Catechumen Quotes

“The Lord vouchsafed us to be in His likeness, but the Lord is so meek and lowly that wert thou to see Him, from much joy thou wouldst want to exclaim, "O Lord, I melt with Thy grace!" but at that moment thou art unable to utter a single word concerning God, for thy soul is transformed from the abundance of the Holy Spirit. Thus it was with St. Seraphim of Sarov - when he beheld the Lord, he was unable to speak.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“[The Lord] is exceedingly meek and lowly, and when the soul sees Him she is all transformed into love for God and her neighbour...becomes meek and lowly herself. But if a man lose grace, he will weep like Adam cast out of paradise.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“[T]o the man who beseeches the Lord all things are given, not because we are worthy but because the Lord is merciful and loves us.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“When a small child calls out, "I want bread! I am hungry," does his mother not...prepare him something to eat? Likewise, if all day we call out, "We want to be saved!...Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us." will Christ not send us His mercy?”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, Daily Quotes from "Words of the Heart" by Gerondissa Makrina Vassopoulou

“The purpose of judgment must be that the one you are judging should mend his ways, and you must be compassionate with every soul...and in all things preserve a clear conscience yourself. Then deep peace will reign in mind and soul.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“We believe that true freedom means not sinning, in order to love God and one's neighbour with our whole heart and our whole strength. True freedom means constant dwelling in God.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“And the Mother of God - what was her love for the Lord, her Son? No human being can conceive of the nature of her love save the Mother of God herself. But the Spirit of God opens our eyes to love. And in her was and is this same Spirit of God, Which is love, and therefore he who has come to know the Holy Spirit is able in part to conceive of the nature even of her love.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“Humility is the light in which we may behold the Light which is God – in the words of the Psalmist: “In thy light shall we see light.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“It is not he who disparages himself who shows humility (for who will not put up with himself?), but he who maintains the same love for the very man who reproaches him.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, Divine Ascent - Daily Quotes

“I planted a rose bush and Stephen, age 2, asked, “Can I bless the rose?” I said yes and he did the sign of the cross over the rose bush. Then he turned to me and said, “Can I bless the hose?” And so he did.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, “Do birds know all their letters?”: Funny Book of Quotes

“When the soul is full of the love of God, out of infinite joy she sorrows and in tears prays for the whole world, that all men may come to know their Lord and heavenly Father. There is no rest for her, nor does she desire rest, until all mankind delights in the grace of His love.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“When I asked Stephen, age two, for a kiss he would say, “I’ll give you a smooch.” He'd put his hands on each side of his face and pucker up, musing contentedly, “What kind shall I give her? […Grandma Joy’s ducky kisses, butterfly kisses, or….]”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, “Do birds know all their letters?”: Funny Book of Quotes

“Prayer comes with praying, as the Scriptures say; but prayer which is only a habit, prayer without contrition for our sins, is not pleasing to the Lord.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“We must be careful not to judge - extremely careful! It is so terrible that it is beyond words! "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Have we kept this? Even if we have no virtue but we don't judge, Christ will save us and take us to Paradise.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, Daily Quotes from "Words of the Heart" by Gerondissa Makrina Vassopoulou

“With my sins I am worse than a noisome cur but I began to beseech God for forgiveness, and He granted me not only forgiveness but also the Holy Spirit, and in the Holy Spirit I knew God.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes

“When Sean and Daniel were two and four years old I opened their play kitchen fridge door and found a stack of stuffed bears.

"Why are the bears in here?"

They replied with authority, “We’ve been huntin’!”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, “Do birds know all their letters?”: Funny Book of Quotes

“The Holy Spirit is love, and He gives the soul strength to love her enemies. And he who does not love his enemies does not know God.”
― Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald, A Year in the Holy Spirit with Saint Silouan the Athonite: - A Calendar of Daily Quotes