Philokalia Ministries

• The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily V, Part IV

  St. Isaac writes with the clarity of one who has walked through the fire of trial and found the peace that follows surrender. His words do not flatter the soul or soften the edges of the truth. They are meant to awaken us to the living reality of divine love. He shows that what we call faith must be tested, and what we call trust must be purified, until both rest entirely in God. He begins with the martyrs who endured every torment that flesh can bear. They suffered, he says, through a “secret strength” that came from God. Their pain did not prove divine absence but revealed divine nearness. The angels themselves appeared to them, not as symbols but as real presences sent to encourage and to shame the cruelty of their persecutors. The endurance of the martyrs becomes the measure of faith. Where human nature reaches its limit, divine power begins to act. Their calm in suffering, their peace under torture, proclaim that the providence of God surrounds those who love Him even when the world rages. St. Isaac then turns to the ascetics and hermits who made the desert a dwelling place of angels. These men and women renounced the world not in bitterness but in longing. They exchanged earthly things for heavenly communion. The angels, seeing in them kindred souls, visited them continually. They taught them, guided them, strengthened them when hunger or sickness overcame their bodies. They brought them bread, healed their wounds, foretold their deaths. The desert became a city where heaven and earth met in silence. For those who abandoned the noise of the world, the unseen world became near and familiar. This leads St. Isaac to the heart of his teaching. If we truly believe that God provides for us, why do we remain anxious? Anxiety is born of unbelief. To trust in ourselves is to live in misery, but to cast our care upon the Lord is to enter into peace. The one who has surrendered everything to God walks through life with a restful mind. He is not careless but free. His rest is not laziness but confidence born of faith. Isaac describes the path to this inner freedom. The soul must learn non-possessiveness, for without it the mind is filled with turmoil. She must learn stillness of the senses, for without stillness there is no peace of heart. She must endure temptations, for without them there is no wisdom. She must read and meditate, for without this she gains no refinement of thought. She must experience the protection of God in struggle, for without that experience she cannot hope in Him with boldness. Only when she has tasted the sufferings of Christ consciously can she have communion with Him. Finally, Isaac defines the true servant of God as one who has become poor for His sake and compassionate toward all. Such a person mortifies even natural desires so that nothing distracts from love. To give to the poor is to entrust one’s life to God’s care. To become poor for His sake is to discover inexhaustible treasure. Here St. Isaac’s realism becomes luminous. He is not describing a harsh ideal but the hidden logic of divine love. God draws near to those who entrust themselves wholly to Him. Angels surround those who choose the path of surrender. The heart that abandons anxiety finds itself upheld by grace. This is the holy folly of trust. It is the wisdom of those who live as though God alone is enough and who discover in that surrender a peace that cannot be taken away. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:04:28 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 158 paragraph 12 00:07:21 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:08:29 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 158 paragraph 12 00:09:17 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: http://Philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:12:11 Janine: Congrats and best wishes! REN and Max 00:13:46 Janine: Yes… would love to see the pictures! 00:13:53 Thomas: This may be a strange questions, but Is Natalia Tapsak (formally Wohar) sound familiar 00:14:30 Thomas: She was my Sunday school teacher and changed at my church for a few years until she got married 00:14:52 Thomas: We were at her wedding and stayed at her church for a few nights when I was up there for baseball 00:16:02 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 158, paragraph # 12, first on page 00:31:46 Jessica McHale: Living alone, l do get lonely at times, and when I do, I ask my guardian angel to pray to the Lord with me. It's always consoling. 00:36:52 David Swiderski, WI: St. Jose Escriva used to greet the guardian angels of others first then the person. Once I heard this I find myself thinking of it sometimes with difficult people. The other thing he said is don't say this person bothers me but he sanctifies me. I have found a lot of sanctification in companies over the years. I used to joke about it but now I believe it to be true. 00:37:35 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "St. Jose Escriva u..." with ❤️ 00:39:41 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 159, # 16, second full paragraph on page 00:44:34 Anthony: Take a person like George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life). He had a lifetime of failing expectations and then acute disappointment.  A person can really be driven to distraction and become blinded to God's Providence. 00:45:53 Thomas: What does this look like in the world, not taking pains to provide for yourself separately, because in the prayer it says “ bless us o Lord and these Thy gifts” clearly to a hermit what they find and are given are the gifts of God but how can we know when we have exceeded what God has given us and are now taking pains to provide for ourselves 01:06:51 Erick Chastain: Is there a paradox of less tiredness after vigils, even? 01:09:59 Rick Visser: In the night "Rouse yourself and cry out! Holy, Holy, Holy are You O God." 01:11:37 Thomas: It feels like if we are able to remember death when we would think that we don’t have time to sleep so we should pray before we die 01:15:17 Thomas: Wouldn’t the story of Lazarus and the rich man come into play here 01:19:43 Vanessa Nunez: I can really relate to what we are talking about 😂😂 I’m trying to decide between pursuing social work or psychology. After facing some health challenges, I’ve felt this sudden urge to make the most of life and not waste any time with the blessing of healing God has given me. Because of that, I’ve been overcompensating taking on two jobs and volunteering to give back as much as I can but it’s left me feeling unsettled, like I’m constantly moving without real direction. I keep praying and asking God to show me His will, because I truly want to follow His path instead of my own. I spend time in prayer and vigil adoration, trying to listen for His guidance, but even with all of that, I still feel lost. I know He has a plan for me, but it’s hard to understand when it’s my will vs his. 01:24:54 Art iPhone: Thank you Father.  Send pics Ren and congrats to you both!! 01:24:55 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you ☺️ 01:24:57 Rick Visser: Thank you, Father. I will pray for you as I know you pray for us. 01:24:59 Elizabeth Richards: Amen 01:25:21 David Swiderski, WI: Thank you father, God bless you and your mother. 01:25:25 Jessica McHale: Many prayers for you all!  Thank you!!!! 01:25:31 Deiren: Thank you Father 01:25:50 Rebecca Thérèse: It's an hour later in the UK next week 01:25:53 Janine: Prayers for you

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• The Evergetinos: Book Two - Chapter XXXVIII, Part I

  The stories from the Evergetinos draw us into a vision of holiness that reaches far beyond passive endurance. The saints do not simply bear injustice with patience; they transform it by the power of divine love. Their silence is not weakness, nor their gentleness naivety. It is the strength of souls utterly freed from the tyranny of self, who see in those who wrong them not enemies but brothers blinded by ignorance or fear. Saint Libertinus, robbed and humiliated, offers even the whip that might strike the animal taken from him. His response reveals the freedom of one who has already renounced everything. Possession and loss have become meaningless to him in the light of Christ. His forbearance becomes the instrument through which God corrects the offenders, not by wrath but by wonder. The earth itself bears witness, as the frightened horses refuse to cross the river until restitution is made. The entire creation responds to the humility of a righteous man. Saint Marcian allows himself to be defrauded repeatedly, not because he is unaware, but because his heart sees deeper than the transaction. The fraud of the banker becomes a moment of salvation. The silent goodness of the saint pierces the conscience of the wrongdoer far more deeply than accusation could have done. His hidden act of mercy becomes a living sermon, spoken not with words but with grace. When the banker’s eyes are opened, the saint’s only concern is to avoid vainglory, not to claim vindication. He would rather lose money than lose humility. Saint Spyridon, guileless and compassionate, meets deceit and theft not with censure but with patient truth. His words to the dishonest buyer, “Perhaps you forgot to pay for it,” reveal the tenderness of one who seeks not to shame but to heal. Even to thieves caught in the act, he offers kindness, releasing them from invisible bonds and sending them away with a gift. He teaches by generosity, not severity. The thief’s heart is not crushed but awakened. These lives reveal that true correction flows not from moral superiority but from love purified by humility. The saints’ compassion does not end with forgiveness; it embraces those who harm them, holding them within the prayer of mercy. They see the image of God even in the one who steals or lies. They refuse to reduce a sinner to his sin. For us, these examples uncover how easily we mistake indignation for righteousness. We defend ourselves with words, cling to our sense of justice, and separate ourselves from those whose actions wound us. The Fathers remind us that this self-defense closes the heart. The saint’s freedom lies in entrusting all judgment to God. To suffer wrong with love is not resignation but participation in the meekness of Christ. It is the hidden victory of grace over pride. The Evergetinos teaches that one good deed done in silence can awaken repentance more surely than a thousand admonitions. The holy do not impose virtue; they unveil it through gentleness. They correct not by exposing others’ shame but by bearing their wrongs with dignity. Such love, born of prayer, makes the conscience tremble and the heart turn toward the light. May we learn from them the art of divine tenderness. May we bear injury without bitterness, speak truth without anger, and hold every soul, even the one who wrongs us, in the compassion of Christ who forgave from the Cross. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:08:19 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:09:09 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 297 00:13:16 Sheila Applegate: It was the most perfect homily! 00:14:26 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 297, A 00:25:34 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 298, B 00:34:37 Fr Martin, AZ 480-292-3381: These passages seems authentic and fruitful. The common practice I encounter in our culture of defending one's rights seems to disturb people's way of being and thinking, maybe even making their thinking obtuse in regard to their theosis or healing. I have difficulty in knowing how to gently communicate to even fellow Christians, how to be vigilant of their interior or nous, and that this is more valuable to their peace, joy, and spiritual as well as emotional well-being than defending their rights. Forgiveness and humility seem to be divine attributes that can fill our hearts amd mind with a sense of God's love. Like you said, not only for our sake, but it can impact others. 00:43:06 Jerimy Spencer: Aloha from Hawai'i, I have often had to reflect a lot on the reality that arrogance is not the only opposite of humility, but also self-hatred too. Mahalo Father, peace and Aloha of Christ be with you 🤙🏼🙏☦️ 00:47:05 Anthony: It's the job of the Holy Spirit to convince one of sin. It's not your job to convince you if your sin 00:48:18 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 299, C 00:50:26 Rick Visser: Saint Spyridon Orthodox Church 00:52:45 Jerimy Spencer: Reacted to "It's the job of the …" with ❤️ 01:01:11 Rick Visser: Offer to drive them to their destination 01:02:58 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Offer to drive them ..." That may expose them in a lie which may be uncharitable? 01:03:04 Jessica McHale: When things like fraud happen to me, which they have a few times, as it happening, I usually hear a line from Scripture in my head ("turn the other cheek" or "walk two mile" etc) and that's when I know to let go of the material loss and let God work on the person. 01:04:38 Anthony: Listen to them, aid them, AND refer them to the unemployment office, with all encouragement, and coach them in thinking of their job skills 01:06:36 Anthony: I work for a state unemployment office. We are there to help 01:07:23 Fr Martin, AZ 480-292-3381: I began a practice more out of my desperation a few years back of asking panhandlers I gave money to, to pray for my son who was in dire straits. I was pleasantly surprise to see their humanity engage, and almost everyone agreed, many praying heartfelt prayers for my son in the moment. So homeless throughout the US have prayed for my son. I look forward to panhandlers now rather than the cringe I used to feel at seeing them. Even when I didn't have money, many panhandlers still graciously prayed. 01:08:01 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "I began a practice..." with ❤️ 01:08:01 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "I began a practice m..." with 🙏 01:08:21 shang yang: Reacted to "I began a practice m..." with ❤️ 01:10:19 Andrew Adams: Reacted to "I began a practice m..." with ❤️ 01:11:51 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "I began a practice m..." with ❤️ 01:12:31 Ambrose Little: St. Maximos the Confessor: “He who gives alms in imitation of God does not discriminate between the wicked and the virtuous, the just and the unjust, when providing for men’s bodily needs.” 01:12:58 Myles Davidson: As someone who spent some time as an addict and homeless when I was younger, I can say that any act of kindness, no matter how small, can make such a persons day 01:13:08 Jacqulyn Dudasko: Reacted to "St. Maximos the Conf..." with ❤️ 01:13:10 Rick Visser: Reacted to "As someone who spent..." with ❤️ 01:13:22 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "As someone who spe..." with ❤️ 01:14:14 Rick Visser: Reacted to "St. Maximos the Conf..." with ❤️ 01:14:35 Ambrose Little: Reacted to "As someone who spent…" with ❤️ 01:15:31 Jerimy Spencer: Reacted to "St. Maximos the Conf…" with ❤️ 01:15:47 Janine: Wow..great class 01:16:14 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You 01:16:26 Jessica McHale: Many prayers for you all!!! 01:16:27 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

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• The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily V, Part III

  In this section of Homily Five, St. Isaac draws deeply from the ancient well of ascetical wisdom, weaving together the practical counsel of St. Ephraim with his own luminous vision of divine providence. His teaching moves with precision from the diagnosis of sin to the healing of the soul, from the vigilance of self-knowledge to the vision of God’s mercy revealed through trial. St. Ephraim’s words set the tone: every spiritual illness must be treated by its proper remedy. One cannot overcome a vice through random struggle or general good intentions, but only by applying a medicine suited to the disease. Just as heat is not fought with more heat, so envy, pride, and wrath are not healed through self-will or argument, but through the contrary virtues: humility, patience, and mercy. For St. Isaac, this is the beginning of ascetic discernment. The wise man learns to recognize the first stirrings of passion, and “plucks it up while it is still small,” knowing that what begins as a passing thought can quickly become a tyrant ruling the soul. Negligence is the mother of bondage. From this root teaching springs one of St. Isaac’s central themes: the blessedness of patient endurance. The one who can suffer wrong with joy, though he has the means to defend himself, has entered into the mystery of the Cross. To bear insult without resentment, to be accused unjustly and respond with humility—these, he says, are the highest forms of virtue, admired even by the angels. Such endurance is not weakness but divine strength, the quiet radiance of faith proven by trial. Here we find the echo of the Beatitudes and of the Apostle’s words, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” St. Isaac then warns against a subtler danger: self-confidence. “Do not believe yourself to be strong until you are tempted and find yourself superior to change.” Virtue untested is unproven. To imagine oneself firm before temptation is to invite a fall, for pride blinds the soul to its own frailty. True strength is born only from humility, the knowledge of one’s dependence upon God. Likewise, knowledge itself can become a snare when it is not rooted in meekness. A “meek tongue” and “sweet lips” reveal a heart governed by peace rather than pride. Those who do not boast of their struggles or their gifts are preserved from shame, while those who glory in their works are permitted to stumble, that humility may be learned through experience. The culmination of this passage is the vision of divine providence, which St. Isaac presents not as an abstract doctrine but as an experience granted to the purified heart. God’s care, he says, surrounds all, yet it is seen only by those who have cleansed themselves of sin and fixed their gaze upon Him. In times of trial, when the soul stands for the truth, this providence becomes radiant and tangible—as though seen with bodily eyes. God reveals Himself most clearly in suffering, granting His servants courage and consolation. As He strengthened Jacob, Joshua, the Three Youths, and Peter, so too He anoints all who endure affliction for His sake. In these paragraphs, St. Isaac sketches the entire map of the ascetical path. The soul begins with vigilance, pulling up the roots of passion before they grow. It advances through endurance, learning the joy hidden in unjust suffering. It is tested in humility, discovering that self-reliance is the greatest enemy. And finally, it arrives at the vision of providence, seeing that all things—even trials and delays—are instruments of divine love. The warfare is inward, but the victory is divine. The heart that ceases to rely on itself learns to rest in God, and the eyes once blinded by passion come to behold His mercy shining through every storm. This is the medicine of the soul and the peace of those who have learned the wisdom of the Cross. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:01:25 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:02:00 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, last line on page, # 8 00:08:00 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: http://www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:10:33 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, last line on page, # 8 00:14:57 jonathan: Would it be fine to just print out a picture of an Icon? Want to make a prayer corner back home. 00:15:23 Jessica McHale: Father, I love this line from your blog post today: “The night is not absence but mystery, not an ending but the quiet preparation for dawn.”  These words help to bring holiness to my rest and to the sometimes challenging night vigils. Thank you! 00:15:42 Adam Paige: Replying to "Would it be fine to …" Bless the printer with holy water first 😉 00:17:38 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, last line on page, # 8 00:22:21 Ryan Ngeve: Father does that mean we should completely ignore other passions and focus on the most important one until it is uprooted and then move to the next? 00:24:44 Eleana: Father how to be certain that is not scruples? 00:26:58 Adam Paige: Replying to "Father does that mea…" Saint Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain: “The virtues must be acquired one by one in order, and not all of them together, so that they do not become burdensome and difficult, but easy and light, as St. Isaac said. The virtues must be acquired one by one, for the sake of being helpful and harmless. St. Isaac said, "Each virtue is the mother of the next one. But if you leave the mother who gives birth to each virtue and you seek after the daughters before you acquire their mother, those virtues will prove to be vipers in your soul. And if you do not put them away from yourself, you will surely die." (Handbook of Spiritual Counsel p. 183 “The Virtues Must Be Acquired in Order”) 00:27:59 Eleana: Replying to "Father does that mea..." Tx. 00:30:10 David Swiderski, WI: I am not sure this is wise counsel but a spiritual director I had in Spain mentioned. How much time to do spend praying to God and how much time do you think about things that lead to vice. First focus on leveling the field to allow grace to enter and second tackle one by one the thoughts that lead you away from focusing on God. Now that I read the fathers I think quite a bit about this . 00:31:41 Vanessa Nunez: How can you reduce anxiety of letting go of control and trust in the lord to be in control of one’s life. 00:33:32 Lilly: Novena of surrender 00:33:42 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Novena of surrender" with ❤️ 00:36:21 David Swiderski, WI: Jesus I trust in you, please teach me your ways today. That is an arrow prayer that helped me. The other is the complete serenity prayer by Reinhod I find amazing but most only know the beginning. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as He did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that He will make all things right, If I surrender to His will, That I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with Him forever in the next. 00:37:04 Vanessa Nunez: Reacted to "Novena of surrender" with ❤️ 00:37:09 Vanessa Nunez: Reacted to "Jesus I trust in you…" with ❤️ 00:37:17 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Jesus I trust in y..." with ❤️ 00:46:31 Lilly: What is Meekness? 00:48:09 Rick Visser: Is it boasting to rejoice in what small progress we find in ourselves? 00:50:03 Elijah Majak: Father, is there ever an appropriate time or situation to defend ourselves/speak up or should we just be silent against all  unfair treatment ? 00:51:16 Ryan Ngeve: Reacted to "Saint Nicodemos of t…" with ❤️ 00:51:35 Ryan Ngeve: Replying to "Father does that mea…" Thanks Adam 00:58:40 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 157, last full paragraph, # 11 01:03:51 Ryan Ngeve: Father what does Abba Isaac mean by “acquire sweet lips” 01:04:18 David Swiderski, WI: I have been thinking a lot about what you said about Abba Isaac the strong. Each night I feel lacking seeing the sun set in the west but each morning I look to the east and see the saints and angels. 01:06:21 David Swiderski, WI: Moses yes 01:06:24 David Swiderski, WI: Sorry 01:06:40 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "I have been thinki..." with ❤️ 01:06:52 jonathan: I always struggled with the idea of always being soft with people. The Apostles could have a very sharp tongue at times, especially Paul.  Even Christ at times would call people vipers and fools. So how do we balance gentleness, with firmness. 01:09:00 Gwen’s iPhone: Gotta love Peter 01:12:49 Larry Ruggiero: Meekness is the pre emergent to the crab grass 01:15:04 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 158, first paragraph, # 12 01:15:28 Julie: Thankyou God bless Father 01:16:11 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:16:15 Jessica McHale: Thank you! Many prayers!   Prayers for you all! 01:16:22 cameron: Thank you Fr 01:16:22 David Swiderski, WI: Thank you father. Always praying for you the steroids and your mom!

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• The Evergetinos: Book Two - Chapter XXXVII, Part V

  This section of The Evergetinos is among the most luminous and convicting in its entire corpus. It speaks with the voice of a Father who has entered deeply into the mind of Christ; where justice is transfigured by mercy, where the love of neighbor becomes inseparable from the love of God, and where even material loss becomes a gate to eternal life. The Elder’s teaching exposes the great inversion of values that defines our time. In an age obsessed with self-preservation, power, and vengeance, the Christian is called not simply to resist these tendencies, but to live from an entirely different center. His measure of life is no longer self-interest or fear, but the eternal horizon of the Kingdom. The Elder begins with a piercing truth: God’s commandments are light. It is only our attachment to self-will that makes them seem heavy. In modern terms, we could say that the weight we feel in forgiving enemies, in relinquishing possessions, or in enduring wrongs, comes not from the Gospel itself, but from our clinging to the illusion of control and possession. The commandment of Christ is light because it is love; and love is only heavy to one still bound by pride. The parable of the gem-engraver is a mirror for us. The man, faced with imminent danger, discards all his treasure to preserve a fleeting life. We, knowing the eternal stakes, cannot part with even trifles to save our souls. The Elder’s irony cuts deeply: a worldly merchant becomes a philosopher in action, while we who claim the Kingdom behave as fools. Has the Christian fallen below the moral and spiritual clarity of the pagans who could endure insult or misfortune with composure? The Elder’s words imply as much, for true wisdom is to value what endures, and to let go of all that perishes. We live amid a civilization that sanctifies vengeance, calls anger justice, and worships material gain. The Christian, if he is truly of Christ, stands as a contradiction to this world. His meekness will appear as weakness; his patience as passivity. Yet the Elder shows that it is precisely this self-emptying love that manifests divine power. To endure injury without resentment is to share in the Cross. To pray for the one who wrongs us is to participate in the compassion of the Crucified. The image of the Body, so carefully developed by the Elder, destroys the illusion of separateness that fuels violence. To harm my brother is to wound Christ Himself; to harbor anger is to cut myself off from the Body’s life. The Christian is thus called to a supernatural realism: to perceive the unity of all in Christ and to respond to injury with the same tenderness one shows a diseased limb of one’s own body. One does not amputate a member in anger; one tends it with healing concern. So must we treat the sinner who has harmed us. In the closing examples, the Elder incarnates this teaching. The monk who relinquishes his books rather than quarrel over them, the ascetic who frees the brigands who attacked him — these are not tales of naiveté but of divine wisdom. They show that peace of heart and fidelity to Christ outweigh any claim to justice or property. The true betrayal, as Abba Poimen tells the frightened hermit, is not the crime of the brigands but the monk’s own fear and loss of faith. The victory of Christ is not in punishing evil but in overcoming fear through love. St. Ephraim’s brief counsel at the end grounds this lofty teaching in ordinary charity. Justice begins in the smallest acts; in returning what is borrowed, in honesty, in remembering that we “owe no man anything, but to love one another.” The ascetical heroism of forgiveness begins with these humble fidelities. In an age of terror, noise, and material excess, the distinctive mark of the Christian is not moral superiority or rhetorical witness, but peace that disarms the world. The Evergetinos reminds us that the Gospel’s revolution lies in meekness; in the refusal to let hatred dictate our actions or possessions define our worth. If we have not yet attained even the calm of the pagan sage or the detachment of the shipwrecked merchant, then our first step is repentance: to rediscover the lightness of the commandments and to trust that the Cross, embraced without vengeance, is still the truest power in the world. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:02:23 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 291, G 00:08:34 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:10:48 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 291 G 2 00:10:57 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: http://www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:19:21 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 292, # 2, 2nd paragraph 00:21:44 Rick Visser: We think we can have both, temporal and eternal. 00:24:02 Anthony: Prosperity gospel also came from sectarians reading the Hebrew Scriptures in a carnal manner. 00:27:45 Janine: Blessed are you poor 00:28:00 Adam Paige: Happy Are You Poor: the simple life and spiritual freedom (Thomas Dubay) 00:28:27 Rick Visser: All of us here in the class are in the top 10% of the wealthiest people in the world. 00:36:26 Jessica McHale: I got rid of just about everything. I have two boxes, one clothes, one religious items. I have never felt free-er. 00:36:44 Rick Visser: Reacted to "I got rid of just ab..." with ❤️ 00:37:56 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "I got rid of just ab..." with 👍 00:43:18 Anthony: Didn't God make beautiful raw materials partly so we can be co-creators? 00:49:51 Maureen Cunningham: Jesus had 12 your halfway there 00:53:22 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 294, first paragraph 00:53:27 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "P. 294, first paragr..." with 👍 01:01:39 Catherine Opie: 🤯 We are silly things for sure 01:06:34 Anthony: And I try to apply this reasoning to public policy .... And how I talk about policy. It's really difficult. 01:12:13 Catherine Opie: St Catherine of Siena even gave away the belongings of the other members of her family as well as her own, much to their annoyance. 01:12:37 Rick Visser: Even Socrates on his death bed asked if there was anything he owed anyone--yes there was: a rooster. So, he made sure it was taken care of before taking the hemlock. 01:13:01 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "St Catherine of Si..." with ❤️ 01:13:05 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Even Socrates on h..." with ❤️ 01:15:03 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Blessing 01:15:31 Jessica McHale: Thank YOU! Prayers for you all! 01:15:33 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂 01:15:46 Bob Čihák, AZ: Bless you, Father. 01:15:46 Catherine Opie: 🙏🏻 01:15:49 Rick Visser: I pray for you.

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• The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily V, Part II

  St. Isaac speaks with a stark honesty that strips away every illusion about the spiritual life. To choose the good is to summon the battle. Every true beginning draws the adversary’s attention. God allows this not to crush the soul but to test its resolve and to purify its love. Without that fire, virtue remains unproven and fragile. The one who doubts that God is his helper collapses under his own shadow. Fear itself becomes the enemy. Such a person starves amid plenty and drowns in calm waters, undone not by external trials but by the absence of trust. St. Isaac’s words expose this inner poverty: faith without endurance is only sentiment. The steadfast heart, confident in God, is revealed in trial and shines before friend and foe alike. The commandments are not burdens but treasures. They conceal the presence of the Lord Himself. The one who carries them within finds God as chamberlain, waking and sleeping. Fear of sin becomes illumination, and even darkness turns transparent. The soul that trembles at evil walks with light before and within, guided by mercy that steadies every faltering step. St. Isaac ends with a fierce precision. There is no substitution in repentance. What is lost must be restored by the same means through which it was forfeited. God will not take a pearl for a penny, nor alms in place of purity. Greed is uprooted only by mercy, not by any other virtue. He will not be deceived by offerings that leave corruption untouched. This is the hard edge of Isaac’s wisdom: grace demands truth. The path to God is not through sentiment or display but through the narrow way where every false comfort is stripped away, and only the tested heart endures. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:05:26 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Homily 5 paragraph 4 page 155 00:05:41 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:07:39 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Homily 5 paragraph 4 page 155 00:13:14 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 155, last paragraph, 4 00:14:30 Una: Nice! 00:17:20 Una: I like the way Anthony puts it: be prepared to be knocked around 00:17:20 Una: I like the way Anthony puts it: be prepared to be knocked around 00:17:33 Anthony: Reacted to I like the way Antho... with "❤️" 00:17:47 Anthony: Replying to "I like the way Antho..."   Thanks :) 00:25:07 Rick Visser: My despondency becomes so great that I cannot move. What am I to do? 00:25:38 Maureen Cunningham: how would you explain the difference between Grace  & Mercy. 00:26:27 Maureen Cunningham: When I have despondency . I put on Bach 00:29:24 Jessica McHale: There is a very short but tremendously helpful book called "Trustful surrender to divine providence: the secret of peace and happiness" (it's so short more like a pamphlet) but it helps so greatly with despondency. I read it every time I feel this struggle with trusting in God in every single tiny thing. 00:30:34 Barbara: The Church/grace is the spiritual hospital. 00:32:19 Anthony: It might be that our passion is the pride of scrupulosity that is revealed by falling to another passion and masked by that passion (a red herring). 00:33:48 Eleana: St. Claude La Colombière, Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure 00:34:00 Jessica McHale: yes, by Father Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure (the author of the book I mentioned) 00:35:52 Anthony: This is a remedy for the terror of mortal sin. 00:40:23 Ryan Ngeve: Father to what degree is engaging in thoughts that lead to despondency harmful to someone. And if it is how are we supposed to avoid engaging in such thoughts 00:45:55 David Swiderski, WI: I find this prayer helpful in challenging times. At one point in my life I felt great despondency having lost everything I had, living in a country I did not want to live in and largely being alone barely surviving. After a time I realized I only had belief and needed to work on actual faith. 00:46:41 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Mobile-Litany-of-T..." with ❤️ 00:47:10 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, first paragraph, #5 00:50:31 Jessica McHale: Psalm 119 -- i love it 00:53:29 Maureen Cunningham: Kind of like bad acting verse when a person capture the character of the person he playing 01:00:12 Myles Davidson: Lead Kindly Light by Cardinal Newman https://spiritualdirection.com/2012/04/01/lead-kindly-light 01:01:08 Anthony: Here is a Tolkein digression: Frodo is given a gift to light him in the darkness (which I think is Marian "grace,") but it's such a generous gift that even his friend Sam can wield it in need.  The gift of Mary is a kind of kindly light when all is dark. 01:01:29 Ben: Reacted to "Here is a Tolkein di..." with 👍 01:02:53 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Here is a Tolkein ..." with ❤️ 01:03:33 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Lead Kindly Light ..." with 👍 01:09:09 Nypaver Clan: My dad used to always tell us, “Give until it hurts.” 01:09:24 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "My dad used to alw..." with ❤️ 01:12:23 Myles Davidson: I came across a book years ago (can’t remember the name) filled with stories of people who went through the Great Depression who said they were the best years of their life, due to the strong community spirit and acts of charity that bonded people 01:15:44 Lee Graham: Awesome group. Thank you. 01:15:50 Catherine Opie: Perfect for me as I am a complete beginner 🙏🏻 01:15:55 Jessica McHale: Thank YOU!!! 01:16:34 Jessica McHale: Prayers for you all!!! 01:16:36 Christopher Berry: Thank you, Father! 01:16:38 Art iPhone: Thank you Father! Good night all. 01:16:39 Elizabeth Richards: And with your spirit 01:16:40 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂 01:16:40 Bob Čihák, AZ: Bless you, Father. 01:16:50 Catherine Opie: God bless 01:16:52 David Swiderski, WI: Thank you Father may God bless you and your mother 01:17:00 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you

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