We began this evening by discussing solitude and silence as a means to coming to the truth. One does not have to leave the world or live in the desert to experience this. The true desert exists within the heart and so the experience of the solitude more often than not means stilling the heart and avoiding the noise of the world to such an extent that we can listen to God. Outside of doing this we have a truncated experience of life itself and we become the deaf to the voice of love and truth. If God has created us for himself then above all we should want to hear him and to hear his words of love and mercy. The Fathers’ counsel in this regard is very simple; withdrawing to a remote place begins for most of us simply by closing our mouths; by not adding to the noise of the world but rather allowing ourselves to be drawn into the quiet harbor that prayer offers to us.

In Hypothesis 14 the Fathers seek to show us the link between humility and the fear of God. Each complements the other and feeds the other in such a way that they illuminate the heart. Our experience of the otherness and the holiness of God shows us the path to truth. Our acknowledgement of the fact that we will one day come face-to-face with God leads us to face reality now in the present.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:08:44 Rachel Pineda: Hi Father and everyone! 00:09:15 Gabby: Hello Father and everyone. From Australia 00:09:33 Edward Kleinguetl: G-day 00:10:18 Ashley Kaschl: Hey, Rachel! 😁 and welcome, Gabby! 👋 00:13:04 Rachel Pineda: Well, this is really timely. 😬 00:17:48 Rachel Pineda: Oh that is such good news!! 00:19:11 Edward Kleinguetl: Abba Isidore 00:45:49 Anthony: To "second" Rachel, the nothingness of the Calvinist/Lutheran is different than the nothingness of the Catholic/Orthodox 00:52:40 Anthony: And the Master is eminently lovable/adorable, so fear distorts perception of the Master, and fear is a liar about the Master 00:54:02 Rachel Pineda: I just have to add that the Father I mentioned is a wonderful self sacrificing priest who regularly preaches on the love and mercy of God. I was only speaking of staying in the negative thoughts alone. 01:07:35 Erick Chastain: Luther was not led to what he did by medieval asceticism in the augustinians. Look at how Thomas a Kempis and the other Devotio Moderna people remained in the Augustinian order and flourished. Indeed, Luther had many problems and fetishes, the chief among them being a truly diabolical pride. 01:16:29 Rachel Pineda: Thank you Father! Thank you everyone!

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