The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Appendix "To The Shepherd", Part X

St. John does not hesitate to speak to us about the beauty and the extraordinary responsibility of the spiritual elder. To find oneself with the care of souls one must take up the work without question. One cannot approach the care of the flock as a hireling. As we have received so we must give. If God has given us the particular gifts to guide others in the spiritual life, then gratitude must compel us to offer the same consolation to others. 

One cannot stress enough how great the responsibility is that is placed on the shoulders of the elder. He must be especially sensitive to the most vulnerable and the weakest within the community and understand how to offer guidance to multiple individuals at the same time. He must be able to strengthen the resolve of all the men in his community through timely rebukes and humbling the stronger members of the community even though their actions do not warrant such correction. An elder cannot set aside his identity, even while always seeking to be tender and gentle with those in his care. They must respect him and his life must be respectable in regard to his virtue if they are going to follow his counsel and if they are going to remain obedient. Only in this way will his monks have absolute confidence in his guidance. 

He must hold their trust by also holding everything they say as private and not to be shared among others. Such trust is hard won and can be lost in an instant if the elder acts indiscriminately. While he is forbearing, he must deal directly with the disobedient. His failure to do so may, in the end, weaken their commitment or cause them to despise him when they are unable to endure.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:09:32 Adam Paige: https://youtu.be/0uBTKGd3L_g?si=1t1YtY9_ACx02Pd7

00:10:54 Suzanne Romano: Thank you, Adam! That's it!

00:11:44 Zachary Morgan: I love your substack!!

00:12:04 Jacqulyn: Reacted to "I love your substack..." with 👍

00:12:20 Adam Paige: Reacted to "Thank you, Adam! Tha…" with 📽

00:12:33 Una: Reacted to "I love your substa..." with 👍

00:13:44 Zachary Morgan: I find that substack is more for other writers/contributors outside the now-prevalent "shorts" we see on other platforms

00:33:49 Anthony: I think this is helpful.  When I'd read something like Desert Fathers and come across confessing thoughts, I thought it was literal.

00:53:50 Zachary Morgan: Speaking of openly wearing clerical garb, one of the biggest arguments that I have experienced among clergy is whether deacons should wear their clerics openly because not being a priest, they shoudn't be seen in "spiritual way" in public or be confused as potentially being a priest by others - almost as if the Deacon cannot be a source of spiritual good outside the service of the altar.  Can I ask what your thoughts are on this?  I think it is much more of a Western struggle.

00:58:25 Margaret: Thank you for your comments on Priests and Sisters wearing their clerical garb in public. I bristle when I see sisters that aren't in "clerical garb". It makes me think they are ashamed to be Brides of Christ

00:59:47 Suzanne Romano: It's not rigidity. It's zeal and lov ae.

01:02:05 Sr. Mary Clare: When I walked into a store with another sister, two Protestants said, "What a breath of fresh air to see Catholic Sisters wearing their long garb. We have seen them running down the street in shorts. We just smiled.

01:02:18 Suzanne Romano: All your comments on wearing the habit are spot on!

01:03:23 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "All your comments on..." with 🥰

01:03:49 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "When I walked into a..." with 👍🏼

01:04:09 Suzanne Romano: Reacted to When I walked into a... with "👍🏼"

01:07:38 Sr. Mary Clare: Why "Fear in our presence?"

01:09:53 Sr. Mary Clare: Thank you for explaining. I was a little confused

01:12:40 Sr. Mary Clare: Absolutely correct!

01:14:00 Suzanne Romano: Love cannot be divided from authority. Love requires authority.

01:20:16 Una: Reacted to "When I walked into..." with 👍🏼

01:20:20 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you Father

01:21:03 ANDREW ADAMS: Thank you, Father!

01:21:05 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂

01:21:15 Margaret: Thank you!

01:21:46 Jeffrey Ott: Thank you! Great to be with you all!