Grace and Mercy
“If the thought of condemning another arises within you, immediately think: “Why should I look at someone else when I myself am a sinner? And how can I judge another when I myself will be judged? He sins one way and I another—also bad, or even worse. Perhaps he sins out of ignorance, but my sins aren’t out of ignorance. Perhaps he has such a personality, upbringing, nature, but I have a different nature, yet I do such things…” This is how we have to constantly humble ourselve
Self-Knowledge
“Know thyself” is one of the greatest Greek maxims. But today, almost no thought or effort is applied to genuine, deep self-knowledge. Rather, we are self-absorbed and often seek affirmation from the world to feed our pride. The emphasis in our culture is on feeling important or presenting an appealing image of oneself…Christian enlightenment…consists in sincere faith in Christ, in self-knowledge, in sincere repentance and separation from evil, and in the constant pursuit of
Birth/Rebirth
“…for the Fathers, water is not merely water: It is chaos and destruction, the power of floods and tsunamis, and the abode of monsters; and it is also life and regeneration, rebirth in Christ, and even the Holy Spirit, who pours forth like a fountain from the Father…The noetic life that inherits the Kingdom (that which is birthed in us at Baptism) both hears the wind and sees where it comes from. It enters the gates of hell and walks in paradise. It mines the treasures buried
Love of Self
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple (Lk 14.26). This is the extreme and terrifying warning against all passionate attachments stronger and more powerful than one’s passionate attachment to Christ alone. And the greatest passion of all which keeps one from the love of God and the love of one’s neighbor is the sinful passion for oneself. Sinful sel
Seeking/Searching
“ We would like to think that gaining spiritual understanding comes from the sudden unveiling of a revelation, a quick flash of insight....
Condemnation
“If we look inside ourselves and try to see our tendencies, we will easily notice that we already have a developed habit of condemning...