The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily IV, Part XI

St. Isaac’s words reveal that communion with God requires remoteness from distraction and a renunciation of whatever disquiets the heart. This is not something reserved for monks alone, though they live it most radically, but it is a law of the Christian life as a whole. For Isaac, the fruits of renunciation are not abstract but very real: tears, compunction, a fountain of sweetness welling up from the heart, light dawning within. These are given not to the distracted soul but to the one who bows like a convict before the Cross, empty-handed and intent upon nothing else. Renunciation is not simply turning away from sin but from every movement that agitates the mind. He calls it a kind of death, both of the outer man in worldly deeds and occupations, and of the inner man in thoughts, passions, and self-will. It is this dying that makes room for the Spirit to raise one into true life.

For the monk, this call is lived in visible and total form: silence, enclosure, vigils, fasting, the cutting away of unnecessary speech and activity. Leaving behind the noise of the world, the monk learns to dwell continually before God. For them Isaac’s words are direct and literal, for one cannot hold onto worldly cares and at the same time enter into the madness of divine love. Stillness is the path by which grace rushes into the heart.

For those living in the world, this teaching does not mean the rejection of responsibilities, but rather the careful discernment of what is indispensable and what is merely disquieting. Isaac himself acknowledges that not all can practice stillness in its fullness, but warns that one should not abandon the path altogether. Instead, there are ways of living the same spirit in daily life: simplicity, which renounces excess possessions, amusements, and chatter that scatter the heart; sobriety of senses, which guards against overindulgence and constant stimulation; interior watchfulness, which makes room for compunction and prayer in the ordinary rhythms of the day; trust in God’s providence, which loosens the grip of anxiety over outcomes. For the layperson, renunciation looks like choosing silence over noise, prayer over distraction, mercy over greed, humility over self-exaltation. In these small dyings the heart is opened to the same fountain of sweetness, even if not in the same intensity as in the solitary monk.

Isaac reminds us that whoever does not voluntarily withdraw from the causes of the passions will be carried away by them in the end. Whether monk or layperson, if the heart is constantly fed on the world’s noise, possessions, and anxieties, it will inevitably be drawn off course. But if one begins to renounce even in small ways, the Spirit quickly comes to give aid, comforting the soul and granting grace. The lesson is clear: every Christian is called to some measure of renunciation, not as loss, but as the doorway to joy and divine consolation. The monk may live it to the depths, but each person in Christ is summoned to taste it in their own measure.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:14:30 jonathan: started trying practising paustinia every Wednesday and Friday. Its been far harder trying to abstain from all forms of entertainment than it is from food. Like fr said, the noon day demon feels heavy.

00:16:55 Catherine Opie: Ave Maria> What page are we on?

00:17:10 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Ave Maria> What page..."

P. 152, last full paragraph on page

00:18:27 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "P. 152, last full pa..." with 🙏🏻

00:31:13 Janine: Rick. Thank you for that!

00:31:22 carolnypaver: Reacted to "Rick. Thank you for ..." with ❤️

00:31:23 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "Rick. Thank you for ..." with 🙏

00:31:37 paul g.: I believe that.  Thank you Rick!

00:32:10 carolnypaver: Love that perspective, Rick.  Thank you for sharing!

00:32:14 Rick Visser: I go to bed early--7-8 pm. I make way for it.

00:32:21 Bob Čihák, AZ: Reacted to "Rick. Thank you for ..." with 🙏

00:33:19 Rick Visser: It is the highest form of human expression

00:33:21 Jessica McHale: As a 46 year old widow, I also find prayer much easier as I am alone and vigils are something I look forward to--all I want is God. :)

00:33:41 Myles Davidson: Waking naturally in the night rather than setting an alarm is the way to go.

00:34:22 David Swiderski, WI: My grandfather mentioned aging helped him let go of the last bits of pride and vanity. Enlarged prostate also led to more vigils. ha ha

00:34:38 Julie: Midnight office

00:35:17 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "Midnight office" with 👍

00:35:26 Mark South: Reacted to "Midnight office" with 👍

00:35:36 paul g.: Reacted to "Midnight office" with 👍

00:35:37 Myles Davidson: Matins

00:49:53 Vanessa: I really did like your X account though Father. It said a lot of beautiful spritual things on it. I checked it everyday.

00:50:09 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "As a 46 year old wid..." with ❤️

00:50:17 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "Waking naturally in ..." with 👍🏻

00:50:53 Rick Visser: Better to pray everyday for the time one was spending on social media.

00:52:45 Catherine Opie: Replying to "I really did like yo..."

You could perhaps repost things from FR or the desert fathers on your account to fill that gap?

00:53:14 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "Better to pray every..." with 👍🏻

00:54:17 Lawrence Ruggiero: I hear your message! I was enjoying your daily post but I found it hard to reject all the junk I did not want waste my time.

00:58:03 David Swiderski, WI: My grandfather was in the merchant marine on the great lakes. He taught me Orion and how to find the north star. He always talked about instruments fail, winds blow but without focus on your north star one can be blow in every direction. It was only reading Issac that I now understand he was not talking about boating.

00:59:37 David Swiderski, WI: We see christ through the light that shines through grandparents or elders. We only need the eyes to see.

01:03:44 David Swiderski, WI: Or boating

01:07:57 Thomas: I have heard that we shouldn’t worry about renouncing the world, because if we live as Christians then the world will renounce us. Is this a correct way of looking at it, or is the only way to live a Christian life to renounce the world and be crucified?

01:11:27 Catherine Opie: https://stmaryhillsboroughnj.org/files/Prayer/BeginningPrayersPrayerToSanticyTheHours.pdf

01:12:35 Myles Davidson: Replying to "https://stmaryhillsb..."

👆The Rule of St. Pachomius

01:12:50 Jessica McHale: ..."and be crucified"...it's the hardest part because it's real. When family, friends, colleagues, aquaintances, even strangers shun you becuase of your faith, it hurts. But with the Cross before us (and His agony in Gethsemane), there's a drop of consolation.

01:12:58 Jessica Imanaka: Reacted to "..."and be crucified..." with 👍

01:13:14 Jessica Imanaka: Reacted to "👆The Rule of St. Pa..." with 👍

01:15:14 Lawrence Ruggiero: Always remember your weakness, "spoke to me". the second part: if your do remember your weakness, you will never over step the boundry of vigilance. Being aware that there is a way of escape encourages me to have this humble awareness.

01:16:31 David Swiderski, WI: I have journals from my youth perhaps for Thomas I think the best advice is to be patient, pray and ask for the gift of discernment and have your hand outreached. Some have vocations to be monks, some parish priest or nuns, but many of us are to have children, love families and hopefully be grandfathers like I was lucky to have who changed everyone he touched. I wished as a young person I would have had the fathers, tools of vigils and fasting and people that would have kept me from the secular academic world which often created confusion from what in my heart was true.

01:17:46 Rick Visser: Reacted to "I have journals from..." with 👍

01:17:51 carolnypaver: Reacted to "I have journals from..." with ❤️

01:18:10 Catherine Opie: I definitely agree with the need for God. I suffered from anxiety and depression, and tried all sorts of therapy, self help stuff. I think there is nothing that comes near confession, communion, penance and prayer focusing on God. I do not suffer from these any more since my conversion.

01:18:31 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "I definitely agree..." with 👍

01:18:31 carolnypaver: Reacted to "I definitely agree w..." with ❤️

01:18:36 paul g.: Reacted to "I definitely agree w…" with 👍

01:18:38 Rick Visser: Reacted to "I definitely agree w..." with ❤️

01:18:50 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "I definitely agree w..." with 🙏

01:19:25 David Swiderski, WI: Reacted to "I definitely agree w..." with ❤️

01:19:36 paul g.: Replying to "I have heard that we…"
You're on the right path !  Stay on it

01:20:06 Elijah Majak: Reacted to "I have journals from…" with ❤️

01:20:22 Elijah Majak: Reacted to "I definitely agree w…" with ❤️

01:20:24 Ben: Where is that blog again?

01:20:29 Jessica McHale: thank you!

01:20:33 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https:/www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com

01:21:16 Catherine Opie: Thank you again Fr. God bless✝️

01:21:23 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂

01:21:34 Thomas: Thank you

01:21:35 Janine: Thank you Father!

01:21:37 Gail Santy: Thank you!

01:21:49 Una: God bless everyone!

01:21:51 jonathan: Thank you Father! Love you lots, have a great day,

01:21:59 Catherine Opie: Replying to "https:/www.philokali..."

Your site is being flagged as insecure in my browser, perhaps make sure SSL certificates are up to date

01:22:00 David Swiderski, WI: Thank you so much father. I am glad you and your mom are better. May God bless you and care for you both you are a light to the world.