Quotes from John Chryssavgis

Prayer is learning to live, without expecting to see results; it is learning to love, without hoping to see return; it is learning to be, without demanding to have. We cannot live and love and simply be, unless we are consumed by a total commitment to detachment.

For, as I always like to say: 'It is not possessing something that is harmful, but being attached to it.

If you have something to eat and notice your thought wanting to eat alone on account of desire and not of need, in this respect you do not regard him as yourself. Even if you only have enough for whatever you need, if you do not give him some of this, in this respect you do not regard him as yourself.

The two Old Men move beyond a rigid code of ethical prescriptions, with their almost inhumane consequences, into a more compassionate situational or occasional ethics, where there are no established formulas and fewer binding directives, where the individual always assumes responsibility for his or her actions.

Therefore, if a person is deceived but afterward learns and says: "I have been deceived, Lord Master, forgive me," God will forgive that person, for he is merciful.

If someone goes to prison for you, you will want to thank that person exceedingly. How much more so for the one who dies for you?

This thought of yours is wicked; for it wants to prevent you from correcting your brother. Therefore, do not prevent yourself from speaking; but rather, speak according to God. For, indeed, even sick people that are being healed will speak against their doctors; yet, the latter do not care, knowing that the same people will thank them afterward.

simply do whatever comes naturally.

There are also times when the enemy craftily makes the heart find a little rest, in order that it may not invoke the name of God. For, the demons are not ignorant of the fact that they are annoyed by the invocation of God's name. Therefore, knowing this, let us not cease invoking the name of God for our assistance; for, this is the best prayer. It is also said: "Pray unceasingly" (1 Thess 5.17), and unceasingly implies without end or limit.

If the heart is vigilant (Song 5.2), then sleep is nothing for the body; this is like a person who is almost snoring and, when he hears robbers breaking in, does everything possible to escape them. Thus, if we are able to understand, we shall see that we are exactly like this.