" Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
"You fast, but Satan does not eat. You labor fervently, but Satan never sleeps. The only dimension with which you can outperform Satan is by acquiring humility, for Satan has no humility." + St. Moses the Black
As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.
"I have never seen correction achieved through anger, but always through love. Take yourself as an example: When do you become gentle? Is it from being insulted? Or is it thanks to love?” + St. Joseph the Hesychast
" If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
"The snail moves slowly, but it travels with its whole house. We should progress towards God in that matter, with our whole being." + Elder Arsenie Papacioc
Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
“Do good to others—and then forget about it.” + St. Paisios of Mount Athos
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
"He who loves the world cannot but sorrow. But he who disdains the world is always joyful." + St. Seraphim of Sarov
I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." + St. Augustine
With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
"Strength is found in humility, for the humble person relies on God's grace and is not swayed by the opinions and temptations of the world." + St. Isaac the Syrian
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
"You will not become holy by chasing away evil. Leave evil aside. Look toward Christ—that will save you." + St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
"Whoever seeks earth before he seeks heaven will surely lose both earth and heaven." + St. John Chrysostom
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
"It is very difficult to recognize pride within oneself. But here are a few signs for you: if you are attacked by enemies (demons) or tormented by evil thoughts, it means you do not have humility. Therefore, even if you do not understand your pride, humble yourself." + St. Silouan the Athonite
Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
"If a king wanted to take possession of his enemy's city, he would begin by cutting off the water and the food and so his enemies, dying of hunger, would submit to him. It is the same with the passions of the flesh: if a man goes about fasting and hungry the enemies of his soul grow weak." + St. John the Dwarf
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
"A man becomes spiritual when he recognizes his own sins more than the sins of others." + St. Paisios of Mount Athos
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
"The Word of God is a hammer that breaks and softens our stony hearts; it is a fire that burns away the impurity of sin and warms our cold hearts." + St. Tikhon of Moscow
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
"Regardless of personal status, circumstances, the fallenness of human nature, and our weaknesses—even if it is with distraction, but as often as possible, if not unceasingly—let us say the Jesus Prayer with humility, simplicity, and without delusion or imagination." + St. Ephraim of Katounakia
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
"There are no complex and simple problems, no small or great problems. There is only one single problem: the absence of Christ from our life." + Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos
It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows.
"Satan does not know our thoughts. He knows only what he puts in our minds, what he figures out from our movements, and what he hears from our words." + St. Papa-Dimitri Gagastathis
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
"Drive away every thought of yours that is sinful and not good, as soon as it appears. Constantly call to mind the name of our Jesus, for this most holy name will give you victory against sin in all its forms." + Elder Ephraim of Arizona
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
"Value every breath highly, for it will not return." + St. Anthony the Great
we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
"Fight bravely! That is how I want you to wage war. How countless are those who have returned from the abyss of nothingness and from hell........because they were courageous! And not only did they conquer sin and evil, but they also shone and radiated with the saints!" + Elder Joseph of Vatopedi
He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.
“People today have made themselves into gods, and that is why they end up as atheists.” + St. Paisios of Mount Athos
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
“I saw all the snares of the enemy spread out over the world, and I said with a sigh: ‘Who can pass through such snares?’ Then I heard a voice saying: ‘Humility.’” + St. Anthony the Great
" Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
"The Church is a spiritual hospital, and each person must struggle according to his illness. Christ is the physician who heals; the Church offers the medicine, Holy Communion, Confession, Prayer." + St. Paisios of Mount Athos
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
But He answered and said," It is written,' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
"If you wish to attract God’s attention, so that He may hear you when you pray, turn the dial to humility—for God always operates on that frequency; then, with humility, ask Him for mercy." + St. Paisios of Mount Athos
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
"A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, 'You are mad; you are not like us,'" + St. Anthony the Great
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
"He who busies himself with the sins of others, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet even begun to repent or to examine himself so as to discover his own sins." + St. Maximos the Confessor
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
"I no longer fear God, but I love Him. For perfect love casts out fear." + St. Anthony the Great
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
"As a handful of sand thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of all flesh as compared with the mind of God." + St. Isaac the Syrian
and said," If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."
"People today justify swearing as a form of expression. But this kind of talk brings darkness to the soul. A clean mouth is the sign of a clean heart." + St. Paisios of Mount Athos
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
"At the very moment when we hide our brother's fault, God hides our own and at the moment when we reveal our brother's fault, God reveals ours too." + St. Poemen the Shepherd
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
"It takes years of repentance to erase a mistake from people's memory, but for God, a single tear is enough." + St. Paisios of Mount Athos