“I only ask you do this for me as repayment for my immense love towards you: be a little more patient. And I trust that Jesus Who is already shown so much love to us will fulfill all of your requests even more. You will find not only peace and quiet in your soul, but also everything that is beneficial to our wretched souls which the Lord grant you. Just keep seeking with tears that the Lord’s holy will be done – in the way He knows best – and not yours. As soon as you realize that you have sinned against the Lord add no more wounds to your bruises. But if as a human you fall again don’t get despondent, don’t despair. For how will the loving Lord Who told Peter to forgive seventy times seven in a day not forgive us?”
Elder Joseph
~Monastic Wisdom

“There are so many students who although they have studied all of the material will not go and take the exam because they fear failure! Even though they’re quite capable out of sheer cowardice they create a situation of panic. But if they humbly say,” Bless me that I may do well because I cannot do it on my own; but with your blessing I will try…” then with humility they will receive both the Grace of God and divine enlightenment. Later as they begin to take their exams they can also pray to their patron saint who will also help –depending on the faith and devotion they have.”
Elder Paisios
~Family Life

“The two months that I stayed were sufficient to discover Grace as our Fathers describe it. A vigilant life is an indispensable condition and especially the crushing of self-will, but
pure prayer is the chief requirement. I was praying alone in my cell in the method I had learned from the Elder together my nous. Suddenly, I felt as if the area across from me
had opened up and three human figures appeared. Such love flooded my soul that I spontaneously embrace the one in the middle. The sensation convinced me that it was Christ with two Angels but I can’t really describe what occurred or what I felt.”
Elder Ephraim of Katounakia
~Obedience is Life

“…the leading demons are eight in number, which are as many as the deadly passions: gluttony, lust, avarice, despondency, anger, slothfulness, vainglory and pride.Each evil spirit wars against us and operates in their own way, depending on the passion they support. However, all the demons work together to immerse us in the deepest possible way in the passions and to make us slaves to sin, in order to separate us from God and lead us to eternal death…Each evil spirit wars against us and operates in their own way, depending on the passion they support. However, all the demons work together to immerse us in the deepest possible way in the passions and to make us slaves to sin, in order to separate us from God and lead us to eternal death. Of course, the power of demons is not rampant and their activity is not without limits. They war against us only as much as God allows – and He never allows them to war against us beyond the limits of our strength . By this our will, our faith and our love for God are tested and refined, but we also give them this right to test us by our negligence, our laziness, our carelessness and, above all, our pride.”
Elder Eustratios Golovanski
~Answers to Questions By Christians

“Everyone knows what they have on their shoulders, but the Testament I leave you is to come to know the Holy Spirit. Work and build Him within you, keeping the commandments of the Gospel and having peace in your soul. Have love, concord and shout the name of Christ and our Panagia. May the angels accompany you.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
~2014 Interview

“The Lord said: ‘Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me’ (Matthew 25:40). Similar things happen in almsgiving and in Holy Communion. In Holy Communion we receive the Living Lord Christ Himself, in the form of bread and wine; in almsgiving we give to the Living Lord Christ Himself, in the form of the poor and needy.”
St Nikolai Velimirovich
~The Prologue

“…Love towards Christ is never enough. The more you love Him the more you believe that you don’t love Him and the more you desire to love Him. At the same time however your soul is flooded by His presence and your joy in the Lord is an inalienable. You don’t want them to desire anything.”
Elder Porphyrios
~Wounded by Love

“What’s it like [hell]? Horror, horror. May even a bird never go there. Just as people drown at sea, so also they drown in the torments of hell, accompanied by demons. We must pray for the dead. It is a great act of mercy. These are human. They will never go away. We must go beyond them and run towards Christ.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
~ 2014 Interview

“Most of all the elder loved and cultivated the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me,” which he had first learned as a boy from his mother. From his time at Sinai onwards with few exceptions the prayer took the place of the daily services. It became for him his nourishment, his delight in his every breath. He reached a state of being in which his nous would become immersed in the prayer he said, it would continue even while he slept. He was determined that his unceasing prayer not be interrupted. He said the prayer while he did his handiwork, on the road and in the presence of others: everywhere and at all times. In the midst of his handiwork he would set aside what he was doing, retreat to a quiet place and kneel becoming immersed in the prayer until the voice of a visitor would bring him back.”
Description of Elder Paisios
~Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos

“Ignore evil. Look towards Christ and He will save you. Instead of standing outside the door shooing the evil one away treat him with disdain. If evil approaches from one direction then calmly turn in the opposite direction. If evil comes to assault you turn all your inner strength to good, to Christ. Pray “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” He knows how and in what way to have mercy on you. And when you have filled yourself with good don’t turn any more to afford evil. In this way you become good on your own with the grace of God.”
Elder Porphyrios
~Wounded by Love