Elder St. Paisios on Obtaining a Spiritual Crown
“For the athlete to be crowned with victory takes patience, philotimo and spiritual bravery. Bravery stems from a heart filled with philotimo; and when one does something with his heart for Christ, he neither tires nor feels pain, because such suffering for Christ is a spiritual feast. Spiritual progress can be rapid with a little philotimo-filed effort and awareness of our inner self. In the meantime, the soul will be befriended by Jesus Christ, by Panaghia, the Angels and the Saints. Study, prayer, introversion and some peace and tranquillity help a lot too. Christ helps those who are fighting the good fight that all the Saints embraced in order to subdue the flesh…”
– ‘Spiritual Awakening’