The soul needs two wings for its heavenly flight;

 

The soul needs two wings for its heavenly flight;

One, humble fasting,

the other, great prayer.

If you lack one, the other will not be able to save you.

Saint Melania of Rome

Let us not judge others.

 Let us not judge others. Because to judge means that we have pride, and to take upon ourselves the Judgment, which is not ours, but God's business. When we criticize, we usurp the authority of God.

(Elder Germanos of Stavrovouniotis)

We rush to judge, because we have a high opinion of ourselves.

(Elder Ephraim of the Skete of Saint Andrew)

When the old man rules within, even the Holy Mysteries become a snare.

There are indeed many Christians—countless in number—who strive along the path of ascetic struggle, who partake of the Holy Mysteries, who pray earnestly, and who read diligently from spiritual writings. And yet, despite all this, they find no true peace, no abiding joy in their lives. Instead, they complain, and complain, and complain unceasingly, never tasting the beauty of life in Christ. Without even realizing it, they awaken within themselves the old man of sin, and their whole existence turns around him.

Beloved, beware! If within your heart you harbor self-love and selfishness, then your prayers, your fasts, and even your offerings will not only be without meaning—they will be harmful to your soul. For sooner or later you will begin to imagine that God withholds from you the “reward you deserve,” and you will accuse Him of injustice. Thus, be vigilant. For a man may twist anything to serve his ego—prayer, church attendance, the reading of spiritual works, and even the Mysteries themselves—turning them into food for his pride and self-centeredness.

_Protopresbyter Stefanos Anagnostopoulos_

The path of Christ is to love all people—both those who love us and those who hate us.

 The path of Christ is to love all people—both those who love us and those who hate us. Be gentle, and if someone offends you, do not seek to take revenge, but forgive them and show them kindness. And with the love you show them, you will compel them to ask for your forgiveness—if, of course, they are a person with a conscience.

For, my children, from good comes good; from evil, kindness never comes. That is why you should not quarrel with someone who wrongs you, for this will only multiply the evil. Instead, show them kindness so that they may be calmed, and so that you may receive your reward from God. “Bear one another’s burdens,” Christ tells us.

Saint George Karslides

Saint Paisios on Devotion to the Most Holy Theotokos

– Tell us, Elder, something about the Panagia.

– What can I say? You put me in a very difficult position. To speak about the Panagia, one must first live and experience Her.

 

– Elder, does the name of the Panagia also have spiritual power, as does the name of Christ?

– Yes. Whoever has deep devotion to the Panagia hears Her name and is transformed. Or, if he sees it written somewhere, he venerates it with reverence and his heart leaps with joy. And when he venerates Her icon, he does not feel that it is merely an icon, but that it is the Panagia Herself, and he falls down overwhelmed, dissolved by Her love.

 

– Elder, tell us something about your pilgrimage to the Panagia of Tinos.

– What can I say? Such a small icon, and yet it is filled with so much Grace! I could not bring myself to leave it. I only stepped aside so as not to hinder the others who were waiting to venerate.

 

– Some people, Elder, are scandalized by the many offerings that adorn the miraculous icons of the Panagia.

– Let me tell you what once happened to a very simple and devout pilgrim. He went to Iveron Monastery and venerated the Panagia Portaitissa. There, the icon is covered with coins and offerings. On his way back, as he was going toward Stavronikita Monastery, he began to have thoughts: “My Panagia, I wished to see You in another way—simple, without all these coins.” And what happened then? Suddenly, he was seized by a sharp pain, he became dizzy, and he collapsed in the middle of the road. In distress, he began calling upon the Panagia for help: “My Panagia, please heal me, and I will offer You two coins!” At that moment the Panagia appeared to him and said: “This is how they brought Me the coins. Did I ever ask for them? Did I want them?” And immediately the pain ceased. You see, because he was sincere and had great faith, the Panagia helped him.

 

Sometimes, in my little cell, when I want to pray to the Panagia, I think: “How can I go before Her empty-handed to ask for help?” So I gather a few wildflowers, place them before Her icon, and say: “My Panagia, receive these flowers from Your Garden.” Before I ever went to Mount Athos, I used to hear people say that it is “the Garden of the Panagia,” and I expected to see flowers, fruit trees, and the like. But when I arrived and saw wild chestnut trees, I understood that the Garden of the Panagia is spiritual. And later, within that Garden, I came to feel Her presence.

– Elder, how will I be able to feel the presence of the Panagia, so that my heart may be warmed?

– Since you bear the name of the Great Mother of Christ, and by grace the Mother of all mankind, you should constantly call upon Her: “My Panagia, help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Others are moved just by hearing Your name, and what am I doing?” I pray that our Panagia will always remain close to you and shelter you, as a mother bird covers her little chicks beneath her angelic wings.