At the end of our life, each one of us will have to give account of how and where he spent the ‘coins’ of his time, and woe to us if we squandered it in cinemas, on parties, on caresses, on vain dreams and pleasures of the flesh . Then what response will possibly give our tied tongue?

When a man doesn’t have longsuffering, kindness, this indicates that he does not have love inside him. Again, when he is not able to bear for long, has no kindness or generosity in all aspects he is loveless and godless. St. Cosmas of Aetolia confessed: ‘I learned that only two types of love can save and they are: the love of God and love of your neighbour.’ If these two virtues are missing, all others have no foundation.

We Christians, the candle of God, we have much to offer, we can make much charity and especially spiritual alms, virtue that has a great value. We must all assume a new crusade of charity towards our neighbour. To help him, not so much materially but spiritually.

(Translated from Avva Efrem Filotheitul, Sfaturi duhovniceşti, traducere Pr. Victor Manolache, Editura Egumeniţa, Alexandria, 2012, p. 55)