Believe in the Lord with all your heart, and you will find grace at all times. If you abide in Him, you will not lose your reward.

Aquarius pipes are used during a fire, and tears are used during temptation. Water extinguishes the flame in the house, and tears during prayer quench evil desires.

Like a palm tree growing on the shores, so is the unity of mind of the brethren in the Lord.

Whoever honors the elders will be pleased by the younger ones, and in the day of his prayer he will be heard.

If you lend something to your brother, and he delays in returning, and you want to remind him, then remind him once, because he often finds oblivion.

If you have taken a loan from your brother, and he does not remind you out of fear of God, you yourself, as one who fears God, do not deprive him of what you have borrowed, according to what is written: "And you owe nothing to anyone, that you love one another" (Romans 13:8). All perishable things, brethren, must be despised, but care for one life.

If you are entrusted with mediation in any matter, do not be negligent about your salvation, presenting your sins as a pretext, because Joseph was also a mediator in Egypt, and took upon himself the care not only of one house, but of the whole of Egypt, but did not deviate from the path of truth, and the Lord glorified him.

If your soul is sound before the Lord, then you will benefit from everything.

If you see someone selling something, say to yourself: "This man, coveting the temporary, endures so much to gather transient goods. If you see people arguing among themselves, say to yourself: "These people make so much effort and argue among themselves about things that are not in the least beneficial. If you see people building a house of clay, then say to yourself: "These people, when they build a house of clay, use their efforts to do the work. But in order not to prolong the words in speaking of both separately, I will say: whatever we see in life, worldly thoughts and worldly reasonings, let us replace spiritual ones, and with grace that helps us, we will certainly receive benefit.

What is a monk? A monk is like a man who rushes from a height and, finding a rope hanging high above the ground, grabs hold of it, hangs on it and constantly cries out to the Lord for help, knowing that if he weakens and lets go of the rope from both hands, he will fall and die.

Eat (grasp), monk, for the eternal life to which you are called, confessing your good confession before many witnesses: for yet a little but He who is coming will come and not cut down (Hebrews 10:37).

Because we do not want to endure even a small sorrow for the Lord's sake, we involuntarily fall into many and grievous sorrows. Because we do not want to abandon our own will for the sake of the Lord, we prepare spiritual harm for ourselves. Because we do not tolerate being subject and humiliated for the Lord's sake, we deprive ourselves of the consolation of the righteous. Because we do not listen to the admonition that is given to us for the sake of the Lord, we make ourselves the plaything of evil demons. Because we do not accept punishment with a rod, a taulin (cauldron, frying pan) awaits us, in which there will be no comforter.

Who will give water to my head, and clean up the fountain of tears? And a face that is gladden to strangers, and I weep for my sins day and night (Jeremiah 9:1). Laughter (Ecclesiastes 2:2): "Get away from me"; and tears: "Come unto me," for my sin is very great before the Lord, and there is no end to my sins.

Did you know that people have tears of three different kinds? There are tears for visible things, and they are very bitter and vain. There are tears of repentance, when the soul desires eternal blessings, and they are very sweet and useful. And there are tears of repentance where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12), and these tears are bitter and useless, because they are completely unsuccessful, when there is no time for repentance.