Let there always be a preponderance of mercy with you, even though you don't feel such mercy in yourself, as God has for the world ... A cruel and merciless heart is never purified. A merciful man is the doctor of his own soul, because as it were a by a strong wind from is heart he drives out the darkness of the passions.

Whoever prematurely begins a work that is above his strength receives nothing, but only brings harm upon himself.

Whoever hates his sins will stop sinning; and whoever confesses them will receive remission. A man can not abandon the habit of sin if he does not first gain enmity toward sin, nor can he receive remission of sin without confession of sin. For the confession of sin is the cause of true humility.

The soul that loves God has its rest in God and in God alone. In all the paths that men walk in in the world, they do not attain peace until they draw nigh to hope in God.

The man who follows Christ in solitary mourning is greater than he who praises Christ amid the congregation of men.

If you cannot close the mouth of one who reviles his brother, at least avoid conversation with him.

If, at the time when the mind is praying it is distracted by any extraneous thought or worry about anything, then this prayer is not called pure.