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

Knowledge of God comes through the experience of God. When faith remains an abstraction, an idea, it is destined to remain lifeless and loses its capacity to transform and heal. It is the Lord Himself - He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life - who must teach us. 

Outside this path, we will lack all understanding. What we are called to contemplate is not simply what we can see with our eyes, perceive through our senses or conceive through our intellect. It is the mind of God, the mind of Christ, that we are called to put on. Furthermore, what we are given to understand is not worldly realities but the very mysteries of the Kingdom and the nature of divine Love. 

Such is true in our understanding of the presence of temptation and affliction in our lives. We are told to pray not to enter in the temptation and yet the path the Christ calls us to walk leads us directly into them. The temptations that we are not to give ourselves over to are the ones that come through our own negligence and attachment to the things of this world and the self. We are not to put ourselves to the test by exposing ourselves to things that enliven the passions. Yet, in the gospel we are called by Christ to enter into the tribulation and the trials that we experience in this world and to do so with patience and hope in Him. The temptation that we are to fear is the one that comes through the mind’s self-esteem which opens us up to the demon of blasphemy and pride. It is then that we make ourselves judge of God and become blind to the poverty of our own sin.  

The temptation, the trial we are called to enter into and embrace is the cross. With firm hope we are to take it up daily and in doing so God will reveal the truth to us. Isaac writes: “For without trials, God‘s Providence is not seen and you cannot obtain boldness before God, nor learn the wisdom of the spirit, nor can divine longing be established within you.” Knowledge of the cross, only comes through the experience of the cross, and our willingness to embrace it. This reality allows us to become bold in our hope and trust in the Lord‘s love. Unless we enter into hell, we will never know through experience that that we need not fear it – for Christ has already descended there. Our virtue, our strength is to be the virtue and strength of Christ. This comes only through living in Him and embodying that same love and hope that was made present on Calvary.  

These mysteries even made Saint Isaac cry out: “O the subtlety of the path of the Thy teachings, O Lord!“  We must humbly allow Him to take us by the hand and guide us to the truth.

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Text of chat during the group: 

00:09:50 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 136, last paragraph, last line, bottom of page

00:12:16 Bob Čihák, AZ: We started on p. 113

00:17:23 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 136, last paragraph, last line, bottom of page

00:19:22 Thomas: Where do I find the raise hand button

00:20:03 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Where do I find the ..."

At the React button

00:20:54 Thomas: Replying to "Where do I find the …"
Thanks

00:27:21 Anthony: We also need to be perceptive while simple so we don't let liars beguile us.

00:29:33 Myles Davidson: Replying to "We also need to be p..."

Wise as serpents while innocent as doves

00:31:56 Thomas: Would it be imprudent or untrusting, or something like that to want to suffer more?

00:39:00 Ryan N: Father how does one endure when the pains of the cross become overwhelming

00:39:06 Ryan N: Or even less to a loss of faith

00:39:11 Ryan N: Lead*

01:02:44 Eleana: The father of lies with the daily illusion that freedom is instant gratification is in itself the battle that leads to sanctity. Where sin is abundant so is grace.

01:07:36 Ryan N: Father how do temptations of lusts differ from temptations of affliction

01:14:24 Anthony: That's the spirit of Enlightenment so-called. We are told by our government even, that doubt and blasphemy are freedom.

01:20:53 Jeffrey Ott: I was just there two weeks ago. It was hot then 😆

01:23:49 Catherine Opie: Thank you Fr. once again. God bless.

01:23:52 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️

01:23:57 Jeffrey Ott: Thank you Father!