If you knew you own illness…

If you knew you own illness, you wouldn’t know the illness of others. I am not saying you shouldn’t be concerned with their pain and suffering, but you mustn’t preoccupy yourself with other’s faults. If a person is not concerned with his self, the tempter devil will lead him to be concerned with other’s faults. If we work on ourselves, then we know ourselves and come to know others as well. Otherwise, we judge others by the wrong assumptions we make about ourselves.

- Elder Paisios

Concentrate…

If we would concentrate on divine truth as seen in Christ, all need for a stream of words disappears, until finally the mind enters the realm of profound silence.

- Archimandrite Sophrony

Please pray for me!

Christ is Risen! <3

If you could please keep me in your prayers tonight (or this morning/midday/afternoon - it depends on your country!) it could be really amazing. I know you all have your personal life and problems, but if you could spend some seconds to pray for me it could be so great!

In the past have witnessed how many miracles our prayers can do if we pray united, as one, so even a “Lord help and support this girl behind this blog” could be enough for me, not to mention how big help would be if you could pray a prayer rope/rosary for me. I need enlightment and support in order to face a difficult situation. If you could also ask the intercessions and support of Virgin Mary, St. Archangel Michael, St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, St. Phanourios, St. Xenia, St. Nektarios, Ss Constantine and Helen, Saint Raphael of Lesvos and all the Holy Apostles could be awesome.

Thank you in advance and God bless you!

On reading the Bible simply as a set of instructions

The Scripture is nothing other than instruction on how to receive Heavenly Grace. But if we simply read a set of instructions and do not try to, let us say, put a bookcase together or use a computer program, the set of instructions will remain unmastered and will be soon forgotten… And vice versa, those who attend the Sunday Divine Liturgy and then read the Scripture at home will comprehend meaning in it that they would never have comprehended otherwise.

- Priest-Martyr Daniel Sysoyev

A splinter…

You wish, or rather, have decided, to remove a splinter from someone? Very well, but do not go after it with a stick instead of a lancet for you will only drive it deeper. Rough speech and harsh gestures are the stick, while even-tempered instruction and patient reprimand are the lancet. ‘Reprove, rebuke, exhort,’ says the Apostle (II Tim. 4:2), not ‘batter’.

- From St. John Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent”

This is my God, Whom I will glorify

A Helper and a Protector has become salvation to me. This is my God, Whom I will glorify. God of my fathers I will exalt Him for in glory was He glorified. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

- Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, excerpt

On hatred

If we detect any trace of hatred in our hearts against any man whatsoever for committing any fault, we are utterly estranged from love for God, since love for God absolutely precludes us from hating any man.

- St. Maximus the Confessor

Everything is possible to Thee!

Often during the day I have been a great sinner, and at night, after prayer, I have gone to rest, justified and whiter than snow by the grace of the Holy Spirit, with the deepest peace and joy in my heart! How easy it will be for the Lord to save us too in the evening of our life, at the decline of our days! O save, save, save me, most gracious Lord; receive me in Thy heavenly Kingdom! Everything is possible to Thee!

- St John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ, Part 1

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Christ is Risen!’ Young and old, maidens,
everyone, little and great, prepare!
Inside the laurel-covered churches,
gather in the light of joy!
Open your arms and with them offer peace,
that the icons of the saints may see.
Embrace and kiss each other sweetly, lip on lip,
let friend and foe proclaim, ‘Christ is Risen!’

- Dionisios Solomos, “The day of Easter” (an excerpt)

Prayer to Christ’s Resurrection

Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. Your Cross do we worship, O Christ, and Your holy Resurrection do we hymn and glorify. For You are our God, we know no other but You, we call upon Your name. Come all the faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ; for behold through the Cross, joy has come in all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we extol His Resurrection. For enduring the Cross for us, He destroyed death by death.

- A well-known and beloved prayer, recited in the Orthros service on Sundays and after Pascha

Yesterday I was crucified with Him…

Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us— you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died.

- St. Gregory the Theologian - Homily on Pascha