Isaac Of Nineveh Quotes
The prayer of one who does not consider himself a sinner is not accepted by the Lord.
Above anything, welcome silence, for it brings fruits that no tongue can speak of, neither can it be explained.
Conquer evil people by gentle kindness, and make zealous people wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion.
Love is the fruit of prayer ... Patiently abiding in prayer signifies a man's renunciation of himself. Therefore the self-denial of the soul turns into love for God.
As a handful of sand thrown into the ocean, so are the sins of all flesh as compared with the mind of God.
The man with a heart cannot think about or see creatures without his eyes filling up with tears because of the immense compassion which seizes his heart.
Someone who bears a grudge while he prays is like a person who sows in the sea and expects to reap a harvest.
The man who follows Christ in solitary mourning is greater than he who praises Christ amid the congregation of men.
God requires not the doing of the commandments for their own sake, but the correction of the soul, for whose sake He established the commandments.
When you want to make a beginning of a good deed, first prepare for temptations, which will come to you, and don't doubt the truth of that which you do for God.
Let them push you, but do not push; Let them crucify you, but do not crucify. Let them insult, but do not insult. Let them slander, but do not slander. Be meek, and do not be zealous in evil.
If you cannot close the mouth of one who reviles his brother, at least avoid conversation with him.
Just as a strongly flowing fountain is not blocked up by a handful of earth, so the compassion of the Creator is not overcome by the wickedness of his creatures.
Speech is the organ of this present world. Silence is the mystery of the world to come.
If, at the time when the mind is praying it is distracted by any extraneous thought or worry about anything, then this prayer is not called pure.
The Lord bears all the weaknesses of men, but He does not bear a man who is always murmuring, and does not leave Him without chastisement.
Whoever prematurely begins a work that is above his strength receives nothing, but only brings harm upon himself.
The soul that loves God has its rest in God and in God alone. In all the paths that men walk in in the world, they do not attain peace until they draw nigh to hope in God.
The Commandments of God are higher than all the treasures of the earth. Whoever has acquired them has received God within himself.
The beginning of divine wisdom is clemency and gentleness, which arise from greatness of soul and the bearing of infirmities.
If zeal had been appropriate for putting humanity right, why did God the Word clothe himself in the body, using gentleness and humility in order to bring the world back to his Father?
Dispassion doesn't mean to no longer feel the passions, but to no longer accept them.
