Christian Thought Daily

He was the lamp, burning and shining.

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Jesus is the Christ, one of the Holy Trinity. You are destined to be His heir.

- St. Thalassios the Libyan

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Those who reach the goal without falling do so through hating themselves and all worldly desires, distractions, pleasures and preoccupations, for this is what 'denying oneself' amounts to. Hence everyone expels himself from the kingdom by his own choice, through not embracing suffering and denying himself for the sake of the truth, but wanting to enjoy something of this world in addition to that divine longing, and not surrendering the whole inclination of his will to God. This may be understood from a single example. On examining himself a man realizes that what he is so eager to do is wicked. At first he feels doubt about it in his heart. Next, the measure and balance in his conscience make it clear inwardly whether the bias inclines to love for God or love for the world; and after that he proceeds to outward action.'

- St. Symeon Metaphrastis

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The Lord was Baptized, not to be cleansed Himself, but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters, cleansed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might have the power of Baptism. St. Ambrose of Milan

-St. Ambrose of Milan

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Fire and water do not mix, neither can you mix judgment of others with the desire to repent. If a man commits a sin before you at the very moment of his death, pass no judgment, because the judgment of God is hidden from men. It has happened that men have sinned greatly in the open but have done greater deeds in secret, so that those who would disparage them have been fooled, with smoke instead of sunlight in their eyes.

-St. John Klimacos

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Because we are all insured! We insure our car, our house, and our life. Having worldly insurance, we put aside the protection and providence of God.

-Elder Paisios

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Humility is the only thing we need; one can still fall having virtues other than humility -- but with humility one does not fall.

-Elder Herman of Mt Athos

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In the measure to which a man cuts off and humbles his own will, he proceeds toward success. But insofar as he stubbornly guards his own will, so much does he brings harm to himself.

-St. Ephraim the Syrian

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If you are praised, be silent. If you are scolded, be silent. If you incur losses, be silent. If you receive profit, be silent. If you are satiated, be silent. If you are hungry, also be silent. And do not be afraid that there will be no fruit when all dies down; there will be! Not everything will die down. Energy will appear; and what energy!

-St Feofil the Fool for Christ

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Whereas love for God is the source and starting point of every virtue, love for the world is the cause of all evil. For that reason these two loves are at enmity with each other and destroy each other. As the Lord's brother declares: 'Friendship of the world is enmity to God. Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God' (Jms. 4:4). And John, whom Christ loved, says, 'If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, is not of the Father' (cf. I Jn. 2:15-16). Let us take heed, brethren, lest by loving evil desires and being arrogant to one another, we fall away from our heavenly Father's love. For these two evils include every passion which separates us from God.

-St. Gregory Palamas

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Meekness is the buttress of patience, the door, or rather, the mother of love, and the foundation of discernment, for it is said: The Lord will teach the meek His ways (Ps. 24:9). It prepares us for the forgiveness of sins; it is boldness in prayer; an abode of the Holy Spirit. But to whom shall I look? Even to him that is meek and quiet (Is. 66:2).

-St. John Climacus

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A man needs to satisfy his conscience towards God by not despising God's precepts, even those concerning things which are not seen by men or those things for which one is not accountable to men. For example, did he neglect his prayers? If an evil thought came into his heart, was he vigilant and did he keep control of himself or did he entertain it? He sees his neighbor saying or doing something; does he suspect it is evil and condemn him? To put it simply, all the hidden things that happen inside us, things which no one sees except God and our conscience, we need to take account of. This is what I mean by our conscience towards God.

-St. Dorotheos of Gaza

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May you be children of God, pure and unblameable, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (cf. Phil.1:15): and may you never be entangled in the snares of the wicked that go round about, or bound with the chains of your sins. May the Word in you never be smothered with the cares of this life and so make you unfruitful: but may you walk in the King's Highway, turning aside neither to the right hand nor to the left, but led by the Spirit through the narrow gate.

-St. Gregory the Theologian

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I do not believe in the salvation of one who does not work for the salvation of others.

-St John Chrysostom

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Here is a sign: if you are distressed over anything it means that you have not fully surrendered to God's will, although it may seem to you that you live according to His will.

-St. Silouan the Athonite

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As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience.

-St. Basil the Great

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If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.

-Saint John Chrysostom

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Dispassion does not mean that a man feels no passions, but that he does not accept any of them.

-Saint Isaac of Syria