So we should not be ashamed to acknowledge the Crucified. Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified. We should boldly trace the cross with our fingers as a seal on our forehead and over everything: over the bread we eat, the cups we drink, when we come in and when we go out, before we go to sleep, when we go to bed and when we get up, on journeys, and at rest. It is a powerful protection; to suit the poor, it costs nothing; to suit the weak, it costs no labor, since it comes as a gift from God; it is a sign for the Faithful and a terror to demons. For 'in it he triumphed over them', 'openly making an example of them' (Col 2.15, adjusted). For when they see the cross, they remember the Crucifixion; they fear the one who crushed the dragon's heads (cf. Ps 73:14). Do not despise the seal because it is a free gift; no, honor the Benefactor all the more because of it.

- St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis 13.36 

Never took, always received

... It was said of Father Menas that from the time he was cured of that fatal fever until his blessed repose, thirty-seven years with the brotherhood at the hermitage, he never asked for nor took anything, never reached out his hand for anything, but only received things from the hands of others. In this matter he was very strict, although also very meek, and he avoided situations where he might have to take something for himself. He simply never reached out his hand to take anything. Even in the refectory he would not help himself, but only take what he was given. In every aspect of life he did without unless someone would give him it. In this was shown his deep humility, and his profound gratitude to God for having been given time by Him for repentance, rather than dying in his sins.

- The New Spiritual Meadow of the White Lake Hermitage (1896)

.... the paralyzed man is any soul that thinks of turning back to the Lord and is brought to Him by these four things: self-condemnation, confession of sins, the promise to renounce evil, and prayer to God.

- St Gregory Palamas, Homily 29 "On the subject of the Paralyzed Man

March 24. Seventh Day of the Creation.

On the twenty-fourth day of the month is the seventh day of the world. On this day God rested from his work and hallowed the day.

March 25. Annunciation Day. Crucifixion.

 On the twenty-fifth day of the month the angel Gabriel came to St. Mary the first time with God's errand, and on this day St. Mary became pregnant in the town of Nazareth by the angel's word and by the hearing of her ears like the trees, when they blossom under the breeze of the wind. On the same place where her house then was as the angel met her, Christian men built a large church. After two and thirty years and three months Christ was crucified on the same day, and when he was on the cross, the creation immediately proved that he was true God. The sun became dim, and  the day was turned into dark night from noon until the ninth hour. When he gave up his spirit at the ninth hour, the earth quaked, and stones burst, and stone walls fell to pieces, and the graves of dead men were opened, and many people saw the dead arise from their graves and walk through the holy town of Jerusalem until the resurrection of Christ ; then their bodies as well as their souls entered with him into eternal glory, that we for our selves might believe with less hesitation [and] that we might learn by it. The rood of Christ on which he was crucified is in a church in the town of Constantinople, locked up in a wooden chest; and when the chest is unlocked, there comes forth a wonderful smell, and it is so delightful as if all blossoms were collected there, and of the branches of the tree flows a sweet-smelling fluid, having the resemblance of oil. If a small drop of this oil is given to a sick man, he is soon better. 

- an Old English Martyrology

Often, when I am singing hymns,

I find myself committing sins.

With my tongue I am singing praises,

but with my soul, I am pondering evil things.//

But correct both through repentance, O Christ God, and save me!

-from the Triodion

A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise (Psalm 50) 

We pray using the words of this psalm every day. When we are hurt, or worn out, we find consolation in them. In this experience we touch upon the core experience of all believers, that it is precisely in our neediness that God seems closest to us, and that when we cry out in pain and sorrow the Lord hears us. There is a paradox here. We seem closer to Him when we hurt. We can seem further from Him when we don't. All our striving in life is to feel good, be comfortable, relax, enjoy ourselves, be happy. And yet so often, in pursuit of these things, God seems distant and our sense of His presence dwindles away. All this striving is ultimately unsatisfying. We know that it is really only the presence of God that brings joy, peace, happiness - even in the most trying circumstances.

The elder Paisios once said that for love to blossom in the heart, we must pray with pain of heart. In explaining this he noted that when we hurt some part of our body - our hand, for example - all our attention and energy focuses on where we hurt. So too it is a hurting and broken heart that focuses our spiritual attention. When asked what can we do if, in fact, we are not suffering and our heart is not hurting, the elder relied: 'We should make the other's pain our own! We must love the other, must hurt for him, so that we can pray for him. We must come out little by little from our own self and begin to love, to hurt for other people as well, for our family first then for the large family of Adam, of God.'

“For, by the disaster of his charity, God plays out at last the Game that began with the dawn of history. In the Garden of Eden - in the paradise of pleasure - where God laid out his court and first served the hint of meaning to humankind - Adam strove with God over the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But God does not accept thrown-down racquets. He refuses, at any cost, to take seriously, our declination of the game; if Adam will not have God's rules, God will play by Adam's. In another and darker garden he accepts the tree of our choosing, and with nails through his hands and feet he volleys back meaning for unmeaning. As the darkness descends, at the last foul drive of a desperate day, he turns to the thief on the right and brings off the dazzling backhand return that fetches history home in triumph: Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

God has Gardens to give away! He has cities to spare! He has history he hasn't even used! The last of all the mercies is that God is lighter than we are, that in the heart of the Passion lies the divine mirth, and that even in the cities of our exile he still calls to Adam only to catch the Glory, to offer the world, and return the service that shapes the City of God.” 

― Robert Farrar Capon, The Romance of the Word: One Man's Love Affair With Theology

One day, Father Paul traveled to a big city. By then he was already
very old and half-blind. In the city, he co-served with a certain
Metropolitan. The Metropolitan gave Father Paul money for his return
trip and they took their leave of one another. There was still time
left until his train and so Father Paul decided to have lunch. He went
into a restaurant. The hostess behind the counter said to him, “Pops,
you had better get lost. You’re not dressed correctly for this kind of
place.” She had taken a look at Father Paul’s feet and had noticed
that he was wearing felt boots. It had been cold when he left his
village, but then they had had a thaw and pools of dirty water from
his boots were forming on the restaurant floor. The priest’s coat was
also second-hand and old, and the suitcase he was holding in his hand,
which contained his vestments, was scuffed-up. The young woman had
clearly taken him for some kind of vagrant. Father Paul left. He went
to another restaurant, which looked more like a cafeteria. They told
him that they only served prix-fixe meals. “I don’t mind,” Father Paul
replied. Father Paul left his suitcase by a table, picked up a tray
and placed his prix-fixe lunch on it. The lunch consisted of soup, the
main course and compote for dessert. He placed his food on a table and
was about to start eating when he realized that he had forgotten to
take utensils. He went back to pick up a spoon and a fork, got back to
his table and saw that a stranger had already placed himself there and
was eating his soup. Some prix-fixe lunch. Father Paul sat himself
down across the table from the man and, saying nothing to him, began
eating his main course. He finished it and stuck the slices of bread
into his pocket. The two of them shared the compote.

The man got up and headed for the door. Father Paul looked under the
table and saw that his suitcase was gone. The glutton had stolen it.
Not only had he eaten half his lunch, but he had pilfered his suitcase
as well. Father Paul jumped from his table and started after the
thief. But then he noticed his suitcase standing next to a different
table. His lunch was on that table, too, completely untouched. He had
made a mistake. The man was long gone. The story gave Father Paul a
headache. What a humble man that fellow had been, saying nothing even
though Father Paul had eaten half of his lunch.

- Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy by Maya Kucherskaya

 ... upon entering the waters of baptism, you took off your garment, and this was a figure of 'stripping off the old man and his works'. You stripped, and were naked, in this also imitating Christ, Who was naked upon the Cross.... May the soul that has once put off that old self never again put it on, but say with the Bride in the Song of Songs, "I have put off my garment; how then shall I put it on?" 

- St Cyril, Mystagogical Catechesis 2:2