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KAKVE SU TI MISLI TAKAV TI JE I ZIVOT
Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica was one of the most renowned spiritual guides of Serbia in the twentieth century. As a novice he lived in obedience to Elder Ambrose of Miljkovo Monastery, a disciple of the Optina Elders. From him Fr. Thaddeus learned the Prayer of the Heart and the selfless love that came to characterize his whole ministry to the suffering Serbian people. Born in 1914, Elder Thaddeus lived through all the suffering endured by Serbia in the twentieth century. Over the course of two World Wars, during the Communist takeover, and through the nato bombings of 1999, he co-suffered with his people. He taught, counseled, and prayed for all who came to him in pain and sorrow. His words of love and hope provided spiritual balm for people from all classes of society. In 2002 Elder Thaddeus reposed, leaving behind a large collection of his teachings, preserved by his faithful spiritual children. His life, teachings, and spiritual conversations are here presented for the first time in English.
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First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
May 25, 2012
This book is worth reading for the short biography alone. Elder Thaddeus is the portrait of the Christian life. He suffered his entire life but always turned to Christ. As a boy in Serbia he was cast out by his family, as a monk he often failed due to his poor health to perform his job to specifications around the monastery, and during World War 2 he suffered imprisonment and beatings at the hands of the Nazis. After the war, he made relatively selfish mistakes that brought him even further into humility.
Reading this collection of his teachings with that back story in mind, you see the heart of a man that was nothing but love and humility. There were points at which his story brought me to tears.
I don't care what Christian tradition you're a part of (or any other religion), reading his words places the world into a perspective we could all benefit to gain. It also shows a glimpse of the suffering experienced by Orthodox Christians throughout the 20th century at the hands of fascism and communism - a history every American needs to hear.
Reading this collection of his teachings with that back story in mind, you see the heart of a man that was nothing but love and humility. There were points at which his story brought me to tears.
I don't care what Christian tradition you're a part of (or any other religion), reading his words places the world into a perspective we could all benefit to gain. It also shows a glimpse of the suffering experienced by Orthodox Christians throughout the 20th century at the hands of fascism and communism - a history every American needs to hear.
August 23, 2020
Hieromonk Thaddeus of Vitovnica was the brightest luminary of twentieth century Serbian monasticism. His life spanned a singularly tumultuous period in his nation’s history, beginning with the eruption of the Great War and traversing fascist occupation, communist dictatorship, the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia, and the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999. A sickly child who suffered ailments of the heart and lungs, Fr. Thaddeus entered the cloister as a young man with the expectation that his life would be brief, resolving to dedicate his remaining days to repentance and humiliation. His physical vulnerability, for the unlearned a mere impediment to the enjoyment of life in this world, became for this spiritual master a means of noetic purification, allowing him to live out the maxim of St. Isaac the Syrian that when one descends into one’s own heart, there he finds the ladder to the Kingdom of God. Through a life that was longer and more trying than he had anticipated, through multiple imprisonments during the Second World War (during one of which he received an angelic visitation), through bearing the cross of a leadership role at Vitovnica that tested his reserved and solitary nature, Fr. Thaddeus perfected himself in humility, becoming a God-Bearer like the Theotokos and a spiritual father to thousands of beleaguered people in desperate need of spiritual nourishment.
In accordance with the Holy Fathers, Elder Thaddeus taught that the Lord can only enter a heart that is at peace and unencumbered with chaotic thoughts. Our deification occurs at a deeper level than that of the intellect, and so the pilgrim’s task is to cultivate an inner peace that allows the Holy Spirit to shine through him. We must develop the capacity to calm the storm of malicious chatter that swirls about in our minds, and to direct our thoughts and will toward peace and harmony. It is not merely the case that peaceful thoughts will allow us to lead more pious lives; our thoughts themselves have a divinely-endowed capacity to reshape the fabric of the world around us, for good or ill, even when they don’t seem to leave our heads or influence our outward actions in any way we can perceive. Creation is the materialized mind and will of God, and as bearers of the divine image and seekers of the divine likeness our own thoughts likewise radiate outward from us and manifest themselves throughout the created order.
By mastering ourselves and achieving this inner tranquility, each person filters the atmosphere of this fallen world, and through him the Spirit breathes the atmosphere of the Kingdom of Heaven. Every man, woman, and child, by fighting the spiritual battle within themselves, contributes to the renewal and reconsecration of the cosmos. The Christian Way is the antidote to totalitarianism: the latter is derived from a frantic impulse to control others in the service of an idolatrous ideology, while the former is a quest to overcome oneself and make way for the Absolute Reality that liberates the world from its suffocating falsehoods. We change the world by changing ourselves. “Make peace with yourself,” says St. Isaac the Syrian, “and both heaven and earth will make peace with you.”
If it is through the heart that we begin to climb the ladder of divine ascent, it is the practice of humility, repentance, and attentive prayer that frees us from the entanglement of our thoughts and allows us to more fully inhabit the heart, which is the dwelling place of Christ in every person. Humility awakens our capacity for gratitude, and the highest expression of gratitude is joy. Let me thus take inspiration from Fr. Thaddeus of Vitovnica and renew myself in the joyful struggle for a peace that transcends death.
In accordance with the Holy Fathers, Elder Thaddeus taught that the Lord can only enter a heart that is at peace and unencumbered with chaotic thoughts. Our deification occurs at a deeper level than that of the intellect, and so the pilgrim’s task is to cultivate an inner peace that allows the Holy Spirit to shine through him. We must develop the capacity to calm the storm of malicious chatter that swirls about in our minds, and to direct our thoughts and will toward peace and harmony. It is not merely the case that peaceful thoughts will allow us to lead more pious lives; our thoughts themselves have a divinely-endowed capacity to reshape the fabric of the world around us, for good or ill, even when they don’t seem to leave our heads or influence our outward actions in any way we can perceive. Creation is the materialized mind and will of God, and as bearers of the divine image and seekers of the divine likeness our own thoughts likewise radiate outward from us and manifest themselves throughout the created order.
By mastering ourselves and achieving this inner tranquility, each person filters the atmosphere of this fallen world, and through him the Spirit breathes the atmosphere of the Kingdom of Heaven. Every man, woman, and child, by fighting the spiritual battle within themselves, contributes to the renewal and reconsecration of the cosmos. The Christian Way is the antidote to totalitarianism: the latter is derived from a frantic impulse to control others in the service of an idolatrous ideology, while the former is a quest to overcome oneself and make way for the Absolute Reality that liberates the world from its suffocating falsehoods. We change the world by changing ourselves. “Make peace with yourself,” says St. Isaac the Syrian, “and both heaven and earth will make peace with you.”
If it is through the heart that we begin to climb the ladder of divine ascent, it is the practice of humility, repentance, and attentive prayer that frees us from the entanglement of our thoughts and allows us to more fully inhabit the heart, which is the dwelling place of Christ in every person. Humility awakens our capacity for gratitude, and the highest expression of gratitude is joy. Let me thus take inspiration from Fr. Thaddeus of Vitovnica and renew myself in the joyful struggle for a peace that transcends death.
March 9, 2021
This Lent, I started stashing an edifying book next to where I read my morning bible readings, this is the second book I've read this way, and it was just perfect for a few pages at a time, and a whole day to contemplate. Just beautiful writings about the way to peace of soul.
Sigh. My dear friend and Goddaughter gave me this book, and it is a keeper, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sigh. My dear friend and Goddaughter gave me this book, and it is a keeper, thank you, thank you, thank you!
October 5, 2010
One of the most, if not the most, spiritually beneficial books I have ever read. Elder Thaddeus approaches the indulgence of sin from a seemingly unique and yet patristic angle, giving advice that is burning with love and exemplary of the meekness and kindness espoused by Our Lord.
The only negative aspect of this book was that it was virtually just a collexion of quotes (though some were quite long), and this sometimes made it hard to read the book straight through. On the other hand, this configuration could in fact be spiritually beneficial, as it forces the reader (and gives them the ability) to stop and consider each individual quote.
The only negative aspect of this book was that it was virtually just a collexion of quotes (though some were quite long), and this sometimes made it hard to read the book straight through. On the other hand, this configuration could in fact be spiritually beneficial, as it forces the reader (and gives them the ability) to stop and consider each individual quote.
October 4, 2012
It took me a long time to read this book. Mostly, because it's so intense that more than just a short session reading it is too much to think about. If you really remember everything he says this is a life changing book - obviously and clearly based on love and peace in the Holy Spirit. We are extremely lucky to have this book translated into English.
September 8, 2025
I have read this rather slowly and almost feel like I should immediately start it again! Rich life words.
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We can keep guard over the whole world by keeping guard over the atmosphere of heaven within us, for if we lose the Kingdom of Heaven, we will save neither ourselves nor others.
Strong faith in a man’s heart both requires love and produces prayer, and a prayer life of many years produces love. The goal of our life is nothing other than cleansing our heart to such an extent that it is able to sing with joy. This, prayer of the heart leads to joy of the heart. Nothing is difficult for a joyful person, because he has love.
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We can keep guard over the whole world by keeping guard over the atmosphere of heaven within us, for if we lose the Kingdom of Heaven, we will save neither ourselves nor others.
Strong faith in a man’s heart both requires love and produces prayer, and a prayer life of many years produces love. The goal of our life is nothing other than cleansing our heart to such an extent that it is able to sing with joy. This, prayer of the heart leads to joy of the heart. Nothing is difficult for a joyful person, because he has love.
November 5, 2011
I found this book to be poorly organized and hard to follow. It is rarely clear what source material was used. In addition, some of the advise that was given was, in my opinion, not even Christian. I hope that the worst instances were errors in translation, but it's not likely. Here's an example. A woman's pious son, her only child, marries a girl in trouble to give her unborn child a name. She was not his girlfriend and the baby was not his. He was being noble. He had arranged to remain married until the child could walk and then they would go their separate ways. When the mother found out, she said, "I do not want to set eyes on him alive!" He was subsequently killed in a motorcycle accident.
Here's the quote from the book:
The distraught mother came to me afterwards."You yourself killed your son," I told her. "A person's thoughts are very powerful. You said that you did not wish to see him alive, and this is what happened." Sometimes our parents are wrong, but for us, their children, they are right, and we must obey them. Then their blessing will be upon us.
In another passage he said:
The best marriages are those that parents have arranged for their children and when the age difference between the man and the woman is not too great.
There was no other criteria listed. He had nothing nice to say about the sacred union and, in fact, said,
In marriage, you are harnessed to a plough and you must pull, and the blows keep coming.
This could be selectivity on the part of the chronicler. Perhaps he extolled the union to others who did not record those words.
I confess that, after the bit about telling the distraught parent she killed her son, I quit reading. That was page 83. I finished that chapter and gave up.
Here's the quote from the book:
The distraught mother came to me afterwards."You yourself killed your son," I told her. "A person's thoughts are very powerful. You said that you did not wish to see him alive, and this is what happened." Sometimes our parents are wrong, but for us, their children, they are right, and we must obey them. Then their blessing will be upon us.
In another passage he said:
The best marriages are those that parents have arranged for their children and when the age difference between the man and the woman is not too great.
There was no other criteria listed. He had nothing nice to say about the sacred union and, in fact, said,
In marriage, you are harnessed to a plough and you must pull, and the blows keep coming.
This could be selectivity on the part of the chronicler. Perhaps he extolled the union to others who did not record those words.
I confess that, after the bit about telling the distraught parent she killed her son, I quit reading. That was page 83. I finished that chapter and gave up.
October 15, 2024
*adding to my all-time-favorite book list.
June 15, 2025
Wonderful. A book to read and reread on keeping peace and guarding one’s heart and mind.
May 7, 2023
This book is such a soothing balm to my spirit.
I would read a little bit of it every day after my Scripture reading.
It begins with a brief overview of the life of Elder Thaddeus and the challenges he faced in this world, with many wonderful pictures that set the scene for his thinking and pastoral ministry.
The rest of the book is his quotes divided up into themes. The last two chapters are excellent sermons that he had given which encapsulate his life theology and teachings.
I do warn that this book must be read only in supplement to the Scriptures (like all things), and by a discerning Christian.
Like with any teacher, don’t let him bind your conscience with anything but the Scriptures. Ya, he gets weird with the Theotokos and Toll Houses sometimes, but you probably would too if you lived in the mountains of 19th/20th Century Serbia.
Thaddeus is obviously a master of the Philokalia (the collected writings of the Eastern Orthodox Church Fathers), and this often seems to take precedence over his studies of the Scriptures.
Like most Eastern Orthodox writers, when he quotes the scriptures, it will most likely be 1) a saying of Christ, 2) from an epistle, or 3) from a psalm/proverb.
Also like most EO writers, that Scripture will either hit the nail in the head so hard that you will feel a “whooshing up” of the Spirit all around you as he speaks Truth, or will be grossly misapplied/misinterpreted and fall flat. Oh well, it happens to the best of us.
Anyway, the real meat of this book is that it’s a true and honest implementation of a neo-platonic view of the world. Elder Thaddeus, through his intense study of the Philokalia and New Testament, has been rewarded with unprecedented and unsurpassed since wisdom of how to preserve one’s inner peace from turbulent and evil thoughts and anxieties.
The 21st century world needs a taste of this wisdom.
Yes, the Christian will find this in the Scriptures, and of course that’s the point. But like any theology that’s worth your time, Elder Thaddeus’ wisdom will be a great help to arrive at these interpretations quicker.
The way he speaks of suffering, forgiveness, peace, clarity, etc, overflows with shrewd wisdom of the Scriptures.
The rest of my life will most likely involve me trying my best to challenge myself to:
1) seek communion with God, and
2) preserve my inner peace
At all costs, waging war against anxieties and disturbing/angry thoughts against myself and others. Elder Thaddeus encourages us to pick up and fight this battle, as a good brother in Christ; fully knowing that it is only fought and certainly only won by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and through the Holy Spirit who has given us new life and makes us more like Christ.
Hallelujah, He is risen!
I would read a little bit of it every day after my Scripture reading.
It begins with a brief overview of the life of Elder Thaddeus and the challenges he faced in this world, with many wonderful pictures that set the scene for his thinking and pastoral ministry.
The rest of the book is his quotes divided up into themes. The last two chapters are excellent sermons that he had given which encapsulate his life theology and teachings.
I do warn that this book must be read only in supplement to the Scriptures (like all things), and by a discerning Christian.
Like with any teacher, don’t let him bind your conscience with anything but the Scriptures. Ya, he gets weird with the Theotokos and Toll Houses sometimes, but you probably would too if you lived in the mountains of 19th/20th Century Serbia.
Thaddeus is obviously a master of the Philokalia (the collected writings of the Eastern Orthodox Church Fathers), and this often seems to take precedence over his studies of the Scriptures.
Like most Eastern Orthodox writers, when he quotes the scriptures, it will most likely be 1) a saying of Christ, 2) from an epistle, or 3) from a psalm/proverb.
Also like most EO writers, that Scripture will either hit the nail in the head so hard that you will feel a “whooshing up” of the Spirit all around you as he speaks Truth, or will be grossly misapplied/misinterpreted and fall flat. Oh well, it happens to the best of us.
Anyway, the real meat of this book is that it’s a true and honest implementation of a neo-platonic view of the world. Elder Thaddeus, through his intense study of the Philokalia and New Testament, has been rewarded with unprecedented and unsurpassed since wisdom of how to preserve one’s inner peace from turbulent and evil thoughts and anxieties.
The 21st century world needs a taste of this wisdom.
Yes, the Christian will find this in the Scriptures, and of course that’s the point. But like any theology that’s worth your time, Elder Thaddeus’ wisdom will be a great help to arrive at these interpretations quicker.
The way he speaks of suffering, forgiveness, peace, clarity, etc, overflows with shrewd wisdom of the Scriptures.
The rest of my life will most likely involve me trying my best to challenge myself to:
1) seek communion with God, and
2) preserve my inner peace
At all costs, waging war against anxieties and disturbing/angry thoughts against myself and others. Elder Thaddeus encourages us to pick up and fight this battle, as a good brother in Christ; fully knowing that it is only fought and certainly only won by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and through the Holy Spirit who has given us new life and makes us more like Christ.
Hallelujah, He is risen!
April 15, 2020
A family member first picked this book up in Greece for me (in Greek translation), and I began reading it. I then continued reading it in English and could not put it down. It is that good and most timely during this period of pandemic, when our minds wander all over to find answers and accuse others of somehow being responsible for this coronavirus curse, thus disturbing our internal peace. The fundamental message is expressly stated in the title: our thoughts, positive or negative, have great potential to either lift us spiritually or hinder us from realizing our greatest potential created in God's image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:26). This collection of counsels covers a wide gamut of contemporary subjects. The teachings are simple, authentic, and straightforward, given by this spiritual giant of Orthodox Serbia, Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica. His pity apothegmata, or excerpts, at the end of the book make ideal talking points for mini-lessons that can be expanded during Bible studies. The author, who suffered so much himself during the twentieth century and lived a hard life, is not afraid to speak of his own weaknesses and imperfections, thus making him more credible and endearing him to his audience. The book is truly a masterpiece. I highly, highly recommend that it be read by all Orthodox clergy and laity at least once in their lifetime. I also recommend that a second reading be in order ... to extract spiritual gems buried below the topsoil of such timely spiritual wisdom and insight. Five stars, hands down.
July 13, 2024
A great book that would take a lifetime to implement in one's own life. As the title suggests it all begins in our thoughts. Every evil dead is first born as a thought before it becomes manifest in an action. The scary part is we can attack people just by the thoughts we have about them. Allowing a negative thought about someone in our mind is the same as an attack on them. The good news though if we can control our thoughts and remain peaceful we can bring peace to everyone around us.
"Put a humble and meek person into hades, and he will not complain." What a quote! If only I was humble!
What is great about this book isn't just the ideas it represents but the guidance it gives on how to live our lives and how to protect our thoughts and rest all our attention and expectation in Christ so that we can be at peace and change the world around us. If we want a peaceful world we first have to have peaceful thoughts. And we can not be at peace outside of Christ. Our very being and heart must be in His presence all the time. Or else we are doomed.
"Put a humble and meek person into hades, and he will not complain." What a quote! If only I was humble!
What is great about this book isn't just the ideas it represents but the guidance it gives on how to live our lives and how to protect our thoughts and rest all our attention and expectation in Christ so that we can be at peace and change the world around us. If we want a peaceful world we first have to have peaceful thoughts. And we can not be at peace outside of Christ. Our very being and heart must be in His presence all the time. Or else we are doomed.
November 24, 2021
Pornind la alcătuirea acestui scurt cuvânt de început al cărții ce adună învățăturile Starețului Tadei de la Vitovnița, nu putem decât să ne amintim cuvintele Cuviosului Iustin (Popovici) de la Mănăstirea Celie, însemnate în predoslovia sa la Viețile Sfinților: „Viețile sfinților nu sânt altceva decât viața Domnului Iisus Hristos, înnoită și continuată în fiecare sfânt, într’o măsură mai mare sau mai mică…” Faptele și lucrările sfinților se potrivesc, potențial, pentru toți Creștinii – care prin întreaga lor viață râvnesc „să umble cu vrednicie Domnului,” /Col. 1:10/ care năzuiesc la mântuire și îndumnezeire în Hristos. Astfel a fost, în măsura cunoscută lui Dumnezeu, și viața fericitului Stareț Tadei de la Vitovnița, ce a luminat mult- pătimitoarea istorie a Bisericii și poporului nostru Sârb în veacul al XX-lea, cu „lumina lină” a căutării sale după Împărăția lui Dumnezeu, cu „pace și bucurie în
Duhul Sfânt.” /Rom. 14:17/
Duhul Sfânt.” /Rom. 14:17/
July 22, 2012
This book is a composite collection of writings by a Serbian monk; Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica. Our thoughts create either harmony or disharmony in the world. In our mind we conceive everything we do, say, and plan. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, than that is what our life is like. When we humble ourselves, confess, and pray the Lord makes his abode in our hearts. With God's energy and life in us, our soul is at peace and our thoughts are rested. We must be meek and forgive every offense. We must posses the Lord's qualities of; love, peace, and kindness towards all mankind. We must continually guard our minds and thoughts. We must remain joyful. This book is not profound with new spiritual insight, but it does contain page after page of insightful dialog for clearing and cleansing the mind, and trying to live a purposeful life.
November 13, 2020
I first came across Christian Orthodoxy in Robert K. Massie's book, "Peter the Great: His Life and World." I was fascinated by this form of Christianity since I first learned of it from studying Russian culture, so I had to read more about it. I'm not one to read about Christianity because I don't usually like the strong agenda, but I felt so much peace reading this book, and I liked seeing how a person puts the Christian walk into practice.
What I liked about this book is that it had more about the practices and less about hellfire and damnation.
At times, the book diverges into things that I didn't necessarily agree with, but as Aristotle said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
I also learned some interesting tidbits about World War II and Serbia, which could become the center of one of my future studies.
What I liked about this book is that it had more about the practices and less about hellfire and damnation.
At times, the book diverges into things that I didn't necessarily agree with, but as Aristotle said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
I also learned some interesting tidbits about World War II and Serbia, which could become the center of one of my future studies.
August 2, 2022
Don’t give up your inner peace! Not even for the world
January 17, 2025
Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica. He was gifted with a deep understanding for peoples problems and wisdom as to what will help them. Many people felt he was almost clairvoyant, and he would laugh because he knew that his understanding did not come from himself but from God. Elder Thaddeus’ life was marked with suffering, yet by the Lord’s grace he was constantly filled with peace. He recited the Lord’s Prayer so often that he could hear it even when conversing with people. The first quarter of this book is a biography of his life, which is worth the read in and of itself, and then his teachings. Thank you Lord for this man that is an example of extreme humility, the defining characteristic of what it means to be Christian.
“The goal of our life is to return to the bosom of our Heavenly Father”
“To be meek is to have a heart that is humble and peaceful, which is the temperament of a child, which is why it is said that if one does not become a child they will not enter the kingdom of God”
“The goal of our life is to return to the bosom of our Heavenly Father”
“To be meek is to have a heart that is humble and peaceful, which is the temperament of a child, which is why it is said that if one does not become a child they will not enter the kingdom of God”
April 29, 2025
Beautiful writings and sayings of Elder Thaddeus.
Easy to get sucked into, but the way it’s organized allows you to put it down and pick it back up so easily.
Easy to get sucked into, but the way it’s organized allows you to put it down and pick it back up so easily.
May 16, 2023
Best snippets:
We can keep guard over the whole world by keeping guard over the atmosphere of heaven within us
We must never hurt our parents in our thoughts. Insulting others has negative consequences for all of us.
Unless we humble ourselves, the world will not stop humbling us.
Our relationship between our fellow community reflects our relationship with spirit
Remembering a sin we committed, does not mean the sin has not been forgiven. A genuine sign a sin has been forgiven is the fact it has not been repeated and we are at peace.
When a certain word touches our heart, we should hold onto that world for as long as possible.
A prayer life produces love. The goal of our life is to cleanse our heart to such an extent that it is able to sing with joy.
If we cannot abandon the thought that is bothering us immediately, we must keep silent. Then when we are in silence and the mind is quiet, we should give it something to do so that it will not wander. We should pray from the heart.
Love humbles us. Love sacrifices itself for its neighbour
The most important thing in one's spiritual life is to guard the peace in the heart
God knows best what we can bear and what we cannot and what he will or will not permit.
Not opposing evil means preserving one's inner peace. Opposing evil is evil. Pray for inner peace to be preserved.
We know that God loves us when He takes us through many sufferings and misfortunes.
We must live through many misfortunes and sorrows in order to learn how to rise above the problems that disturb inner peace
Our forgiveness must not be confined to words only. The Lord wants us to forgive from the heart.
After a confession a person always feels lighter.
Our thoughts influence not only us but everything that surrounds us. That is why we must emit only good, quiet and kind thoughts.
We can keep guard over the whole world by keeping guard over the atmosphere of heaven within us
We must never hurt our parents in our thoughts. Insulting others has negative consequences for all of us.
Unless we humble ourselves, the world will not stop humbling us.
Our relationship between our fellow community reflects our relationship with spirit
Remembering a sin we committed, does not mean the sin has not been forgiven. A genuine sign a sin has been forgiven is the fact it has not been repeated and we are at peace.
When a certain word touches our heart, we should hold onto that world for as long as possible.
A prayer life produces love. The goal of our life is to cleanse our heart to such an extent that it is able to sing with joy.
If we cannot abandon the thought that is bothering us immediately, we must keep silent. Then when we are in silence and the mind is quiet, we should give it something to do so that it will not wander. We should pray from the heart.
Love humbles us. Love sacrifices itself for its neighbour
The most important thing in one's spiritual life is to guard the peace in the heart
God knows best what we can bear and what we cannot and what he will or will not permit.
Not opposing evil means preserving one's inner peace. Opposing evil is evil. Pray for inner peace to be preserved.
We know that God loves us when He takes us through many sufferings and misfortunes.
We must live through many misfortunes and sorrows in order to learn how to rise above the problems that disturb inner peace
Our forgiveness must not be confined to words only. The Lord wants us to forgive from the heart.
After a confession a person always feels lighter.
Our thoughts influence not only us but everything that surrounds us. That is why we must emit only good, quiet and kind thoughts.
August 28, 2018
There is some essential material in this work, namely that it is our thoughts that are ultimately responsible for our own peace or turmoil, and that meekness and humility is the greatest Way.
However, I give only three stars because of how many of Fr. Thaddeus’s views I oppose. He seemed to indirectly give the message that the only righteous way to live is as a celibate monk, and that marriage is less holy than celibacy. It isn’t. Note, perhaps I’m wary of asceticism in general, as I believe it tends to become over-spiritualization, i.e. that physical needs are evil and that holiness is essentially reaching a place of having no needs.
Other issues like him believing that all visions and dreams are untrustworthy and never from God, that mourning the death of loved ones is wrong, receiving an education of any type other than spiritual opens us up to evil; contradictions like God comforting those who mourn, yet also saying that we must have joy because God will not come to a heart that is sad or gloomy; and other weird-ish beliefs like our souls going to a spirit world during sleep, how important it is to pray to Mary...I couldn’t sit with these things, but there was also a lot of truth and beauty to be gleaned.
•
“Make peace with yourself and both heaven and earth will make peace with you.”
However, I give only three stars because of how many of Fr. Thaddeus’s views I oppose. He seemed to indirectly give the message that the only righteous way to live is as a celibate monk, and that marriage is less holy than celibacy. It isn’t. Note, perhaps I’m wary of asceticism in general, as I believe it tends to become over-spiritualization, i.e. that physical needs are evil and that holiness is essentially reaching a place of having no needs.
Other issues like him believing that all visions and dreams are untrustworthy and never from God, that mourning the death of loved ones is wrong, receiving an education of any type other than spiritual opens us up to evil; contradictions like God comforting those who mourn, yet also saying that we must have joy because God will not come to a heart that is sad or gloomy; and other weird-ish beliefs like our souls going to a spirit world during sleep, how important it is to pray to Mary...I couldn’t sit with these things, but there was also a lot of truth and beauty to be gleaned.
•
“Make peace with yourself and both heaven and earth will make peace with you.”
January 18, 2014
I've really thought long and hard about how to review this. First, it's worth stating that I'm Protestant, so I might not exactly be the intended audience, but it received this book as a gift from a dear relative who recently converted to Orthodoxy, and I want to learn more about it. I give it 3 stars because I think it is a good book with lots of wisdom that any believer could learn from, but I hesitate to give it 5 because so much of what I read required so much mental gymnastics to justify it being Biblically-based. (Note I don't mean "doctrinally sound" because I tried hard to set aside my particular doctrinal inclinations while I read this. I mean I couldn't figure out how Elder Thaddeus arrived at his conclusions from Scripture.). That may be due to my own ignorance and my lack of knowledge of the traditions of the Church, but that was one of my hesitations. The other was that many of the teachings seemed self-contradictory. That, again, could be because I didn't give it a subtle enough reading, but I did what I could. So altogether, I would recommend the book, but I would only recommend it to someone who is either a mature believer (Orthodox or not) or who has, as Elder Thaddeus would put it, a "spiritual advisor" who is very wise.
October 5, 2011
I went one Sunday to a very small Russian Orthodox parish in Wisconsin, in fact like a family parish, in a church built by the priest on his own property. The church was gorgeous, all in wood. The Divine Liturgy was heavenly, so prayerful and contemplative. After the Liturgy, all attending were invited to join the family for their Sunday lunch. The son of the family was reading a spiritual book aloud, just like in monasteries, Orthodox or Catholic, for that matter. They were reading this book. I enjoyed very much the excerpt, bought the book, and read it all.
I was really struck by how modern this book was. Of course, this Elder lived in the 20th century, he actually died in 2002, but still, sometimes you don’t have the feeling that writings are that appropriate to our modern age. This one sure is, focusing a lot on...
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Emma @ Words And Peace
I was really struck by how modern this book was. Of course, this Elder lived in the 20th century, he actually died in 2002, but still, sometimes you don’t have the feeling that writings are that appropriate to our modern age. This one sure is, focusing a lot on...
to read the whole review, please go to:
http://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/20...
Emma @ Words And Peace
September 2, 2022
I love this book. It has lots of wisdom and advice.
This book is a collection of writing by a Serbian monk.- Elder Thaddeus of Vitonica . Different historian and great thinkers have written about how what we think affect our reality. And this book is the Christian perspective of how our thoughts affect our thinking. It goes in great detail on how to train our mind to think kind, peace and meek thinking.
This is one of those book where after reading it I will have to take time to think about it. I plan to reread it again’!
Highly recommend anyone to read this to know the power of thoughts on inner peace and on spiritual struggle
This book is a collection of writing by a Serbian monk.- Elder Thaddeus of Vitonica . Different historian and great thinkers have written about how what we think affect our reality. And this book is the Christian perspective of how our thoughts affect our thinking. It goes in great detail on how to train our mind to think kind, peace and meek thinking.
This is one of those book where after reading it I will have to take time to think about it. I plan to reread it again’!
Highly recommend anyone to read this to know the power of thoughts on inner peace and on spiritual struggle
December 21, 2021
A humble Serbian monk's simple corpus of spiritual thoughts, presents the kernel of Orthodox spirituality in thoughtful bites. To a secular reader, many of the thoughts presented here will remind the nuances of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). To a Stoic reader, it definitely will recall some of Epictetus's and Marcus Aurelius's thoughts on thoughts and their power towards one's own virtue and happiness.
November 30, 2020
Remembering that this is a book of a compilation of writings/journals, it is expectedly repetitive and sometimes random. But it is a nice, kind of meditative exploration of the power of thoughts. Not very practical, but inspiring nonetheless. also appreciated the biography of Elder Thaddeus, showing his personal suffering as well as struggle to kill his ego.
October 16, 2013
Absolutely perfect. This is the simplicity I needed. I can now go back to St. Theophan UW and give that another go. It has made the rounds in my family and is falling apart now. Time for a new copy (or a digital one!).
July 5, 2016
This is a life changing book. If you haven't read it you, you should obtain it. The vignettes and advice are in digestible chunks, so if you don't have a lot of time to read, you can read a little at a time.
And then, a few years later, take it out and read it again.
And then, a few years later, take it out and read it again.
May 15, 2024
I've re-read this twice. My brother convinced me the first time, and I always come back to his warnings- we can train our thoughts. We can let them dwell in places of peace and faith. And we can become very content and humble there
January 30, 2022
Written for me. Now if I could only put a fraction of this into practice …
February 2, 2022
This is a really good book! Read it like you would enjoy a delicious meal.
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