Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia quotes

Evil begins from bad thoughts. When you are bitter and indignant, even just with your thoughts, you spoil a spiritual atmosphere. You prevent the Holy Spirit from acting and allow the devil to increase the evil. You should always pray, love and forgive, driving out of yourself every evil thought. (Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia)
When you lose all hope, God sends you something you didn't even expect... You just have to believe and love the Lord. Just as He loves and cares for us!
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
When people are empty of Christ, a thousand and one other things come and fill them up: jealousies, hatreds, boredom, melancholy, resentment, a worldly outlook, worldly pleasures. Try to fill your soul with Christ so that it's not empty.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
A Christian should avoid unhealthy religiosity: both the feeling of superiority due to virtue, and the feeling of inferiority due to sinfulness.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
Do everything simply and meekly. Do nothing with an ulterior motive. Don't say, I'll do this in order to have that result, but do it naturally, without taking cognizance of it. That is, pray simply and don't think about what God will bestow on your soul. Don't make any calculations. You know, of course, what God bestows when you enter into communion with Him, but it is as if you don't know. Don't discuss the matter even with yourself. So when you repeat the prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”, say it simply and ingenuously and think of nothing other than the prayer. These are very delicate matters and the intervention of the grace of God is required.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
We need to be careful not to harbour any resentment against those who harm us, but rather to pray for them with love. Whatever any of our fellow men does, we should never think evil of him. We need always to have thoughts of love and always to think good of others. Look at Saint Stephen the first martyr. He prayed, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. We need to do the same.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
Every time you say "Lord, have mercy on my child”, your child will receive one good thought from Christ. The more you pray, the more good thoughts will be acquired by your child.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
What is the spiritual battle? Well, the soul is a garden divided into two parts. On one half are planted thorny bushes, and on the other half flowers. We also have a water pump with two taps and two channels. The one guides the water to the thorns and the other to the flowers. I always have the choice to open one or the other tap. I leave the thorns without water and they dry up, I water the flowers and they blossom.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
When a mother prays for her children, she must melt like a candle. She should pray silently and with her hands raised high towards Christ, to embrace her child in secret.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
Spouses must always strive to preserve their love throughout their life; they should sacrifice themselves for each other... If there is love there is sacrifice.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
At the moment of temptation, the easiest thing to do is to turn to God, and to turn to Him steadfastly and expectantly, and you will be filled with strength at once. (Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia)
Prayer for others which is made gently and with deep love is selfless and has great spiritual benefit. It brings grace to the person who prays and also to the person for whom he is praying. When you have great love and this love moves you to prayer, then the waves of love are transmitted and affect the person for whom you are praying and you create around him a shield of protection and you influence him, you lead him towards what is good. When God sees your efforts, He bestows His grace abundantly on both you and on the person you are praying for.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia
Something which can help a person who is depressed is work, interest in life. The garden, plants, flowers, trees, the countryside, a walk in the open air - all these things tear a person away from a state of inactivity and awake other interests. They act like medicines. To occupy oneself with the arts, with music and so on, is very beneficial. The thing that I place top of the list, however, is interest in the Church, in reading Holy Scripture and attending services. As you study the words of God you are cured without being aware of it.... in our Church a cure is to be found through love for God and prayer, provided this is done with all the heart.
Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia