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The "principal characteristics" of the zealot according to knowledge are the following: "fervent love for God and neighbor, gentleness, religious tolerance, forbearance, graciousness of manner." St Nectarios of Aegina

Prayer is grace. God gives it when there exists zeal and humility� Let Christ not be missing from your heart.

Elder Amphilochios of Patmos +1970

Dear Alexandr,

I am thrilled to see these words of wisdom again...

and happy to see you back, hoping that you are now feeling better.

In Christ,
Alice

Alexandr,

Great quotes!

I'm glad to see you back here!

Keep 'em comin'!

Have you realized that the world and worldly cares do not hinder in fulfilling God's commandments, when there is zeal and attention? That silence and retirement from the world are useless, if laziness and negligence prevail?"

St. Simeon the New Theologian

The non-possessive ascetic is a son of detachment, and thinks of what he has as if it were nothing. When he becomes a solitary, he regards everything as refuse. But if he worries about something, he has not yet become non-possessive.

St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent,"

The good Lord shows His great care for us in that the shamelessness of the feminine sex is checked by shyness as with a sort of bit. For if the woman were to run after the man, no flesh would be saved.

St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent

Oh dear!!!
Not to make light of this, but anyone with children will know how much this has changed.
In my day we used to wait for phone calls from boys, today's girls take matters into their own hands and call the boys!

Alice

I must agree. That's why I was scared of dating.

Sometimes a guy has to beat them off with a stick.

Terry

A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, "You are mad; you are not like us.

St. Anthony the Great

O St. Anthony, the time is already here!

Kind of an early prophecy that was fleshed in by St. Nilus, concerning the 20th centruy.

An Athonite elder said, "Blasphemous thoughts are like airplanes that annoy us, against our will, with their noise, and we are powerless to prevent them. The heavy anti-aircraft battery is psalmody, because it is both prayer to Christ and disdain for the devil."

an Athonite Gerontikon

Wherefore on no account suffer any evil habit to master thee; but, while it is yet young, pluck the evil root out of thine heart, lest it fasten on and strike root so deep that time and labor be required to uproot it. And the reason that greater sins assault us and get the mastery of our souls is that those which appear to be less, such as wicked thoughts, unseemly words and evil communications, fail to receive proper correction.

St. John Damascene, Barlaam and Ioasaph

Do all in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall. But if you do fall, get up again at once and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times because of the withdrawal of God's grace, rise up again each time, and keep on doing so until the day of your death. For it is written, "If a righteous man fall seven times" -- that is, repeatedly throughout his life -- seven times "shall he rise again" (Proverbs 24:16). So long as you hold fast, with tears and prayer, to the weapon of the monastic habit, you will be counted among those that stand upright, even though you fall again and again. So long as you remain a monk, you will be like a brave soldier who faces the blows of the enemy; and God will commend you, because even when struck you refused to surrender or run away. But if you give up the monastic life, running away like a coward and a deserter, the enemy will strike you in the back; and you will lose your freedom of communion with God.

St. John of Karpathos "The Philokalia