“The breaking of bread [in Acts] was Holy Communion. And the number of those who were being saved increased continually since people saw all the Christians in a state of “great joy and simplicity of heart” and “praising God”…It is an enthusiasm and again a madness…I go to the event, I experienced it, I feel it and am filled with enthusiasm all week. This is divine grace. This is also looking towards Christ. The apostles experienced amongst themselves this great joy [which then] happened to all those who were beneath the upper room. That is they loved each other, they took joy in one another: the ‘one’ had become united with the other. This experience radiates outwards and others experience it.”
Elder Prophyrios
~Wounded by Love

“I’ve heard of a godless man who rolls  up various little  icons and puts inside of them in hairs, little pieces of wood, needles, beads and other things. When the Church censored this man he simply said, “I am a psychic.”… Then I asked [a man] if he had anything given to him by that sorcerer. “Yes I have this little box that looks like a small Gospel book,” he said. I took it and when I opened it I discovered various little icons rolled up inside. I enrolled them one by one and found inside them beads, hairs and some tiny pieces of wood. I took these things away from him and the man was freed. You see what a craftsman the devil is!”
Elder Paisios
~Spiritual Struggle

“Despite the austerity of the regime which the Elder adapted to our surroundings he maintained undiminished sympathy and love for his neighbor and showed it in practice towards the infirm and poor be they fathers or lay people. I recall that there were some infirm elders… whom he looked after more or less permanently often sending them what they needed and in particular food already prepared. Compassion is a first fruit of a soul that loves God and faith as a sure stronghold, were the reasons why he left nothing in our modest huts to the point where it was hard for us to endure, inexperienced as we were in the operation of faith. He gave whatever we had to those who asked and left us with hopes as the saying goes. And yet in this way he helped us to enter quickly into the providence of faith which gave us so much support in our later life.”
Elder Joseph of Vatopedi on Elder Joseph
~Elder Joseph the Hesychast

“Even great saints who die in the mists of obvious signs of God’s grace retain a sobering humility about their own salvation…How different this profound and sober Christian attitude is when compared with the superficial attitude of some non-Orthodox Christians today to think they are already “saved” and will not even undergo the judgment of all men and therefore have nothing to fear in death. Such an attitude, very widespread among present-day Protestants, is actually not too far from the occult idea that death is not to be feared because there is no damnation; certainly even though inadvertently it has helped give rise to the latter attitude.”
Fr Seraphim Rose
~The Soul After Death

“He was so strict with silence that when father Arsenios started to say “Father so and so did this and that…” Francis immediately interrupted him and said: “Look, what other people do out there is none of our business. It is forbidden to talk about what the other people are doing. We need to pay attention to what we are doing.” A little while later father Arsenios forgot himself and started to say… He didn’t even finish what he was saying before Francis slapped him and abruptly said to him: “Don’t talk! Who are we to judge? Shame on you! Say the prayer!”… A few hours later, though, something else was slipped out… “If we lose grace where are we going to find it again?”
Elder Joseph
~My Elder Joseph

“When you have a bad dream never examine what you saw, how you saw it or whether you’re guilty or how much you may be at fault. The evil one having failed to tempt you during the day tempts you at night. Sometimes God permits the devil to tempt us in our sleep so that we may see the old self is not entirely died. Other times the enemy approaches a person in his sleep and prevents various dreams in order to upset him when he awakes. This is why you should pay any attention to them. Cross yourself and the pillow, place a cross and an icon on your pillow and say the Jesus Prayer til you fall asleep.”
Elder Paisios
~Spiritual Struggle

“In the not too distant past there was sincere repentance. When someone repented he repented and did not backslide…now I see some people who as soon as they change their way of life begin to be teachers and instructors to others while their old self is still active inside. One must repent, then stop living the prodigal life of the past and begin living spiritually; and this of course is a positive help to others. But for one to go directly from the state of prodigality to become a spiritual person and an instructor, well, that’s an illusion.”
Elder Paisios
~Spiritual Struggle

“Naturally his first choice in reading was Holy Scripture and especially the New Testament and the Psalms. His mind was so steeped in the concepts found in the Psalms that he wrote his letters with a style similar to that of biblical texts. The also like reading lives of the Saints which relax the mind, sweeten the heart, enrich ones discernment and increase one’s zeal for greater ascetical feats. He said that the lives of the Saints are like a mirror in which one can see one’s faults. His disciples remembered that no matter what problem they had he would always have some beneficial incident from the lives of the Saints to tell which would shed light on their need or on the issue that concerned them.”
Elder Joseph
~My Elder Joseph

“We began our huts at New Skete. The other fathers of the brotherhood agreed with the elder to put in an expensive order without asking me. Since I knew something about building when I was in the world I realized that we would be throwing away money. I ran to the elder to prevent the mistake for everyone’s benefit. What you think happened? The Elder pulled me up without any discussion and literally showered me with insults, abuse and send me away like a dog. I said to myself, “Fine, fine. Thank you for the insults but tomorrow you will throw away a whole lot of money and we will talk about it again.”….All the materials arrived and as I estimated they were unsuitable and we threw them in the shed. Not many days past and they were needed for another job that we began and they fit with such precision is if we had purposely ordered them. Well then, my elder rightly pulled me up and taught me a firm lesson.”
Elder Haralambos
~Elder Haralambos Dionysiastis

“I said to myself, “I’ve stumbled on a house of ill fame.” “Go away,” a woman said to me. “It’s not right for these girls to kiss the cross. Let me kiss the cross and then, please, go away.” “I’m afraid I cannot leave! I am a priest I have come to bless the house… How do we know who should kiss the cross, the girls or you? Because if God were to ask me who should be allowed to kiss the cross I might reply that the girls should kiss it and not you. Their souls are in a better state than your own.” They all kissed the cross. They were all immaculately turned out with their colored skirts and so on. And I said to them, “Blessings on you all my children. God loves all of us. He is very good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. He is the father of all of us and his concern is for each one of us. Only we to must try to come to know Him and to love Him and to become good. Love Him and you’ll see how happy you will be.”
Elder Prophyrios
~Wounded by Love