True Freedom

21 December 2025

 

Instead of freedom from sin, people began to strive for freedom to sin. True freedom, freedom of spirit, Christian freedom came to be considered "despotism," "coercion," the oppression of the Church, while the dissipation of one's sinful will, which leads to enslavement of the spirit, was made life's ideal.

 

        Archbishop Averky

Christ First

20 December 2025

 

It is when you forget God that you begin to entertain evil thoughts and commit wicked deeds.

 

        Saint Cyril of Jerusalem.

On Baptism

19 December 2025

 

You see how many are the benefits of baptism, and some think its heavenly grace consists only in the remission of sins, but we have enumerated ten honors [it bestows]! For this reason we baptize even infants, though they are not defiled by [personal] sins, so that there may be given to them holiness, righteousness, adoption, inheritance, brotherhood with Christ, and that they may be his [Christ’s] members.

 

      John Chrysostom

Malicious Thoughts

15 December 2025

 

Satan's handiwork is to constantly put malicious and damaging thoughts in people's minds.

 

        St. Paisios

The Goodness of God

10 December 2025

 

As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience.

 

        St. Basil the Great

Without Ulterior Motivation

1 December 2025

 

Do everything simply and meekly. Do nothing with an ulterior motive. Don't say, I'll do this in order to have that result, but do it naturally, without taking cognizance of it. That is, pray simply and don't think about what God will bestow on your soul. Don't make any calculations. You know, of course, what God bestows when you enter into communion with Him, but it is as if you don't know. Don't discuss the matter even with yourself. So when you repeat the prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”, say it simply and ingenuously and think of nothing other than the prayer. These are very delicate matters and the intervention of the grace of God is required.

 

        St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia

Protection of the Cross

30 November 2025

 

When you pass beside a hospital make the sign of the Cross three times. Once for the patients. Once for their relatives and once for yourself because you aren't there.

 

        Saint Paisios the Ammonite