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“Have you sinned? Enter the Church and repent. Have you fallen again? Repent again. As many times as you fall, rise again. Never despair of salvation. God never tires of forgiving those who never tire of returning to Him. Just as a doctor does not abandon a sick person while there is still hope of healing them, neither does Christ abandon the soul that keeps calling to Him. He came to heal what was wounded, to lift up what had fallen, and to seek what was lost. Do not remain distant out of shame. Precisely because you are weak, draw near to the Physician. Precisely because you are weary, draw near to Him who said, 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' Where there is sincere repentance, there is always room for God’s mercy.” ♰ St. John Chrysostom

“God does not force anyone to love Him. He calls, waits, and is patient. He remains at the door of the heart, waiting for us to open it freely. And when the soul responds, even with a small act of faith or a trembling prayer, the Lord immediately comes to meet it and fills it with His grace. Do not think that God is far away because you do not feel Him. He is closer to you than your own breath. What is often lacking is not His presence, but our silence to listen to Him and our hearts to receive Him.” ♰ St. John of Damascus