The Grace of the Holy Spirit

In spite of our sinfulness, in spite of the darkness surrounding our souls, the Grace of the Holy Spirit, conferred by baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, still shines in our hearts with the inextinguishable light of Christ … and when the sinner turns to the way of repentance the light smooths away every trace of the sins committed, clothing the former sinner in the garments of incorruption, spun of the Grace of the Holy Spirit. It is this acquisition of the Holy Spirit about which I have been speaking.

- St. Seraphim of Sarov

The Grace of the All Holy Spirit

The Grace of the All Holy Spirit makes a person send out rays. However, other people must have a good receiver in order to realise this.

- Father Amphilochios

The Saints are near to us

Many people are under the impression that the Saints are far from us. They are indeed far from those who have, of their own will, withdrawn themselves, but they are very near to those who keep the commandments of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit. In the heavens, all live and all are sustained by the Holy Spirit; but the Spirit is the same also upon the earth. The Holy Spirit unites all men and that is why the Saints are near to us. When we pray to them, by the Holy Spirit they hear our prayers and our souls feel that they are praying for us.

- Saint Silouan of Mount Athos

On despising others

When the Holy Spirit by its gentle presence in our soul enables us to master our passions we realise that to look down on others is contrary to the spirit of love.

- Elder Sophrony of Essex

How can He remain?

The Holy Spirit often visits us; but if He does not find rest how can He remain? He departs. Joy is in the hearts of those who are cleansed and who are able to maintain within themselves the grace of the Holy Spirit of the All-holy Trinity. There is no greater joy and happiness for man. I am not able to describe to you how one feels then.

-Elder Ieronymos of Aegina

When praying in the evening…

When praying in the evening, do not forget to confess to the Holy Spirit, in really sincere and contrite prayer, those sins into which you have fallen during the past day. A few moments of fervent repentance, and you will be cleansed by the Holy Spirit from every impurity; you will be whiter than snow, and tears, purifying your heart, will flow from your eyes…

- St. John of Kronstadt

On the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is an immaterial fire: the light of faith, the warmth of love, the tongues of fire that speak in the heart of God’s Law… He awakens us from the world’s charms, leads us to hope in God, and encourages us toward repentance. If we do not prevent His action, He directs us along the narrow path of self-denial… Grace transforms everything it touches into a priceless treasure… But others do not wait, they do not ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit; they remain in their heedless idleness, content with ordinary worldly uprightness, outwardly fulfilling their Christian obligations… This is all pharisaical… Only God can create a clean heart in us, and we need to be born from above in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven (Jn. 3:3)… For now, God preserves His Church’s existence, and the Holy Spirit still abides in it… Just as at the creation of the world He moved across the waters, so also now, He moves across the abyss of our shattered nature… We shall give ourselves over to the almighty operation of the Holy Spirit and call out to Him from the depth of our fallen nature: O Heavenly King!..

- St. Philaret of Moscow

Whoever will not love his enemies…

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

The grace of the Spirit

The roof of any house stands upon the foundations and the rest of the structure. The foundations themselves are laid in order to carry the roof. This is both useful and necessary, for the roof cannot stand without the foundations and the foundations are absolutely useless without the roof – no help to any living creature. In the same way the grace of God is preserved by the practice of the commandments, and the observance of these commandments is laid down like foundations through the gift of God. The grace of the Spirit cannot remain with us without the practice of the commandments, but the practice of the commandments is of no help or advantage to us without the grace of God.

- St. Symeon the New Theologian

A beautiful prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and filleth all things, Treasury of all good and giver of life, Come and dwell within us; Cleanse us from all unrighteousness, And of thy goodness, save our souls.

Today we commemorate the Holy Spirit!

Today, the Orthodox Church commemorates the third person of the Holy Trinity, the all-Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father. So, today, many posts of mine will be about the Holy Spirit.

On the day after every Great Feast, the Orthodox Church honors the one through whom the Feast is made possible. On the day following the Nativity of the Lord, for example, we celebrate the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos (December 26). On the day after Theophany, we commemorate St John the Baptist (January 7), and so on.

Today we honor the all-Holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, Who descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost in the form of fiery tongues in fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to send the Comforter to His disciples (JN 14:16). That same Holy Spirit remains within the Church throughout the ages, guiding it “into all truth” (JN 16:13).

Every day becomes Pentecost

No prayer is complete unless it includes a petition to the Holy Spirit that He come to dwell in us. Thus, through prayer every day becomes Pentecost.

- Fr. Anthony Coniaris

The Holy Spirit teaches us…

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, Writings, I.11

How can He remain?

The Holy Spirit often visits us; but if He does not find rest how can He remain? He departs. Joy is in the hearts of those who are cleansed and who are able to maintain within themselves the grace of the Holy Spirit of the All-holy Trinity. There is no greater joy and happiness for man. I am not able to describe to you how one feels then. 

- Elder Ieronymos of Aegina 

In spite of our sinfulness

In spite of our sinfulness, in spite of the darkness surrounding our souls, the Grace of the Holy Spirit, conferred by baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, still shines in our hearts with the inextinguishable light of Christ… and when the sinner turns to the way of repentance the light smooths away every trace of the sins committed, clothing the former sinner in the garments of incorruption, spun of the Grace of the Holy Spirit. It is this acquisition of the Holy Spirit about which I have been speaking.

—St. Seraphim of Sarov