Best Orthodox Christian Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 5

“Let everybody know this. He shall be assigned to the place and to the service to which he gave and devoted himself in this life and he can be sure that in eternity he will have as his lot the service and the companionship which he preferred in this life. This is what the Lord means when He says, 'If anyone is my servant let him follow Me and where I am he will be there as my servant' (Jn. 12:26).”

Ifs Knows Mean Christian Lord Eternity This Life Servant Orthodox Devoted Companionship Orthodox Christian Follow Me

Book:Conferences

Source: Conferences

“... the Lord Jesus said, 'To those who are in bonds, Come out, and to those who are in prison, Go forth' (Isa. 49:9); so your sins are forgiven. All, then, are forgiven, nor is there any one whom He has not loosed. For thus it is written, that He has forgiven 'all transgressions, doing away with the handwriting of the ordinance that was against us' (Col. 2:13-14). Why, then, do we hold the bonds of others, while we enjoy our own remission? He, who forgave all, required of all that what every one remembers to have been forgiven to himself, he also should forgive others.”

Should Has Beens Said Christian Remember Jesus Enjoy Sin Lord Written Forgiving Prison Orthodox Forgiven Orthodox Christian Transgression Ordinances Handwriting Remission

Author:Ambrose

“They have not understood that the Lord's Cross discloses the entire dispensation of His coming in the flesh, and contains within it the whole mystery of this dispensation. Extending in all directions, it embraces everything above, below, around and between.”

Men Whole Christian Lord Mystery Son Glory Crosses Embrace Flesh Orthodox Lifting Orthodox Christian Extending Lifting Up

Author:Gregory Palamas

“... only the good deed done for Christ's sake brings us the fruits of the Holy Spirit. All that is not done for Christ's sake, even though it be good, brings neither reward in the future life nor the grace of God in this life. That is why our Lord Jesus Christ said: 'He who gathers not with Me scatters' (Lk. 11:23).”

“When you are depressed, bear in mind the Lord's command to Peter to forgive a sinner seventy times seven (cf. Mt. 18:22). And you may be sure that He Who gave this command to another will Himself do very much more.”

Mind May Christian Lord Bears Forgiving Seven Command Sinner Orthodox Peter Seventies Orthodox Christian Cfs

Book:John Climacus (CWS)

Source: John Climacus (CWS)

“His Majesty knows best what is suitable for us. There's no need for us to be advising Him about what He should give us, for He can rightly tell us that we don't know what we're asking for (cf. Mt. 20:22). The whole aim of any person who is beginning prayer ? and don't forget this, because it's very important ? should be that he work and prepare himself with determination and every possible effort to bring his will into conformity with God's will.”

Knows Needs Giving Should Persons Important Whole Christian Prayer Forget Effort Determination Asking Aim Gods Will Orthodox Conformity Majesty Orthodox Christian Suitable Cfs

Author:Teresa of Avila

“... the people who, in spite of the bonds of sin which fetter them and hinder them (by constraint and by inciting them to new sins), come to Him, our Savior, with perfect repentance for tormenting Him, who despise all the strength of the fetters of sin and force themselves to break their bonds ? such people at last actually appear before the face of God made whiter than snow by His grace. 'Come, says the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them whiter than snow' (Isa. 1:18).”

People Made Christian Lasts Faces Force Sin Perfect Lord Break Grace Snow Spite Orthodox Repentance Savior Despise Constraints Orthodox Christian Hinder Scarlet Fetters

Author:Seraphim of Sarov

“Do not make judgments, and you will travel no quicker road to the forgiveness of your sins. 'Judge not, so that you may not be judged' (Lk. 6:37).”

May Christian Sin Judging Judgment Orthodox Judged Orthodox Christian

Book:John Climacus (CWS)

Source: John Climacus (CWS)

“The slave of the belly ponders the menu with which to celebrate the feast. The servant of God, however, thinks of the graces that may enrich him.”

Thinking May Christian Grace Slave Celebrate Servant Orthodox Belly Orthodox Christian Pondering Servant Of God Menus

Book:John Climacus (CWS)

Source: John Climacus (CWS)

“God is inexhaustible in His gifts to men? Everywhere we see plenty and joy; only the greedy rich lay their hands on and keep in their treasuries too many of God's gifts, which might plentifully nourish hundreds and thousands of poor. Man! Believe firmly in God's inexhaustibility in His gifts, and willingly 'deal your bread to the hungry' (Isa. 58:7)?”

Men Believe Hands Might Christian Joy Poor Deals Rich Lays Hungry Bread Plenty Orthodox Greedy Orthodox Christian Poor Man Treasury

Author:John of Kronstadt

“... if a man prays God for some virtue, and at the same time gives himself up to negligence, acquiring no definite means to gain this virtue, and making no effort towards it, truly this man tempts God, rather than prays. Thus the divine James says: 'The effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much' (Jms. 5:16). What avails to make prayer effective? is when, besides begging a saint to pray for him about something, the man also prays about it himself and with all diligence does everything necessary for obtaining his request.”

“The fruits of the earth are not brought to perfection immediately, but by time, rain and care; similarly, the fruits of men ripen through ascetic practice, study, time, perseverance, self-control and patience.”

Men Self Care Earth Christian Practice Study Rain Perfection Fruit Perseverance Orthodox Self Control Orthodox Christian

Author:Anthony the Great

“The feelings which seek expression in words are mostly egotistical, since they seek to express what flatters our self-love and can show us, as we imagine, in the best light.”

Self Shows Feelings Light Christian Imagine Expression Self Love Orthodox Orthodox Christian Egotistical

Book:Unseen Warfare: The Spiritual Combat and Path to Paradise of Lorenzo Scupoli

Source: Unseen Warfare: The Spiritual Combat and Path to Paradise of Lorenzo Scupoli

“Every success in anything we should refer to the Lord and with the Prophet say: 'Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory' (Ps. 113:9).”

Giving Should God Christian Success Names Religious Lord Glory Saint Prophet Orthodox Orthodox Christian Praise God

Author:Seraphim of Sarov

“If time came before me, time is not before the Word, whose Begetter is atemporal. When the beginningless Father was there, leaving nothing superior to His divinity, then also was there the Father's Son, having in the Father a timeless beginning, like the sun's great circle of overwhelming clear light.”

Ifs Light Christian Father Sun Clear Son Leaving Circles Superiors Divinity Orthodox Overwhelming Timeless Orthodox Christian

Author:Gregory of Nazianzus

“Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when Joy is the fundamental thing in him, and Grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive state of mind; Praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; Joy is the uproarious labor by which all things live? Christianity satisfies suddenly and perfectly man's ancestral instinct for being the right way up; satisfies it supremely in this, that by its creed Joy becomes something gigantic, and Sadness something special and small.”

“The man who knows the delight of the love of God ? when the soul warmed by grace, loves both God and her brother ? knows in part that 'the kingdom of God is within us'. Blessed is the soul that loves her brother, for our brother is our life.”

Knows Men Soul Christian Grace Our Lives He Man Brother Blessed Delight Kingdoms God Love Orthodox Kingdom Of God Orthodox Christian

Author:Silouan the Athonite

“'Now we are the sons of God'. This is the starting point of adoption. However, 'it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is' (I Jn. 3:2). This is the perfection of adoption of sons and renewal which God bestowed on us in Christ, and of which John says in his Gospel that, 'Christ gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God' (Jn. 1:12-13).”

Knows Men Believe Doe Christian Names Christ Born Blood Son Perfection Starting Flesh Orthodox Adoption Renewal Orthodox Christian Starting Point

Author:Gregory Palamas

“Watch yourself with all diligence, lest the enemy steals near and robs you, depriving you of this great treasure, which is inner peace and stillness of soul. The enemy strives to destroy the peace of the soul, because he knows that when the soul is in turmoil it is more easily led to evil. But you must guard your peace.”

Knows Soul Christian Evil Enemy Watches Strive Inner Peace Treasure Stealing Orthodox Stillness Strife Diligence Orthodox Christian Turmoil Depriving

Author:Lorenzo Scupoli

“Intelligent men have no need to listen to much talk, but should attend only to that which is profitable and guided by God's will.”

Men Needs Should Christian Intelligent Gods Will Orthodox Profitable Orthodox Christian Intelligent Man

Author:Anthony the Great

“The recovery of spiritual sight and the healing of physical blindness have much in common. Some of those whose bodily eyes were blind received their sight at once, like the man who heard and immediately saw and was healed. Others recovered their sight gradually as in the case of the man, who, before he was completely cured, said, “I see men as trees, walking”. It is the same with those whose spiritual eyes were healed.”

Men Said Eye Christian Spiritual Common Healing Cases Saws Heard Tree Stage He Man Walking Sight Blind Recovery Orthodox Blindness Healed Orthodox Christian Spiritual Eyes

Author:Gregory Palamas

“... whenever Christ, the Bridegroom of pure souls, is mystically united with each soul, He gives the Father occasion to rejoice over this as at a wedding. It is Christ Himself Who says, 'Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner who repents' (Lk. 15:7). For joy, according to the Apostle, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22), Who through conversion brings back to Christ those living in repentance, and reunites them with Him. And this joy embraces both those in heaven and godly men on earth. That is why there is joy in heaven over one repentant sinner.”

“Men seized of the urge to have a knowledge of God and to be pure in mind devote all their gathered energies to this one task. While they still live in the corruption of the flesh they give themselves to that service in which they will persevere when the corruption has been laid aside. And already they come in sight of what the Lord and Savior held out when He said, 'Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God' (Mt. 5:8).”

Men Giving Mind Heart Has Beens Said Stills Christian Energy Lord Pure Tasks Sight Blessed Clean Corruption Flesh Urges Orthodox Savior Persevere Orthodox Christian Knowledge Of God

Book:Conferences

Source: Conferences

“Every man possesses that which is according to the image of God, for the gifts of God are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). But only a few ? those who are virtuous and holy, and have imitated the goodness of God to the limit of human powers ? possess that which is according to the likeness of God.”

Men Humans Christian Holy Limits Goodness Every Man Orthodox Virtuous Orthodox Christian Gift From God God Image Irrevocable Goodness Of God Human Power

Author:John of Damascus

“Those who do not know must be taught, not punished. We do not hit the blind. We lead them by the hand.”

Knows Hands Christian Taught Blind Orthodox Orthodox Christian

Author:Pope Dionysius

“The second request of the very pure soul is to see the coming of the Father's kingdom (cf. Mt. 6:10). What this means first of all is that each day Christ should reign among holy men. And this happens when the devil's power has been driven out of our hearts through the expulsion of sinful foulness and when God has begun to reign within us amid the good odors of virtue. With fornication vanquished, chastity rules; with anger overcome, peace is king; with pride under foot, humility is sovereign.”

“Our Lord Jesus Christ made the merciful shepherding of His sheep the proof of love for Himself (cf. Jn. 21:15-17). He denounces as 'wicked' the servant who refused to pardon the debt of his fellow servant and who did not share in even the smallest way, the immense kindness that was bestowed on himself; that he should suffer the fate which he dealt is plainly shown to be right (cf. Mt. 18:32-33).”

“The Son is 'Life' (Jn. 14:6) because He is 'Light', constituting and giving reality to every thinking being. 'For in Him we live, move and exist' (Acts 17:28) and there is a two-fold sense in which He breathes into us (cf. Gen. 2:7; Jn. 20:22); we are filled, all of us, with His breath, and those who are capable of it, all those who open their mind's mouth wide enough, with His Holy Spirit.”

Thinking Giving Mind Two Enough Reality Light Christian Moving Spirit Son Holy Capable Mouths Breaths Filled Wide Breathe Holy Spirit Orthodox Folds Orthodox Christian Cfs

Author:Gregory of Nazianzus

“It is only all too easy to understand the requirements contained in God's Word ('Give all your goods to the poor.' 'If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the left.' 'If anyone takes your coat, let him have your cloak also. Rejoice always.' 'Count it sheer joy when you meet various temptations' etc.). The most ignorant, poor creature cannot honestly deny being able to understand God's requirements. But it is tough on the flesh to will to understand it and to then act accordingly. It is not a question of interpretation, but action.”

“When the soul is solidly rooted in... peacefulness, when it is freed of the bonds of every carnal urge, when the unshaking thrust of the heart is toward the one supreme Good, then the words of the apostle will be fulfilled. 'Pray without ceasing,' he said (I Thes. 5:17). 'In every place lift up pure hands, with no anger and no rivalry' (I Tim 2:8). Sensibility is, so to speak, absorbed by this purity. It is reshaped in the likeness of the spiritual and the angelic so that all its dealings, all its activity will be prayer, utterly pure, utterly without tarnish.”

“...it is not the obscure passages in Scripture that bind you but the ones you understand. With these you are to comply at once. If you understood only one passage in all of Scripture, well, then you must do that first of all. It will be this passage God asks you about. Do not first sit down and ponder the obscure passages. God's Word is given in order that you shall act according to it, not that you gain expertise in interpreting it.”

Ifs Firsts Wells Christian Order Asks Given Understood Gains Down And Scripture Orthodox Passages Obscure Expertise Orthodox Christian Pondering Interpreting

Author:Soren Kierkegaard

“...God will be 'all in all' (I Cor. 15:28) when we are no longer what we are now, a multiplicity of impulses and emotions, with little or nothing of God in us, but are fully like God , with room for God and God alone. This is the 'maturity' (cf. Col. 1:28) towards which we speed.”

Littles Christian Rooms Emotion Speed Gods Will Impulse Maturity Orthodox Orthodox Christian Multiplicity Cfs

Author:Gregory of Nazianzus

“All angels bring revelations and tidings of their superiors. The first bring word of God who is their inspiration, while the others, according to where they are, tell of those inspired by God... the holiest of the seraphim 'cry out to one another' (Is. 6:3)... this shows that the first ranks pass on to the second what they know of God.”

Knows Firsts Shows Inspiration Christian Cry Angel Inspired Superiors Revelations Orthodox Word Of God Orthodox Christian Tidings

Author:Pope Dionysius

“...although divided in His various powers and energies, in each of His works the Holy Spirit is wholly present and active, undividedly divided, partaken of while remaining complete, like the sun's ray.”

Christian Spirit Energy Sun Holy Various Active Holy Spirit Orthodox Divided Rays Orthodox Christian

Author:Gregory Palamas

“...a disposition is an unsatisfactory thing unless we give it practical effect - deeds show dispositions.”

Giving Shows Christian Effects Deeds Practicals Orthodox Disposition Orthodox Christian

Author:Gregory of Nazianzus

“...just as the edifice of all the virtues strives upward toward perfect prayer so will all these virtues be neither sturdy nor enduring unless they are drawn firmly together by the crown of prayer. This endless, unstirring calm of prayer... can neither be achieved nor consummated without these virtues. And likewise virtues are the prerequisite foundation of prayer and cannot be effected without it.”

Christian Together Prayer Perfect Virtue Foundation Strive Endure Calm Endless Orthodox Crowns Strife Orthodox Christian Prerequisites Edifice Sturdy

Author:John Cassian

“How could it occur to anyone to demonstrate that God exists unless one has already allowed Himself to ignore Him? A king's existence is demonstrated by way of subjection and submissiveness. Do you want to try and demonstrate that the king exists? Will you do so by offering a string of proofs, a series of arguments? No. If you are serious, you will demonstrate the king's existence by your submission, by the way you live. And so it is with demonstrating God's existence. It is accomplished not by proofs but by worship. Any other way is but a thinker's pious bungling.”

“...if we know God our knowledge of... everything will be brought to perfection, and, in so far as is possible, the infinite, divine and ineffable dwelling place (cf. Jn. 14:2) will be ours to enjoy. For this is what our sainted teacher said in his famous philosophical aphorism: 'Then we shall know as we are known' (I Cor. 13:12), when we mingle our god-formed mind and divine reason to what is properly its own and the image returns to the archetype for which it now longs.”

“...the reason for [this age's] anxiety and unrest is because in one direction, 'truth' increases in scope and quantity - via science and technology - while in the other, certainty and confidence steadily decline. Our age is a master in developing truths while being wholly indifferent to certitude. It lacks confidence in the good.”

“Can anyone be a father without beginning to be one? Yes, one who did not begin his existence. What begins to exist begins to be a father - God the Father did not begin at all. He is Father in the true sense, because He is not a son as well. Just as the Son is son in the true sense, because He is not a father as well. In our case, the word 'father' cannot be truly appropriate, because we must be fathers and sons.”

Wells Christian Father Existence Cases Son Appropriate Orthodox Orthodox Christian Father And Son

Author:Gregory of Nazianzus

“The name 'cherubim' means 'fullness of knowledge' or 'outpouring of wisdom'... The name cherubim signifies the power to know and to see God, to receive the greatest gifts of His light, to contemplate the divine splendor in primordial power, to be filled with the gifts that bring wisdom and to share these generously with subordinates as a part of the beneficent outpouring of His wisdom.”

Knows Mean Light Christian Names Share Divine Filled Orthodox Contemplating Fullness Orthodox Christian Greatest Gifts Splendor Subordinates

Author:Pope Dionysius

“It is not our free will but 'it is the Lord who sets the captive free' (Ps. 145:7). It is not our own virtue but 'it is the Lord who lifts up those who were laid low' (Ps. 145:8). It is not application to reading but 'it is the Lord who gives light to the blind' (Ps. 145:8). It is not our cautiousness but 'it is the Lord who protects the stranger' (Ps. 145:9). It is not our endurance but 'it is the Lord who raises or gives support to the fallen' (Ps. 144:14).”

Giving Light Christian Reading Lord Support Virtue Protect Lows Raises Blind Stranger Lifts Fallen Endurance Orthodox Free Will Application Orthodox Christian Captives Cautiousness

Book:Conferences

Source: Conferences

“The truth is lived before it is understood. It must be fought for, tested, and appropriated. Truth is the way... Anyone will easily understand it if he just gives himself to it.”

Ifs Way Giving Christian Truth Is Understood Orthodox Tested Orthodox Christian

Author:Soren Kierkegaard

“...night possessed us and the shadow of death encompassed us, for we had fallen into sin and lost the power of sight which was ours by God's grace and by which we were able to perceive the light that bestows true life. Night and death had been poured out on our human nature, not because of any change in the true light, but because we had turned aside and no longer had any inclination towards the life-bearing light. In the last times, however, the Giver of eternal light and Source of true life has had mercy upon us.”

“The word of God has provided nine explanatory designations of the heavenly beings... the first group is forever around God and is said to be permanently united with Him ahead of any of the others and with no intermediary. Here there are the most holy 'thrones' and the orders said to possess many eyes and many wings, called in Hebrew the 'cherubim' and 'seraphim'... The second group... is made up of 'authorities,' 'dominions,' and 'powers.' And the third, at the end of the heavenly hierarchies, is the group of 'angels,' 'archangels,' and 'principalities.'”

“If you are fond of dressing elegantly, or when you put on your clothes, think of the incorruptible garment of righteousness in which our souls should be arrayed, or of Jesus Christ Who is our spiritual raiment, as it is said: 'For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ' (Gal. 3:27).”

Ifs Thinking Should Has Beens Said Soul Christian Spiritual Jesus Christ Clothes Jesus Christ Orthodox Righteousness Dressings Garments Orthodox Christian Baptized Gals

Author:John of Kronstadt

“No just man suffices unto himself for the winning of justification. The divine mercy must always hold out a hand to his footsteps as they falter and almost stumble, and this is so because the weakness of his free will may cause him to lose balance, and if he falls he may perish forever.”

Ifs Men May Hands Christian Fall Winning Causes Loses Forever Divine Balance Weakness Mercy Orthodox Free Will Justification Orthodox Christian Footsteps Divine Mercy

Book:Conferences

Source: Conferences

“It is like employing a small tool on big constructions, if we use human wisdom in the hunt for knowledge of reality.”

Ifs Humans Use Bigs Reality Christian Tools Orthodox Construction Hunts Orthodox Christian Employing Human Wisdom

Author:Gregory of Nazianzus

“Truth is not something you can appropriate easily and quickly. You certainly cannot sleep or dream yourself to the truth. No, you must be tried, do battle, and suffer if you are to acquire the truth for yourself. It is a sheer illusion to think that in relation to the truth there is an abridgement, a short cut that dispenses with the necessity for struggling for it.”

Ifs Thinking Dream Christian Suffering Sleep Struggle Cutting Truth Is Battle Illusion Relation Acquire Appropriate Orthodox Sheer Orthodox Christian Short Cuts

Author:Soren Kierkegaard

“Given that we desire long life, should we not take eternal life into account? If we long for a kingdom which, however enduring, has an end, and glory and joy which, great as they are, will fade, and wealth that will perish with this present life, and we labour for the sake of such things; ought we not to seek the kingdom, glory, joy and riches which, as well as being all-surpassing, are unfading and endless, and ought we not to endure a little constraint in order to inherit it?”

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Orthodox Christian Quotes