The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter V: On Repentance, Part III

It has always been difficult for men to allow God to lead them in accord with His wisdom. There is always a part of us that wants to embrace what fits in with our judgment and view of things rather than allowing God to reveal - that is, to draw back the veil - in order that we might see the deeper truth. This is especially true when it means being drawn into the Paschal Mystery; the dying and rising of Christ and also our participation in that dying and rising. What does this mean for us, what does it mean to be faced with the abyss of sin and its darkness and to experience this darkness within our hearts? What does it mean to walk in hope even though we cannot see what lies ahead, when no light penetrates the darkness. St. John invites us to make that journey. The spiritual life takes place in the context of this tremendous mystery. It is not going to be comfortable and we will often
 want to look away or rationalize why this mystery cannot or does not touch our lives. It becomes very difficult for us to trust in the mercy of God when He invites us so deeply into the mystery of our own redemption. We would still have it our own way. The path of humility and obedient love, especially as we see it manifest on the cross is always going to be a test to our faith and our desire for God.

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Text of chat during the group: 

00:13:45 Cindy Moran: I am changing my name to Cindy Fitznstartz.   00:14:44 Mark Cummings: 😂   00:14:44 Cindy Moran: This was from something you said in your session on Monday.   00:35:24 Cindy Moran: Were the men in the "Prison" still under any obligation to recite the Psalms or something of the like?   00:52:25 Sr Mary of our Divine Savior solt: 2 Peter 2:22 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” Berean Standard Bible · Download     Cross References Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.   John 10:6 Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.     Treasury of Scripture But it is happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.   The dog.   Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.   2 Peter 2:22 " The dog returns to its own vomit and the sow afer washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire..   00:53:07 Sr Mary of our Divine Savior solt: sorry I was thinking about this passage and by accident sent it too quickly   00:57:19 Robert Anderson: that others may be holier than me...powerful   00:59:35 Robert Anderson: the only thing I can take credit for is my sins   00:59:59 Eric Ewanco: 👍🏻   01:01:01 Anthony: The prayers attributed to St. Basil in the Publican's Prayer Book are examples of deep self-knowledge and poverty.  They inspire me in self--knowledge and contrition.   01:07:27 Ambrose Little, OP: Aside: Origen was no atheist. ;)   01:10:12 Daniel Allen: There is an amazing book called Laurus. It’s a recent novel, but it may flesh out the concept of the prison in a detailed way   01:20:20 Anthony: The more deeply and purely one loves, the more grieved one is by evil towards the lover - and horrified when _we did the evil against the Pure Beloved._   01:27:26 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you 🙂   01:27:41 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father