3D"St.
Canberra, Australia

For The Seekers Of Heavenly Jerusalem

This is collection of precious spiritbearing words gathered in = last few=20 weeks from various springs, it is to be carefully examined and planted = in the=20 garden of the heart.

Let us praise her, then, today with sacred songs, we who are = privileged to be=20 called and to be the people of Christ. Let us honor her with an = all-night=20 assembly. Let us delight in her holiness of soul and body; after all, = she is=20 truly, after God, the holiest of all beings, for like always delights in = like!=20 Let us do her homage by our mercy and our compassion for the poor. For = if God is=20 honored by nothing so much as by mercy, who can deny that His mother is=20 glorified, too, by the same thing? She has opened up to us the = unspeakable depth=20 of God's love for us!

St. Andrew of Crete

'If someone were especially dear to me, but I realized that he was = causing me=20 to do something less good, I should put him far from me.'

Abba Agathon

"As long as you have bad habits do not reject hardship, so that = through it=20 you may be humbled and eject your pride."

St. Maximos the Confessor

Do not wish what concerns you to be as seems best to you, buut as God = wishes;=20 and you will be free from cares and thankful in your prayer.

St. Nilus of Sinai

If you have money, lend it to Christ, and you will also receive a = hundredfold=20 and eternal life. Why do you offer your money to Satan, filling him with = satisfaction, when you have nothing to gain than the woes of hell? What = does the=20 Scripture say? 'They sacrificed to demons and not to God.'

St. Nephon An Ascetic Bishop.

"If it be Thou, bid me to come unto Thee. And He said: 'Come.' And = when Peter=20 was come down out of the ship he walked on the water, to go to Jesus" As = far as=20 his faith took him, thus far Peter walked on the water; but as soon as = he let=20 doubt in, he began to sink, for doubt calls forth fear. The inner = meaning of=20 leaving the ship and walking on the water to the Lord Jesus means = keeping one's=20 soul from bodily cares and bodily love, and settng out on the dangerous = path to=20 the spiritual world, to the Saviour. Such moments occur with ordinary = believers,=20 with the fainthearted to whom joy in Christ is mingled with doubt. They = often=20 desire to free themselves from the flesh and follow Christ, the King of = the=20 spiritual world, but they quickly feel that they are falling and return = to their=20 fleshly preoccupations, as to the ship on the waves.

Bp. (St.) Nikolai Velimirovich

He Who granted one hundred years while the ark was bieng made to that = generation, and still they did not repent, Who summoned beasts that they = had=20 never seen and still they showed no remorse, and Who establihed a state = of peace=20 between the predatory animals and those who are preyed upon and still = they did=20 not fear, delayed yet seven more days for them, even after Noah and = every=20 creature had entered the ark, leaving the gate of the ark open to them. = This is=20 a wonderous thing that no lion remembered its jungle and no species of = beast or=20 bird visited its customary haunt! Although those of that generation saw = all that=20 went on outside and inside the ark, they were stll not persuaded to = renounce=20 their evil deeds.

St. Ephrem the Syrian Whenever you want to subdue your high and proud = thoughts, examine your conscience carefully: Have you kept all the = commandments?=20 Have you loved your enemies and been kind to them in their misfortunes? = Have you=20 counted yourself to be an unprofitable servant and the worst of all = sinners? If=20 you find you have done all this, do not therefore think well of yourself = as if=20 you had done everything well but realize that even the thought of such = things is=20 totally destructive.

Abba Or Through the fall our nature was stripped of this divine = illumination=20 and resplendence. But the Logos of God had pity upon our disfigurement = and in=20 His compassion He took our nature upon Himself, and on Tabor He = manifested it to=20 His elect disciples clothed once again most brilliantly. As St. John = Chrysostom=20 says, He shows what we once were and what we shall become through Him in = the age=20 to come, if we choose to live our present life as far as possible in = accordance=20 with His ways.

St. Gregory Palamas The capital vices are the image of the earthly = man --=20 folly, cowardice, intemperance, injustice. The capital virtues are the = image of=20 the heavenly man -- prudence, courage, temperance, justice. Certainly = then, as=20 we have borne the image of the earthly, let us bear also the image of = the=20 heavenly.

St. Maximus the Confessor

"God's omnipresence is in space and thought - that is, God is = everywhere,=20 both in respect to space and in respect to thought; wheresoever I may = go, either=20 in the body or in thought, everywhere I meet God, and everywhere God = meets=20 me.

St. John of Kronstadt

Search for the way of the saints and you will discover that they have = endured=20 evil but have not returned it. Their blood cries out, 'Avenge us against = those=20 who live on earth,' but I, who love rest, what will I have to say on = that day,=20 seeing prophets and apostles, martyrs and all the other saints who have = endured=20 punishments, without returning evil or being angry. They persuaded those = who=20 were angry that it was not any human will but the injustice of the deed = which=20 compelled thier persecutors to treat them so cruelly. The saints were = not=20 annoyed with those who sent them to death or stoning, to burning or = drowning.=20 They prayed for them, in order that they would receive forgiveness, = knowing the=20 one who forced them to do these things.

Abba Isaiah of Sketis

"The Lord seeks a heart filled to overflowing with love for God and = our=20 neighbor; this is the throne on which He loves to sit and on which He = appears in=20 the fullness of His heavenly glory. 'Son, give me thy heart,' He says, = 'and all=20 the rest I Myself will add to thee,' for in the human heart the Kingdom = of God=20 can be contained." St. Seraphim of Sarov

The divine melodies of the chants indicate the divine delight and = enjoyment=20 which comes about in the souls of all. By it they are mystically = strengthened in=20 forgetting their past labors for virtue and are renewed in the vigorous = desire=20 of the divine and wholesome benefits still to be attained.

St. Maximos the Confessor

"The gnostic ought not to rely in any way on his own thoughts, but = should=20 always seek to confirm them in the light of divine Scripture or of the = nature of=20 things themselves. Without such confirmation, there can be no true = spiritual=20 knowledge..."

St. Peter of Damaskos

"When praying, we must believe in the power of the words of the = prayer, in=20 such a manner as not to separate the words from the deeds they express; = we must=20 believe that the deeds follow the words, as the shadow follows the body, = for the=20 word and the deed of the Lord are indivisible, 'for He commanded and = they were=20 created' (Ps. 148:5). And you must likewise believe that that which you = say in=20 prayer, for which you have asked will be done. You have praised God, and = God has=20 received your praise. You have thanked God, and God has received your = thanks as=20 a spiritual fragrance."

St. John of Kronstadt

Wherever there is hardness and pride, there also are disobedience and = scandals. Wherever there is obedience and humility, God rests. The Holy = Fathers=20 say, "Pride goeth before a fall, and humility before grace." Whereas=20 faintheartedness is the mother of impatience. Have you seen a man, and=20 especially a monk, without patience? He is a lamp without oil whose = light will=20 soon go out.

Elder Joseph the Hesychast

"Almost every sin is committed for the sake of sensual pleasure; and = sensual=20 pleasure is overcome by hardship and distress arising either voluntarily = from=20 repentance, or else involuntarily as a result of some salutary and = providential=20 reversal. 'For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but = when we=20 are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, so that we should not be = condemned=20 with the world' (I Cor. 11:31-32)."

St. Maximos the Confessor

'For He made us, and not we ourselves. The Lord Himself,' I say, = 'made us'=20 (Ps. 98:3). And He also renews us, for in all that He has done and said = through=20 His saints from the beginning, He has strained to achieve the mystery of = our=20 salvation, which is the renewal of man. For the just Abel was = immediately=20 replaced by the God-sent birth of Seth, who resembled his father, = fashioned with=20 similar countenance in the image of God. So the stream of righteousness=20 descended from the original fount and seeped through the rest; and = though the=20 deluge intervened, the seed of mankind thus destroyed survived in one = just man.=20 For the mystery of the one Redeemer was already at work on that = occasion.

St. Paulinus of Nola

Practice self-observation. And if you want to benefit yourself and = your=20 fellow men, look at your own faults and not those of others. The Lord = tells us:=20 "Judge not, that ye be not judged," condemn not that ye be not = condemned. And=20 the Apostle Paul says: 'Who art thou that judgest another mans = servant?"

St. Arsenios of Paros

In this passage (cf Mt. 12:30), He also seems to touch on the = question which=20 the Apostle too did not overlook, that the nations of this world would = ask: how=20 will the dead rise and with what manner of body will they come? For = since He=20 says, "Seek the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto = you"=20 (Lk. 12:31), He indicates that Grace will not be lacking for the = Faithful in the=20 present or in the future, if only those who desire the heavenly do not = seek the=20 earthly. For it is unseemly for the soldiers of the Kingdom to worry = about food=20 (cf. Lk. 12:29). The King knows how to feed, cherish, and clothe His = household,=20 and therefore said, "Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He will nourish = thee" (Ps.=20 54:25).

St. Ambrose of Milan

"...we have now come out of the world and entered into the tomb of = repentance=20 and humiliation by being assimilated to the sufferings of the Lord (Rom. = 6:5, II=20 Cor. 1:5, Phil. 3:10), He Himself comes down from heaven and enters into = our=20 body as into a tomb. He unites Himself to our souls and raises them up, = though=20 they were undoubtedly dead, and then grants to him who has thus been = raised with=20 Christ that he may see the glory of His mystical resurrection."

St. Symeon the New Theologian

"The Lord will protect your coming in and your going out" (Ps. = 120:8). Do you=20 see unfailing assistance in every case, to one going in, one coming out? = What=20 could match the love? What the lovingkindness? Here, I agree, He refers = to all=20 of life: all of life is covered by this, entrances and exists. To = indicate this=20 He added, ' from now and forever." Not for a day, He is saying, nor for = two,=20 three, ten, twenty, a hundred, but constantly, which is not the case = with human=20 beings.

St. John Chrysostom

A person in the habit of contradicting others becomes a two-edged = sword to=20 himself. Unwittingly he destroys his own soul and alienates it from = eternal=20 life.

St Symeon the New Theologian

"...to one who truly prays the prayer of the body, God gives the = prayer of=20 the intellect; and to one who diligently cultivates the prayer of the = intellect,=20 God gives the imageless and formless prayer that comes from the pure = fear of=20 Him. Again, to one who practises this prayer effectively, God grants the = contemplation of created beings. Once this is attained - once the = intellect has=20 freed itself from all things and, not content with hearing about God at = second=20 hand, devotes itself to Him in action and thought - God permits it to be = seized=20 in rapture, conferring on it the gift of true theology and the blessings = of the=20 age to be."

St. Peter of Damaskos

Anything that is easily found is also easily lost, whereas what is = found=20 after much labour will be guarded with vigilance.

St Isaac of Syria

'Remember, O my soul, the terrible and frightful wonder: that your = Creator=20 for your sake became Man, and deigned to suffer for the sake of your = salvation.=20 His angels tremble, the Cherubim are terrified, the Seraphim are in = fear, and=20 all the heavenly powers ceaselessly give praise; and you, unfortunate = soul,=20 remain in laziness. At least from this time forth arise and do not put = off, my=20 beloved soul, holy repentence, contrition of heart and penance for your = sins.'=20 --St Paisius Velichkovsky When a soul has true esteem for God, = deeply-rooted=20 faith combined with detachment from visible things, and an ascetic = practice free=20 from all self-love, it possesses, to use Solomon's phrase, a 'threefold = cord'=20 (Eccles 4.12), not easily broken by the spirits of wickedness. --Nikitas = Stithatos The study of inspired Scripture is the chief way of finding = our duty,=20 for in it we find both instruction about conduct and the lives of = blessed men,=20 delivered in writing, as some breathing images of godly living, for the=20 imitation of their good works. Hence, in whatever respect each one feels = himself=20 deficient, devoting himself to this imitation he finds, as from some = dispensary,=20 the due medicine for his ailment. --St Basil the Great The intellect = will not be=20 glorified with Jesus unless the body suffers for the sake of Jesus. --St = Isaac=20 of Syria As the first-fruits of future chastisement are secretly present = in the=20 souls of sinners, so the foretaste of future blessings is present and=20 experienced in the hearts of the righteous through the activity of the = Spirit.=20 For a life lived virtuously is the kingdom of heaven, just as a=20 passion-embroiled state is hell. --St Gregory of Sinai Love sinners, but = reject=20 their deeds. Do not despise them because of their failings, lest you too = find=20 yourself tempted in the very same way. Remember that you too share in = the stink=20 of Adam, and that you too are clothed in his weakness. --St Isaac of = Syria If=20 you cannot be merciful, at least speak as though you are a sinner. If = you are=20 not a peacemaker, at least do not be a troublemaker. If you cannot be = assiduous,=20 at least in your thought be unlike a sluggard. If you are not = victorious, do not=20 exalt yourself over the vanquished. If you cannot close the mouth of a = man who=20 disparages his companion, at least refrain from joining him in this.

St Isaac of Syria

The hour of death will come upon us, it will come, and we shall not = escape=20 it. May the prince of this world and of the air find our misdeeds few = and petty=20 when he comes, so that he will not have good grounds for convicting us.=20 Otherwise we shall weep in vain. "For that servant who knows his Lord's = will,=20 and did not do it as a servant, shall be beaten with many stripes" (cf. = Lk.=20 12:47).

St. Hesychios the Priest

" 'Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually' (I Kgs. 9:3), = is said=20 of the Temple; 'there', that is, chiefly in the hearts of those = assisting and=20 praying in the Temple, for the Most High does not dwell in temples made = with=20 hands. How comforting it is to read these words of the wise King = Solomon! The=20 eyes of the Master in God's temple are turned upon each of us, His heart = is=20 turned to each of us! Is it possible to require greater nearness? The = Master's=20 very heart is turned to me. Sometimes you stand face to face with = another man=20 and converse with him, but his heart is not turned towards you, and is = occupied=20 with something else; whilst here God's heart is wholly turned to you, = with all=20 its love, all its mercy, and according to your faith. He is ready to = pour all=20 His bounties upon you."

St. John of Kronstadt

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