Let us stop flattering ourselves.
We are not creative. We are not intelligent. Our ideas are not “great.” Even our healthy lifestyle is not our achievement. Every one of these things is pure gift - loaned to us for a season by the God who formed us from dust.
Nothing we produce can impress Him.
Not our eloquence.
Not our discipline.
Not our carefully curated virtue.
The only offering He has ever accepted is the one the Psalmist named: a pure and broken heart. A heart that has stopped performing and started kneeling.
Grace does not descend because of our good words or good works.
It descends when we finally become small enough to look like Him - the One who left the throne of heaven, emptied Himself, and took the form of a servant for the love of us.
Until we learn that humility, everything else is just noise.
What upsets us most is the sense of injustice when we believe that we have been wronged. But what we consider unfair is God’s greatest lesson for the progress of the soul.
St Gavrilia of Leros
"To a person who is suffering, do not say: "Be patient." These are not the words that his soul needs at this moment.
To a person who confesses his bitterness to you, do not say: "Enough of your grumbling."Sometimes with one thoughtless sentence we cause more pain than comfort.
To a person who is exhausted, do not say: "I understand you." Unless you have truly walked in his shoes, unless you have gone through the same trials.
"What can I say then?" you will ask. Say: "I love you." Say: "I am here." Be silent when necessary and pray for him. And add quietly, with kindness: "And may the Mother of God be with you." Only this... "May the Most Holy Theotokos be with you." That is what you say."
St. Eumenios Saridakis
Try a simple experiment: Set aside one hour each day and live as though you own no electronic means of communication. You may discover a measure of peace you did not know you were missing.
@JPuncut Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to the Savior of our souls!