Quotes of the Day for January 29, 2026 – Thoughts on heaviness of the soul
- Michael Haldas
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
“Despondency is often confused with sadness, a feeling of grief for specific sins or losses. However, it is known that sorrow can also be useful: for example, Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). But despondency is aimless, all-encompassing melancholy, despair of God’s mercy, and depletion of love for God and others…it is sadness that turns into self-centered despair, an extremely dangerous degree of despondency. St. Theophan the Recluse called despair “the denouncer of unbelief and selfishness in the heart”, and St. Seraphim of Sarov often quoted the Holy Scriptures, recalling that “despair is the devil’s perfect joy, and ... a sin unto death” (1 Jn. 5:16)…This seemingly “harmless” feeling leads to the death of the soul—distrust of God. “Despair is the heavy and final blow of the devil. Before you sin it makes you imagine God as merciful, and after you sin—as just. Such is his cunning,” said St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.” (Ariadna Nefedkina)
“How is it that people who are genuinely committed to living their lives in the Christian faith…can continue to experience considerable levels of stress and anxiety, even to the point of being emotionally overwhelmed?...As members of a highly advanced technological society…the hyper-saturation of stimuli available to us through so many channels results not in feelings of satisfaction, but rather in feelings of uneasiness. These stimuli place heavy pressures upon us… magazines place strong pressures upon women to "look a certain way" or upon men to "have a certain job" …to meet what society has deemed as "appropriate standards for success." These pressures are particularly heavy upon young adults who live in an increasingly professional, complicated, and mobile world…the balancing of work and family life is a stressful adjustment indeed;…the financial pressures associated with family expenses, child education, or elderly care indeed carry enormous stress.” (Archbishop Demetrios of America)
“God is not someone who will punish or make our lives miserable, wild and difficult. God is merciful, God loves humankind, He’s like the Good Samaritan. He gave His blood for us. It’s not possible for Him to ask difficult things of us, and because He knows how weak we are, He gives us everything for free.’ ‘It’s critical to understand these things because if we believe that God’s Will is difficult or unknown, we won’t survive. Our life will be suffocating, our heart will be hurt, our intellect will grow tired and our existence will wither like a flower that turns yellow after a few days.” (Bishop Emilianos)
“…to care for yourself, you must address your struggles. If you wrestle with fear, depression, loneliness, or anxiety, chances are your focus is on the world, its images and standards. Remember, the images promoted by the physical world are fleeting and ever-changing, like mirages in the desert. But there is a solid, unchanging image worth pursuing. It will not lead you astray, betray you, or disappear when you need it most. The image of God is yours. You can commune with the God of the universe and see those around you through His eyes.” (Reverend Christopher T. Metropulos, D. Min)
“We should never be dismissive of the inner desire for beauty, nor doubt its place within the context of our lives. I have little doubt that our culture’s frequent lack of beauty contributes greatly to our widespread experience of depression and listlessness. The desire for beauty can be seen within kindness, patience, generosity, and humility. In the presence of such things, we find ourselves nourished and strengthened…In renewing our love for authentic Beauty, we are slowly cleansed of the ugly images of trauma and the false images of worldly pleasures.” (Father Stephen Freeman, Timothy G. Patitsas)