Whoever has mercy upon the poor lends to God. Let us lend to God almsgiving so we may receive from Him clemency in exchange. Oh, how wise is this statement! "Who-ever has mercy upon the poor lends to God.” Why did he not say, “Whoever has mercy upon the poor gives to God" instead of… Continue reading Do You Want God as a Judge or Debtor?
Tag: Wisdom
Force God to Answer Your Prayer
Learn this from the holy Gospels, that prayer remits sins. Therefore, what are they saying? The Kingdom of the Heavens resembles a certain man who closed his door and reclined to sleep along with his children. In the evening, someone came wanting to receive loaves of bread from him and knocked on his door, saying,… Continue reading Force God to Answer Your Prayer
God Hears Your Prayers by Not Responding
Cease saying, "I prayed for many things and was not heard." For even this occurs often to your advantage. Since He realizes that you lose heart and are indolent, and that when you attain your need you depart and no longer pray, God protects you with the pretext of need so that you may converse… Continue reading God Hears Your Prayers by Not Responding
The Need for Guidance According to The Race
Abba Abraham went to see Abba Ares. They were sitting together when a brother came to the old man and said to him, 'Tell me what I must do to be saved.' He replied, 'Go, and for the whole of this year eat only bread and salt in the evening. Then come back here and… Continue reading The Need for Guidance According to The Race
‘I Am Not a Heretic’
It was said concerning Abba Agathon that some monks came to find him having heard tell of his great discernment. Wanting to see if he would lose his temper they said to him 'Aren't you that Agathon who is said to be a fornicator and a proud man?' 'Yes, it is very true,' he answered.… Continue reading ‘I Am Not a Heretic’
The Endless Suffering of Giving in to Instinctive Urges
When I was in the cenobium, I don’t know how it happened, but the brethren simply deluded themselves into entrusting me with their secret thoughts. The abba agreed and with the consent and approval of the seniors, he commanded me to carry out this service. One day, therefore, there came to me one of the… Continue reading The Endless Suffering of Giving in to Instinctive Urges
He Has What He Will
He who does not hold to his own will always has what he will; for externally he does not get his own way but whatever happens, no matter what it is, gives him quiet satisfaction and he discovers for himself that he has what he will. For he does not want things to happen as… Continue reading He Has What He Will
Three Stages of combating Passions
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
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
Fathers in Iconography 