Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-five Part II and Letter Twenty-six Part I

Tonight we finished letter 25 and began letter 26. Both begin to describe for us the gift of Baptism and the action of God’s grace in our life. At our baptism the action of that Grace remains hidden. But nonetheless God in His providence acts within us to form and shape the mind and heart according to His will. We are strengthened by the support and prayers of our parents and godparents who continue to form and educate us as we grow.

However, St. Theophan warns Anastasia not to become conceited. She indeed has received the greatest of all gifts and for this she should be forever thankful. Yet it is exactly that - - a gift that is to be embraced and fostered. She must seek to set the spark and the flame of God‘s love ablaze. She must not pity herself but strive to cut away all that would prevent growth and transformation.

In letter 26, St. Theophan uses examples from life such as leaven and dough to describe the character and action of grace in our lives. God‘s grace makes all of our actions grow beautiful and sweet in his eyes. The actions of a baptized person may be exactly the same as one living in the world in terms of externals, but they are animated by the perfect love of God that now dwells within them. The simplest act performed by the grace of God takes on eternal value. Anastasia’s present task, then, must be to strive with her while being to embrace this grace in her life and help it to bear fruit that is acceptable to God. She must increase it and multiply it!

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Text of chat during the group:

00:37:38 Edward Kleinguetl: • Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, “Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts.  What else can I do?”  Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, “If you will, you can become all flame.”

00:46:19 Mark Cummings: We all should celebrate our baptismal day rather than our birthday...even a worm has a birthday!

00:54:52 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: In the East, since one used to receive one's name from the saint being celebrated on the day on which you were born, there arose the custom of celebrating one's "Name's Day" but the emphasis was on one's patron saint not on one's birthday.  Since, in the Byzantine tradition, there's a pre-baptismal prayer by which a guardian angel is assigned to the catechumen, that day was called the "Day of One's Angel".  Often the two days coincided and so, today, in post Soviet societies, they often forget the "Name's Day" aspect and remember only the "Angel's Day", a rather sad reduction from the original connection to baptism....  

01:19:32 Mark Cummings: Thank you!

01:19:39 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Pope John XXIII: Do what you do....