Let’s not believe that we’ll always have inner fervor and that we’ll continuously enjoy inner sweetness. Don’t hope for that. On the contrary, always expect sudden ups and downs. So when you’re under attack from sloth and depression, treat them as being normal in the spiritual life. +Saint Theophan the Recluse

St Athanasius, the Founder of the Great Lavra and Coenobitic Monasticism on Mt. Athos (July 5 / July 18), during a time of famine, witnessed the monks one after the other quit the Lavra. St Athanasius remained all alone and, in a moment of weakness, he also considered leaving. Suddenly he beheld a Woman beneath an ethereal veil, coming to meet him. “Who are you and where are you going?” Saint Athanasius replied, “I am a monk from here,” and spoke about himself and his worries. The Woman spoke, “Would you forsake the monastery which was intended for glory from generation unto generation, just for a morsel of dry bread? Where is your faith? Turn around, and I shall help you.” “Who are you?” asked Athanasius. “I am the Mother of the Lord,” She answered, and bid Athanasius to strike his staff upon a stone. From the fissure there gushed forth a spring of water, which exists even now, in remembrance of this miraculous visitation.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for at a loss for any defense, this prayer do we sinners offer unto Thee as Master: have mercy on us.

"The knowledge of the Cross is concealed in the sufferings of the Cross." +Saint Isaac the Syrian

Holy Lord, dwelling on high and beholding things below and, with your eye that observes all, keeping watch over the whole creation, to you we have bowed the neck of our soul and body, and we beseech you, O Holy of Holies: Stretch forth your invisible hand from your holy dwelling and bless us all. And, as you are good and love humankind, pardon us if we have sinned in anything, voluntarily or involuntarily, granting us your blessings both of this world and of the world above.

In the summer of 2020, Orthodox faithful began flocking to the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in Apollo, Greece to venerate an icon of St. Paraskeva that had begun streaming myrrh. Metropolitan Cyril of Rhodes is called the faithful to “humility and modesty” after witnessing the icon for himself.

"According to Ekklesia Online, the icon had been recently transferred to the church from the village cemetery. The church was kept open all day and night to accommodate those coming to pray before the myrrh-streaming icon."

https://bit.ly/30YWgUY

At Mt Athos, the abbot gave the Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves (July 10/ July 23) obedience so that he would return to Russia and plant monasticism in his newly enlightened Christian country. Anthony obeyed. The virtuous life of illumined his homeland.
"And having shown a multitude of monastics,
The pathway leading to the heavenly kingdom,
You led them to Christ,
Beseech Him, O Venerable Anthony,
That he may save our souls!"

On the 3rd Sunday After Pentecost the Orthodox Church commemorates All Saints of Britain and Ireland. "The Church in The British Isles will only begin to grow when She begins to again venerate Her own Saints.” + Saint Arsenios of Paros †1877

"O come, all ye faithful, now let us praise the saints of the Isles, the venerable monastics, the holy bishops, the right-believing princes, all the martyrs and the company of holy women, those known by name and those unknown, for truly by their words and deeds and manifold ways of life and gifts of God, they became saints and God made glorious even their graves with wonders. And now, standing before Christ Who hath glorified them, they pray fervently for us who celebrate the splendour of their feast with love."

The true Orthodox theologians of our day are not, as a rule, to be found in Orthodox academies ... [They] would not presume to call their handing down the Orthodox theological tradition anything more than "faithfulness to the Holy Fathers" startingontheroyalpath.blogspot.com/2013/03/about-…