Brandon Strain

“Christianity is more than a theory about the universe, more than teachings written down on paper; it is a path along which we journey—in the deepest and richest sense, the way of life.”
― Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Way

“Either we are fools to the world because of Christ or we are fools to Christ because of the world.”
― Nikolaj Velimirović, The Prologue of Ohrid

“The true servant of the Lord is the one who in body is standing before men, but in his mind is knocking at heaven with his prayer.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“St. Seraphim of Sarov teaches: “It is necessary by all means to preserve peace of soul and not be disturbed by the insults of others. That is why it is necessary, at all costs, to restrain oneself from anger, and through vigilance over oneself to preserve the mind and heart from indecent movements. To preserve peace of soul, it is also necessary to avoid judging others. By not judging and by silence, peace of soul is preserved. When a man is in such a state of mind, he receives divine revelations. In order for a man to be preserved from judging others, he must be vigilant over himself, he must not receive ungodly thoughts from anyone, and he should be dead toward everything worldly. We must tirelessly guard the heart from indecent thoughts and influences. With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life (Proverbs 4:23). From constant vigilance over the heart, purity is born, in which the Lord is seen, in accordance with the words of eternal truth: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8).”
― Nikolaj Velimirović, The Prologue of Ohrid