– I cannot describe to you how much our Panagia likes chastity and purity. Since she is the only pure Virgin, she wants and loves everyone to be like that. As soon as we cry out to her she rushes to our help. You don’t even finish saying, “All Holy Theotokos, help me!” and at once, like lightning, she shines through the nous and fills the heart with illumination. She draws the nous to prayer and the heart to love. Many times the entire night passes in tears and sweet cries, singing praises to her and especially to Him Whom she carried.

– Embrace in your arms the icon of the Panagia as if she were alive, as you embraced your dear mother when you were little. Tell her all your pain, wet her icon with your pure tears, then you will derive consistent consolation. She will intercede with her Son, Who is so good, Who loves the good, has mercy on the bad, and forgives repenting sinners. He will open the noetic eyes of your soul and fill your heart with love and divine eros. And then your eyes will become two fountains of tears.

In his mentorship as an elder, father Alexei (Mechev) always led the person, under his guidance, to spiritual struggle, in other words, to the hardest and most-important. But everything hard begins with the easy. The external spiritual struggle is necessary, even the smallest. It trains the strength of will, without which any struggle, even more a spiritual one, is impossible. But before that a person has to evaluate his strength and possibilities carefully: “Measure seven times – he said – cut once”. But if you have decided something, you have to do it to the end. Otherwise you won‘t accomplish your goal. For example the prayer rule may not be big, but it has to be done necessarily, no matter tiredness, busyness and other impediments.

“No Prayer, my children, gets lost.” – Saint Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia

“As often as I have Prayed with faith, God has always heard me and fulfilled my Prayers.“ – Saint John of Kronstadt

“God always helps. He always comes in time, but patience is necessary. He hears us immediately when we cry out to Him, but not in accordance with our own way of thinking.“ – Saint Joseph the Hesychast

St. Seraphim of Sarov taught everyone the following rule of prayer:

Upon rising from sleep, let each Christian, standing before the holy icons, read the prayer “Our Father” thrice, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. Then the song of the Mother of God: “Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos Mary, full of grace…” also thrice. In conclusion the Creed: “I believe…” — once. Completing such a rule, let each Orthodox engage in his duties, to which he is assigned or called. During his work at home or along the way anywhere he should quietly read “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me, a sinner,” but if others surround him, then, while busy with his duties, let him only say in his mind “Lord, have mercy,” — and thus until lunch. Right before lunch let him repeat the morning rule. After lunch, busy with his work, let every Christian read just as quietly: “Most Holy Mother of God, save me, a sinner.” When preparing for sleep, let every Christian again read the morning rule, i.e., “Our Father” thrice, “Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos Mary” thrice and once “I believe.”

1) If you want to live a spiritual life, you should look after yourself. Every evening look at the good and bad things you did that day. Thank God for the good, repent in the bad.

2) When someone is praising you but you know that you have disadvantages, then this praising must be like a stab in your heart and must foster your desire to improve yourself.

3) Less philosophizing, more doing. In our life, we already devote too much time to the former at the expense of the latter.

4) Be especially careful with your impure thoughts.

5) If you feel any tendency to sin, make two prostrations to the Mother of God with prayer: “O Holy Theotokos, by the prayers of my parents, save me, a sinner”. The spirit of your parents will unite with yours in your prayer.

Endure the sorrows that happen, always repent. When preparing for Holy Communion, read the Rule*, and if you have not read it, tell the priest to whom you are confessing. Never judge anyone – and you will receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Do not despair – you are sinful, but you are God’s.

Archimandrite Vitaly (Sidorenko)

* Prayers in Preparation for Holy Communion 
 

Venerable Simeon, the Myrrhgusher and Prince of Serbia and Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev)

What does it mean to walk in truth (III John 1:4)? It means accepting truth in your heart, abiding in such thoughts and feelings as the truth requires. Thus, it is the truth that God is everywhere and sees everything.

He who accepts this truth with his heart and begins to keep himself both inwardly and outwardly as if God Himself were before him and were seeing everything within him, is walking in this truth. It is the truth that God contains all, and that without Him we cannot do anything successfully.