How Beloved Are Thy Dwellings

by abbamoses

Without the visible Holy Church, there could not be the Holy Mysteries of Christ, without which man could not inherit eternal life. Prayers during church services have so much power and significance, that just the words, “Lord, have mercy”, surpass all the spiritual exercises performed in one’s cell. For this reason, the Holy Fathers, while standing in church during the divine services, imagined themselves standing before the very throne of heaven.

— St Anthony of Optina