The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XX: On Bodily Vigil, Part II

All that was to be redeemed had also then to be assumed in the Incarnation. All that is human and all that is part of the human experience must be embraced by Christ in order that it might be healed by his grace. 

We are shown this in a very simple way in regards to one of our basic appetites as human beings - sleep. Like any other appetite, it must be ordered rightly; otherwise, it can end up stealing half of our life. Rather than being drawn into the rest of contemplation, we are often pulled into something much less helpful. Instead of engaging He who is Reality, Life and Love, we often seek to escape these things and enter into sleep or the myriad of ways that we can escape reality. 

Therefore, when it comes to prayer, we are often embattled. Sleep can come upon us quickly or we can be drawn to direct or attention to the work of our hands. The Evil One can stimulate the mind at just the right time to pull us away from the comfort and consolation of God into conversation, food, sleep, etc. We must understand that we are engaged in a spiritual battle. When the devil sees us engaging in spiritual warfare, when he sees us developing the discipline of prayer, he will immediately seek to afflicted us with temptations and fantasies the moment the prayer is finished. He will try to snatch away from us the first fruits of the soul. 

We can understand, then, why John tells us that bodily vigil leads to spiritual vigil or alertness. We need to be alert not to protect ourselves from the things of this world, but from the darkness that would enter into our hearts if we do not guard them.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:08:28 FrDavid Abernethy: page 162 para 10   00:09:06 angelo: Reacted to "page 162 para 10" with 👍   00:25:49 Maureen Cunningham: did they recite the Psalms as prayer   00:35:46 Louise: Television induces a trance in most people.   00:43:26 Louise: Another feature of watching television is that we become what we contemplate.   00:45:25 carol nypaver: Amen!🤣   00:46:11 Anthony: Recreation,  re-creation, takes work, and I find it's easy just to watch, but it is agitating and like Lucy, Charlie Brown and the football, it's a recurrent trap around 10pm.   00:47:25 Eric Ewanco: This is a general question that's been percolating for a while in my mind as I've been listening to the sessions: Sometimes the desert fathers come across like salvation is so difficult to achieve that it would tempt me to despair, if I were to give it credence. Can you comment on their perspective, and also what they believed the chances of a layperson to be saved was?   00:47:33 Cindy Moran: I've worked in broadcast TV for 43 years. It's the last thing I pick for relaxation.   00:48:10 Ren Witter: Who was it who said: “I have learned a great deal from television, because, every time it is put on, I leave the room and read a book” ? 🤣 I don’t remember, but I thought it was great at the time.   00:49:39 Cindy Moran: Replying to "Who was it who said:..."     Groucho Marx said this.   00:52:15 Bonnie's iPad (2): In fact it can be quite shocking as to how quickly this can occur.   00:53:01 Art: Reacted to "Who was it who said:..." with 👍   00:53:13 John: I seem to be especially vulnerable to attacks right after Confession - including getting stuck behind a slow driver (the most annoying thing for a New Yorker... 🙂 so I've tried to become very vigilant at that time.   00:55:29 Ambrose Little, OP: Reacted to "I seem to be especia..." with 😅   00:56:27 sue and mark: I remember hearing a priest say that "a saint is not someone who never fell, they just did not make friends with the dirt"  It is not the falling but the getting back up over and over again, according to this priest.   00:57:12 Bonnie's iPad (2): Reacted to "I seem to be especia…" with 👌   01:03:37 Ambrose Little, OP: Replying to "Who was it who said:..."   Say it in your head with his style of speaking—classic. 🙂   01:04:03 Lawrence Martone: It is hard to find a priest/confessor who really understands spiritual warfare and dealing with attacks from demons.  The demons zero in on your weakest points, especially in retaliation after times of holiness and grace.  It can result in deep despondency, or anger, with a total absence of peace.   01:04:27 Lee Graham: Saints fall down and get up   01:05:05 John: Reacted to "It is hard to find a..." with 👍   01:05:38 Eric Ewanco: There is an agraphon (word of Jesus not in the Gospels) recorded in the Byzantine Anointing of the Sick service that goes "As any times as you fall, arise, and you shall be saved".   01:06:14 sue and mark: Reacted to "There is an agraphon..." with 👍   01:07:33 Anthony: Sometimes I've used Frederick Neitsche in a way to help me. Exert the will not to stay in despondency. Despite emotional feeling, maintain a deep determination to hope.   01:09:38 Cindy Moran: I read that EWTN has a new series on The Desert Father's starting Aug 20   01:09:52 Eric Ewanco: Reacted to "I read that EWTN has..." with ❤️   01:12:51 Cindy Moran: 😄   01:13:13 Anthony: That's a mistake I believe the Puritans made.   01:14:58 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:15:41 John: Thank you Father!!   01:15:43 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You   01:15:44 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father...great session!   01:15:49 Krissy: Thank you Fathet