Severing from Evil

"When a man severs himself from evil, he gains an exact understanding of all the sins he has committed against God; for he does not see his sins unless he severs himself from them with a feeling of revulsion. Those who have reached this level pray to God with tears, and are filled with shame when they recall their evil love of the passions. Let us therefore pursue the spiritual way with all our strength, and God in His great mercy will help us. And if we have not guarded our hearts as our fathers guarded theirs, at least in obedience to God let us do all we can to keep our bodies sinless, trusting that at this time of spiritual dearth He will grant mercy to us together with His saints."

- Saint Isaiah the Solitary

Reference: Philokalia: Volume 1

A Better Lot

"The Saviour Himself all of His life did not have a place to lay His head, and He finished his life on the cross—why should his followers have a better lot?"

- Saint Theophan the Recluse

The Eternal Fight

"If a man fights with sins and passions, this demonstrates that he indeed believes in the Risen Lord; if the fights with them, he fights for life eternal."

- Saint Justin Popovic

Our Obedience to God

"Just as our sin obscures our ability to perceive the beauty of creation and our own humanity, our obedience to God renews both and reveals their true beauty."

- Metropolitan Jonah 

http://preachersinstitute.com/2011/06/21/metropolitan-jonah-asceticism-and-the-consumer-society

Self-righteousness Unpleasant to the Lord

“Externals lead a person to a feeling of self-righteousness unpleasant to the Lord, while inner things always preserve a feeling of unworthiness before the face of the omniscient Lord.”

- Saint Theophan the Recluse

Keep Guard Over Our Heart

"The demons cunningly withdraw for a time in the hope that we will cease to guard our heart, thinking we have now attained peace; then they suddenly attack our unhappy soul and seize it like a sparrow. Gaining possession of it, they drag it down mercilessly into all kinds of sin, worse than those which we have already committed and for which we have asked forgiveness. Let us stand, therefore, with fear of God and keep guard over our heart, practicing the virtues which check the wickedness of our enemies."

- Saint Isaiah the Solitary

Reference: Philokalia: Volume 1

Being "Happy" in This Life

"Suffering is an indication of another Kingdom which we look to. If being Christian meant being “happy” in this life, we wouldn't need the Kingdom of Heaven."

- Father Seraphim Rose