More from the East

A few more interesting quotes from Father Maximos in 'The Mountain of Silence' by Kyriacos Markides:

We must never see our fellow human beings as anything other than the image of God

As a form of spiritual practice we must learn not to allow the episodes in our lives to go by unnoticed. By that I don’t mean that we should focus on the tragedies and difficulties that we encounter and make them appear more bleak than they already are, leading us to despair and depression. Rather, we must realize that whatever happens to us unfolds within the infinite ocean of God’s mercy and compassion.

Don’t live with illusions. Our notions of justice are different from God’s.

God becomes manifest at the end stage of an excruciating patience. At that ultimate point when the person has no more capacity for endurance, God may make His appearance.