712 (PRAYER/ SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE/ SERVICES/ MIND-NOUS/ WORK/ SPIRITUALITY)
712 (PRAYER/ SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE) Are you wondering why you remain still? Please tell me: Do you recite the Jesus Prayer? No, you do not… How then do you expect to make progress? Do you think that you by yourself alone will be able to do that? No, my brother!
711 (SIN/ SOBRIETY/ ALERTNESS/ PRAYER/ CONSCIOUSNESS)
711 (SIN/ SOBRIETY/ ALERTNESS/ PRAYER/ CONSCIOUSNESS) Many times people wonder: How did I...get myself into this mistake? How and why did I fall? My brethren! It all boils down to two things: 1. A lack of sobriety, i.e., of alertness and attention! And 2. Lack of self-imposition! So, we
710 (FALL/ STRUGGLE/ PROBLEM/ JESUS PRAYER)
710 (FALL/ STRUGGLE) A fall is always preceded by a "betrayal". Instead of examining your fall per se, examine closely and find out where the betrayal began... And when you find it, make sure that you secure yourself at that point..., in any way you yourself determine. (PROBLEM/ JESUS
709 (ATTENTION/ SOBRIETY/ ACCOUNT OF THE DAY STRUGGLE/ NEGATIVITY/ POSITIVITY)
709 (ATTENTION/ SOBRIETY/ STRUGGLE) "Turn not to the right nor to the left," writes the righteous Solomon in his proverbs (4:27). Beware of deviations... Beware of "small" retreats... For, these will lead you to greater ones and you will regret it. "The ‘small’ is not small when it brings
708 (“GOOD PRIDE”)
708 (“GOOD PRIDE”) “Good pride”? But is there also “good pride”? Yes there is. Please follow me carefully: Let us assume that you are falling into a passion, a weakness, a very bad habit. You said many times that you will not repeat it, but you fall again into
707 (GRATITUDE/ UNGRATEFULNESS/ CHARITY/ LOVE/ APATHY)
707 (GOD/ THANKSGIVING/ GRATITUDE/ UNGRATEFULNESS) Today's Gospel was about the 10 lepers. In light of this keep the following advice: As soon as you are granted a request or a benevolence from God (or man), your first task is to IMMEDIATELY give thanks! (without any thoughts). (GOD/ CHARITY/ LOVE)
706 (PRAYER/ FAITH/ JESUS PRAYER/ SERVICES)
706 (PRAYER/ FAITH/ JESUS PRAYER/ SERVICES) When we say, "keep saying the Jesus Prayer unceasingly" -believing that it will be answered according to our wishes- it is the same as saying, "concentrate your whole mind on the Service", trusting that all that is asked for in it shall be
705 (MIND/ SOBRIETY)
705 (MIND/ SOBRIETY) When a cardiologist wishes to see how a patient's heart is working, he sometimes places wires on the patient's body, through which the heart's function is recorded for 24 hours. Let us all make a similar recording of our spiritual heart..., i.e. our ‘nous’ (mind): Where