Nathan Duffy

“the easiest way of practicing unceasing prayer is to pray the Jesus Prayer, a beginner should apply himself to the Jesus Prayer as often as possible. Do you happen to have a moment free? Do not waste it in idleness! Do not waste it by using it for some impracticable and fatuous castle-building, or for some vain and trivial employment! Use it for the practice of the Jesus Prayer.”
― Ignatius Brianchaninov, The Arena: Guidelines for Spiritual and Monastic Life

“We show right judgment and evince salutary intelligence when, in reading about the rules and experiences of the ancient Fathers and of their obedience—equally amazing both in the directors and in those who were being directed—we see at the present time a general decline of Christianity and recognize that we are unfit to inherit the legacy of the Fathers in its fullness and in all its abundance. And it is a great mystery of God, a great blessing for us, that it is left to us to feed on the crumbs that fall from the spiritual table of the Fathers.”
― Ignatius Brianchaninov, The Arena: Guidelines for Spiritual and Monastic Life

“The habit of prayer, this incessant meditation on God’s Law, is not supposed to be something immediately useful. Trees do not bear fruit right away. They first must eat amply of the earth and drink deeply of its water. Such nourishment must serve first to build up the tree. The fruit will come later on, when it is supposed to. The life of Christian prayer and meditation knows nothing of instant holiness; it is all a matter of perseverance and patience. Some trees do not even begin to bear fruit for many years.”
― Patrick Henry Reardon, Christ in the Psalms

“Just think—we must give an account of every idle word!8 How much more serious will be our account for the word of God, preached with vainglory and at the instigation of vainglory!”
― Ignatius Brianchaninov, The Arena: Guidelines for Spiritual and Monastic Life