Habit

Our haste to return and repent quickly is also dictated by the danger of the inability to return to God; an evil habit is capable of rendering us incapable of repentance – which should frighten us immensely. The habit resulting from the continual repetition of a sin becomes a natural state within man and renders itself so powerful that man is no longer able to resist it: its power has overcome even the natural law. -Saint Nektarios of Aegina

Beams

A house roof is held up by the foundations and the rest of the building, and the foundations with the rest of the building are laid to hold the roof – since both are necessary and useful – and neither is the roof built without the foundations and the rest of the house, nor can foundations and walls without a roof make a building fit to live in. So it is with the soul: the grace of the Holy Spirit is preserved by keeping the commandments, and the keeping of commandments is the foundation laid for receiving the gift of God’s grace. Neither does the grace of the Holy Spirit remain in us without our obeying the commandments, nor can obeying the commandments be useful and salutary without Divine grace. -St. Simeon the New Theologian

Like a Worm

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