Ponticus Quotes & Sayings

I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.. — Nicholas Sparks

Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask Him; for He desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to Him in prayer. — Evagrius Ponticus

Happy is the spirit that attains to the perfect formlessness at the time of prayer. — Evagrius Ponticus

Provide yourself with such work for your hands as can be done, if possible, both during the day and at night, so that you are not a burden to anyone, and indeed can give to others, as St. Paul the Apostle advises (cf. I Thess. 2:9; Eph. 4:28). In this manner you will overcome the demon of listlessness and drive away all the desires suggested by the enemy; for the demon of listlessness takes advantage of idleness. 'Every idle man is full of desires' (Prov. 13:4 LXX). — Evagrius Ponticus

We should not worry about clothes or food? Such anxiety is a mark of? unbelievers, who reject the providence of the Lord and deny the Creator. An attitude of this kind is entirely wrong for Christians who believe that even? sparrows? are under the care of the holy angels (cf. Mt. 10:29). The demons, however? suggest worries of this kind? The divine word can bear no fruit, being choked out by our cares. Let us, then, renounce these cares, and throw them down before the Lord, being content with what we have at the moment? — Evagrius Ponticus

If you patiently accept what comes, you will always pray with joy. — Evagrius Ponticus

What an ironic tragedy that an affluent, "Christian" minority in the world continues to hoard its wealth while hundreds of millions of people hover on the edge of starvation! — Ronald J. Sider

When someone's wounded, the first order of business is to stop the bleeding. You can figure out later how best to help them heal. — Jeannette Walls

Prayer is the fruit of joy and thankfulness. — Evagrius Ponticus

I love this place; I love mountains and big skies and forests. And the weather is still supremely beautiful even though the lower peaks are powdered with fresh snow. But Heavens! What sun. It never has an ending. I am basking at this minute - half past four - too hot without a hat, & the sky is that transparent blue only to be seen in autumn - the forest trees steeped in light. — Katherine Mansfield

A monk is a man who considers himself one with all men because he seems constantly to see himself in every man. — Evagrius Ponticus

Prayer is the laying aside of thoughts. — Evagrius Ponticus

Blessed is the one who has arrived at infinite ignorance. — Evagrius Ponticus

After he routed Pharnaces Ponticus at the first assault, he wrote thus to his friends: I came, I saw, I conquered. — Plutarch

The Holy Spirit, out of compassion for our weakness, comes to us even when we are impure. And if He finds our intellect truly praying to Him, He enters it and puts to flight the whole array of thoughts and ideas circling within it, and He arouses it to a longing for spiritual prayer. — Evagrius Ponticus

He who has mastery over his incensive power has mastery also over the demons. But anyone who is a slave to it is a stranger to the ways of the Saviour, for as the Saviour enjoined us: 'Learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart: and you will find rest for your souls' (Mt. 11:29). Now if a man abstains from food and drink, but becomes incensed to wrath because of evil thoughts, he is like a ship sailing the open sea with a demon for a pilot. — Evagrius Ponticus

If your spirit still looks around at the time of prayer, then it does not yet pray as a monk. You are no better than a man of affairs engaged in a kind of landscape gardening. — Evagrius Ponticus

I think there are those individuals who are intimidated by really smart, talented people. But for me, surrounding yourself with great talent is the key to success. — Monika Chiang

If you spent your whole life worrying about the consequences of your actions you'd never get anything done and the consequences of that would be unthinkable, wouldn't they? Faint heart never bowled a maiden over, you know. — Ian Potter

The further the soul advances, the greater are the adversaries against which it must contend. — Evagrius Ponticus

A man who worships in Spirit and Truth no longer honors the Creator because of His works, but praises Him because of Himself. — Evagrius Ponticus

All I am is literature, and I am not able or willing to be anything else. — Franz Kafka

Remember how the Lord rebukes Martha when He says: 'You are anxious and troubled about many things: one thing alone is needful' (Lk. 10:41-42) ? to hear the divine word; after that, one should be content with anything that comes to hand. — Evagrius Ponticus

God cannot be grasped by the mind. If he could be grasped, he would not be God. — Evagrius Ponticus

Love is pointless. It's the same sad sad story of with the same inevitable ending of miserable deterioration. — Arnold Arre

Of what use are pedigrees, or to be thought of noble blood, or the display of family portraits, O Ponticus? — Juvenal