PEARLS
"Pearls" are selected from the Patristic writings of the Holy Fathers, vessels of the Holy Spirit. They are holy words of guidance, comfort, wisdom and illumination. Here are a few “pearls” extracted from the writings of various Fathers.
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The Lord sees your need and your efforts, and will give you a helping hand. He will support and establish you as a soldier, fully armed and ready to go into battle. No support can be better than His. The greatest danger lies in the soul thinking it can find this help within itself; then it will lose everything. Evil will dominate it again, eclipsing the light that as yet flickers but weakly in the soul, and it will extinguish the small flame which is still scarcely burning. The soul should realize how powerless it is alone; therefore, expecting nothing of itself, let it fall down in humility before God, and in its own heart recognize itself to be nothing. Then grace - which is all-powerful - will, out of this nothing, create in it everything. He who in total humility puts himself in the hand of the merciful God, attracts the Lord to himself, and becomes strong in His strength.
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Nothing is better than to realize one's weakness and ignorance, and nothing is worse than not to be aware of them.
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The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Who fills the whole universe, passes through all believing, meek, humble, good and simple human souls, dwelling in them, vivifying and strengthening them. He becomes one spirit with them and everything to them - light, strength, peace, joy, success in their undertakings, especially in a pious life, and everything good. "We have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Cor. 12:13). All pious people are filled with the Spirit of God similarly as a sponge is filled with water.
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Inasmuch as God wishes to be known by us, so He reveals Himself; and inasmuch as He reveals Himself, so is He seen and known by those who are worthy. But no one can be worthy of this experience until he unites with the Holy Spirit, having previously acquired by labor and sweat a heart that is pure, simple and contrite.
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The devil tempts that he may ruin; God tests that he may crown.
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One must by every means strive to preserve peace of soul and not to be disturbed by offenses of others; for this one must in every way strive to restrain anger and by means of attentiveness to keep the mind and heart from improper feelings.
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