I know a man who, when he saw a woman of striking beauty, praised the Creator for her. The sight of her lit within him the love of God.
John ClimacusRead
A servant of the Lord stands bodily before men, but mentally he is knocking at the gates of heaven with prayer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of prayer and spiritual focus, suggesting that one's physical presence may be in the world while the mind and spirit reach for divine connection.
In this quote, John Climacus highlights the duality of existence for a servant of the Lord. While they may be physically present in the service of others, their true essence and intentions are directed towards a higher spiritual realm through prayer. This illustrates the importance of maintaining a connection with the divine, even amidst worldly obligations. The act of prayer is portrayed as a means to transcend earthly barriers and connect with heaven.
Themes
PrayerSpiritualityServantHeavenDevotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon about the importance of spiritual awareness in daily life.
More from John Climacus
All quotes βThe first stage of this tranquility consists in silencing the lips when the heart is excited. The second, in silencing the mind when the soul is still excited. The goal is a perfect peacefulness even in the middle of the raging storm.
John ClimacusRead
Someone who is elated with wine speaks the truth on all subjects, even without meaning to. In the same way, anyone who is inebriated with the spirit of penitence will never be able to tell lies.
John ClimacusRead
God belongs to all free beings. He is the life of all, the salvation of all ~faithful and unfaithful, just and unjust, pious and impious, passionate and dispassionate, monks and laymen, wise and simple, healthy and sick, young and old just as the effusion of light, the sight of the sun, and the changes of the seasons are for all alike; 'for there is no respect of persons with God.'
John ClimacusRead
Obedience is the burial of the will and the resurrection of humility.
John ClimacusRead
The slave of the belly ponders the menu with which to celebrate the feast. The servant of God, however, thinks of the graces that may enrich him.
John ClimacusRead
Similar quotes
Prayer feeds the soul - as blood is to the body, prayer is to the soul - and it brings you closer to God.
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For Ragamuffins, God's name is Mercy. We see our darkness as a prized possession because it drives us into the heart of God. Without mercy our darkness would plunge us into despair - for some, self-destruction. Time alone with God reveals the unfathomable depths of the poverty of the spirit. We are so poor that even our poverty is not our own: It belongs to the mysterium tremendum of a loving God.
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Prayer is speaking to God - but sometimes He uses our times of prayerful silence to speak to us in return.
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When we pray, we bring G-d into the world
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O my God, what must a soul be like when it is in this state! It longs to be all one tongue with which to praise the Lord. It utters a thousand pious follies, in a continuous endeavor to please Him who thus possesses it.
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We rarely think of the air we breathe, yet it is in us and around us all the time. In similar fashion, the presence of God penetrates us, is all around us, is always embracing us.
Thomas KeatingRead