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| Saint Sophrony the Athonite. |
“We do not think about how to change the world with our own powers.
We strive to receive strength from God in order to act at all times with love.”
“The most important thing in the spiritual life is to strive to
receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. It changes our lives (above all inwardly,
not outwardly). We will live in the same house, in the same circumstances, and
with the same people, but our life will already be different. But this is
possible only under certain conditions: if we find the time to pray fervently,
with tears in our eyes. From the morning to ask for God’s blessing, that a
prayerful attitude may define our entire day.”
“Whoever gives up his cross cannot be worthy of the Lord and become
His disciple. The depths of the Divine Being are revealed to the Christian when
he is crucified for our Savior. The Cross is the foundation of authentic
theology.”
“I am neither Greek nor Russian; I am an Athonite.”
“The Fathers of the fourth century left us certain prophecies,
according to which in the last times salvation will be bound up with deep
sorrows.”
“We must have the determination to overcome temptations comparable
to the sorrows of the first Christians. All the witnesses of Christ’s
Resurrection were martyred. We should be ready to endure any hardship.”
It is essential in these days to be able to protect ourselves from
the influence of those with whom we come in contact. Otherwise we risk losing
both faith and prayer.
Let the whole world dismiss us as unworthy of attention, trust or
respect – it will not matter provided that the Lord accept us.
And vice versa: it will profit us nothing if the whole world thinks
well of us and sings our praises, if the Lord declines to abide with us.
“Life without Christ is tasteless, sad, and forlorn.”
“I ask you to try something. If someone grieves you, or
dishonors you, or takes something of yours, then pray like this: “Lord, we are
all your creatures. Pity your servants, and turn them to repentance,” and then
you will perceptibly bear grace in your soul. Induce your heart to love your
enemies, and the Lord, seeing your good will, shall help you in all things, and
will Himself show you experience. But whoever thinks evil of his enemies does
not have love for God and has not known God.” St Silouan the Athonite
“The man who cries out against evil men but does not pray for them
will never know the grace of God.” St Silouan the Athonite
There, in the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, must our mind dwell. We must hunger and thirst to enter into this
wondrous Kingdom.
O Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God:
We beseech and
implore Thee,
Cast us not
away from Thy presence,
and being not
wroth with all of our ungodliness
Appear unto us,
O Light of the world,
to reveal unto
us the mystery of the ways of Thy salvation,
that we may
become sons and daughters of Thy Light.
Through the
prayers of Fr. Sophrony of Essex, of all the ascetic Fathers and all the
saints, O Lord of compassion and hope, have mercy on us and save us!
Reference:
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2018/09/18/we-should-be-ready-to-endure-any-hardship-elder-sophrony-sakharov-of-essex/