Sorrow

“Holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy. It is to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).” (Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 5:4)

“Cain's way was characterized by his sinful passions that dominated him. One of these was extreme sorrow, made manifest in his fallen countenance. His arrogant worship was rejected, and he fell into the opposite condition of extreme sorrow. Whereas godly sorrow leads one to humility and repentance, extreme sorrow nullifies both.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Genesis 4:6)

"One has to accept sorrow for it to be of any healing power, and that is the most difficult thing in the world...when you understand what accepted sorrow means, you will understand everything. It is the secret of life.” (Joseph Pearce, Maurice Baring)

“...grief and sorrow drive you more into God. It is just as when it gets colder outside, the temperature kicks the furnace higher through the thermostat. Similarly, the sorrow and the grief drive you into God and show you the resources you never had.” (Pastor Timothy Keller)

“My attitude as a saint to sorrow and difficulty is not to ask that they may be prevented, but to ask that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself in the fire of sorrow, He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour…. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.” (Oswald Chambers)

“There is a useful sorrow, and a destructive sorrow. Sorrow is useful when we weep for our sins, and for our neighbor’s ignorance, and so that we may not relax our purpose to attain to true goodness, these are the real kinds of sorrow. Our enemy adds something to this. For he sends sorrow without reason, which is something called lethargy. We ought always to drive out a sadness like that with prayers and psalms." (St. Syncletike of Alexandria)

"What hurts is the fact that there is such a strong presence of evil, violence, and error in our society, and nobody wants to see it. We might let a sorrowful thought pass our minds, but it just passes without any changes.” (Father John Zeyack)

“…the concept of godly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10) is not well understood. How easy it is to settle into spiritual languor, remaining content with externals, satisfied with routine righteous acts and a limited idea of God. We either join our secular neighbors in thoughtless avoidance, or else we assume a false righteousness that does not respond to the call of Christ.” (Dynamis 7/1/2014)

“Believe me, God does not send us temptations beyond our ability to resist, except perhaps for pride, for conceit, and for complaining, by which we ourselves aggravate our sorrows. Be careful not to complain or become faint-hearted. Magnanimity and patient endurance lighten sorrows, but faint-heartedness and complaining multiply and exacerbate them." (St. Makarios the Great)

“...we know that all will work out in the end because God loves us, and we believe His providential hand is at work in our lives. We believe God knows there is plenty of sadness, sorrow, and sickness in this life, but it will not prevail, because His plan for our salvation is at work.” (Abbot Tryphon)

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