One may have a good worldly relationship with non-believers, but one cannot have a relationship in prayer and one must not carry on arguments about religion so that the name of God not be offended during an argument.

St. Nektary of Optina
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God in His goodness has arranged things perfectly, so that with our gifts, we can help each other, and with our faults, we can be humbled by each other. For every person has some gifts; but everyone also has some faults which one must struggle to overcome.

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
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The crucified flesh reconciles itself with the spirit and with God; whilst the flesh that is cherished, that is abundantly and daintily fed, fights hard against the spirit and against God...

Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
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It is preferable for a sensitive person to die once out of love in order to protect his neighbour, rather than be neglectful or cowardly and then to be constantly tormented by his conscience for the rest of his life.

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
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In our time we see that if a person prays a little more than is customary, reads a little of the Psalter, keeps the fast—he already thinks of himself as better than others, he judges his neighbors, and begins to teach without being asked. All this shows his spiritual emptiness, his departure from the Lord. Fear a high opinion of yourself.

Abbot Nikon Vorobiev
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If the work that you are doing is prolonged, unpleasant, hard, and is someone else's as well, then to keep your soul in a holy and God-pleasing disposition and to protect yourself from any foolish disposition of soul, support yourself while you work with edifying singing, as long as it is not ruled out by the work itself or the place and time. Edifying singing greatly cheers, softens, and calms the soul. If, as is well known, even unedifying, foolish singing during work greatly cheers a person as he works, so much more will edifying singing.

Metropolitan Gregory (Postnikov) of St. Petersburg
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If you wish, you can be a slave of passions, and if you wish, you can remain free and not submit to their yoke; for God has created you with that power.

St. Antony the Great
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Is some poor person asking you for help? Even if you doubt his situation, vou should still help him discreetly so that you are not tempted by negative thoughts.

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
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Everyone recognizes as vile those who are ungrateful to other people; even more so should we acknowledge as vile those who are ungrateful to the Lord God. The holy Apostle numbers the ingratitude of people among the vices of the people of the last time (II Timothy 3:2), that is, of the most depraved time.

Metropolitan Gregory (Postnikov) of St. Petersburg
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Sometimes people call prayer that which is not prayer at all; for instance: a man goes to church, stands there for a time, looks at the icons or at other people, their faces and dress, and says that he has prayed to God; or else he stands before an icon at home, bows his head, says some words he has learnt by heart, without understanding and without feeling, and says that he has prayed, although with his thoughts and heart he has not prayed at all, but was elsewhere with other people and things, and not with God.

Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
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If, therefore, we desire to be set free and to enjoy perfect freedom, let us learn to cut off our desires.

Dorotheos of Gaza
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Why did not the Almighty create the world at once, but in six days? In order to teach man, by deeds, to perform his work gradually, not hurriedly, but with consideration.

Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
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If we do commit some sin again, we should without delay ask forgiveness once again, and the Lord will forgive us, for He came not to save the righteous but the sinners, i.e., those who acknowledge their sins.

Abbot Nikon Vorobiev
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- Geronda, when someone is not needy but pretends to be, should we help him?
- Christ said, We should give to him who begs from us without examining. Even if someone who begs from you is not in need, you should still give to him. Be happy in giving to him.

Elder Paisios of Mount Athos
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Satiety is extremely harmful for the soul. Whoever overindulges in food or drink is incapable of spiritual exercises and can neither pray nor reflect on any thing divine, because excess in food draws a person into laziness, sleepiness, idleness, idle talk, ludicrous behavior, and a great multitude of impure thoughts and desires.

Metropolitan Gregory (Postnikov) of St. Petersburg
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