the outcome of love {blessed are the meek}

Leave a comment May 9, 2019 nourishinggrace

“I cant give you an example of what real obedience is. It’s not that we have a discussion about the virtue of obedience and then I say to you, : go and do a somersault” and you obey. That’s not obedience. You need to be entirely carefree and not thinking at all about the matter of obedience, and then suddenly you are asked to do something and you are ready to do it joyfully. If you are busy at work, and not at all in a state of vigilance, and readiness and someone humiliates your, then by your reaction you will show whether or not you have obedience.”

“My obedience was the outcome of love, not coercion. This blessed obedience benefitted me greatly. It changed me. I became sharp-witted, quick and stronger in body and soul. It made me know everyting. I must glorify God day and night for granting me the possibility of living in this way, in this life. Obedience is something I have poured over and studied minutely. The other things that God has given me in my life came on their own. The gift of clear sight was also given me by God on account of obedience. Obedience shows love for Christ. And Christ especially loves the obedient. That is why He says, I love those who love Me, and those who seek me will find grace. Everything is written in Holy Scripture but in a concealed manner.

Saint Porphyrios

Wounded by Love : The Life and Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios

sense and sensibility

Leave a comment May 8, 2019 nourishinggrace

Christ is the summit of desire, there is nothing higher. All sensible things lead to satiety, but with God there is no satiation. He is everything. God is the summit of desire. No other joy, no other beauty, nothing else can rival Him. What is higher than the highest?

Saint Porphyrios

Wounded by Love : the Life and Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios

we need to dwell on this

Leave a comment May 4, 2019 nourishinggrace

But the centre of gravity I wanted to place on the “University of the Church” By that I mean the hymns, canons, midnight offices, mid-hour offices, the Psalter, Paraklitiki, Mention, Theotokarion, Tridion, Pentacostarion — all the service books of the Church. I wanted us, if possible, to read everything that is prescribed in the Book of Liturgical Order, the so-called Typicon. I thought of reading the sections from the Psalter before mid-day so we wont read them during the night, and make the sisters tired.

garden olive tree :: my homage to Greece

Devotion to and occupation with the hymns and readings is a great thing in my view — a very great thing — because in that way, a person is sanctified without realizing it. He acquires love and humility, and everything as he hears the words of the saints in the various liturgical books. We need to dwell on this. This needs to be our daily occupation and delight in the Church.

Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios

SAINT PORPHYRIOS

anxiety dissolves with Faith

Leave a comment May 25, 2015 nourishinggrace

“What is true for parents is also true for teachers.

With prayer and sanctity you can also help children at school. Don’t attempt to correct bad situations with human methods. No good will come of this. You will only produce good results with prayer. Invoke the grace of God on all the children, for divine grace to enter their souls and transform them. That is what it means to be a Christian. You teachers transmit your anxiety ot the children, without realizing it, and this affects them. Anxiety dissolves with faith. What is it that we say?

“We commit our whole life to Christ our God.”

Saint Porphyrios

holy humility

Leave a comment February 4, 2015 nourishinggrace

“When the heart has God given humility it sees everything clearly. It already lives in the earthly Uncreated Church of God… I am referring to humility that is not said with words, neither is it that which we fell we have acquired. Holy humility is God’s gift to the soul.”

The Divine Light Elder Porphyrios Lit in My Heart

Saint Porphyrios

love physical effort

Leave a comment February 3, 2015 nourishinggrace

“So you too should love physical effort and tiredness. It is good for the body and good for the soul.”

Saint Porphyrios

fervent love

Leave a comment February 1, 2015 nourishinggrace

“Give yourself completely to Christ with fervent love and longing… be simple, prudent and focused. Always feel the presence of the Lord.”

The Divine Light Elder Porphyrios Lit In My Heart

-Monk Agaios-

Saint Porphyrios

culitvate love

Leave a comment December 5, 2013 nourishinggrace

“Prayer is to approach everything made by God with love.”

Saint Porphyrios

“I enjoyed the garden. I bought a hand held cultivator to prepare the ground as well as possible. The garden had everything: tomatoes, aubergines, pumpkins, onions, garlic and so on. My great love was for the trees. I was filled with joy to look at them. I planted four hundred trees: walnut trees, plum trees, pear trees, apple trees, peach trees, almond trees, hazelnut trees, medlar trees and pomegranate trees. I loved the work. I always said and still say: “Work as if you were immortal, and live as if you were on the point of death. That is, plant walnut trees, fig trees and olive trees, even if you are ninety years old!”

Saint Porphyrios

“Love Christ and put nothing before His Love. He is joy, He is life, He is light. Christ is Everything. He is the ultimate desire, He is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ.”