November 5th
12:36 PM
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Deny yourself

The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny himself. To deny oneself means to give up one’s bad habits, to root out of the heart all that ties us to the world; not to cherish bad desires and thoughts; to quench and suppress bad thoughts; to avoid occasions of sin; not to do or desire anything from self-love but to do everything out of love for God. To deny oneself means, according to the Apostle Paul, to be dead to sin and the world, but alive to God. 

-St. Innocent of Alaska

#Orthodoxy      #Christianity      #Jesus      #sin      #bad habits     
October 8th
12:29 PM
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Don’t blame anyone

No matter what kind of sorrow comes to you, don’t blame anyone but yourself, and say, “This has happened because of my sins.”

- St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

#Orthodoxy      #Christianity      #Christian      #sin      #sayings     
October 7th
7:51 AM
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Our faults are hidden…

A brother questioned Abba Poemen, saying, “If I see my brother committing a sin, is it right to conceal it?” The old man said to him, “At the very moment when we hide our brother’s fault, God hides our own, and at the moment when we reveal our brother’s fault, God reveals ours too.”

- From the desert fathers

#Orthodoxy      #Christian      #Jesus      #Faith      #sin     
September 28th
5:35 AM
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What is Repentance?

Repentance is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract with God for a second life. A penitent is a buyer of humility. Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort. Repentance is self-condemning reflection, and carefree self-care. Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair. A penitent is an undisgraced convict. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins. Repentance is purification of conscience. Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions. A penitent is the inflicter of his own punishments. Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness.

- St. John Climacus

#Orthodoxy      #Christian      #repentance      #sin      #soul     
September 15th
4:18 AM
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Your sin remains with you…

We have such a law: If you forgive, it means that God has forgiven you; but if you do not forgive your brother, it means that your sin remains with you.

- St. Silouan the Athonite

#orthodoxy      #Orthodox      #Christian      #sin      #spirituality     
August 26th
4:42 AM
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A message from Anonymous
I'm 14 and going to confession tomorrow.I've been before, but this time I remembered As a child I had some thoughts about lustful or bad things. The ones I had as a child trouble me because at the time I didn't know they were bad, they were simply things I saw on tv & thought were ok. Now when things come I am usually able to catch myself & stop them, but I don't know what or how to confess. I have anxiety disorders & I often think that God will punish me if I don't confess absolutely everything

Hello dear friend,

I totally understand how you feel. Often during our lives, all of us may remember some sins that we did when we were younger. Then we may not recognize that we sinned, like you just mentioned. But now that you recognized that lustful thoughts are a sin, you have to confess it to your spiritual father to receive the divine forgiveness of Christ.

Don’t worry about what you will say to confession. Try to use the same words you used to describe the situation in me. Your spiritual father will understand and he will give you guidance. If he doesn’t, he may asks you about something specifically. Don’t be afraid that the father confessor will judge you -this will never happen. Cast far away, any thought of embarrassment or fear. Be certain that the infinite love of the crucified and resurrected Lord will welcome you and transform you.

Also, you don’t need to be anxious or worry for God’s punishment. Fear for punishment and desperation does not exist in Orthodoxy. Us Orthodox Christians know that we are big sinners but also have hope and believe that our Lord is merciful. He desires the salvation of every human soul.

In addition, if you forget to confess something one time, you can say it the next time - don’t worry so much about that. But please don’t hide any sins from your confessor. It’s ok to forget to confess something, we are human after all, but not to hide a specific sin on purpose. Remember, with the Mystery of Confession heals us and makes the immortal soul holy.

And, to help you a little more, you can take a look at two guides to Confession, here and here.

May the Holy Spirit enlighten you during the hour of the Confession!

God bless you!

#Orthodoxy      #Christianity      #Christian      #Confession      #sin     
August 19th
2:10 PM
26 notes
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On sins

If someone has repented once of a sin, and again does the same sin, this is a sign that he has not been cleansed of the causes of the sin, wherefrom, as from a root, the shoots spring forth again.

- St. Basil the Great

#Orthodoxy      #sin      #St. Basil      #Christian      #Religious     
August 9th
7:58 AM
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The root of anger

The Gospel teaches us to cut off the roots of our sins and not merely their fruits. When we have dug the root of anger out of our heart, we will no longer act with hatred or envy. ‘Whoever hates his brother is a murderer’ (I Jn. 3:15), for he kills him with the hatred in his mind. The blood of a man who has been slain by the sword can be seen by men, but blood shed by the hatred in the mind is seen by God, Who rewards each man with punishment or a crown not only for his acts but for his thoughts and intentions as well.

- St. John Cassian

#Orthodoxy      #sin      #anger      #passions      #Christian     
July 25th
12:25 PM
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If you see your neighbor sinning

If you see your neighbor sinning, take care not to dwell exclusively on his faults. Try to think of the many good things he has done and continues to do. Many times when we do this, we come to the conclusion that our neighbor is a far better person than we are.

- St. Basil the Great

#Orthodoxy      #Christian      #Sayings      #sin     
July 13th
12:19 PM
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We offend His greatness…

We offend the greatness of God with our sinning throughout our entire lives, and so must always humbly ask the Lord forgiveness for our sins.

- St. Seraphim of Sarov

#Orthodoxy      #Christian      #Jesus      #sin     
June 25th
5:10 AM
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Know thyself as a sinner

To know one self to be a sinner, if we truly know this, then we will never contradict anyone, we will not quarrel with anyone. We will not become angry with anyone, and we will consider everyone as better as and more intelligent than we are. How can we arouse our heart against those who are better than we are?

- Saint Barsanuphius and John

#Orthodoxy      #Christianity      #Christian      #sin     
June 22nd
4:00 AM
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Repentance is a medicine

Repentance is a medicine which destroys sin. It is a heavenly gift, a marvelous force which through the grace of God conquers the might and strictness of the laws. It accepts all and transforms all…

- Saint John Chrysostom

#Orthodoxy      #Christianity      #sin      #God     
June 20th
6:25 AM
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What greater benefit?

What greater benefit can one bring to his neighbor than to prepare him for life everlasting?…This is not an easy task. One has to do battle with human nature, which has been corrupted by sin. One often encounters misunderstanding, and sometimes deliberate opposition.

- Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco

#Orthodoxy      #Christianity      #Christian      #sin     
May 19th
4:45 PM
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Love every man

Love every man in spite of his falling into sin. Never mind the sins, but remember that the foundation of the man is the same - the image of God.

— St. John of Kronstadt

#Orthodoxy      #Christian      #sin      #love     
May 11th
2:09 PM
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Do not be angry at anyone

Love sinners, but hate their deeds, and do not disdain sinners for their failings, so that you yourself do not fall into the temptation in which they abide… Do not be angry at anyone and do not hate anyone, neither for their faith, nor for their shameful deeds… Do not foster hatred for the sinner, for we are all guilty… Hate his sins, and pray for him, so that you may be made like unto Christ, who had no dislike for sinners, but prayed for them.

- St. Isaac the Syrian

#Orthodoxy      #angry      #pray      #Jesus      #sin