– How can we love Christ, Geronda?

 

– How can we love Christ, Geronda?

– We attain love for Christ, my child, in the following way: with all our being we strive towards God and call upon Him. Contemplating nature, trees, plants, birds, bees, flowers, the sea, fish, stars, the moon, the sun and the other great multitude of His most beautiful creations, we turn our minds to God and, glorifying Him through them, we try to realize how wonderful and amazing they are, and we try to love them. When we succeed in this, then our love will begin to ascend to our Creator, and then we will truly, truly love Him. Thus, love for creation is an important stage on the path to the love of Christ, but even more important is love for one’s neighbor. Therefore, in order to acquire it, we must visit hospitals, prisons, orphanages, old people’s homes, etc. Then our love will be sincere.”

St. Porphyrios

Contempt is the second weapon, after the Holy Cross, against the devil. - St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia

 

A University Professor came to my cell and complained about some problems he had. And I said to him:

A University Professor came to my cell and complained about some problems he had. And I said to him:
"Professor, you have these problems from your mother's womb."
The teacher started crying.
And I tell him:
"You, a University Professor, are crying?"
And he answered me:
"You are a righteous elder, but your words have a profound meaning for me. My mother used to tell me that when I was in her womb, my father kicked her in the abdomen to expel me."
And the elder adds:
"My child, in a wonderful way as if I saw the belly of this teacher's mother, at the time of her pregnancy! God enlightens me, to see and say what I say!"

St. Porphyrios

Know that the Saints of God are capable of everything.

 

I will give you an example, to understand:

Imagine a city with five hundred thousand inhabitants who sin. In a Monastery there lives a monk ascetic, who raises his pure hands to God and begs him not to punish all those thousands who sin.

I assure you, then, that for the sake of this ascetic God does not punish the five hundred thousand. Know that the Saints of God are capable of everything. The Saint can ask God for what he wants and God can give it to him.

The power of the Saints is very great.

St. Porphyrios (Bairaktaris) of Kafsokalivia

St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia

"As long as one deals with the spiritual, one increases one's love for Christ. The spiritual and the carnal are like communicating vessels. When the spiritual ascends, the carnal thoughts descend, and when the spiritual descends, the carnal desire and the passions in general ascend. The spiritual is the love of Christ!"

"Do not ask for love, to give love. With love you gain love. Otherwise you will sit like a beggar and beg for love from one and the other and you will do nothing else in your life. Do you want love? Give love! "

St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia

St. Porphyrios (Bairaktaris) of Kafsokalivia

Do not be afraid of difficulties. Love them, thank God for them. They have a purpose for your soul. Leave yourself tenderly and non-violently into the hands of God, and He will come and give grace to your soul. - St. Porphyrios (Bairaktaris) of Kafsokalivia

St. Porphyrios

“Do you know what a great gift it is that God gave us the right to speak to Him every hour and moment, wherever we are? He always listens to us. This is the greatest honor we have. For this reason we must love God.”- St. Porphyrios (1906-1991)

St Porphyrios

The truth is in Orthodoxy. I have experienced this and know the grace of God. There are many different types of light that are impressive, but there is only one true light. -St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia