Don't rely on yourself and others more than on God.

 

I will tell you a story. An elder lived in a silent desert. Demons apparently attacked him and began to drag him out of his cell, intending to drive him out of the desert altogether. The elder began to fight them off, but they overpowered him and dragged him right to the door.

A little more and they would have thrown him out.

Seeing his extreme distress, the elder cried out: "Lord, Jesus Christ! Why have You forsaken me? Help me, Lord!"

As soon as he cried out, the Lord immediately appeared and dispersed the demons, and said to the elder: "I did not abandon you; but since you did not call upon Me, and thought to deal with your enemies yourself, I did not come forward to help you.

You yourself are to blame, relying on yourself. Call upon Me, and you will always find ready help." Having said this, the Lord became invisible. Having enlightened the elder, this incident teaches us all not to wallow in our passionate thoughts, arguing with them mentally, but to immediately turn to the Lord with prayer against them.

Don't rely on yourself and others more than on God. Trust only in God and always call upon Him for help.

St. Theophan the Recluse

If the saints, having attained dispassion, had to be vigilant over themselves lest they fall from their blessed state, then all the more so do we sinners need daily attention and concern for our eternal salvation. The fact that we are still alive means that the Lord bears with our sins and awaits our correction, and if someone lawfully strives for salvation, the Lord takes them at the time when they become worthy of God's mercy. The lazy and negligent are taken by death after they cease to offer any hope for their salvation. We are given the freedom to choose eternal joy or sorrow; let us strive to choose the former. Saint Joseph of Optina

"Taking the Long View" - Fr. George Schinas. With English subtitles

Woe to us, because althoug6h our conscience continually reproves and accuses us, we neither feel ashamed nor are we horrified by the responsibility of our actions before the Judment Seat of God. Woe to us, because, although we stink from our deeds we rejoice when people praise us. - Abba Isaiah

 

We are all called to holiness!

 

Do not think that almsgiving is an expense, but an income; not a cost, but a profitable exchange. for you receive greater things than you give. You give bread and reeive eternal life. You give clothing and reeive the garment of incorruptibility; you give a little shelter and receive the Kingdom of Heaven. You give things that perish and receive things that remain forever. - St. John Chrysostom

 Image: British painter Edward Lear: Monk is facing the mountain on the left Stavronikita

It is very easy to perish, even by constantly reciting the Jesus Prayer.

 

When I was in the hospital, there was a monk with me who constantly read the Jesus Prayer out loud.

Everyone considered him a saint.

And one day he said to me: "I put one bishop in his place, let him know. And I also said a few kind words to another cleric. If they repent, they can count on my support!"

I say: "Wait! You have three years of education and tuberculosis, what kind of support do you get?!"

And he replied: “If only all people were like me, the world would be saved!”

See!

By constantly reciting the prayer, he imagined himself to have attained holiness. It is very easy to perish, even by constantly reciting the Jesus Prayer.

— Saint Paisius the Athonite