Philokalia Ministries

The Mystery of the Human Person!  What comes forward in the ascetical writings of the fathers is not a moralistic or legalistic view of sin. Rather, we see within them a deep understanding of the complex beauty and dignity of the human person despite often being marred by sin. Perhaps too often we emphasize the negative; rather than fostering a desire both for God and for virtue and for the freedom and joy that it brings to the human heart.  Like so many of the fathers, Saint John describes certain passions as a disease in need of remedy. While we must be disciplined in so many ways and vigilant in our thoughts, we never want to lose sight of how God has created us; that it is through our very being that we love and give ourselves in love. We are not meant to hate ourselves but rather sin. Self-contempt can often be our demise in the spiritual life. True love of the self begins with the desire for God; not with self-indulgence or laziness that reduces and diminishes the image we have of creation and our own goodness. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:12:42 Ashley Kaschl: I was trying to say we have a diocesan hermit so if you DO want to stay, he’s got room haha   00:34:50 Louise: An amazing movie just came out, called 'Sound of Freedom, about combatting child sex trafficking. Being a trauma therapist myself, I can only fathom that pedophilia is due to demonic influence. These people are untreatable. What are your thoughts?   00:35:22 carol nypaver: It was a very informative and well-done film!   00:36:43 David Swiderski: Doesn't abuse of food or lust devalue these things. I know when I break a long fast water taste sweeter, food is savored and so when we truly develop love rather than just physical attraction or objectification. The diamond is often hidden by the dirt on the outside.   00:39:33 Louise: By the way, 2.5% of priests abuse children sexually, 5% of physicians, and 10% of school teachers, according to three studies.   00:44:21 Art: What do you mean Father?   00:55:03 Charbel & Justin: “Prefer nothing to the love of God.”   01:10:59 Louise: Thanks, Fr. Abernethy! I must go.   01:12:17 Ashley Kaschl: I am friends with many people who are constantly worried about money, about their paychecks, jobs, etc. and it prevents them from choosing to move forward in their potential vocations, so they put it off and put it off and put it off. I think some of the downsides of our culture, and even the mindset of many who come out of universities today, is this absolute concern about climbing the ladder in their jobs or this habit formed to always look for “greener grass”/better opportunities. And this demand of function over substance makes me think of a quote by CS Lewis:    “In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.”   01:16:42 John: There's an old Rod Serling movie about the corporate mindset (ladder-climbing) called "Patterns."   01:17:16 Monk Maximos: Good night   01:17:51 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you ☺️   01:17:53 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father   01:17:56 Jeff O.: Thank you!   01:18:04 Art: Thank you!   01:18:17 Jeff O.: 🎉🎉🎉   01:18:22 Monk Maximos: Flying to the Holy Land on Saturday. Will be praying for you.   01:18:30 David Swiderski: Have a wonderful Birthday Father!   01:18:34 Eric Ewanco: happy birthday!  

Avoidance: often this can be the fundamental reason that an individual gravitates towards solitude, religious, or otherwise. We do not want to be in the presence of others, because it is there that we stand revealed - not only in their eyes, but in our own. In our interactions with others, we begin to see our dominant passions and the poverty of our sin. Our weak spots, blind spots and hard spots become perfectly evident to us. It is for this reason that the desert fathers counsel spending many years in the common life because it is there that true purification takes place. It is in our day-to-day struggle with the movement of our own thoughts and emotions and interactions with others, that sin is overcome and virtue begins to grow. To flee into solitude, prematurely, and even with the highest spiritual aspirations, promises only danger. It is perilous to enter into deep silence alone. If one falls, there is no one to pick them up. If one is swallowed up by delusion, there is no one to set them aright. How can we repent without having the other as one to whom we can direct our compassion or who reveals our darker side?  Silence can never be an escape. In fact, silence can only be loved by one who has been freed from every impediment in order to encounter He who is Love and find true respite and peace in Him.  --- Text of chat during the group: 00:04:13 FrDavid Abernethy: page 359 Letter C From Abba Mark   00:04:17 FrDavid Abernethy: Welcome Sandy   00:11:11 FrDavid Abernethy: page 359 Letter C   00:15:40 Cindy Moran: Is this like a consecrated virgin?   00:26:06 LauraLeigh: Replying to "Is this like a conse..."   Cindy, I think it is probably different, in that you can continue to live in the world in any way you feel called as a consecrated virgin, but I believe that being a hermit involves deliberately leaving the world to live apart, yet following the monastic rule. Maybe Father can add or correct this.   00:27:38 Cindy Moran: Thank you!   00:27:39 LauraLeigh: Replying to "Is this like a conse..."   Your diocesan office will probably have someone who can answer questions about both.   00:27:50 LauraLeigh: Reacted to "Thank you!" with 👍   00:31:41 Rachel: This reminds me of Saint Paul stating that he doesn't even judge himself. Years ago this statement left me wondering at what he meant and have now come to believe that what Cassian is saying is the same thing that Saint Paul was saying. He had a thorn in the flesh, knew a man taken up to the third Heaven yet does not even judge himself. Not even stopping to examen himself except to boast in his weakness in order to glorify God's great mercy.   00:32:15 LauraLeigh: Seems like, whether in community or as a hermit, one needs to be prepared to be a "plucky fighter"!   00:32:22 Eric Ewanco: Can you relate these eremitic hazards to ordinary laymen who live involuntarily alone but in the world? Obviously some hazards apply, but some may not. Can you comment?   00:32:39 LauraLeigh: Reacted to "Can you relate these..." with 👍   00:32:55 LauraLeigh: Replying to "Can you relate these..."   This is my question too.   00:38:05 LauraLeigh: The thing is, though, about living alone in the world, you know very well that there is no one there to catch you when you fall. Everything   00:45:47 Anthony: I suggest that maybe women have more living examples of a secular spiritual life since widows with their maturity and their link to other widows are more common than widowers   00:45:51 Anthony: Grand torino   00:46:25 Eric Ewanco: Oh that's where that came from! I've used that. :-)   00:52:47 LauraLeigh: Thank you for not running off to a cabin in the woods, Father.   00:53:26 melissa kummerow: Reacted to "Thank you for not ru..." with 👆   00:54:12 Anthony: Sometimes I think we try too hard to be good Catholics, so hard that we dispel that peace we might otherwise have if we didn't try so hard , since trying too hard can focus us on our turbulent selves. Perhaps it's to have a hobby and cigar and an occasional prayer than making and measuring ourselves against a lot of self imposed religious obligations.   00:56:55 Eric Ewanco: With all due respect to Tolkien, I'd rather live under corrupt government than anarchy.   00:57:21 sue and mark: Reacted to "Sometimes I think we..." with ❤️   00:58:09 Patrick: Reacted to "Sometimes I think ..." with ❤️   01:09:39 Anthony: Or by taking obligation to pray and fast because you're going to fight evil......that _can_ lead to obsessive type of behavior for an ostensibly good reason. It's perhaps like a modern day "Children's Crusade."   01:12:34 John: Yesterday's Gueranger article talks about exterior-only asceticism: "The Jewish casuists were not slow in drawing up their famous formula, that all moral goodness was guaranteed to him that had received circumcision! St. Paul, later on, told them how such a principle was a stumbling-block to the Gentiles, leading them to blaspheme the name of God. According to the moral theology of these Hebrew doctors, conscience meant only what the tribunal of public justice issued as its decisions: the obligations of the interior tribunal of a man’s conscience were to be restricted to the rules followed by the assize-courts. The result of such teaching soon showed itself: the only thing people need care for was what was seen by men; if the fault were not one that human eyes could judge of, you were not to trouble about it."   01:17:24 Louise: Thanks, Fr. Abernethy!   01:18:22 sue and mark: Thank you   01:18:32 Rachel: Thank you  

The fathers have often been accused of having a negative anthropology; that is, a negative view of the human person and human nature. However, as we read through St. John’s teachings on chastity and purity, we begin to see that their understanding arises from a very high and exalted anthropology. Their understanding of how God has made us, the beauty that is expressed in our very nature is so high that we must respect its preciousness as a gift from God. Furthermore we must also respect the power that lies within us and that it is through this nature that we are able to love and give ourselves in love to others and serve God.    Indeed, it is true that sin has darkened our vision of this truth and our will has often become weak so that we misuse our nature and the appetites associated with it. Yet, God looks upon us with mercy and compassion and gives us every aid for healing. It is the Evil One that becomes our accuser who tries through shame to draw us into despair.    Part of the relentless nature of our struggle with these sins is that we are forever bound by nature to this body of ours. Yet we must remember in the struggle that the body is destined to put on immortality and incorruptibility by God’s grace. We are called all even now to make use of our body through the ascetic life to share in this incorruptibility through purity of heart. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:31 Sr Barbara Jean Mihalchick: What step?   00:03:59 FrDavid Abernethy: Page 151 paragraph 76   00:20:36 Anthony: I wonder if "worm" means not the helpful compost bug, but is really the Anglo Saxon "wyrm" or dragon.   00:26:32 melissa kummerow: Reacted to "I wonder if "worm" m..." with 💡   00:27:51 Louise: Disgust and shame are useful emotions when we apply them onto our faults. Otherwise, we justify our faults. Would you say?   00:30:36 LauraLeigh: It seems to me that St Climacas, like other Desert Fathers, ask for a very difficult mental balance between being uber-humble while maintaining a healthy psychology. If you don't have a strong grip on your mental health, this ascetical lifestyle could trip you up or even take you down. Other than recommending a guide, like an elder, any thoughts about how we can cautiously yet profitably practice asceticism?   00:31:20 Anthony: I learned something,  I think from a talk by a Maronite. It can be helpful to pray Jesus Prayer in another language.  Sometimes that prevents thoughts in one's native tongue from arising in the mind.   00:34:39 LauraLeigh: I need to remember that the Fathers are talking to others already in the ascetical life. And then to remember to order everything toward God.   00:35:46 sue and mark: could it be said that simply looking for opportunities to practice self -restraint for the love of God is a good place to start.  especially in the areas of our passions.   00:36:06 angelo: Reacted to "could it be said tha..." with 👍   00:42:13 LauraLeigh: Reacted to "could it be said tha..." with ❤️   00:43:01 LauraLeigh: "The Way of the Ascetics"   00:46:46 carol nypaver: The Little Flower   00:52:15 Anthony: Remember: the demons don't play fair.   00:53:24 Cindy Moran: In the Classics of western spirituality version of the Ladder this verse translation is unclear to me   00:54:11 Cindy Moran: Yes.   00:54:40 Cindy Moran: I'm slow   00:56:14 Cindy Moran: Because the soul tormented by earlier sin is a burden to me I will save it from its enemies Lk 18:5   00:59:15 Cindy Moran: Much clearer to me now   01:05:31 LauraLeigh: Being proud of your sins is a sign of a darkened conscience, I think. And a sensitive and refined conscience is a great help in getting a handle on troubling or persistent sins. This is what I'm particularly working on.   01:06:36 angelo: Reacted to "Being proud of your ..." with 👍   01:08:26 Anthony: I think it also means that you've entrusted yourself to God,  He won't play legal games with that trust and so the evil thoughts are not as awful upon us as the devil wants us to think. Sure the devil is a deceiver and wants us to take full mortal sin culpability for what the demons sows.  But the struggle is evidence God loves you and takes your whole self and situation into account.   01:09:25 LauraLeigh: Reacted to "I think it also mean..." with ❤️   01:10:30 angelo: Reacted to "I think it also mean..." with 👍   01:10:37 Eric Ewanco: I've found it immensely consoling that empirical evidence from exorcisms establish that demons are extremely legalistic. The converse of this is that God is not. This is a great relief to me, as we often tend to see God as legalistic and looking for "gotchas"   01:12:08 John: After you've read Fr. Mateo's "Night Adoration in the Home," it's impossible to think of God as legalistic. He is the complete opposite!   01:12:21 sue and mark: Reacted to "After you've read Fr..." with ❤️   01:12:34 LauraLeigh: Reacted to "After you've read Fr..." with ❤️   01:12:50 LauraLeigh: Replying to "After you've read Fr..."   I have that! Thanks for the reminder!   01:13:05 Susan McShane: Reacted to "I've found it immens..." with ❤️   01:13:05 John: Replying to "After you've read Fr..."   👍   01:13:23 sue and mark: I have that too...   01:14:53 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:14:54 Louise: Thanks, Fr!   01:14:58 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father...excellent session   01:15:02 Jeff O.: Thank you! Blessings  

In the advertisement for and description of this evening’s group, I wrote: “How does one deal with feelings of desolation in regards to one’s vocation, resentment towards others, being treated with envy or finding one’s circumstances to be a source of temptation? In the face of the many trials brought upon us by the evil one, great perseverance is needed and freedom from self will.”  This description, however, does not capture the depth of the wisdom that we were exposed to this evening. All of our asceticism, all the ways that we seek to remove the impediment of our passions, all the ways that we seek to remain focused upon the spiritual battle that lies within the heart has one end: to bring us to the place where we can enter into the Paschal Mystery in union with Christ. Not one of us should seek to leave the training, ground of the spiritual life prematurely or to choose to rest before God grants it. For it is precisely in this battle that all that remains an impediment to our ascending the cross with Christ is removed. Abba Isaiah, in the richest and most beautiful interpretation of the Passion, unpacks for us the meaning of every experience of our Lord; not that we might reflect upon it in an abstract fashion, but that we would take hold of His experiences as our own. We engage in the ascetical life not to reach the kind of moral perfection or emotional Nirvana but rather that we might reach the place where we can ascend the Cross with Christ. Once we are delivered from all of these things, we pass through our own Passion Week and enter into another, new age, thinking new and incorrupt thoughts. We are reminded of St. Paul’s words, “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you’re dead.“ We leave our sins behind and find mercy together with those who are worthy of Him! --- Text of chat during the group: 00:10:59 FrDavid Abernethy: page 353 paragraph 4   00:11:16 FrDavid Abernethy: And Elder said: “Just as a tree . . . .   00:32:56 Anthony: I suggest that the various revolutions, including the American,  were designed to uproot a stable society.  The mass migrations of the late 1800s to 1900s were caused by Socialist governments displacing their peasants. This uprooted stability and is a root of our mental and moral afflictions today.   00:36:36 Anthony: The honest peasant is an essential character for Solzhenitsyn.   00:37:05 Louise: Focus   00:37:07 Anthony: Vanishing point   00:37:40 Zoom user: True North   00:37:54 Carol: touchstone   00:40:59 Anthony: The reformation was a symptom of society failing in its "monastic " vocation.   00:48:48 Louise: Sartre   00:50:38 Louise: Ste-Thérèse-de-Lisieux forced herself to hang out with the most annoying nun in the convent in order to confront her impatience and find her deeper loving kindness.   01:19:37 Louise: Thank you, Fr. Abernethy!   01:19:43 sheri: Thank you.  

Gustave Flaubert once wrote, “God is in the details.“ The truth of this statement is born out in this evening‘s writing from Saint John Climacus on the fathers’ understanding and description of the development of a passion within the soul. With great clarity, St. John takes us step-by-step through the inner movements of the mind and the heart. The battle begins with an assault. An image or an idea is encountered for the first time and enters into the heart. There’s no sin in this, but our response is important nonetheless. If we begin to converse with the image or idea its presence will take us a step further. We cannot allow ourselves to linger with such images even if we do not seem to be moved by them. Eventually, Saint John tells us, if we do linger we can fall into consent; the soul bends down, as it were, and begins to take delight in the temptation. Such temptations can also come upon us with force; seeking all at once to destroy any semblance of order or peace within the heart. What is important is that we struggle; that we engage in the spiritual battle and fight with equal or greater force against what seeks to afflict us. A passion develops whenever a sin nestles with persistence in the soul and forms a habit. It is then that the sins has put down deep roots and begins to guide and direct our decisions and actions. The passion is unequivocally condemned in every case.  St. John tells us, therefore, that we must seek to cut off the first assault with a single blow in order to prevent everything that might follow. Finally, Saint John reveals to us just how humble we must be in the spiritual warfare. There are temptations that can come to us that he describes as a “flick of the mind”. They are instantaneous and inapprehensible.  There can be something in our life that triggers a memory or movement from the depths of our unconscious.  It gives rise to or stirs a passion that has not been healed, but merely buried. All of this teaches us that our desire must be directed toward God and God alone. The human heart can be a treacherous thing, and as the prophet asks, “who can trust it?“ It is God alone who we must trust. We must hope in his promises and the grace that he offers us from moment to moment. This is our path to healing. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:14:15 FrDavid Abernethy: page 150 para 72   00:15:34 angelo: Reacted to "page 150 para 72" with 👍   00:19:25 Daniel Allen: Joined a little late, where are we at?   00:19:40 Bonnie Lewis: 72   00:19:55 Daniel Allen: Thank you   00:20:05 Bonnie Lewis: Reacted to "Thank you" with 👍🏻   00:20:37 Anthony: Read Agatha Christie, and this doesn't seem to strange.   00:40:17 Lawrence Martone: Pope Shenouda says “Be aware then, of the first step toward sin and run for your life.  You are not stronger than Adam…”   00:40:49 carol nypaver: 😲   00:43:16 Louise: Would you say that repentance involves feeling pain from having hurt another? This pain thus becomes a stimulus to possibly prevent the future repetition of this sin.   00:52:31 Anthony: A person can be so focused on avoiding temptation that the person's psychology or demons or something else can constantly bring to mind the thing to be avoided - kind of making the temptation always present.  Maybe it's an after-effect of eating from the tree we were not to eat.   01:06:49 Cindy Moran: Going postal   01:07:34 LauraLeigh: Blindsided.   01:10:31 Rory: May I speak   01:10:55 Patrick: Fr. David, can you please clarify the meaning of 'dispassion' in the last sentence of 15.74? Is it synonymous with asceticism in this context?   01:11:18 Anthony: But is he saying the flick of the mind actual moral guilt?  How much of this fault, how much is over-focus on the self?  Be focused too much on this, be too sensitive, and you can go nutty, not be a "man fully alive."  That's surely not good.  Our Lord was supremely sensitive to good and evil, but He was also self-possessed.  It's possible even these saints went a little self-obsessed and accidentally project that forward to us.  It interferes with life to always be aware of every possibly evil and continually feel guilty.   01:16:31 Daniel Allen: How does this relate to Christ saying, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe in Me also.”   01:17:54 Daniel Allen: To expand on that question, if a flick of the mind can cast us into sin without any noticeable stimulus how does one not become troubled?   01:18:39 Ren Witter: Replying to "How does this relate..."   Maybe the context of that is pretty important in this case. At that moment he is speaking about his crucifixion. At the same time, he also says of the peace he wants his disciples to have: “not as the world gives it do I give it to you."   01:20:40 David Swiderski: One must quiet the mind to hear the voice of God who is like a whisper on the wind while the devil is a constant irritating  and rattling of the passions.   01:21:07 Bonnie Lewis: Reacted to "One must quiet the m..." with 👍🏻   01:21:35 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you 🙂   01:22:14 Cindy Moran: Replying to "How does this relate..."     Thank you Father!   01:22:23 David Swiderski: Thank you Father!   01:22:25 Bonnie Lewis: So beautiful.  Thank you Father David.   01:22:28 kevin: thanks Ren and Fr  

The beauty of virtue! So often we discuss the spiritual life as if the main goal or the end of it is simply the avoidance of sin. While avoiding sin certainly is essential, we are called to something far greater. What we received through the Paschal mystery and through our baptism is adoption as sons and daughters of God; the capacity by grace to share in the life of the Trinity. The fathers speak of deification.    As we read through Saint John’s description of purity and chastity, these truths begin to manifest themselves. We engage in this constant struggle with our own appetites and with the temptations from the demons not simply to avoid sin, but to give and receive love in the way God intended; for that love to be rightly ordered and also, by grace, to become something that is supernatural.    We are to love one another as Christ has loved us. It is often very difficult for us to understand this because more often than not we have never tasted the fruit of this virtue. We are surrounded by its opposite; and often have been immersed in that which is impure for most of our lives. Yet, even as we struggle for this virtue, we must not fall into a purely moralistic or legalistic view of life. It is through entering into the love of Christ and receiving that love through the holy Eucharist, that we are given the capacity to love in a selfless fashion. Furthermore, it is also through this Grace that we become capable of receiving such love without any impediment. May God open our eyes to the beauty of the life that He is made possible for us and the beauty of virtue! --- Text of chat during the group: 00:08:51 FrDavid Abernethy: page 149 para 63   00:10:20 FrDavid Abernethy: page 149 para 63 “When we are in the world for some necessity”   00:35:38 Louise: If King David repented, why did his kingdom went down so badly via his descendance (Solomon)?   00:45:49 Eric Ewanco: He's referring to Peter who Scripture said had a mother-in-law   00:48:07 Lawrence Martone: Regarding the question on David, I would highly recommend:   00:48:51 angelo: Reacted to "452E4EA7-2A85-4B45-9031-4D3B09714915_1_102_a.jpeg" with 👍   00:49:43 Louise: Thanks to both!   00:52:06 Cindy Moran: Reacted to "452E4EA7-2A85-4B45-9031-4D3B09714915_1_102_a.jpeg" with 👍   00:52:18 TFredman: Reacted to "452E4EA7-2A85-4B45-9031-4D3B09714915_1_102_a.jpeg" with 👍   00:53:45 angelo: Replying to "452E4EA7-2A85-4B45-9031-4D3B09714915_1_102_a.jpeg"   it is free on pdf file in St. Philopateer Coptic Orthodox website.   01:02:32 Anthony: Long ingrained habits can be at play.  In NY, I remember Talk Radio or Frank Sinatra etc often being in the background.  It can be uncomfortable not to have something in the background.   01:08:16 Cindy Moran: Th orthodox seem to have more involved night prayer in their books.   01:13:13 Cindy Moran: I've done that at times...LOL   01:15:19 Rebecca Thérèse: Until very recently it was common for everyone to have two sleeps broken by some kind of activity in the middle of the night even including going out and visiting others   01:18:12 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father...Happy Father's Day, too!   01:18:17 angelo: thank you   01:18:19 TFredman: Thank you Fr. Abernethy and everyone!   01:18:19 Jeff O.: thank you!   01:18:19 David Swiderski: Thank you   01:18:22 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂   01:18:28 kevin: Thank you  

Stability of mind and heart: such are the characteristics of those who live the ascetic life. The mystery of the human person is such that we must suspend judgment of others as well as judgment of ourselves.  On a psychological level, things are multi- determined. In other words, many things coalesce to form our thoughts and actions. Therefore, we must be very cautious in the spiritual life not to act quickly when tempted to leave our state of life or vocation. The change of mere externals does not bring healing. The passions that often drive us in the way that we view circumstances and others are only healed through persevering through many trials.  We are ever so changeable. This is our great struggle and vulnerability, but it is also what allows us to repent. When we see our own sin or when we come to recognize the truth or when an illusion is revealed, we can turn toward God and cling to him and the healing he alone offers. “The Lord is an eternal rock”, the Scriptures tell us. Therefore, we must rest upon him. In him alone do we begin to experience an invincible peace and an unshakable hope. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:17:56 FrDavid Abernethy: page 351 para 11   00:33:42 Ambrose Little, OP: There are those who say that you are “lukewarm” if you don’t get upset about bad stuff happening in the world.   00:44:33 David Fraley: Reacted to "There are those who …" with 👍   00:47:50 Zoom user: Whoa   00:57:08 John Ingram: I've seen some of the psychological evaluation questions that are asked of candidates for the priesthood. They are truly bizarre and disturbing - and disconcerting.   00:58:40 Louise: Even in psychology departments, they do NOT use psychological evaluation for selecting PhD candidates. They are selected and evaluated only on grades.   00:58:48 Denise T.: This monk remained silent amidst the other monks' envy. Is it ever right to speak up for yourself and explain what you are doing? Or is it always better to remain silent when confronted with the envy of others.   01:04:27 Rachel: Yep   01:10:57 Denise T.: Thank you, Father. That is very helpful.   01:15:10 Rachel: Not leaving willie nilly..going to Mas. God bless!   01:15:17 Rachel: Mass   01:16:40 Louise: Thanks, Father!   01:16:53 Patrick Nugent, ObSB: Thank you, Father!   01:17:27 David Fraley: This has been a good session and a lot to think about. Thank you, Father!  

As we continue our reading of Step 15 on purity and chastity, gradually we are being shown a broader vision of what is offered to us through the ascetical life. Purity and chastity are not limited to dealing with our sexual appetites. Rather, we are striving to overcome any impediment to our seeing things and loving things in the manner in which God created us. Our vision is often distorted by our sin to the extent that we will objectify the things of this world and individuals to be used in whatever means we see fit. We lose sight of the dignity of the other as well as the beauty of creation. A heart that has been purified is capable of seeing the presence of God in every person, regardless of their deeds, and in every element of creation. A pure heart is the freest in its capacity to love.  Perhaps many of us have never tasted such a thing even in the smallest measure.  It is for this reason that St. John presents us not only with aids in the battle for purity, but also with the image of the highest degree of purity  we see in saintly individuals. They are often moved to tears when their capacity to see the world and others is elevated from the purely natural to the supernatural; to see the very essence and beauty of all things created by God. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:09:33 FrDavid Abernethy: page 148 para 56   00:20:38 Lori Hatala: What is dwelling amongst the tombs?   00:21:08 Louise: They are suckling, not the breast but a bottle, nonetheless.   00:21:52 Anthony: St. Anthony the Great and St. Benedict were both assaulted by vivid images. It seems they are examples of struggle against the violence of images.  I think one of the Desert Mothers (Synclectica?) has a saying or two about this for women as well.   00:22:19 Rory: ?does God communicate through dreams?   00:25:46 angelo: The Jesus Prayer is also a great help.   00:34:51 Eric Ewanco: "a bruised reed he shall not break; a smoldering wick he shall not quench"   00:37:05 Patrick: St. John doesn't seem to often caution against attempting ascetical practices but seems to more often praise them. How does one balance gradually adding more over time while balancing a certain level of self-knowledge and identifying if, perhaps, it may be too much to apply a certain practice. Example: at least from my experience, vigils that impact getting a certain amount of sleep may seem to make fighting against various thoughts the next day more difficult. I suppose this must be discerned on a case-by-case basis since it seems nuanced in practice?   00:44:46 Nathan: I was thinking that sometimes as we 'rationally' reflect on these writings and concepts of ascesis or our various modes of living and ways of participating in the body of Christ that it helps us to remember that all of our relations and practices are to participate with Christ/Trinity in the wooing of all back into the intimate union of paradise and the kingdom - NOT so much discipline and effort but longing and love to restore full union between all and its dear God?   00:50:48 Rory: ?is there a presence of God in all people that can be seen?   00:50:50 Rachel: But perhaps it should be remembered that it is God Himself that reveals Himself in the other   00:52:26 Ashley Kaschl: Reminds me of a quote by Ven. Fulton Sheen: "Dear Lord, what can we, Thy followers, do to bring peace to the world? How can we stop brother rising up against brother and class against class, blurring the very sky with their cross-covered Golgathas? Thy First Word on the Cross gives the answer: We must see in the body of every man who hates, a soul that was made to love. If we are too easily offended by their hate, it is because we have forgotten either the destiny of their souls or our own sins. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgive us for ever having been offended. Then we, like Thee, may find among our executioners another Longinus, who had forgotten there was love in a heart until he opened it with a lance."   00:52:32 Rachel: That it is us who in the meantime patiently wait for Him to reveal himself, and grant this purity of heart and until then in all humilty know, that we guard our senses and hearts.. I only say this because it can be discouraging to find weakness so deeply rooted in our hearts   00:53:50 Nathan: Reacted to "Reminds me of a quot..." with ❣️   00:54:14 Ashley Kaschl: I love him 😂   00:54:23 Rachel: Reacted to "I love him 😂" with ❤️   00:54:23 LauraLeigh: Reacted to "Reminds me of a quot..." with ❤️   00:54:46 Louise: At the Traditional Latin Mass, there is a beautiful prayer, "Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus! Heaven and earth are full of Your glory, …Alleluia, alleluia."   00:55:20 carol nypaver: Reacted to "I love him 😂" with 🥰   00:55:33 Rory: Jesus spoke of the Samaritan who helps the man on the road who was beaten, as an example of how we treat our neighbor as ourselves   00:55:37 Rachel: This was meant to be attached to the other comment but the class moves faster than I can type +)   00:56:00 Ann Grimak: Reacted to "Reminds me of a quot…" with ❣️   01:00:21 Ashley Kaschl: That quote is either from his anthologies or from the little book of his sermons on the last seven words called “The Seven Capital Sins” it would be under the reflections on Anger/Wrath   01:00:53 Anthony: Maybe it would help to distinguish the different meanings of "sin" in the Bible and the Fathers.  It seems to me that one meaning is our general inclination to evil, another is entertaining what is wrong, another is doing what is wrong, another is "mortal sin."  These meanings maybe can get mixed up in our thinking about the Faith.  Sometimes the meaning "sin" seems univocal, but places like 1st John indicate that there are lots of meanings of "sin."   01:02:08 Jeff O.: Reacted to "Maybe it would help ..." with 👍   01:03:32 Rachel: What I was trying to touch upon was how we are supposed to see the other. With purity of heart. Amma Syncletica prayed that her heart would be pure towards all. This got me thinking many years ago about what that means. The purity of heart that Saint Climacus is speaking of is something rarely ever spoken of because many are stuck on the surface or, dont really know what it truly means to objectify the other. It is not only speaking in terms of lust but, there can be many ways in which we only seek ourselves and so God will not reveal himself or, we are incapable of seeing him in the other because our hearts have not been healed.   01:03:57 Ashley Kaschl: Reacted to "What I was trying to…" with ❤️   01:04:41 Rachel: I was trying to touch upon St. John speaking of how a soul in that state like Amma Sybcletica is speaking of does not pray that her heart be pure towards all so she may feel better about herself but so that she may see God, this side of the veil.   01:06:22 Rachel: Yes, just as you said Father, very simply. So she may love Him.   01:13:01 Louise: Thanks so much!   01:13:02 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you 🙂   01:13:41 Nathan: Thank you so much (and for the Pentecost retreat) and the so many many careful prayerful readings you guide us through   01:13:42 Rory: what is the email address?  Have a good night   01:13:46 Michael Abele: Thank you Father!   01:13:49 Nathan: Replying to "Maybe it would help ..."   'inclination to evil'?  Guess I had understood that both evil and sin were swerves or mistaken applications of the good - not anything in themselves - but twistings of what is good in means or ends or fulfillments of the 'true' desire that evokes the activity?  Ascesis and 'purification' are to reorder these aims aright (in union with God)?  I had thunk - finding the fullness of the misguided in the way-truth-life?   01:13:50 Jeff O.: Amen! Thank you!   01:13:50 David Swiderski: Thanks father!   01:13:54 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father!!  

We are truly being nourished on solid food in reading the fathers. They present us not simply with a moralistic or legalistic view of sin and its impact upon our lives in the lives of others. We are to hold the peace of another’s heart as precious as we do our own. And when we are stirred to anger or hatred because we have been maligned and mistreated, we must not give way to hatred. Rather, we must suspend judgment and recognize that others are first and foremost tempted to sin as we are. We can hate the sin and the evil and in fact we should do so. But we must never lose sight of the dignity and identity of others or our own identity.  When we get angry, we can lose our stillness and peace of mind and heart. These things are often hard won and so we must be careful not to cast them off easily. Nor should we cast off brotherly love lightly. We often can treat others with harshness and lack of generosity - never realizing that we place our souls and theirs’ in jeopardy. Again, I’m not speaking simply in moralistic terms. If we goad others to anger, we can make them lose hope in the providence and love of God. If we treat their vulnerability, not with generosity and support but abuse it, then we sin against charity - we sin against Christ.  We must learn to slow things down internally; for we do not see all ends; even when we think we see things clearly. Our goal should be to live in divine love and help this divine love be maintained in our relationships with each other. In fulfilling, the commandment to love, we are offered and promised everything - to be sons and daughters of God. In light of this, whatever lengths we go to guard our minds and our hearts from anger is worth it. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:12:20 FrDavid Abernethy: page 348 letter G   00:22:19 Adam Paige: I just received an icon today of the Synaxis of the Bodiless Hosts   00:29:53 Rory: ?is divine providence the stillness among the passions of life?   00:37:05 Rory: ?is God revealing the truth in our silence when anger is expressed from another?   00:39:57 Louise: Father, what would you say about people who sue here and there to deal with their anger?   00:48:25 John Ingram: This reminds me of the Roman judges who flew off the handle, into a rage immediately upon hearing the testimony of the Christians they were sentencing.   01:03:55 David Fraley: I’m sorry I’m so late. I forgot today is Monday.   01:04:23 Ambrose Little, OP: Reacted to "I’m sorry I’m so lat..." with ➕   01:07:27 Rory: when someone trespasses another,  is this God's way of showing us the clarity through peace and hope.   01:09:52 Rory: ?is anger really fear?  and wouldn't Divine Love  quell that fear   01:17:44 Lorraine Green: Thank you   01:18:08 Louise: Thanks you, Father.   01:18:09 Helena Babington Guiles: Thank you Father David. Very helpful. 🙏🏼🤍