“An angel fell from heaven without any other passion except pride, and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven by humility alone, without any other of the virtues.”
“Love and humility form a holy pair; what the first builds, the second binds, thus preventing the building from falling asunder.”
~Saint John Climacus
“Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward & learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.”
~John Chrysostom
Saint John Chrysostom pray to God for us!
Andei Remnyov- Arranging Her Braids 1996
As then nothing should be put before love, so on the other hand nothing should be put below rage and anger. For all things, however useful and necessary they seem, should yet be disregarded (so) that disturbing anger may be avoided, and all things even which we think are unfortunate should be undertaken and endured that the calm of love and peace may be preserved unimpaired, because we should reckon nothing more damaging than anger and vexation, and nothing more advantageous than love.
~Saint John Cassian
Orthodox Life at the Monastery of Saint John of Shanghai & San Francisco in Manton California
The waters of the Jordan are sanctified, and together with them all the waters of creation, the very nature of water. Water is given power to cleanse not only the body, but also man’s whole soul, and to regenerate the whole man unto a new life through Baptism. Through water all of nature is cleansed, for out of water the world was made, and moisture penetrates everywhere, giving life to everything else in nature. Without moisture neither animals nor plants can live; moisture penetrates into rocks, into every place in the world. The waters are sanctified and through them the whole world, in preparation for renewal and regeneration for God’s eternal Kingdom which is to come.
~Saint John of San Francisco, “A Sermon on the Day of Theophany”
For the holy Virgin did not give birth to a mere man but to true God and not to God simply, but to God made flesh. And He did not bring His body down from heaven and come through her as through a channel, but assumed from her a body consubstantial with us and submitting Himself. Now, had the body been brought down from heaven and not been taken from our nature, was there any need for His becoming man? God the Word was made man for this reason: that that very nature which had sinned, fallen, and become corrupt should conquer the tyrant who had deceived it. Thus should it be freed from corruption, as the divine Apostle says: ‘For by a man came death: and by a man the resurrection of the dead’ (1 Cor. 15:21). If the first was true, then so is the second.
~Saint John of Damascus: The Orthodox Faith
