I simply thank Her for my illness.

 An ailing grandmother used to visit the shrine of the Virgin Mary on Tinos every year.

Many who saw her there eventually approached her and asked:

"Grandma, we have seen you coming here to the Virgin Mary for so many years while suffering from illness.

Everyone here asks Her to heal them.

Can you tell us what you say to the Virgin Mary?"

And the grandmother replied:

"I ask Her for nothing!

I simply thank Her for my illness.

I thank Her that I have not grumbled about my sickness.

I thank Her that I have not lost my mind because of it.

I venerate Her and leave..."

What a profound thing that is! To be in need yet ask for absolutely nothing!

It means you have risen above all worldly things, and the only thing you seek is for the Lord's will to be done.

☦️Elder Ephraim of the Skete of Saint Andrew.

Oh, how the Holy Angels love the human race!

If only we knew how they labor for our sake!

How greatly, then, we ought to honor and be grateful to these great benefactors of ours.

For they intercede ceaselessly for us before God, imploring Him to have mercy on us and save us from eternal hell.

Not to mention that they are always by our side—protectors and helpers in all things!

Saint Niphon of Constantiana

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; be wise as serpents—so as not to expose yourselves to needless dangers—and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16).

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; be wise as serpents—so as not to expose yourselves to needless dangers—and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16).

What are You saying? We find ourselves among wolves, yet You command us to be like sheep and doves? "Yes," He says, "for nothing changes the evildoer's conduct quite like bravely enduring what he inflicts upon us, without retaliating for the malice either in word or deed." This makes us more prudent, earns us a greater reward, and benefits them as well. Did someone insult you? Pray for him. Consider what you gain from this: you have extinguished the evil, secured a reward for yourself, changed his behavior, and suffered no harm yourself.

Saint John Chrysostom

ON THE REMEMBRANCE OF DEATH, HELL, AND JUDGMENT

 The more I advance in age, the more I realize the vanity of earthly things and their lack of permanence. Alas, why do we trouble ourselves in vain? Our life is short; it is dust, ashes, and passing dreams, and after a brief while we shall taste corruption. Today you are in full health, and tomorrow you will lose it. Today you laugh, and tomorrow you will grieve. Now your eyes shed tears of joy, and soon they will shed tears of sorrow and pain. Today the economic situation is stable, and tomorrow trials will come. Today you receive joyful news, and in the blink of an eye, sorrowful news will take its place.

We weary ourselves in vain. Our life is a shadow and a passing dream. Where are our parents, our relatives, and our grandparents? The grave has taken them all, and they have decayed and become food for worms. The grave and corruption await us also.

O death, the remembrance of you is exceedingly bitter. Our Christ has given us the strength to become children of God, arming us with many divine weapons so that we may fight our merciless enemy. Yet we—and I am the first of all—become prisoners of our adversary through neglecting the weapons that Christ has given us. And the closer we draw to death, the more we tremble with terror, and we try by every means to prolong our lives, because the soul fears leaving the body. Why? Why do you not take courage as a daughter of God? Is she going to a strange king? But the King is her Creator and her Saviour, who shed His blood to set our soul free from its enemy. Why, then, are you afraid and lacking courage?

Death is cold by its very nature: “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death,” as Jesus said. Most of our fear—unfortunately—comes from the conscience, for it does not assure the soul that it has lived properly, because it has not lived with order and discipline, nor washed the wedding garment. Therefore, it is ashamed to stand before the King, pondering the judgment it will receive: yes or no? Shall I be saved or not? If the soul departs without confession and without complete repentance, then woe to it at that hour—this is the evil day to which the Prophet Jeremiah referred: “Let them not be a terror unto me: Thou art my refuge in the day of evil.”

Let us pray that our Holy God may deliver us from all these terrors by granting us complete repentance and works worthy of it—works of mercy and love—and a spirit of repentance together with true humility. May the righteous Judge be merciful to us, so that when the fearful hour of death comes, the soul may take courage, trusting in the mercy of God, and say: “I am confident that God will have mercy on my wretchedness.” Amen.

WORDS OF COUNSEL FROM THE HOLY MOUNTAIN 

Whatever I want, I simply ask the Saint for it, and he grants it to me.

 

"Whatever I want, I simply ask the Saint for it, and he grants it to me..."

Once, while I was a monk, I was cleaning the sanctuary of Saint David of Euboea.

Saint Iakovos Tsalikis entered and went before the icon of Saint David—unaware that I was also inside the sanctuary—and began speaking to the Saint; he read him a letter and spoke about a sick person, asking him to go and heal him.

He spoke with such deep emotion and reverence, as if Saint David were standing right there beside him.

I accidentally dropped the dustpan I was using to sweep, and he asked:

"Who is in here?"

"It’s me, Elder," I replied.

"My dear Ilarion, you’ve been here a while—you heard what I was saying. Please don't misunderstand; I’ve taken some heart medication and I’m having hallucinations; I’m disoriented and dizzy." (Of course, he said this to conceal the virtue of his prayer—his frequent, direct conversations with the Saint).

He said to me:

"Father, don't say a word about what you heard or saw; let's not give people cause to mock us."

"God bless, Elder." Later that afternoon, he saw me in the kitchen—where I was serving as assistant cook to Fr. Kyrillos—and said to me discreetly:

"My dear Ilarion, a thousand apologies for lying to you this morning in church.

I wasn't feeling dizzy, nor did I take any pills; I simply wanted to conceal the virtue of prayer and the communion I share with the Saint (David), lest I fall into vainglory and be lost.

Whatever I desire, I ask of the Saint in this way, and he grants it to me."

Saint Iakovos Tsalikis