55 Maxims of the Christian Life by Fr. Thomas Hopko

1. Be always with Christ and trust God in everything.
2. Pray as you can, not as you think you must.
3. Have a keepable rule of prayer done by discipline.
4. Say the Lord's Prayer several times each day.
5. Repeat a short prayer when your mind is not occupied.
6. Make some prostrations when you pray.
7. Eat good foods in moderation and fast on fasting days.
8. Practice silence, inner and outer.
9. Sit in silence 20 to 30 minutes each day.
10. Do acts of mercy in secret.
11. Go to liturgical services regularly.
12. Go to confession and holy communion regularly.
13. Do not engage intrusive thoughts and feelings.
14. Reveal all your thoughts and feelings to a trusted person regularly.
15. Read the scriptures regularly.
16. Read good books, a little at a time.
17. Cultivate communion with the saints.
18. Be an ordinary person, one of the human race.
19. Be polite with everyone, first of all family members.
20. Maintain cleanliness and order in your home.
21. Have a healthy, wholesome hobby.
22. Exercise regularly.
23. Live a day, even a part of a day, at a time.
24. Be totally honest, first of all with yourself.
25. Be faithful in little things.
26. Do your work, then forget it.
27. Do the most difficult and painful things first.
28. Face reality.
29. Be grateful.
30. Be cheerful.
31. Be simple, hidden, quiet and small.
32. Never bring attention to yourself.
33. Listen when people talk to you.
34. Be awake and attentive, fully present where you are.
35. Think and talk about things no more than necessary.
36. Speak simply, clearly, firmly, directly.
37. Flee imagination, fantasy, analysis, figuring things out.
38. Flee carnal, sexual things at their first appearance.
39. Don't complain, grumble, murmur or whine.
40. Don't seek or expect pity or praise.
41. Don't compare yourself with anyone.
42. Don't judge anyone for anything.
43. Don't try to convince anyone of anything.
44. Don't defend or justify yourself.
45. Be defined and bound by God, not people.
46. Accept criticism gracefully and test it carefully.
47. Give advice only when asked or when it is your duty.
48. Do nothing for people that they can and should do for themselves.
49. Have a daily schedule of activities, avoiding whim and caprice.
50. Be merciful with yourself and others.
51. Have no expectations except to be fiercely tempted to your last breath.
52. Focus exclusively on God and light, and never on darkness, temptation and sin.
53. Endure the trial of yourself and your faults serenely, under God's mercy.
54. When you fall, get up immediately and start over.
55. Get help when you need it, without fear or shame.

we're frightened of ordinariness

"The Desert Father’s called this the demon of Acedia – that raging desire to escape from the ordinary. Acedia was described as a state of listlessness, leading to a state of being unable to place value on what is embarrassingly ordinary. The demon of Acedia holds an important place in early monastic psychology. The Desert Father John Cassian observed this heart sickness that would come over monks who lived dwelling on an “ideal” all day. It made them have increasing disdain and reduced commitment to the everyday discipleship with their brethren. I’ll say it again…we’re frightened of ordinariness." - Dan White Jr.

how to completely depend on God

It is only when you reach the very bottom, when everything falls apart, when all your schemes and resources are broken and exhausted, that you are finally open to learning how to completely depend on God. As is often said, you never realize that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. You must lose your life to find your life (Matthew 10: 39).

[Tim Keller]

vemödalen

disconcerted by nothing

“Who is the invincible human being? One who can be disconcerted by nothing that lies outside the sphere of choice.” - Epictetus

to heal you

“Remember the one who has ridiculed you, who has grieved you, who has wronged you, who has done evil to you, as your physician, your healer. Christ sent him to heal you; don’t remember him with anger.” - Abba Zossima

the root of all heartache

Expectation is the root of all heartache.

it is ruinous; repair it

“Narrow is the mansion of my soul; enlarge it, that You may enter in. It is ruinous; repair it. It must offend Your eyes; I confess and know it. But who shall cleanse it? Or to whom should I cry, except to You? Lord, cleanse me from my secret faults, and spare Your servant from the power of the enemy. I believe, and therefore do I speak.” - Augustine

love me there

“Crawl inside this body.
Find me where I am most ruined.
Love me there.”

- Rune Lazuli

hand and eye

“The husband and wife should be like the hand and eye. When the hand hurts, the eyes should be crying, and when the eyes cry, the hand should wipe away the tears.” - St. John Chrysostom

become a Pharisee

"Fastest way to become a Pharisee is to hate Pharisees." - Tim Keller

repentance is the way to peace

“Repentance is hard. Repentance is painful. Repentance is difficult. But it’s the only way to get peace.” - Tim Keller

what you love

“The Augustinian point is that you are defined by what you love. It’s your loves that govern your action and pursuits. Indeed, you are more defined by what you love than what you think or know or believe.” - James K.A. Smith

goodness, truth, beauty

“Look after goodness and truth, and beauty will take care of herself.” - Eric Gill

distract themselves

"When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure." - Viktor Frankl

esteem for silence

"There are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence." - Rule of St. Benedict (6:2)

means nothing to me

“Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you don’t have God’s love within you."

[John 5:41-42]

regard our humility

I have never put my hope in any other

but in Thee, God of Israel

who canst show both wrath and graciousness,

and who absolves all the sins

of man in suffering

Lord God,

Creator of Heaven and Earth

Regard our humility

- "Spem in Alium" by Thomas Tallis

i can hear the flowers a-growing

"So, while you sit and whistle Dixie
With your money and your power
I can hear the flowers a-growing
In the rubble of the towers
I hear leaders quit their lyin'
I hear babies quit their cryin'
I hear soldiers quit their dyin'
One and all"

["I Hear Them All" by Old Crow Medicine Show]

meddling, ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, and unsociable

"Marcus Aurelius started each day telling himself: ‘I shall meet with meddling, ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, and unsociable people.'"

- from "Why Stoicism is One of the Best Mind Hacks Ever Devised" by Lary Wallace