The all-good Providence of God always arranges what is most beneficial for us, while in our ignorance, we very often strive for the very opposite.

St. Ambrose of Optina

...human reason has been corrupted since the fall of man; therefore, it must be submitted to faith and revelation and thus raised up to a higher level.

Father Seraphim Rose

Nobody can become a Christian by being lazy. It needs work, lots of work.

Elder Porphyrios

There is no greater love than that a man lays down his life for his neighbor. When you hear someone complaining and you struggle with yourself and do not answer him back with complaints; when you are hurt and bear it patiently, not looking for revenge; then you are laying down your life for your neighbor.

Abba Poemen

When there is a respect for small things, there will be an even greater respect towards the bigger things. When there is no respect for small things, then neither will there be for the bigger ones. This is how the Fathers maintained Tradition.

Elder Paisios

Do not believe brother, that inner thoughts can be controlled without the control of the body. Fear bad habits more than devils.

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

A discerning man, when he eats grapes, takes only the ripe ones and leaves the sour. Thus also the discerning mind carefully marks the virtues which he sees in any person. A mindless man seeks out the vices and failings … Even if you see someone sin with your own eyes, do not judge; for often even your eyes are deceived.

St. John Climacus

He who has realized love for God in his heart is tireless, as Jeremiah says, in his pursuit of the Lord his God, and bears every hardship, reproach and insult nobly, never thinking the least evil of anyone.

St Maximos the Confessor

One day, while St. Antony was sitting with a certain Abba, a virgin came up and said to the Elder: "Abba, I fast six days of the week and I repeat by heart portions of the Old and New Testament daily." To which the Elder replied: "Does poverty mean the same to you as abundance?" "No", she answered. "Or dishonour the same as praise?" "No, Abba." "Are your enemies the same for you as your friends?" "No", she replied. At that the wise Elder said to her: "Go, get to work, you have accomplished nothing."

St. Peter of Damaskos

A dog is better than I am, for he has love and he does not judge.

Abba Xanthios

When conversion does take place, the process of revelation occurs in a very simple way; a person is in need, he suffers, and then somehow the other world opens up. The more you are in suffering and difficulties and are desperate for God, the more He is going to come to your aid, reveal who He is, and show you the way to get out.

Fr. Seraphim Rose

What salt is for any food, humility is for every virtue. To acquire it, a man must always think of himself with contrition, self-belittlement and painful salf-judgment. But if we acquire it, it will make us sons of God.

St. Isaac the Syrian

Beware of the spirit of despondency, for it gives birth to every evil. A thousand temptations come from it: agitation, rage, blame, complaint against one's fate, profligate thoughts, constant change of place. The soul then avoids people, believing them to be the cause of its trouble, and does not understand that the cause of the illness is within itself.

St. Seraphim of Sarov

Hell does not appear to the faithless; it is clear and obvious to the faithful....

St. John Chrysostom

You should continually and unceasingly call to mind all the blessings which God in His love has bestowed on you in the past, and still bestows for the salvation of your soul. You must not let forgetfulness of evil or laziness make you grow unmindful of these many and great blessings, and so pass the rest of your life uselessly and ungratefully.

St. Mark the Ascetic

You should continually and unceasingly call to mind all the blessings which God in His love has bestowed on you in the past, and still bestows for the salvation of your soul. You must not let forgetfulness of evil or laziness make you grow unmindful of these many and great blessings, and so pass the rest of your life uselessly and ungratefully.

St. Mark the Ascetic

Maladies in our eyes only appear painful, unpleasant and terrible. It is seldom that any one of us during the time of sickness represents to himself the profit which his illness brings to his soul; but in God's all wise and most merciful Providence, not a single malady remains without some profit to our soul.

St. John of Kronstadt

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

Dorotheos of Gaza

Our mind is so darkened by the fall that unless we force ourselves to remember death we can completely forget about it. When we forget about death, then we begin to live on earth as if we were immortal, and we sacrifice all our activity to the world without concerning ourselves in the least either about the fearful transition to eternity or about our fate in eternity. Then we boldly and peremptorily override the commandments of Christ; then we commit all the vilest sins; then we abandon not only unceasing prayer but even the prayers appointed for definite times -we begin to scorn this essential and indispensable occupation as if it were an activity of little importance and little needed. Forgetful of physical death, we die a spiritual death.

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

One must do good deeds but not place hope in them. To place hope in one's deeds is a sign of self-reliance.

Elder Macarius of Optina

We see people sinning but we do not see them repenting.

St. John Climacus

Since this habit has acquired power over your heart through frequent repetition of certain actions, which satisfy the passion dwelling in the heart, opposing it in the heart is not enough to weaken and destroy this power; you must use actions which are contrary to the former ones, actions opposed to the passion, smashing and destroying it.

Unseen Warfare

For anything that is quickly obtained is also easily lost, whereas everything found with toil is also kept with careful watching.

St. Isaac the Syrian

There are two paths. One, the path of self-reproach and humility. And two, the path of self-justification and despondency.

Elder Michael

To love Christ means not to be a hireling, not to look upon a noble life as an enterprise or trade, but to be a true benefactor and to do everything only for the sake of love for God.

St John Chrysostom

A true Christian is made by faith and love toward Christ. Our sins do not in the least hinder our Christianity, according to the word of the Savior Himself. He deigned to say: not the righteous have I come to call, but sinners to salvation; there is more joy in heaven over one who repents than over ninety righteous ones.

St. Herman of Alaska

It is through victories in small things that the fathers won their great battles.

St. Peter of Damaskos