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

St. Isaac the Syrian leads us into a subtle yet decisive truth about the spiritual life: to taste of God rightly, one must be weaned from the world—not only from its visible distractions and passions, but also from the premature grasping of spiritual visions and insights. Renunciation, for Isaac, is not merely the abandonment of external goods; it is the letting go of everything that agitates, excites, or exceeds the soul’s present capacity.

Like a child given honey before it can digest it, the soul that seeks lofty knowledge or noetic vision without purification risks sickness and collapse. This is why Isaac insists that silence and stillness are the true companions of renunciation. The soul must be emptied and simplified, freed from the clutter of worldly images, memories, and concerns. Only then can she begin to perceive, not in phantasy, but in the true theoria that God bestows upon the humble and pure of heart.

Silence, for Isaac, is the protection of this delicate work. It guards the soul from shameless curiosity about mysteries that surpass her strength, and it teaches her to receive revelation with reverence, not presumption. Stillness, likewise, is the arena where renunciation becomes fruitful. By cutting off the “exterior war” of the senses—sight, hearing, chatter, possessions—the soul is fortified against the subtler inner warfare of thoughts. In this solitude, prayer and Scripture reading form the new conversation of the heart, replacing worldly recollections with the remembrance of God.

Thus renunciation is not negative but deeply positive: it creates space for mercy, for purity, for true prayer, and for the divine astonishment that halts the soul in stillness before the mysteries of God. Isaac reminds us that almsgiving and voluntary poverty open the heart to boldness before God, but stillness is the summit—where the soul is no longer divided, tossed about, or burdened, but rests in the radiant quiet of God’s presence.

Renunciation, then, is not escape but transfiguration. It severs us from the false sweetness of the world and teaches us to taste, in measure, the true sweetness of God. It bids us to be content with what is given, to wait in silence for the moment when grace itself will lift us beyond our measure, and to remain always in the humility by which mysteries are revealed.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:05:39 Bob Čihák, AZ: Our current book is “The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, revised 2nd Edition” 2011, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, https://www.bostonmonks.com/product_info.php/products_id/635 . This hard-covered book is on the expensive side but of very high quality.

00:12:38 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 147, halfway down page

00:26:41 carolnypaver: Page # ?

00:26:51 Andrew Adams: 148

00:26:59 carolnypaver: Reacted to "148" with 👍

00:28:34 Myles Davidson: I love these mystical passages of Isaac. No-one gets closest to being able to express the inexpressible as he is able.

00:28:46 Ben: Reacted to "I love these mystica..." with 👍

00:28:49 Bob Čihák, AZ: Reacted to "I love these mystica..." with 👍

00:30:22 Joshua Sander: Feel free to simply say, "He'll get to that," if Isaac expounds upon this later, but what, in Isaac's view, is the place of intellect in this way of going about the spiritual life? How can the intellect serve as an aid to this rather than, as it often has in the West, as a barrier to it?

00:32:12 Gwen’s iPhone: Didn’t St. Francis worry about that.

00:35:03 Myles Davidson: Someone has done an audiobook of Orthodox Psychotherapy on YouTube if anyone is interested

00:35:59 Eleana: Reacted to "Someone has done an ..." with 👍

00:36:07 Russ’s iPhone: How does Isaac integrate the emotions into the spiritual life and their impact on contemplation, our intellect, nous and our ability to discern our experience of God. Is his approach to the spiritual life highly intellectual?

00:36:14 David: What happened to Evargius Pontus did pride later take hold of him I find it strange he had so much insight but is not a Saint and from what I read apparently deviated in the end of his life.

00:36:14 Lee Graham: Reacted to "Someone has done an …" with 👍

00:36:25 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Someone has done an ..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoDG3c_p7-U

00:38:01 David: I have read most of what Evarigus wrote and Talking Back is amazing.

00:38:13 Adam Paige: Reacted to "Someone has done an …" with 👍

00:40:03 Ryan Ngeve: Reacted to "Someone has done an …" with 👍

00:42:14 Bob Čihák, AZ: Reminds me of Lossky: "All theology is mystical theology" in his book "Mystical Rtheology."

00:42:41 Bob Čihák, AZ: Theology

00:43:33 Gwen’s iPhone: It just hit me that Francis was concerned about intellectual that it would take him away from following Christ. He let others like Bonaventure to be more intellectual.

00:44:33 Mary 🕊️: What should we do if we find it very difficult to identify our sin?

00:44:45 Erick Chastain: The kephalia gnostika by evagrius is said to have problematic passages. See the timios pro dromos commentary on the evagrian ascetical system for details.

00:46:25 Eleana: The sorrowful mother to revel the heart's mysteries as Simon said during the presentation of Christ her pierced heart.

00:47:24 Anna: I find minimal weekly confession and if necessary more, makes one more sensitive to see our sins with clarity. It's like unpeeling an onion.

00:49:07 Zack Morgan: Even St. Poemen turned his own mother away which made her happy with an attitude of "would you rather see me now or not distract me from my prayer and fasting so that you can more assuredly see me in heaven".

00:50:20 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "I find minimal weekl..." with 👍🏻

00:51:01 carolnypaver: Reacted to "I find minimal weekl..." with ❤️

00:51:57 carolnypaver: Reacted to "Even St. Poemen turn..." with 😮

00:53:38 Adam Paige: Reacted to "I have read most of …" with ☦️

00:54:46 Catherine Opie: Fr. does the saying of "for these and any other sins..." during the act of contrition at confession cover this aspect of ourselves not being able to perceive or remember every single sin? If we are truly repentant and contrite?

00:55:38 Mary 🕊️: Two more questions....What does a purified heart look like? How do we recognize if our heart is becoming purified?

00:57:35 Una: Who wrote the book The Ascetical Art? Is that the correct title?

00:57:49 carolnypaver: Replying to "Who wrote the book T..."

Heart

00:58:01 carolnypaver: Replying to "Who wrote the book T..."

Not art

01:02:08 Una: Oh, thank you! I can't find any book with the title The Ascetical Art

01:03:33 Adam Paige: Replying to "Oh, thank you! I can…"
Maybe you could write it ! ☺️ https://open.substack.com/pub/frcharbelabernethy/p/ascetic-heart-reflections-on-the-db0?r=26c6hk&utm_medium=ios

01:04:15 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "Maybe you could writ..." with 🙏

01:07:38 Eleana: Replying to "Oh, thank you! I can..."

I print them and meditated them during my work day.

01:08:01 Una: I guess it's not a book tthen? At least, not ye

01:08:05 Una: yet

01:13:09 Naina: Thank you Father 🙏✝️

01:13:14 Anna: Can you explain about Saturday

01:13:32 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you Lords Blessing to all Prayers for Father

01:13:38 Una: He gives extra talks on some Saturdays, Anna

01:13:54 Una: evenings, around  7 pm

01:13:55 Anna: How do I sign up

01:14:01 Andrew Adams: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father!

01:14:01 Una: You'll get an email

01:14:02 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

01:14:06 Catherine Opie: Thank you so much Fr. God bless! have a blessed weekend. I always include you in my prayers.

01:14:09 David: Thank you Father and God bless you and your mother