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

Renunciation: The word has certain connotations that are often tied to deprivation or unhappiness. What we find in the writings of the great ascetics, St. Isaac especially, is something quite different; the weaning of ourselves from the things that we are attached to in the world in order to become more attached to God, to what endures and fills the soul with consolation and strength. 

For example, we are called to embrace the practice of vigils, to rise during the night to pray and thereby humbling the mind and the body. Yet Isaac does not see this as costly but rather as restorative and promising consolation in times of trial and affliction. It is in silence, often deepest during the night and free of distraction, that we are able to listen to God and receive what he desires to give us.  Likewise, we are to persevere in spiritual reading while we dwell in stillness. We let go of the hectic pace of society and the busyness into which we often thrust ourselves in order to taste the sweetness of the wisdom of the scriptures and the fathers. Perhaps more challenging, we are told that we are to love poverty. We are to willingly let go of material goods and radically simplify our lives. In doing so, Isaac tells us, the mind remains collected and is secured from wandering. We often become anxious about our worldly security and protecting what ilwe have come to possess. We become driven to spend more time focused on the things of this world than we are pursuing the life of virtue and prayer. In a similar vein, Isaac tells us to detest superfluity so that our thoughts might remain untroubled. Again, filling our lives with things, activities, work or social engagements steals from us solitude and the silence that is born from it. Surrounded constantly by the noise and the affairs of the world we begin to experience intense anxiety and depression seeing only the presence of chaos and violence that makes one question reality and the value and purpose of life. 

Part of the beauty of reading the desert fathers is that they reveal to us the beauty and the dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the blood of Christ.  Their lives and their writings fill the heart with hope in a dark world and set the soul on fire to to embrace what has been promised us by our Lord.

To God be the glory unto ages of ages. Amen.

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Text of chat during the group: 

00:04:19 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 143, first short paragraph, 6

00:12:49 cameron: The names again please

00:14:56 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 143, first short paragraph, 6

00:14:59 cameron: Monk and monastery

00:15:13 cameron: Thank you.

00:20:52 Myles Davidson: Replying to "P. 143, first short ..."

“Honor the work of vigil…”

00:21:55 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 143, first short paragraph, 6

00:32:20 James Hickman: For years I’ve found myself waking up against my will, then over the years (more recently, and not always!) seeing it as a gift. But when I have an icon on my wall, I find it a grace when I lay there awake in bed and make simple prayer of the heart, simple acts. This seems valuable. I’ll be ok to hear if there’s more expected than this. Objectivity is desired here. Work in progress here.

00:33:05 David: I have a prayer book that has a Greek orthodox evening prayer and in the ending it says "we sing to you in the night- Holy, holy holy are you oh God, through the prayers of the Theotokos have mercy on me". Is this a practice when one begins a vigil? When I do wake I always try to say it but was not sure if it is something formal in vigils?

00:35:59 Jessica Imanaka: Several Trappist monks I know have said they don't need as much as sleep as medical science dictates. The deceased abbot used to say that prayer reduces the physical need for sleep. Whenever I go on retreat, praying the full office, I just can't sleep as much. My body doesn't want to.

00:36:13 Anthony: On waking up at night....some people say 3am is the devil's hour, so it's advisable to pray then.  I think that gives way too much focus on the devil's? Or is this real Christian tradition?

00:40:58 Myles Davidson: The noonday devil was a desert father thing

00:41:11 Nicholas B. Besachio: What does St. Issac say about demonic attacks on Faith.

00:41:26 Rebecca Thérèse: Christ died on the cross at 3pm so Satanists say a black mass at 3am, that's why some people refer to it as the devil's hour

00:42:30 Bob Čihák, AZ: Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin did a Mysterious World session # 98 on “Sleep” which I found helpful. Cf. http://jimmyakin.com/ .

00:43:45 Thomas: I have heard priests say not to pretend to be monks what do they mean by this, because we should imitate them

00:46:06 Una: Reacted to "Catholic apologist..." with 👍

00:47:24 Ryan Ngeve: Father why is it the case that there is so much negligence or ignorance on guarding the heart/mind. Especially in today’s world

00:49:44 Jessica Imanaka: A Russian Orthodox monk advised me about a year ago to view my family life as my monastery.

00:51:01 James Hickman: The renewal of the domestic church in the west, particularly after Vatican II, seems to be the closest thing the Latins wish to recover a monastic (single focus) mindset. The family home should be a place of daily prayer of Scripture, rituals, etc that lead to putting on the mind of Christ. We still hear: don’t be a monk, but the lay vocations are being given a good challenge to strive for holiness. Might be centuries to really recover

00:53:46 James Hickman: https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/parents/tools-for-building-a-domestic-church#:~:text=Find%20a%20time%20that%20works,home%2C%20and%20in%20every%20bedroom.

00:56:08 Jeffrey Ott: Where can we find that prologue from St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain?

00:56:34 Erick Chastain: There is a wonderful new book by a Benedictine monk that describes custody of the heart and interior silence among other things (From Silence to Silence by Fr Francis Bethel):

https://tanbooks.com/products/books/from-silence-to-silence-a-benedictine-pilgrimage-to-god-s-sanctuary/

00:57:35 James Hickman: Replying to "There is a wonderful…"
Clear Creek is a refuge!

00:57:50 Erick Chastain: Reacted to "Clear Creek is a ref..." with 👍

00:58:39 Erick Chastain: Replying to "There is a wonderful..."

Yes, Fr Bethel is at Clear Creek

01:02:56 Jeffrey Ott: Replying to "Where can we find th..."

Thanks!

01:03:05 Anthony: I think I got the Rule of St Basil from 8th Day

01:03:39 Erick Chastain: oklahoma

01:06:10 James Hickman: Replying to "There is a wonderful…"
Thomas

01:06:18 Anthony: Fr Thomas Dubay?

01:07:45 Myles Davidson: Happy are You Poor: The Simple Life and Spiritual Freedom by Fr Thomas Dubay
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0898709210?ref_=mr_referred_us_au_nz

01:09:27 Ryan Ngeve: Father do you think the absence of monastic bishops in the western church could have something to do with the spirituality crisis? Bishop Erik Varden (Trappist) seems to be a breath of fresh air

01:12:53 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Happy are You Poor: ..."

👆Australian Amazon 
👇US Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Are-You-Poor-Spiritual-ebook/dp/B002HE1K8S/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hsMFxzX8IlA-ylEJ2L4PwA._WS7Go4mNqegxcy1NTQDBJiyC5RAmFcgPvoW9t8QpMg&qid=1753316681&sr=8-1

01:15:34 Rod Castillo: Yes, as Director of Religious Education in my parish, I attend endless meetings.  They are mind numbing!

01:16:55 David: The biggest change in my parish was a small adoration chapel which now needs to be expanded as it is always full and open 24/7. A small group started it but it has drawn a large amount of Gen Z people to our parish. It really has been astounding to me. Years ago daily mass was just old people now 50 to 100 people attend including families.

01:17:33 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "The biggest change i..." with 🙏

01:17:33 Lilly: No such thing as too many monastic books 🙂

01:17:49 Nypaver Clan: Replying to "The biggest change i..."

Where do you live? Where is this chapel?

01:18:40 Anthony: The chaos of Covid & scandal showed us all that we want something more & deep. I see this in my diocese.

01:19:02 James Hickman: Reacted to "No such thing as too…" with ❤️

01:19:38 Catherine Opie: Our priest asked us to organise a pilgrimage here in NZ and it consumed our entire lives for a whole year. However what an opportunity to develop charity through working with others. 🤣

01:20:53 David: If the devil can't make you bad he will make you busy- Fr. Josh Johnson

01:21:09 Ben: Reacted to "If the devil can't m..." with 😆

01:21:23 Lilly: On Feast of Saint Elias, we had 2 priests provide confessions left and right side of the Iconostasis. I've never seen it before ❤️

01:23:40 Anthony: In Naples, multiple confessionals were all over the Gesu Nuovo, and a few were populated by priests. In Reggio Calabria cathedral, the priest was sitting out in the open, ready to receive penitents.

01:25:07 Jacqulyn: Thank you!

01:25:40 Catherine Opie: Thank you Fr. God bless. ❤️

01:25:41 cameron: Thank you Father!

01:25:42 Diana Cleveland: Thank you!

01:25:43 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

01:25:46 Jeffrey Ott: Thank you!

01:25:51 David: Thank you father god bless you and your mother!