Always joyful

We must try to always be in good spirits, always joyful, because the spirits of evil want us to be sad all the time.

- Elder Thaddeus of Serbia

Those of little faith…

A child cries when his mother washes him, and those of little faith murmur at God when they are in trouble, which cleanses the soul like water cleanses the face.

- St. Symeon of Daibabe

What are you crying about, when the sun is shining?

A group of little children were playing. They were running about, picking flowers, singing, and rejoicing, because the grace of God made them happy. Then they saw a monk who was crying.

“Look,” they said to him, “the Lord decorated the heavens with stars and the earth with rivers and gardens; hawks fly high above the clouds and enjoy the beauty of nature; birds sing beautifully in the fields, but you, a monk, sit in your cell and do not see the whole beauty of God. You just sit and cry. What are you crying about in your little cell, when the sun is shining, the world is full of beauty, and there is joy everywhere on earth?”

“Children,” replied the monk, “you do not understand my tears. My soul cries for you because you do not know God, Who created all this beauty. My soul knows Him, and I want all of you to know Him, too. That is why I am sorrowful, and with tears I pray to God for you, that you would also come to know the Lord through the Holy Spirit.”

“What does it mean, to come to know the Lord through the Holy Spirit?” “You cannot know God with your mind. But when you read the Holy Scriptures, where the Holy Spirit dwells, it will delight you, and so you will come to know God and will serve Him with joy day and night. When you know God, the desire to think only about the things of this world will leave you, and your soul will strive to see the glory of God in the heavens.”

- Saint Silouan the Athonite

The tears of the righteous

You carefully collect the tears of the righteous, and with them You rejuvenate worlds…

- St. Nikolai of Ochrid and Zica

Without a struggle and shedding your blood…

Without a struggle and shedding your blood, don’t expect freedom from the passions. Our earth produces thorns and thistles after the Fall. We have been ordered to clean it, but only with much pain, bloody hands, and many sighs are the thorns and thistles uprooted. So weep, shed streams of tears, and soften the earth of your heart. Once the ground is wet, you can easily uproot the thorns.

- Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Ask with tears…

Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience. For thus he who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

- St. John Climacus

The tears of the faithful

The sorrows of the faithless are storms which ravage everything, but the tears of the faithful are a quiet, gracious rain.

- Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev

A river of tears

When you reach the place of tears…

The fruits of the inner man begin only with the shedding of tears. When you reach the place of tears, then know that your spirit has come out from the prison of this world and has set its foot upon the path that leads to the new age. Your spirit begins at this moment to breathe the wonderful air which is there, and it starts to shed tears.

– Saint Isaac the Syrian

Tears of Repentance

When a person is in a state of bondage to sin and has as an obstacle sadness and cannot concentrate, it means that he is without the regeneration of our Savior Jesus Christ and is far from Him. But when a man “comes to himself” and feels that his soul is far from God and becomes aware of his sinfulness, and with tears of repentance entreats our Heavenly Father to forgive him and bring him back to the heavenly joy of our Christ, then the regeneration of his soul takes place.

- Saint Raphael of Lesvos

On temptations

When you are being tested by trials and temptations, you cannot avoid feeling dejected. But those who till the earth of hardship and tribulation in their hearts are afterwards filled with great joy, tears of consolation and holy thoughts.

-St. John of Karpathos

The distinguishing marks…

Repentance signifies regret, change of mind. The distinguishing marks of repentance are contrition, tears, aversion towards sin, and love of the good.

- St. Nectarios of Aegina

Ask with tears

Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience. For thus he who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

- St. John Climacus – “The Ladder of Divine Ascent” (Step 28)

Nothing is hidden from You

Lord, You know my many errors, You know my sores and You behold my wounds; but You also know my faith, You behold my will and You hear my sighs. Nothing is hidden from You oh Lord, my God, my creator and deliverer, not a teardrop nor even part of a drop…

- St. Simeon the New Theologian

A river of tears

Do not accept any thoughts of pride suggested by Satan, but constantly criticize yourself, for that evil rascal has defiled us with disgraceful passions, so how can we be proud? We need weeping and a river of tears to wash away our filth and sores. Bear in mind the humility of the Crucified Lord: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt. 11:29) Only by achieving true humility shall we find true tranquility and peace in the tempestuous state of our soul.

– Elder Ephraim