20 April 2021
On Prayer
Prayer
can truly change your life. For it turns your attention away from yourself and
directs your mind and your heart toward the Lord.
Saint
John Paul (1920-2005)
19 April 2021
Christ the Good Shepherd
Let our hearts grow warm; let our faith be rekindled; let our desire for the things of heaven increase; for to love in this way is indeed to be on the way. We should allow no misfortune to distract us from this happiness and deep joy; for if you are determined to reach the destination of your spiritual journey the roughness of the road will not deter you. Nor should the delights of material prosperity in this life ever entice you astray; only the foolish traveler, spotting a pleasant field on the way, forgets that he is en route to a greater destination.
Saint Gregory the Great
Christ the Good Shepherd
Let our hearts grow warm; let our faith be rekindled; let our desire for the things of heaven increase; for to love in this way is indeed to be on the way. We should allow no misfortune to distract us from this happiness and deep joy; for if you are determined to reach the destination of your spiritual journey the roughness of the road will not deter you. Nor should the delights of material prosperity in this life ever entice you astray; only the foolish traveler, spotting a pleasant field on the way, forgets that he is en route to a greater destination.
Saint Gregory the Great
18 April 2021
See With the Eyes of Faith
All of you, then, who have deserved to he enrolled in this heavenly book,” bring forward a generous faith and a strong reason. What takes place here requires faith and the eyes of the soul, so that you pay heed not only to what is seen, but that you make the unseen visible from the seen. This is what the eyes of faith can do. The eyes of the body can see only those things which come under their perception, but the eyes of faith are quite the opposite. For they see nothing of visible things, but the invisible things they see as if they were lying before their eyes. This is faith: to see the invisible as if it were visible. St. Paul says: Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that are not seen.
Saint John Chrysostom
Baptismal Instructions, p46
See With the Eyes of Faith
All of you, then, who have deserved to he enrolled in this heavenly book,” bring forward a generous faith and a strong reason. What takes place here requires faith and the eyes of the soul, so that you pay heed not only to what is seen, but that you make the unseen visible from the seen. This is what the eyes of faith can do. The eyes of the body can see only those things which come under their perception, but the eyes of faith are quite the opposite. For they see nothing of visible things, but the invisible things they see as if they were lying before their eyes. This is faith: to see the invisible as if it were visible. St. Paul says: Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that are not seen.
Saint John Chrysostom
Baptismal Instructions, p46
17 April 2021
On Prayer
Some people think that in prayer, you are the one giving to God. You give him words, you give him time, you give him emotions. But in reality, prayer in its true depth is a process of taking from God. He is the Giver, not the taker. The person who prays and feels that he has taken from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and feels that he has received power from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives blessings from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives repentance from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives holiness in their life from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives a spiritual connection between themselves and God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer.
Pope Shenouda III (1923-2012)
[Coptic Orthodox Church]
On Prayer
Some people think that in prayer, you are the one giving to God. You give him words, you give him time, you give him emotions. But in reality, prayer in its true depth is a process of taking from God. He is the Giver, not the taker. The person who prays and feels that he has taken from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and feels that he has received power from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives blessings from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives repentance from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives holiness in their life from God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer. The person who prays and receives a spiritual connection between themselves and God, is the one who succeeds in their prayer.
Pope Shenouda III (1923-2012)
[Coptic Orthodox Church]
16 April 2021
A Pearl Soul
A pure soul is like a fine pearl. As long as it is hidden in the shell, at the bottom of the sea, no one thinks of admiring it. But if you bring it into the sunshine, this pearl will shine and attract all eyes. Thus the pure soul, which is hidden from the eyes of the world, will one day shine before the Angels in the sunshine of eternity.
A Pearl Soul
A pure soul is like a fine pearl. As long as it is hidden in the shell, at the bottom of the sea, no one thinks of admiring it. But if you bring it into the sunshine, this pearl will shine and attract all eyes. Thus the pure soul, which is hidden from the eyes of the world, will one day shine before the Angels in the sunshine of eternity.
Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)
15 April 2021
On Temptation
What I recommend most earnestly is not to lose heart when you are tempted. Do you wish to succeed? The best way is to reveal the temptations to your spiritual director immediately. The devil loves darkness. He always operates in the dark because he knows that if he is discovered he is beaten.
Saint John Bosco (1815-1888)
On Temptation
What I recommend most earnestly is not to lose heart when you are tempted. Do you wish to succeed? The best way is to reveal the temptations to your spiritual director immediately. The devil loves darkness. He always operates in the dark because he knows that if he is discovered he is beaten.
Saint John Bosco (1815-1888)
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