Life is burdensome without love for God.
true knowledge
The things of this earth we may learn with our minds, but knowledge of God and of all heavenly matters comes only through the Holy Spirit, and can not be learned merely with the mind.
Saint Silouan the Athonite
our nourisher and hope
The tree of life in the heart of paradise is Christ.
All men may know and approach this tree and find nourishment and feed on the Holy Spirit.
Saint Silouan the Athonite
What air is to the body, the spirit of God is to the soul.
As you breathe from the air the elements required to nourish your body, so likewise you breathe into yourself from the Spirit of God good inclinations and thoughts…
O Holy Trinity, our Nourisher and Hope!
St John of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ
innumerable gifts
Nothing is nearer to us than God. He is the God of hearts, of the very hearts, and the heart, in its turn, is nearer than anything to us. It is the whole man, ” the hidden man of the heart,” as the Apostle says.
St John of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ
God hides the mysteries He offers to us, so that He might teach us to search for them in love.
Narsai of Edessa
Harmony in Christ
love is the only thing that can bind together
God and His creation and bring about social harmony
in simplicity of heart
The soul is like hardening clay
if it clings to materiality
and like soft wax when it clings to God
Saint Maximos the Confessor
Therefore the Christian, who is called to a heavenly country, who is only a stranger and a sojourner upon earth, ought not attach his heart to anything earthly, but should cling to God alone, the Source of life, our resurrection, and the Life eternal.
St John of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ
deep designs : Divine Wisdom
God is a mystery to all beings. God is in us, and that is why we are a mystery to our own selves. God reveals Himself only to the meek and humble. He is present everywhere, and He is a mystery. We may learn a little about Him, or may gather some knowledge from nature, but for the most part, we are surrounded by mystery
Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives:
Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
selfless labor
Look at the bee, how diligently it labors! It gives of itself without reserve, unsparingly. The lifespan of a bee is a month and a half at the most. It often dies working, without going back to its home, the hive. And we? How we pity ourselves and spare ourselves! Or, look at the ant who is never tired of dragging a heavy burden. Even when its burden falls down, the ant patiently picks it up and goes on with its work. As for us, we give up immediately if things do not go the way we want them to!
Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives
Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
one who discovers their habits will also find the Word and Wisdom of God, who is Christ Himself.
Orthodox Study Bible Notes on Proverbs 6:6
redeeming the time
kind. disarming. wholesome. in wisdom.
readiness to every good word
building up others
and exhorting to love
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“let your speech always be with grace,
seasoned with salt,
that you may know
how you ought to answer each one.”
Colossians 4:6
Ultimately, this is how every Christian is to live every day of his life: we must pray, forgive, be generous and live a simple life; we should go to church, confess our sins, endure all things with patience and humility and show love to all.
Papavassiliou, Vassilios
Thirty Steps to Heaven
give Him your heart
a fresh, hopeful breeze
Our Lord is the sole comfort of both angels and men, of every soul that yearns for Him. He alone is eternal. We can seek comfort from our fellow men here in this life, but all this is very limited, for created beings are limited in time and space and cannot dispense eternity. God alone takes care of every need of our souls.
Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives:
the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4
gladsomelife.com 