Once a demon met St. Macarios the Great and said to him, “Macarios, what do you do more than us by sitting in the desert? I reside in […]
Category: Saints and Elders – Counsels
The ceaseless prayer of the heart
The steward, who was a Pole and was a caring man, came over and found me reading the Philokalia and started asking me about what I was reading. “Ah,” he […]
Prayer the immediate spiritual necessity-Elder Efraim of Arizona
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, […]
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 […]