Can we start a Lenten quote thread?

[gurneyhalleck1]

My brothers and sisters in the Orthodox faith here at TAW, I think lately during this Great Fast, we have been spending so much time talking politics and war, worrying about secular matters, that we have done a pretty poor job in focusing on Great Lent here in the forum. I am the guiltiest of you all in this regard. I ask your forgiveness for that.

I was thinking it would be great to start a thread of Orthodox Lenten quotes. Not super long ones, but profound ones, to inspire and re-direct our minds to the heart of our journey toward theosis and giving glory to Our God with an open heart.

Please feel free to post your favorite Lenten quotes, or spiritual quotes that help us all to feel edified in our quest.

So here goes...

From Father Seraphim Rose:

"Weak and forgetful, even in the midst of the Great Fast we live as though Jerusalem did not exist for us. We fall in love with the world, our Babylon; we are seduced by the frivolous pastimes of this “strange land” and neglect the services and discipline of the Church which remind us of our true home. Worse yet, we love our very captors – for our sins hold us captive more surely than any human master – and in their service we pass in idleness the precious days of Lent when we should be preparing to meet the Rising Sun of the New Jerusalem, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is still time; we must remember our true home and weep over the sins which have exiled us from it. Let us take to heart the words of St. John of the Ladder: “Exile is separation from everything in order to keep the mind inseparable from God. An exile loves and produces continual weeping.” Exiled from Paradise, we must become exiled from the world if we hope to return.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Ok, no takers so far, but plenty of war discussion about Crimea....:o

 

[rusmeister]

This is good, and in the right direction.
I don't have any great quotes now. All I can think of and hold on to is the memory of a quote from St John of the Ladder (I think) about fathers who can't be monastics and do all of the externals still being able to strive to live holy lives.

 

[Shiranui117]

Here's a quote that I think is in line with the spirit of Lent:

 

[Mary of Bethany]

My brothers and sisters in the Orthodox faith here at TAW, I think lately during this Great Fast, we have been spending so much time talking politics and war, worrying about secular matters, that we have done a pretty poor job in focusing on Great Lent here in the forum. I am the guiltiest of you all in this regard. I ask your forgiveness for that.

I was thinking it would be great to start a thread of Orthodox Lenten quotes. Not super long ones, but profound ones, to inspire and re-direct our minds to the heart of our journey toward theosis and giving glory to Our God with an open heart.

Please feel free to post your favorite Lenten quotes, or spiritual quotes that help us all to feel edified in our quest.

So here goes...

From Father Seraphim Rose:

"Weak and forgetful, even in the midst of the Great Fast we live as though Jerusalem did not exist for us. We fall in love with the world, our Babylon; we are seduced by the frivolous pastimes of this “strange land” and neglect the services and discipline of the Church which remind us of our true home. Worse yet, we love our very captors – for our sins hold us captive more surely than any human master – and in their service we pass in idleness the precious days of Lent when we should be preparing to meet the Rising Sun of the New Jerusalem, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is still time; we must remember our true home and weep over the sins which have exiled us from it. Let us take to heart the words of St. John of the Ladder: “Exile is separation from everything in order to keep the mind inseparable from God. An exile loves and produces continual weeping.” Exiled from Paradise, we must become exiled from the world if we hope to return.

Thanks, Gurney. I appreciate this thread, as I have no interest in politics/war, etc. I'm on my lunchbreak at work, so I don't have time to post a quote right now, but I wanted to let you know that I'm glad you started a thread like this.

Mary

 

[Joseph Hazen]

I love this idea. How about a prayer? One of my favorites from the Roman Catholic tradition:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

I'll be sure to post again. Great idea.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

That is POWERFUL! It gave me a few ideas!....

Here's a quote that I think is in line with the spirit of Lent:

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Thanks, Mary! Please throw up a quote later!

Thanks, Gurney. I appreciate this thread, as I have no interest in politics/war, etc. I'm on my lunchbreak at work, so I don't have time to post a quote right now, but I wanted to let you know that I'm glad you started a thread like this.

Mary

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Awesome, Joseph! Thank you!

I love this idea. How about a prayer? One of my favorites from the Roman Catholic tradition:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

I'll be sure to post again. Great idea.

 

[Cappadocious]

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law: Justice, and Mercy, and Faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"

 

[Jesus4Madrid]

"A journey, a pilgrimage! Yet, as we begin it, as we make the first step into the “bright sadness” of Lent, we see — far, far away — the destination. It is the joy of Easter, it is the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom. And it is this vision, the foretaste of Easter, that makes Lent’s sadness bright and our lenten effort a “spiritual spring.” The night may be dark and long, but all along the way a mysterious and radiant dawn seems to shine on the horizon. Glory be to God!"

Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent

 

[seashale76]

"Repentance is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract with God for a second life. A penitent is a buyer of humility. Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort. Repentance is self-condemning reflection, and carefree self-care. Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair. A penitent is an undisgraced convict. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins. Repentance is purification of conscience. Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions. A penitent is the inflicter of his own punishments. Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness."
~St. John Climacus

 

[ArmyMatt]

"These two good deeds --- fear of God and remembrance of death --- deliver a man from all sin." -Elder Cleopa of Romania

 

[Mary of Bethany]

The sure sign you are doing things right | The Orthodox Monastery of Saints Ninian and Cuthbert


I hope this link works. It's not a quote, per se, but a short post by a monk about our struggles to keep the fast. I subscribe to his blog and when he sent this the other day, I found it very helpful.

Mary

 

[Dorothea]

"And though every day a man lives may rightly be a day of repentance, yet is it in these days more becoming, more appropriate, to confess our sins, to fast, and to give alms to the poor; since in these days you may wash clean the sins of the whole year." - St. John Chrysostom - "The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers"

 

[Dorothea]

My soul, my soul, arise! Why are you sleeping? The end is drawing near, and you will be confounded. Awake, then, and be watchful, that Christ our God may spare you, Who is everywhere present and fills all things.

+ The First Week of Great Lent, Kontakion, Tone 6

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I love Father Alexander! Memory eternal to him. My priest went to seminary and his professor in a couple of different classes was Father Schmemann! My priest is a huge fan of Father Alexander to be sure. He admits constantly that this wonderful priest inspired him so much to keep a reform-minded, Eucharist-centered, non-ethnic, hopeful vision of Orthodoxy that welcomes everyone. I can only imagine what it must've been like for my priest to have Father Schmemann for a professor and Father John Meyendorff for a professor AND FATHER CONFESSOR! What a blessed man!

Great quote!

"A journey, a pilgrimage! Yet, as we begin it, as we make the first step into the “bright sadness” of Lent, we see — far, far away — the destination. It is the joy of Easter, it is the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom. And it is this vision, the foretaste of Easter, that makes Lent’s sadness bright and our lenten effort a “spiritual spring.” The night may be dark and long, but all along the way a mysterious and radiant dawn seems to shine on the horizon. Glory be to God!"

Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent

 

[truefiction1]

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

 

[Antony in Tx]

sorry for the momentary diversion, but Gurney, your sig made me post this!

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

sorry for the momentary diversion, but Gurney, your sig made me post this!