Quotes of the Day for November 21, 2025 – Thoughts on trials, tribulations, and faith
- Michael Haldas
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
“Our time is filled with sorrows; they are by the grace of The Creator an instrument of God’s Providence, at the same time, they also manage to serve “two masters”, becoming “loyal servants” of the enemy of the human race. It is this weapon that our enemy uses most effectively, undermining the faith of the weak in the wisdom of God’s Providence, causing cowardice, murmuring, and despair. All of this leaves a person with only sorrow itself alone, depriving them of a saving fruit, which can also come from moments of sorrow. In such situations, support is extremely important for a person, and he often simply does not receive it. Loved ones often find themselves helpless, especially when the sorrow is strong—often they simply do not have the wisdom, tact, or the sufficient internal strength of their own to really support the afflicted, and to not irritate them with their presence, or wear them out with over-fussing.” (Priest Dimitry Vidumkin)
“At the Last Supper, on the night of His betrayal, the Lord Jesus assured His disciples of His victory over the world He would give Himself up to save. He said, “These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In our reading of 1 John 4:20-5:21, John echoes this reassurance: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith” (vs. 4)…Note the parallelism in Jesus’ promise of victory. He teaches that you have tribulation “in the world,” but “in me” you have peace (John 16:33). Surely, we do not have to define “tribulation.” We experience these burdens of the spirit frequently…but what is the source of these afflictions? They are the trials of the soul that come from the evil one. Satan hates all that is godly, true, and good, and he has infected the world with his animosity. Tribulations come from circumstances, from the hostility of others, and from inner struggles. They not only afflict us but challenge us.” (Fr. Basil)
“The gospels and our faith describe a normal life, charged with glory but sifted in the suffering of our broken existence. God has entered into this very world, emptying Himself even to encompass the whole of our suffering in the fullness of the Cross. We learn to find Him there and discover that in that very emptiness He has given us His fullness. The normal life, lived fully, becomes the vehicle of our transformation.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“It should be noted that Jesus did not shield Peter from the trial, but He instead prayed that he should not ultimately fail. It ought also to be noted that from Peter’s fall in the trial, from that state of cowardice, and from those bitter tears emerged the greatest defender of the Christian Faith. God allows His children to pass through grievous trials in order to produce from them giants of the Faith.” (Matthew the Poor)
“Christ never said our life on earth would be easy and without tribulations, not even if we did everything right. He explicitly warned us that we would experience sorrow in this world. However, He said sorrow in this world is temporary and that He will overcome it (John 16:33). We need hope, patience and fortitude to get through periods of darkness, and we are to have faith that such periods are temporary and will pass away.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)