Ana Smiljanic > Quotes

“Our starting point is always wrong. Instead of beginning with ourselves, we always want to change others first and ourselves last. If everyone were to begin first with themselves, then there would be peace all around!”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“Freedom belongs to God. When a person is free from the tyranny of thoughts, that is freedom. When he lives in peace, that is freedom. He is always in prayer, he is always expecting help from the Lord—he listens to his conscience and does his best. We must pray with our whole being, work with our whole being, do everything with our whole being. We must also not be at war with anyone and never take any offense to heart.”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“It often happens that a person, either young or old, falls in love with another person or even an object. Some people fall in love with gold and cannot bear to be separated from it or from their wealth, house, and possessions, and they become enslaved. If someone were to take this from them, they would become desperate. Many times the powers of evil bring such people to the brink of self-destruction.”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“When there is no human being that can bring us comfort, then God comes and brings us joy through a book.”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“Our relationship toward our fellow men defines our relationship toward God.”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“We should defend one another, for we are brothers—especially we who are of one Faith. There is an example of this in history. Once, when an official delegation of Constantinopolitan dignitaries was sent to the Saracens to negotiate peace, the Saracens argued that Christians disobeyed God’s commandment. They said: 'Why do you Christians disobey Christ’s commandment to love your enemies, but instead persecute and kill us?' Now, a certain Cyril was part of this delegation. His answer to the Saracens was: 'If, in a certain law, there are two commandments that must be fulfilled, which man shall be more righteous, he who fulfills both commandments or he who fulfills only one of them?' The Saracens answered, 'He that fulfills both, of course.' Then Cyril said, 'As individuals we forgive our enemies, but as a community we lay down our lives for one another. For the Lord has said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s neighbor. As a community we protect one another and lay down our lives for one another. Not only is your aim to enslave us physically, you also aspire to enslave us spiritually. It is for this reason that we defend ourselves. This, therefore, is justified.”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“We should defend one another, for we are brothers—especially we who are of one Faith. There is an example of this in history. Once, when an official delegation of Constantinopolitan dignitaries was sent to the Saracens to negotiate peace, the Saracens argued that Christians disobeyed God’s commandment. They said: “Why do you Christians disobey Christ’s commandment to love your enemies, but instead persecute and kill us?” Now, a certain Cyril was part of this delegation. His answer to the Saracens was: “If, in a certain law, there are two commandments that must be fulfilled, which man shall be more righteous, he who fulfills both commandments or he who fulfills only one of them?” The Saracens answered, “He that fulfills both, of course.” Then Cyril said, “As individuals we forgive our enemies, but as a community we lay down our lives for one another. For the Lord has said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s neighbor. As a community we protect one another and lay down our lives for one another. Not only is your aim to enslave us physically, you also aspire to enslave us spiritually. It is for this reason that we defend ourselves. This, therefore, is justified.”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility.”
― Ana Smiljanic, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica