"What we human beings achieve in our lives, is like the conquest of a mountain. The human soul cleanses itself through the effort of climbing up." - A monk from Mount Athos #God #Sin #Sinner #PrayUnceasingly #MeditativePrayer #Podvig #Struggle #Humanity #humility #MountAthos

"The body at work but the thought with God - such should be the state of a true Christian. "We should set in order our inner state as soon as we open our eyes each morning. In this same state of inner order we should keep ourselves all day, and in the evening warm and strengthen it and so fall asleep. It is a good thing to set limits to our personal affections, avoiding particular friendships, and making all our relationships with others of the same nature. When inner prayer comes, it can partially replace attendance in church. Yet nothing increases the fervour of inner prayer so much as being in church." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Work, Inner and External." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 236. #StTheophantheRecluse #God #Christian #InteriorLife #Relationships #prayer #MeditativePrayer #meditation #secretmeditation #Church

"We cannot limit ourselves to the active life alone, but should combine it with intellectual occupations, so that with their help we can remorselessly keep the inner state in its right order. We should invariably link contemplation to action and action to contemplation. When the two are joined they quickly enable the soul to advance, cleansing it from evil and strengthening it in good. See the writings of Abba John Kolobos and Abba Poemen (two monks from 5th century Egypt); but the same teaching can also be found in all the ascetic writers." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Work, Inner and External." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 235. #ContemplativePrayer #Action #StTheophantheRecluse #soul #Evil #InteriorLife #Intellect

"Do not overlook the fact that health does not depend on food alone, but above all on inner peace. Life in God, cutting us off from worldly turmoil, brings peace to the heart and, through this, keeps the body also in good health. "Activities are not the main thing in life. The most important thing is to have the heart directed and attuned to God." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Work, Inner and External." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 235. #StTheophantheRecluse #Health #Peace #God #Heart #Life #Renewal #MeditativePrayer #meditation

"Woe betide us if He finds us overcharged with the cares and sorrows of this life! For who will be able to bear His anger, who will bear the wrath of His countenance? That is why it has been said: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38), that is lest you be deprived of the Spirit of God, for watching and prayer brings us His grace." - St. Seraphim of Sarov. "The Aim of the Christian Life." On Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, S.A. Nilus, ed., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014, p. 19. #StSeraphimofSarov #Life #Sorrow #JesusChrist #Lord #prayer #VocalPrayer #Grace #Temptation #Sin #Sinner #Healing

"Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify (3x). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. And Thy holy Resurrection we glorify. Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify." - Hymn from the Elevation of the Holy Cross #Cross #Crucifixion #Father #Son #HolySpirit #HolyTrinity #Resurrection #Worship #MeditativePrayer #VocalPrayer #ContemplativePrayer

"Of course, every good deed done for Christ's sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us this grace most of all, for it is always at hand, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit. For instance, you would like to go to church, but there is no church or the service is over; you would like to preserve your virginity, but you have not the strength to do so because of your temperament, or because of the violence of the wiles of the enemy which because of your human weakness you cannot withstand; you would like to do some other good deed for Christ's sake, but either you have not the strength or the opportunity is lacking. This certainly does not apply to prayer. Prayer is always possible for everyone, rich and poor, noble and humble, strong and weak, healthy and sick, righteous and sinful." - St. Seraphim of Sarov. "The Aim of the Christian Life." On Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, S.A. Nilus, ed., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014, p. 19-20. #prayer #VocalPrayer #MeditativePrayer #JesusChrist #HolySpirit #HolyTrinity #Grace #anger #lust #Evil #Healing #PrayeroftheSick #humility #Sin #Sinner #Righteous #StSeraphimofSarov

"May the Lord help you to be fully alive and to preserve sobriety. But do not forget the chief thing, to unite the attention and mind with your heart, and remain there unceasingly, before the Lord. Every effort that you make in prayer must be directed towards this. Pray to the Lord, that He may give you this blessing: it is the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl beyond price." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Hidden Treasure." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 198. #StTheophantheRecluse #Lord #Life #Mind #Heart #PrayUnceasingly #prayer #MeditativePrayer #secretmeditation #Sobriety #PearlofGreatPrice

"The descent of the mind into the heart by the way of breathing is suggested for the case of anyone who does not know where to hold his attention, or where the heart is; but if you know, without this method, how to find the heart, choose your own way there. Only one thing matters - to establish yourself in the heart." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "The Way of Breathing." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 198. #Breathing #Attentiveness #Mind #Heart #StTheophantheRecluse #MeditativePrayer #meditation #God #soul

"By Your Nativity, O Most Pure Virgin, Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness; Adam and Eve, from the corruption of death. And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you: The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life!" - Kontakion (a hymn) from the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos taken from “Nativity of the Theotokos.” Orthodox Wiki, https://orthodoxwiki.org/Nativity_of_the_Theotokos. #Theotokos #Virgin #AdamandEve #Corruption #Death #Sin #sin #Sinner #Freedom #Renewal #Salvation #Mary

"All your inner disorder is due to the dislocation of your powers, the mind and the heart each going their own way. You must unite the mind with the heart: then the tumult of your thoughts will cease, and you will acquire a rudder to guide the ship of your soul, a lever with which to put all your inner world in movement. How can this union be achieved? Make it your habit to pray these words with the mind in the heart: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me'. And this prayer, when you have learnt to use it properly, or rather, when it becomes grafted to the heart, will you to the end which you desire: it will unite your mind with your heart, it will quell the turbulence of your thoughts, and it will give you power to govern the movements of your soul." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Concentrated within yourself." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 195. #Disorder #Sin #Sinner #Turbulence #Heart #Tumult #Mind #soul #Unity #JesusPrayer #God #Mercy #prayer #VocalPrayer #MeditativePrayer

"Be concentrated within yourself and try not to leave the heart, for the Lord is there. Seek this state and work for it. When you have attained it you will realize how precious it is." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Concentrated within yourself." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 194. #StTheophantheRecluse #Lord #God #Concentration #within #luminousdarkness #MeditativePrayer #meditation #secretmeditation #prayer