The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily V, Part III

In this section of Homily Five, St. Isaac draws deeply from the ancient well of ascetical wisdom, weaving together the practical counsel of St. Ephraim with his own luminous vision of divine providence. His teaching moves with precision from the diagnosis of sin to the healing of the soul, from the vigilance of self-knowledge to the vision of God’s mercy revealed through trial.

St. Ephraim’s words set the tone: every spiritual illness must be treated by its proper remedy. One cannot overcome a vice through random struggle or general good intentions, but only by applying a medicine suited to the disease. Just as heat is not fought with more heat, so envy, pride, and wrath are not healed through self-will or argument, but through the contrary virtues: humility, patience, and mercy. For St. Isaac, this is the beginning of ascetic discernment. The wise man learns to recognize the first stirrings of passion, and “plucks it up while it is still small,” knowing that what begins as a passing thought can quickly become a tyrant ruling the soul. Negligence is the mother of bondage.

From this root teaching springs one of St. Isaac’s central themes: the blessedness of patient endurance. The one who can suffer wrong with joy, though he has the means to defend himself, has entered into the mystery of the Cross. To bear insult without resentment, to be accused unjustly and respond with humility—these, he says, are the highest forms of virtue, admired even by the angels. Such endurance is not weakness but divine strength, the quiet radiance of faith proven by trial. Here we find the echo of the Beatitudes and of the Apostle’s words, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

St. Isaac then warns against a subtler danger: self-confidence. “Do not believe yourself to be strong until you are tempted and find yourself superior to change.” Virtue untested is unproven. To imagine oneself firm before temptation is to invite a fall, for pride blinds the soul to its own frailty. True strength is born only from humility, the knowledge of one’s dependence upon God. Likewise, knowledge itself can become a snare when it is not rooted in meekness. A “meek tongue” and “sweet lips” reveal a heart governed by peace rather than pride. Those who do not boast of their struggles or their gifts are preserved from shame, while those who glory in their works are permitted to stumble, that humility may be learned through experience.

The culmination of this passage is the vision of divine providence, which St. Isaac presents not as an abstract doctrine but as an experience granted to the purified heart. God’s care, he says, surrounds all, yet it is seen only by those who have cleansed themselves of sin and fixed their gaze upon Him. In times of trial, when the soul stands for the truth, this providence becomes radiant and tangible—as though seen with bodily eyes. God reveals Himself most clearly in suffering, granting His servants courage and consolation. As He strengthened Jacob, Joshua, the Three Youths, and Peter, so too He anoints all who endure affliction for His sake.

In these paragraphs, St. Isaac sketches the entire map of the ascetical path. The soul begins with vigilance, pulling up the roots of passion before they grow. It advances through endurance, learning the joy hidden in unjust suffering. It is tested in humility, discovering that self-reliance is the greatest enemy. And finally, it arrives at the vision of providence, seeing that all things—even trials and delays—are instruments of divine love.

The warfare is inward, but the victory is divine. The heart that ceases to rely on itself learns to rest in God, and the eyes once blinded by passion come to behold His mercy shining through every storm. This is the medicine of the soul and the peace of those who have learned the wisdom of the Cross.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:01:25 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com

00:02:00 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, last line on page, # 8

00:08:00 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: http://www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com

00:10:33 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, last line on page, # 8

00:14:57 jonathan: Would it be fine to just print out a picture of an Icon? Want to make a prayer corner back home.

00:15:23 Jessica McHale: Father, I love this line from your blog post today: “The night is not absence but mystery, not an ending but the quiet preparation for dawn.”  These words help to bring holiness to my rest and to the sometimes challenging night vigils. Thank you!

00:15:42 Adam Paige: Replying to "Would it be fine to …"
Bless the printer with holy water first 😉

00:17:38 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, last line on page, # 8

00:22:21 Ryan Ngeve: Father does that mean we should completely ignore other passions and focus on the most important one until it is uprooted and then move to the next?

00:24:44 Eleana: Father how to be certain that is not scruples?

00:26:58 Adam Paige: Replying to "Father does that mea…"
Saint Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain: “The virtues must be acquired one by one in order, and not all of them together, so that they do not become burdensome and difficult, but easy and light, as St. Isaac said. The virtues must be acquired one by one, for the sake of being helpful and harmless. St. Isaac said, "Each virtue is the mother of the next one. But if you leave the mother who gives birth to each virtue and you seek after the daughters before you acquire their mother, those virtues will prove to be vipers in your soul. And if you do not put them away from yourself, you will surely die." (Handbook of Spiritual Counsel p. 183 “The Virtues Must Be Acquired in Order”)

00:27:59 Eleana: Replying to "Father does that mea..."

Tx.

00:30:10 David Swiderski, WI: I am not sure this is wise counsel but a spiritual director I had in Spain mentioned. How much time to do spend praying to God and how much time do you think about things that lead to vice. First focus on leveling the field to allow grace to enter and second tackle one by one the thoughts that lead you away from focusing on God. Now that I read the fathers I think quite a bit about this .

00:31:41 Vanessa Nunez: How can you reduce anxiety of letting go of control and trust in the lord to be in control of one’s life.

00:33:32 Lilly: Novena of surrender

00:33:42 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Novena of surrender" with ❤️

00:36:21 David Swiderski, WI: Jesus I trust in you, please teach me your ways today. That is an arrow prayer that helped me. The other is the complete serenity prayer by Reinhod I find amazing but most only know the beginning. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as He did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that He will make all things right, If I surrender to His will, That I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

00:37:04 Vanessa Nunez: Reacted to "Novena of surrender" with ❤️

00:37:09 Vanessa Nunez: Reacted to "Jesus I trust in you…" with ❤️

00:37:17 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Jesus I trust in y..." with ❤️

00:46:31 Lilly: What is Meekness?

00:48:09 Rick Visser: Is it boasting to rejoice in what small progress we find in ourselves?

00:50:03 Elijah Majak: Father, is there ever an appropriate time or situation to defend ourselves/speak up or should we just be silent against all  unfair treatment ?

00:51:16 Ryan Ngeve: Reacted to "Saint Nicodemos of t…" with ❤️

00:51:35 Ryan Ngeve: Replying to "Father does that mea…"
Thanks Adam

00:58:40 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 157, last full paragraph, # 11

01:03:51 Ryan Ngeve: Father what does Abba Isaac mean by “acquire sweet lips”

01:04:18 David Swiderski, WI: I have been thinking a lot about what you said about Abba Isaac the strong. Each night I feel lacking seeing the sun set in the west but each morning I look to the east and see the saints and angels.

01:06:21 David Swiderski, WI: Moses yes

01:06:24 David Swiderski, WI: Sorry

01:06:40 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "I have been thinki..." with ❤️

01:06:52 jonathan: I always struggled with the idea of always being soft with people. The Apostles could have a very sharp tongue at times, especially Paul.  Even Christ at times would call people vipers and fools. So how do we balance gentleness, with firmness.

01:09:00 Gwen’s iPhone: Gotta love Peter

01:12:49 Larry Ruggiero: Meekness is the pre emergent to the crab grass

01:15:04 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 158, first paragraph, # 12

01:15:28 Julie: Thankyou God bless Father

01:16:11 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

01:16:15 Jessica McHale: Thank you! Many prayers!   Prayers for you all!

01:16:22 cameron: Thank you Fr

01:16:22 David Swiderski, WI: Thank you father. Always praying for you the steroids and your mom!