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

Work

…Our works in this life are the sowing, and the future life is the harvest of what we have sown. Whatever one sows here, that is what he shall reap there. If one hastens to cultivate the field of his heart, to fertilize it and to sow in it the seeds of immortal grain, he can confidently expect to see a corresponding harvest unto eternal rest and delight. He that sows with tears of repentance shall reap with rejoicing and “shall be filled,” says the Prophet (Psalms 16:16 and 125:6), for sweet rest follows upon the labors of piety. But rest and refreshment are denied to him who has not labored in the work of piety—he that is idle should not eat, it is said (cf. II Thessalonians 3:10). -St. Moses of Optina