We should wonder: who am I, what should I do? Because we don’t live to gain fortune, but to attain the grace of God. This is our call and this is the true meaning of taking life into serious. And the grace of God comes to us. The grace of God is a gift.

But the grace is not often given to you. You have to “win” it. This is what winning the grace means: taking life into serious. Then, everything comes easy, easier than you might have thought. Do you know what it means to be serious? To be accomplished. Have faith in God and you will always be cheerful, happy and serious.

(Translated from Înaltpreasfințitul Justinian Chira, Trăiţi frumos şi-n bucurie!, Editura Nicodim Caligraful, Putna, 2014, p. 105)