“Rejoice is a commandment!” ( Athanasios Mitilinaios )

“Open the New Testament, from the first page until the last, you will find commandments everywhere. 

When Saint Paul says Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice (Philippians 4:4), or be people of joy, do you think that this is something optional? Did you think: I can have joy if I want to and if I do not feel like it, I can be miserable? No, rejoice is a commandment! You must be a joyful Christian, a cheerful Christian. If you are not a cheerful Christian then you still do not know what it means to be a Christian. You do not understand what it means to be a redeemed person. You do not understand that God has granted you and me a privilege. I am privileged because God has adopted me. I am His child by grace and He gives me His blessedness. Now, if I have all of the above and the great hope of the Kingdom of God, tell me, how can I be gloomy or sad? What does Saint Paul say? Does he not say rejoicing in the hope? Even if we only have the hope of God’s kingdom we should be jumping with joy! He says, rejoicing in the faith and the hope (Romans 5:2, 8:28, 2:12).”

Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios

He who fears God and observes His commandments is a servant of God. ( St. Anthony the Great )

He who fears God and observes His commandments is a servant of God. But the bondage in which we find ourselves is actually not a bondage, but righteousness that leads to sonship. 

Our Lord chose the Apostles and entrusted them with preaching the good news of the Gospel. The commandments that they received established a wonderful bondage for us so that we could govern our passions and adorn ourselves with good works.

 When we get closer to the benediction, our Lord Jesus Christ will tell us just as He said to His disciples: "I already do not call you slaves, but my friends and brothers: because everything that you heard from my Father, I told you."

St. Anthony the Great