Words from the Saints -- November 13, 2025

“Do not be troubled when you fall every day; do not despair, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honor your patience.” --St. Nektarios of Aegina

“No one can harm the man who does not injure himself; no other person can destroy the man who will not be destroyed from within.” –St. John Chrysostom

“When we are humble, grace comes. When we are proud, grace departs. The humble soul is full of peace, while the proud soul suffers constantly.” –St. Paisios the Athonite

“Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a poet. When you love Christ, you can live even in the darkest suffering with joy.” –St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia

“I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world, and I said groaning, ‘What can get through from such snares?’ Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Humility.’” --St. Anthony the Great

Words from the Saints -- November 6, 2025

“Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience.” --St. John Chrysostom

 “The merciful person is he who gives to others what he himself received from God, whether it be money, or food, or strength, a helpful word, a prayer or anything else...” --St. Peter of Damascus

 “You should always say your prayers with tireless diligence... For humble patience, tirelessness and persistence in prayer conquer the unconquerable God and incline Him to mercy.” --St John Climacus

“You must descend from your head into your heart. At present your thoughts of God are in your head.” --St. Theophan the Recluse

“Love sinners, but hate their works; and do not despise them for their faults, lest you be tempted by the same trespasses.” --St. Isaac the Syrian

 “No human being can take God as his Father unless he takes the Church as his mother.” --St. Cyprian of Carthage

Words from the Saints -- October 30, 2025

"God and our conscience know our secrets. Let them correct us." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"How can you find out if you are living within the will of God? Here is the sign: If you are troubled about anything, this means that you have not completely given yourself over to the will of God. A person who lives in the will of God is not concerned over anything. And if he needs anything, he gives both it and himself over to God. And if he does not receive the necessary thing, he remains calm nevertheless, as if he had it. The soul which has been given over to the will of God is afraid of nothing, not of thunder nor of thieves - nothing. But whatever happens, she says, "Thus it pleases God." If she is sick, she thinks: this means that I need to be sick, or else God would not have given it to me. Thus peace is preserved in both soul and body." --St. Silouan the Athonite

"Happy is the man in whom there is love for God, for he bears God within himself. The one in whom there is love is with God, above all things. Whoever has love in himself does not fear. He is never mad at anyone, nor does he exalt himself above anyone. He does not calumniate anyone, nor does he listen to the calumniator. He does not compete with anyone, is not jealous, does not rejoice in the fall of another, does not slander the fallen, but sympathizes with him and helps him. He does not disdain his brother who is fallen into need, but helps him and is ready to die for him. Whoever has love fulfills the will of God." --St. Ephraim the Syrian

Words from the Saints -- October 23, 2025

"When Scripture says 'He will reward every man according to his works' (Matthew 16:27), do not imagine that works in themselves merit either hell or the kingdom. On the contrary, Christ rewards each man according to whether his works are done with faith or without faith in Himself; and He is not a dealer bound by contract, but God our Creator and Redeemer." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"In everything that we do God searches out our purpose to see whether we do it for Him or for some other motive." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"If you want to be free of all the passions, practice self-control, love and prayer." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"Even if others make war against us, it is right for us to remain in peace." --St. John Chrysostom

Words from the Saints -- October 16, 2025

"Food is not evil, but gluttony is." --St. Maximus the Confessor

"Correct faith does not benefit in anything when life is corrupted." --St. John Chrysostom

"I am not ignorant of what is said of my Lord in the Psalm: 'You destroy those who speak a lie.' And again: 'A lying mouth deals death to the soul.' And likewise the Lord says in the Gospel: 'On the day of judgment men shall render account for every idle word they utter.'" --St. Patrick of Ireland

Words from the Saints -- October 9, 2025

"A man in this world must solve a problem: to be with Christ, or to be against Him. And every man decides this, whether he wants to our not. He will either love Christ or fight against Christ. There is no third option." --St. Justin Popovich

"If we do not have love we are deprived of everything. For nothing attracts God so much as charity. And nothing enrages God so much, as for us to be uncharitable." --St. John Chrysostom

"'Like a tree planted by streams of water,' (Psalm 1:3) the soul is irrigated by the Holy Scriptures and acquires vigor, produces tasty fruit, namely, true faith, and is beautified with a thousand green leaves, namely, actions that please God." --St. John of Damascus

Words from the Saints -- October 2, 2025

"Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude." --St. John Chrysostom

"The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies. The soul that has learned of God’s grace to pray, feels love and compassion for every created thing, and in particular for mankind, for whom the Lord suffered on the Cross, and His soul was heavy for every one of us." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"If you believe in the Gospel that you like, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe in, but yourself." --St. Augustine of Hippo

"When self-will and ease become habitual, they overthrow a man." --St. Poemen

"Presumption and boastfulness are causes of blasphemy. Greed and self-esteem are causes of cruelty and hypocrisy." --St. Kosmas Aitolos

Words from the Saints -- September 25, 2025

"Every passion has an opposing virtue: pride — humility, anger — meekness, hatred — love." --Abba Dorotheus of Gaza

"If the intention is unclean, the deed that follows from it will also be evil, even if it seems it is good." --St. Gregory the Great

"Nothing troubles the man who is given over to the will of God, be it illness, poverty or persecution. He knows that the Lord in His mercy is solicitous for us." --St. Silouan of Mt Athos

"He who is careless about prayer is careless about his salvation; he who quits prayer renounces his salvation." --St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

"The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for God is light, very light... the Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend to save, to heal, to teach..." --St. Cyril of Jerusalem

“Nothing troubles the man who is given over to the will of God, be it illness, poverty or persecution. He knows that the Lord in His mercy is solicitous for us.”

"Do not let pass any opportunity to pray for anyone, either at his request or at the request of his relatives, friends, of those who esteem him, or of his acquaintances. The Lord looks favorably upon the prayer of our love, and upon our boldness before him. Besides this, prayer for others is very beneficial to the one himself who prays for others; it purifies the heart, strengthens faith and hope in God, and enkindles our love for God and our neighbor. When praying, say thus: “Lord, it is possible for Thee to do this or that to this servant of Thine; do this for him, for Thy name is the Merciful Love of Men and the Almighty." --St. John of Kronstadt

Words from the Saints -- September 18, 2025

"There is faith 'that comes by hearing' (Romans 10:17) and there is faith that 'is the substance of things hoped for' (Hebrews 11:1)." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"The Cross is the hope of Christians, the staff of the lame, the comfort of the poor, the destruction of all pride, the victory over devils, the guide of youth, the pilot of mariners, the refuge of those who are in danger, the counsellor of the just, the rest of the afflicted, the physician of the sick, the glory of Martyrs." --St. Ephraim the Syrian

"The Lord wants us to love one another. Here is freedom: in love for God and neighbor. In this freedom, there is equality. In earthly orders, there may not be equality, but this is not important for the soul. Not everyone can be a king, not everyone a patriarch or a boss. But in any position it is possible to love God and to please Him, and only this is important. And whoever loves God more on earth will be in greater glory in His Kingdom." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"The Cross is the door to mysteries. Through this door the intellect makes entrance into the knowledge of heavenly mysteries. The knowledge of the cross is concealed in the sufferings of the cross. And the more our participation in its sufferings, the greater the perception we gain through the cross." --St. Isaac the Syrian

"Through the Cross we have been freed from the tyranny of the devil … through the Cross we have been delivered from death and destruction. … From such darkness the human race has crossed over to infinite light; from death it has been called to everlasting life." --St. John Chrysostom

Words from the Saints -- September 11, 2025

"Just as water falling a drop at a time onto the fire in the end puts it out, so tears of sincere sorrow damp down in us the flame of anger and contempt. Then gentleness arrives, a deep tranquility of soul, which is untroubled either by honors or by ridicule." --St. John Climacus

"In the measure to which a man cuts off and humbles his own will, he proceeds toward success. But insofar as he stubbornly guards his own will, so much does he bring harm to himself." --St. Ephraim the Syrian

"The righteous have no sorrows that are not turned into joy, as sinners have no joy that is not turned into sorrow." --St. Dmitri of Rostov

"When you want to make a beginning of a good deed, first prepare for temptations, which will come to you, and don't doubt the truth [of that which you do for God.}" --St. Isaac the Syrian

"We must always remember that the Lord sees us wrestling with the enemy and so we must never be afraid. Even should all hell fall upon us, we must be brave." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

Words from the Saints -- September 4, 2025

"Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement." --St. John of Kronstadt

"It may be that a man seems to be silent, but if his heart judges others, then he is always speaking." --St. Pimen the Great

"Estrangement and turning away from God are more unbearable than the punishments expected in hell." --St. Basil the Great

Words from the Saints -- August 28, 2025

"The room of the soul is the body; its doors are the five bodily senses. The soul enters its room when the mind does not wander here and there, roaming among the things and affairs of the world, but stays within, in our hearts. Our senses become closed and re main closed when we do not let them be passionately attached to external sensory things and in this way our mind remains free from every worldly attachment, and by secret mental prayer unites with God our Father." --St.Gregory Palamas

"O Eternal God and King of all creation, Who hast granted me to arrive at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have committed today in thought, word and deed, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all defilement of flesh and spirit. And grant me, O Lord, to pass the sleep of this night in peace, that when I rise from my bed I may please Thy most holy Name all the days of my life and conquer my flesh and the fleshless foes that war with me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain and frivolous thoughts, and from evil desires which defile me. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen." --St. Macarius the Great

"Love Christ and put nothing before His Love. Christ is Everything. He is the source of life, the ultimate desire, He is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ." --Elder Porfyrios

Words from the Saints -- August 21, 2025

"When God wants to have mercy on someone, He inspires someone else to pray for him, and He helps in this prayer." --St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

"The beginning of evil is heedlessness." --St. Poemen

"He who stands in awe of God searches for the divine principles that God has implanted in creation; the lover of truth finds them." --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"The remembrance of God is suffering of heart endured in a spirit of devotion. But he who forgets God becomes self-indulgent and insensitive." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"What use is it if we distribute all of our goods to the poor, but fail to make a break with evil and to hate sin? What use is it if, while we do not actively commit bodily sin, we mentally engage in shameful and unclean thoughts and invisibly commit sin and are governed and controlled by unrestrained passions of the soul?" --St. Simeon the New Theologian

"It is not an abundance of words that supplicate God, but a pure soul which manifests good deeds." --St. John Chrysostom

Words from the Saints -- August 14, 2025

"I reckon prosperity, O men, to consist in nothing else than in living according to truth. But we do not live properly, or according to truth, unless we understand the nature of things." --St. Justin Martyr

"When a person accepts anything Godly, then he rejoices in his heart, but when he has accepted anything devilish, then he becomes tormented." --St. Seraphim of Sarov

"The man ensnared by pride will need God's help, since man is of no use to him." --St. John Climacus

Words from the Saints -- August 7, 2025

"The Kingdom of Heaven, O man, requires no other price than yourself. The value of it is yourself. Give yourself for it and you shall have it." --St. Augustine of Hippo

"So, morning or evening, immediately before you begin to repeat your prayers, stand awhile, sit for awhile, or walk a little and try to steady your mind and turn it away from all worldly activities and objects. After this, think who He is to whom you turn in prayer, then recollect who you are; who it is who is about to start this invocation to Him in prayer. Do this in such a way as to awake in your heart a feeling of humility and reverent awe that your are standing in the presence of God. It is the beginning of prayer, and a good beginning is half the complete task." --St. Theophan the Recluse

"Before the war begins, seek after your ally; before you fall ill, seek out your physician; and before grievous things come upon you, pray, and in the time of your tribulations you will find Him, and He will listen to you." --St. Isaac the Syrian

Words from the Saints -- July 31, 2025

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." --St. Basil the Great

"To cling always to God and to the things of God--this must be our major effort, this must be the road that the heart follows unswervingly." --St. John Cassian

"Prayer is an excellent task for the servants of Christ above all others, for the other things are ministries and secondary... Truly this is the task entrusted to us by God, and the crown of all else." --St. Simeon of Thessalonica

"So then, brethren, let us not fall, let us not lose heart, but let us all stand together, as good soldiers of Christ, bearing our arms, not physical ones, but ones empowered by God, for the destruction of strongholds, that is to say: prudence, courage, temperance and justice; and with them fulfilling that which was said by God." --St. Theodore the Studite

Words from the Saints -- July 24, 2025

"The love of God inspires the love of our neighbor, and the love of our neighbor serves to keep alive the love of God." --St. Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome

"The person who fears the Lord has humility as his constant companion and, through the thoughts which humility inspires, reaches a state of divine love and thankfulness. For he recalls his former worldly way of life, the various sins he has committed and the temptations which have befallen him since his youth; and he recalls, too, how the Lord delivered him from all this, and how He led him away from a passion-dominated life to a life ruled by God. Then, together with fear, he also receives love, and in deep humility continually gives thanks to the Benefactor and Helmsman of our lives." --St. Maximos the Confessor

"You are indignant that God is indignant, as if you deserved anything good by living evilly, as if all those things that happen were still not less and lighter than your own sins." --St. Cyprian of Carthage

"When you pray, try to let the prayer reach your heart; in other words, it is necessary that your heart should feel what you are talking about in your prayer, that it should wish for the blessing for which you are asking…. Observe, during prayer, whether your heart is in accord with that which you are saying." --St. John of Kronstadt

"The principal vices - stupidity, cowardice, licentiousness, injustice - are the "image" of the "earthy" man. The principal virtues - intelligence, courage, self-restraint, justice - are the "image" of the "heavenly" man. As we have borne the image of the earthy, let us also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:49)." --St. Maximos the Confessor

Words from the Saints -- July 17, 2025

"As we lift up our hearts to [our Lord] we shall behold the great spectacle of our nature united forever with the fire of the divinity. And laying aside everything to do with the coats of skin in which we were clothed because of the transgression (Genesis 3:21), let us stand on holy ground (Exodus 3:5), each one of us marking out his own holy ground through virtue and steadfast inclination towards God. In this way we shall be bold when God comes in fire, and run forward to be enlightened and once enlightened live with Him forever, to the glory of Him Who is the Light above all glory, might, honor and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen." --St. Gregory Palamas

"Do not shun poverty and afflictions, these wings of buoyant prayer." --St. Nilus of Sinai

"Through the prayer, man is cleansed, brightened, sanctified." --Elder Amphilochios of Patmos

"Do all in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall. But if you do fall, get up again at once and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times because of the withdrawal of God's grace, rise up again each time, and keep on doing this until the day of your death. For it is written, 'If a righteous man falls down seven times'—that is, repeatedly throughout his life—'seven times shall he rise again' [Proverbs 24:16]." --St. John of Karpathos

Words from the Saints -- July 10, 2025

"True, one may know man’s final goal: communion with God. And one may describe the path to it: faith, and walking in the commandments, with the aid of divine grace. One need only say in addition: here is the path-start walking!" --St. Theophan The Recluse

"Watch your heart during all your life—examine it, listen to it, and see what prevents its union with the most blessed Lord. Let this be for you the science of all sciences, and with God’s help you will easily observe what estranges you from God, and what draws you towards Him and unites you to Him. It is the evil spirit more than anything else that stands between our hearts and God; he estranges God from us by various passions, or by the desires of the flesh, by the desires of the eyes, and by worldly pride." --St. John of Kronstadt

"If you pray truly, you will receive assurances of many things, and angels will come to you as they came to Daniel, and will enlighten you with understanding of causes, the wherefore of all things." --St. Nilus of Sinai

"Brethren, let us endeavor to be a holy material for a holy house of the Kingdom of Christ which He builds day and night that He, by the end of time, finishes it completely." --St. Nikolai Velimirovich

"God, heal your creature, that he not be ruled by the enemy." --St. Poemen

"Just as water and fire cannot be combined, so self-justification and humility exclude one another." --St. Mark the Ascetic

"In the eyes of the sovereign Judge the merit of our actions depends on the motives which prompted them." --St. Gregory the Great

"With what hope will we meet Christ if we are still enslaved to the pleasures of the flesh?" --St. Thalassios the Libyan

"On our own, without Divine help, we are not even capable of praying. We cannot pray as needed, and we do not know how to pray or what to pray for." --St. Nikon of Optina

Words from the Saints -- July 3, 2025

"Be ashamed when you sin, not when you repent." --St. John Chrysostom

"It is God, Who is merciful and grants everyone what he needs, Who is building him up when He gives him more than he needs; in doing so He shows the abundance of His love for men and teaches him to give thanks. When He does not grant him what he needs, He makes him compensate for the thing he needs through the working of the mind and teaches him patience." --St. Dorotheos of Gaza

"Through repentance the filth of our foul actions is washed away. After this, we participate in the Holy Spirit, not automatically, but according to the faith, humility and inner disposition of the repentance in which our soul is engaged. For this reason it is good to repent each day as the act of repentance is unending." --St. Simeon the New Theologian

"There is no possession more precious than prayer in the whole of human life. Never be parted from it; never abandon it. But, as our Lord said, let us pray that our toil may not be for nothing, ‘When you stand in prayer, forgive if you have anything against anyone, that your heavenly Father may forgive you your faults.'" --St. Ephraim the Syrian

"Every day you provide your bodies with good to keep them from failing. In the same way your good works should be the daily nourishment of your hearts. Your bodies are fed with food and your spirits with good works. You aren’t to deny your soul, which is going to live forever, what you grant to your body, which is going to die." --St. Gregory the Great