Philokalia Ministries

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

  St. Isaac’s words fall like a plough upon the heart. He does not speak of religion as ornament, nor of spiritual life as a gentle addition to human comforts. His vision pierces through to the marrow: the Kingdom of God is hidden within, yet it is veiled from us by attachments, by the clamor of outward concerns, by the fog of our restless desires. To find God we do not roam heaven and earth, chasing visions or “phantasms.” We are told simply to purify the soul, to drive away cares foreign to our nature, to cultivate humility and chastity of heart. In that stillness, the mysteries of God shine forth. Renunciation, for St. Isaac, is not a dour rejection of creation but a necessary loosening of chains. The soul addicted to “ease,” to possessions, to the endless commerce of sights and sounds, is like wet wood; it cannot ignite with the fire of divine love. Only when stripped, when made poor and simple, can it burn. Poverty, humility, stillness; these are not negations but preparations, making space for the light that transforms. It is a paradox: what seems like loss is the doorway into inexhaustible gain. Isaac teaches us that prayer and reading are not separate paths but one movement of the soul. Reading feeds prayer; prayer clarifies the mind and makes reading luminous. When a man stands in prayer, Scripture rises up within him like fresh springs. It silences distractions, fills the heart with recollection of God, and sometimes overwhelms prayer itself with the sweetness of divine astonishment. Such moments are not learned from books, not borrowed secondhand, they must be tasted. Without the labor of vigilance, no one will know them. Without knocking with persistence, the door remains closed. Yet the fruit of such striving is nothing less than transfiguration. The soul that bows before the Cross in vigil and compunction finds fountains of sweetness rising from within; unexpected, uncaused by effort alone. Joy surges, the body itself trembles with divine consolation, and prayer ceases to be labor and becomes gift. This is the hidden fire of the Kingdom, the mystery known only to those who hunger and thirst for God above all else. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:06:25 susan: what page? 00:11:46 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: No I don’t. I stole it from you 00:37:47 Ryan Ngeve: Father this seems to imply that external converse has a great effect on the internal internal self. How does this relates to the role of the thought as the source of all temptation 00:38:09 Jonathan Grobler: After decades of severe addiction to digital entertainment, silence has become an exceptionally difficult thing to achieve. It is truly a difficult thing to break away from. 00:44:22 Thomas: Will intellectually accepting something eventually lead to belief of that thing in the heart 00:44:40 John Burmeister: Reacted to "After decades of sev..." with 👍 00:50:37 Rachel: I find it hard to come across a confessor that understands I'm trying to expose my thoughts. Roman rite frequently requests obvious sins only.  How would I check my thoughts on my own to God?  I think I'd just be thinking about thinking and will lack simplicity. 00:57:18 susan: yoke mercy to prayer...be kind to yourself trust Jesus will shepherd and guide  forgive yourself trust into the heart of Jesus 01:03:41 Rick Visser: Question:  what is "say your rule of prayer..." In the first line of this para. 01:05:33 Rick Visser: A transcendent "to do" list 01:05:42 Erick Chastain: What kind of reading of scripture has the effects he talks about here? 01:08:16 Maureen Cunningham: What version of the Bible do you think is the closest. I find the Orthodox read much different then other version to include the Eastern  version 01:08:28 Rachel: Do you have a suggestion for the best Bible translation? 01:15:44 Rick Visser: How about D B Hart's New Testament? 01:15:57 Jessica Imanaka: Reacted to "How about D B Hart's..." with 👍 01:15:59 Ben: Ignatius finally released the full Old & New Testament single-volume. 01:16:10 David: CATENA AUREA BY SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS 01:16:41 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you Blessing 01:16:59 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:17:05 Francisco Ingham: Thank you father! 01:17:10 David: Thank you father God bless you and your mother! 01:17:10 Diana Cleveland: Thank you! 01:17:15 Gail: Thank you!  

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• The Evergetinos: Book Two - Part XXXV, Part IV

  The Fathers teach that anger is a form of idolatry. Just as the pagans once bowed before false gods, so too does the man who gives himself to wrath bow before the idol of rage, making himself a slave rather than a disciple of Christ. To renounce anger is to trample down idols and become a bloodless martyr, confessing Christ not with words but with meekness.   The first step in overcoming anger is silence — not speaking when provoked. From this small beginning, grace can bring the soul to tranquility. Abba Moses, once insulted, at first bore it in silence, and later even welcomed humiliation, reproaching himself instead of others. Anger, the elders say, is like a fire that lives on fuel: self-will, pride, contention, the need to be right. If these causes are cut off, the fire goes out; if they are fed, it consumes the heart with remembrance of wrongs and bitterness until the soul is destroyed.   The devil seizes every chance to inflame anger — sometimes over trifles, sometimes under the guise of justice. Yet the one who follows Christ must become a stranger to wrath. The Fathers themselves struggled long: some spent years begging God for freedom from this passion, knowing that controlling the tongue is the doorway to purifying the heart. Outward restraint is not enough; even hidden hatred makes a man a murderer before God. For the Lord searches not only deeds but thoughts, and will judge the secrets of the heart. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:04:58 Catherine Opie: Good evening/morning what page are we currently on? 00:07:04 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 276, G 00:07:46 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "P 276, G" with ❤️ 00:09:28 Anna: He participated in Byzantine Liturgy. In the records there's details on it. 00:10:39 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Evergetinos Volume II page 276 00:11:09 Anna: My daughter is doing a college paper on consecrated life that will bring in desert fathers thanks to these meetings. 00:12:28 Catherine Opie: NZ 00:12:42 Anna: Starting with historical aspects initially which brings in desert fathers and ending in women consecrated life because she feels called to Byzantine monasticism 00:26:48 Anthony: The demons say "what have you to do with us" as if Jesus is the interloper. But they are the outsiders and usurpers. 00:29:44 Maureen Cunningham: Thinking of Saint Padre Pio 00:31:03 Fr. C Mase: There is something to be said for keeping ones mind fixed on ones own repentance. I think that is what Abba-Moses did here. He could have focused on the hurt inflicted on Him but rather focuses on God and on His own repentance. Often it is easy to, when we are wronged, focus on the evil another has done to us. We can especially nowadays with so much evil in the world spend all our time railing about others and turning our eye away from our own vocation. Repentance. 00:32:33 Julie: Reacted to "There is something t…" with 🙏 00:32:44 Andrew Adams: Reacted to "There is something t..." with 🙏 00:33:02 wayne: Reacted to "There is something t..." with 🙏 00:33:08 Janine: Reacted to "There is something t…" with 🙏 00:37:50 Rick Visser: "the causes of anger are giving and taking." I don't understand. What is "giving and taking?" 00:42:17 Anthony: What are the causes due to the passions that if we give them, they go away? 00:44:33 Anthony: So we see it , recognize it and there is no sin if we desire to cut it off? 00:45:42 Forrest Cavalier: The literal greek for "their due" is προῖκα = dowry. 00:53:37 Anthony: Am I correct I can loathe ideas but at the same time wish goodness for people who lived out those ideas? 00:57:52 Maureen Cunningham: Divine Mercy Saint 01:15:54 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Blessing 01:16:09 Andrew Adams: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father! Great discussion tonight! 01:16:14 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:16:18 Catherine Opie: Thank you Fr. This was so perfect for me today. God bless. See you Thursday 01:16:22 Jonathan Grobler: Thank you father, love you lots ! Bye 01:16:26 Troy Amaro: Thank You Father 01:16:37 Janine: Thank you  Father 01:16:50 Bob Čihák, AZ: Thank you & bless you

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

  St. Isaac the Syrian leads us into a subtle yet decisive truth about the spiritual life: to taste of God rightly, one must be weaned from the world—not only from its visible distractions and passions, but also from the premature grasping of spiritual visions and insights. Renunciation, for Isaac, is not merely the abandonment of external goods; it is the letting go of everything that agitates, excites, or exceeds the soul’s present capacity. Like a child given honey before it can digest it, the soul that seeks lofty knowledge or noetic vision without purification risks sickness and collapse. This is why Isaac insists that silence and stillness are the true companions of renunciation. The soul must be emptied and simplified, freed from the clutter of worldly images, memories, and concerns. Only then can she begin to perceive, not in phantasy, but in the true theoria that God bestows upon the humble and pure of heart. Silence, for Isaac, is the protection of this delicate work. It guards the soul from shameless curiosity about mysteries that surpass her strength, and it teaches her to receive revelation with reverence, not presumption. Stillness, likewise, is the arena where renunciation becomes fruitful. By cutting off the “exterior war” of the senses—sight, hearing, chatter, possessions—the soul is fortified against the subtler inner warfare of thoughts. In this solitude, prayer and Scripture reading form the new conversation of the heart, replacing worldly recollections with the remembrance of God. Thus renunciation is not negative but deeply positive: it creates space for mercy, for purity, for true prayer, and for the divine astonishment that halts the soul in stillness before the mysteries of God. Isaac reminds us that almsgiving and voluntary poverty open the heart to boldness before God, but stillness is the summit—where the soul is no longer divided, tossed about, or burdened, but rests in the radiant quiet of God’s presence. Renunciation, then, is not escape but transfiguration. It severs us from the false sweetness of the world and teaches us to taste, in measure, the true sweetness of God. It bids us to be content with what is given, to wait in silence for the moment when grace itself will lift us beyond our measure, and to remain always in the humility by which mysteries are revealed. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:05:39 Bob Čihák, AZ: Our current book is “The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, revised 2nd Edition” 2011, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, https://www.bostonmonks.com/product_info.php/products_id/635 . This hard-covered book is on the expensive side but of very high quality. 00:12:38 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 147, halfway down page 00:26:41 carolnypaver: Page # ? 00:26:51 Andrew Adams: 148 00:26:59 carolnypaver: Reacted to "148" with 👍 00:28:34 Myles Davidson: I love these mystical passages of Isaac. No-one gets closest to being able to express the inexpressible as he is able. 00:28:46 Ben: Reacted to "I love these mystica..." with 👍 00:28:49 Bob Čihák, AZ: Reacted to "I love these mystica..." with 👍 00:30:22 Joshua Sander: Feel free to simply say, "He'll get to that," if Isaac expounds upon this later, but what, in Isaac's view, is the place of intellect in this way of going about the spiritual life? How can the intellect serve as an aid to this rather than, as it often has in the West, as a barrier to it? 00:32:12 Gwen’s iPhone: Didn’t St. Francis worry about that. 00:35:03 Myles Davidson: Someone has done an audiobook of Orthodox Psychotherapy on YouTube if anyone is interested 00:35:59 Eleana: Reacted to "Someone has done an ..." with 👍 00:36:07 Russ’s iPhone: How does Isaac integrate the emotions into the spiritual life and their impact on contemplation, our intellect, nous and our ability to discern our experience of God. Is his approach to the spiritual life highly intellectual? 00:36:14 David: What happened to Evargius Pontus did pride later take hold of him I find it strange he had so much insight but is not a Saint and from what I read apparently deviated in the end of his life. 00:36:14 Lee Graham: Reacted to "Someone has done an …" with 👍 00:36:25 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Someone has done an ..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoDG3c_p7-U 00:38:01 David: I have read most of what Evarigus wrote and Talking Back is amazing. 00:38:13 Adam Paige: Reacted to "Someone has done an …" with 👍 00:40:03 Ryan Ngeve: Reacted to "Someone has done an …" with 👍 00:42:14 Bob Čihák, AZ: Reminds me of Lossky: "All theology is mystical theology" in his book "Mystical Rtheology." 00:42:41 Bob Čihák, AZ: Theology 00:43:33 Gwen’s iPhone: It just hit me that Francis was concerned about intellectual that it would take him away from following Christ. He let others like Bonaventure to be more intellectual. 00:44:33 Mary 🕊️: What should we do if we find it very difficult to identify our sin? 00:44:45 Erick Chastain: The kephalia gnostika by evagrius is said to have problematic passages. See the timios pro dromos commentary on the evagrian ascetical system for details. 00:46:25 Eleana: The sorrowful mother to revel the heart's mysteries as Simon said during the presentation of Christ her pierced heart. 00:47:24 Anna: I find minimal weekly confession and if necessary more, makes one more sensitive to see our sins with clarity. It's like unpeeling an onion. 00:49:07 Zack Morgan: Even St. Poemen turned his own mother away which made her happy with an attitude of "would you rather see me now or not distract me from my prayer and fasting so that you can more assuredly see me in heaven". 00:50:20 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "I find minimal weekl..." with 👍🏻 00:51:01 carolnypaver: Reacted to "I find minimal weekl..." with ❤️ 00:51:57 carolnypaver: Reacted to "Even St. Poemen turn..." with 😮 00:53:38 Adam Paige: Reacted to "I have read most of …" with ☦️ 00:54:46 Catherine Opie: Fr. does the saying of "for these and any other sins..." during the act of contrition at confession cover this aspect of ourselves not being able to perceive or remember every single sin? If we are truly repentant and contrite? 00:55:38 Mary 🕊️: Two more questions....What does a purified heart look like? How do we recognize if our heart is becoming purified? 00:57:35 Una: Who wrote the book The Ascetical Art? Is that the correct title? 00:57:49 carolnypaver: Replying to "Who wrote the book T..." Heart 00:58:01 carolnypaver: Replying to "Who wrote the book T..." Not art 01:02:08 Una: Oh, thank you! I can't find any book with the title The Ascetical Art 01:03:33 Adam Paige: Replying to "Oh, thank you! I can…" Maybe you could write it ! ☺️ https://open.substack.com/pub/frcharbelabernethy/p/ascetic-heart-reflections-on-the-db0?r=26c6hk&utm_medium=ios 01:04:15 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "Maybe you could writ..." with 🙏 01:07:38 Eleana: Replying to "Oh, thank you! I can..." I print them and meditated them during my work day. 01:08:01 Una: I guess it's not a book tthen? At least, not ye 01:08:05 Una: yet 01:13:09 Naina: Thank you Father 🙏✝️ 01:13:14 Anna: Can you explain about Saturday 01:13:32 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you Lords Blessing to all Prayers for Father 01:13:38 Una: He gives extra talks on some Saturdays, Anna 01:13:54 Una: evenings, around  7 pm 01:13:55 Anna: How do I sign up 01:14:01 Andrew Adams: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father! 01:14:01 Una: You'll get an email 01:14:02 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:14:06 Catherine Opie: Thank you so much Fr. God bless! have a blessed weekend. I always include you in my prayers. 01:14:09 David: Thank you Father and God bless you and your mother

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• The Evergetinos: Book Two - Part XXXV, Part III

  The fathers speak with one voice concerning the passion of anger: it blinds the eyes of the soul and expels the grace of the Spirit. St. Cassian tells us that even a “just cause” for anger blinds no less than an unjust one; whether gold or lead is pressed over the eyes, sight is equally obstructed. So too when anger burns, whether cloaked in righteousness or openly irrational, the light of the Sun of Righteousness is veiled from us. The words cut to the quick: we are not to excuse or harbor even a trace of anger. For Christ Himself declared that “whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of judgment” (Mt. 5:22). St. John Chrysostom tells us that scribes added the phrase “without a cause” to soften the command, but the Lord’s intention was uncompromising: to root out the seed entirely, lest it grow into the frenzy that enslaves the heart. For the hesychast this teaching is clear: isolation is no refuge from anger. Cassian admits to raging at sticks of wood or the stubbornness of flint that would not spark quickly enough. The desert does not strip away anger; rather, it exposes it. If we think that by fleeing from brothers we escape the trial of forbearance, we deceive ourselves. Without the correction of life in common, passions grow unchecked, and even inanimate things can draw forth our wrath. Thus, for both monk and layman, anger must be confronted at its root. What, then, of those living in the world, immersed in the irritations and burdens of ordinary life? The fathers offer no easier path for them. Anger in the household, in work, in traffic, in all the frictions of daily existence—these, too, are occasions for forbearance, the training ground of meekness. The same Christ who commands the desert hermit commands also the parent, the spouse, the worker: “Be angry, and sin not” (Ps. 4:4). Turn anger not against neighbor or circumstance, but against the thoughts that seek to enslave. St. Maximos is clear: fasting and vigils restrain bodily desires, but anger is cured only by kindness, charity, love, and mercy. This is the practical labor of every Christian, monk or lay: to return insult with silence, to meet disturbance with meekness, to smother wrath with prayer.  The fathers remind us soberly that chastity, poverty, vigils, and every hardship will avail nothing if anger reigns in the soul on the Day of Judgment. For anger drives out the Spirit; where wrath abides, peace cannot dwell. And he who is without peace is also without joy.  Thus the path is narrow. Anger is a pit, and blessed is he who jumps over it, pulling the gentle yoke of Christ to the end with meekness. This is no less true for those in the city than for those in the desert. Whether at the dinner table, in the workplace, or in the monastery, each moment of provocation is an invitation to humility, to accuse oneself rather than another, to seize the opportunity for compunction rather than resentment. If we endure, grace will come. What seems at first an impossible command—to eradicate anger entirely—becomes, by the Spirit, an easy yoke. For the fathers remind us: all things are possible to the one who bends low in humility, entrusting his passions to Christ who alone can heal the soul. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:13:39 Tracey Fredman: I miss seeing Lori. I hope she's doing well. 00:16:52 Adam Paige: It’s Greek, he writes in Greek 00:18:54 Adam Paige: Some of his books are available digitally, but not Flying over the Abyss 00:19:41 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 272 St. John Cassian 00:20:30 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 272 E 00:44:26 Jacqulyn: Living on a ranch, I totally understand that feeling! 00:45:02 Erick Chastain: Is the worsening of the logismoi in the wilderness as opposed to when you are out in the world dependent on whether one is an introvert/extrovert? 00:45:13 Jacqulyn: Yes, I do! But the sheep keep me focused! 00:45:37 Bob Čihák, AZ: I get angry at myself, but not for long. 00:52:17 Anthony: Lately I've been encouraged by St Francis, who instead of getting wrathful with himself called his erring self "Brother Ass." 00:56:35 Hey Oh! : Augustine said that  anger is like an unwanted guest. Once we let it in we don’t know how long it will stay or what it will do in our home (hearts). 00:57:39 Rick Visser: It seems that in contemporary psychology there is a strong tendency not to deny the anger that exists in us. We must allow it, not repress it. 00:58:12 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "It seems that in con..." with 😢 00:59:14 Anthony: Perhaps, then, a sense of false or overbearing shame is a form of anger directed against the self, even, when we remember things we did wrong and have repented of. 01:08:28 Myles Davidson: That was super insightful from St Maximos 01:09:25 Catherine Opie: What are your thoughts on using intense physical exercise like, running for example, to get rid of anger? Or should we simply develop the self control to not even become angry to that level? 01:11:35 Myles Davidson: Replying to "That was super insig..." Both the result of anger and the cure 01:12:01 Julie: Reacted to "That was super insig…" with 🙏 01:14:24 Catherine Opie: So probably genuflections with prayer then... 01:16:38 Catherine Opie: Perfect subject for me this week. Thank you Fr. God bless. 01:16:43 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:16:48 Maureen Cunningham: Blessing thank you 01:16:51 Janine: Thank you Father

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

  Synopsis of Tonight’s Group on The Ascetical Homilies of St Isaac the Syrian Homily 4 paragraphs 23 and following: St. Isaac teaches us that true spiritual perception, when granted by grace, is marked not by outward signs of exaltation, but by tears, peace of the senses, and the silence of the body before the living God. Such tears are not emotional outbursts, but a baptism of compunction — torrents flowing from eyes opened to behold reality as it is in God. They cleanse the heart, heal the passions, and usher the soul into a stillness that surpasses every worldly delight. His counsel guards us against curiosity and presumption in the spiritual life. Just as honey, if consumed in excess, becomes harmful, so too the pursuit of visions, lofty speculations, or knowledge beyond our measure can damage the soul. Instead, we are called to humility, patience, and silence. The mysteries of God are not seized by force of intellect but revealed to the pure of heart, to those who patiently endure the rugged way of purification. The ascetical life, then, is not about chasing extraordinary experiences but about purifying the heart through prayer, watchfulness, solitude, merciful love, and immersion in the Scriptures. Reading and prayer become companions, one feeding the other, until the mind is illumined and prayer flows with clarity. In such a state, the soul is lifted, yet simultaneously learns timidity — a holy shame at daring to draw near to what surpasses her nature. This shame, however, is itself a sign of humility, a safeguard against delusion. Thus, St. Isaac reminds us that the authentic path of prayer and spiritual knowledge is marked by sobriety, contrition, silence, humility, and charity. Tears are the sign of divine visitation; restraint and reverent stillness are its guardians. In this, the spiritual life becomes less about grasping after what is beyond us and more about receiving with wonder what God grants to the lowly. --- Text of chat during the group:   00:10:06 Tracey Fredman: https://www.pemptousia.tv/view/b/category/Programs/subCategory/saint_paisios_from_farasa_to_the_heavens__bbFSg/id/saint_paisios_from_farasa_to_the_heavens_episode_9_o69MH/lang/el_GR 00:11:23 Thomas: https://ancientfaith.us/media1 00:13:19 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 147, top of page 00:31:10 David: There is so much that delights the mind in the fathers and often heroic thoughts of doing more vigils, fasting, reading ahead come to mind. I often only am left with a superficial understanding I can't remember. I think one needs to digest slowly like food 00:32:39 David: On the negative side I watch my son's dog everytime she eats grass I find myself making the sign of the cross 00:33:02 Diana Cleveland: Fr. Can you say more what you mean by crisis of faith? Do you mean the kind of crisis that makes you question God or the kind that makes you not want to walk with God? 00:35:33 Anthony: Sometimes I want to lash out at "God" but then realize that is a false image, a mask I've imposed on God.  And then, I realize....it'll all be Ok, the false image is not the God Who loves me. 00:40:37 David: Each night I read from the psalter of St. Ephraim it seems to ground me thinking this saint speaks to my struggles. Sometimes with Climatus and Issac it seems like they have it all figured out and have unabtainum. 00:41:12 David: Mythical not obtainable 00:41:17 David: Used in business for products 00:45:29 Julie: How do you know which tears are for God and someone like me who can cry so easily reading lives of the saints and someone’s sorrows etc. 00:51:16 David: I read somewhere the west seeks to capture the understanding by the intellect and the east seeks to have it revealed by grace to the nous. 00:55:02 Francisco Ingham: I’ve heard say that the west is the mind of the Church and the east is her heart  We need to be deeply acquainted with both spiritual traditions 00:57:26 David: The first book published in the Americas was The Ladder of Devine Ascent. I often wonder if the fruits of the west (much better at evangelical efforts) might have been they also were still breathing with "both lungs" as St. John Paul mentioned. 00:57:40 David: Sorry type Divine Ascent 00:58:27 Kathleen: Describe in your words discursive and non-discursive relative to tonight’s teaching.  I know the definition but want to grasp it further. Perhaps you can provide further insight. 01:02:20 Francisco Ingham: Such a blessing to hear your thoughts on this topic. Truly edifying. Thank you Father 01:11:39 Maureen Cunningham: As 01:11:54 Maureen Cunningham: AA 01:14:17 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you 01:14:50 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:15:00 Diana Cleveland: Thank you! 01:15:02 David: Thank you father God bless you and your mother 01:15:17 David: As we continue to prayer for you  

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