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Just as a warrior without courage, so a Christian without patience are pitiful people.
The Lord says this about patience: Through your patience save your souls (Luke 21:19). He did not say: “Save by your fasting, by your vigilance.” Patience I call that state which is in accordance with the will of God and is the queen of virtues, the basis of valiant deeds, peace in wars, silence in storms and an unshakable stronghold for those who possess it. Venerable Gregory of Sinai (XIV century).
Blessed is he who forces himself to endure suffering, because through sorrows he enters the Kingdom of Heaven. Venerable Ephraim the Syrian (IV century).
It is impossible to fulfill the commandments of the Lord except through patience and prayer. Venerable John of Damascus (VII-VIII centuries).
Any sorrow combined with patience is good and useful, but without patience it is an abomination of God and is useless.
The extent to which the ascetic endures sorrow, the extent to which he defeats the enemy.
If someone thinks that he is involved in all the virtues, but does not endure to the end, then he will not escape the snares of the devil and will not be guided to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven.
Venerable Peter of Damascus (8th century).
Both a warrior without courage and a Christian without patience are pitiful people. He is not a warrior who goes into battle with timidity and fear; courage and bravery should animate a valiant warrior, and he is not a follower of Christ who follows Him with sadness and sorrow. The more courage in spirit, the less heaviness in grief. The weaker the patience, the more sensitive the suffering. Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov (1836-1908).
I have not stopped saying and will not stop that sin alone is sad, everything else is dust and smoke. What is really hard about living in prison and having chains on you? Why is it difficult to endure misfortunes when enduring adversity becomes the basis of such a great reward? Why is exile so difficult? Why is deprivation of property difficult?.. If you point to death, then you will talk about the debt of nature, which must certainly be endured... St. John Chrysostom (407).
Is eternal bliss really so worthless that we don’t even want to suffer a little for its sake? Hieromonk Arseny Svyatogorets (XIX century).
Just as patience makes it easier, so impatience multiplies suffering.
It is impossible to learn patience without troubles and temptations, for patience is the patience of evil and troubles, and not of goodness and prosperity. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783).
For the sake of our spiritual healing, for our own benefit, the merciful Lord allows us sorrows and trials. But He Himself is a Man of Sorrows, having experienced many and serious illnesses. Therefore, while carrying your cross, most often have the crucified Lord before your heart’s eyes. Really, remembering what He endured for our salvation, will you not, out of love and gratitude to your Benefactor, endure that small cross that will bring you closer to Him?
If your sorrows and suffering are prolonged, then do not become exhausted and do not indulge in sadness and despondency, but cast all your care on the Lord, according to His word: Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven. Confirm your hope in the Lord, always thinking that temporary suffering and sorrow will soon pass, and the reward for patience is promised to be eternal, great and indescribable. Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov) (XX-XXI centuries).
Thoughts of humility keep the soul in patience. If this is so, then the following is necessarily true: nothing else drives the soul out of patience like proud thoughts. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) (1807-1867).
We must learn patience not when we are blamed for guilt, but when we are innocently reviled and reproached. Venerable Macarius of Optina (1788-1860).
Whoever wants to be saved endures sorrows, and whoever deviates from the path of salvation also does not avoid sorrows. Therefore, it is better to endure the sorrows of God for the sake of, for the sake of your salvation and for the cleansing of your sins, than to suffer senselessly, for no one knows why.
There is also a saying with which those who grieve in difficult situations usually console themselves: Moses endured, Elisha endured, Elijah endured, I will endure.
Memorize the psalms and read them more often: 1) Alive in the help of the Most High (Ps. 90); 2) I was patient with the Lord, and heard and heard my prayer (Ps. 39); 3) God, come to my help (Ps. 69). Read them, learn to surrender to the Providence of God and learn to be patient with those you meet. Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1812-1891).
But your patience should not be unreasonable, that is, joyless, but patience with reason, that the Lord looks into all your deeds, into your very soul, as we look into the face of a loved one, that is, He clearly, attentively sees and tests: what will you be like in sorrows? Reverend Anatoly Optinsky (Zertsalov) (1824-1894).
Firm endurance of sorrows is equivalent to martyrdom. Sorrows mean nothing in comparison with spiritual benefits.
We must endure not only the sorrows that befall us, but we must also endure ourselves. Rev. Nikon of Optina (1888-1931).
Patience is a necessary condition, without which we cannot bear the cross given to us by the Lord. But what does our cross itself consist of? It is not, of course, that we often go to church and hold long services here. After all, the Church is the earthly heaven, it is the place where we prepare for heavenly life, and there is also the earth to which we are sent by God... Hieromartyr Sergius Mechev (1892-1941).
When turning to God, a person receives from Him the strength, enlightenment and consolation necessary at the beginning of the journey. But as soon as a person begins a spiritual struggle, the enemy raises a cruel battle against him. That's when you need to show a little restraint. Otherwise, how will passions be eradicated? St. Paisiy Svyatogorets (1924-1994).
The Monk Macarius of Egypt believed that humility is a great height, honor and dignity
Let's consider what the holy fathers said about humility. Why should we refer specifically to the opinions of the holy fathers? Because holy people are those who have achieved holiness. Through their labors, righteous life, and humility, they achieved that state of so-called “deification,” the achievement of which is one of the most important goals of an Orthodox Christian.
The Monk Macarius of Egypt believed:
Macarius of Egypt
Reverend
“Humility is a great height, honor and dignity... He who humbles himself before God and people can preserve the grace given to him...”
In these lines he says that having humility is not given to everyone, because it is an honor and dignity. But not everyone can have this data. But whoever can humble himself not only before people, but also before God, will be able to have this great grace.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov gave a short story in which he says that only that person has humility who does good to those who do evil to them:
Ignatiy Brianchaninov
Saint
“...The brother asked the elder: What is humility? The elder answered: Humility consists in doing good to those who do evil to us. The brother objected: If a person has not achieved such a measure, what should he do? The elder said: Let him avoid people, choosing silence as his feat...”
The saint also writes:
“True humility is a Divine mystery: it is inaccessible to human comprehension. Although it is the highest wisdom, it appears as madness to the carnal mind.” That is, he believes that a simple person simply cannot have true humility, the kind that is necessary.”
The Monk John Cassian the Roman believed that it is simply impossible to have humility without poverty:
John Cassian the Roman
Reverend
“Humility cannot be acquired without poverty (that is, without rejection of the world, all wealth and unnecessary things, without non-covetousness). Without it, it is in no way possible to acquire either the readiness to obey, or the strength of patience, or the calmness of meekness, or the perfection of love, without which our heart cannot at all be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit...”
Ephraim the Syrian wrote, one must have the signs of a person who truly has humility
Ephraim the Syrian wrote that in order to have the mercy of God you need to have the traits and signs of a person who really has true and correct humility, you need:
Efim Sirin
Saint
“...consider yourself a sinner before God, reproach yourself at every time, in every place and for every deed, not to blaspheme anyone and not to find on earth a person who would be more vile, or more sinful, or more negligent than himself, but to praise and glorify everyone , never condemn anyone, do not humiliate or slander anyone, remain silent at all times and do not say anything unless ordered or absolutely necessary...”
John Chrysostom said that no matter how much a person humbles himself, he will never be able to humble himself as much as Our Lord humbled himself. He also wrote that in order to acquire humility, one should not be afraid of losing one’s honor. If a person has humility, his glory will rise.
John Chrysostom
Saint
“...If we want to seem great, we will not become great, but we will be more dishonest than everyone else...”
Saint Simeon the New Theologian wrote:
Simeon the New Theologian
Saint
“It is one thing to speak humble words and another to have humility. One is humility, the other is the color of humility, and the third is its fruit. One thing is the beauty of the fruit, another is its sweetness, and another is the actions that come from this fruit.
From this, what is said about humility, some things are in our power, and others are not in our power. It is in our power to think about what disposes us to humility, to philosophize about it, to reason, speak and do, but holy humility itself with its essential properties, gifts and actions is not in our power, but is a gift of God, so as not to decide who can boast even of this.”
Conclusion - what a person needs to do to have humility in his soul and heart
Let us summarize everything previously said from the words of the holy fathers. What does a simple person still need to do in order to have humility in his soul and heart?
- you need to try to talk as little as possible, and do more useful and good deeds;
- to accept with gratitude everything that comes our way, and there will be both good and bad, and there will most likely be more bad, but all this must be endured;
- always remain calm, quiet, kind and meek, even if someone is trying to anger you or piss you off;
- you always need to choose the worst place, the hardest and most difficult work;
- let no one love you, but you must love and not demand anything in return from a person;
- we need to understand that everything we have, any talents, abilities, everything was given to us by the Lord, we ourselves cannot give anything to ourselves;
- you need to pray more often, ask God for forgiveness for all your sins.
Of course, it will be very difficult to fulfill all the points; we must try to obtain what is called a Christian virtue - humility.
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Saint John Climacus believed that the path to humility is obedience and rightness of heart
St. John Climacus believed that it is impossible to have humility without obedience:
John Climacus
Reverend
“The path to humility is obedience and rightness of heart, which naturally resist boasting.”
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk wrote that humility must be shown not only externally, but also internally. He notes that many people strive to show their humility only outwardly, but do not have it in their hearts at all:
Tikhon Zadonsky
Saint
“...Many renounce the ranks and titles of this world, but do not want to give up a high opinion of themselves, they renounce honor and worldly dignity, but want to be revered because of holiness.
Many are not ashamed to call themselves sinners in front of people, or even more so, the most sinful, but they don’t want to hear this from others and therefore only call themselves such with their lips... Others cover their bodies with a black cassock and mantle, but do not want to cover their hearts.
So they show other signs of humility!.. All of them do not have such humility in their hearts. These signs may be signs of humility, but when what they mean is not there, this is nothing more than hypocrisy.
Such people are like a bottle filled with air, which seems to be filled with something, but when the air comes out, it turns out that it is empty... Therefore, humility, like all piety, must be in the heart.”
