"If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the door of the Church, you will not find Him in the Holy Chalice." - St. John Chrysostom

 

"Don't say, 'I can't change anything alone.' If you light just one candle, it will already be brighter. Every good deed, every word of love, every prayer is a drop, but drops make up the ocean of God's mercy." St. John Chrysostom

 

Precisely because you are a sinner, come to the temple, that you may become righteous. Or do you not know that even those who stand before the holy altar have committed sins? That is why God has provided that priests also suffer from some passions, so that they may understand human weakness and forgive others. - St. John Chrysostom

 

When someone close and beloved to us dies, we grieve and weep, but when our soul dies from walking the broad way, we laugh. - St. John Chrysostom

 

If you are a Christian, you don't have your own city on earth. Even if we gain the whole universe, we will remain wanderers and aliens in it. We are written in heaven. That's where our town is. - St. John Chrysostom

 

That is why we have sorrow, so that we may use it to destroy our sins, and not so that we may grieve over the loss of property, death, or anything else like that. - St. John Chrysostom

 

Have you been greatly wronged?

Have you been greatly wronged and deprived of much because of someone, have you been slandered and harmed in very serious matters, and for this reason do you want to see your brother punished?
And here again it is useful to forgive him.
Because, if you yourself want to take revenge and attack him either with your words, or with some action of yours, or with your curse, God will not only not intervene against him - since you have taken on his punishment - but will also punish you as a fighter against God.
Leave matters to God!
He will arrange things much better than you want.
He only gave you the command to pray for the person who has hurt you…
Saint John Chrysostom

St. John Christostom

If you knew how quickly people would forget you after you died, you wouldn't try to please anyone but God.

St. John of Kronstadt

If we do not arm ourselves and fight against the passions that lurk within us, common lawlessness will provoke the Just wrath of God. It will allow wars! There is no kingdom on earth unassailable. The faster atheism and immorality conquer people, the more inevitably kingdoms fall and peoples are exterminated.

How long will the ungodly world remain upon the earth which has become the abode of sin and which has been watered with the blood of so many innocents?
Is it time for a purge of steel and fire? It is surely coming... Renowned cities and great empires have vanished from the face of the earth, according to the Righteous Judgment of God, for their godlessness and lawlessness.

The Bouquet

When two people get angry with each other and Satan keeps them away, the Virgin Mary comes in the middle and puts a bouquet between them, the bouquet of the "peacemaker".
Do not wait for the other person to take your prize (the bouquet).
"Run first, apologize to the other and grab the bouquet.
St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom

The bones of the saints subdue the devil and torment him, and set free those who are bound by those bitter bonds. - St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom

Even if a person had thousands of wounds, but if he repents and does something good, God heals them so that not a scar, notce, not a sign of sins remains. - St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom

As where there is dirt, pigs run, and where there are flowers and fragrances, bees gather there, so where they discuss debauchery and human sins, demons gather, and where there are spiritual songs, the grace of the Spirit descends there and sanctifies the mouth and soul, and our house. and Christ is called and comes. - St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom

Lips that do not murmur in sorrow are equal to those of holy martyrs.- St. John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom (from the Homily for the New Year)

Whom God praises, do not censure: he praises the one living in righteousness, even if he be poor; whom God turns away, do not praise: he turns away the one living in wickedness, even if he be surrounded by much wealth. But if you praise, and if you censure, do both as God wishes. For there is even accusing unto the glory of God. How? Frequently we are vexed with our servants. How then is there accusing for God’s sake? If you see someone drunk, or stealing, whether servant, or friend, or some other of those related to you, whether running into the theatre, or having no concern for their soul, or swearing [i.e. swearing oaths], or perjuring [i.e. to swear falsely] or lying: be angry [6], punish, turn them back, correct; and you did all these things for God’s sake. And if you see someone sinning against you, and omitting something of their service toward you, pardon them, and you are forgiven for God’s sake. But now many do the opposite, both to their friends, and to their servants. For when they sin against them, they become bitter and unforgiving judges; but when they insult God, and ruin their own souls, they produce no rationale. Again, is it necessary to make friends? Make them, for God’s sake. Is it necessary to make enemies? Make them, for God’s sake. And by what means does one make friends and enemies for God’s sake? If we do not attract those friends, whence money is taken, whence sharing of a table, whence obtaining of human patronage, but pursue and make those friends, those able always to order our soul, counsel necessities, rebuke sinners, expose trespassers, restore those fallen, and aiding by counsel and prayers to lead to God. Again, it is permitted to make enemies for God’s sake. If you see someone undisciplined, abominable, full of wickedness, replete with unclean teachings, tripping you up and harming you, stand apart and turn away, just as also Christ commanded, saying, “If your right eye trips you up, pluck it out and cast it from you” [Mt 5:29] commanding those friends, those being desirable in the rank of eyes [7], and necessary in the things of everyday life, to cut off, and to cast out, if they harm you with regard to the salvation of the soul. If you share in their meetings, and you prolong your speech, do even this for God’s sake, and if you keep silent, keep silent for God’s sake.