I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
"Suffering is an indication of another kingdom which we look to. If being Christian meant being 'happy', we wouldn't need the Kingdom of Heaven." + Fr. Seraphim Rose (+1982)
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
"Having God, fear nothing, but cast all of your care upon Him, and He will take care of you. Believe undoubtingly, and God will help you according to His mercy." + St. Barsanuphius the Great (+545)Instructions, 166
For in the morningy endure for a night, But joy comes in the morningy endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning
"Only the foolish think that suffering is evil. A sensible man knows that suffering is not evil but only the manifestation of evil and healing from evil. Only sin in a man is a real evil, and there is no evil outside sin." + St. Nikolai Velimirovich (+1956)
Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
"I wish you many years - but not for them to be too happy, because happiness in the world isn't really so healthy. When a man is too happy in this world, he forgets God and forgets death." + St. Paisios of Mount Athos (+1994)
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
"If you have two shirts in your closet, one belongs to you and the other to the man with no shirt." + St. Ambrose of Milan (+397)
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
"Let the mouth also fast from disgraceful speeches and railings. For what does it profit if we abstain from fish and fowl and yet bite and devour our brothers and sisters? The evil speaker eats the flesh of his brother and bites the body of his neighbor." + St. John Chrysostom (+407)
He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.
"My brethren, do all that is in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall, but, if you do fall, get up again at once, and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times, because of the withdrawal of God’s grace, rise up again at each time, and keep on doing so until the day of your death." + St. John of Karpathos
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
“You should be afraid not of cholera, but of serious sins, for the scythe of death mows a person down like grass even without cholera. Therefore, place all your hope in the Lord God, without Whose will even the birds do not die, much less a person.” + St. Anthony of Optina (+1865)
But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
"Do not disdain those who are deformed from birth, because all of us will go to the grave equally privileged." + St. Isaac the Syrian (+700)
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
"Through inner suffering one must attain faith and gain love." + St. Gabriel Urgebadze (+1995)
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
"Why do men learn through pain and suffering, and not through pleasure and happiness? Very simply, because pleasure and happiness accustom one to satisfaction with the things given in this world, whereas pain and suffering drive one to seek a more profound happiness beyond the limitations of this world." + Fr. Seraphim Rose (+1982)
And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
"Patience, patience, patience!" + St. Cleopa Ilie of Sihăstria (+1998)
Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
“Troubles are usually the brooms and shovels that smooth the road to a good man’s fortune; and many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away hunger.” + St. Basil the Great (+379)
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
"Sin is a wound which, if concealed from the eye of the Physician, becomes incurable." + St. Basil the Great (+379)
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love our enemies in such way that we pity their souls as if they were our own children." + St. Silouan the Athonite (+1938)
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
"God's saints are near to the believing heart, and are ready in a moment to help those who call upon them with faith and love." + St. John of Kronstadt (+1909)
To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."
“Prayer is food for the soul. Do not starve the soul, it is better to let the body go hungry. Do not judge anyone, forgive everyone. Consider yourself worse than everyone in the world and you will be saved. As much as possible, be more quiet.” + St. Joseph of Optina (+1911)
Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, Nor go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
"When you intend to offer prayer to God, cast away earthly thoughts and cares. Do not occupy yourself with the thoughts that arise at that moment, lest they appear to you important, brilliant, or necessary." + St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (+1867)
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
"You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself." + St. Athanasius the Great (+373)
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.
"Having before your mind that He is a Just Judge, do not take your sins lightly; and having also in mind that He is compassionate, do not despair." + St. Kuksha of Odessa (+1964)
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip.
“We must receive the one who curses us as a messenger from God, rebuking our hidden evil thoughts, so that we, seeing our thoughts with exactness, might correct ourselves. For we do not know how many hidden evils we have; Only a perfect man can understand all of his own shortcomings.” + St. Mark the Ascetic (+5th Century C.E)
that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
"For many wish to be glorified with Christ, yet few seek to remain with the suffering Christ." + St. Tikhon of Zadonsk (+1783)
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
“What is perfection in love? Love your enemies in such a way that you would desire to make them your brothers … For so did He love, Who hanging on the Cross, said ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'” (Luke 23:34) + St. Augustine of Hippo (+430)
And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;
"Worldly people and even monks without spiritual discernment are nearly always attracted by humbugs, imposters, hypocrites and those who are in demonic delusion, and they take them for saints and genuine servants of God." + St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (+1867)
So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
"If one desires that his virtues appear as great, let him consider them small, and they will surely manifest themselves as great." + St. Isidore of Pelusium (+436)
I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
"The person who loves God values knowledge of God more than anything created by God, and pursues such knowledge ardently and ceaselessly." + St. Maximus the Confessor (+662)
Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
"As for you, my son, shun the satisfactions of this age, so as to be happy in the age to come." + St. Pachomius the Great (+348)
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
"Enter the Church and repent; here, you are not put on trial, but receive the forgiveness of sins." + St. John Chrysostom (+407)