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

Saint Isaac the Syrian asks the question that has been put forward for centuries - “how are we to pray?”  In fact, our Lord himself was asked by his disciples to teach them how to pray as John the Baptizer taught his disciples. Within a few beautiful paragraphs Isaac opens up for us not only what we are to pray for but why. What Isaac would have us understand is that our prayer should be a reflection both of who God is and what he is revealed already in regard to his desires for us and a reflection of who we are and our understanding of our dignity and destiny in Christ. It is as if God says to us, “I became man in order that you might become God. If you did not desire to become God, you would do me wrong“. We are to refrain from asking for the things of this world not because it is wrong to do so in a moralistic or legalistic understanding of things. Rather, we are to ask for what is heavenly. At times our focus upon and anxiety about the things in this world makes our vision myopic. We lose sight of the presence of God and the life and the love that he has promised us. Isaac tells us that when our petitions to God are in accord with His glory then our honor is magnified before Him and He rejoices over us. Similarly, Isaac tells us, the angels and archangels are astonished and exalt whenever they behold one who has been made from the earth asking for what is heavenly – one who is been made from the dust asking for what endures to eternity.

Therefore, Isaac, echoing the Scriptures tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all else will be given to us. We need only be humble and patient - trusting above all in the providence of God and not rush onwards to great measures before the appropriate time. “For anything”, Isaac tells us, “that is quickly obtained is also easily lost, whereas everything found with toil is also kept with careful watching.“ That which is precious comes only after striving to give our hearts to God and then we must hold onto it with great watchfulness. 

What is most essential, however, is that we thirst for Jesus and that He would make us drunk with His love. Do not let your eyes focus on the delights of this world, but rather trust that God desires to give you his peace and the invincible joy of the kingdom. Simply put, “the man who desires the greatest things does not concern himself with a lesser“

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Text of chat during the group:

00:05:47 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 135, first full paragraph on this page

00:14:39 Myles Davidson: Top of pg. 135 “Do not become foolish…”

00:26:38 Anthony: This reminds me of a quote by Henri Nouwen, that our biggest affliction is a feeling of self hatred. You shared this on Facebook.

00:30:00 Rick Visser: Is it fair to say that Therese L. was disposed to a love that went beyond the sensual-- the felt--and was disposed to a pure love that transcended the feelings?

00:32:28 Joshua Sander: Isaac's mention of us leaving "our dunghill" for the things of Heaven also reminds me of C. S. Lewis, who writes, "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

00:33:53 Anna: So the desert fathers and mothers didn't have psychological tools and neurological tools to overcome things like anger, anxiety, fear and so on... did they overcome such things through only ascetic life and prayer?

00:35:58 Gwen’s iPhone: It was Leo XIII allowed her to enter Carmel at a young age.

00:46:28 Rick Visser: What are vain repetitions in prayer?

00:46:35 Anthony: When we pray, should we be very specific,  or say only, "Lord have mercy as you know how"?

01:02:05 Rick Visser: Does this mean I must give up my herb garden and pray, give up the lesser things for the greatest things?

01:02:13 Eleana: lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi

01:10:01 Anthony: A Man For All Seasons,  the counsel Thomas More gives to the scholar

01:10:25 Anna: My daughter is asking... Were the desert fathers living in the desert and if so how did they find their food?

01:14:12 Myles Davidson: Desert Christians by William Harmless is a great book about how they lived

01:14:25 Catherine Opie: There are places in the desert where springs come up and monasteries are built on those places

01:15:36 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Blessing

01:15:39 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

01:15:47 Jeffrey Ott: Thank you!!

01:15:54 Catherine Opie: Thank you God bless

01:16:03 David: Thank you father and may God bless you and your mother