Να μη θυμώνης, δείγμα εγωϊσμού είναι αυτό, η δε πραότης και η μακροθυμία, δείγμα ταπεινώσεως. Δια τούτο, παιδί μου, εάν θέλης να σμικρύνης και να εκριζώσης τα πάθη σου, την ταπείνωσιν και την αυτοκατηγορίαν αγάπησον, μόνον με αυτόν τον τρόπον κυρίως ελαττώνονται και εξαλείφονται τα πάθη.
Γέροντας Εφραίμ Φιλοθεΐτης
Struggle with all the might of your soul for the love of our Christ. The devil strives day and night to make us his vessels and render us unworthy of our holy God. But let us strive to become vessels of our crucified Christ so that we may humiliate the devil and glorify the Love Who shed His all-holy blood for us! Struggle mightily. Do not fear, for we have before us our big brothers—the angels—who fight together with us. They are incomparably stronger than the demons. Therefore, take courage. Strengthen ourselves with true self-knowledge, for the truth protects a struggler like an almighty weapon.
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
