Philokalia Ministries

Dive into a fascinating exploration of Christian identity and human experience. Discover how grace shapes our understanding of sexuality and morality. Reflect on personal struggles with desires while living in a distraction-heavy world. Learn from a monk's journey to maintaining spiritual integrity through divine support. Emphasize the importance of silence and boundaries in conversations, and appreciate the role of saints and collective prayer in deepening faith. This dialogue invites reflection on our existence and connection with the divine.

Again, already in these first paragraphs of Homily One what comes forward most powerfully in Saint Isaac‘s writing is that the ascetic life is driven by love and desire for God. More accurately, one might say that it is the soul’s response to God‘s revelation of His love, mercy and compassion to us in His only begotten Son.  Therefore, Isaac can speak of things such as shame not in the sense of diminishing an individual’s self-identity but rather as a veil protecting the mind and the heart for Christ alone. As one purifies the heart one begins to see with a greater clarity those things that can diminish one’s capacity to love and to see that which is good in God and others. Thus, while shame mortifies us it also protects us from being led indiscriminately by our thoughts and desires.  One of the blessings that God has given to us in order to purify the heart is the scriptures. We are exhorted to have a fervent love of instruction; to fill the mind and the heart with the words and deeds of Christ. In doing so we create a new habit of mind that directs the soul toward God in such a way that we put behind us and even forget everything that is a distraction from this greater reality. We are surrounded by the noise of the world and in kind of thoughtless fashion we allow ourselves to be led away from what endures unto eternity or what is uplifting. However, when the mind is captivated by the divine word, it can be filled with such wonder that it becomes unaware of even thoughts that are associated with our basic human needs - when our last meal was or how the night has passed away so quickly. The ascetic life, therefore, is not about self perfection or endurance. Rather, it is a recognition of our identity in Christ. We are made in the image and likeness of God and by his grace and his redemptive love we are being drawn into the very life of the Holy Trinity. Isaac’s homilies are an invitation to enter into the wondrous depths of God’s love. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:14:37 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 115 paragraph 15 from start of homily 00:28:16 Jamie Hickman: Sorry, I had trouble with the keyboard...regarding the last paragraph that begins "Not he is chaste who...": just wanted to say that the saint we are reading would be guarding his own thoguhts, but I wonder: can we say confidently that he doesn't judge another? Instead, can we assume he regrets that another has fallen prey to evil one by not preserving his purity in thought, word, or action? My purpose: guarding our purity seems to include guarding us from judging others...something I struggle with for sure, shamefully! 00:30:53 Jamie Hickman: Thank you, Father 🤝 00:32:39 Anthony: Father, how does this differ from "quietism?" 00:39:34 Jessica Imanaka: Would Saint Isaac have memorized most of scripture? I wonder if such memorization would also facilitate driving out worldly memories. 00:43:12 Christian Corulli: How can one avoid being like the older brother of the prodigal son parable in all this? It is so easy to work and focus on ourselves and our own perfection in the spiritual life... there seems to be a fine line where we cross over into fixation on ourselves in the spiritual life. 00:48:52 Christian Corulli: Thanks 🙏 00:48:55 Alex Underwood: It is so profound that God offers us this practice of asceticism and hesychasm… these homilies are almost like an owner’s manual, that sadly not many people have. Yet it seems as if Isaac is saying that really everything he has found and has been shown about this practice can be deduced from the scriptures, if only one would look. 00:52:35 Ryan Ngeve: Father, if we memorize the scriptures as St. Isaac describes, how different are we from the Pharisees and where does the grace of God come to play in understanding and living the scripture? 00:53:46 Anthony: The new Syriac Divine Office book ("Book of Before and After") arranged by Fr Andrew Younan is pretty nice, especially while reading St Isaac the Syrian. 00:54:02 Alex Underwood: Reacted to "The new Syriac Divin..." with 👍 00:55:28 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "The new Syriac Divin..." with 👍 00:56:01 Jamie Hickman: Reacted to "The new Syriac Div..." with 🙏 00:57:16 Catherine Opie: I joined a class to study the Pentateuch and was surprised to find out that even though I had read the Bible several times I had never fully understood underlying meanings, patterns of language and numbers and foreshadowing within the scriptures in quite the same way it has opened up to me through doing this 00:58:02 Catherine Opie: Sorry pressed enter without thinking 01:00:14 Myles Davidson: Fr. Agapetos YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FatherAgapetos 01:00:24 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "Fr. Agapetos YouTube..." with 🙏🏻 01:00:51 Lori Hatala: Reacted to "Fr. Agapetos YouTube..." with 🙏🏻 01:01:18 Jonathan Wiseman: Reacted to "Fr. Agapetos YouTube..." with 🙏🏻 01:09:57 Julie: Reacted to "Fr. Agapetos YouTube…" with 🙏 01:10:15 Alex Underwood: “To suffice the mind firmly to pinion it’s thoughts to a single thought of wonder” 01:10:31 Julie: Reacted to "The new Syriac Divin…" with 🙏 01:10:44 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "“To suffice the mind..." with 🔥 01:12:02 Jamie Hickman: Reacted to "“To suffice the m..." with 👁️ 01:12:23 Jessica Imanaka: Reacted to "“To suffice the mind..." with ❤️ 01:12:24 Christian Corulli: Reacted to “To suffice the mind... with "🔥" 01:12:36 Jamie Hickman: thank you as always, Father 01:12:40 Alex Underwood: Excellent insight, thank you 01:12:57 cameron: Thank you Fr 01:13:37 Julie: God bless you are in my prayers 🙏🏻 01:13:38 Ben: Thank you very much, Father! God & Mary keep you. 01:13:41 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂 01:13:47 Elizabeth Richards: Amen 🙏🏼 01:13:51 Jamie Hickman: wow! 01:13:52 Jeffrey Ott: Thank you Father! 01:13:57 Rachel: Thanks be to God! 01:14:06 Rachel: Thank you 01:14:25 David: Thank you Father! 01:14:36 paul g.: God Bless Father 01:14:37 Catherine Opie: Thank you

Dive into the struggles of monks battling temptations of lust and fornication, illuminated by divine grace. Discover how asceticism and personal relationships intertwine in the pursuit of a chaste life, as illustrated by poignant stories of longing and faith. Explore the complexities of human sexuality and the need for nurturing early spiritual formation in children. Finally, reflect on the enriching practice of Lectio Divina, inviting listeners to engage deeply with scripture and embrace shared healing in faith.

Holy inebriation! We are to become drunk with faith.  For those inebriated with alcohol there is often a loss of the capacity to think about things or see things clearly. For those inebriated with faith, there is a loss of sight of the things of this world and attraction to them because one’s gaze is fixed upon the Beloved. Love alone draws the soul forward. Indeed, it is by the grace of God that we make that initial turn towards Him and so begin to see with a greater clarity the inconstancy that sin brings into our life and the healing, the hope, and the joy that faith alone provides.   Our senses and our natural faculties that we use constantly to perceive the world around us often become a source of distortion because of the weakening of our will and the darkening of our intellect. And even if these faculties should function perfectly, they still are incapable of comprehending God as he is in himself.   When faith begins to grow, we begin to see the presence of God in all things and his Providence acting on our behalf. Love, seeks union and communion and perfect Love is present in our lives in a transformative fashion. We need not fear affliction, poverty, or the hatred of others knowing that we are loved with a perfect love. We are never in isolation when we are in Christ through faith and the grace that he provides us. The inconstancy of sin is replaced with the stability and fearlessness of faith. The world can take everything from us, including our honor, and yet we find no loss in it. With St Paul we count all things as refuse in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ and him crucified. Isaac wants a to understand the need to be fully immersed in this love, to be inebriated by it and permeated by it so that it shapes our entire existence. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:02:32 Paisios: Baptismal. One moment I'll get headphones. 00:09:33 Una: I see we have a dog and cat in attendance tonight 00:09:45 Una: Very Franciscan 00:09:59 Una: Are they keen on Isaac? 00:14:26 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 114, # 7 00:16:53 Paisios: Reacted to "Are they keen on I..." with ❤️ 00:22:00 Eric Jobe: There is an emphasis here on “perception” (rgeshta), which he repeats, a perception of the power of faith versus the perception of visible matter. I think this keys into the notion of being drunk. When we are drunk, we lose perception. If we are drunk with faith, we lose perception of worldly things and become perceptive to spiritual things. 00:22:07 Una: How does this paragraph fit with the essence/energy ? 00:23:10 Una: Thank you 00:23:40 Jamie: Reacted to "There is an emphas..." with 👍 00:23:42 Lee Graham: Reacted to "There is an emphasis…" with ❤️ 00:27:50 Alex Underwood: Reacted to "There is an emphasis..." with 👍 00:36:46 Bob Čihák, AZ: Just over the last few days, my nous perceived than I am a reflection of God in that He created me in His “image and likeness.” Other people are also blessed in this way. I’m seeing Christ more easily in others. 00:37:18 Rachel L.: Is it wrong then,to want to be comfortable around people,  want friends, and have relationships with others outside of my family? 00:37:50 Anthony: Our parish priest said something very important: it is very difficult to commit a mortal sin.  This counters a tendency to fear we will lose God, that is kind of common among "traditional" ways of thinking. 00:37:58 Rachel L.: I'm confused about the practical application of this 00:42:35 Eric Jobe: St. Isaac makes a contrast between fear of death and fear of God (who destroys death by death). It seems we are controlled by one or the other, as if some type of fear is necessary. Why? Perhaps because we lack perfect love that “casts out all fear”. I believe it is something that Diadochos of Photiki talks about in Philokalia Vol. 1. 00:42:44 Joshua Sander: I've been reading commentary on the book of Job, and it seems to correspond well to this paragraph, especially demanding investigation due to a lack of faith, and then moving from that to a faith that is born of grace and viewing God relationally rather than legalistically. Do Isaac or any of the other Fathers view Job's journey in this way? 00:45:14 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "There is an emphasis..." with ❤️ 00:45:45 Kate : Is this trust in the providence of God something that we bring about in ourselves, or is it a grace that we must pray and beg God to give to us? 00:56:36 Art: This paragraph calls to mind St John of the Cross “…if the desire of the will be dispersed among other things than virtue, it must be weaker as regards virtue.  And thus the soul whose will is set upon various trifles is like water…never rises.”   Ascent of Mt Carmel. 00:59:50 Paisios: "Silence is the womb of wisdom" 01:00:07 Paisios: I don't 01:11:13 Kathleen: Can’t find raise hand. But can you elaborate more on #13?  Examples? Perhaps next week if no time. 01:14:00 Una: Look under "reactions" on the tool bar on the bottom. It's an icon of a heart 01:14:20 Una: Right beside "chat" 01:15:00 Anthony: Sorry I can't find the raise hand button.  I sense now the same sense of rage and vengeance as in 2001 01:17:19 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Can’t find raise han..." Maybe repost your question so Fr. sees it 01:19:03 Paisios: In my rage, whose heart will I change? 01:19:25 Jessica Imanaka: Reacted to "In my rage, whose he..." with 👍 01:19:43 Carol Roper: Reacted to "In my rage, whose he…" with 👍 01:20:04 Edward Kleinguetl: “God’s love is powerful enough to heal everything, but you must find the courage to decide to pass through the ‘narrow gate’ of forgiveness. This choice is more demanding than the spontaneous reaction of resentment and accusation, but it is a decision in favor of true life.” (Fr. Jacques Philippe) 01:20:28 Elizabeth Richards: Reacted to "“God’s love is power..." with ❤️ 01:20:32 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: Reacted to "“God’s love is power..." with ❤️ 01:20:54 Mary Clare Wax: I think of the movie, "The Mission," where some of the priests decided to fight back, and in the end, they were all killed. It was a very sad thing to see. I so hoped they would change their minds and pray until the end like the Superior of the Jesuits did. 01:23:28 Edward Kleinguetl: Reacted to "I think of the movie..." with ❤️ 01:23:52 Edward Kleinguetl: Reacted to "In my rage, whose he..." with 👍 01:25:42 Catherine Opie: Since I have become Catholic and humbled myself before God the anxiety and restlessness I always felt has disappeared. Now I find I am  even more humbled by becoming an outsider in my family and with old friends because of this choice. I feel grief but not anxiety. Because 01:25:58 Gina Marie: Reacted to "“God’s love is power..." with ❤️ 01:26:24 Tracey Fredman: Reacted to "Since I have become ..." with ❤️ 01:27:04 ANDREW ADAMS: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father! 01:27:07 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂 01:27:13 Gina Marie: Thank you, Father! 01:27:17 Jeffrey Ott: Thank you! 01:27:20 Joe: Thank you Fr. Charbel 01:27:23 paul g.: Excellent tonite 01:27:25 David: Thank you Father. May you be blessed with good health 01:27:50 Catherine Opie: Thank you Fr. 01:28:25 David: Meeting Planner – Find best time across Time Zones

Dive into the tension between fear and hope as the discussion reveals how humility is crucial in overcoming lust and maintaining spiritual purity. Experience the transformative power of repentance, illustrating how God tirelessly seeks to bring us back to Him. The complexities of relationships and the need for genuine connection are highlighted, stressing the importance of faith in navigating marital struggles. Explore how community, prayer, and resilience can empower individuals to resist negative influences and foster spiritual growth.

How we begin something often determines how it will develop in later stages and the fruit that it will bear. Thus, Saint Isaac tells us, that the beginning of the path of life is our immersion in the word of God and to live in poverty. This is strikingly unlike how other ascetic/mystical writers begin speaking about the discipline of virtue. Isaac immediately encourages us to take the focus off of ourselves, of our own judgment of the world as well as to remove our attachment to the things of this world. Our identity is rooted in God. We have been made in his image and likeness and we only find the fulfillment of love and life for which our hearts long in him. To exercise the mind in the words of God is not like reading a book on history. It is opening the heart to receive the fullness of what God has revealed to us and when we approach this word in faith and silence, it allows God to speak a word that is equal to himself. It allows that Divine word to be born in our hearts. This encounter is what transforms us and fills the heart with desire for what we are promised in Christ; that is, theosis, deification, being made one is with God by grace. The more this desire grows within us the less we are attached to the things of this world.  We seek to simplify our lives.  To become poor in the things of this world allows us to become rich in that which endures. Free from the anxiety that our attachment to the things of this world brings we are able to immerse ourselves in the eternal word of God. Lacking this, Isaac tells us, no one can draw close to God. The more occupied we are with the things of the world the more susceptible we become to the passions. When we surround ourselves with the noise of the world all of the senses are flooded and we are in a constant state of receptivity. Thus, we become less receptive to the one thing necessary and that is sanctifying. What we find in Isaac then and what makes his writing so captivating is his understanding that love is the most powerful source of motivation and transformation. It is Christ who raises us up out of the poverty of our sin and when we have Him, as St paul reminds us, everything else appears to be mere refuse. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:07:20 Una: Where is the hand button? 00:07:58 Una: Mine is a heart icon 00:10:21 Una: I feel like Isaac the way I felt when I first discovered the Bible. Total immersion 00:11:48 Una: Replying to "I feel like Isaac ..." I have not been able to stop listening to the audiobook 00:11:53 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 113, # 4 00:11:55 Daniel Allen: i am but my camera and mic aren't working 00:11:57 Daniel Allen: yes 00:11:59 Daniel Allen: confirmed 00:12:13 Daniel Allen: on a laptop instead of ipad tonight and i can't seem to figure out zoom on this 00:12:34 Daniel Allen: not sure if you can see my typing 00:13:07 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 113, # 4 00:16:56 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 113, # 4 00:29:27 Kathleen: Rationale thought 00:34:38 Lee Graham: No 00:46:20 Maureen Cunningham: I find everyone seems so Angry these days. 00:46:40 Maureen Cunningham: Silence is the only way 00:51:16 Daniel Allen: It's hard to leave Christ for Christ, to see it as such. As a parent, sometimes the last thing you want is a kid asking you a question, or really anyone needing you. And inevitably when you try to find time to pray, that's when you're needed without fail. The natural reaction, especially after awhile, can be frustration. So to "leave Christ for Christ" is a challenging thing to actually do. 00:54:20 Joshua Sander: Forgive my question for going back a paragraph in the text, but when Isaac speaks of "the word of God," is he simply speaking of the formal canon of Scripture, or is he extending this to the holy writings of the Fathers as well? 00:56:36 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "It's hard to leave C..." with ❤️ 01:00:14 Anthony: If St Neri is an example, this becoming prayer comes gradually, organically. It isn't grasped at with ambition. 01:00:41 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "If St Neri is an exa..." with 👍🏼 01:07:09 Nick Bodmer: We are amusing ourselves to death 01:08:16 The Recovery Community Hub of PBC, Inc.: At our wedding our priest had this line that stuck with me, that every single struggle in marriage will ultimately lead to the cultivation of a virtue that each of the spouses needs to attain heaven 01:08:36 Alex Underwood: It seems like Isaac’s concept of “separation” here could be a direct lesson from and emulation of Jesus when he would remove himself into the wilderness or desert to pray and commune with the Father? 01:18:36 Kevin Burke: Thank You Father, this is awesome ! 01:18:38 Elizabeth Richards: Thank you Father! 01:18:41 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You 01:18:44 santiagobua: Thank you Father!! 01:18:46 Nypaver Clan: Sorry to disagree with Lord Byron…If I thought “marriage was hell” I wouldn’t have stuck with it for 41 years.   🥰 01:18:47 Una: That's very tempting to do Isaac more than once a week 01:18:52 Francisco Ingham: Thank you father! 01:18:52 Una: What about Friday? 01:18:53 Daniel Allen: Thank you Father! 01:19:32 ANDREW ADAMS: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father! 01:19:35 Joe Mugo: Thank you Father. 01:19:37 Bob Čihák, AZ: Bless you, Father! 01:19:37 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂 01:19:56 Catherine Opie: That sounds wonderful 01:20:01 Elizabeth Richards: Lenten group sounds good!! 01:20:03 Anthony: Ok sounds good. 01:20:04 Maureen Cunningham: Ok Saturday is wonderful 01:20:07 ANDREW ADAMS: That sounds great! 01:20:09 Kevin Burke: Reacted to "Ok sounds good." with 👌 01:20:14 Dave Warner | AL: Thank you Father! Would like to participate in a Lenten group. 01:20:17 Joe Mugo: Reacted to "Ok sounds good." with 👌 01:20:17 Catherine Opie: 🙏🏻

Delve into the captivating tales of the Desert Fathers as they confront spiritual warfare and the intricacies of sin. Discover the profound importance of humility and the dangers of pride in the spiritual journey. Listen as they reveal the seductive nature of temptation and the urgent need for divine assistance. Explore the rich differences between Eastern and Western Christianity, and how they can guide personal faith. Finally, learn how nurturing youth through spiritual literature fosters lifelong connections with God.

Discover the profound teachings of St. Isaac the Syrian as he guides listeners on a transformative journey through faith and divine love. Explore the struggle of human identity and the emptiness often filled by distractions. Uncover the necessity of humility and simplicity while maintaining spiritual focus in a chaotic world. Isaac's insights encourage a shift from societal validation to genuine spiritual fulfillment, making it clear that true identity and peace are found in communion with God.

Dive into the struggle against lust and how to combat it with practical advice from ancient fathers. Discover the power of the Jesus Prayer as a tool for spiritual battle, alongside the significance of humility and prostration. Explore the challenge of secular influences on youth, emphasizing the need for informed spiritual choices. Learn about forming connections with saints as companions in faith and reflecting on personal integrity amidst distractions. Prepare for a meaningful fast with daily spiritual practices and insights from St. Isaac.

We come to the end of this journey with St John Climacus knowing that it is also only the beginning. What joy has come through sitting at the feet of St. John for these few years and to be led along the path that brings us to Christ and the freedom to give ourselves in love and receive love.  In these final paragraphs about the qualities and the responsibilities of a spiritual elder, what shines forth most brightly is the absolute and complete love that the elder must have for those in his care. The love of Christ that burns within his heart must embrace and give warmth to all those he guides and be a true source of light for them. There are times where he may have to be strict and forceful yet the love dwells within his heart, like divine love, is curative not punitive. Divine love offers itself completely, lavishly, allowing itself to be broken and poured out for others. Thus, the elder must have ever before him those in his charge; so much so that purity of heart allows him to see their needs and suffering and compels him to come to their aid.  There will be many times when he must carry those in his charge to the Lord through his own example, his hidden sufferings and constant prayer. Like a parent, there will be moments when he must take them by the hand and guide them one step at a time along the narrow path that leads to the kingdom. Despite the fact that the kingdom of heaven dwells within us, the journey is often toilsome.  Left to ourselves, we may never find the narrow gate or enter.  The elder must be long suffering; that when the lack of dispassion in others pierces his heart like a sword his response is like the Divine Judge - restraining himself and looking at others only with compassion. He must be willing to receive and take up upon his shoulders of the burden of his office as Christ took upon himself the burden of the cross and he must not despise the wounds that may come through rejection and betrayal. The elder’s love must run so deep that intuitively he knows the sufferings of those in his care even before they speak of them to him. Without hesitation and quickly, he seeks to apply the healing balm.  And perhaps most powerful and beautiful of all - - in the end, the elder must acknowledge that he must decrease in order that Christ might increase within his children’s hearts. There will come a time when they no longer need human instruction because they have given their hearts to the Lord and are guided by His Spirit. Blessed are those who bring others to Christ and whose guidance passes on from generation to generation. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:12:41 Bob Cihak: P. 260, # 89 00:17:46 Anna Lalonde: It was a complete blessing the four months I was in religious life! Transformed my prayer life. 00:19:12 Joanne Martínez : Joanne Martínez here, just signed on 00:19:55 Bob Cihak: P. 260, # 89 00:20:13 Joanne Martínez : Reacted to "P. 260, # 89" with 👌 00:31:14 Kate : In order to be broken and poured out in love for others, does it necessitate allowing ourselves to be broken first by God, so to speak, and to have received the Love of God poured into us? 00:31:58 Rebecca Thérèse: Nathan 00:32:59 Jeffrey Ott: The daily meditation of Gaston Courtois was on that very thing…profiting first from God’s love so that we may reveal that love to the multitude of other souls 00:33:58 Tracey Fredman: Sometimes willingly pouring ourselves out for others is the way we are broken by God, particularly when we don't feel like doing whatever it is for others whether in ministry or simply serving another. 00:44:53 Joanne Martínez : In reading about the lengths to which the people of Mesoamerica went to receive baptism after the apparition of Guadalupe, I have a new understanding of the gift that sacrament truly is 00:57:21 Maureen Cunningham: There is a short you tube called  The 21 remembering Martyrs who died in February 2015. The faith of  these men  was moving 01:01:58 Anna Lalonde: Fostered about 130 teens. 😂 01:22:16 Sr. Mary Clare: That is certainly a love that is not possessive 01:22:58 Joanne Martínez : Thank you! These last two years journeying with you all has been extraordinary. 01:23:02 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Father 01:23:55 Zachary Morgan: This was wonderful - thank you Abouna! 01:24:37 Sr. Mary Clare: Beautiful 01:24:40 Janine: Thank you Father Charbel…looking forward to St Isaac 01:24:43 Jeffrey Ott: It’s been a joy. Thank you Father. 01:24:52 Lee Graham: Thank you, this has been wonderful 01:25:42 ANDREW ADAMS: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father! 01:25:45 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂 01:25:45 David: Thank you Father God Bless you and your Mom! 01:25:58 Art: Thank you for this wonderful journey with John Climacus! 01:26:08 Cindy Moran: Than you Father