“If
someone offends you, don’t tell anyone about it except your elder, and you will
be peaceful. Bow to everyone, paying no attention whether they respond to your
bow or not. You must humble yourself before everyone and consider yourself the
worst of all. If we have not committed the sins that others have, perhaps this
is because we did not have the opportunity – the situation and circumstances
were different. In each person there is something good and something bad; we
usually see only the vices in people and we see nothing that is good.” (St.
Ambrose of Optina, quoted from Living Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of
the Holy Elders of Optina)
If you do
good, you must do it only for God. For this reason you must pay no attention to
the ingratitude of people. Expect a reward not here, but from the Lord in
heaven. If you expect it here — it will be in vain and you will endure
deprivation. (St. Ambrose of Optina, quoted from Living
Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of the Holy Elders of Optina)
“A
continuously happy life produces extremely unhappy consequences. In nature we
see that there are not always pleasant springs and fruitful summers, and
sometimes autumn is rainy and winter cold and snowy, and there is flooding and
wind and storms, and moreover the crops fail and there are famine, troubles,
sicknesses and many other misfortunes. All of this is beneficial so that man
might learn through prudence, patience and humility. For the most part, in
times of plenty he forgets himself, but in times of various sorrows he becomes
more attentive to his salvation.” (St.
Ambrose of Optina, quoted from Living Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of
the Holy Elders of Optina)
“If you
find that there is no love in you, but you want to have it, then do deeds of
love, even though you do them without love in the beginning. The Lord will see
you desire and striving and will put love in your heart.”
Source: http://www.orthodoxchurchquotes.com/2014/01/09/st-ambrose-of-optina-if-someone-offends-you/
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