The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily III, Part III

Saint Isaac for Syrian proves himself once more to be one of the most beautiful and poetic of teachers. He describes for us the nature of the human person and the fragmentation that has taken place because of sin. On the level of the flesh, the body has certain needs and will seek to satisfy them. Yet, sin often brings a disorder to this desire as well as a weakness of will.  In other words, we can begin to seek to satisfy the flesh in a sinful fashion and in a way contrary not only to Divine revelation but also to reason. The soul also is invested with its own particular nature that allows us to perceive the realities of the world around us and to understand them. This understanding, however, is not necessarily going to act in concert with the desires of the flesh. It is for this reason that we so often experience conflict within ourselves. We may see what is good and true and beautiful and yet by the weakness of our will embrace the opposite. Likewise, we may have the strength of will to embrace what is good and yet because of the darkness of our thoughts and our understanding we embrace that which does not conform to the truth or our real needs. 

Due to our being in a constant state of receptivity through our senses, our thoughts can be shaped by the will of the flesh, the imagination from what we have seen or heard, our predisposition to think in a certain way where our minds are filled with inconsistencies and, finally, by the demons who wage war on us and seek to enliven the passions. 

Purity of mind is to be rapt in things Divine and this comes about, Saint Isaac tells us, after a man has long practiced the virtues.  He warns us, however, that we cannot be so bold to think that we have achieved this without the experience of evil thoughts or that we are outside the reach of them while we are still in the body. 

Again, Isaac is seeking to lay a foundation for us that allows us to see the inner workings of the mind and the heart. We must seek this purity of mind and struggle against the multitude of passions and the thoughts associated with them.  Isaac teaches us this not simply that we might understand it on an intellectual level, but that within it we might also find hope. The more clearly we see this the more freely we can pursue purity of mind. We can grow in our capacity to direct our thoughts to those things that are virtuous and create within the human heart a greater desire for God. It is from this vantage point that we can begin to see and enter the path that leads to purity of heart.

---

00:08:34 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 131, paragraph 15, first on page

00:14:49 Catherine Opie: Apologies what page are we on today?

00:14:59 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 131, paragraph 15, first on page

00:15:14 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "P. 131, paragraph 15..." with 🙏🏻

00:32:44 Eleana: I have seen my patients crying because they lost their will with the use of substances. The ascetic life then, will increase the use of the will? I don't see that it becomes easier with time the prayiing life and motification by the contrary seems that tentations will increase.

00:44:41 Anthony: And with novels and movies, the observer is drawn into the drama and the thoughts and sensations become his own, and theyvalso become false memories.

00:46:46 Ryan N: Father,
Is the best way to avoid these imaginations that are influenced by sensory stimuli to avoid external sensory impulse altogether?

00:57:00 Joshua Sander: The line from T.S. Eliot comes to mind, "And they write innumerable books, being too vain and distracted for silence."

00:57:09 Bob Čihák, AZ: Margaret Thatcher

00:58:22 Ben: And St. Therese..."Oh, how glad I am that I didn't read all those books!"

00:59:15 Art: Reacted to "And St. Therese..."O..." with 👍

01:05:30 Ryan N: Father there seems to be an emphasis on the role of demons as a source of temptation. To what degree is that true in relation to the other sources like natural inclination

01:14:00 Catherine Opie: Fr. how does non judgement tie in with speaking out about evil or injustice? Does it mean that we must not do this with hatred in our hearts for the perpetrator?

01:14:31 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: I think it was St. Peter of Damascus 298 passions

01:15:22 Anthony: The New Advent Catholic encyclopedia on Anger helped me understand  anger.

01:18:35 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Blessing

01:18:41 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

01:18:43 Catherine Opie: Thank you Fr. God bless.❤️🙏🏻

01:19:22 Maureen Cunningham: Yay

01:19:23 Ben: 👏

01:19:31 David: Thank you Father. God bless you and your mother.

01:19:47 Elizabeth Richards: Thank you