All of us sin constantly. We slip and fall. In reality, we fall into traps set by the demons. The Holy Fathers and the Saints always tell us, "It is important to get up immediately after a fall and to keep on walking toward God." Even if we fall a hundred times a day, it does not matter; we must get up and go on walking toward God without looking back. What has happened has happened -- it is in the past. Just keep on going, all the while asking for help from God.

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

"Besides guarding the peace in your hearts, practice standing before the Lord. This means being unceasingly aware that we are standing in the presence of the Lord and that He is watching us all the time. We must learn to awake with the Lord and go to sleep with Him, and eat, work, and walk with Him. The Lord is present everywhere in all things."

~Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

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"Remembering a sin we have committed does not mean that the sin has not been forgiven. This remembrance of our sins is only a warning to us lest we become proud and sin again. In fact, we-not God- are the ones who cannot forgive ourselves. We cannot forgive ourselves because of our pride. A genuine sign that a sin has been forgiven is the fact that it has not been repeated, and we are at peace. It is also important how we spend the last years of our lives. A God-pleasing life in old age blots out the sins of youth."

-Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica-

Excerpt from: Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives (p.104)

When we pray for someone, we take upon ourselves their suffering.

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

One should cleanse one's heart from worldly plans and desires

One should cleanse one's heart from worldly plans and desires. Only then can we sincerely love our neighbor. Otherwise, our earthly love will cleave first to one thing and then to another. This is a fleeting, ephemeral love and it shatters us constantly. We do not live our life with understanding but superficially. --Elder Thaddeus(Strabulovich) of Vitovnica

About Thaddeus (Strabulovich) of Vitovnica

We do not need to say anything or do anything, but we feel so good in the presence of a humble and meek person who is full of love and goodness.

He does not have to say anything either, yet he radiates warmth, and it is as though we have caught a chill and have come into a warm and pleasant room and it warms us.

You see, that is the meaning of good thoughts, good desires full of love and goodness.

Elder Thaddeus

Excerpt From:

Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica: On the Wisdom and the Meaning of Life

“All my life I’ve been tormented by the thought of the purpose of this life. I asked myself the question: why do we need this life? The fact that a person works to achieve material wealth, to eat and drink, is this really all that a person needs? Thank God, the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov says that the purpose of our life is to return into the arms of our Heavenly Father, so that we the people on earth would be like Angels in heaven, led by the Holy Spirit.

From childhood I understood that there is service on this earth: parents serve children, children serve parents; and then the thought came to my mind that if one serves the other, then I want to serve God, because He is above everything. That’s how the Lord called me from an early age. When I serve, I live.

Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility.

Our thoughts act not only on us, but also on the surrounding flora and fauna, moreover, they affect eternity, not only destroying the earth, but also multiplying evil in the Universe.

Why does God commands us to love our enemies? This is not for their sake, but for our sake. As long as we retain in ourselves the thought of an insult inflicted upon us by enemies, friends, family, and relatives, we have no peace and tranquility and we live in a hellish state. It is necessary to free oneself from this evil state, throw it away as if nothing had happened, forgive everything.

You should not think a lot about yourself, because thinking about our needs we interfere with ourselves. We ourselves are the greatest obstacle. We think about the evil that is around us which hurts us, but if evil were not in ourselves it would not hurt us.

Severity towards others is dangerous. Severe people grow only to a certain degree and remain stuck on the physical level. In dealing with people you need to be kind, gentle, gracious. People must be treated equally. We do not dare to divide people: this one is pleasant to me, this one is antipathetic. For then you declared war on this other person. And she will be intolerant to you. And although outwardly you did not give a reason either by word or by movement, inside yourself by your thoughts you have done it.

Until you have suffered much in your heart, you cannot learn humility.

God will humble us with the help of those around us. Someone causes our irritation, anger — and so it will continue until we remain calm until we learn this lesson.

Humility is a Divine property and the perfection of the Christian life. It is attained through obedience. He who is not obedient cannot gain humility. There are very few in the world today who have obedience. Our humility is in proportion to our obedience.

Joy is thankfulness, and when we are joyful, that is the best expression of thanks we can offer the God, Who delivers us from sorrow and sin.

People are changeable like the wind. Today they are for you, tomorrow they are against you. Who can stop the wind? Who can please the whole world? If you try to please everyone, you will definitely get into trouble. The gospel says: wisdom is simple. We will be nothing in front of the whole world to become something before God.

When you find a kindred spirit soul, stay with it, for it is a great joy to be friends with like-minded people.

A key character trait is the foundation towards eternity. If we are peaceful and quiet we will soar among the saints and angels.

You need to pray as Father John of Kronstadt prayed. He carefully read the prayers, and when felt at some word that his heart became warm, and peace and joy spilled into his soul, he prayed wholeheartedly. The words of prayer must be pronounced with the belief that God is looking at you and listening to you. And when during prayer something arises in your heart, “grab” it, linger on it, “stay” in it.

Everything is defeated by love.

The world is increasingly immersed in sin and evil and mixes love and passions, and love and passions have nothing in common. Love is God, and passion is that which comes from evil spirits.

God, who is all Love, knew that all created intelligent beings could not maintain their position, and gave time from the creation of the world to the Last Judgment, so that intelligent beings came to their senses, returned to the arms of their Parent. To merge with the Absolute Good, with the Absolute Love…”

Excerpts from Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“It is of great significance if there is a person who truly prays in a family. Prayer attracts God's Grace and all the members of the family feel it, even those whose hearts have grown cold. Pray always.”

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

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The Lord is not tired of hearing us complain all the time. He is tired of our sins, not our turning to Him for help.

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

“As soon as we are overcome by evil thoughts, we ourselves become evil. We Christians should not allow evil to occur even in our thoughts, and even more so in practice, otherwise it would mean that we have no strength to resist it.”

“As we think, so we live.”

“The man who has acquired the kingdom of God radiates holy thoughts, God’s thoughts. The role of a Christian in the world is to purify the universe from evil and spread the Kingdom of God.”

~Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

~Anytime the mind wanders into negative thoughts, even if they are true, cut them off. Do not entertain them. Block them, and dwell on what is good and positive. Discipline your mind.~

All of us sin constantly. We slip and fall. In reality, we fall into a trap set by the demons. The Holy Fathers and the Saints always tell us it is important to get up immediately after a fall and to keep on walking toward God. Even if we fall a hundred times a day, it does not matter; we must get up and go on walking toward God without looking back. What has happened has happened - it is in the past. Just keep on going, all the while asking for help from God.”

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica of blessed memory

"Your thoughts are burdened because you are influenced by the thoughts of your fellow men. Pray to the Lord that He might take this burden from you. These are the thoughts of others which differ from yours. They have their plan, and their plan is to attack you with their thoughts. Instead of letting go, you have allowed yourself to become part of their plan, so of course you suffer. Had you ignored the attack, you would have kept your peace. They could have thought or said anything at all about you, yet you would have remained calm and at peace. Soon all their anger would have died down, like a deflated balloon, because of the pure and peaceful thoughts that would have come from you. If you are like that, calm and full of love, if all you think are good and kind thoughts, they will stop warring against you in their thoughts and will not threaten you anymore. But if you demand an eye for an eye, that is war. Where there is war there can be no peace. How can there be peace on a battlefield, when everyone is looking over their shoulders and anticipating a surprise attack from the enemy?"

-Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica -

Excerpt from: Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives (p.67)