```
"The various patristic texts, which thank God are available by the thousands today, are very helpful. One can find whatever one needs and desires in these books. They are authentic spiritual nourishment and a sure guide on the spiritual path. However, in order to be of benefit to us, they have to be read with humility and prayer. Patristic texts reveal the inner spiritual condition of the soul, much as axial tomography reveals the inner structures of the body. Each sentence of the patristic texts contains a multitude of meanings, and each person can interpret them according to their own spiritual state of being. It is better to read the ancient text rather than a translation, because the translator interprets the original verse according to his own spirituality. In any case, in order to understand the writings of the Fathers one must constrain oneself, focus and live spiritually, for the spirit of the Fathers is perceived through and by the spirit only. "

• St Paisios of Mt Athos ☦️
  ```

`“If we want to follow the gospel commandment and the practice of the whole Church as it was founded initially upon the apostles, we should not follow our own notions or give wrong meanings to things rightly said. We must discard faint-hearted, faithless opinion and recover the strictness of the Gospel. In this way we shall be able to follow also in the footsteps of the Fathers”

• St John Cassian ☦️`

The characteristic feature that is opposite in the meaning to “pride” is “humility.” The latter is appreciated and welcomed by the Gospel, the Mother of God and by the Holy Fathers. No deed alone, without humility, is able to protect man from falling into the temptation of the sin of pride and depart from God. It is love that unites man with God, but without humility there is no love either. + Abbott Nikon Vorobiev ☦️

`“Let us return to the Christ-Bearing Ascetics and to the Holy Fathers.”

• St Justin Popovich ☦️`

“One must examine oneself while reading the Writings of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church, who help us use the light of the Gospels without error. The more a person delves deeply into himself and comes to know himself, the more he comes to recognise his passions, the different ways they act on him and attack him. Then he comes to know his weaknesses; then he can begin to destroy within himself all sinful qualities grafted into his nature by the fall. Then he can acquire the qualities indicated by the Gospels. And only then will his foundation for the edifice of Prayer be completely firm.” + St Ignatius Brianchaninov ☦️

The characteristic belief of the heresy of ecumenism is this: that the Orthodox Church is not the one true Church of Christ; that the grace of God is present also in other "Christian" denominations, and even in non\-Christian religions; that the narrow path of salvation according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church is only "one path among many" to salvation; and that the details of one's belief in Christ are of little importance, as is one's membership in any particular church. Not all the Orthodox participants in the ecumenical movement believe this entirely (although Protestants and Roman Catholics most certainly do); but by their very participation in this movement, including invariably common prayer with those who believe wrongly about Christ and His Church, they tell the heretics who behold them: "Perhaps what you say is correct," even as the wretched disciple of St. Paisius did. No more than this is required for an Orthodox Christian to lose the grace of God; and what labor it will cost for him to gain it back! + Blessed Seraphim of Platina ☦️

`Our holy father Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, was asked: “In what way
is the Son equal to the Father?” He replied: “In the same way that there is
seeing in two eyes.”

• Sayings of the Desert Fathers`

"`Wherefore, brethren, let us plant ourselves upon the rock of faith and the Tradition of the Church, removing not the landmarks set by our holy fathers, nor giving room to those who are anxious to introduce novelties and to undermine the structure of God’s holy ecumenical and apostolic Church. For if everyone were allowed a free hand, little by little the entire Body of the Church would be destroyed.”

• St. John of Damasc`us ☦️

`“When we began our Christian life, we were full of enthusiasm. Without it, we would have been like an engine without steam, or a rundown clock, and in the end gotten nowhere. But we had our enthusiasm, we had our spiritual father, we had the writings of the "Fathers, we were helped by the grace of God, and so we made some progress.

But slowly, little by little, the difficulties set in, the failures, the compromises, the sins, the temptations, thoughts of stopping, of turning back. Our life, which till then had been like a happy song, became a cross. But it is then, my dear friend, that your martyrdom begins. When your Christian life begins to be difficult, when it seems like an intolerable cross, then you must stand as steady as a rock. That is when you are a martyr. Say to yourself: ‘Let us stand aright’. Stand fast, steady and unmoving. Say, like the prophet, ‘Here I am, O Lord, I stand here ready to do your will‘ (Isa 6:8). Be like the Theotokos, who said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your will‘ (Lk 1:38).

If you endure, the storm will pass, and you will emerge into the calm; your life will once again become a celebration, a feast day. But now you will have the experience of spiritual struggle, you will have acquired experience. After this trial, after having taken up your cross, the flames of divine love will be ignited within you, and you will acquire the most beautiful, the most powerful, the purest, most angelic love, the love of God.”

- Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra` ☦️

`Whoever explains the Gospels and all the Scriptures according to his own will thus rejects the explanation of them by the holy fathers, the Holy Spirit. Whoever rejects the explanation of Scripture by the Holy Spirit, undoubtedly rejects also the Holy Scriptures themselves.
And it can happen that the word of God, the word of salvation, for its presumptuous exegists becomes the savour of death, a double-edged sword, with which they pierce themselves unto eternal perdition (cf. 2 Pet 3:16; 2 Cor 2:15–16). Arius, Nestorius, Eutichius, and other heretics murdered themselves forever with it, for they willfully and presumptuously explained the Scriptures unto blasphemy.

• St Ignatius (Brianchaninov) ☦️`