Daily Inspirations from the Fathers of the Church

Every Day, we will upload an inspiring quotation from the Fathers and Mothers of the Church!

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

June 2022

Friday, June 10, 2022 SS. Bartholomew and Barnabas

On the Feast of St. Bartholomew and St. Barnabas We wish His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople And His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago Many Years!

Τόν Δεσπότην καὶ Ἀρχιερέα ἡμῶν, Κύριε φύλαττε, εἰς πολλὰ ἔτη, Δέσποτα!

Apolytikion of Apostle Bartholomew
Third Tone

O Holy Apostles, intercede to our merciful God, that He may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

Kontakion of Apostle Bartholomew
Fourth Tone

To the Church thou hast appeared as a great daystar; with thy teachings as thy rays and beams of awesome miracles, thou hast enlightened those praising thee, the Lord’s Apostle, O sacred Bartholomew.

“The power to bear Mysteries, which the humble man has received, which makes him perfect in every virtue without toil, this is the very power which the blessed apostles received in the form of fire. For its sake the Saviour commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until they should receive power from on high, that is to say, the Paraclete, which, being interpreted, is the Spirit of consolation. And this is the Spirit of divine visions. Concerning this it is said in divine Scripture: ‘Mysteries are revealed to the humble’ [Ecclus 3:19]. The humble are accounted worthy of receiving in themselves this Spirit of revelations Who teaches mysteries.”

+ St. Isaac the Syrian

Thursday, June 9, 2022

“If from one burning lamp someone lights another, then another from that one, and so on in succession, he has light continuously. In the same way, through the Apostles ordaining their successors, and these successors ordaining others, and so on, the grace of the Holy Spirit is handed down through all generations and enlightens all who obey their shepherds and teachers.”

+ St. Gregory Palamas,

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

“‘And my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’ [John 14.23]. My friends, consider the greatness of this solemn feast that commemorates God’s coming as a guest into our hearts! If some rich and influential friend were to come to your home, you would promptly put it all in order for fear something there might offend your friend’s eyes when he came in. Let all of us then who are preparing our inner homes for God cleanse them of anything our wrongdoing has brought into them.”

+ St. Gregory Dialogos

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

“‘And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:3-4). They partook of fire, not of burning but of saving fire; of fire which consumes the thorns of sins, but gives luster to the soul. This is now coming upon you also, and that to strip away and consume your sins which are like thorns, and to brighten yet more that precious possession of your souls, and to give you grace; for He gave it then to the Apostles. And He sat upon them in the form of fiery tongues, that they might crown themselves with new and spiritual diadems by fiery tongues upon their heads. A fiery sword barred of old the gates of Paradise; a fiery tongue which brought salvation restored the gift.”

+ St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Monday, June 6, 2022

“But as the old Confusion of tongues was laudable, when men who were of one language in wickedness and impiety, even as some now venture to be, were building the Tower; for by the confusion of their language the unity of their intention was broken up, and their undertaking destroyed; so much more worthy of praise is the present miraculous one. For being poured from One Spirit upon many men, it brings them again into harmony. And there is a diversity of Gifts, which stands in need of yet another Gift to discern which is the best, where all are praiseworthy.”

+ St. Gregory Nazianzen, Oration on Pentecost

Sunday, June 5, 2022 SS. Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

For there is One God, and One Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus. For He still pleads even now as Man for my salvation; … for He continues to wear the Body which He assumed, until He make me God by the power of His Incarnation; although He is no longer known after the flesh — I mean, the passions of the flesh, the same, except sin, as ours.
+ St. Gregory the Theologian

Saturday, June 4, 2022 SS. Martha and Mary
“Do not have a single thing to do with schismatics and absolutely nothing with heretics . . . As you know I myself have avoided them due to their Christ hating and heterodox heresy.”
+St. Anthony the Great

Friday, June 3, 2022

“One should not say that it is impossible to reach a virtuous life; but one should say that it is not easy. Nor do those who have reached it find it easy to maintain. Those who are devout and whose intellect enjoys the love of God participate in the life of virtue; the ordinary intellect, however, is worldly and wavering, producing both good and evil thoughts, because it is changeful by nature and directed towards material things. But the intellect that enjoys the love of God punishes the evil which arises spontaneously because of man’s laziness.”

World Bicycle Day

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Thursday, June 2, 2022 Ascension of our Lord
“Children, I beseech you to correct your hearts and thoughts, so that you may be pleasing to God. Consider that although we may reckon ourselves to be righteous and frequently succeed in deceiving men, we can conceal nothing from God. Let us therefore strive to preserve the holiness of our souls and to guard the purity of our bodies with all fervor. Ye are the temple of God, says the divine Apostle Paul; If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.”

+ St. Nicholas of Myra

standrewchicago
O Christ our God, You ascended in Glory and gladdened Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Your blessing assured them that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022 Apodosis of Pascha

“The Lord did not come to make a display. He came to heal and to teach suffering men. For one who wanted to make a display the thing would have been just to appear and dazzle the beholders. But for Him Who came to heal and to teach the way was not merely to dwell here, but to put Himself at the disposal of those who needed Him, and to be manifested according as they could bear it, not vitiating the value of the Divine appearing by exceeding their capacity to receive it.”

— St. Athanasius the Great

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

“God Became Man that Man Might Become Like God”
+ St. Athanasios the Great

Monday, May 30, 2022 Memorial Day

standrewchicago
All gave some… Some gave all! We remember and honor them this Memorial Day! May their memory be eternal! Αιώνια η μνήμη αυτών!

“Keep striving until the fire of heresy is put out, before it consumes the Church.”
+ St. Basil The Great

Sunday, May 29, 2022 Sunday of the Blind Man

standrewchicago
What could equal these souls? These men had been scourged, had received many, stripes, they had been misused, were in peril of their lives, were thrust into the inner prison, and set fast in the stocks: and for all this they did not suffer themselves to sleep, but kept vigil all the night. Do you mark what a blessing tribulation is? …That the earthquake should not seem to have come of itself, there was this concurrent circumstance, bearing witness to it: “the doors were opened, and all their bonds were loosed.” And it appears in the night-time; for the Apostles did not work for display, but for men’s salvation…Here, they did but show the doors standing open, and it opened the doors of his heart, it loosed two sorts of chains; that (prisoner) kindled the (true) light; for the light in his heart was shining. “And he sprang in, and fell before them;” and he does not ask, How is this? What is this? but straightway he says, “What must I do to be saved?” What then answers Paul? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thine house.” (v. 31.) For this above all, wins men: that one’s house also should be saved.

But I assert that he even received benefit from his blindness: since he recovered the sight of the eyes within.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 56 on John 9,

Saturday, May 28, 2022 Junior Olympics

2 Timothy 2-11 “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,a who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

standrewchicago
“Human beings have accumulated in their coffers gold and silver, clothes more sumptuous than useful, diamonds and other objects that are evidence of war and tyranny; then a foolish arrogance hardens their hearts; for their brothers in distress, no pity. What utter blindness! . . . Attend not to the law of the strong but to the law of the Creator. Help nature to the best of your ability, honor the freedom of creation, protect your species from dishonor, come to its aids in sickness, rescue it from poverty …. Seek to distinguish yourself from others only in your generosity. Be like gods to the poor, imitating God’s mercy. Humanity has nothing so much in common with God as the ability to do good.”

Friday, May 27, 2022 St. John the Russian

standrewchicago
“Human beings have accumulated in their coffers gold and silver, clothes more sumptuous than useful, diamonds and other objects that are evidence of war and tyranny; then a foolish arrogance hardens their hearts; for their brothers in distress, no pity. What utter blindness! . . . Attend not to the law of the strong but to the law of the Creator. Help nature to the best of your ability, honor the freedom of creation, protect your species from dishonor, come to its aids in sickness, rescue it from poverty …. Seek to distinguish yourself from others only in your generosity. Be like gods to the poor, imitating God’s mercy. Humanity has nothing so much in common with God as the ability to do good.”

Thursday, May 26, 2022
</strongstandrewchicago
“Every man on earth is sick with the fever of sin, with the blindness of sin and is overcome with its fury. As sins consist mostly of malice and pride, it is necessary to treat everyone who suffers from the malady of sin with kindness and love. This is an important truth, which we often forget. Very often we act in the opposite manner: we add malice to malice by our anger, we oppose pride with pride. Thus, evil grows within us and does not decrease; it is not cured – rather it spreads.”

Wednesday, May 25, 2022 3rd Finding of the Skull of St. John the Baptist

Christ God hath revealed to us thy truly ven’rable head as a divine treasure that had been concealed in the earth, O Prophet and Forerunner. Wherefore, as we gather on the feast of its finding, with our hymns inspired of God, we praise Christ the Saviour, Who by thy mighty prayers saveth us from every kind of harm.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

standrewchicago
A man who is enticed by sinful thoughts is blinded by them, and he sees the action of sin in himself, but he can not see the cause of this action.

Monday, May 23, 2022

God gives His communion to all who love Him. Communion with God is life and light and sweetness with all the good things that He has. But those who of their own will forsake him he rewards with separation from Him, which they themselves have chosen. As separation from light is darkness, so also alienation from God is deprivation of all good things which He has. But the good things of God are eternal and without end, so that the loss of them is eternal and without end. Thus sinners shall be the cause of their own torments, just as the blind do not see the light, although it is shining on them.

Sunday, May 22, 2022 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
</strong
He shows that she is worthy to hear and not to be overlooked, and then He reveals Himself. For she, as soon as she had learnt who He was, would straightway hearken and attend to Him; …

Saturday, May 21, 2022 Ss. Constantine & Helen

Happy Nameday to all who celebrate!
Χρόνια πολλά για την ονομαστική εορτή σου!
Through the prayers of the equal to the Apostles Saints Constantine and Helen, may Christ our God fill us with the same joy St. Helen had when she found His precious cross, and the same victory over spiritual adversaries that St. Constantine received over his enemies!

SS. Constantine & Helen

Your Apostle among the Rulers, St. Constantine, who once beheld in the sky the image of Your Cross, and who like Paul received his calling not from man, once entrusted the Ruling City into Your hand. We entreat You to restore it in peace forever, at the intercession of the Theotokos, O Lord who loves humanity.

Friday, May 20, 2022 St. Lydia
Acts 16:14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Your Church, O Christ our God, clothed itself in the blood of Your martyrs from throughout the world, as though it were a robe of linen and purple; through them, she cries out to You, “Send down upon Your people compassion, grant peace to Your commonwealth, and to our souls, great mercy.”

-Apolytikion of All Saints

Thursday, May 19, 2022 St. Patrick of Prusia

Pay attention carefully. After the sin comes the shame; courage follows repentance. Did you pay attention to what I said? Satan upsets the order; he gives the courage to sin and the shame to repentance.

So, do not be ashamed to enter again into the Church. Be ashamed when you sin. Do not be ashamed when you repent. Pay attention to what the devil did to you. These are two things: sin and repentance. Sin is a wound; repentance is a medicine. Just as there are for the body wounds and medicines, so for the soul are sins and repentance. However, sin has the shame and repentance possesses the courage.
St. John Chrysostom

Wednesday, May 18, 2022 Mid Pentecost

See the Compassion and the Redemption of Christ!
Why was the Samaritan woman drawing water at noon?
Because she had been shamed and ostracized by her community.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022
From the Marriage Service Prayers:
And may that joy come upon them which the blessed Helen had when she found the Precious Cross.

Monday, May 16, 2022
By this sign you will conquer.

The battle of the Milvian Bridge is the site where the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius fought on 28 October 312 and for Constantine it was against the odds. Prior to this it is said he saw a sign in the heavens of the cross and the Greek words “Ἐν Τούτῳ Νίκα” (in this sign, you will conquer.)

Sunday, May 15, 2022 Sunday of the Paralytic and St. Pachomius the Great

unday of the Paralytic
“And not only by strengthening the sick man s body, but also in another way, did He afford him a strong proof of His Divinity; for by saying, Sin no more, He showed that He knew all the transgressions that had formerly been committed by him; and by this He would gain his belief as to the future.” – St. John Chrysostom

Saturday, May 14, 2022 St. Glykeria
“Take as an example the wisdom of Joseph and his submission. Do battle in chastity and service until you make yourself a king (Gen. 41).”
St. Pachomius the Great

Friday, May 13, 2022 St. Glykeria
“We are assailed by the temptation of the love of money. If you wish to acquire riches they are the bait of the fishers hook ? by greed, by trafficking, by violence, by ruse or by excessive manual work that deprives you of leisure for the service of God. in a word by any other means. if you have desired to pile up gold or silver, remember what the Gospel says, “Fool! They will snatch your soul away during the night! Who will get your hoard?(Lk. 12:20)” and Again “He piles up money without knowing to whom it will go? (Ps. 39:6).
“
St. Pachomius the Great

Thursday, May 12, 2022 St. Epiphanios
“Be ever more obedient to God and He will save you.”
St. Pachomius the Great

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 SS. Cyril and Methodios
“Shun the praise of men and love the one who, in the fear of the Lord, reprimands you.”
St. Pachomius the Great

Tuesday, May 10, 2022St. Simon the Zealot
When a thought oppresses you, do not be downhearted, but put up with it in courage, saying, “They swarmed around me closer and closer, but I drove them back in the name of the Lord” (Ps. 118:11). Divine help will arrive at your side immediately, and you will drive them away from you, and courage will compass you round about, and the glory of God will walk with you; and “you will be filled to your soul’s desire”(Isa. 58:11).
St. Pachomius the Great

Monday, May 9, 2022 Prophet Isaiah and St. Christopher
“It is patience that reveals every grace to you, and it is through patience that the saints received all that was promised to them.”
St. Pachomius the Great

Sunday, May 8, 2022 Sunday of the Myrrh Bearers
They [the women] had followed Him ministering to Him, and were present even unto the time of the dangers. Wherefore also they saw all; how He cried, how He gave up the ghost, how the rocks were rent, and all the rest. And these [the women] first see Jesus; and the sex that was most condemned, this first enjoys the sight of the blessings, this most shows its courage. And when the disciples had fled, these were present.
St. John Chrysostom

Saturday, May 7, 2022 The Vision of the Cross over Jerusalem
The sign of Your Cross shined more brightly than the sun. You made it stretch from Calvary to the holy Mount of Olives, and You demonstrated Your power that it possesses, O Savior. By it You strengthen our leaders who believe in You. We pray You continually preserve them in peace, at the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Christ our God, and save us.

Friday, May 6, 2022 Righteous Job & St. Sophia Kleisoura
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him
Job:13:15

“The fear of God makes a person wise. What is the fear of God? Not that one should be afraid of God, but to be afraid to sadden someone, to harm someone, to do them no wrong, and to not make accusations. This is wisdom. After all this, God will illumine you as to what to do in your life.”

Thursday, May 5, 2022 St. Irene the Great Martyr
You, all-lauded maiden, were on fire with love for Christ the Bridegroom. So you ran, like a thirsty gazelle to the ever-flowing springs. You preserved yourself, through martyrdom, and you went inside the truly incorruptible bridal chamber of your Creator, O glorious Irene, as a glorious bride, adorned in various colors, as one chosen, wearing a crown, and from the incorrupt Bridegroom you received, as if gold, the award for winning your contest.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022
In saying Rejoice to the myrrh-bearers, You allayed the lament of the first mother Eve, at Your Resurrection, O Christ our God. And You ordered Your Apostles to proclaim, * “The Savior has risen from the sepulcher.”

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 SS. Timothy & Mavra
Today, O believers, let us honor Timothy * and Maura, the bride of Christ, his fellow martyr and spouse, * extolling their martyrdom, * bravery, and endurance. They were crucified together. * With longing they followed the example of the Savior, * who was slaughtered and who nailed to the Cross the sins of all.

Monday May 2, 2022
The Angel standing at the sepulcher cried out and said to the ointment-bearing women: The ointments are appropriate for mortal men, but Christ has been shown to be a stranger to decay. So go and cry aloud, The Lord has risen and granted the world His great mercy.

Sunday, May 1, 2022 Sunday of Thomas
For though the Apostles themselves modestly ascribe it all to this cause, declaring that they did these things in the name of Christ, yet at the same time the life and noble conduct of the men helped to produce this effect. “And believers were more added unto the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” Observe, how he now no longer tells the number of them that believe; at such a rate was the faith making way even to an immense multitude, and so widely was the Resurrection proclaimed. So then “the people magnified them:” but they were now no longer lightly to be despised as once they were: for in a little moment, at a single turn of the scale, such have been the effects produced by the fisherman and by the publican! Earth was become a heaven, for manner of life, for boldness of speech, for wonders, for all besides; like Angels were they looked upon with wonder:

Saturday, April 30, 2022 Pascha St. James
He who is humble easily obeys everyone, fears to offend anyone, is at peace with everyone, is kind with all.
-St. Thomas the Apostle

Humility, which is a virtue, is always fruitful in good works.
St. Thomas the Apostle

Friday, April 29, 2022 Pascha Zoodochos Pigi
O Lady, full of grace divine, you ever grant to me * your grace’s waters, which are gushing forth continually * from your never-failing Spring, beyond understanding. * You gave birth to God the Logos inexplicably, so I pray you that your gift of grace refreshes me, * that I may cry to you, “Rejoice, water of deliverance!”

Thursday, April 28, 2022
Jesus said, Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing hidden that shall not become manifest.
St. Thomas the Apostle

Wednesday, April 27, 2022
“Let us also go, that we might die with him.”
St. Thomas the Apostle

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 St. Mark the Evangelist
St. Mark the Evangelist

You became the disciple of Peter, the Paramount Apostle, and along with him you preached Christ the Son of God, and you established on the rock of the truth those who were shaken by error. Establish me also on that rock, and guide the steps of my soul, so that delivered from the snares of the enemy and with nothing to impede me, I may glorify you. For you illumined everyone, O wise Evangelist Mark, as you preached the divine Gospel.

Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene

So long beneath the earth, your divine holy relics * have come up and appeared as if lilies and roses, * noetic and redolent, Raphael and Nicholas. * Therefore we extol you and Irene the virgin, * as we celebrate today and festively honor * your radiant memory.

Monday, April 25, 2022 St. George
St. George The Great Martyr and Trophy bearer

Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, O trophy-bearer, Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Sunday, April 24, 2022 Pascha
Saint Mary Magdalene- According to tradition, Saint Mary Magdalene, who had patrician rank, gained an audience in Rome with the emperor after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. She denounced Pilate for his handling of Jesus’ trial and then began to talk with Caesar about Jesus’ resurrection. She picked up a hen’s egg from the dinner table to illustrate her point about resurrection. Caesar was unmoved and replied that there was as much chance of a human being returning to life as there was for the egg to turn red. Immediately, the egg miraculously turned red in her hand! It is because of this tradition that Orthodox Christians exchange red eggs at Easter.

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Friday, April 22, 2022

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

<strongTuesday, April 19, 2022

Monday, April 18, 2022

Sunday, April 17, 2022 Palm Sunday

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Friday, April 15, 2022

Friday, April 15, 2022

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Monday, April 11, 2022

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Saturday, April 9, 2022

Friday, April 8, 2022

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Tuesday-, April 5, 2022

Monday, April 4, 2022

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Saturday, April 2, 2022

Friday, April 1, 2022

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Monday, March 28, 2022

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Friday, March 25, 2022

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Monday, March 21, 2022

Sunday, March 20, 2022 – Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas

Saturday, March 19, 2022

Friday, March 18, 2022

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Monday, March 14, 2022

Sunday, March 13, 2022 – Sunday of Orthodoxy

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Friday, March 11, 2022

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Monday, March 7, 2022

Sunday, March 6, 2022 – Forgiveness Sunday (Cheesefare)

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Friday, March 4, 2022

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Monday, February 28, 2022

Sunday, February 27, 2022 – Judgement Sunday (Meatfare)

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Friday, February 25, 2022

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Follow us!

Clergy and Staff

Church Services of St. Andrew

Daily Inspirations from the Fathers of the Church

St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church