Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-six Part II and Letter Fifty-seven

We began this evening with Letter 56.  St. Theophan again takes up the subject of the passions. If we can capture in one word what he is trying to foster within Anastasia it is this: “fierceness”. The spiritual battle is something that takes place at every single moment and we have to learn to act swiftly in acknowledging who the enemy is and where he is seeking to lead us. We cannot ignore the fact there is a kind of duplicity that exists within us. We can hate sin and love it at the same time. We can be engaged in the spiritual battle but in the deeper recesses of our hearts we can be attracted and delighted by the approach of thoughts that would later lead us into sin. We must lose our sympathy for such things. We are to become angry with sin and drive it out from the human heart as Christ drove out the money-changers from the temple. What has been entrusted to us is precious. It is the very life and love of God and we have been made sons and daughters of God. We must not be willing to sacrifice that identity. This means that we approach the passions with unrestrained and antagonistic action. There is no room for self-indulgence.

In letter 57, St. Theophan tells her that guilt begins at the point when we favorably incline ourselves toward a passion. The passion itself is at enmity with God. Therefore, we must interrogate and examine it very quickly and then treat it in a hostile manner. We must treat it as we would treat anything that is an enemy of God - with scornful rejection.

 

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Text of chat during the group:

00:35:06 Joseph Muir: “[E]ach person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.”

James 1:14-15

00:43:31 renwitter: Anyone else having an amazing flash back to Aragorn cutting off the head of the Lord of the Black Gate? Best. Moment. Ever.

00:44:39 carolnypaver: ; )

00:49:13 Eric Ash: I like from that image it also demonstrates to us that there's times we have to trust in others instead of taking on every battle we are offered. To be aware of where were called to be, and also where we aren't called to be.

00:55:03 Lilly Crystal: What quote is that from?

01:09:58 Eric Ash: It's sounds like in discerning guilt from shame here is that guilt motivates us to reaffirm ourselves to back to God, and shame tells us fall away and quit trying. And that anger towards passion versus anger towards self is similar.