Material things distract and divide…
Solicitude for material things distracts the soul and divides it. The devil seizes the divided soul and drags it to hell.
–Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
The memory of insults…
The memory of insults is the residue of anger. It keeps sins alive, hates justice, ruins virtue, poisons the heart, rots the mind, defeats concentration, paralyzes prayer, puts love at a distance, and is a nail driven into the soul. If anyone has appeased his anger, he has already suppressed the memory of insults, while as long as the mother is alive the son persists. In order to appease the anger, love is necessary.
— Saint John Climacus (c. 525-606)
Distractions and desires…
The dark powers are sick with envy against us when we pray, and they will use every conceivable trick to frustrate us spiritually. They endlessly stir up our inner memories to distract us into thoughts and will try to stir our flesh to all kinds of desires, for in this way they think they can hinder the soul’s glorious ascent and its journey to God.
–Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)
We plant seeds…
We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of anger, avarice, envy and doubt, that peace and abundance may manifest for all.
–Dorothy Day (1897-1980)
Silence and emptiness…
As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — listen and do not hear — the tongue moves but does not speak … I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have free hand.
–Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)
One who practices stillness…
He who stays in the desert and practices stillness is delivered from three temptations, that of hearing, that of speaking, and that of seeing. He has only one temptation, that of the heart
— Saint Anthony of Egypt (c. 251-356)
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