Consciously look on yourself as an ant or a worm, so that you can become a man formed by God. If you fail to do the first, the second cannot happen. The lower you descend, the higher you ascend; and when, like the psalmist, you regard yourself as nothing before the Lord (cf. Ps. 39:5), then imperceptibly you will grow great. And when you begin to realize that you have nothing and know nothing, then you will become rich in the Lord through practice of the virtues and spiritual knowledge. -St. Theognostos
False
In words of boastfulness and self-justification there always lie concealed contrariness and pride, from which God turns away. After sinning one ought immediately to “flee”. But you say, where? To the calm haven of heartfelt repentance. Elder Joseph of Optina
An Arrow
Sin, to one who loves God, is nothing other than an arrow from the enemy in battle. The true Christian is a warrior fighting his way through the regiments of the unseen enemy to his heavenly homeland. According to the word of the Apostle, our homeland is in heaven; and about the warrior he says: we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph.6: 12)]. -St. Herman of Alaska
Meek
Listen to what the Lord says: ‘Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls’ (Matt. xi. 29). He shows here the root and cause of all ills and their cure, the cause of all good, namely, that self-exaltation has brought us down and that pardon cannot be obtained except through its opposite, humility. -St. Dorotheus of Gaza
Stillness
The purpose of prayer is for us to acquire love of God, for in prayer can be discovered all sorts of reasons for loving God. Love of God proceeds from conversing with Him; this conversation of prayer comes about through stillness, and stillness comes with the stripping away of the self. -St. Isaac of Nineveh
Help Me!
Do not relax, but while you yet have time before you, work, be humble, obey, submit, and God will be at your side. For He grants grace to the humble and resists the proud (cf. Prov. 3:34). Say continually, “Jesus, help me;” and He shall help you. -Ss. Barsanuphius and John
Fall Down
But, O soul, whatever time you still have, give up your shameless deeds and convert yourself to a noble life. Turn to the Lord and cry out with faith: “I have sinned, O Lord. But I know Your mercy and love for men. For this reason, I fall down and beg your goodness to grant me mercy, O Lord.” -St. Nil Sorksy
With Such Love
The sign of sincere love is to forgive wrongs done to us. It was with such love that the Lord loved the world. St. Mark the Ascetic
Shall We not…
…shall we not serve the Lord Who by nature loves mankind, risk our lives and get rid of superfluous possessions in order to acquire heavenly riches? Shall we not endure dishonor from men, usually scoundrels, so as to attain to divine glory, exchanging the mortal for the immortal? Shall we not be hungry in moderation and thirsty, that we may eat the Bread of Life which came down from heaven (Jn. 6:51) and drink the true living water, whosoever is worthy to eat and drink of which, shall never hunger or thirst (Jn. 4:10, 14)? Should we not cleanse the eye of our soul, abstaining “from all defilement of the flesh and spirit” (II Cor. 7:1), in order that we may see the light which preceded the sun, or rather, that we become children of that light (Eph. 5:8), and other lights ourselves, through sharing in His light, holding forth the word of life (cf. Phil. 2:15-16)? -St. Gregory Palamas
Lavish
One of the elders said to the brethren at Kellia: If only people would care as much for good things as they care about that which is bad. If only they would transfer to a yearning for piety all the attention they lavish on spectacles, magnificent festivals, on avarice, vainglory and injustice. We are not ignorant of how highly God values us, nor are we powerless against the demon. -John Moschus, the Spiritual Meadow
Orthodox Christian Quotes and Catechism 