Eastern Orthodox Saints in English
Eastern Orthodox Saints in English
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Receive the sources of my tears, O Thou Who dost gather into clouds the water of the sea; in Thine ineffable condescension, deign to bend down Thyself to me and to the lamentations of my heart, O Thou Who didst spread out the Heavens. —“Hymn of Saint Kassiani,” Holy Wednesday
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Truly, not a single earthly pleasure can satisfy our heart. We are strangers on earth, pilgrims and travelers; our home and fatherland are there in heaven, in the heavenly kingdom; and there do not exist on earth things that could perfectly satisfy our desires. —Indication of the Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven, Introduction
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He that in imitation of God does almsdeeds knows no difference between evil and good, just and unjust, in regard to the needs of the body, but distributes equally to all according to their need, even though for his good intention he prefers the virtuous to the bad. —Four Centuries on Charity, 1.24
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The Cross is a sign of victory over the demons, the knife against sin, the sword by which Christ wounded the serpent. The Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of the Only-begotten, the exultation of the Spirit, the adornment of the angels, the safety of your Church, the boast of Paul, the…
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Since the kingdom of God is at hand and within us and will soon arrive, let us make ourselves worthy of it by works of repentance. Let us exercise force on ourselves, driving away evil prejudices and habits. —Homily 10.2, Given on the Second Sunday of Lent
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For what person with any sense does not understand the difference between an idol and an icon? That the one is darkness, and the other light? That the one is deceptive, the other infallible? That the one belongs to polytheism, but the other is the clearest evidence of the divine economy? —First Refutation of the…
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Truly, my child, great is the struggle against the passions, but by the grace of God, everything can be accomplished. With His help, the impossible become possible. —Letter 34
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Therefore run cheerfully to the gift of fasting. Fasting is an ancient gift, not one antiquated and obsolete, but ever fresh and at the height of its vitality. —First Homily on Fasting (Hom. 1), §2
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Soon will come the days of fasting and repentance; let us all rush to cleanse ourselves from our sins and passions, in order to become new and spiritual people. —Season of Repentance: Lenten Homilies of Saint John of Kronstadt, Homily 4 (“On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son”)
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So He united man with God and wrought a communion of God and man, we being unable to have any participation in incorruptibility if it were not for His coming to us, for incorruptibility, whilst being invisible, benefitted us nothing: so He became visible, that we might, in all ways, obtain a participation in incorruptibility.…