Wisdom of the Divine Philosophers

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.

WISDOM OF THE DIVINE PHILOSOPHERS
[Volume Two]

"Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy" (St. Matthew 5:7). The merciful person is he who gives to others what he has himself received from God, whether it be money, or food, or strength, a helpful word, a prayer, or anything else that he has through which he can express his compassion for those in need. At the same time, he considers himself a debtor, since he has received more than he is asked to give. By Christ's grace, both in the present and in the world to come, before the whole of creation, he is called merciful, just as God is called merciful (cf. St. Luke 6:36).--Saint Peter of Damascus

Passions

"The Lord allows us to be tossed by various passions in this life in order that we may hate passions with all our heart, that we may look upon everything earthly as nothing, however precious and pleasant it may appear, and that we may long with all our hearts for God alone, the Source of tranquility and life, may cling to Him alone, may value Him before everything, His holy will, His peace and joy."--Saint John of Kronstadt

Sorrows and Sufferins

"Do not become despondent in your sorrows, and do not give up. Read the Gospel more frequently and more extensively. Jesus Christ forgave all who repented, but He also warned them: 'Go and sin no more.' Turn to Him more often, acknowledge your failings, ask for help, constantly force yourself to say the Jesus Prayer whether out loud or to yourself."--Abbot Nikon Vorobiev of Russia

Sin

"Sin does not strike only the soul, but the body as well. In some cases this is exceedingly obvious; in others, although it is not as obvious, the truth remains the truth: that all the illnesses of the body always stem from sins. A sin is committed in the soul and directly makes it sick; but since the life of the body comes from the soul, then the life coming from a sick soul is, of course, not healthy. The mere fact that sin brings darkness and sorrow must act unfavorably on bodily health. But when you remember that it separates man from God, the Source of life, and places man in disharmony with all laws acting in himself and in nature, then one must marvel how a sinner remains alive after sinning. This is the mercy of God, Who awaits repentance and conversion."--Saint Theophan the Recluse

Purity

"Whenever we see within us malice, envy, criticism, grumbling, and whatever else is of the devil, we should realize that we do not have a pure heart. If we had a pure heart, we would not be offended even if people insulted and derided us. The fact that we are offended, bothered, embittered, shows that our heart is not pure."--Elder Ephraim of Arizona

Conscience

"When God created man He set a conscience within the soul so that he may be governed by it as by a rule, and so that he may be guided in what to do and what to avoid. Conscience is nothing other than natural or innate law, which is why it also agrees with the written Law of God. For whatever the Law of God teaches, conscience teaches also."--Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

Insecurity

"Nowadays people have all kinds of insurances; however, being estranged from Christ, they feel the greatest insecurity of all. No other age has seen as much insecurity as our own. No human insurance can help people. Seeing that the world's ship is sinking, people rush to board the ship of the Church--to find spiritual safety there. But if they see that the Church is also taking on water and that she has been caught up in the secular spirit and not in the Holy Spirit, they too will go away--having nothing to hold on to."--Saint Paisios the Athonite

Confession

"When our soul departs from life, we shall not be accused because we have not worked miracles, or had not been theologians, or have not seen visions, but we shall all certainly have to give account before God because we have not wept unceasingly on account of our sins."--Saint John Climacus

Self-Restraint

"Let us guard our mouth constantly, set reason on it to close it, not for it to be constantly closed but for it to open appropriately in season: there are times when silence is of more value than speech, as likewise speech more than silence. This is the reason why that most sage composer said, 'A time for keeping silence, and a time for speaking.' After all, if being open at all times was necessary, there would be no doors, while if being closed was required at all times, there would be no need of a guard. I mean, what would you guard if things were closed up? Door and guard are for this reason, however, for us to use each at the proper time."--Saint John Chrysostom

Forgiveness

"That God may forgive us, let us forgive men. We are all on this earth as temporary guests...Prolonged fasting and prayer are in vain without forgiveness and true mercy. God is the true Physician; sins are leprosy. Whomever God cleanses, God also glories. Every merciful act of men, God rewards with mercy. He who returns sin with sin perishes without mercy. Pus is not cleansed by pus from infected wounds, neither is the darkness of the dungeon dispelled by darkness, but pure balm heals the festering wound, and light disperses the darkness of the dungeon."--Saint Nikolai Velimirovic

Stillness

"Nothing so benefits the weak as withdrawal into stillness, or the man subject to the passions and without spiritual knowledge as obedience combined with stillness. Nor is there anything better than to know one's own weakness and ignorance, nor anything worse than not to recognize them."--Saint Peter of Damascus

Watchfulness

"One type of watchfulness consists in closely scrutinizing every mental image or provocation; for only by means of a mental image can Satan fabricate an evil thought and insinuate this into the intellect in order to lead it astray. A second type of watchfulness consists in freeing the heart from all thoughts, keeping it profoundly silent and still, and in praying. A third type consists in continually and humbly calling upon the Lord Jesus for help. A fourth type is always to have the thought of death in one's mind. These types of watchfulness, my child, act like doorkeepers and bar entry to evil thoughts."--Saint Hesychios the Priest

Gratitude

"The mouth, which is continuously giving thanks, receives blessing from God. In the heart that always shows gratitude, grace abides."--Saint Isaac the Syrian

Evil

"Since we already know very well that the hunter of our souls has set and laid traps everywhere, let us not be drowsy. Whether at a store or in town, in the comfort of one's family or even in the church of God, we must watch out for the traps that happen to be set under the pretense of piety. Who is able to be delivered from these camouflaged traps and ridicule their masterly craftsman? Behold--let us use the broad experience of our Holy Monastic Fathers to destroy them. They teach that it is essentially only the exalting virtue of humility that is almighty--a sword of the Spirit that destroys evil at its root and completely disables the traps of the tempter. So let us toil to acquire this most salvific virtue of humility that destroys the devil."--Elder Ephraim of Arizona

"When we nurture evil thoughts, we become evil. We may think that we are good, but evil is in us...We, however, have Divine power, Divine life, and Divine energy. On the day of the Final Judgment we shall have to give an answer for the way we have used this Divine power, life, and energy which have been given to us: whether we have contributed to the harmony in the universe, or have sown disharmony."--Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

"The Devil downplays minor sins; otherwise he cannot lead a person on to greater evil."--Saint Mark the Ascetic

The Soul

"The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies. The soul that has learned of God's grace to pray, feels love and compassion for every created thing, and in particular for mankind, for whom the Lord suffered on the Cross and His soul was heavy for every one of us."--Saint Silouan the Athonite

"Life of the soul is union with God, as life of the body is union with the soul. As the soul was separated from God and died in consequence of the violation of the commandment, so by obedience to the commandment it is again united to God and is quickened. This is why the Lord says in the Gospels, 'The words I speak to you are spirit and life'." (St. John 6:63).--Saint Gregory Palamas

Repentance

"Repentance is a bath that cleanses one of his own sins. It is a return from a state contrary to nature to a state in accordance with nature, from the devil to God, through spiritual striving and painful efforts. It is a voluntary return from offenses to the good that is opposed to them."--Saint Nektarios of Aegina

"Repentance has been given to mankind as a grace beyond grace. Repentance is a second birth from God, of which we have received an earnest in baptism; we receive it as a gift by means of repentance. Repentance is the gateway to mercy which is open to all who seek it. By way of this gate we enter into the divine mercy, and apart from this entrance one cannot find mercy."--Saint Isaac the Syrian

"God gave man a mind so that he can become aware of his fault, repent and ask forgiveness. Unrepentance is a cruel thing. The unrepentant person is very foolish in not wanting to repent and thus be spared from the small hell in which he is now living, and which will lead him to eternal hell."--Saint Paisios the Athonite

(Source: Orthodox Calendar Company)

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(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"--Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George