The one thing needful

One thing is needful in our life—love, adoration of Christ and love towards our fellow men.  What is required is for us all to be one, with Christ as the head.  This is the only way in which we will acquire grace, heaven and eternal life. 

The beauty and bond of married love

When a couple is united, even if the husband is abroad on a journey, distance ought not to diminish the joy of their love.  Near or far, it is always the same law that unites them.  Together or apart, it is always the same bond that guarantees the privileges of conjugal love.  Even if one of the two is traveling a long way away, the same yoke of shared blessings unites them closely one to the other, because they have accepted the yoke of grace not only on their bodies but also on their souls. 

The easy path

If you would be simple hearted like the Apostles, would not conceal your human shortcomings, would not pretend to be especially pious, if you would walk free from hypocrisy, then that is the path. While it is easy, not everyone can find it or understand it.  This path is the shortest way to salvation and attracts the grace of God.  Unpretentiousness, guilelessness, frankness of soul - this is what is pleasing to the Lord, who is lowly of heart.  Except ye become like children, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of God, (Mt. 18:13). 

Grace for the lover of God's Word

Devote yourselves to the Scriptures.  Love reading and studying them.  The more I hear the Psalter and the poetic canons, the more I want to hear them.  They are so close to life and engaging that I cannot have enough of them.  Read clearly and distinctly, word by word.  Read the words aloud and listen to them; that’s a great help.  And where you come across a particularly meaty passage, read it again to understand it better.  What can I say?  I listen to the words again and again with an unquenchable thirst.  They sweeten the soul.  That is what is important.

And so since you will thirst for the words of the poetic canons, of the Psalter and of all the church service books and since you will desire to read, hear and take them to heart, as soon as the simantron sounds, you will run at once with love and eagerness to hear the first words of the daily cycle of prayer, ‘On rising from sleep, we fall down before You, Good Lord.’ That’s the way to achieve the object of your desire.  The soul then reverts to its original luster, to its primeval state, to its ancient beauty.  What does God say, On whom shall I look, if not on the meek and peaceful man who fears my words, (Isaiah 66:2, LXX).  Christ gives grace to the person who loves His words and all good things come easily to him. 

Addressing the distresses of life

All the unpleasant things which are within your soul and cause you anxiety can become occasions for the glorification of God and cease to torment you.  Have trust in God.  Then you will forget your worries and become His instruments.  Distress shows that we are not entrusting our life to Christ.  Doesn’t St. Paul say, ‘We are afflicted on every side, but not distressed?’ 

Deal with everything with love, kindness, meekness, patience and humility.  Be rocks.  Let all the waves break over you and turn back leaving you untroubled.  You’ll say, ‘That sounds fine, but is it possible?’  The answer is ‘Yes, always—with the grace of God.’  If we look at things in human terms, of course, it is impossible.  But instead of affecting you adversely, all these things can be of benefit to you, increasing your patience and your faith.  Because all the difficulties that surround us represent a kind of gymnastics for us.  We exercise ourselves in patience and endurance.

Forgiveness--a poem

That God may forgive us, let us forgive men.

We are all on this earth as temporary guests.

Prolonged fasting and prayer is in vain

Without forgiveness and true mercy.

God is the true Physician; sins are leprosy.

Whomever God cleanses, God also glorifies.

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.

To the seriously wounded, mercy is like a balm;

As if seeing a torch dispersing the darkness, everyone rejoices in mercy.

The madman says, "I have no need of mercy!"

But when he is overcome by misery, he cries out for mercy!

Men bathe in the mercy of God,

And that mercy of God wakens us to life!

That God may forgive us, let us forgive men,

We are all on this earth as temporary guests.

A remedy for the angry person

What can an angry person do? He must pray and pray for healing. For the sake of his faith, for the sake of his insistence, the Lord will change his heart.