We must not look for people’s consolation,
but for God’s
+
Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
outside air
Television dulls children’s minds. They lose the ability to think on their own, to think critically…
Television has done us great damage.
Saint Paisios the Athonite
tending the garden of the soul
“People are always in a hurry, rushing from one place to another.
They have to be here, the next hour they have to be there and the hour after that they will have to be someplace else. To remind themselves of their many obligations, they have to write them down. With all this running around it is a good thing they still remember their names! They do not even recognize themselves! No wonder! It is so difficult to see yourselves mirrored in murky waters. May God forgive me, but the world has become a huge madhouse! No one thinks of the next life anymore. All they want is more and more material goods. This is why they can not find peace and run around constantly.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
teach a child in the way he should walk
“When from a young age a child becomes filled with Christ, goes to church with his parents, communes, chants, prays – later on when he gets older, leaves home and end up possibly in an unfavorable environment, it’s not difficult for him. It’s like wood which has been drenched in linseed oil. Afterwards, it doesn’t absorb water; since the oil protects it, it won’t take in water and it repels it.”
Saint Paisios the Athonite
one humble word
“One word of a humble and [spiritually] experienced man that is painfully born from the depths of his heart has greater worth than a bunch of clever sayings of an external man’s that come out quickly from his educated mouth. His words don’t speak truth to the souls of men, for they are fleshy words and not the fire of the flames of Pentecost.”
Saint Paisios
guide Thou my footsteps
“Values and relationships were of a different order in the monasteries. All the fathers strived to serve each other in a spirit of self-sacrifice and brotherly love. In fact they found a lot of joy in being able to lend a helping hand. Their way of life stood in sharp contrast to the self centered values and callous individualism displayed by so many who live in large cities…. At a certain point, I noticed an enormous discrepancy between the image I had formed in my mind about Christians and Christian life and what I saw and experienced there. I had always thought that Christians were narrow minded…. I had thought that the Christian Faith and Church were dead…. I was so shocked to encounter a different reality. Something was mysteriously taking place in my soul, which experienced profound joy and tranquility during my stay on the Holy Mountain. It was as though Someone were guiding my footsteps, directing me to speak and learn from the right people.”
The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios
guide Thou my will
“Nothing happens to us by chance. The way we chose to face life is of great importance.”
from the book
gladsomelife.com 