Icon, Our Lord, Coptic, 7th century, Louvre, Paris.
“I urge you to show great zeal by gathering here in the Church at dawn to make your prayers and confessions to God of all things, and to thank Him for the gifts He has already given.
Ask Him to lend you His powerful aid in guarding this treasure, and strengthened with this aid, let each one leave the Church to take up his daily tasks, one hastening to work with his hands, another hurrying to his military post, and another to his post in the government. However, let each one approach his daily task with fear an anguish, and spend his working hours in the knowledge that at evening he should return here to the Church, render an account to the Master of his whole day, and beg forgiveness for his falls. Fore even if we are on our guard ten thousand times a day, we cannot avoid making ourselves accountable for many and different faults. Either we say something at the wrong time, or we listen to idle talk, or we think indecent thoughts, or we fail to control our eyes, or we spend time in vain an idle things that have no connection with what we should be doing”. (From the writings of St. John Chrysostom)
Gems of St. John Chrysostom : It is necessary most of all for one who is fasting to curb anger, to accustom himself to meekness and condescension, to have a contrite heart, to repulse impure thoughts and desires, to examine his conscience, to put his mind to the test and to verify what good has been done by us…