Study, my child, to acquire in your life dignity, simplicity, understanding, continuous prayer, manliness, unfeigned love, wisdom, seemliness. Be sympathetic, love the poor. Attain silence and patient endurance. Do not slander, do not laugh at anyone. Acquire angerlessness, modestly, and humility, so that the Lord will glorify you before the angels and the saints.
- Elder Athanasius of Grigoriou
…We should realize that there are three sources for our thoughts - God, the devil, and ourselves.
- St. John Cassian, “Conferences”
Sinful thoughts continually disturb a man. But if he does not cooperate with them, then he is not guilty of them.
- Elder Ambrose of Optina
For many many years I used to ask Jesus a specific thing. Some times I with tears in the eyes and some times with boredom. He didn’t reply my question and I started to doubt (silly me!). But he answered to my prayers exactly the moment I need it the most!
No matter what others say, I believe in Him! Everything that is happening in our lives is not because of luck, but because God wants it. I tend to forget it, I tend to lose my faith sometimes but it’s true! He knows better what we need than we do and He brings it in our lives when it’s time! It’s quite difficult to do it, but, trust in His timing! Why we worry so much what will happen in the future? Our God takes care of us every single moment!
Jesus lives! Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!
You are subject to wandering thoughts because you listen to idle talk, and memories often remain with you. Out of these memories the enemy weaves a web in front of your mind’s eye in order to enmesh it. When this happens, you should descend into your heart, turning your eyes away from the illusory images presented by the enemy, and call to the Lord.
- Saint Theophan the Recluse
A brother went to Abba Pimen once and told him:
- Abba, I have many thoughts and put myself in peril because of them.
The elder took him outside and told him:
- Stretch out your arm and keep the wind away.
The brother said:
- I cannot do that.
The elder told him:
- If you cannot do that, neither will you be able to stop thoughts from coming into your mind. But standing strong before them is another thing.
— Apophtegms by the Holy Fathers of the Desert
If evil thoughts have not been uprooted from the heart, they are bound to manifest themselves in evil actions.
- St. Philotheos of Sinai
Fasting is not optional. Neither are repentance, prayer, almsgiving, preparation, asceticism, ministering to the least among us, wisely managing our time and talents and treasures, struggling to overcome our passions, and so on. They’re all related, interconnected, essential. So fast we must—to the extent that we can—without comparing ourselves to others. Still less should we engage in endless and spiritually dangerous public discussions on what we’ve given up this Lent or how weary we’ve become by fasting from those things (including but hardly limited to food) that we’ve allowed to control us even though we have the ability, with God’s help, to control them.
- From an Orthodox Pastor
Fight always with your thoughts and call them back when they wander away. God does not demand of those under obedience that their thoughts be totally undistracted when they pray. And do not lose heart when your thoughts are stolen away. Just remain calm, and constantly call your mind back.
- St. John Climacus
Sinful thoughts continually disturb a man. But if he does not cooperate with them, then he is not guilty of them.
- Saint Ambrose of Optina
- St. Theophan the Recluse
In all of our deeds God looks at the intention, whether we do it for His sake, or for the sake of some other intention.
- St. Maximus the Confessor
If a man does not argue with the thoughts that the enemy secretly sows in us, but by prayer to God uproots conversation with them, this is a sign that his mind has attained wisdom, and that he has found a short path.
- St. Isaac the Syrian, Homilies
Remember constantly that the light of your soul, of your thoughts, and of your heart comes from Jesus Christ.
- St. John of Kronstadt
At first a simple thought about evil makes it into the mind, and if it is kept in the mind, then a passionate motion arises from it, and if you do not extirpate the passion, then it inclines the mind to agreement, and when this happens, it leads the mind to the commission of a sinful deed. Guard your thoughts, for if you do not sin in thought, you will never seen in deed.
- St. Maximos the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 1.84, 2.78
