“Suffer and pray to God for your children. By your long-suffering you will hopefully bring them little by little to feel some shame and with your prayer you will receive help from the Almighty in clearing. up your children’s hearts. But first you must repent before him for not teaching your children. His law before anything else.”
St. Nikolai Velimirovich
~Missionary Letters Vol. 3
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“All of this [spiritual blessings] was the fruit of our holy Geronda’s prayers, teaching, and wise discipline. It was because of his tears that he shed for us. He himself admitted it. When they asked him, “Geronda, why are you fasting so strictly after being so exhausted?” He answered, “Because, my child, I want to struggle so that our good God will give his grace to all of you.”
Elder Joseph the Hesychast
~ My Elder Joseph the Hesychast
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Waste
WASTE..
The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting : but the substance of a diligent man is precious .
~Proverbs 12:27
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Elder Ephraim relates about two weak orange trees near St. Anne’s Skete and Elder Joseph’s attitude toward waste:
“Those were the only fruit trees we had, and they rarely produced any fruit. When they did Geronda did not let us peel the oranges. To avoid wasting anything edible, we had to eat the oranges with the peels! He said, “We shouldn’t throw anything out. Besides, everything here is sanctified by the prayers of the fathers.”
~My Elder Joseph
Anger
“If I wanted to relate everything I went through on a daily basis with this passion of anger, I would have to write a book. Since God wanted to free me from it, He would bring about everything appropriate: people would bother me unjustly, they would insult me, they would annoy me. And they would not just simply tempt me, but they would do things that would make you commit murder. But by enduring and choking Satan within me with extreme patience, I was delivered from the evil.”
Elder Joseph the Hesychast
~ My Elder Joseph the Hesychast
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He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 16:32
Divine Providence
“You were brought to the hanging gallows and all three times you were returned for no apparent reason. What can one man due to another if the all seeing one does not allow it? Nothing. Likewise, malicious executioners could not hang you even though they tried three times while nothing in this world opposed their authority. But he who has the rule over the world and people opposed their authority. So, do not forget what the Almighty has done for you.”
St. Nikolai Velimirovich
~Missionary Letters Vol. 3
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“But it won’t! If God wants it to fall, it will fall and God will protect us.”
Elder Ephraim of Katounakia (replying to a priest worried about a large boulder hanging over his cell at St. Anne’s Skete)
~My Elder Joseph the Hesychast
Chastity
“I cannot describe to you how much our Panagia loves chastity and purity. Since she is the only pure Virgin, she wants and loves everyone to be pure like that.”
~ My Elder Joseph the Hesychast
[Elder Ephraim of Arizona adds:"This is why he fought against the carnal passion more than any other passion."]
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~ Family Life