On the Just and the Unjust

Elder Paisios the Athonite on the just and the unjust.

On the justice and judgements of God.

Why do things happen that seem bad to us? A narration by the Elder Paisios.

The Letter of the Law

Elder Paisius on "THE LETTER OF THE LAW".

Introduction to the Philokalia

The Writings of the Blessed Hesychios. From Elder Basil of Poiana Marului: Spiritual Father of St. Paisy Velichkovsky.

On Reading Spiritual Books by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

Excerpts from The Arena on the correct Reading of Spiritual Books by St. Ignatius (Ignaty) Brianchaninov.

Elder Thaddeus of Serbia

Short biography, video interview and teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Serbia

Selected Sayings of Mother Gabriel

"Never expect anybody to understand you. Only God."
Selected sayings of Mother Gabriel from the book: "Mother Gabriel, The Ascetic of Love"

Letters: Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast on Patience and Endurance

Paternal Counsels I: Elder Philotheos Zervakos

Paternal Counsels, select letters and excerpts from the book: Paternal Counsels Volume I, by Elder Philotheos Zervakos.

Paternal Counsels II: Elder Philotheos Zervakos

Paternal Counsels, select letters and excerpts from the book: Paternal Counsels Volume II, by Elder Philotheos Zervakos.

On illness by Elder Porphyrios

I thank God for granting me many illnesses. [1] I often say to Him: ‘My Christ, Your love knows no limits!’ How I am alive is a miracle. Among all my other illnesses I also have cancer of the pituitary gland. A tumour appeared there which has grown and presses against the optic nerve. That’s why I don’t see any more. I am in dreadful pain. But I pray, taking up the Cross of Christ with patience. Have you seen what my tongue is like? It has grown; it’s not as it used to be. That’s also a result of the cancer I’ve got in my head. And as time goes on, things will get worse. It will grow even more and I’ll have difficulty in speaking. I’m in great pain, but my illness is something very beautiful. I feel it as the love of Christ. I am given compunction and I give thanks to God. It is on account of my sins. I am sinful and God is trying to purify me.

Talks: St. Barsanuphius of Optina II

April 13, 1911

The Feast of Pascha.

"Our life is in Heaven"—this is the usual theme of my talks. By this thought I tear myself and my listeners away from attachments to earthly, created things. "Our life is in Heaven." Dissatisfaction with things earthly can be sensed in our great worldly writers—for example, in Turgenev and Pushkin; and in foreigners—Schiller, Shakespeare and Heine.

Talks: St. Barsanuphius of Optina I

January 2, 1911

Glory be to the Lord!

We've made it to the Feasts. The present days are called "Svyatki," that is, holy days, since the Church dedicates them to the commemoration of the Nativity of the Savior of the world.

But what is now taking place in the world is terrible to consider!—overeating, drunkenness and debauchery.

On Struggling by St. John of Kronstadt

Do not fear the conflict, and do not flee from it: where there is no struggle, there is no virtue; where there are no temptations for faithfulness and love, it is uncertain whether there is really any faithfulness and love for the Lord. Our faith, trust, and love are proved and revealed in adversities, that is, in difficult and grievous outward and inward circumstances, during sickness, sorrow, and privations.

Concerning Progress By St. Ambrose

In your letter on the 18th of January, you passed on to me your son's question: "According to the Gospel, before the end of the world, mankind will be in the most horrible state that it has ever been in. This condition rejects the possibility of the continual moral perfecting of mankind. If one accepts this, is it possible to continue laboring for the good of mankind? Why continue laboring for the improvement of mankind if one is convinced that it is impossible to achieve moral perfection for mankind before the end of the world?"

Modesty and Will by St. Philaret

Our Lord Jesus Christ, instructing His disciples and apostles, imbued in them the necessity of observing purity of heart and thought. From the thought and from the heart proceed our sinful impulses: "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart," says the Saviour; "and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies" (Matt. 15:18-19).

Directions of St. Anthony the Great

16. In my opinion the grace of the Holy Spirit most readily fills those who undertake spiritual work wholeheartedly and determine from the very beginning to stand firm and never to give ground to the enemy in no matter what battle, until they conquer him. However, the Holy Spirit, Who has called them, at first makes all things easy for them, in order thus to sweeten the beginning of the work of repentance, and only later shows them its ways in their full truth (arduousness). Helping them in all things, He impresses on them what works of repentance they should undertake, and lays down the form and limits both as regards the body and the soul, until He brings them to complete conversion to God, their Creator. For this purpose He constantly urges them to give exertion to body and soul in order that both alike, being equally sanctified, should equally become worthy heirs of eternal life ; to exert the body in constant fasting, work and frequent vigils, and the soul, in spiritual exercises and diligence in all forms of service (and obediences) performed through the body. This (to do nothing carelessly, but always with care and the fear of God) should be zealously observed in all work done with the body, if we wish it to bear fruit. (Epistle I.)

170 Texts on Saintly Life by St. Anthony

1. People are generally called intelligent through a wrong use of this word. The intelligent are not those who have studied the sayings and writings of the wise men of old, but those whose soul is intelligent, who can judge what is good and what evil; they avoid what is evil and harms the soul and intelligently care for and practice what is good and profits the soul, greatly thanking God. It is these alone who should properly be called intelligent.

Enduring Temptation by St. Dorotheos

Abba Poemen used to say very accurately that the signs of a true monk make their appearance in time of temptation.[ 1] For a monk, truly setting out to serve Our Lord, must be wise enough to prepare his soul for temptations, [2] lest he at any time become estranged [from the Lord] or be overwhelmed by what comes upon him. And he must believe that nothing happens apart from God’s providence. In God’s providence everything is absolutely right and whatever happens is for the assistance of the soul. For whatever God does with us, He does out of His love and consideration for us because it is adapted to our needs. And we ought, as the Apostle says, in all things to give thanks for His goodness to us,[3] and never to get heated up or become weak-willed about what happens to us, but to accept calmly with lowliness of mind and hope in God whatever comes upon us, firmly convinced, as I said, that whatever God does to us, He does always out of goodness because He loves us, and what he does is always right. Nothing else could be right for us but the way in which He mercifully deals with us.

Refusing to judge by St. Dorotheos

If we remember the saying of the holy fathers, brothers, and put them into practice all the time, it will be difficult for us to neglect ourselves. For if, as they used to say, we do not despise little things and think they are of no consequence to us, we shall not fall into great and grievous things.