On Faith and Unbelief
Nothing is so needful to man as faith. On it depends not only the blessedness of the life to come but earthly well-being too — and not only that of each of us, but of the whole of society.
A ship needs an anchor in a storm, and a man needs faith in times of misfortune. Where there is no faith, there are no good works, for it is the intention that makes a deed good, and a good intention comes from faith.
A human society without faith in God and in the immortality of the soul is a herd of wild animals, even though they have reason. They are always ready to torment and destroy one another.
Unbelief is born of our thirst for human glory.
A Christian heart enlightened by faith loves everyone, cares for everyone, gives way to everyone, bears everything; such a heart easily notices someone in need and helps him; falsehood, evil-speaking, false witness, theft, murder… a lawless life in general, are foreign to it. If it sees a sinner, it does not judge him but puts its shoulder under his, to raise up the fallen one somehow. Its life forms a cross: it reaches toward God and it reaches toward man. Faith and love unite it with God; and love binds it to its neighbour and to the people. Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
…What is needed? What is needed is that God should hear our prayer; you must pray with real faith. You must without fail believe that God exists, you must without fail see God before you. Just as we stand upright before great people, with reverence and humility, so you must stand and feel that you are before God and the eye of God is looking upon you. Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
Faith is a free choice, and where there is even a hidden proof and a wish to search, there is no faith.
One saint says that there is as great a difference between an unbeliever and a believer as between a statue and a living man.
As a certain wise man said, there are things in the world that you will not believe unless you see them, and there are things that you will not see unless you believe. The heavens, and what lies beyond the heavens, are just such places for the searching mind: if you do not believe, you will see nothing.
