Philokalia Ministries

We are brought to the denouement of the Ladder in these final steps on Dispassion and the “Trinity of Virtues” - Faith, Hope and Love. The words of St. John ring forth as if from the mouth of a poet. It is only one who has experience of and has seen the beauty of Divine love who can then speak of the urgent longing that begins to take over the soul when it no longer is held back by the weight of sin or one’s ego. The dispassionate man, St. John tells us, no longer lives himself, but Christ lives in him. He has eyes only for the beloved and living in constant union with him.  All becomes Grace; Christ’s virtue becomes our virtue, Christ’s strength becomes our strength, Christ’s love becomes our love.  Understanding this we must not allow anything to hold us back. Above all we should desire to enter into the bridal chamber; for this is exactly what Christ has made possible for us. Our relationship with God is often described with nuptial imagery; we are destined to become one with the most holy Trinity. What excuse could we possibly put forward for not at least seeking to break through the wall of our sin by embracing the forgiveness that is so freely offered? St. John’s discussion of dispassion leads us to the final step of the Ladder. The theological virtues, named so because they have God as their end, become St. John’s subject matter. These three are preeminent because they endure unto eternity. The greatest of them, love, allows no respite for the soul but drives her on with a kind of blessed madness. Overcome with an urgent longing for the Beloved it takes on a greater resemblance to God in so far as this is possible. The soul becomes inebriated - so often does it seek to satisfy its thirst for divine love. Having satisfied this desire the heart expands, taking on  distinctive properties where it becomes a fountain of faith, an abyss of patience and a sea of humility. What takes place then is extraordinary: love banishes every thought of evil or judgment. Only mercy, forgiveness and compassion remain. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:13:44 Myles Davidson: According to Wikipedia Scorcese is doing one on Moses the Black   00:14:08 Myles Davidson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese_Presents:_The_Saints   00:18:40 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 243, #13   00:37:15 Anthony: Renzo Allegri write a book: "Padre Pio Man of Hope." Good book.   00:39:32 Anthony: And this is why legalism and scrupulousity is such a problem. They strangle wonder and longing.   00:41:29 Anthony: Franciscans are  like the east   00:56:20 Anthony: Eastern Star   00:56:26 Leilani Nemeroff: Eastern Star   00:57:29 David: A book that really lead me to the fathers and from mere belief to faith was "What Difference Does Jesus Make"- Frank Sheed. Really hard to find not sure why this is not more popular.   00:59:25 carol_000: What time zone did this meeting start at 7:30   00:59:34 Nypaver Clan: EST   00:59:34 David: EST   00:59:48 carol_000: Thanks   01:00:09 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "Thanks" with 🥰   01:01:21 Sr Barbara Jean Mihalchick: The kingdom must be preached/shared -  we are way too silent about sharing our faith...   01:02:42 Sr Barbara Jean Mihalchick: Guardini has a great book on prayer..   01:02:49 Jeff O.: Reacted to "Guardini has a great..." with 👍   01:04:42 carol_000: Calgary, Alberta Canada.  Mountain Standard Time. My first time here.   01:05:07 Nypaver Clan: Meditations Before Mass - Guardini   01:05:07 Myles Davidson: Welcome 🙂   01:06:19 carol_000: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   Thanks.   01:07:33 Nypaver Clan: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   Hooray!  Glad you found us! 🙏🏼   01:07:36 Jeff O.: The madness of pride as opposed to the madness of love is an interesting juxtaposition. Two very distinct and different “pictures” of madness.   01:09:10 Cindy Moran: Reacted to The madness of pride... with "👍"   01:09:48 Cindy Moran: Me, too!!   01:09:53 Nypaver Clan: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   Welcome, Canada!🇨🇦   01:10:06 carol_000: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   I've been following Fr. Charbel for a while, but now I'm wondering which branch of Orthodoxy is this? Reference to author & "Mass" ?   01:10:59 Nypaver Clan: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   Byzantine 01:11:09 carol_000: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   Thanks   01:12:54 Anna Lalonde: Thank you! My children and I are loving this.   01:13:03 Nypaver Clan: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   Ukrainian Greek   01:14:09 Jeff O.: That would be lovely!   01:14:26 carol_000: Replying to "Welcome 🙂"   Thanks, I was raised Ukr. Grk Orthodox but now go to OCA church in All English.   01:14:45 Kevin & Lilly: Yes!!   01:14:52 Rachel: and icon paintng   01:15:00 Jacqulyn: Let's do it!   01:15:34 Cindy Moran: Thank you, Father   01:15:35 ANDREW ADAMS: Thank you, Father!   01:15:35 Anna Lalonde: Prayers for my healing. Please especially St Charbel help me!   01:15:38 Rachel: thank you!   01:15:39 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you 😊   01:15:42 Jeff O.: Thank you! Great to be with you all!   01:15:44 David: Thank you father!   01:15:46 Dave Warner (AL): Thank you Father!   01:15:54 Edmund Dyjak: Thank You GOD Bless You  

We have continued to make our way through the final few hypotheses about fasting and eating in general. What is gradually coming to light is that our relationship with Christ and our identity in Him is to form and fashion every aspect of our lives. This includes what we might consider the most mundane aspects of our life or what we take for granted, such as eating and common meals.  What becomes perfectly clear in this hypothesis, however, is that there is a specific decorum that emerged in the practice of the fathers. The way that they looked at food and the way that they ate their common meals was all shaped by their greater commitment to the life of prayer and silence. The ascetical life shaped their actions and supported their pursuit of the ultimate goal. Thus eating, the quality of the food, the mannerisms at table and amount of food that other monks ate and the general behavior during meals all became important matters and subject to proper formation.  The ideal was not to form a Christian gentleman, but rather to form a heart that was watchful at all times of the day and that was very much aware of the power of our most basic appetites. We see restraint being taught; that is, slowing oneself down at meals and not being driven by the pressure of hunger or the allure of delicious food. It is Christ the Bread of Life that one is always seeking and so the way that we approach our meals should be a reflection of how we approach the Lord in the Holy Mysteries. Our mindset, our sense of gratitude, the solemnity of our attitudes and behaviors are all reflection of our understanding of the connection with the Paschal Mystery. When we think of our own formation we must have this broad scope so that we do not treat our ascetic practices as ends in themselves. All that we do must be offered to God or it is wasted. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:17:20 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 165, #A   00:44:06 Una: LOL about the comment about men eating. And then they throw their silverware in the trash? Obviously, I've never been in a men's monastery. But how can we who are living in the world apply these standards to everyday dinners with family?   00:46:49 Una: I'm thinking of Thanksgiving Dinner where people gobble gobble gobble and aren't focused on God at all. Last year I had a hard time getting them to listen to the Prayer of St. Francis before the meal. Very secular family. How I personally may maintain my recollection yet still be social   00:47:50 Una: I find I can "go out" of myself so easily and get lost in socializing and talking (I'm an extravert) and then have difficulty becoming recollected again   01:03:42 Una: Is it true that the early Irish monasticism came from Egypt?   01:10:13 Una: There's a new book on this subject: Monastery and High Cross: The Forgotten Eastern Roots of Irish Christianity   01:10:20 Una: by Connie Marshner   01:10:34 Una: Sophia Institute Press   01:11:49 Steve: Good story   01:11:59 Una: Connie Marshner is a Melkite Green Catholic in Virginia   01:21:26 ANDREW ADAMS: Thank you, Father!   01:21:48 Troy Amaro: Thank you Father.   01:22:30 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you, sorry I was so late, our clocks went back an hour yesterday and I forgot about the time difference   01:24:18 ANDREW ADAMS: Where does one find the substack? I’m not knowledgeable on the whole social media scene.   01:25:19 Adam Paige: Where does one find the substack? I’m not knowledgeable on the whole social media scene. https://substack.com/@frcharbelabernethy   01:25:44 ANDREW ADAMS: Replying to "Where does one find ..."   Thank you!   01:27:47 Bob Cihak, AZ: .. or https://frcharbelabernethy.substack.com/   01:28:16 Paul G.: Replying to ".. or https://frchar…" +1   01:29:21 Maureen Cunningham: Thank  you   01:32:17 Maureen Cunningham: Wow  

St. John understands that we are out of our depths whenever we try to capture with words what comes through experience. This is true in particular of the heights of prayer, contemplation, and with dispassion. John’s language is poetic and thus a reflection of his straining to present us with the end of the spiritual life and what the heart longs for the most. In concluding his teachings on prayer, he warns us of certain pitfalls to avoid in order that our focus might remain upon Christ. Above all he does not want us to become discouraged by the attack of the evil one. Such a thing is to be expected. Prayer is so beautiful and transformative that the demons are going to do everything they can to disrupt it. Yet, John would have us understand that the demons are scourged by prayer and when we show fortitude they flee. Finally, he would have be confident in the practice of prayer. There is nothing that one can write in a book that is necessary when we have God himself as the Teacher of prayer. It is the Holy Spirit that searches the depths of God the guides us forward. Dispassion is even more difficult to capture with mere words for it describes one who has made his flesh incorruptible and has subdued all the senses; keeping his soul before the face of the Lord and always straining towards him. One is not only detached from the things of this world but has a gathered an exhaustible store of virtue as a source of strength. They are driven no longer by fear, but now only love; love that cannot be understood by mere reason. The soul is drawn forward by an urgent longing that belongs only to those who are created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, St. John sees dispassion as purity of heart; where a person has reached a level of existence where sin has no hold upon them and there is no longer even any awareness of the presence of demons. Such an individual is wholly united with God and always will be. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:05:24 Gregory Chura: Which step?   00:06:05 Bob Cihak, AZ: p. 240, #58   00:07:29 Myles Davidson: Can I ask what edition of The Ladder we are reading from?   00:08:08 Adam Paige: Paulist Press edition page 281 🙂   00:09:01 Adam Paige: The introduction is excellent too, although it doesn’t contain the Letter to the Shepherd at the end   00:11:21 Bob Cihak, AZ: p. 240, #58   00:15:46 Kevin & Lilly: Aren't we supposed to expose our wound (sin) in its entirety for Jesus to heal it (in the confessional)? Similar to removing the band-aid, even if it hurts us?   00:21:42 Cindy Moran: Some things you can not "unsee"   00:26:26 susan: I get attacked walking up to communion and then I feel   00:26:48 susan: like I have done something wrong   00:29:02 Anthony: I also think having undergone at least once a spiritual attack, a person anticipates it and therefore brings it to mind?   00:31:05 Christian Corulli: Love of God destroys all fear   00:56:07 Christian Corulli: This sounds like the 7th Mansion of St. Teresa, can we make that comparison? Do the Carmelites trace the same spiritual path as St. John Climacus?   01:08:10 David: Is there an element of experience or getting older in this step. My grandfather always used to say youth is a process of acquiring and drive and growing old is the challenge of learning to let go. Through suffering, experience I can see more an more elements of dispassion or not feeling as connected to what many seek in the world and am left with only what endures which is family and faith.   01:22:15 David: Saving us from ourselves   01:22:38 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Blessing to all   01:23:06 Gregory Chura: Thank you, everyone,   01:23:06 Tracey Fredman: Reacted to "Thank You Blessing t..." with ❤️   01:23:07 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father !!!   01:23:10 Anthony Kinyon (Αντώνιος Κινγιόν): Thank you Fr. Charbel.   01:23:10 Jeff O.: Thank you!!   01:23:10 David: Thank you father and God bless you and your mom   01:23:11 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:23:16 Cameron Jackson: Overwhelmed again. Thank you Fr.   01:24:13 Alexandra: Thank you Father. I'll pray for you  

It’s important for us as we read the fathers and consider the discipline that they embraced regarding our appetites and desires that we do not demonize these realities or fall into extreme practices. At the heart of the fathers’ lives and teachings is desire; allowing the love of God and gratitude for his gifts to guide and direct their understanding of life and perception of reality.  It is true that the desert was every bit the laboratory; the fathers often pushed themselves in extreme ways in order that their appetites and their desires for satisfaction and pleasure would lose their grip upon them. They were often harsh with themselves in ways that seem abhorrent to modern sensibilities.  Yet they realized that these realities are very powerful parts of our humanity. The body, for example, through the ascetic life can be a powerful aid in our sanctification. However, if we approach our appetites in an unmeasured fashion, or in a way that is simply focused upon the self, then that which is most beautiful can be corrupted. Thus, our own embrace of the ascetic life should be rooted in desire; our sense of lack and incompleteness outside of God. Our truest identity is established and found only in Him. Such a vision must be fostered from the earliest years of our lives. For it is not something that one can give or share with another. It comes only through experience. One comes to love the disciplines of which the father speak (fasting, prayer, vigils etc.) because they are far more than mere disciplines. They open up the path for us to experience the invincible joy and peace and freedom of the Kingdom. “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” --- Text of chat during the group:  00:15:57 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 161, G   00:16:11 Adam Paige: Reacted to "P. 161, G" with 👍   01:05:40 Bob Cihak, AZ: From Adam: Adam Paige 5:14 PM Should we avoid restaurants since they’re typically predicated on desirable food ? Or should we order a less appealing meal when we are at a restaurant ?   01:12:52 Cindy Moran: You aren't missing anything!   01:14:19 Adam Paige: Reacted to "You aren't missing a…" with 😂   01:19:42 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Father   01:19:55 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:19:59 ANDREW ADAMS: Thank you, Father!   01:20:11 Tracey Fredman: Glad you are feeling better, Fr. Charbel!   01:20:14 Troy Amaro: Thank You Father.   01:20:21 Kevin Burke: Thank You Father!   01:20:39 Tracey Fredman: Liturgy of the Hours is one you mentioned one time. Is that a possibility for a topic?   01:20:47 Adam Paige: Reacted to "Liturgy of the Hours…" with ❤️   01:21:01 Cameron Jackson: Thank you Father   01:21:19 Myles Davidson: Your Substack is excellent Father  

As St. John draws us more deeply into his understanding of prayer and the experience of intimacy with God, he begins to emphasize the importance of maintaining purity of heart and humility. Either through negligence or through demonic provocation, we can find ourselves being driven not by the Holy Spirit toward God but rather driven by the desires of the flesh. The vulnerability of prayer, opening our minds and our hearts to God, also carries with it the need to have established watchfulness of heart. If we have not we can indiscriminately open ourselves up to certain dangers. For example, we may allow our mind to wander during prayer in such a way that we turn away from God. It can even happen that in this turning away we are move towards the enemies of God. Like Judas we can share most intimately with the Lord at the table of the holy Eucharist and then immediately be driven out by an unholy spirit into the darkness. It is those who are closest to Christ who often betray him the most.  We all take certain things for granted. This is true in our relationship with God. We can treat that relationship cheaply; enter into it with a kind of familiarity to the point that we lose sight of the preciousness of what God has made possible for us. Our attachment to the things of this world or to individuals can fill our minds and our hearts even during the time of prayer. Therefore, John wants us to have no illusions about what it is that we ask for and seek in prayer. Our greatest desire should be what leads us to God and what endures unto eternity. As Saint James tell us: “we ask, but we do not receive because we ask wrongly.” We seek only the satisfy our natural wants and desires.  As it has been said, “The fool’s portion is small in his eyes.” Often we do not see the beauty of what God offers us. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:12:58 Bob Cihak, AZ: P.239, #50   00:13:44 Tracey Fredman: Reacted to "P.239, #50" with 👍   00:14:28 Dave Warner (AL): Reacted to "P.239, #50" with 👍   00:51:38 Rachel: or to satisfy ego since it is difficult to see oneself as nothing and in such need.   00:59:38 David: Someone told me once - measure your thoughts and you measure what you treasure. Treasure only what is everlasting.   01:02:14 Laura: Reacted to "Someone told me once..." with 👍🏼   01:04:59 Rebecca Thérèse: It seems to me that it's easier to catch someone in infidelity these days because of socia media and smart devices etc than it was previously.   01:11:31 Anthony: I've wondered if we get monastic life and vocations imbalanced? I read that among Syrians, there was one "monastic" community composed of subsets of vowed religious, families and singles.  This makes for universality and diversity and maybe a healthier psychology for persons?   01:13:45 Rebecca Thérèse: Thomas Szasz the anti-psychiatry psychiatrist wrote a paper about how psychiatrists persuaded the Church that sex abusers were ill and could be treated and how this led to priests being "treated" and moved instead of being fired.   01:14:12 Una: Jon Hassler wrote North of Hope dealing with this situation of the priest who dealt with this issue   01:14:29 Una: Excellent novel   01:18:38 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father...great to be back in class!!   01:18:40 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you 🙂   01:18:47 David: Thank you father. Glad your feeling better!   01:18:51 Jeff O.: Thank you!!   01:19:02 Rachel: Thank you   01:19:03 Tracey Fredman: Reacted to "Thank you father. Gl..." with ❤️  

It may seem surprising that the fathers spend so much time speaking about food and how we approach eating. Yet the needs of the flesh are very much a part of who we are as human beings. So how we eat and what we eat can affect what goes on internally. We can be subject to disorder or extremes in one fashion or another.  What we see in the desert fathers and mothers is a love of fasting because they saw it as the insurer and foundation of the other virtues. In other words, when one can order an appetite and a desire towards what is good and specifically as tied to our hunger for God, then we are able to do so with other aspects of our humanity and our other appetites. Eating, being one of the most basic needs can lead us in one of two directions; either it is the gateway vice that opens us up to be more vulnerable to disordered appetites, or our restriction of our diet can turn us toward God who satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart. The fathers examine the practice of eating from multiple perspectives. They had an acute sense of the subtlety with which the mind approaches such a practice. We can be hyper-focused upon the body and its needs. We can use illness as an excuse for slothfulness or to eat beyond our needs or what health demands. Likewise, we can become overly focused upon the quality of food and only want what is pleasing to the pallet or perfectly fresh. We lose sight of the fact that what we prize so much passes into the latrine. It may satisfy the pallet but it does not give rest to the soul. The fathers also understood that we must give ourselves over to this practice without over-analyzing its value. Our tendency to pamper the body can make us and our consciences become callous and lead us down the path to hedonism. We lose sight of the fact that this appetite is incited by everything in the culture around us that has made food an idol. It has also made it a medicine in the sense that we turned to it to find solace and comfort. In a subtle way we are being taught to avoid affliction at any cost and to question the redeeming nature of the cross. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:10:54 Nick Bodmer: I had a question about the next work for the Wednesday group.  What is after the Ladder, and is there a recommend translation?   00:12:17 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 159, #B   00:12:40 Nick Bodmer: 👍   00:21:03 Bob Cihak, AZ: A good friend lost 20 pounds. His method: When I'm not hungry, I don't eat.   00:22:02 Myles Davidson: Do you have any advice for those of us who are very slim and with very little body fat but who want to increase our fasting practice? I’m finding it a real art-form and a balance that’s not easy to find.   00:25:01 Bob Cihak, AZ: Many find "Eat, Fast, Feast" a book by my friend, Jay Richards, very helpful. He looks at fasting for spiritual, fitness and dietary reasons; he says no one else had written such a book.   00:25:25 Forrest Cavalier: Hi Myles, I am low BMI myself. I discipline my fasting in order to not go below a target weight. For me 137 lbs. I do not eat breakfast. I do not eat snacks during Lent. I have to increase calories at some meals. Most of my fasting discipline is not calorie reduction, but not eating dairy or meat on Wednesday and Friday.   00:28:10 Nick Bodmer: This is why the medieval monks made beer 🤣   Maintains calories.   00:29:28 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "This is why the medi..." with 😃   00:36:23 Nikki: If someone is not lean after a decent time of fasting and self discipline with their eating, would that be an indicator they aren’t being disciplined enough to reach that deeper intimacy with the Lord?   00:39:40 Anthony: St Thomas Aquinas was so big they cut a hole in dining table fir him....so I've heard. Some people like Neapolitans can be big boned people.   00:41:58 Andrew Adams: cortisol   00:42:02 Nick Bodmer: Cortisol   00:42:51 Joseph: St. Athanasius described St. Anthony: “And they, when they saw him, wondered at the sight, for he had the same habit of body as before, and was neither fat, like a man without exercise, nor lean from fasting and striving with the demons, but he was just the same as they had known him before his retirement.”   00:46:45 Bob Cihak, AZ: Our culture now promotes paying MORE money for LESS nutritional value, counting calories as a nutritional value.   00:52:28 Anthony: The news scares about food also contribute to our derangement   01:00:20 Anthony: Bloomin onion   01:05:06 Anthony: The marketers sell us on the things that cause problems and then sell us on the "remedies".....which cause more problems.  This is prophecy of Amos territory.   01:09:52 Nick Bodmer: Health is a good, but when we make it an ultimate good, and end in itself, it becomes an idol.   01:11:16 Bob Cihak, AZ: Reacted to "Health is a good, bu..." with 👍   01:11:51 Bob Cihak, AZ: . As a recovering (retired) MD, I agree with Nick.   01:13:21 Andrew Adams: Thank you, Father!   01:13:23 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂  

The discussion dives into the transformative nature of prayer and the importance of guarding one's mind against distractions during spiritual moments. The balance between mercy and justice is explored, highlighting the necessity of unconditional love in faith. Listeners are reminded of the rich traditions that can enrich their spiritual journey, alongside the profound impact of contemplating mortality on prayer life. Ultimately, it emphasizes that true prayer should be heartfelt, rather than merely a scheduled task.

The discussion dives into the ancient practice of fasting, emphasizing moderation to maintain spiritual strength without compromising the body. Various monks share their personal struggles with dietary rules and the temptations they face, highlighting the importance of humility in acknowledging failures. There's a fascinating look at the evolving monastic response to distractions from modern life, and how contemporary media can skew perceptions of intimacy, urging listeners to seek a deeper connection with truth and spirituality.

Dive into the transformative power of prayer and how it shapes our identity in Christ. Discover the mutual vulnerability involved in conversing with God, moving beyond mere obligation. Explore the trials we face and how prayer sustains faith in adversity. Learn the importance of prioritizing prayer over daily distractions to cultivate peace. Unpack the role of imagination in spiritual growth, balancing creativity with introspection. Ultimately, reflect on sustaining intimacy with the divine amidst life's challenges.

We continued our reading of the Evergetinos this evening with hypotheses 19 and 20. Once again we find ourselves considering the fathers’ teaching on eating and our use of food. Part of the reason they spend so much time on this subject is because they understand the meaning that food has for us as human beings and that it often goes well beyond that of nourishment. We come into this world and our first and earliest experience is that of being suckled; fed at the breast of our mother and thereby comforted. On a psychological level, food can continue to have this meaning. That is not necessarily something bad. There is a form of communion that we have with each other when we have a common meal. Indeed, this is why Christ gives himself to us as Eucharist. However, in our sin, the desire for food can be driven more by the emotional needs that we have in our day-to-day struggles. The fathers understood that the psychological reality affects us spiritually.  Over and over again, we can turn to the things of this world to satisfy the longing of the human heart that God alone can fill. Christ is the Bread of Life and he alone can nourish us upon his love. Thus the fathers, especially those who entered into the desert, became acutely aware of the need to be watchful of this bodily hunger. When we lose our watchfulness or when we relax our disciplines, once again we can move towards satisfying ourselves through the things of this world.  Food can become an idol. The monks understood that even in our religiosity we can be tempted to celebrate feasts in such a way that we cast aside all that was gained through fasting. What worth is it to fast 40 days of Lent then only to turn around and eat excessively for 50 days until Pentecost? The fathers also identified another danger. Our religious sensibilities and identity can be just strong enough that they lead us to want to maintain the illusion of holiness and discipline. The fathers warn us about the temptation to secret eating. Hiding the truth from others as well as from oneself only prevents repentance. In order to hold on to the illusion and false image of the self, we can destroy ourselves spiritually. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:16:18 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 150   00:16:49 Lilly: Reacted to "P. 150" with ❤️   00:35:32 Forrest Cavalier: That earlier story was Evergetinos 11 in Volume 2.   00:39:02 iPhone: The YouTube channel is Athonite Audio. Audio books from the monks on Mount Athos   00:50:20 Forrest Cavalier: To know, love, serve in this life, and to be with him in the next   00:55:45 Ambrose Little, OP: Only the flamin hot ones, tho   01:07:16 Rebecca Thérèse: Is the real issue that the monk out of pride allowed people to think he was better than he was.   01:09:46 Fr Marty, AZ, 480-292-3381: I too often judge myself based on some preconceived results or image of what I or someone else should look like. Whereas, it sounds like the fruit of the soil that are my circumstances and weakness and gifts. God told Paul, where you're weak I'm strong. God can hide me in his own way that bears fruits that aren't necessarily visible results.   01:12:43 Nypaver Clan: Thank you, Father!   01:12:51 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You   01:13:22 Andrew Adams: Thank you, Father!   01:13:30 Cameron Jackson: Thank you Father.   01:13:33 Troy Amaro: Thank You Father   01:13:34 Rebecca Thérèse: thank you🙂