Do good to both your own and to strangers as much as you can, and speak a kind word to both the good and the evil people.
Ephrem the SyrianMore Ephrem the Syrian quotes
When you begin to read or listen to the Holy Scriptures, pray to God thus: "Lord Jesus Christ, open the ears and eyes of my heart so that I may hear Thy words and understand them, and may fulfill Thy will." Always pray to God like this, that He might illumine your mind and open to you the power of His words. Many, having trusted in their own reason, have turned away into deception.
Ephrem the Syrian