Quote of the Day: Elder Ephraim of Philotheou

Compel yourselves; say the prayer; stop idle talk; close your mouths to criticism; place doors and locks against unnecessary words. Time passes and does not come back, and woe to us if time goes by without spiritual profit.

Quote of the Day: Fr. Alexander Elchaninov

Only the first steps in the approach to God are easy; the feeling that we have wings, the enthusiasm caused by the certainty that we are approaching God, are followed by a gradual cooling down, by doubt. In order to sustain our faith, it is necessary to make an effort, to struggle, to fight for it.

From page 98 of "The Diary of a Russian Priest," a posthumous compilation of the notes of Fr. Alexander, who served as a priest in a Russian Orthodox parish in the south of France after the Bolshevik Revolution.

Quote of the Day: Elder Ephraim of Philotheou

Is there anyone who has entered paradise by a different path, a path without temptations, whom we can imitate? No. All the saints passed through fire and water, through various temptations and afflictions, and they glorified God with their patience and received crowns of eternal glory...when we are still in our youth, we must be tempted, for youth is easily derailed. In time, the war will cease and the desired grace will come. Just have courage and patience. Do not despair, no matter how much the passions may fight you...do not lose courage in the struggle; our Christ is invisibly standing by.

Quote of the Day: Fr. Seraphim (Alexiev) of Knyazhevo

"The deeper the sorrow, the closer God is; the darker the night, the brighter the stars."

Quote of the Day: Metropolitan Jonah of Washington

Spiritual pride is an easy trap for those new to the faith...excessive external piety, false humility, preoccupation with gossip and "issues" in the life of the Church, judging people on their piety or stance in these issues, complete assurance that one knows exactly how things should be done, and perhaps most dangerous of all, idolizing a person or place as the ultimate criterion of Orthodoxy, can all be symptoms of this malady. They are all aspects of spiritual immaturity. What is missing in all this is Christ and the real spiritual struggle with oneself.

Quote of the Day: St. Mark the Ascetic

He who wants to do something and cannot is, in the eyes of God Who sees our hearts, as though he has done it. This should be understood as being so in relation to good and evil alike.

Quote of the Day: St. Silouan the Athonite

Do not be cast down over the struggle - the Lord loves a brave warrior. The Lord loves the soul that is valiant.

Quote of the Day: St. Seraphim of Platina

When I became Christian I voluntarily crucified my mind, and all the crosses that I bear have only been a source of joy for me. I have lost nothing, and gained everything.

As the New Year Begins

I'm freshly back from my winter visit to my other, older home in North America. I joke about our "Fourth Rome," but when it comes down to it our little church is a source of great renewal and strength, for me as well as for many others in our 'diaspora.' The more I travel the more I find that there are precious few churches that simultaneously function as extended families of sorts and I increasingly regret how much I took for granted the years that I lived in the Midwest.

I'm back to Oregon from the Midwest tireder and somewhat under the weather, but the grace of where I was is holding me up as I adjust to being back to my new home. I was afraid that I would find coming back discouraging after my short time back east, but instead I'm finding that I've come home from home - it's a joyous discovery to have made.

I spent most of my time traveling from the Midwest to Oregon rereading "Father Arseny" and it shames me when I consider what I think of as "hard" or "unbearable" when he endured so much worse in his life. I'm not embracing struggle yet by any means :-), but I hope that this year God continues to grant me (and us all) renewed strength to endure the little crosses He's given us for our salvation.

I'm not sure what all the New Year will bring and as I was under the weather at the stroke of midnight and then sick most of New Year's day I have yet to make any concrete resolutions, but as God is kind I'm sure the year will be full of the joys and struggles that every year is. The Lord save and protect you all in the New Year!

Quote of the Day: Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev

"We are temporary visitors here on earth, who must drink from the chalice of the Lord until our death, which will not tarry, and if we sense that it does, then we must think even more about our passage through death and prepare for it with prayer and struggle.