~ Attending Church

St. John Climacus was asked if there are reliable signs by which it's possible to know whether a soul is drawing near to God or moving away from Him. After all, regarding ordinary things there are clear signs as to whether they're good or not. When, for instance, cabbage, meat or fish begins to rot, it's easy to notice it, since the rotting object begins to give off a foul odor, the color and taste change, and its external appearance witnesses to its deterioration. Well, and what about the soul? After all, it's bodiless and can't give off a bad smell or change its appearance. To this question the Holy Father replies, "A sure sign of the deadening of the soul is the avoidance of church services."

A man who is growing cold towards God begins first of all to flee attending church. At first he tries to come to services later, and then he ceases altogether to visit God's temple.

~ Active Faith

Let us not only be hearers of the Divine words of our Savior. Let us diligently, in accordance with our strength, fulfill His commandments. The Lord will not disdain our labors and the Kingdom of Heaven will enter our heart, and no one will be able to take our joy from us.

~ The Jesus Prayer

One must seek peace and light and strength in God through the Jesus Prayer. When it becomes very hard for you and gloom surrounds you, stand before the icon, light the lampada if it hasn't been lit, kneel if you are able, or else just say "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Say it once, again, a third time- say it so that it's not just your lips that are pronouncing it, but in such a way that it reaches your heart. And then, the sweetest Name of the Lord will without fail reach your heart, and little by little the melancholy and grief will subside and your soul will become bright. A quiet joy will reign in it.

~ Sin

the 'original' sin is not primarily that man has 'disobeyed' God; the sin is that he ceased to be hungry for Him and for Him alone, ceased to see his whole life depending on the whole world as a sacrament of communion with God. The sin was not that man neglected his religious duties. The sin was that he thought of God in terms of religion, i.e. opposing Him to life. The only real fall of man is his noneucharistic life in a noneucharistic world.

~ Remaining in Church

Blessed Matthew of the Caves resembled the first Holy Evangelist not only in name but also in deeds. This blessed man gave himself over to ascetic toil in the Caves Monastery and received from God the great gift to see the enemies of mankind - the demons - and to know their hidden snares and devices. In revealing them to others, he served for the good and salvation of the brethren.

Once, while standing in his usual place during a church service, Blessed Matthew saw an invisible demon in the image of a a warrior. The demon moved about the church throwing some sort of sticky petals on the brethren. If one of the petals fell on a brother and remained on him, his attention to the divine service immediately weakened and his fervour toward prayer was lost. The brother would find some excuse for himself, quickly leave the church for his cell, and go to his cell where he would lie down to sleep and not return to church. When Blessed Matthew revealed this to the brethren, they became especially watchful and attentive and resisted the temptation to leave the church during a service.

~ Perseverance

If the combat with pleasure seems wearisome, nevertheless let all take heart. Habit will not fail to produce, even in the seemingly most fretful, a feeling of pleasure through the very effort of their perseverance; and that pleasure will be of the noblest and purest kind; which the intelligent may well be enamoured of, rather than allow themselves, with aims narrowed by the lowness of their objects, to be estranged from the true greatness which goes beyond all thought.

~ On Anxiety

Let us not then grieve, beloved, let us not despond on account of the present tribulation, but let us admire the well-devised plan of God?s wisdom. For by these very means through which the devil hoped to overturn our city, hath God restored and corrected it. The devil animated certain lawless men to treat the very statues of the Emperor contemptuously, in order that the very foundations of the city might be razed. But God employed this same circumstance for our greater correction; driving out all sloth by the dread of the expected wrath: and the thing has turned out directly opposite to what the devil wished, by the means which he had himself prepared.

~ Cheerfulness

But be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God even the Father; subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.? Dost thou wish, he says, to be cheerful, dost thou wish to employ the day? I give thee spiritual drink; for drunkenness even cuts off the articulate sound of our tongue; it makes us lisp and stammer, and distorts the eyes, and the whole frame together. Learn to sing psalms, and thou shall see the delightfulness of the employment. For they who sing psalms are filled with the Holy Spirit, as they who sing satanic songs are filled with an unclean spirit. What is meant by ?with your hearts to the Lord?? It means, with close attention and understanding. For they who do not attend closely, merely sing, uttering the words, whilst their heart is roaming elsewhere. ?Always,? he says, ?giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ unto God even the Father, subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.? That is, ?let your requests be made known unto God, with thanksgiving?; for there is nothing so pleasing to God, as for a man to be thankful. But we shall be best able to give thanks unto God, by withdrawing our souls from the things before mentioned, and by thoroughly cleansing them by the means he has told us. ?But be filled,? says he, ?with the Spirit.?

~ Strength in God

Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

~ Love

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.