There is, my brethren, a true, real life, and there is a false, imaginary life. To live in order to eat, drink, dress, walk; to enrich ourselves in general, to live for earthly pleasures or cares, as well as to spend time in intriguing and underhand dealings; to think ourselves competent judges of everything and […]

“For in prosperity a man is often puffed up with pride, whereas tribulations chasten and humble him through suffering and sorrow. In the midst of prosperity the mind is elated, and in prosperity a man forgets himself; in hardship he is forced to reflect on himself, even though he be unwilling. In prosperity a man […]

Whenever we enter the church and draw near to the heavenly Mysteries, we ought to Approach with all humility and fear, both because of the presence of the Angelic powers and out of reverence due to the Sacred Oblation; for as the angels are said to have stood by the Lord’s body when He lay […]

A man becomes spiritual insofar as he lives a spiritual life. He begins to see God in all things, to see His power and might in every manifestation. Always and everywhere he sees himself abiding in God and dependent on God for all things. But insofar as a man lives a bodily life, so much […]

“You look into a mirror so that you may know what is in your face, whether there are any blemishes in it, and having seen blemishes, you cleanse them. Let the immaculate life of Christ be a mirror to your soul. Does it desire the same things that Christ desires? And does it do what […]

Our Good God provides each person with a cross relevant to their strength; the idea is not suffering but the ascent from the cross to Heaven – because in reality the cross is a stairway to Heaven. If we realize what treasure we are saving from the pain of ordeals, we will not groan, but […]

“It is not necessary to roam heaven and earth after God or to send our mind to seek Him in different places. Purify your soul, O son of man, remove from yourself the thought of memories outside of nature; hang the veil of chastity and humility before your impulses. By means of these you will […]

“Always remember the harsh trials of those who grieve and those who are despised (in prisons, exile, etc.), so that you might be duly grateful for your small and insignificant trials and be able to endure them with joy.” St. Isaac the Syrian

I give praise to your holy Nature, Lord, for you have made my nature a sanctuary for your hiddenness and a tabernacle for your holy mysteries, a place where you can dwell, and a holy temple for your Divinity. St. Isaac the Syrian

The Orthodox Church does not accept the doctrine of original sin as espoused in the West, yet this in no way suggests that we do not need to be born again (born anew). We Orthodox believe, as did the Early Church Fathers, that we inherit only the results of Adams sin, not his guilt. This […]