On spiritual life
He who really keeps account of his actions considers as lost everyday in which he does not mourn, whatever good he may have done init.
- St. John of the Ladder
We were created for eternal life
We were created for eternal life by our Creator, we are called to it by the word of God, and we are renewed by holy Baptism. And Christ the Son of God came into the world for this, that He should call us and take us there, and He is the one thing needful. For this reason your very first endeavor and care should be to receive it. Without it everything is as nothing, though you have the whole world under you.
- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
This life has been given for repentance
Why do you increase your bonds? Take hold of your life before your light grows dark and you seek help and do not find it. This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in vain pursuits.
- St. Isaac the Syrian
Life without God
Man ate the forbidden fruit, thinking that it would give him life. But life itself outside of and without God is simply communion with death.
- Fr. Alexander Schmemann, O Death, Where is Thy Sting?
The Perfect Person’s Rule of Life
The Perfect Person’s Rule of Life: The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love. His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does. He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward. The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.
- St. Clement of Alexandria
The doorway to the spiritual life
Repentance is the doorway to the spiritual life, the only way to begin. It is also the path itself, the only way to continue. Anything else is foolishness and self-delusion. Only repentance is both brute-honest enough, and joyous enough, to bring us all the way home.
- Frederica Mathewes-Green
The true goal of our Christian life
Prayer, fasting, vigils and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in and of themselves, do not constitute the true goal of our Christian way of life. They only serve as the indispensable means of attaining it. The true goal of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. Fasting, keeping vigil, prayers, and charity, as well as every other good deed done for the sake of Christ, are but the means through which we may acquire the Holy Spirit of God.
- St. Seraphim of Sarov
Desire and Action in Spiritual Life
Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but not everyone has the desire to labor towards this end. I am saying this because it is not enough merely to desire. You need to resolve firmly to achieve without fail that which you desire. You also need to resolve firmly to begin the process itself of labor towards this.
- Saint Theophan the Recluse
The enjoyment of this present life
The enjoyment of this present life, though it seems to give delight and sweetness, is well thrust from us. At the very moment of its being it ceases to be, and for our joy repays us with sorrow sevenfold. Its happiness and its sorrow more frail than a shadow, and, like the traces of a ship passing over the sea, or a bird flying through the air, quickly disappear.
- St. John of Damascus
The eternal life
Given that we desire long life, should we not take eternal life into account? If we long for a kingdom which, however enduring, has an end, and glory and joy which, great as they are, will fade, and wealth that will perish with this present life, and we labour for the sake of such things; ought we not to seek the kingdom, glory, joy and riches which, as well as being all-surpassing, are unfading and endless, and ought we not to endure a little constraint in order to inherit it?
- Saint Gregory Palamas
Praise and Blame
The man who loves God benefits from both praise and blame: if commended for his good actions he grows more zealous, and if reproved for his sins he is brought to repentance. Our outward life should accord with our inner progress, and our prayers to God with our life.
- St. Mark the Ascetic
If you wait…
If you wait for only agreeable conditions for salvation, then you will never begin a God pleasing life.
- St. Nikon of Optina
The life of the Lord Christ
The Lives of the Saints are nothing else but the life of the Lord Christ, repeated in every Saint to a greater or lesser degree in this or that form. More precisely, it is the life of the Lord Christ continued through the Saints, the life of the incarnate God the Logos, the God-man Jesus Christ Who became man.
- St. Justin Popovich, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ, p. 36
For a Christian way of life
Always have the fear of God before your eyes. Remember Him who gives death and lives. Hate the world and all that is in it. Hate the peace that comes from the flesh. Renounce this life, so that you may be alive to God.
- St. Anthony the Great
A message from Anonymous
I'm not Orthodox but I want to be, there are no churches anywhere near here and I am only young. How can I live an Orthodox life?
Hello dear friend,
It’s good to hear that you are finding yourself in the Orthodox Church! Sorry that there isn’t a close Church. I don’t know if you have tried searching via Orthodoxy in America Church locator, maybe something will pop up close by that you didn’t know about.
However, don’t get disapointed, we are all warriors of Christ, so don’t give up! :) A solution could be websites which stream Orthodox services. Here and here you can find live Internet broadcasts of Church services. Of course, it’s not exactly the same as to be in the Church, where you can light candles, venerate the icons and pray inside the Church, but it’s a solution if your heart and mind is there.
Now, regarding the Orthodox life: try to read the Bible as more as possible (if you can every day, it’s ideal). Also, you can read some Orthodox books in order to learn the basics of the faith and to strengthen your faith in God (here is a list I made with some Orthodox Christian books, just take a look on them and decide which you want to read first). In case you can’t afford these books, you can either find them online, or read some Orthodox websites on a daily basis (here is a list with some useful Orthodox sites).
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are an important part of the Orthodox Christian life. Try to pray as much as you can daily (here you can find an Orthodox prayer book), and especially, try to say the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner) as possible. I wouldn’t propose you to fast, because only spiritual fathers (priests) can give you advice about how many days you can fast. I don’t say it’s bad to fast - exactly the oposite, it’s vital for our spiritual life - I just don’t have the authority to give you advice. On almsgiving, you can help the people in need by offering them what they need.
These are only quick thoughts and advice. We could write tons of books about how to live an Orthodox life. The most important is prayer: pray, pray, pray… God is always listening to us, He knows our needs and He is always here for us.
You may want to contact an Orthodox Christian priest and ask your questions, even if it’s impossible to have a personal meeting, the internet is a good solution. Here on tumblr for example, we have the blessing to have with us two Orthodox priests and a Deacon: Fr. Aleksa, Fr. Paisius and Fr. Deacon Silouan. Also, you may want to other Orthodox as well, so here you can find our big Orthodox family!
I hope that my reply helped you, even in a tiny amount, I spent many hours by trying to translate my thoughts, so please forgive any mistakes of mine :)
God bless you!!
