our good Redeemer, by speedily granting what is asked, draws to His love those who are grateful. But He keeps ungrateful souls praying a long time before Him, hungering and thirsting for what they want, since a badly trained dog rushes off as soon as it is given bread and leaves the giver behind.

St. John Climacus

Compunction

The way to attain compunction is an attentive life. ‘The beginning of repentance comes from the fear of God and attention,’ as the holy martyr Boniface says.

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

Thanksgiving

Before all else, let us list sincere thanksgiving first on the scroll of our prayer. On the second line, we should put confession and heartfelt contrition of soul. Then let us present our petition to the King of all. This is the best way of prayer, as it was shown to one of the brethren by an angel of the Lord.

St. John Climacus

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

Thanksgiving

Bring before your eyes the blessings, whether physical or spiritual, conferred on you from the beginning of your life down to the present, and call them repeatedly to mind in accordance with the words: 'Forget not all His benefits' (Ps. 102:2). Then your heart will readily be moved to the fear and love of God, so that you repay Him, as far as you can. by your strict life, virtuous conduct, devout conscience, wise speech, true faith and humility - in short, by dedicating your whole self to God. When you are moved by the recollection of all these blessings which you have received through God's loving goodness, your heart will be spontaneously wounded with longing and love through this recollection or, rather, with the help of divine grace.

St. Mark the Ascetic

Thanksgiving

When God is thanked, He gives us still further blessings, while we, by receiving His gifts, love Him all the more and through this love attain that divine wisdom whose beginning is the fear of God (cf. Prov. 1:7).

St. Peter of Damascus

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving and gratitude is a heartfelt joyous recognition of the divine benevolence and mercy toward us, unworthy ones, shown by Him freely and testified by our heart and mouth.

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

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Prayer is the fruit of joy and thankfulness.

Lips that utter frequent thanksgivings shall be blessed by God, and the grateful heart is visited by grace.

Just as a moth devours clothing and a worm devours wood, so dejection devours a man’s soul.

Be glad and rejoice that you were granted to be pious Orthodox Christians. Likewise again cry and mourn for the impious and unbelievers who walk in darkness, in the hands of the devil.

We ought to think of God even more often than we draw our breath; and if the expression is permissible, we ought to do nothing else.

He who gives thanks, and he who glorifies, have kindred feelings, in that they bless their Helper for the benefits they have received.

When a good thought comes to your mind, turn to God and, realizing that it was sent by Him, give thanks.

Labor to acquire thanksgiving toward God for everything, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and then you will find peace.

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

Compunction comes when you consider how much you have grieved God Who is so good, so sweet, so merciful, so kind, and entirely full of love; Who was crucified and suffered everything for us. When you meditate on these things and other things the Lord has suffered, they bring compunction.

Our good Redeemer, by speedily granting what is asked, draws to His love those who are grateful. But He keeps ungrateful souls praying a long time before Him, hungering and thirsting for what they want, since a badly trained dog rushes off as soon as it is given bread and leaves the giver behind.

The way to attain compunction is an attentive life. ‘The beginning of repentance comes from the fear of God and attention,’ as the holy martyr Boniface says.

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

When God is thanked, He gives us still further blessings, while we, by receiving His gifts, love Him all the more and through this love attain that divine wisdom whose beginning is the fear of God (cf. Prov. 1:7).

Thanksgiving and gratitude is a heartfelt joyous recognition of the divine benevolence and mercy toward us, unworthy ones, shown by Him freely and testified by our heart and mouth.

St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

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