The Evergetinos: Book Two - Chapter XXXVIII, Part III

The Evergetinos sets the bar of freedom in a surprising place: anger without cause is not when we flare up over trifles, but whenever we react to any ill-treatment aimed at us. Abba Poimen sharpens the point: even if a brother were to gouge out an eye or cut off a hand, anger would still be without cause—unless he were separating us from God. In other words, the only justified “anger” is zeal for communion with God; all other indignation binds us to the injury and darkens the nous.

From this first edge, the text moves to the Christ-likeness of suffering injustice. One who willingly bears wrongs and forgives becomes “like Jesus”; one who neither wrongs nor suffers wrong is merely “like Adam”; one who wrongs is “like the Devil.” The goal is not moral equilibrium but kenosis: to descend into the humility of Christ who “was reviled and did not revile in return.”

The Evergetinos then baptizes our imagination with stories. Abba Gelasios’ costly book is stolen; he neither exposes the thief nor reclaims it, but quietly commends the buyer to purchase it. His silence pricks the thief’s conscience more effectively than accusation; repentance follows, and the thief remains to be formed by the elder’s life. Abba Evprepios helps thieves carry his goods; noticing a robber’s staff left behind, he runs after them to return it. Abba John the Persian offers to wash the feet of intruders; shame breaks their hardness more swiftly than punishment. Abba Makarios not only helps a thief load a camel with his own belongings; when the animal refuses to rise, he adds the missing tool and blesses the thief’s going—only then does the camel sit again, until everything is returned. These vignettes train the heart to a habitual non-resistance that is anything but passivity; it is a deliberate, creative meekness that seeks the other’s salvation.

Not all the stories end with goods restored. Sometimes the elder simply rejoices to have been counted worthy to lose. One monk prays to be given the chance to imitate such forbearance; when thieves finally come, he lights a lamp, shows them everything, even discloses the hidden coins. He does not wish them to bring anything back. Here dispossession becomes doxology. “We brought nothing into the world” and “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away” are not verses to be quoted at funerals only; they are the grammar of freedom in the face of loss.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:05:09 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 304 Letter E

00:05:25 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: www.philokaliaministries.org/blog

00:10:42 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 304 Letter E

00:14:35 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/blog

00:16:03 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 304, letter E, # 1

00:26:24 Forrest: I am really feeling a great challenge of these writings. Can you help integrate what is in the daily mass readings today: Luke 17:3 "Be on your guard!* If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."  The paragraphs that we are reading here do not even counsel rebuke.

00:33:05 Kate : Would you say that this habitual non-resistance is necessary for the practice of repentance, the continual turning of the mind and heart to God?  That without this non-resistance, then our repentance is not yet where it needs to be.

00:34:04 Joan Chakonas: Its been my experience that suffering injustice is actually easier than attempting correction or pushing back.

00:34:34 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "Its been my experien..." with ❤️

00:36:54 Joan Chakonas: My worst qualities arise when I engage in conflict or corrective confrontation.  I’m working on this

00:38:36 Joan Chakonas: I’m pretty old so I got this perspective from experience

00:39:00 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "I’m pretty old so I ..." with 😃

00:39:59 Forrest: Reacted to "I’m pretty old so I ..." with 👍

00:40:04 Anthony: I wish we had available St Francis relationship with his family after his traumatic break. There is an account of a story with his brother, but did they all ever reconcile?

00:46:46 Joan Chakonas: The thiefs repentance and sorrow was huge

00:47:28 Joan Chakonas: It came about by the mercy of the elder

01:09:23 Joan Chakonas: God permitted these crimes and the holy mens acceptance are illustrative of His great mercy- no psychic pain in their acceptance.  What great gifts

01:13:02 Forrest: Yes, I am comfortable getting angry at thieves. I have to do hard work to fix that.

01:13:23 Anthony: Your soliloquiy reminds me of St Rocco and St Joseph Laboure

01:16:39 Myles Davidson: St Damien of Molokai living and dying with lepers

01:19:33 Larry Ruggiero: Can you cover next week about someone breaking into your home and doing harm to your wife or children?

01:24:44 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

01:24:46 John Burmeister: thanks father

01:24:51 Janine: Thank you Father

01:24:55 Catherine Opie: Thank you god bless

01:25:01 Joan Chakonas: Goes too fast!!