Humility

An angel fell from Heaven without any other passion except pride,and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven byhumility alone, without any other of the virtues.


St. John Climacus

"The Ladder of Divine Ascent" (Step 23)

The Chosen Flock

Christians are members of the Church, and the Church is the Body of Christ, with the Head being Christ Himself, and the Enlightener, the Holy Spirit. "Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for It, ... that He might present It to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that It should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. v. 2 '-27). You are the holy and chosen flock, you are members of the holy catholic and apostolic Church. What indeed is demanded of you! What holiness, what truth! What attention to yourselves! What spiritual contemplation and activity in secret! What morals, virtues, what faith, what hope, what love! What abstinence, compassion, care for one another, what urging of one another to virtue!




St. John of Kronstadt

Discernment

...And so our life here is a time of ceaseless bodily and spiritual labors, and the future life of recompense according to our works. But we must find out for certain what kind of works will yield a blessed eternity and what kind will yield a bitter one, so as to shun the one and always hold to the other.




Elder Moses of Optina

On Receiving Communion

To receive communion even daily and partake of the sacred Body and Blood of Christ is good and beneficial, for He said clearly: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (John 6:54). Who would doubt that partaking regularly of life is anything else but living continually?




St. Basil the Great

Saints of Wales

Personal Martyrdom

Enduring unpleasant things cheerfully, you approach a little to the martyrs. But if you complain, you will not only lose your share with the martyrs, but will be responsible for complaining besides. Therefore, be cheerful!




St. Theophan the Recluse

Love for God

The whole of life, in all its manifestations, must be permeated by prayer. But its secret is love for the Lord. As the bride, loving the bridegroom, is not separated from him in remembrance and feeling, so the soul, united with God in love, remains in constancy with Him, directing warm appeals to Him from the heart. 'He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit' (1 Cor. vi. 17).


St. Theophan the Recluse

Knowledge and Action

Strong is the man who has combined knowledge with action, for by the latter he withers lust and tames excitation, and by the former gives wings to his mind and goes forth to live with God.



St. Maximus the Confessor