The Holy Cross transformed from an object into a person, distinct from the Holy Trinity.

 Because the Blood of Christ was shed upon the Wood on which He was crucified, the Precious Cross—once merely an object—became a distinct entity, separate from the Holy Trinity. Thus, the Cross acts with its own omnipotence; depending on one's faith, it either heals or punishes. The Precious Cross possesses the very same power as God Himself! God willed this to be so because the Cross bears His All-Holy Blood—Blood that also contains the Divinity of Christ. The Precious Wood does not burn; furthermore, if placed in a glass of water, it does not float like ordinary wood but sinks to the bottom! Moreover, without the need for any prayer or the making of the Sign of the Cross, that water becomes Great Holy Water! Many have attempted to burn a fragment of the Precious Wood, only to be consumed by fire themselves! Shortly before the Second Coming, all the fragments of the Precious Wood distributed throughout the world will reunite to form the Precious Wood in its original state; it will then be raised high into the heavens, shining more brilliantly than a myriad of suns—a sign that the King of Glory, who was crucified upon that very Wood, is about to appear.

Elder Ephraim of the Skete of Saint Andrew

Is it, then, a lie?

 Is it, then, a lie?

You said, Lord, that You are Love. Yet around me, hatred reigns.

Is the power of love, then, a lie?

You said, Lord, that You are the Light. Darkness reigns around me. Is the significance of light, then, a lie?

You said, Lord, that You are the Way. Yet very few around me follow You. Is the true Way, then, a lie?

You said, Lord, "My peace I give to you." Yet around me, we see no true peace—neither in hearts, nor between individuals, nor, on a grand scale, between nations. Wars cease in some parts of the earth only to ignite new conflagrations elsewhere, with all the terrible consequences such situations entail. Is the offer of Your peace, then, a lie?

You said, Lord, that You are the Truth. Around me, I see the lie worshipped with a kind of frenzy.

Is the allure of truth, then, a lie?

You said, Lord, "Behold, I am with you... until the end of the age." Yet, the people around me live as if You never existed at all, as if You never set foot on our earth. And everything seems to show that You are the Great Absent One. Is our faith, then, a lie? Is it all a tragic delusion—as some proclaim with fanaticism and by every possible means?

My child,

I did not come to force upon anyone all that you mention and all that I proclaimed through word and deed; I said categorically: "Whoever wishes to come after Me... let him follow Me." "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." Even to those who accepted My invitation, I said—prompted by the departure of some who had rejected Me—"Do you also wish to go away?" Free from Me. I do not want anyone to follow Me by compulsion, but freely. How, then, could you not see the things you mention to Me, given that people do not wish to follow Me?

How could the things you observe not exist?

Indeed, Lord! These doubts are voiced by those who do not believe in You, Lord; that is why they deem unattainable the very things You both embody and impart. Indeed, You never sought to impose them. You asked that we follow You freely—those of us who wish to do so. Yet, for those of us who follow You freely and with all our hearts, we taste the blessings You offer and experience Your presence within us, wholeheartedly embracing the word of Your Grace. No matter how hard the world strives for these things without You, it will never taste them as realities during its fleeting earthly sojourn.

Therefore, I can never, in any way, accept these expressions of doubt, my Lord! I fervently beseech You: "Lord, increase our faith! Increase our faith! Increase our faith"—a faith steadfast and unshakable in Your all-holy Person and in all that You have assured us once and for all!

(From Father Eusebius’s book *Katoptrismoi* [Reflections])

The Blood of the Lamb in Holy Communion deeply sustains the soul and upholds the world

 "The Blood of the Lamb in Holy Communion deeply sustains the soul and upholds the world, enabling it to stand firm.

This is why the whole world ought to be at the Divine Liturgy, for the continuation of its life is a gift of the Divine Liturgy.

Therefore, as long as there are people who seek repentance and Holy Communion, Satan will have no power."

Saint Arsenius of Romania

This is the Virgin Mary, who listens to the prayers of the silent ones,

 "This is the Virgin Mary, who listens to the prayers of the silent ones, who, while you don't speak, knows what you say, even when you don’t explain, knows what you feel and understands you.

To this Mother of silence I prayed, and today, we all prayed, even those who did not go to Church.

God heard our silences, felt our mourning and losses.

Our sorrows and anxieties, our fears and panics, our frustrations and disappointments.

And be sure of one thing, as long as people crucify you, God will resurrect you.

As long as people will hurt you, Christ will accompany you, as long as people will frustrate your dreams, the Virgin Mary will become the abide in your heart, that in her embrace we will all fit, traitors and betrayed" 

Saint Joseph the Hesychast

On Marriage, by Elder Emilian of Simonopetritis

“When you are about to choose the person of your life, make sure that he's not an uncommunicative type—in which case he'll have no friends. And if today he has no friends, tomorrow he'll find it difficult to have you as a friend and partner. Be on your guard against grumblers, moaners, and gloomy people who are like dejected birds. Be on your guard against those who complain all the time: "You don't love me, you don't understand me", and all that sort of thing. Something about these creatures of God isn't right. Also be on your guard against religious fanatics and the overly pious. Those, that is, who get upset over trivial things, who are critical of everything and hypersensitive. How are you going to live with such a person? It will be like sitting on thorns. Also look out for those who regard marriage as something bad, as a form of imprisonment. Those who say: But I've never in my whole life thought about getting married.

Watch out for certain pseudo-Christians, who see marriage as something sordid, as a sin, who immediately cast their eyes down when they hear anything said about it. If you marry someone like this, he will be a thorn in your flesh, and a burden for his monastery if he becomes a monk. Watch out for those who think that they're perfect, and find no defect in themselves, while constantly finding faults in others. Watch out for those who think they've been chosen by God to correct everyone else.

There is another serious matter to which you should also pay attention: heredity. Get to know well the father, the mother, the grandfather, the grandmother, the uncle. Also, the basic material prerequisites should be there. Above all, pay attention to the person's faith. Does he or she have faith? Has the person whom you're thinking of making the companion of your life have ideals? If Christ means nothing to him, how are you going to be able to enter his heart? If he has not been able to value Christ, do you think he will value you? Holy Scripture says to the husband that the wife should be "of your testament" (Mal 2.14), that is, of your faith, your religion, so that she can join you to God.”