"The Bishop does not kiss the Deacon’s hand. But, when the Bishop looks at the icon of the Proto-martyr, Archdeacon Stephen, the Bishop himself, the Patriarch himself, bows and kisses the Archdeacon Stephen’s hand." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"The body cannot be defiled without the consent of the mind." -- Holy Virgin Martyr Lucy

"If we are unwilling to admit the specific sins in our lives, those that bring us suffering and turmoil, we cannot be freed from them by God’s mercy. It is easy for us to admit in a general way that we are sinners, but are we ready to admit every situation where we have done wrong? This is hard work, and we must overcome a great deal of fear by trusting in our Lord." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"We sometimes hear people say, 'I'm only human.' We hear it in songs, in conversation, perhaps in confession. It sounds like an excuse in our fallen condition not to change. Therefore, let us challenge ourselves and others to be 'truly human' rather than 'only human.' To be truly human we must commit ourselves to rise above the bodiless powers with the Theotokos who is more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim in pursuit of the likeness of God." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Search your hearts and minds for the spiritual wounds of unforgiveness and fear, which are atheistic and unchristian, and repent of them so that you might be healed by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

A man must practice good works for a long time, with great effort and determination, and “at last God comes, dwells within him and he in the Lord, and the Lord Himself sows His own commandments within him, filling him with spiritual fruit.” - St. Marcarius the Great – Homily 19

The monks once inquired of St. Paisios the Great: “Father, speak to us a word of salvation. How should we live according to God?” The elder replied to them: “Go and keep the commandments of God and preserve the tradition of the Fathers.”

"If one becomes used to fleeing or escaping sorrows, or goes from place to place, or chooses only a particular time to begin to labor and to struggle, such a one – all the days of his life – will not find a place and a time for receiving benefit." -- St. Paisios Velichkovsky

"The Lord arranges everything for our benefit and spiritual instruction, according to His mercy and wisdom; but we, due to our weakness and passionate habit, understand poorly – like infants." -- St. Leo of Optina

"Always remember the harsh trials of those who grieve and those who are despised (in prisons, exile, etc.), so that you might be duly grateful for your small and insignificant trials and be able to endure them with joy." -- St. Isaac the Syrian

"Love every man in spite of his falling into sin. Never mind the sins, but remember that the foundation of the man is the same – the image of God." -- St. John of Kronstadt

"Those who labor little, and build the life of their soul on sensual shallowness, build on sand, which cannot uphold anything, even in this transitory world – and even more so in eternity." -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"As many times as the enemy attacks you either through passion or through sadness or despondency or despair, immediately grab the weapon of prayer, and you shall see how much it disappears and not even a trace of it remains." -- Father Philotheos Zervakos

"Taking refuge in medical science does not preclude calling upon divine aid. That is, Christians, without rejecting medical aid, must pray that God enlighten the doctors to make the correct diagnosis, to proceed to the necessary tests, and to determine the appropriate therapy." -- Father Epiphanios Theodoropoulos

"Glory in this life is of less significance than a spider’s web, and more insubstantial than dreams; therefore lift up your mind to what is of first importance, and you will easily calm your saddened soul. He who seeks the one glory and the other cannot attain them both. It is possible to achieve both, only when we seek not both, but one: heavenly glory. Therefore, if you desire glory, seek divine, heavenly glory, and earthly glory will often follow on from it."  -- St. Isidore of Pelusium

"If you worship Christ in your heart, you can save your kinsfold as well as yourself; if your heart worships father and mother, son and daughter, you will certainly lose both yourself and them." -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"The goal of reading is the application, in our lives, of what we read. Not to learn it by heart, but to take it to heart. Not to practice using our tongues, but to be able to receive the tongues of fire and to live the mysteries of God." -- Elder Paisios the Athonite

"If you would know of the Lord’s love for us, hate sin and evil thoughts, and day and night pray fervently. The Lord will then give you His grace, and you will know Him through the Holy Spirit, and after death, when you enter into paradise, there too, you will know the Lord through the Holy Spirit, as you knew Him on earth." -- St. Silouan of Mt. Athos

“Let us dedicate the spirit to the Father, the soul to the Son and the body to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit which will raise it again from dust." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"For me, the only way to truly be an American is to be Orthodox. For only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we truly be one people." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who art in all places and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life:  Come, and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O gracious Lord." -- Doxastikon of Pentecost

"Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise. Having sent upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them Thou hast fished the universe, O Lover of Mankind, Glory be to Thee!" -- Apolytikion of Pentecost

On the help we give the deceased through our prayers: "As is happens with wine inside a barrel—that when the vineyard blooms in the field, the wine somehow senses it, and blossoms in fragrance itself – so it is with the souls of sinners. They receive some relief from the Bloodless Sacrifice offered for them in charity." -- St. Athanasius the Great

"God the Holy Spirit has many abodes in this vast universe, but a pure heart is the place in which He most delights to dwell. This is His true abode; all others are only His workshop." -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"We are called to go forth and boldly proclaim the Good News, following in the footsteps of the Disciples. But, we cannot do this unless we know what we are talking about. We must know our Faith inside and out. We must sharpen the sword of the intellect through prayer, ministry to others and study." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"I envision a future in which our clergy and our faithful work closely together to minister to our people and bring the message of Orthodoxy to the ears and hearts of all Americans.  If we remain devoted to the Truth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, all things are possible to us." -- His Eminence, Metropoltian JOSEPH

“Our stay on earth is not for sojourning, but for a personal choice for good or for evil, for truth or for falsehood.” -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"Malice will never drive out malice. But, if someone does an evil act to you, you should do good to him, so that by your good work you may destroy his malice." -- A Desert Father

“If a man has a full intention to please God, then God teaches him His will either through thoughts, through some other person, or through Holy Scripture.” -- St. Peter of Damascus

"The unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ is a perfect unity, and this perfect unity is what our Lord calls us to have with one another. If we act in the name of God, then the proof of our motivations will be revealed in our unity. Endless arguing and bickering is a sign that God is absent and that we have forgotten Him. The contentious person is outside God’s grace by his or her desires to dominate others." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"We are called out from amongst our people to not be conformed to the world, but rather to the Image and Likeness of Jesus Christ. Just as there is perfect unity between the Father and the Son, so too, we are called to unity amongst ourselves." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Meet it is to worship the Father Who sent us His only-begotten Son, Who saved our race from death and Satan, and sits at the right hand of His Father entreating His compassion on behalf of all of us." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"O Father who created Adam from dust, O Son Who by Thy cross delivered Adam's race from ruin, resurrect me and set me at Thy right hand, that I might glorify Thy name!" -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"Our suffering is, by God’s grace and mercy, transformed into a path by which we can ascend to the Heavenly Kingdom." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

“For he (the blind man) received a twofold sight: physical sight, by means of which he saw the world around him; and spiritual sight, by which he recognized the Creator of the world.” -- St. Nicephorus

"When a blind man gradually recovers his sight and notices the appearance of a man and bit by bit ascertains what he is (cf. Mk. 8:24-25), it is not the features that undergo transformation or take a new shape. Rather, as the vision of that man's eyes becomes clearer, he sees his features. It is as though they wholly imprint themselves on his vision and penetrate through it, impressing and engraving themselves, as on a tablet, on the mind and memory of the soul. Even so You Yourself, O Lord, became visible to me when You, by the clear light of the Holy Spirit, had entirely cleansed my mind." -- St. Symeon the New Theologion

"Christ is our hope, our cleansing and sanctification, our resurrection, life, and repose. He alone is what we all need, and therefore, the Church constantly pronounces these words aloud so that we may hear them during the Holy Services of the Church, and be constantly renewed." -- St. John of Kronstadt

"People were not created merely to live here on earth like animals that disappear after their death, but to live with God and in God, and to live not for a hundred or a thousand years, but to live eternally." -- Bishop INNOCENT, Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurilian and Aleutian Islands

"This Archdiocese IS a family, more than anything else. We are a family born of the water and the Spirit. Through Baptism and Chrismation, we receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit that unites us all beyond the power of human blood." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

“We were created for eternal life by our Creator, we are called to it by the word of God, and we are renewed by holy Baptism. And Christ the Son of God came into the world for this, that He should call us and take us there, and He is the one thing needful. For this reason your very first endeavor and care should be to receive it. Without it everything is as nothing, though you have the whole world under you.” -- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

“I consider those fallen mourners more blessed than those who have not fallen and are not mourning over themselves; because as a result of their fall, they have risen by a sure resurrection.” -- St. John of the Ladder

"Firmly believe that the Lord is at all times everything to you. During prayer He is the power and the fulfillment in the Holy Spirit of each of your words. During pious conversation He is your living water, the ardent flow of your words at all times? He is everything to you. Be free from care in the presence of your Lord. He has enclosed you with Himself upon all sides. He penetrates you wholly and knows all your thoughts, all your needs and inclinations, and if you live in Him with faith and love, then no evil shall befall you. 'The Lord is at hand; be careful for nothing' (Phil. 4:6)." -- St. John of Kronstadt

"...shall we not serve the Lord Who by nature loves mankind, risk our lives and get rid of superfluous possessions in order to acquire heavenly riches? Shall we not endure dishonour from men, usually scoundrels, so as to attain to divine glory, exchanging the mortal for the immortal? Shall we not be hungry in moderation and thirsty, that we may eat the Bread of Life which came down from heaven (Jn. 6:51) and drink the true living water, whosoever is worthy to eat and drink of which, shall never hunger or thirst (Jn. 4:10, 14)? Should we not cleanse the eye of our soul, abstaining 'from all defilement of the flesh and spirit' (II Cor. 7:1), in order that we may see the light which preceded the sun, or rather, that we become children of that light (Eph. 5:8), and other lights ourselves, through sharing in His light, holding forth the word of life (cf. Phil. 2:15-16)?" -- St. Gregory Palamas

“In order to fulfill the commandments of Christ, you must know them. They are expounded in the Gospels. Read the Holy Gospels, penetrate its spirit, make it the rule of your life, act in accord with the teachings of the Gospels. This is the one light in our life.” -- St. Nikon of Optina

“God’s holy church in itself is a symbol of the sensible world, since it possesses the divine sanctuary as heaven and the beauty of the nave as earth. Likewise the world is a church, since it possesses heaven, corresponding to a sanctuary; and for a nave is has the adornment of the earth.” -- St. Maximos the Confessor

"The mouth which is continuously giving thanks, receives blessing from God. In the heart that always shows gratitude, grace abides." -- St. Isaac the Syrian

"'Let us say, Brethren! And because of the Resurrection, let us forgive all things to those who hate us...' (Doxasticon of Pascha). You easily forgive yourself, if you have sinned against God, or against men; accordingly forgive other people, too. Love your neighbor as yourself, forgive him much." -- St. John of Kronstadt

"But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior appeared, not by the works of justice, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior that, being justified by his grace, we may be heirs, according to hope of life everlasting." -- St. Paul the Apostle (Titus 3:4-7)

"Ye mortals, exalt and praise Him Who by His death emptied the dominion of death and promised all the mortal race life and resurrection." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"Praise to Thee! By Thy resurrection didst Thou grant all the mortal race the hope of life and resurrection. And we offer Thee praise, for Thou are the resurrector of all flesh." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"A Deacon can teach, a Deacon can preach, a Deacon can be a leader, a Deacon can be a defender of the faith, a Deacon can be a writer, a Deacon can be a prophet, a Deacon can be a Saint, a Deacon can be a cause for people to change their life style, and a Deacon can be an inspiration to his family and to others. So I urge all of you to be Holy Deacons, above every selfishness, above every grudge, and above every bad desire and all passion." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"St. Athanasius the Great was a Deacon. He defended the faith when he attended the first Ecumenical Council. He was the center and star of that Ecumenical Council. The Holy Spirit spoke through him. He inspired all the Holy Fathers. No one could disregard his office as a Deacon. On the other hand, the Bishop does not kiss the Deacon’s hand. But, when the Bishop looks at the icon of the Proto-martyr, Archdeacon Stephen, the Bishop himself, the Patriarch himself, bows and kisses the Archdeacon Stephen’s hand. Why am I telling you these two pieces of history? Because the people and everyone will honor your office with respect because of your obedience to the teaching and to Almighty God. Therefore, the more you are the icon of our Lord and holiness comes out in your actions, in your behaviors, in your words, in your relationships at home and everywhere, the more you will earn respect and honor from everyone." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Needless to say, I expect all of us to know what the diaconate means. It is a Holy office, it is a Holy diakonia (i.e.) we have to do our service with fear of God, love, faith, obedience, faithfulness, prayerfulness, honesty and without preconditions or complaints, but rather with joy. Your ministry is no less than my ministry." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"I remember the days of my Holy Diaconate in Greece in the 70s. You cannot imagine how much joy, peace, and good memories I have, and I do not exaggerate when I say that I still feel myself as a Deacon because the grace is the same, but the title and the function are different." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"We ask for 'the Grace Divine...' at the ordination of all holy orders. It is the same grace that is received in degrees according to each office. So the call to holiness is the same for the deacon, the priest and the bishop, even the laity, since the Grace Divine falls also upon them in their Baptism and Chrismation." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"When the deacon is led to kneel at the altar for the first time, he first kisses the four corners in three consecutive processions around the holy Table. The same hymns sung at the marriage ceremony are sung again at this holy moment. This is our wedding to Christ and just as the bride greets her bridegroom with a kiss, so we greet the Lord and express our love for Him and for His kingdom when we enter the Holy Altar and bow and kiss the Holy Table with joy." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

“Thou didst make the Myrrh-Bearing Women the bearers of the tidings of the Thy Resurrection and Thy glory! They did not anoint Thy dead body, but Thou didst anoint their living souls with the oil of gladness. The mourners of the dead became the swallows of a new spring. Those who wept at Thy tomb became saints in Thy heavenly kingdom.” -- St. Nikolai of Zica

“With Thee, Lord, I will flee, that I may gain in Thee life in every place. The prison with Thee is no prison, for in Thee man goes up into Heaven: the grave with Thee is no grave, for Thou art the Resurrection!” -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"The Lord is called light and life and resurrection and truth. He is light as the brightness of souls and as the One Who drives away the darkness of ignorance, as the One Who enlightens the mind to understand unutterable things, and as the One Who reveals mysteries which can be perceived only by the pure. He is life, as the One Who grants to souls who love the Lord, the movement proper for divine things. Again, He is resurrection as the One Who raises up the mind from a deathly craving for material things and cleanses it from all kinds of corruption and death. Finally, He is truth as the One Who gives to those who are worthy an inflexible disposition toward the good." -- St. Maximos the Confessor

"Everything has already begun, and everything always begins anew for the Church, with the Resurrection of our Lord." -- His Beatitude, Patriarch IGNATIUS IV

"This is the sum of the Christian Kerygma: life has been manifested in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and this life is communicated to us through His Death and Resurrection." -- His Beatitude, Patriarch IGNATIUS IV

"Since the Resurrection of the Lord is the ever-present event by which He enters into unlimited Communion with all mankind, we can conclude that this same mystery should become a concrete reality within the sphere of our social life." -- His Beatitude, Patriarch IGNATIUS IV

“'To know Him and the power of His Resurrection'” (Phil 3:10) consists in this movement by which Christ descends into our very depths to raise us up into the light of Life. This is the movement of baptism, descent and rising up (Rom 6:3-4), with all the spiritual realism that the power of the Spirit will realize within us day after day in our personal lives." -- His Beatitude, Patriarch IGNATIUS IV

"Christ has died to the old world, and His resurrection has inaugurated the New Creation by reconciling everything and everyone to His Father (II Cor. 5:14-21). The 'Passover' of Jesus is the ultimate Event of the New Creation." -- His Beatitude, Patriarch IGNATIUS IV

"We have the power of the Holy Cross, our holy symbol, the divine grace of Christ, only as long as we have the holy marking of the Holy Baptism, meaning we have denied the devil and sided with Christ, and received the Holy Marking, the seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit." -- Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain

"Is the soul by itself a man? No, it is but the soul of a man. Can the body be called a man? No, it can but be called the body of a man. If, then neither of these is by itself a man, but that which is composed of the two together is called man, and God has called man to life and resurrection, He has called not a part, but the whole, which is the soul and the body… The resurrection is of the flesh which died; for the spirit does not die." -- St. Justin Martyr

"For in the baptismal rite, death ensues through the slaying of sin; threefold immersion initiates the lying in the tomb three days, and the raising out of the water is like him that rose again from the tomb. The very nature, therefore, of the act teaches us that that is the recognized day for the general reception of the grace, on which the power of the gift and the character of the action originated." -- St. Leo the Great

"And we in receiving baptism, in imitation of our Lord and teacher and guide, are not indeed buried in the earth (for this is the shelter of the body that is entirely dead, covering the infirmity and decay of our nature), but coming to the element akin to earth, to water, we conceal ourselves in that as the Savior did in the earth: and by doing this thrice we represent for ourselves that grace of the resurrection which was wrought in three days." -- St. Gregory of Nyssa

“Just as it is easy for us to be immersed and to lift up our heads again, so it is easy for God to bury the old man and show forth the new. This takes place three times, that you may know that the power of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit brings all these things to fulfillment." -- St. John Chrysostom

"Divine symbols are perfected [in baptism]: burial and death, resurrection and life and all these happen at the same time. As we submerge our heads in the water as in a tomb, the old man is buried, and as he goes down he is once and for all and entirely hidden; then, as we lift up our heads, the new man comes forth." -- St. John Chrysostom

"We are all surrounded by corruption in the church, in our neighborhoods, our families, and in society. How do we defeat corruption all around us? By perfecting ourselves. Christ was surrounded by the ultimate corruption of Hell when He descended into the depths. But His perfection destroyed sin, death, and the Devil. He released those held by corruption and ‘led captivity captive.'" -- His Eminence, Metropoltian JOSEPH

"The people itself, by passing through the Red Sea, proclaimed the good tidings of salvation by water. The people passed over, and the Egyptian king with his host was engulfed, and by these actions this sacrament was foretold. For even now, whensoever the people are in the water of regeneration, fleeing from Egypt, from the burden of sin, it is set free and saved. But the Devil with his own servants (I mean of course, the spirits of evil), is choked with grief, and perishes, deeming the salvation of men to be his own misfortune." -- St. Gregory of Nyssa

"The joy of Pascha comes to us through the reality of the Cross. The bliss of salvation comes through our death at Baptism." -- His Eminence, Metropoltian JOSEPH

"Liturgy is not a rigid thing to be repeated unconsciously. It is an expression of the human need to talk to the Lord, and to thank Him for His grace. Liturgy is spirit and life running through the veins of the body of the Church, and nurturing all its members. It revives the Church, the community and the individuals with the grace that is bestowed upon it. Hence, we are here before a precious gem. We should polish it and reveal its glorious face, stressing the essence of the liturgical practice which leads the believer to grow in Christ. It is therefore important to resort to all tools that enable the people to reach the depth of this inspiring liturgy, that they may take from it that which will help them attain salvation and understanding of the mystery of God." -- His Beatitude, Patriarch JOHN X

"Blessed is Christ Who promised life and resurrection to Adam's children in the day of His coming. We too shall arise and exalt Him along with the saints who have been pleasing to Him." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

On Matthew, Chapter 25: "Indeed, all of them had retained their virginity, but they did not posses the other virtues, especially charity. Virginity alone is not sufficient to enter the Kingdom of God. Virginity does not help at all, if the virgin is proud and selfish." -- St. Isidore of Pelusium

Abba John the Dwarf asked his monks: “Who sold Joseph?” One monk replied: “His brother.” To this the elder replied: “Not his brothers, but his humility. Joseph could have said that he was their brother and protested his being sold, but he remained silent. His humility, therefore, sold him. Afterward, this same humility made him master over Egypt.”

"Today hath the grace of the Holy Spirit brought us together; and we all lift Thy Cross as we say: Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest." -- Doxastikon of Great Vespers.

"When the Lord cried: 'Lazarus!' the man awoke and lived. The Lord knows the name of each of us. If Adam knew the name of each one of God’s creatures, how could God not know each of us by name? Oh, sweet and life-giving voice of the only Lover of mankind! That voice can make sons of God out of Stones. How can it not wake us from the sleep of sin!" -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"The commemoration of Christ's saving Passion is at hand, and the new, great spiritual Passover, which is the reward for dispassion and the prelude of the world to come. Lazarus proclaims it in advance by coming back from the depths of Hades and rising from the dead on the fourth day just by voice and command of God, Who has power over life and death (cf. Jn. 11:1-45)." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"Strive to be always prepared for death, for death is near to both the elderly and the young – to monks and laymen equally; and often it comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Let everyone consider what will happen with his soul." -- St. Barsanuphius of Optina

“Cry out, O sinner, with all your might, for the Lord is merciful and loves those who repent. As soon as you repent, your Father will come out to meet you and rejoice with you.” -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"Like the apple of Thine eye preserve me, O Lord God; defend me and beneath Thy wings shelter me from temptations." -- St Ephraim the Syrian

“Be the guardian of the eye that it might not look about in the manner of a thief; be the guardian of the ear, that it might not perceive falsehood. Be the guardian of the lips that slander, judgment, criticism and idle words might not come forth from them. Be the guardian of the heart that it might not be inclined to evil and might not work iniquity." -- St Ephraim the Syrian

St. Mary of Egypt spoke about her savage spiritual combat to Elder Zosimas: "For the first seventeen years in this wilderness, I struggled with my deranged lusts as though with fierce beasts. I desired to eat meat and fish, which I had in abundance in Egypt. I also desired to drink wine, and here I did not have even water to drink. I desired to hear lustful songs. I cried and beat my breast. I prayed to the All-pure Mother of God to banish such thoughts from me. When I had sufficiently wept and beat my breast, it was then that I saw a light encompassing me on all sides, and a certain miraculous peace filled me."

"Uphold in your life all the Christian virtues and the example of the saints, especially the Holy Life of our Master and Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Theotokos. Only with this Spirit will our Lent be accepted and only with this kind of Lent will our lives be purified and only with this armor of purification will we be conquerors." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"As from purple silk, O undefiled Virgin, the spiritual robe of Emmanuel, His flesh, was woven in thy womb. Therefore, we honor thee as Theotokos in very truth." -- from the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

"Where shall I begin to weep for the actions of my wretched life? What first-fruit shall I offer, O Christ, in this my lamentation? But in Thy compassion grant me forgiveness of sins. Come, wretched soul, with thy flesh to the Creator of all. Make confession to Him, and abstain henceforth from thy past brutishness; and offer to God tears of repentance." -- St. Andrew of Crete

“Grant us, O our Lord, to bring Thee three choice gifts. Grant us, O our Lord, to burn three aromatic censers before Thee. Grant us, O our Lord, to light for Thee three brightly burning lamps: the spirit, the soul and the body, these three gifts for the One Trinity." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"O Father, consecrate our spirit to Thyself! O Son, consecrate our soul to Thyself! O Holy Spirit, consecrate to Thyself our body which is afflicted by sores." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"There can be no rest on earth for those who desire to be saved." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

"The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundredfold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father John Climacus, intercede with Christ God to save our souls." -- Apolytikion of St. John Climacus

"The light of dawn comes before the sun, and meekness is the precursor of all humility. So let us listen to the order in which Christ, our Light, place these virtues. He says: 'Learn from Me, because I am meek and humble of heart.'” -- St. John Climacus

"Live in gratitude, and you will never be disappointed. See that your afflictions are not there to punish you, but to purify you and cleanse you of the delusions of this world. You all are being prepared each day for great things. Be wise, and prepare for the future, but do not be worried about it. Be prudent, but not obsessed. The man who constantly worries achieves nothing but stress and anxiety. Instead, pray and draw close to God. Believe that He will help you, and suddenly, you will see how He has already." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Our life without repentance is nonsense; our life without forgiveness is nonsense; our life without remembering all the blessings from God is nonsense. Jesus died for us, but have we died for Him or for anyone or have we died to our sins? If we don’t die, there is no life." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Keep strong, confident and devout in what you are doing. Our war is not against food and drink but rather against sin, temptations, passions, slothfulness, pride, unfaithfulness and other vices." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

In one of the accounts of the martyrdoms of Christians during the reign of the Persian King Sapor, it is said: “The swords became dull, the sword-bearers fell and the sword-makers grew tired, but the Cross was lifted up even higher and shone from the blood of Christ’s martyrs.” -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"In England, when people bow before the queen, they do so out of respect, but it does not imply any repentance. But when we bow before Christ, it means that we are ready to empty ourselves from an evil mind, from any evil thought or act, or any evil thing in our lives." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"May the soul that has sought refuge in Thy cross and inherited eternal incorruptible treasure praise and exalt Thee together with the spirits that number her among Thy ranks." -- St. Ephraim the Syrian

“Return my soul to the sweet garden of paradise, and may it abide in light that, surrounded by the delights of paradise, I too may say with all the saints: Glory to the Immortal Father; honor to Him Who presents heavenly gifts to this worthless one, that he may bring a tithe of glory to the King of all!" -- St Ephraim the Syrian

“May my heart be as a fertile field for Thee, and may Thy grace sprinkle the dew of eternal life upon it. May Thy grace reap a good harvest on the field of my heart: humility, reverence, sanctity, and all that is ever pleasing to Thee." -- St Ephraim the Syrian

“Thy love draws me to Thee, O Savior, O praise of my life. Thy grace makes it sweet for me to follow Thee with my mind." -- St Ephraim the Syrian

“For Thy servant Thy grace has become a refuge, strength, a defense, ennoblement, praise, and food for the whole of his life." -- St Ephraim the Syrian

“Thou, O Christ our Savior, hast become for me the path of life which leads to the Father. There is but one path, and it is my joy, and at the end of it is the heavenly kingdom." -- St Ephraim the Syrian

“Grant us, O our Lord to rejoice in Thee, and mayest Thou rejoice in us in the last day. To Thee is praise, from the spirit, soul and body. And unto us be Thy mercies." -- St Ephraim the Syrian

"... hear the Lord saying to each of us, as to the paralyzed man, 'Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house' (Mt. 9:6). Strengthened by the grace and power of Holy Baptism within us, we become vigorous and active in virtue, and bring into subjection our mental and physical capabilities and those material things which ought to be subservient to them, but which formerly overpowered us. We then go wherever pleases God and ourselves and, as far as we can, move to our real home, the eternal heavenly mansions. Those who see us ordering our lives in this godly way, marvel and glorify God, Who has given such power and authority to those who believe in Him (cf. Mt. 9:8), that they have their citizenship in heaven while still living on earth." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"Before the transgression, Adam shared in divine illumination and brilliance. He was clothed in the true robe of glory and was not naked, nor was he ugly in his nakedness, but was truly unspeakably better adorned than those who wear diadems embellished with much gold and precious stones. When our human nature was stripped of this divine illumination and radiance as a result of the ugly transgression, the Word of God had mercy on this nature and in His compassion took it upon Himself. On Mount Tabor He showed it clothed once more to His chosen disciples (cf. Lk. 9:28-37), proving to all what we had once been, and what those of us who believed in Him and attained to perfection in Him would be through Him in the age to come. You will find that the earnest of this perfection of those who live according to Christ is openly given here and now to God's saints. They reap, so to speak, the good of the age to come." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"You should secretly give from what you have to those in need, so that you receive from God, Who sees in secret, a hundred times more, as well as life eternal in the age to come (cf. Mt. 6:4; Mk. 10:30)." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"Since illnesses are cured by their opposite remedies, as we had been put to death by the wicked counsel of the evil one, we were made alive again by the good counsel of the good Lord. The deadly counselor had at his disposal pleasure, glory and comfort, which enchanted mankind and dragged it down. So the Counselor of true life Himself led the way along the strait and narrow way which leads to life above and guided us in it. 'Strive,' He says, 'to enter in at the strait gate' (Lk. 13:24), and 'strait and narrow is the way that leads to life, for wide and broad is the way that leads to destruction' (cf. Mt. 7:13-14). Elsewhere He warns more clearly against that path, saying, 'Woe to you who are rich! Woe to you who are full! Woe to you when all men shall speak well of you' (cf. Lk. 6:24-26), thus declaring wretched all lovers of glory, pleasure and money." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"We know that prayer in and of itself cannot save us, but carrying it out before God can. For when the Lord's eyes are upon us He sanctifies us, as the sun warms everything upon which it shines." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"We cannot serve anyone with whom we have animosity. This is why the Gospels stress forgiveness. Our Lord even forgave those who crucified Him, crying out from the cross, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34). If we are to serve the world, we must first be able to forgive everyone and anyone. The slightest amount of unforgiveness or anger towards anyone is enough to keep us from God, for in God there is only love." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"The Lord came to send fire upon the earth (cf. Lk. 12:49), and through participation in this fire He makes divine not just the human substance which He assumed for our sake, but every person who is found worthy of communion with Him." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"Moses received the law in a period of abstinence and led his people; and Elijah, when he fasted, closed the heavens. As for the Abrahamite youths, they vanquished by fasting the transgressing usurper. Wherefore, through the same, O Savior, prepare us to meet Thy Resurrection, shouting Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us!" -- Doxasticon for the First Sunday of Great Lent

"I urge you now to give the people a living example of your commitment to Jesus Christ. Renew your spiritual lives through fasting and prayer." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"We need to continue in the spirit and the theology of the Fast. It’s not just about food, but about self-control, about healing myself from selfishness, about enduring every hardship in life without losing faith or hope." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

“How can we say that we adhere to the meek and All-pure Christ, if we daily poison the air with tales about the sins and shortcomings of others? To conceal your own virtue and the shortcomings of others – in this is pre-eminent spiritual wisdom.” -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"... Christ said, 'Whoever shall say to his brother "You fool" shall be guilty enough to go to the hell of fire' (Mt. 5:22). If, then, you can eradicate this evil, calling down upon your soul the benediction of gentleness, then glorify Christ, the teacher and ministrant of every virtue, without whom, as we have been taught, we can do nothing good. But if you are unable to bridle your temper, censure yourself whenever you lose it, and repent before God and before anyone to whom you have spoken or have acted evilly. If you repent at the inception of sin you will not commit the sin itself; but if you feel no pang in committing minor offenses you will through them fall into major transgressions." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"The Savior began the work of our salvation with fasting. In the same way all those who follow in the footsteps of the Savior build on this foundation the beginning of their endeavor, since fasting is a weapon established by God." -- St. Isaac the Syrian

"It is detestable and dangerous for a wrestler to be slack at the start of a contest, thereby giving proof of his impending defeat to everyone. Let us have a firm beginning to our religious life, for this will help us if a certain slackness comes later. A bold and eager soul will be spurred on by the memory of its first zeal and new wings can then be obtained."  -- St. John Climacus

"I urge all of you to forgive one another with more love and humility, making every effort to observe this great and Holy Lent as a path toward Holiness." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"When children make noise in the Church we must forgive. The more we focus our attention on the prayer, the more the noise becomes for us a blessing. The Church is not only for us, but for the children. They are 'The Tomorrow' of the Church." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Humble people have no needless or petty quarrels with others, because they have no egocentric desires to always have their own way. They are not self-seeking; for they know that it is God’s will, not their own, that they should strive for. Therefore, humility naturally brings with it unity, both with God and with our fellows." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"It is through the virtue of humility that we attain spiritual gifts. Humility is the acknowledgement that God has saved us, forgiven us and desires that we should do the same. God does not force us to do so, we must be willing. If we are not willing to be humble, the world will humiliate us. The humble person cannot be humiliated, for humiliation is nothing but a blow to our pride. The one who has no pride escapes such suffering." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"A man does not possess all the gifts, lest he think that grace is nature." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"Even when your body does nothing, sin can be active in your mind. When your soul inwardly repulses the evil one's attack by means of prayer, attention, remembrance of death, godly sorrow and mourning, the body, too, takes its share of holiness, having acquired freedom from evil actions. This is what the Lord meant by saying that someone who cleans the outside of the cup has not cleansed it inside, but clean the inside and the whole cup will be clean (Mt. 23:25-26)." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"Give thanks to the Lord, but do not forget His great men, - the poor and the needy, for they can accomplish much with God the Lord." -- Abbot Nazarius of the Valaam Monastery

"The Lord came to send fire upon the earth (cf. Lk. 12:49), and through participation in this fire He makes divine not just the human substance which He assumed for our sake, but every person who is found worthy of communion with Him." -– St. Gregory Palamas

"If God is love, charity should know no limit, for God cannot be confined. Any time is the right time for works of charity...A generous spirit is itself great wealth. There can be no shortage of material for generosity where it is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed." -- St. Leo of Rome

“My son, always strive to be simple and kind. Do not have one thing in your heart and another thing on your tongue, for this is a ruse and a lie.” -- St. Nilus of Mount Sinai

Among the Twelve Holy Martyrs who suffered in 308 A.D. under the Emperor Diocletian were five Egyptian brothers according to the flesh and the spirit: Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel. As they faced the beheading sword, they were asked where they were from. They responded: “From the Jerusalem on High.”

"There is only one way into the Kingdom of Heaven, and that is the very way that Jesus Christ went when He lived on earth." -- Bishop INNOCENT, Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurilian and Aleutian Islands

"No one will ever find true happiness and perfect prosperity without God or outside God." – Bishop INNOCENT, Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurilian and Aleutian Islands

"What can I say to those people who, in the Church, neither stand in silence, nor join in the singing, but instead meet one another and mix our reasonable worship of God with worldly chatter? They do not listen themselves to the divinely inspired words, and prevent others who want to listen from doing so. 'How long do you halt between two opinions?' as Elijah the Tishbite would say (I Kgs. 18:21). You want simultaneously to come together for prayer and for worldly, ill-timed words. Of course you succeed in neither purpose, because you destroy the one with the other, or rather, they destroy each other. How long before you stop talking idly in this place? You make this house of prayer into a place of business or impassioned speech (cf. Lk. 19:46). In this house the words of eternal life are both spoken and heard, on the one hand by us, as we beseech God for eternal life with unashamed hope, and on the other hand by God, as He gives eternal life to those who ask with their whole heart and mind. But He will not give it to those who do not even apply their whole tongue, as it were, to asking." -- St. Gregory Palamas

Enduring his tortures at the age of 113, the Hieromartyr Charalampus said to the emperor’s soldiers, “Thank you, my brethren, for in scraping my old body you renew my spirit for a new eternal life.”

"There is no one so stupid as he who cannot see his own sins and cannot see the virtues of others. There is no one so enlightened as he who can see and recognize his own sins and the virtues of others." -- St. Nicholai of Zica

"It is through the virtue of humility that we attain spiritual gifts. Humility is the acknowledgement that God has saved us, forgiven us and desires that we should do the same. God does not force us to do so, we must be willing. If we are not willing to be humble, the world will humiliate us. The humble person cannot be humiliated, for humiliation is nothing but a blow to our pride. The one who has no pride escapes such suffering." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"We must renew our commitment to personal prayer and liturgical participation, to keeping the fasts of the Church, to giving our time and financial resources to the ministries of the Church, and, most especially, to being healed through self-examination and Confession." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"It is through the virtue of humility that we attain spiritual gifts. Humility is the acknowledgement that God has saved us, forgiven us and desires that we should do the same. God does not force us to do so, we must be willing. If we are not willing to be humble, the world will humiliate us. The humble person cannot be humiliated, for humiliation is nothing but a blow to our pride. The one who has no pride escapes such suffering." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Even when your body does nothing, sin can be active in your mind. When your soul inwardly repulses the evil one's attack by means of prayer, attention, remembrance of death, godly sorrow and mourning, the body, too, takes its share of holiness, having acquired freedom from evil actions. This is what the Lord meant by saying that someone who cleans the outside of the cup has not cleansed it inside, but clean the inside and the whole cup will be clean (Mt. 23:25-26)." -- St. Gregory Palamas

"It is not good for a monk to move from place to place. A tree frequently transplanted does not bear fruit." -- St. Euthymius the Great