The Evergetinos - Vol I, Hypothesis XX, Part IV

Text of chat during the group: 

00:28:07 Josie: Does the first monk who said that he wanted to trust in God in the solitude of the desert demonstrate to us that God won't save someone who is alone or that this isn't the way that we approach the idea of complete trust in God? The context of my question being the mantra that we should trust only and fully in God and only he can help us.

 

00:29:51 Josie: So being completely alone isn't a sort of extra trust in God?

 

00:33:14 Anthony: Even in a non-monastic setting, being alone, outside of accountability to family and community, opens the mind to lots of thoughts or evil suggestions.  And a person can be alone in this sense either literally solitary or in a crowd like a college.  People can be severely tried when solitary in these senses.  There's something in Ecclesiastes that Father quotes, about walking alone, when you fall, who can help?  When you are with others they are even a preventative to falling.

 

00:33:36 Anthony: other people are encouragement to the heart.

 

00:45:18 Josie: is it weird to reveal our thoughts rather than actions and sins in the confessional?

 

00:45:33 Anthony: On a theological or social-theological note, this destructive sense of obedience - as I understand it, comes from Jansenism.  A Catholic Calvinism...and Calvinism focused for some reason on God's election, no place for a free love, it seems to me.

 

00:48:21 Ren: It is so powerful to compare the image of one who commands obedience put forward by Christ - a shepherd whose voice is followed, who carries those who are not strong enough to walk; one who stands in the midst of their followers as one who serves - to what you put forward just now - a hammer who drives others into a exact place by sheer force. Wow. Really amazing to reflect on.

 

00:53:45 Forrest Cavalier: μεγάλε

 

00:56:45 Ren: Satan - the relentless bartender :-D

 

00:57:42 Tyler Woloshyn: Reminds of the classic cartoon villain who keeps getting foiled by the virtuous protagonist.

 

01:04:29 Ren: I love this story so much. One of my favorites in the book so far.

 

01:04:40 Josie: me too

 

01:04:45 Ashley Kaschl: Same. It’s so good.

 

01:06:00 Josie: father does fasting help with the psychological temptations or only physical temptations of the body? hope this q makes sense

 

01:09:40 Tyler Woloshyn: We know that these texts were written in a different technological era.  Fasting seems to become more of a battle today for lay, clergy, and monastic alike given technology.  Temptations and challenges to fasts can be magnified even more now then they were in the age of the Fathers.  The devil does not need to walk down the road here, he can be at the tip of one's fingers with screen time.

 

01:10:37 Josie: someone said on Twitter "the Lord gives the solution then he allows the problem"

 

01:12:11 Josie: he was quoting a Rabbi i think, and was talking about the internet

 

01:12:46 Anthony: I think what matters is what flask you drink from - or don't.  Since 2018, the Catholic news has been consumed with obkective wrongs, which exist, but can become consumptive: 2018-2019: sex scandal. 2019, Pachademon in Vatican. 2020-2022, election , Great Reset and covid.  2022, Ukraine.  The imbalance and fixation is real but can be a poison to imbibe and gets in the way of classic spiritual food and drink.  But maybe we can turn this to our good

 

01:14:26 Anthony: and being one oriented to fixing social problems, this negative world tone affected my spiritual life.

 

01:17:06 Rachel: lol

 

01:17:55 keynote: Thank you Fr.!!

 

01:18:02 Josie: thank you father

 

01:18:07 Rachel: Thank you!

 

01:18:15 Tyler Woloshyn: Good night and God bless!

 

01:18:21 Sheila Applegate: Thank you!