Quotes from Kyriacos C. Markides

The saints repeated this truth time and again over the centuries; that the natural state of a human being is the continuous contemplation and memory of God. I do not mean by that a cerebral memory of God but a memory that works from within the heart.

God never cooperates with evil. He simply offers us the opportunity to transform the painful experiences in our lives into advantages and blessings. (Fr. Maximos)

We lost the knowledge of God," he went on to say, "at the moment when we transformed the Ecclesia from experience into theology, from a living reality into moralistic principles, good values, and high ideals. When that happened," Father Maximos said humorously, "we became like tin cans with nothing inside.

The spirit of deception, you see," Father Maximos explained, "has egotism and pride as its primary attribute.

Remember," Father Maximos said as he escorted them to their car, "whatever good or bad things happen to us, they have only one single purpose, to awaken us to the reality of God and help us on the path toward union with Him. There is no other reason for being born on this planet, believe me. It is up to us whether or not we take advantage of these wake-up calls.

Well, as long as we do not know God experientially then we should at least realize that we are simply ideological believers," Father Maximos replied dryly. "The ideal and ultimate form of true faith means having direct experience of God as a living reality." I

So the holy elders," I added, "claim that the best strategy to cope with troublesome logismoi is simply to ignore them." "Precisely. Our first defense against destructive logismoi is complete indifference. This is the healthiest and most productive method to head them off right at their inception. Ignore them completely. Never open up a dialogue with these intruders. Do not interact with them either out of curiosity or out of overconfidence.

Texts like the Bible and the works of the holy elders were written under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The person who studies them partakes of this Divine Grace in a mystical way. The soul is nourished with Grace even if the person who reads such literature does not understand the meaning of what is being read. "Just by reading this material," he claimed, "the individual becomes spiritually empowered by the Grace embedded in the words themselves.

extraordinary life of eldress Gabrielia."3

But those who manage to genuinely place their hopes totally in God will never be disappointed. God will be with them continuously. They will then be able to bear witness to the miraculous way Providence works in their lives, yet without recognizing it. All of us have such experiences if we pay attention.

when I say sorrow, it does not mean that we celebrate suffering as if it is something to cherish and pursue. Rather, to the extent that suffering is unavoidable, accept it as a gift from Heaven. Then it will have a therapeutic impact on your heart. Redefine it in your mind as an opportunity for spiritual growth. Because that's what it is in reality. Whether people realize it or not, we live in a world of ongoing askesis.

Miracles are in reality extraordinary interventions by God who on special occasions suspends the laws of nature. But the extraordinary is not the law.

By reacting to aggression with aggression we lose the opportunity to spiritually benefit from the experience.