Teachings of Fathers
Father Germanos of Stavrovouni
It is impossible to obtain true prayer, if you previously do not leave every suspicion and evil suspicion against others.
If you want to learn to pray, first cut off talking a lot. Cast off furthermore even every superflous distraction from your life.
St. Mark the Ascetic
Whatever we do without prayer and without hope in God, turns out afterwards to be harmful and defective.
Abbas Isidoros
Forgive your brother, so that you also may be forgiven.
Mitropolitan Philaretos of Moscow
He who sufficiently knows and judges himself has no time to judge others.
God rejoices when a man offers Him a wise prayer.
Our soul cannot yield spiritual fruit unless our heart is dead to the world.
Blessed is the man who realizes his weakness, for this knowledge becomes the foundation, the root and the beginning of every boon. For as soon as a man understands and truly feels his weakness, he immediately puts a restraint on the vain pride of his soul which obscures reason, and thus he gains protection.
Practice self-observation. And if you want to benefit yourself and your fellow men, look at your own faults and not those of others. The Lord tells us: "Judge not, that ye be not judged," condemn not that ye be not condemned. And the Apostle Paul says: "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?"
To love is easy and sweet. Oh! if we could only see the heart of a man who bears the evangelic yoke of Christ, you would see in it a paradise of joy and gladness, you would see there the Kingdom of God, even though on the surface he was worried and surrounded by grief and tribulations, as a rose is surrounded by thorns. There can be nought but comfort and true joy in a heart in which reigns the Kingdom of God.
Christ often comes and knocks at your door and you invite him to sit in the living room of your soul. Then, absorbed in your own business you forget the Great Visitor. He waits for you to appear and when you are too long in returning, he gets up and leaves. At other times, you are so busy that you answer him from the window. You don't even have time to open the door.
We you see a person who is spiritually tired do not burden him any further, because his knees won't be able to bear it
Love the One, so that even wild beasts will love you.
True wealth, for me, is to see you in the Kingdom of Heaven.
When the flame of love exists, it consumes whatever evil approaches.
The person who loves spiritually, feels prayerful, that he can be found within God and his brother. He is saddened when his brother is not advancing well and prays for his progress. Whoever has Christian love never changes.
Hold the banner of Christ up high, so that you've always got your elder's telephone number no matter where you are.
Christ is the same, yesterday and today, but we have closed our eyes and look into the darkness. It is because we carry on like this that some fall in the mud and others are killed.
Those things we hear about, war, earthquakes, catastrophes, thunderings, expect rain too.
We must be ready for our defence and our martyrdom.
For God's grace to come during the Liturgy you must be concentrated and untroubled.
The more a person loves God, the more he loves other people. He loves them with holiness, respect and refinement, as images of God.
When a person lacks inner warmth, he will be frozen and cold, even in summer.
When your heart does not have Christ, it will contain either money, property or people instead.
Please put this commandment into practice. Cultivate love towards the Person of Christ to such an extent that, when you pronounce His name, tears fall from your eyes. Your heart must really burn. Then He will become your teacher. He will be your Guide, your Brother, your Father, and your Elder.
Love your Bridegroom Christ with all your heart and then everyone will love you and take care of you.
God's protection diminishes temptation.
Because of widespread corruption, people cannot understand that spiritual love exists.
Worldly people tire you, because whatever is stored up inside them comes at you like waves of electricity. We must be people of grace so much so that whoever comes to us may find rest.
Let us look upon everyone as our superiors, however weak they may appear. Let us not be harsh, but always bear in mind that the other person also has the same destination as us.
We must have Love, even if they do us the greatest harm, we must love them. We will be able to enter Paradise only with love.
Cultivate the Jesus Prayer and a time will come when your heart will leap with joy, just as it does when you are about to see a person who you love very much.
Do not neglect evening prayer. Pray with eagerness like those who are going to a feast. They are awake and feel joy alone. Thus, since you are going to speak with your Bridegroom, do not listen when the Tempter tells you various things in order to hinder you, because you know there is someone who cares for you.
Question: "Elder, how must we picture Christ?" Answer: "We must always bring to Christ to mind with love. We could be holding the photograph of someone in our hands, but since we do not know them, we do not love him, we are not moved. Whereas, when we pick up a photograph of our mother, our soul immediately leaps and cries out with love.
A person can be raised up above the earth by two wings, one is simplicity and the other is purity of heart. You must be simple in your actions and pure in your thoughts and feelings. With a pure heart you'll seek God and with simplicity you'll find Him and be glad. A pure heart passes through Heavens gate with ease.
Self denial must be cultivated with discernment, otherwise we reach the point of suicide.
We are on the high seas of life, sometimes there are storms and at other times calm. God's grace does not leave us. Else, we would have sunk, if he had not held us up.
The saints always look to the other life. It is the grace of the remembrance of death.
God guards us from temptation. He does not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength.He allows everything for our good.
When spirituality increases, even sleep will have been fought off.
Prayer is grace. God gives it when zeal and humility exist.
Fight the Hater of Good, who envies you, bravely suffer whatever befalls you with fortitude, patience and faith.
Do not allow your soul's enemy to wage war against you. He appears in sheep's clothing, supposedly wanting your soul's benefit.
Trust in the Lord always and he will nourish you in time of hunger.
With a good word for your neighbour, supporting him, you buy paradise.
Repentance must occur, not from fear of punishment but because we have sinned before God. Sweeten your thoughts with words of consolation and hope. Warm your words with the warmth of your love towards your Bridegroom and remember His Passion, which he underwent for you, so that you would remain firm, devoted and humble. Give your whole self completely over to the protecting veil of the Panagia.
Love giving hospitality, my child, for it opens the gates of Paradise. In this you also offer hospitality to angels. "Entertain strangers so that you won't be a stranger to God."
The saints submitted to whatever God sent them, with childlike simplicity, "That's the way You want it. Let Your will be done."
Hospitality... the greatest of virtues. It draws the grace of the Holy Spirit towards us. In every stranger's face, my child, I see Christ himself.
Sorrow is pleasing to God, in as much as it doesn't take away our courage to fight.
It is necessary and beneficial for a general self examination to take place from time to time, remembering all former sins.
Leave all your concerns to the hands of God. Ask for whatever you want, like a child asking from its father.
Prayer is a gift from God. Always ask with hope.
Our deeds, dear sister, will not save us; God's infinite mercy will.
Spiritual bonds become unbreakable when they come across a child like spirit, innocence and sanctity.
Everything seems dark and difficult to a person without Christ.
Every day I pray that I may see you amongst the ranks of women saints.
I don't want to be in Paradise without you, my children.
Question: How do you manage to have such patience and perseverance in everything? Answer: The grace of God helps. I always believe in the power of God, my child, Who alters and adjusts everything for the benefit of our soul.
The person who gets agitated doesn't think straight, logically. 29/10/67
When I see a person who is irritated, I don't listen to what he is saying, but pray for God to pacify him. That's why I don't get distressed. When they calm down, when the time is right, I talk to them because they are then in a position to comprehend their foolishness.
The Grace of God and spiritual union with Him transform a person Fears and suspicions go away, he doesn't fear death, and views this life, however good it may be, as slavery 2/5/1969
God is visiting you when tears come during prayer.
When a person is simplified, he is deified. He becomes innocent, humble, gentle, free. 1/11/1968
Never ever give importance to anything earthly and fleeting. Take care of your spiritual union with God instead.
When you hear your name being criticized act as if you didn't hear. This is Paradise, this is perfection.
Our religion slays the passions not the body.
Where thee is fear of God wisdom is given 25/7/1967
I want you to be calm so that we can meet. When you're tired the wireless doesn't work.
The Christian is a true human being He is courteous and polite. He doesn't want to sadden anybody.
Innocence is greater than genius.
A person who suffers from egotism attracts no one. And if he does attract someone he will soon go away. When one comes across a childlike spirit, innocence and holiness the bond becomes unbreakable.
Your hearts are young and want to love. You must have our Christ alone in your heart. Your Bridegroom wants you to love only Him.
The spiritual life has great pleasures. You fly, you leave the world, you don't consider anything. You become children and God dwells in your heart.
The Grace of the All Holy Spirit makes a person send out rays. However, other people must have a good receiver in order to realise this. 1/1/1968
We must have our gaze fixed on heaven. Then nothing will shake us.
Take communion regularly, pray warmly, be patient and you will see a strong hand holding you.
Christ is near us even if we don't see Him. Sometimes, from his great love, He gives us a slap too.
You should be glad. Jesus holds an artists chisel in His hands. He wants to prepare you a statue for the Heavenly Palace.
The person who shouts has no strength.
Gerontissa Gavriella
One thing is education: that we learn how to love God.
The greatest part of my prayer here and for years now is Thankgiving. What else should I ask, when I have everything?
Nothing is cheaper than money.
Better hell here than in the other world.
If you have love for the whole world the whole world is beautiful.
The language of God is silence.
Love is a bomb the destroys all evil.
Some want to go to the Resurrection without passing by way of Gologatha.
“The first is the smile; the second is tears. The third is to touch. The fourth is prayer, and the fifth is love. With these five languages I go all around the world.”
Worry is for those who do not have Faith.
Love is only found on the Cross.
Relationship is difficult when "I" stands above "You".
As God loves you, so does He love your enemy.
“The first is the smile; the second is tears. The third is to touch. The fourth is prayer, and the fifth is love. With these five languages I go all around the world.”
ON THE CROSS:
"As I have been telling you, we should take all our sorrow and place it at the Feet of Christ. Because He suffered on the Cross for our sins, and for our sorrows, and for our problems, and for all the gloom of our souls. For everything! And when you remember that the Blood of our Lord is cleansing us from everything, that is the end of it. Nothing of these exists anymore. If you take the time to think through this thoroughly, then you will understand. There are limits to what we can do. We cannot give help to all. We cannot be physically present both here and there. In spirit, of course, we can be everywhere. This is exactly why you must convert your sensibilities into prayer. Something wonderful will happen then. Because you could take in your heart all those in need of help and place them at the Feet of Christ, who was crucified for you, for me, for all the world."
ON THANK YOU LORD:
"When we become truly conscious of the gifts of God, we no longer have the time to ask for anything. We keep going and saying Thank you ... Thank you ... Thank you ... Thank you ... We see a flower ... Thank you. We see a glass of milk ... Thank you. Thank you ... for everything. And such a joy enters our life that many, even of those that are close to us, cannot understand what's all this. When I lived in England, sometimes people asked: What's up? Why are you so happy? I would always answer: Because I am alive and I see you ... Good day to you!"
Father Porphyrios:
This is the way we should see Christ. He is our friend, our brother; He is whatever is good and beautiful. He is everything. Yet, He is still a friend and He shouts it out, "You're my friends, don't you understand that? We're brothers. I'm not...I don't hold hell in my hands. I am not threatening you. I love you. I want you to enjoy life together with me."
Christ is Everything. He is joy, He is life, He is light. He is the true light who makes man joyful, makes him soar with happiness; makes him see everything, everybody; makes him feel for everyone, to want everyone with him, everyone with Christ.
Love Christ and put nothing before His Love. Christ is Everything. He is the source of life, the ultimate desire,He is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ.
Somebody who is Christ's must love Christ, and when he loves Christ he is delivered from the Devil, from hell and from death.
This is the way we should see Christ. He is our friend, our brother; He is whatever is good and beautiful. He is everything. Yet, He is still a friend and He shouts it out, "You're my friends, don't you understand that? We're brothers. I'm not...I don't hold hell in my hands. I am not threatening you. I love you. I want you to enjoy life together with me."
Christ is Everything. He is joy, He is life, He is light. He is the true light who makes man joyful, makes him soar with happiness; makes him see everything, everybody; makes him feel for everyone, to want everyone with him, everyone with Christ.
Love Christ and put nothing before His Love. Christ is Everything. He is the source of life, the ultimate desire,He is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ.
Somebody who is Christ's must love Christ, and when he loves Christ he is delivered from the Devil, from hell and from death.
The Elder was once asked, "My daughter is living a dissolute life, how can I save her?" To which he responded: "Only with your own holiness. A parent's holiness saves their children."
The Elder said: "Your children should not hear you arguing even once, not even if you raise the tone of your voices to one another." A spiritual child responded: "That's not possible, Elder!" "But of course it's possible. Just as I'm telling you it is, not even once."
The Elder said: "Don't pressure your children. Whatever you say to them, say it with your prayers. Children don't listen with their ears. They'll only listen to what we want to tell them when divine grace appears and enlightens them. When you want to say something to your child, say it to the Most-Pure Mother of God, and she will do all the work. Your prayer will become a spiritual hug, which embraces your children and captivates them. We, you see, often try to hugh them but they object. They never object to a spiritual hug, though."
Once the Elder explained to his spiritual child how to help the souls of the departed: He told us: "Pray a lot, do good works, be charitable, and take part in the Divine Liturgy (by making the prosphora and giving the names of the departed so that they can be remembered). You and our children must receive com-munion frequently, if possible at every Liturgy."
Concerning Freedom
The elder said:It is not freedom when we say to people that everything
is permitted. That is slavery.To improve one must have difficulties. Let's take an
example. We have a little tree. We take care of it. Weplace a stake and tie it with a
rope. Naturally we don't tie it with wire because that way we would injure it. With their
method they would not constrain the tree; and it doesn't develop properly otherwise. And
look at the child. We limit his freedom from the beginning. When he is first conceived the
poor thing islimited in his mother's womb and remains there nine whole months. Later he is
born and immediately
they swaddle him in a blanket, they tie him up, as soon as he begins to grow they set a
railing, etc. All of this is necessary for him to grow. It appears to take away freedom,
but without these protective measures the child will die in the first moment.
The elder said:Freedom is good when the person can use it appropriately. Otherwise it is a disaster.
Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov
"Enable us worthily to partake of Thy Holy Mysteries, that all that is of death in our flesh may be swept away by Thine incorruptible life."
"O Lord eternal, by the power of Thy blessing enable me at all times to speak and act to Thy glory with a pure spirit, with humility, patience, love, gentleness, peace, courage and wisdom: aware always of Thy presence." Prayer at Daybreak.
Now then, to start mastering noetic prayer you must constantly force yourself to
say the prayer without ceasing. In the beginning quickly: the nous must not have
time to form any distracting thoughts. Pay attention only to the words: “Lord Jesus
Christ, have mercy on me.” When the prayer is said orally for a long period of time,
the nous becomes accustomed to it and eventually takes up saying it. Then it
becomes sweet to you as if you had honey in your mouth, and you want to keep
saying it all the time. If you stop it, you feel greatly distressed.
When the nous gets used to it and has taken its fill—when it has learned it well—then
it sends it to the heart. Since the nous supplies food for the soul, the task of the nous
is to send whatever good or evil it sees or hears down to the heart, which is the
center of man’s spiritual and physical powers, the throne of the nous. So, when
someone saying the prayer keeps his nous from imagining anything, and pays
attention only to the words of the prayer, then, breathing gently with a certain
compulsion and volition of his own, he brings his nous down to his heart; he
holds it within as if in confinement, rhythmically saying the prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!”
In the beginning he says the prayer a few times and takes a breath. Later, when
the nous has become accustomed to remaining in the heart, he says one prayer
with each breath: “Lord Jesus Christ” breathing in, “have mercy on me”breathing
out. This happens until grace overshadows the soul and begins to act within it.
Beyond this is theoria.
So, the prayer is said everywhere: seated, in bed, walking, and standing.
Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks,”1 says the apostle. However,
it is not enough to pray only when you go to bed. It takes a struggle: standing
and sitting. When you get tired, sit. Then stand up again so that you are not
overcome by sleep.
This is called “praxis.”* You show your good intention to God, but everything
depends on Him, on whether or not He gives to you. God is the beginning and
the end. His grace is the driving force that activates all things.
As for how love is activated, you will realize how when you keep the
commandments. When you get up at night and pray; when you see
someone ill and sympathize with him; when you see a widow, orphans,
or the elderly and you are charitable to them, then God loves you. And
then you also love Him. He loves first and pours out His grace, and we
return to Him what is His; “Thine own of Thine own.”
Well, if you seek to find Him only through the prayer, do not let a single
breath pass without it. Just be careful not to accept any fantasies. For the
Divine is formless, unimaginable, and colorless; He is supremely perfect,
not subject to syllogisms. He acts like a subtle breeze in our minds.
Compunction comes when you consider how much you have grieved God
Who is so good, so sweet, so merciful, so kind, and entirely full of love;
Who was crucified and suffered everything for us. When you meditate on t
hese and other things the Lord has suffered, they bring compunction.
So, if you are able to say the prayer out loud without ceasing, in two or three
months you can get used to it. Then grace overshadows you and refreshes
you. Only say it out loud, without a break. When the nous takes it up, you stop
saying it orally; and then when the nous loses grip of the prayer, let the tongue
resume saying it out loud. All the forcefulness is needed with the tongue until
you get used to it in the beginning. Afterwards, all the years of your life, your
nous will say it without exertion.
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So, you don’t want to suffer Then don’t expect to ascend. Whoever does not endure sufferings should not expect grace from Him. He removed grace from you so that you may become wise. But it will come again. It does not abandon you. This is a law of God. But it will leave again. Yet once more will it come. As long as you don’t stop seeking it, it will keep coming and going until it renders you perfect.
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"But before anything else" said the holy elder "pray diligently to God, so that He might open to thee the doors of Light. No one is able to comprehend Truth, unless it be given him in understanding by God Himself, Who revealeth it to each that seeketh Him in prayer and in love."
Father Dimitrios Gagastathis : The Man Of God
Daily Prayer
O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far off in the sea, the Good Shepherd, Who gave Your soul as ransom for Your rational sheep, Who do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he may turn back and live, the Forbearing, the All merciful, the All compassionate, Who gave us repentance for the remission of sins, Who are full of mercy and love for mankind, forgive all our sins that we have committed since our childhood, in words, in ignorance, in mind, voluntarily and involuntarily; forgive also all sinners and blasphemers and give to us, to those, and to all men, true repentance, pure and sincere one, to enlighten, guide instruct, uphold, strengthen and confirm us on the unshakable rock of the Faith, the rock of Your divine commandments, so that having put off the old man of sin and put on the new man in Christ, we may live the remaining time of our life in chastity, holiness, justice, piety and in God pleasing manner and be made worthy of Your Heavenly Kingdom; may that we all attain this through the prayers of YOur most pure Mother and of all Your saints. Amen.
On Prayer
I'm definitely not educated, but I can empirically tell you - that's what life has taught me - that it's at night and on en empty stomach that one can pray better.
We haven't placed Christ inside us and that's why we don't know what's love, peace, concord, etc.
Since I can't preach, let me at least weep for my sins and for those who have gone astray.
Prayer is a telephone, a wireless, by which one communicates directly with God. You dial the number on the telephone of prayer to speak with God and He answers. You hear Him clearly, you feel Him very close.
Prayer comes first in the larynx, then goes up to the brain and then down to the heart. And then well, theaters come to the eyes. From that point on there's nothing more to be said. It's true that in the beginning, you'll have difficulties. You'll try to pray and at time so you won't be able to, at times you'll have wandering thoughts and temptations, and at other times you won't be able to wake up at night. But you must insist. The Lord, seeing your disposition, will uphold you and deliver you from all temptations. We must not waste the whole night sleeping, because then Satan does whatever he wants with us.
Nightly prayer is of great value. The people sleep and God listens.
No matter where I go, I stick to my program, which was been called "According to the order of Melchisedek" and has been countersigned by many spiritual Fathers.
Vespers, Supplication prayers, preaching, Compline with the Salutations of the Theotokos - a most blessed job...
I have seen many things in my life, one of them being that prayers, supplications and Divine Liturgies have caused many to return to the Church's fold.
I entreat God and His Saints to enlighten all those astray so that may believe and come back to the bosom of the Church, which always keeps her arms open and waits for them. This is all I know to say and keep bothering God, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Archangels and all the Saints. If they don't like this, may they forgive me, as I'm unlearned and don't know what I should be asking for.
We must not with too much boldness to God and to the Most Holy Theotokos. We are all sinners and God doesn't hear a sinner's voice.
Despite that I'm a sinner, I kept asking persistently based on "Ask, and it shall be given you, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). This is what I understood in my life: What is impossible with men, is possible with God (Luke 18:27).
Fasting
Fasting is a great thing. Adam was expelled for not keeping it. We must love fasting, because through it the passions go away, the heart and body are purified, and once we are made thus free, we can pray better. Our fasting must be accompanied with a lot of obedience and humility. We must do whatever God wants. We must have a lot of humility. We are nothing in the sea of God's love and goodness. What does God say? "Upon whom shall I look, except upon the meek and the humble and the one who fears my words?"
Humility And Obedience
The great vitures are three: humility, obedience, and love.
When there is no love and obedience to the local bishop, everything is ruined.
No one can hold two watermelons under one arm. That is, no one can seek offices and be humble at the same time. Which one of those bishops that Church or the Start clare anti canonical goes to become a male nurse in a hospital? No one, because they don't have humility and obedience. But if some bishop would do just that, then all the people would admire him and readily believe that our Orthodox faith is a faith of works. Let then all the preachers of the world come together and go preach everywhere. They won't have such an effect as the example of that bishop, since works are superior to any preaching.
We cannot have boldness before God when we are not obedient, humble. Our heart must be simple in order to receive the word of God. No selfishness or hard-heartedness. Simplicity of heart makes us similar to God and to the saints. Everything is simple. The simple man is neither wicked nor can he think something wicked. He is resettles. He is like a child. His prayer is readily received. He prays for the others and for his sins.
How can you not weep when you see how much you've grieved God, the Angels and the Saints, who wait for you in Heaven and benefit you while on earth?
Love
Love cannot be limited to one person alone nor can the fruits of one's work be confined in a single environment. The lamp that is put on the table enlightens the whole house and everyone in it Matt. 5:15).
I can't find rest. I want to help everyone who asks me for help, even the whole world.
When you love God and all men with your heart, then you are in God's law. We shall be judged because we don't love.
I don't pray for myself. I love men so much that I pray only for the others.
How can you not pray for the afflicted, the sick, the poor?
Never be afraid for a man who loves. In him God dwells.
You ask me to make a Liturgy for you so that God may enlighten you to do well in the exam. I'm serving Forty Liturgies for you and you ask for one?
Have love among you, humility and obedience. God and the Angels rejoice in these... Love all the Most Holy Theotokos, Her who so much helps out human and sinful race.
The purpose of whatever prayers and services we do is to come closer to God and get to love Him more.
Demons
Satan doesn't know our thoughts. He knows only whatever he himself puts in our minds, as well as whatever he figures out from our movements, and whatever he hears from our words... Satan opposes every Christian who strives sincerely. However, no one must be afraid of the demons. They are smoke, dust and stench. They don't have power over men. God allows the temptations to try men's faith. They can be found even in the church, even during the time of Divine Liturgy. The put bad thoughts in the minds of the people and distract them from prayer and attention to the divine mystery. However, at the time of the Cherubic Hymn and of the Great Entrance, they depart. Only Lucifer, their leader, can enter in the sanctuary. No one else. I was once serving liturgy at night, when they came into the church and started overturning the chairs. The archdemon came into the sanctuary, shut the window and grabbed me by the throat to strangle me. I asked help from the Archangels, and when they roosters crowed in the morning, they all went away. "This generation goes away only through prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:29). Satan must not find any cowards, because he does whatever he wants with them. Satan is afraid of the pure and sincere confession, of humility and love. Where these exist, he just cannot enter.
On The Calendar Issue
How do the old-calendarists say that our Sacraments are invalid? In 1947, while I was doing the service of Sanctification and chanting "Great art Thou, O Lord, and Great art Thy works," a smoke came out of the cup and the water was heated up. Even in the cups that pious Christians held, the water was heated up. How then can you tell me that the Sacraments are invalid?
How can God work miracles with the new calendar, if it is not right? How did the miracle of Saint Bessarion happen in the village of Dousiko? This is enough to show to us that the right faith, love and the keeping of the commandments play an important role in the sanctification of man. I take account of nothing else. I wrote about this matter to Fr. Philotheos Zervakos (St. Nectarios' disciple) and he responded to me rightly - and so also I believe, the unlearned one, from my life's experience - that thirteen days can neither take you out from or put you into the Kingdom of Heaven... I also asked the Archangels about it and they told me "Stay where you are."
Contemporary World
We find it impossible in this day and age to work well in this life according to God's will, because we lack the two wings of love and humility.
God saved us from communism, but Satan delivered us to materialism.
Now it's time to weep and pray for the condition of today's world. We must pray that God may enlighten them to see the way of God, the way of truth and of righteousness.
Both clergy and people today have lost their spirituality. They constantly talk only about material and political things.
Through her weeping icon, the Theotokos shows that she's sad, because she sees what Russia suffers by the atheists, and because she's blasphemed by many.
Living Faith
Our Faith is alive, but we abandoned it because selfishness and materialism drew us away.
Indeed our Faith is alive, but we don't want to follow it, because it's a bit heavy and requires some commitments from our part. People want freedom and a depending slope so that they don't get tired and sweat, buy they don't know that this descent leads to a bad end. The way of perdition looks initially good, happy and easy. It offers artificial delights and pleasures, but all this vanishes quickly. We must pray incessantly on their behalf. Perhaps some soul might be save. In particular, we - the priests - have a tremendous responsibility before God and men.
Miracles happen every minute, but we don't perceive them because we are stone hearted. Soft-heartedness and simplicity are what's needed...
Church Services
The good chanter and the priest play a great role in good church services.
When chanting, you must understand and feel what you say. Don't get proud that you supposedly chant beautifully. You must live what you say. Once I was chanting a hymn of Apostle Peter that was about his denial. When I said "...and he cried bitterly," I saw tears coming out from his icon. The saint must have been pleased...
The priest's cassock is superior to trousers. It's got double grace...
Retribution
God will definitely give whatever He owes to us; we'll get paid according to our work. It must not strike us bad...
In my wallet I carry Christ's icon. He takes care of every human need. I always have the wallet open, and it's always full. Whatever one may give, God gives back double. ONe one hand man gives away, and on the other hand God brings in.
Sickness And Suffering
We patch up the body. But what is more important and we should always keep healthy is the soul. As we run to doctors and to spas and spend a lot of money for the body, so also we must turn to the spiritual father for the soul - which, moreover, is free-of-charge...
We must be glad in our trials and take special care lest we become indignant at the last minute and be punished in hell. Our life is a meal. Whether the meal is prepared well or not depends on us. But even if the meal is prepared well, we may not partake of it, should we kick over the table at the last minute. "Taste and see" (Ps. 34:8) that Christ is the Lord of eternal life.
Monasticism
Monasticism is Christ's army and Satan's enemy. The monasteries are the outposts of the Church. Without outposts, the enemy will capture us. Prayer in monasteries reaches God like a bullet. As a foreign army fears the aircraft and hides, so also Satan fear the prayer of the monastics and goes away.
Heresies
When the dignitaries of the foreign churches came to Trikala, I went at first to see them, but then I said to myself: "Papa Dimitri, get out of here fast and don't even look back..." We must not accept them. I've been following this principle many hears now. It was somewhat rude of me. But better be on good terms with God, rather than with the people...
We've been encircled by Free-Masonry and many fight our Church, but I believe that they try in vain, as the chief of the Church is Christ Himself, and she's not going to perish.
We must all pray, both old and young, that God and the Most Holy Theotokos enlighten the high-ranking men of the Church so that they may love one another and work for the Church which is being under attack by the foreign heresies.
Truth
I think I've grieved then a little, but truth is bitter and must needs be revealed for the benefit and salvation of their souls.
Youth
The young, male and female, have take the way downhill and they will neither see nor hear, while no one goes out there to stop them. But how could he, anyway, as the adults are worse?...
Daily Life Problems
I never worried anxiously about anything. I cared for my children without weariness and anxiety. God Who gave them to me took also care of everything.
The one who runs to magicians and fortune-tellers is called a rascal and loses protection even from God.
Self appraisal
I don't remember anything from this life; only heavy load of my sins.
If you learn that I left this world, don't get sad, but rather be happy because the Church will have gotten rid of the most sinful and unlearned priest of the era.
Note: Some of the above matterial is borrowed by the site www.agrino.org/cyberdesert
