Quotes

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

Simplicity

Walk before God in simplicity, and not in subtleties of the mind. Simplicity brings faith; but subtle and intricate speculations bring conceit; and conceit brings withdrawal from God.

St. Isaac the Syrian

Evil

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

St. Joseph of Optina

Evil

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

St. Silouan of the Holy Mountain

Intellect

According to the degree to which the intellect is stripped of the passions, the Holy Spirit initiates the intellect into the mysteries of the age to be.

St. Thalassios the Libyan

Evil

Just as the most bitter medicine drives out poisonous things, so prayer joined to fasting drives evil thoughts away.

St. Syncletica of Alexandria

Evil

Evil is not an actual substance, but absence of good; just as darkness is nothing but absence of light.

St. Evagrius the Solitary

Salvation

If we use all means and all efforts to avoid death of the body, how much more must we seek to avoid death of the soul. For there is no obstacle for a man wishing to be saved, except negligence and laziness of soul.

St. Anthony the Great

Simplicity

Blessed are those who, from love of God, have girded their loins with unquestioning simplicity for this sea of suffering, and who do not turn back.

St. Isaac the Syrian

Evil

You know that evil entered into us through the transgression of the commandments. Hence it is obvious that by keeping them, evil departs from us. But without the doing of the commandments we should not even aspire or hope for purity of soul, because at the very outset we do not walk on the path that leads us to purity of soul. Do not say that God can give us the grace of purity of soul even without our keeping the commandments.

St. Isaac the Syrian

Salvation

If you desire salvation, do everything that leads you to it.

Abba Isidore the Priest

Simplicity

Let all of us who wish to attract the Lord to ourselves draw near to Him as disciples to the Master, simply, without hypocrisy, without duplicity or guile, not out of idle curiosity. He Himself is simple and not composite, and He wants souls that come to Him to be simple and guileless. For you will surely never see simplicity bereft of humility.

St. John Climacus

Simplicity

Where there is simplicity, there are a hundred Angels, but where there is cleverness – there are none.

St. Ambrose of Optina

Evil

He who fears God will pay careful attention to his soul and will free himself from communion with evil.

St. Thalassios the Libyan

Salvation

Just as gold is found, washed out of a great amount of sand and it amounts to very small grains like millet, so also out of many human beings few will be approved. For those who seek the kingdom are clearly manifested, while those who merely wear its word as a beautiful ornament are the ones most conspicuous. For the same reason those are manifested who are seasoned with the heavenly salt and who speak out of the Spirit's treasures. The vessels appear in whom God is pleased and to whom He gives His grace. There are also others, who, with much patience, receive the sanctifying power in many different ways, as God wishes.

St. Macarius the Great

Intellect

Fear God and keep His commandments both in your feelings and in your intellect. If you force yourself to keep them in your intellect, bit by bit you will attain to fulfilling them in your feelings.

St. Hesychius the Priest

Salvation

If a righteous man can barely be saved, then where will I end up, I who am lawless and sinful? If the path that leads to life is strait and narrow, then how can I be vouchsafed such good things, I who live a life of luxury, indulging in my own pleasures and dissipation? But Thou, O Lord, my Saviour, Son of the true God, as Thou knowest and desirest it, by Thy grace alone, freely turn me away from the sin that abides in me and save me from ruin.

St. Ephraim the Syrian

Simplicity

May simplicity go before you everywhere; especially be simple in your faith, hope, and love, for God is an Essence of Simplicity, a Unity that is worshipped everlastingly, and our soul is simple. The simplicity of our soul is hindered by our flesh, when we please it.

St. John of Kronstadt

Salvation

If they are worthy, ordinary people and ascetics are provided through circumstances of their life with the opportunities to be crowned by God.

St. Anthony the Great

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Walk before God in simplicity, and not in subtleties of the mind. Simplicity brings faith; but subtle and intricate speculations bring conceit; and conceit brings withdrawal from God.

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

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

According to the degree to which the intellect is stripped of the passions, the Holy Spirit initiates the intellect into the mysteries of the age to be.

Just as the most bitter medicine drives out poisonous things, so prayer joined to fasting drives evil thoughts away.

Evil is not an actual substance, but absence of good; just as darkness is nothing but absence of light.

If we use all means and all efforts to avoid death of the body, how much more must we seek to avoid death of the soul. For there is no obstacle for a man wishing to be saved, except negligence and laziness of soul.

Blessed are those who, from love of God, have girded their loins with unquestioning simplicity for this sea of suffering, and who do not turn back.

If you desire salvation, do everything that leads you to it.

Where there is simplicity, there are a hundred Angels, but where there is cleverness – there are none.

He who fears God will pay careful attention to his soul and will free himself from communion with evil.

Fear God and keep His commandments both in your feelings and in your intellect. If you force yourself to keep them in your intellect, bit by bit you will attain to fulfilling them in your feelings.

May simplicity go before you everywhere; especially be simple in your faith, hope, and love, for God is an Essence of Simplicity, a Unity that is worshipped everlastingly, and our soul is simple. The simplicity of our soul is hindered by our flesh, when we please it.

If they are worthy, ordinary people and ascetics are provided through circumstances of their life with the opportunities to be crowned by God.

Archimandrite Ioannikios Kotsonis, An Athonite Gerontikon

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