The devil makes small sins seem smaller in our eyes, for otherwise he can't lead us to greater evil.
When the mind forgets the purpose of Christian life, then even the clear fulfillment of virtue becomes profitless.
It is harmful to remember previous sins in detail. For if they bring you sorrow, they will estrange you from hope, but if they are remembered without sorrow, they will introduce the previous defilement. If you want to bring to God an uncondemned confession, then don't remember your sins in detail, but manfully endure the suffering that is coming because of them.
Failure to do the good that is within your power is hard to forgive. But mercy and prayer reclaim the negligent.
He who seeks forgiveness of his sins loves humility, but if he condemns another he seals his own wickedness.
We cannot with all our heart forgive someone who does us wrong unless we possess real knowledge. For this knowledge shows us that we deserve all we experience.
If someone puts his trust in God in a matter, let him not argue with his brother about it.
It is better to pray with good will for our neighbor, rather than to denounce him for every sin.
Do not desire to hear about the misfortunes of those who oppose you. For those who listen to such speech later reap the fruits of their evil intention.
Consistently pray in all things, so that you might not do anything without the help of God ... Whoever does or busies himself with anything without prayer does not succeed in the end. Concerning this, the Lord said: "Without Me you can't do anything". (John 15:5)
Whatever we do or say without prayer always ends up either sinful or harmful and convicts us through the deeds in some mysterious way.
One who has sinned cannot escape retribution in any other way than by repentance corresponding to his sin.
In the spiritual life we can do nothing worthy without repentance, but the Lord has much mercy on us because of our intentions. He who compels himself and holds on to repentance until the end, even if he sins is saved because he compelled himself, for the Lord promised this in the Gospel.
