A man who gives way to his passions and suffers for it is like a man who is shot at by an enemy, catches the arrow in his hands, and then plunges it into his own heart. A man who is resisting his passions is like a man who is shot at by an enemy,… Continue reading Three Stages of combating Passions
Tag: Saints
St.Stephen The First Marytr
St. Stephen, the Apostle, Archdeacon and Protomartyr. This holy man, as the Book of the Acts of the Apostles testifieth, was full of grace, and of the Holy Spirit, and of power, and he used to perform signs and miracles among the people. And the Jews were envious of him, and they seized him. Setting… Continue reading St.Stephen The First Marytr
Since You Want to be The Judge
For an angel brought [Isaac the Theban] the soul of someone who had fallen into sin, and said to him, ‘Here is the person you have judged. He has just died. Where do you order him to be put, into the Kingdom or into eternal punishment?’ Can you imagine a more terrible situation to be… Continue reading Since You Want to be The Judge
Bury Not Your Conscience
When our conscience says to us, ‘do this!” and we despise it and it speaks again and we do not do it but continue to despise it, at last we bury it and it is no longer able to speak clearly to us from the depths where we have laid it. St. Dorotheos of Gaza
The Fruits of Humility—St.Basil
The story is told of Blessed Basil that, making a visitation of his monasteries, he said to one of the Heads, ‘Have you any saints here?’ The Abba said, ‘Through your prayers, my Lord, we all desire to be saints.’ And again Blessed Basil said to him, ‘No! I mean have you got any saints… Continue reading The Fruits of Humility—St.Basil
Little One in Malice
As the Apostle says, ‘Do not be little ones in understanding, be little ones in malice.’What is being a little one in malice? A baby has no malice. If he is not treated with honor he is not angry; if he is honored, he is not subject to vainglory. If what he has is taken… Continue reading Little One in Malice
True Fasting
Do no fast with bread and salt whilst you eat the flesh of your brethren through judgment and slander. Abba Yousaab El Abah
Let Our Enemies Grow Weak
Abba John the Dwarf said, 'If a king wanted to take possession of his enemy's city, he would begin by cutting off the water and the food and so his enemies, dying of hunger, would submit to him. It is the same with the passions of the flesh: if a man goes about fasting and… Continue reading Let Our Enemies Grow Weak
St. Augustine & St. Monica
St. Augustine of Hippo, born in 354 AD in North Africa, had a pagan father and a devoutly Christian mother, St. Monica. In his youth, he drifted away from his mother's Christian influence, pursuing secular education, a career, and social acceptance. Despite this, St. Monica fervently prayed for her son. At the age of 33,… Continue reading St. Augustine & St. Monica
All Becomes Obstacle in Desire of God
Despite all this, few people come to church. How grievous! We run eagerly to dances and amusements. We listen with pleasure to the foolishness of singers. We enjoy the foul words of actors for hours without getting bored. And yet when God speaks we yawn, we scratch ourselves and feel dizzy. Most people would run… Continue reading All Becomes Obstacle in Desire of God
Fathers in Iconography 