Love is greater than prayer

Repentance and life in the Spirit

Through repentance the filth of our foul actions is washed away.  After this, we participate in the Holy Spirit, not automatically, but according to the faith, humility and inner disposition of the repentance in which our soul is engaged.  For this reason it is good to repent each day as the act of repentance is unending. 

On cheerfulness

Cheerfulness consists in not regarding things as our own, but as entrusted to us by God for the benefit of our fellow-servants.  It consists in scattering them abroad generously with joy and magnanimity, not reluctantly or under compulsion. 

Recognize the danger of unbelief

Tell me, what can be as great ‘in heaven or on earth,’ (cf Ps 73:25) than that one may become a son of God, His heir and fellow-heir with Christ (cf Rom 8:17)?  Nothing whatever!  But because we prefer earthly things and things that are at hand, and do not seek the blessings that are ‘laid up in heaven,’ (Col 1:5) nor cleave to them with longing, we provide a sure proof to those who look at us that we are victims of the disease of unbelief, as it is written, ‘How can you believe, who receive glory from men and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God,’ (Jn 5:44)?  Then, when we have become slaves of passion we are nailed fast to the earth and what is on it and altogether refuse to look up to heaven and to God.  Being deceived by folly of soul, we disobey His commandments and fall away from His adoption of us as His sons. 

Healthy self-talk

You may find yourself hampered by someone who sows tares of despondency. He tries to prevent you from climbing to such heights of holiness by discouraging you with various thoughts. For instance, he will tell you that it is impossible for you to be saved and to keep every single one of God's commandments while you live in this world. When this happens you should sit down in a solitary place by yourself, collect yourself, concentrate your thoughts and give good counsel to your soul, saying: "Why, my soul, are you dejected, and why do you trouble me? Put your hope in God, for I will give thanks to Him; for my salvation lies not in my actions but in God (cf. Ps. 42:5). Who will be vindicated by actions done according to the law (cf. Gal 2:16)? No living person will be vindicated before God (cf. Ps. 143:2). Yet by virtue of my faith in God I hope that in His ineffable mercy He will give me salvation. Get behind me, Satan (cf. Matt. 16:23). I worship the Lord my God (cf. Matt. 4:10) and serve Him from my youth; for He is able to save me simply through His mercy. Go away from me. The God who created me in His image and likeness will reduce you to impotence." 

Walking in the fear of God

When a man walks in the fear of God he knows no fear, even if he were to be surrounded by wicked men.  He has the fear of God within him and wears the invincible armor of faith.  This makes him strong and able to take on anything, even things which seem difficult or impossible to most people.  Such a man is like a giant surrounded by monkeys, or a roaring lion among dogs and foxes.  He goes forward, trusting in the Lord and the constancy of his will to strike and paralyze his foes.  He wields the blazing club of the Word in wisdom.  

On possessions and wealth

Cheerfulness consists in not regarding these things as our own, but as entrusted to us by God for the benefit of our fellow-servants. It consists in scattering them abroad generously with joy and magnanimity, not reluctantly or under compulsion (II Cor.9:7ff). Further, we ought cheerfully to empty ourselves of that which we stored up in the hope of the true promise God has made to us of giving us a hundredfold reward for this. For since God knows that we are all wholly possessed by the lust for possessions and mad desire for wealth and how difficult it is for us to tear ourselves loose from them, and how those who in various ways have been deprived of them despair of life itself, He has made use of the corresponding remedy. He has promised to give us, as we have said, a hundredfold reward for that which we spend on the poor. This He has done, first, that we may be set free in this matter from the condemnation of covetousness, and second that we may cease to put our trust and hope in possessions and find our hearts set free from such bonds.

Once we have been set free we can proceed without hindrance to the practice of His commandments and 'serve Him with fear and trembling' (Ps.2:11), not as though we were doing Him some favor, but as receiving a benefit by being admitted into His service. Otherwise it would be impossible for us to be saved! The rich have been commanded to lay aside their wealth as being some kind of burden and hindrance to a life pleasing to God, and thus to take up the Cross on their shoulders and follow the Master in His footsteps (Mk.8:34; Mt.16:14), for it is wholly impossible for us to bear both burdens at once. As for those who are not in their case and live in moderate circumstances, or even go short of the necessities of life, they have nothing that  impedes them if they wish to walk on the narrow and difficult way (Mt. 7:14). The former need no more than the intention to do so; the latter are already walking on that way, and must live with patience and thanksgiving. God, because He is just, will prepare a place of rest for those who are thus on the way to eternal life and enjoyment.  St. Symeon the New Theologian (10^th century)

Healing through the fear of God

It will happen that everyone who has sinned before God Almighty will feel fear in his heart of judgment and of God's turning away from him. The fear of the Lord and the realization of His just retribution wastes away the flesh and breaks the bones, just as the stone moved by the mechanism presses the grapes that are in the winepress and crushes them completely. First men trample on the clusters, then they crush them under the stone and press out all the juice from them. So when a man enters into the fear of God, that very fear has completely pressed down and crushed the pride and vainglory of his "mind of flesh," (Rom. 8:6f.), then holy humility, that very light and gentle spiritual stone, comes down from above and presses out all the moisture of carnal pleasures and passions. This does not render useless the soul that has been pressed down; rather, it waters the soul with floods of tears. It causes the living water (Jn. 4:10) to spring forth to heal the wounds inflicted by sin as it washes away the pus and the sores, and so makes that man altogether "whiter than snow," (Ps.51.9). St. Symeon the New Theologian