The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXIII: On Pride, Part V and Chapter XXIV: On Meekness, Part I

“We are reading to fast!”  This is typically something that we would never say about our study groups. However, as we sit at the feet of St. John Climacus, we come to the realization that we could sit with a single saying for months on end and not fail to be nourished. 

We concluded our discussion of Step 23 and the difficulty with blasphemous thoughts. The evil one in his envy will seek to distract us with blasphemous thoughts that come like a flash of lightning before the mind. Our one response should be to lay this great burden upon the Lord, to entrust it to him, knowing that it comes not from our hearts but from the malice of the evil one. 

In Step 24 Saint John begins to discuss meekness, simplicity, and guilelessness. As Saint John begins to define it for us, we suddenly experience ourselves as moving too briskly. Meekness is an “unchangeable state of mind, a rock overlooking the sea of anger”. These thoughts alone are enough to alter our view of this great virtue. In the face of the chaos of living in a fallen world or the experience of the hatred and anger of others, meekness becomes a buttress that is unshakable and keeps us from being swept away by touchiness of mind or irritability of heart. Meekness creates the desire for simplicity; to create a place where the Lord will find rest within us. It allows us to maintain dominion over our heart by the simple act of mortifying the intellect and private judgment. In the weeks to come, may we linger along with these thoughts and come to desire this great virtue.

  ---   Text of chat during the group:   00:01:31 Suzanne: Hello! Happy Feast of All Saints!!   00:01:39 FrDavid Abernethy: to you as well!   00:01:54 FrDavid Abernethy: page 175 para 47   00:03:02 Suzanne: Look! The West gets it! From Vespers for All Saints:   00:03:09 Suzanne: Choréa casta vírginum, Et quos erémus íncolas Transmísit astris, cǽlitum Locáte nos in sédibus.   00:03:52 Suzanne: And the Antiphon from the Magnifcat:   00:03:58 Suzanne: Ángeli, * Archángeli, Throni et Dominatiónes, Principátus et Potestátes, Virtútes cælórum, Chérubim atque Séraphim, Patriárchæ et Prophétæ, sancti legis Doctóres, Apóstoli, omnes Christi Mártyres, sancti Confessóres, Vírgines Dómini, Anachorítæ, Sanctíque omnes, intercédite pro nobis.   00:04:23 Sean: I tried to find it, it's out of 'print', no luck   00:06:44 Rachel: ty   00:09:26 FrDavid Abernethy: page 175 para 47   00:14:59 Art: Hello TY and same to you!   00:25:05 Louise: In my culture of origin, in Quebec, Canada, the French-Canadians swear with the names of God and the Eucharist, even psychologists in supervision with me. I ask them to not do so, but they relapse after a while. I thus decided to offer, inwardly, my apologies to Christ when they swear. Can I do something else?   00:25:55 Louise: I would have to exclude them all.   00:28:38 David Swiderski: When I lived in Spain the same issue most swears blasphemous. I was a teacher so just joked wow you need a thesaurs and have a limited and very poor vocabulary. It seemed to work and get a laugh.   00:31:47 Suzanne: equanimity   00:33:05 Fr Marty, ND, 480-292-3381: Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble in heart. It seems, then, that depending on Christ and becoming like Christ transforms us into being humble. So, it seems like it's part of the process of theosis. Is this so?   00:33:37 sharonfisher: How can insecurity be transformed to meekness? I guess I’m asking how to display the strength I feel in Jesus Christ, but the body belies.   00:34:30 Anthony Rago: Something that helps me deal with anger -and bad thoughts - is that any bad thought against a man really reflects on the Lord,  the ne Adanm. And any bad thought against a woman really reflects on our Lady, the ideal of a woman. I don't like that so it helps keep the interior life in check, to dash the infants of evil thoughts against the rocks.   00:38:02 sharonfisher: Replying to "How can insecurity b..."   Thank you - I think my question was more self-centered (ie, not appropriate!)   00:38:38 David Swiderski: On my door to my room I have a quote which I see when I leave and when I go to bed- (In loving one another, God in us made flesh). I often find I fall short at night but seem more careful the next day.   00:40:08 sharonfisher: Reacted to "On my door to my roo..." with ❤️   00:40:58 Daniel Allen: This conversation about meekness makes me think of “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent carry it away” which is very much not being a doormat. So it’s a matter of that violence being directed towards biting our own tongue (or what have you) and not against another.   00:45:09 Suzanne: Fr. Ripperger talks about demons putting negative perspectives on things that are pure illusions, and that get us angry.   00:46:38 Ashley Kaschl: To Suzanne’s point, it’s the cogitative power of the brain that Fr. R talks about, which makes associations, and is why asking the Lord to protect our faculties is so important 😁   00:47:06 Suzanne: Amen Ashley!   00:49:31 sharonfisher: There, that is what I was trying to convey — I feel peace, but the passions and fears overtake. So how to slow or reduce the effect of the physical body that reacts. Apologies if I’m not clear.   00:51:28 Fr Marty, ND, 480-292-3381: Meekness as an unmoveable rock, is strength, and much different than the connotation of meekness as self-effacement and highly flexible that I'm used to in our society. that's helpful   00:53:07 Louise: To help myself not engage in frustrations, angry reactions, etc. I am at times gently reminded by God (I believe) to say, ''May Thy will be done.'' If it comes from God, it is then OK by me.   00:53:52 sharonfisher: Reacted to "To help myself not e..." with ❤️   00:54:10 Fr Marty, ND, 480-292-3381: This strength makes more sense that Moses, the leader and prophet of Israel, could be called the meekest of men.   00:55:48 Suzanne: The actor who played Nectarios wonderfully portrayed the strain and violence - yet tempered with real interior peace and steadfastness - experienced in the practice of the virtue of meekness. Also the deep sadness that oppresses the soul in the face of sad injustice.   01:02:46 Anthony Rago: Italian temper here. I've literally seen red.   01:02:59 Suzanne: Reacted to "Italian temper here...." with 😂   01:03:29 Suzanne: Eh Rago!! Romano here!!   01:03:47 Anthony Rago: Reacted to Eh Rago!! Romano her... with "❤️"   01:10:11 Ashley Kaschl: I think I could contemplate these last handful of paragraphs for months if not years! But could we say that God’s meekness is also a facet of His mercy, too? To me, there seems to be not so much a reaching out from God in meekness but a “staying of His hand”, a resoluteness to endure our infidelity. If ever there was Someone worthy of being angry at being wronged, offended, or betrayed it is God and yet He waits and endures our wretchedness while not destroying us but offering us a way back to Him.   01:11:08 Suzanne: Reacted to "I think I could cont..." with ❤️   01:11:54 Lee Graham: Reacted to "I think I could cont…" with ❤️   01:14:49 Louise: Have a good ''All Saints Day''! Thanks Father!   01:15:13 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:15:20 Victor Haburchak: Thanks   01:15:20 Suzanne: Thank you so much for all the work you do!   01:15:24 David Swiderski: Thank you father! Have a blessed week!   01:15:35 sue and mark: thank you.   01:15:57 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father!   01:16:02 S Fisher: And with your spirit!   01:16:04 Jeff O.: Thank you Father!