Pearls of Wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church

Prayers

Any rule of prayer that is properly followed will produce as its first-fruits attention and a warm tenderness of heart; but especially will these things come from the practice of the Jesus Prayer, which stands on a higher level than psalmody and other forms of prayer. Attention gives birth to warm tenderness of heart, which in its turn increases attention. They grow in strength together, supporting each other. They give depth to prayer, gradually quickening the heart: banishing distraction and wandering thoughts, they bestow on prayer its purity. True prayer is a gift of God; so also are attention and warm tenderness of heart.

Saint Ignatii (Brianchaninov) (+1867)
The Art of Prayer,
Translated by E. Kadloubovsky & E. M. Palmer, Faber & Faber, pg. 124

Why is it necessary to pray at home, and to attend divine service at Church?
(Answer:) Well, why is it necessary for you to eat and drink, to take exercise, or to work, every day? In order to support the life of the body and strengthen it. So also it is absolutely necessary to pray in order to support the life of the soul, to strengthen the soul, which is sick with sin, and to cleanse it, just as you employ some kinds of food and drink to cleanse the body.

Saint John of Kronstadt (+1908)
The Spiritual Counsels of Father John of Kronstadt,
Edited and Introduced by W. Jardine Grisbrooke, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, pg. 9

Holy Communion

Common bread is improperly called our daily bread, because it strengthens only our body and not our soul. Properly and principally the term daily bread denotes the Body of our Lord and the word of God, because they strengthen the soul as well as the body. For this reason, those of us who have received spiritual regeneration through Divine Baptism must continually eat this spiritual food with warm love and a contrite heart.

Saint Macarios of Corinth (+1805)
Modern Orthodox Saints, Volume 2
By Constantine Cavarnos,
The Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, pg. 79
Copyright 1972 by Constantine Cavarnos