Philokalia Ministries

In Hypothesis VIII, we found ourselves considering something that is rather jarring to our sensibilities. We began listening to Saint Gregory the Great on the experience of those who die and come to life again and how this can happen by Divine Providence. We are presented with stories of those who are brought to deep repentance when they began to see that fearful state of Hell. We are also shown that such experiences may take place by God‘s providence perhaps not for the conversion of the one who is dying but for those who witness the the terror of the death of one outside of the grace of God and lacking a repentant heart. There is a fierce love at work bringing about our redemption and that fierceness shows itself by stripping us of any illusions about our lives; illusions either about our own mortality or the immortality of the soul. We see our great dignity and destiny in Christ. We are offered life eternal and an experience of union with the Triune God. However, this immortality of the soul outside of the context of our relationship with Christ presents us with a fearful reality; life without God and eternal death. God and his providence will scourge us in order to correct us and draw us back to the path that leads to life. He will allow us to taste the consequence and the bitterness of our own sin in order that we might turn away from it and hate it. This may not be easy to listen to and our inclination may be to turn away from it or to sanitize it. But if we strip the gospel of its teachings on the last things, if we remove the challenging thoughts of Christ in regards to the unbridgeable chasm that exist between heaven and hell, we lose sight of both our dignity and the weight and significance of our choices in this world. If the stories lead us to repentance they will ultimately lead us to joy; for they will lead us back to the bosom of God. Therefore we must not fear them and we must not avoid them - but allow them to shine their fearsome light upon us. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:16:07 Eric Williams: Father forgot to mute everyone, so everyone check your mics! :) 00:16:23 Edward Kleinguetl: Thanks! 00:21:36 Tyler Woloshyn: He was also the author of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the Byzantine church. 00:33:46 Ambrose: The staff is for beating off the wolves. :) 00:39:19 Eric Williams: Like what I was saying about young married priests in the East not having older priest families to learn from. 00:48:32 Edward Kleinguetl: Heb. 12:6. 00:49:58 Edward Kleinguetl: "For whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;  he scourges every son he acknowledges.” 00:51:59 Eric Williams: “My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline     or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves the one he loves,     as a father the son in whom he delights.” - Proverbs 3:11-12 00:52:02 renwitter: We do not always want to draw that connection between suffering and sin though, right? Christ himself addressed that, and I think of job’s friends trying to convince him that all he is suffering is a result of sin, which it wasn’t. Isn’t suffering also something given to us as a means of drawing us closer to Christ in His passion? 00:52:22 Erick Chastain: oh yeah for sure, not always 00:53:55 Eric Williams: ““How happy is the one whom God reproves;     therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.[d] For he wounds, but he binds up;     he strikes, but his hands heal.” - Job 5:17-18 00:54:31 Edward Kleinguetl: Abba Dorotheos of Gaza: “In God’s providence everything is absolutely right and whatever happens is for the assistance of the soul. For whatever God does with us, he does out of love and consideration for us because it is adapted to our needs.” 01:17:01 Edward Kleinguetl: I met him, April 2, 2019, on Mt. Kolzam. 01:29:30 Nicole: Thank you!!! 01:29:59 D Fraley: Thank you Father David      

Sometimes a great question can lead a group in exactly the right direction!  That was true this evening in our discussion of Letter 60 of Saint Theophan‘s correspondence with Anastasia. So often the spiritual life can seem amorphous. Yet, how is it lived practically? How is it that we direct anger at the passions and what does that look like? Sometimes the spiritual life and the warfare that Theophan describes can seem frightening - let alone confusing. Understanding this leads us right where we need to be. The Fathers of the Church understood that our faith is not simply a set of beliefs or an ideology. It is essentially ascetical; that is, a response to God‘s revelation of Himself to us and His revelation of what the Paschal Mystery has made possible for us. Our destiny in Christ is to share in the life of the most Holy Trinity. But this involves a response to the grace that God has given to us. That response is repentance; a constant turning toward God and away from the passions. The nature of the passions make this a Warfare. We must invest ourselves with a kind of aggression to kill the passions. They are like serpents seeking to reach the surface from within a pit. The Saints tell us we must strike each one of them down until we have killed them. We must not nourish them through a kind of sympathy towards their presence in our lives. In fact, we must poison them with a holy anger that would strike down anything within the human heart that becomes an impediment to our sharing in the love of God. This is, Theophan tells us, the “shortest path” to purifying the heart and there is no other. We may develop our natural virtues to a high extent but without engaging in this battle we will remain passionate and we will become like the foolish virgins described in the gospel who run out of oil.  We cannot borrow virtue, faith, or love from another. Our hearts must burn with desire for the Heavenly Bridegroom. -- Text of chat during the group: 00:20:16 Ashley Kaschl: Don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay/have service but hopefully I’ll get to stay the whole time. 00:44:28 Ashley Kaschl: I think the problem, at least that I’ve confronted, is that people are afraid to start in earnest in any spiritual warfare in their lives because they have a preconceived notion or image from the culture that they’re scared off. 00:56:14 Ashley Kaschl: Gotta go, everyone. Taking off again 😁 great to see you all! 01:02:13 Carole: Safe travels!!  

This evening we concluded Hypothesis VII of the first volume of The Evergetinos. Once again we considered the experience of death of two saintly figures, St. Daniel the Stylite and Abba Sisoes. We begin to see in these two men how their constant repentance and the embrace of God’s grace brought forth, in anticipation, the life of the kingdom. The presence of the saints and angels, the light of Christ and the transformation of their countenance, all speak of the glory that lies on the other side of death. The stories are meant to awaken within us the desire for God and the life of virtue and to give us a lively sense of hope as we approach our own deaths. We are to allow these examples to spur us on in the spiritual life and to do so we must not read them simply in a notional way. Rather we must gaze upon them and listen to them with the eyes and ears of faith; such that we begin to comprehend the mystery of the Kingdom itself. Indeed this should be the posture of every man and woman of faith. We must look at all things in the light of what has been revealed to us in Christ; for only then will we begin to understand our true dignity and destiny as the redeemed Sons and Daughters of God. -- Text of chat during the group: 00:27:55 Eric Williams: Probably a lounge lizard. ;) 00:31:15 renwitter: Honestly, I feel super awkward when the priest begins confession by saying “Welcome!” Instead of making the sign of the cross. Its like….ummmm…thank you? 00:32:11 Michael Liccione: I'm just relieved to get a priest who doesn't need convincing that my sins are sins! 00:32:20 renwitter: Wow Joe. Ditto to everything you’ve said so far. 00:32:41 Erick Chastain: my secret is my own y'all 00:33:09 carolnypaver: You mean, “yinz.” 00:33:26 renwitter: Ooo….the Saint Philip influence is rubbing off on Erick :D 00:33:49 Daniel Allen: Erick Chastain for the win! 00:33:50 Erick Chastain: am I allowed to use yinz as a non-Pittsburgher? 00:34:02 carolnypaver: Absolutely! 00:34:25 carolnypaver: ; ) 00:35:33 Joseph Muir: I maybe lived in Pittsburgh for 11 years, but it was prefaced  with 25 years in Georgia, so my vote will always be for “y’all” over “yinz” 00:35:56 carolnypaver: Snob!  ; ) 00:36:44 Joseph Muir: Having now been in the NYC area for 2 years, we’ll see if “you’s guys” eventually enters my lexicon🤣 00:37:25 carolnypaver: NYC——so sorry to hear.   : ( 00:38:04 Joseph Muir: Not a fan, I take it, eh, Carolyn?😆 00:38:50 carolnypaver: Visited once…not impressed.  One-and-done for me. Thank you very much. 00:39:48 carolnypaver: The ‘Burgh is the place for me.  People are friendlier, I have found. 00:40:48 Joseph Muir: Half of my family is originally from here, so a part of it has always felt like home. I also get to hang out a lot with the Missionaries of Charity, Sisters of Life, and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal a lot, which is a blessing (I went to the profession of final vows Mass for the Franciscans yesterday afternoon, actually ❤) 00:41:39 carolnypaver: Awesome!  You’re in a good part of NYC!  ; ) 00:42:34 Ambrose: Who is “the Church”? We is the Church. :) 00:44:56 Jonathan Rodriguez: Great point Eric 00:45:00 Daniel Allen: Facebook and Twitter... the “anti-church”? The depth of a puddle, I like that a lot. 00:45:08 Joseph Muir: That’s a very theologically astute observation, Fr Ambrose!😀 00:47:31 Ambrose: Just a mister Ambrose. There is a Fr. Ambrose Little, O.P. in the St. Joseph province (Eastern USA), who I have occasionally been mixed up with. I don’t mind, but poor Fr. Ambrose! lol 00:48:32 sue and mark: understood that the confessional was sacrosanct and can not be hears by the demons.  Isn't that true? 00:50:58 Eric Williams: “Who is the Church?” That’s a great thought and something that should convict us. I was thinking more of the institutional Church, though. We’ve had so many generations of poorly catechized members of the Church that we’re a chaotic mess of well-intentioned klutzes. It seems to me - and I’m frequently wrong - that our leaders have let us down and left us hanging. Too many of us are wandering sheep without reliable shepherds. To mix metaphors, we’re the blind leading the blind. 00:52:34 Ambrose: I dare say that is the perennial reality of the Church—always something of a mess; always in need of reform. 00:53:21 Joseph Muir: On that point, Eric, I’ve been listening to the Bible In A Year podcast from Fr Mike Schmitz ever since the start of this year, and looking at the Facebook group, the comments and questions are so all over the place, in a way that demonstrates the poor catechesis 00:53:45 Joseph Muir: I should probably leave the group, for the sake of my own soul🤣 01:02:27 sue and mark: who would not want to die that way? 01:05:12 Joseph Muir: “Noble simplicity”🙄 01:05:26 Lilly: Agree 100% Fr David 01:13:10 Eric Williams: In other words, we don’t overcome sin, per se, so much as we acknowledge that we are always sinning. So, we must be in perpetual repentence. 01:13:41 Joseph Muir: Found the article😀: https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2008/06/the-incredible-hulk-the-philokalia-and-anger-management 01:13:56 Lilly: @Eric well said. 01:14:47 Ambrose: The “art” of repentance. A good term for it. Always room to improve and further our art. 01:14:51 Eric Williams: The secret to the Hulk controlling his rage was acknowledging that he’s always angry, rather than blaming his outbursts on particular outrages. He stopped treating his anger as someone else’s fault. He’s always angry, so he is always dangerous. 01:16:32 Joseph Muir: Amen, Eric. This is also why it’s healthier to not simply see sin as the bad things that we do and say and think, but it is the state of our broken selves due to our inheriting this brokenness by virtue of original sin. We aren’t simply sinners due to our commiting individual acts of sin; we are sinners due to inheriting a sinful nature, a disease which only the God can cure us of in in the church, via the sacraments and prayer 01:17:12 Jonathan Rodriguez: Thank you!

When reading the Fathers, one has to be prepared to be challenged; and at in times in ways that are discomfiting. Letter 60 of Theophan’s  correspondence with Anastasia presents us with such a challenge. The title of the Letter is “Cleansing the Heart.”  Theophan focuses on the eruption of passions that come with great force; feelings, desires, thoughts come upon us like a wave or erupt like a volcano. Our response to such circumstances is to be consistent with all that he has taught her. We are to turn these thoughts and feelings out again and to do so repeatedly until they cease. However, Theophan warns Anastasia that despite how these thoughts and feelings come upon us, that is, seemingly unintended, they are in reality a reflection of impurity still present within our hearts. Although at the moment we may not have given an assent to such thoughts, feelings, and desires, the presence of such passions bear witness to the fact that there is still impurity within our heart; that is, at some point, we were guilty through negligence, a lack of prayer, or laziness in the ascetical life. And in  all of this we must not conceal ourselves or cover our nakedness, as it were. Rather, we are to humbly blame ourselves and acknowledge our sin and our participation in the sin and its emergence. To do so is to fail to embrace the truth in the sight of God and to ignore the voice of our conscience. It is to hold on falsely to our self-esteem and vainglory. Humility means “truthful living” and acknowledging the truth in an unvarnished way before God.  In this and in this alone will we find healing. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:28:30 renwitter: As Mother Mectilde de Bar would tell us, our practice of virtue is not just for the sake of securing our salvation and moving on. We ought always to be seeking to bring greater and greater glory to God. 00:33:16 renwitter: Ya’ll are gonna think I’m crazy, but the image that just came to mind is me telling myself that I can watch a certain tv show, or engage in idle conversation without being in danger, and suddenly Miracle Max’s wife from The Princess Bride runs in shouting “Liar, Liar!!” 00:33:37 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂😂 00:33:41 Lilly: lol 00:34:47 Joseph Muir: 🤣 00:35:00 Cathy: The Holy Spirit saved you Ren 00:45:22 renwitter: Forgiveness Sunday is coming to mind 00:54:25 Sheila Applegate: 👍 00:57:22 Cathy: I need to get a maid, therefore I can practice this method! 00:58:04 renwitter: 😂 01:04:28 Ashley Kaschl: CS Lewis said something similar to what Father is saying, something to the effect of “I find that when I think I am asking God to forgive me I am often in reality (unless I watch myself very carefully) asking Him to do something quite different. I am asking Him not to forgive me but to excuse me.” 01:09:25 Mark Cummings: I think Ren just apologized to Father for something but I am not sure  

Tonight we picked up with Hypothesis VII, continuing our reflection upon the experience of death by those righteous souls who sought to draw close to God in their life. God in His great mercy will often come to them to console and prepare them for their own passover; their passing over from death to eternal life. The unknown of this reality can be a fearful thing, and so in the stories we often hear of the dying soul being surrounded by his fellow monks praying for his soul. This moment, often feared and avoided by modern men and women, is something we are encouraged to meditate upon in the deepest way. It is not simply facing our fears, but facing them in light of what God has revealed to us and his only begotten Son. We are in the End Times; salvation is now and so every moment is freighted  with destiny because every moment is an opportunity to love and give ourselves in love. The stories magnify that reality for us so that we would take our life seriously; but more importantly, that we would take God at his word. We must foster a kind of stability in life and mind; a clarity about what we pursue as our ultimate goal. Otherwise we may not prepare ourselves for that most intimate of moments when we will stand before God in the full light of His Truth. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:39:34 Eric Williams: Nope, not ready. Thanatophobia is rough. ;) 00:41:30 Ambrose Little: I think it’s the attraction of gnosticism, too. 00:45:21 Eric Williams: Erick must be fun at parties. ;) 00:47:18 Erick Chastain: :) 00:56:59 Tyler Woloshyn: An example of semantron https://youtu.be/iXj7DLHH9-E 01:02:52 Eric Williams: Every parent willing to be honest will say they’ve wanted to flee. ;) 01:03:34 renwitter: Personally, I favor “One day I’ll fly away” from Mulan Rouge :-D My personal favorite “run-away song.” 01:07:45 Eric Williams: *innocent whistling* 01:09:13 Ambrose Little: Eric, rather this: https://youtu.be/3br0tDqW3r8 :) 01:13:21 D Fraley: Thank you, Father David. 01:14:02 Lilly: Thank you!

“Know that in this is the entire essence of the labor over the attainment of salvation.“ These are bold words from Saint Theophan at the end of Letter 59.  However, they do not arise simply from his own experience but from the entire spiritual tradition. Part of the problem in modern times is that we have lost the clarity that is necessary for those in the spiritual battle and the weapons that we have been provided in abundance. Purity of heart, the struggle with a Passions, unceasing prayer, the invocation of the name of Christ; all of these things are part of the arsenal of the Christian and allow him to enter into the spiritual battle without fear. This lack of fear is not a natural virtue but rather comes from our awareness that we are not on the battlefield alone. We have been given access to an inexhaustible source of grace; the Holy Spirit dwells within us and not only elevates our prayer but raises us up to a radical intimacy with the Triune God. What is it that we could possibly lose in this life that is not regained immeasurably in Christ?  Perfect love cast out all fear. We dare not tolerate a worldly wisdom that would convince us that the spiritual battle presented before us is for monks alone. All who desire Christ, all who desire the love of the heavenly bridegroom, will be willing to engage in this battle regardless of the costs. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:11:22 Andrea Boring: hi! 00:11:35 Andrea Boring: it says the video was disabled by host! 00:11:47 Edward Kleinguetl: Hi! 00:14:13 The Pittsburgh Oratory: Welcome Andrea 00:14:57 Mark Cummings: Father has a lot of power 00:15:37 Andrea Boring: no :( no worries. it's ok. 00:47:20 renwitter: To this day he will suddenly appear from around a corner in his Judo pose with Judo hands :-D 00:47:41 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂😂 00:48:30 renwitter: I was a Kempo Patate Kid, so our sparring sessions don’t work so well…and I don’t stand a chance anyway 😂😂😂 00:48:37 renwitter: Karate* 01:08:40 Eric Williams: Attend Pitt for your BS and go to the Newman Center for your MR or MRS. ;) 01:17:10 Mark Cummings: Thank you! 01:18:57 Lilly ليلي: Thank you  

Tonight we continued our reading of Hypothesis VII on the experience of death for those who have sought to live a virtuous life; how God often offers consolation or aids them by accompanying them through the experience of death. We are presented with one beautiful story after another. But, what becomes evident is that these are not simply to be read as pious stories, but rather something that speaks to how we view life as a whole including our preparation for death. We are reminded how important it is to be present to those who are dying; not just as an obligation but as a privilege to accompany a loved one in this most important moment. The stories also speak to us about the importance of forming our own hearts and those of our children from the earliest ages to understand how present God is to us at every moment of our lives. We need to shape the religious imagination in such a way that it creates within us an urgent longing for what God alone promises. ---- Text of chat during the group: 00:30:16 Joseph Muir: What page are we on? 00:30:28 Eric Williams: 56 00:31:07 Tyler Woloshyn: First saint that comes to mind is St. Rafka, the Maronite nun-Saint, the Lily of Lebanon. 00:43:15 sue and mark: Holy death is a life long process. 00:54:25 Eric Williams: The East has a tradition of reciting the entire psalter over the recently deceased, continuously throughout day and night, if possible. It fell into disuse, but I'm told it's slowly returning. Also returning are families washing and dressing the body, as well as forgoing embalming. 00:59:00 Eric Williams: My wife's family stopped working on their grape farm in the middle of picking when they got news her grandfather was dying. In the midst of that very busy and very important period of time, they dropped everything and showed up at the nursing home in grungy clothes and covered in mud. They were able to be their for his last moments. 00:59:36 Eric Williams: *there (I hate typos :P) 01:03:08 Tyler Woloshyn: It is also chanted on Good Friday  night into Holy Saturday Vigil in front of the Tomb of the Lord. Seminarians would take turns in Kathismatas. 01:04:54 renwitter: My funeral is planned and the program is printed :-D 01:06:41 Joseph Muir: My godfather became an alcoholic, so bad that, when I was a young child, younger than 10,  my parents pulled away. My mom’s dad was an alcoholic, and some of the family wounds (some that are still felt today) were deep enough that they wanted to ensure my not being needlessly exposed to toxicity. Eventually, now in my 20s, he was on his deathbed, dying of sclerosis of his liver, due to decades of hard drinking. We hadn’t seen each other in probably 10+ years, and he was hooked up to a million tubes, and, while “awake”, wasn’t communicative. Even fo this day, I am convinced that our hearts spoke to each other that day, that he apologized for his addiction, since it kept us from having more of a relationship; and, in my heart, I was able to tell him that I forgave him, that I loved him, and that he could be assured of my prayers❤ 01:14:47 Lisa Weidner: An important prayer to pray as someone is dying is the Divine Mercy Chaplet , and after their passing 01:22:17 Eric Williams: I'm always amazed and impressed when I see or hear about children playing "mass", whereas most would play "house, or as knights, or as policemen, firemen, or doctors. 01:25:09 renwitter: There is nothing like the sound of little voices humming “pray for us” (from the litany of our patron saints that we do) as they walk to their cars **heart eyes** 01:28:31 Sharon: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a beautiful catechetical model which is a fruit of Maria Montessori’s philosophy of teaching. 01:31:25 carolnypaver: Armata Bianca (White Army) was PadrePio’s vision. 01:37:49 sue and mark: catechesis of the Good Shepherd is excellent!  

Tonight, in Letter 59, St. Theophan continued to guide Anastasia through the writings of Saint Hesychius of Jerusalem. Again we see how deeply connected Theophan is to the spiritual tradition as a whole. The spiritual battle is very simple, albeit not easy. We must show great attentiveness to what is going on internally and with our thoughts. When we see the enemy advance a thought, we must strike it down with anger in the heart and do so swiftly. Most of all we must pray against it, calling upon the name of Jesus Christ in the heart. The fruit of such an exercise is that we begin to walk upon that path of holy contemplation belong to the Saints, immersing ourselves more more deeply into the mysteries of Christ.  It is His Spirit that dwells within us and guides us most of all and that should free us from fear in the battle. When we call upon Christ in that Spirit we lack no power to overcome the attacks of the demons. Theophan also warns Anastasia not to ignore the secret thoughts that can approach the heart. The evil one often begins with what the fathers called “provocation”; thoughts immediately rush in and, if they are met with our thoughts willingly, the passions are stirred. Rather we must seek unceasing silence of any thought in the heart and allow that Spirit to breathe so deeply within us that we are constantly calling upon the Lord. A certain sobriety must guide our actions; we must situate ourselves at the doors of the heart in order that we might see the thoughts creeping up and understand what form the demons are attempting to inscribe and how they are seeking to entice the imagination. --- 00:11:14 Lilly: Hi Nick and Natalia! Happy to see you guys made it! 00:11:28 Nicholas Koeppel: Thank you for the invite Lilly! 01:02:32 renwitter: "Stand at the brink of the abyss of despair, and when you see that you cannot bear it anymore, draw back a little and have a cup of tea" ~Elder Sophrony of Essex 01:02:39 renwitter: Or in Fr. David’s case, an espresso 01:02:42 renwitter: Or five 01:03:15 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂 01:03:37 Joseph Muir: How about some whiskey?😂 01:04:05 Erick Chastain: why not both? Irish coffee 01:04:21 renwitter: Thats a dangerous path away from despair, but works in a pinch ;-) 01:04:25 Joseph Muir: But not five of them😆 01:04:48 Erick Chastain: some ascetic reading group this is LOL 01:05:27 renwitter: Rough day, so I had two beers with dinner tonight, which I thought was pretty indulgent. But there are four left in the fridge if I end up needing five :-D 01:16:46 Katharine M: ^‿^ 01:20:18 Joseph Muir: I got my copy of The Ladder in the mail earlier this week! 01:20:43 Nicholas Koeppel: Thank you

Tonight we began our discussion of Hypothesis VII on the many times that the souls of virtuous people are made cheerful at the time of death by some divine overshadowing. What we find in these paragraphs and the stories that they tell of the experience of those dying being consoled by God, by a vision of angels, or by saints is a portrait of how God has transformed for us the experience of death. For those who draw close to Him in faith and have embraced his grace, the moment is transformed from one of fear or terror to a moment of deep consolation and the experience of the presence of God and of his love. On another level, this speaks to us about the nature of the Incarnation itself. All that has been assumed has been redeemed. This includes the experience of suffering and death. For those who have faith, entering into these realities -  whether our own or others - should be something that we do freely. This is how a Christian is to love. We do not live in isolation from each other; we do not suffer alone or allow others to suffer and die alone. If God comes to the aid of his faithful in these stories, it is to show us what we are to do and be for others at the moment of their death. We are to love as He loves.  We are to enter into the most fearful of experiences and grasp the hand of the person that God has put before us as He will one day take hold of our own. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:13:27 Daniel Allen: What page are we on? 00:13:36 carolnypaver: 51 00:13:56 Daniel Allen: Thank you 00:33:28 carolnypaver: Some of us have no choice… 00:43:32 Jim Milholland: We are always looking to take another bite out of the proverbial apple of knowledge. 00:43:51 Eric Williams: Great way to put it! 00:45:05 Eric Williams: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 00:49:32 Ambrose Little: It’s a memorable anecdote that can make the deeper reflection stick more, though. 00:53:18 Eric Williams: This sort of reminds me of when Jesus told people to not touch Him or hold on to Him because He had yet to ascend. Perhaps we shouldn't see these dying words as treating the wife's touch as sinful or tempting the husband to sin. Rather, he desired to depart this world and join his Lord, and his wife mustn't cling to him, preventing his departure. 00:53:39 Ambrose Little: It’s a backhanded compliment for her. Lolz 01:09:11 Eric Williams: I've read or heard countless stories of Eastern saints from whom fragrant, often miraculously healing, myrrh flowed at death. Are there similar stories from the deaths of Western saints? Is it less common in the West, and if so, why? (This might be too much of a digression, which is why I opted to type rather than raise my hand to speak.) 01:21:06 carolnypaver: “The Fourth Wiseman” (movie)has a good depiction of the leper colony. 01:24:53 Jim Milholland: A pandemic of fear and complacency 01:25:12 Ambrose Little: I could yawn a lot more. :D 01:25:19 Edward Kleinguetl: "The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread" (Mother Teresa of Calcutta). 01:29:37 Eric Williams: The Evergetinos: Sponsored by Clorox(TM) 01:31:58 Ashley Kaschl: I think, too, the technology we have (while able to be used for good) gives the illusion of action and participation so it’s easy for people to grow complacent because they think they’re acting by watching, posting, etc. 01:32:06 iPad (32) jeane kish: Outstanding teaching by the Master, Fr. David, thank you! 01:32:34 Jim Milholland: Has the pandemic been a kind of asceticism too?

Tonight we concluded Letter 58 with another wonderful story from Abba John the Dwarf. We are reminded through it that no matter how far we distance ourselves from the passions, they will always seek us out. They will try to lure us back to a position where we will welcome them into our hearts. At that moment, it is most important to run to the inner chamber, the depths of the heart, and embrace the “Ruler“, that is Christ and allow him to restore peace and calm. When we do this, we are told, it will be as if those passions never existed.  In Letter 59, Saint Theophan tells Anastasia that he has told her almost everything about spiritual warfare. There are many passions that approach us in many different ways. But the general method for combating them is the same. What he has set before her is nothing novel. St. Theophan is not an innovator. To show Anastasia this, he begins to quote at length St. Hesychius the priest.  In his writings we see the essence of everything that Theophan has taught. There are four fundamental things that we must have in the spiritual battle: humility, extreme attentiveness, refutation of the thoughts, and prayer. Through these, the ascetic will see the enemy bound or chased away by the honorable name of Jesus like dust in the wind. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:29:44 renwitter: Ashley is going to catch on fire pretty soon :-D 00:52:28 renwitter: Same Anthony. Same. 00:53:39 Ashley Kaschl: Just saw this lol definitely had to blow one out 😂 00:53:46 Eric Williams: Sarcasm? *innocent whistling* 00:59:00 renwitter: They make you just too darn tired to speak unless absolutely necessary :-D 01:00:58 Eric Williams: Before you speak, THINK: Is it TRUE? Is it HELPFUL? Is it INTELLIGENT? Is it NECESSARY? Is it KIND? :) 01:02:45 Eric Williams: or exorcized ;) 01:02:56 Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: ^^^^ 01:03:06 renwitter: Yep. Little demon child. 01:03:31 Daniel Allen: Oh that’s just a day in the life haha 01:03:33 Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: I can dunk it in the baptismal font! porblem solved! 01:03:43 Eric Williams: "St. Theophan would not approve of your behavior, child!" 01:03:51 Erick Chastain: can we have another session on Fridays that just consist of Fr David telling stories? 01:04:06 renwitter: I think they need a proper Byzantine exorcism. 01:04:28 Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: haha yep!