To guard love, the pinnacle of virtues, diligence in prayer is an immediate spiritual necessity. Struggle in prayer if you want our Christ to dwell in you, and He, […]
Category: Saints and Elders – Counsels
The Bell of Virtue
Virtue has no bell so you can ring it and recognize that this is a virtue. The bell of virtue is tolerance, forbearing, patience. These are the ornaments of every […]
Elder Efraim of Arizona. A poisoned heart
The heart is poisoned and darkened by pleasure and sensuality. Then, since it is darkened, it does the works of darkness, grieving the Holy Spirit Whom it had received […]
Moaning and groaning about your neighbor
The slightest moaning and groaning about your neighbor, affects your soul and you cannot pray. The Holy Spirit, when finds the soul in such a situation, does not dare to approach. […]
It will come when you do not ask for it
When you stop remembering what you ask for, then it will come to you as a gift of your patience and courage. Saint Joseph the Hesychast Translated […]
Abide in the bond of mutual love
Abide in the bond of mutual love, for love is the beginning and the end—the foundation. It is on love towards God and your brothers that “all the law […]
Humility stems from love
If you love someone, you do not say bad words about them, you do not despise them, you do not upset them, because they are hurt. If you upset someone […]
On Carnal Warfare
My child, you wrote about your carnal warfare. Know that it stems from pride —so that you may humble yourself and learn that if grace leaves us, we fall […]
How to gain His Kingdom
At the beginning of his monastic life, Abbot Euprepius visited an Elder and said to him: “Elder, how can I gain His Kingdom?” And he said to him: […]
I trust in God, that He will have mercy on my lowliness
The older I grow, the more I perceive the instability, the vanity of earthly things. Oh, why do we trouble ourselves in vain? Our life is short—dust, ashes, a […]