Saint Dimitri of Rostov writing on Luke 6:2. Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.
"He who loves his enemy subdues the waves of the sea and stills the storm. Therefore love your enemy, and you will be a new wonderworker, saving his soul and your own... Begin from henceforth to love everyone. The Son of God will be your gurantor. Without a doubt you will become a son of the Most High. I desire this sonship for myself and for everyone. Amen.
From Saint John Chrysostom:
"What water and sun are to the body, prayer is to the soul."
A Prayer of Saint Dimitri of Rostov -Come my Light and illumine my darkness.
Come my Life and revive me from death.
Come my Physician and heal my wounds.
Come Flame of divine love and consume my sins,
kindling my heart with the flame of Thy love.
Come my King, enter my heart and reign there.
For Thou art my salvation.
"Our life is love -- yes, love. And where there is love, there is God; and where God is, there is every good. 'Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and these things shall be added unto you.' And therefore joyfully feed and delight all, joyfully give to the needs of all and trust in the heavenly Father for everything, in the Father of bounties and the God of every consolation. Offer that which is dear to you as a sacrifice of love for your neighbor. As you have received everything from God, be ready to give back everything to God, so that having been faithful in small things you may afterwards be made ruler over many things. (Matt. xxv.23)"
Saint John of Kronstadt
"From this day, from this hour, from this minute, let us strive to love God above all." Saint Herman of Alaska
"God is the life of all free beings. He is the salvation of all, of believers and unbelievers, of the just and the unjust, of the pious and the impious, of those freed from the passions and those caught up in them, of monks and those living in the world, of the educated or the illiterate, of the healthy or the sick, of the young or of the old. He is like the outpouring of light, the glimpse of the sun, or the changes of the weather, which are the same for everyone without exception." Saint John Climakus
"If a man has no care whatever for himself because of love for God and virtuous deeds, knowing that God will take care of him - such hope is true and wise. But if a man takes care of his own affairs and turns to prayer only when unavoidable misfortunes overtake him and he sees no way of averting them by his own power, only then beginning to hope in God's aid - such hope is vain and false. True hope seeks the Kingdom of God alone and is convinced that everything earthly that is necessary for this transitory life will unfailingly be given." Saint Seraphim of Sarov
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Orthodoxy in America
