Philokalia Ministries

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Seventy-One, Part III and Letter Seventy-Two, Part I

After a brief hiatus we picked up with our reading of St. Theophan’s letters to Anastasia. We concluded Letter 71 with Theophan’s discussion with Anastasia about the struggle with coldness and prayer. Once again he reminds her of the value of memorizing prayers -  in particular the psalms. Yet what is essential is not simply the memorization but rather that she would embrace each word and pray it with a depth of feeling. It is essential that she approach the prayer life not as a task oriented behavior but rather as a spirit guided response to love. There are times when a certain word or prayer will speak to the depths of the heart and she may remain with that prayer for the entire period that she has set aside. The more that she cultivates prayer, the more that she comes to love it, the less need there will be for rules. One thing needs to be understand: prayer is the root of everything!
In letter 72, Theophan is filled with great joy. Anastasia has made a decision to embrace the religious life. He begins by telling her to hold fast to the decision now that it has be made and let it form her thoughts and to further mover her away from worldly desires and pleasures. She is going to live as one completely given over to the Lord. Therefore, she is to kindle that very spirit in which she voiced her decision. Theophan’s initial counsel is to wait patiently. God will test and deepen her desire for this vocation. He will show her how to carry it out. For now, she has to wait and pray in a spirit of obedience and love. Everything that she set out to do in her pursuit of holiness she is to do a little more decisively now. The foundation has been laid; now she must construct the building. Set aside worldly amusements and distractions, Theophan tells her. Become ever more attentive to God’s call. 
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Text of chat during the group: 
00:14:31 Rachel Pineda: Wow, hello! Good to see everyone.
 
01:13:09 Anthony: I really appreciate this point....the flip side is the pressure to be a religious / priest if you really want to do something good.'
 
01:14:53 Anthony: Good point Joanne on our unawareness of lay saints
 
01:18:31 Anthony: There are lots of lay saints in Lives of the Saints Vol 2, by Catholic Book Publishing Co.
 
01:18:55 renwitter: As usual, compelled to point out that though she is depicted as if she was, Saint Catherine of Siena was not a religious. Nor was Saint Gemma Galgani, or Saint Kateri, Saint Margaret of Cortona, Saint Monica, Joan of Arc, and so many more. An equally long list on the men’s side. It is very common for Saints to be depicted in the habit of a religious order they were closely associated with, and it came make is seem like they were religious, but they weren’t! I always love finding new lay saints :-)
 
01:20:14 Ashley Kaschl: Yes! Thank you, Ren. We aren’t taught that as clearly, if at all.
 
01:21:12 Cathy: Happy New Year Blessing to all!
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XV, Part I

Tonight we began Hypothesis 15 in The Evergetinos. I think it is safe to say that on the surface it is perhaps one of the most difficult to listen to so deeply is it tied to the monastic commitment and detachment from the world. The fathers speak to us about the abandonment of the world and not communicating even with one’s relatives. 
However, upon closer reading we see that this Hypothesis is about much more than than this. The exile the fathers speak of really has to do with what goes on deep within the heart; our willingness to detach ourselves from our own ego and from the things of this world in order to respond fully to God‘s will in our life. In subtle ways we rationalize and we place impediments to our responding fully to God’s call to love. One does not have to be a monk or live in the desert to see this go on within the human heart. If we could see all the moments that we let pass in a given day to refer back all that we do to God and seek always to act in obedience to his will we would weep inconsolably. What the fathers invite us to consider is whether or not we are living for the kingdom or the world; do we seek to do the will of God or to obey our own will. 
Christ’s embrace of our humanity elevates our dignity as human beings and what we are capable of doing by the grace of God. We should be willing to sacrifice all to protect that dignity. God has made us one with Him in His Son. Let us rejoice!
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Text of chat during the group:
00:02:27 Eric Williams: Fr Miron, thank you for raising a good son. I very much appreciate having him as my parish priest. 🙂
 
00:04:32 Miron Kerul Kmec: thank you
 
00:27:25 Anthony: This is really hard.  Since the Enlightenment, the general tendency of intellectual development and education is to "institutionalize" our wills; spiritual/intellectual/material/career avarice has become ingrained in our consciousness as a virtue.
 
00:39:12 Rachel: God is the one Who is capable! 🙏🏼
 
00:41:04 Rachel: I totally understand what George is saying, it can seem close to impossible at times when perspective gets skewed out in the world.
 
01:05:15 Lyle: Page 118:  Lord Jesus, may I avoid worldly contacts that are “unprofitable”.
 
01:12:56 George: the poetry of St John Henry Newman is fantastic
 
01:13:30 Rachel: your blessing!
 
01:14:14 Miron Kerul Kmec: Thank you!!!
 
01:14:17 Rachel: Thank you!!
 
01:14:40 Rachel: I got mine today!! So happy, what a blessing. Thank you!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Seventy-One, Part II

Tonight we continued with Letter 71 to Anastasia on “Coldness in Prayer”.  St. Theophan is very direct with Anastasia about the causes of this coldness. Typically, it is because we are carrying out our prayer rule hurriedly and haphazardly. Therefore, he tells Anastasia that she must never carry out any spiritual activity as if it were perfectly established, especially prayer. She must to go about her prayer as if she is doing it for the first time; with the zeal of someone who has come to see the beauty of what God has given them. In fact, Theophan tells her that nothing offends God more than praying hurriedly. It is His gift of love and intimacy and if she treats it lightly, he tells her, she should scold herself for such carelessness. Prayer always will bear fruit within our lives. However, we cannot approach it in a utilitarian fashion, simply to accomplish a task. It is God’s greatest gift to us and so we must approach any discipline surrounding it with devotion and love. Even if we create a prayer rule for ourselves, we must understand that it is God who calls us to prayer and it is God who gives it shape and perfects the gift through his own Spirit of Love. When we begin to see prayer in this way, we will long for it and eventually we will find our greatest delight in it.
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00:28:54 Ann Grimak: I am very agree with you Father
 
00:30:34 Lyle: P. 277:  “Acquire prayer from the beginning again, and ask for it from the Lord yourself.”  [Jhn 14:RSV] 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glori-fied in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
 
Entreat our Lord to help us.  He will “do it”, that the Father may be glorified.
 
00:42:49 Lyle: Thank you, for such valuable COUNSEL.
 
00:43:06 Anthony: Amen
 
00:45:45 George: I've noticed that the parishes with the most confession hours have lines for yards on Sunday
 
00:47:38 Carol Nypaver: That is true.  It encourages parishioners to properly prepare for Holy Communion.
 
00:50:19 Edward Kleinguetl: A number of the Eastern Fathers see Eucharist being an essential part of repentance. Confession removes the worms from the wounds and Eucharist is the healing ointment.  They also see it as strengthening us for keeping our commitment to avoid the occasions of sin.
 
00:50:57 Carol Nypaver: So true.
 
00:51:15 Anthony: Our economics (in our case, Capitalism) begins in materialism with a deist god (invisible hand) and treats us as commodities (human resources) for large national or international entities (GDPs, our corporate bosses).  But this is inhuman.  It goes against our created nature.  We have to be the men and women we were created and "recreated" to be.
 
00:54:36 Lyle: I am not a Catholic and I have wrestled with what is really "essential" in my life.  Thank you, Deacon Ed.
 
00:55:42 Rachel Pineda: This can be the whole Christian life. From communion to communion...
 
00:56:21 Edward Kleinguetl: Spot on, Ren!
 
00:56:47 Rachel Pineda: LOL
 
00:56:49 Rachel Pineda: LOL
 
00:56:52 Edward Kleinguetl: TMI
 
00:57:19 Rachel Pineda: It's okay Ren, good points btw.
 
00:59:39 Edward Kleinguetl: We need to desire God above all else.  Doubts are all demons that want to pull us away from God.
 
01:00:34 Edward Kleinguetl: And there will be times when prayer is a struggle -- we are tested relative our fidelity.
 
01:00:49 Edward Kleinguetl: *relative to our fidelity
 
01:00:56 Lyle: Amen, Deacon Ed.
 
01:06:07 renwitter: We need to install a quiet little bell system in the chapel to facilitate this kind of prayer.
 
01:07:37 Lyle: “An Instantaneous prayer life is impossible. Prayer does not come about as you expect—by just wishing for it, and, suddenly, there it is. This does not happen.” - St. Theophan the Recluse
 
01:10:56 Edward Kleinguetl: There will be times where we are distracted, sometimes badly.  The demons want to pull us out of the prayer. The key, at least to me, is to persist and refuse to give in to the temptation to stop praying because it is not going well.  God does not expect perfection in prayer -- St. Paul told us it was impossible. Rather, God wants us to know that we are faithful to him, desiring him above all else.
 
01:11:33 Edward Kleinguetl: Plus, the Jesus Prayer itself is meant is an aid to create stillness
 
01:13:16 Rachel Pineda: God bless everyone. Going I to Mass. Happy and Blessed feast!
 
01:14:11 George: 👍
 
01:17:26 Lyle: I think I understand.  When I DESIRE Him above all else, everything else should/will "fall nto place".
 
01:18:51 Anthony: Thanks everyone!
 
01:19:17 maureencunningham: Blessing
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part VI and Hypothesis XIV, Part I

We began this evening by discussing solitude and silence as a means to coming to the truth. One does not have to leave the world or live in the desert to experience this. The true desert exists within the heart and so the experience of the solitude more often than not means stilling the heart and avoiding the noise of the world to such an extent that we can listen to God. Outside of doing this we have a truncated experience of life itself and we become the deaf to the voice of love and truth.  If God has created us for himself then above all we should want to hear him and to hear his words of love and mercy.  The Fathers’ counsel in this regard is very simple; withdrawing to a remote place begins for most of us simply by closing our mouths; by not adding to the noise of the world but rather allowing ourselves to be drawn into the quiet harbor that prayer offers to us. 
In Hypothesis 14 the Fathers seek to show us the link between humility and the fear of God. Each complements the other and feeds the other in such a way that they illuminate the heart. Our experience of the otherness and the holiness of God shows us the path to truth. Our acknowledgement of the fact that we will one day come face-to-face with God leads us to face reality now in the present.
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Text of chat during the group: 
00:08:44 Rachel Pineda: Hi Father and everyone!
 
00:09:15 Gabby: Hello Father and everyone. From Australia
 
00:09:33 Edward Kleinguetl: G-day
 
00:10:18 Ashley Kaschl: Hey, Rachel! 😁 and welcome, Gabby! 👋
 
00:13:04 Rachel Pineda: Well, this is really timely. 😬
 
00:17:48 Rachel Pineda: Oh that is such good news!!
 
00:19:11 Edward Kleinguetl: Abba Isidore
 
00:45:49 Anthony: To "second" Rachel, the nothingness of the Calvinist/Lutheran is different than the nothingness of the Catholic/Orthodox
 
00:52:40 Anthony: And the Master is eminently lovable/adorable, so fear distorts perception of the Master, and fear is a liar about the Master
 
00:54:02 Rachel Pineda: I just have to add that the Father I mentioned is a wonderful self sacrificing priest who regularly preaches on the love and mercy of God. I was only speaking of staying in the negative thoughts alone.
 
01:07:35 Erick Chastain: Luther was not led to what he did by medieval asceticism in the augustinians. Look at how Thomas a Kempis and the other Devotio Moderna people remained in the Augustinian order and flourished. Indeed, Luther had many problems and fetishes, the chief among them being a truly diabolical pride.
 
01:16:29 Rachel Pineda: Thank you Father! Thank you everyone!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Seventy, Part II and Seventy-One, Part I

Tonight we concluded Letter 70 of Saint Theophan to Anastasia. He speaks to her about the kind of books that she can read, both religious and secular. As with everything, she must  be discriminating and cautious about the things to which she exposes herself; acknowledging that not everything is of equal value and some things can be destructive. She is to be discerning and keep her emphasis on the spiritual life.  If she reads other things they should reveal to her the wisdom of God as seen in the world that he has created. 
Moving on to Letter 71, St. Theophan begins to address Anastasia‘s experience of coldness in prayer. He knows that in her youthfulness her experience of prayer has been limited and has been driven mostly by positive emotional experience. This has led her unfortunately to be less vigilant and disciplined. One can become careless and pray hurriedly without guarding the thoughts or embracing the wisdom of the Fathers. She must humbly acknowledge this carelessness or negligence and ask God specifically to help her to begin again.  How true this is often for us as well. Like Anastasia we must often humbly acknowledge before God the ways that we have turned away from him and ask him for forgiveness and the grace to start again.
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00:12:56 renwitter: 😆😆😆 Mark - your picture 😂
 
00:13:52 Mark Cummings: Arthropods are underrated
 
00:14:49 Lyle: P. 276:  “When a benevolently-minded person who has read some story recommends it, you may read it.”  Thank you, Ren and Eric, for suggesting/endorsing - Raniero Can-talamessa’s writings.
 
00:16:10 Anthony: Internet
 
00:20:31 carolediclaudio: What page? :)
 
00:37:39 Lyle: Like her, I neglect to guard my thoughts.
 
00:38:35 Lyle: Great advice from St. Theophan - “Reprimand yourself, if you will, and threaten yourself with Divine Judgement, and you will begin praying properly.”
 
00:40:17 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: St. Silouan - , “Keep Thy Mind in Hell and Despair Not”
 
00:41:02 Anthony: This way we fail at prayer is like thinking prayer is just another activity, I guess, like playing baseball or mowing the lawn.  But it's an activity of a completely different nature.
 
00:47:30 Edward Kleinguetl: St. Theophan says in the anthology, "The Art of Prayer," we should learn to enjoy prayer.
 
00:56:22 Edward Kleinguetl: "a sinner" was added later.  The Greeks generally use a shorter form.  The key is consistency and the two components.  Who Jesus is (Son God) and who we are (a sinner).
 
00:57:07 Edward Kleinguetl: I like the full prayer.  Acknowledging who Jesus is and who we are (a sinner) and what we need (mercy)
 
00:58:08 Lyle: Amen. Edward.
 
00:59:22 Edward Kleinguetl: Remember the objective of the prayer -- to still the thoughts.  So, consistency is most important
 
00:59:50 George: thank you. I know this was a basic question and I appreciate everyone's patience 
 
01:01:50 Edward Kleinguetl: Having consistency assists one to interiorize the prayer more deeply and simply become part of our life.
 
01:02:33 Edward Kleinguetl: I actually wrote the book because of all these questions.  Same questions as the high school youth have.
 
01:04:16 Edward Kleinguetl: Remembrance of God
 
01:06:02 Edward Kleinguetl: We recognize the actions of God in our lives and we respond with gratitude.  We become more attuned to his presence.
 
01:06:12 Edward Kleinguetl: And previously, we may have missed the subtly of how God reveals himself to us in our daily lives.
 
01:08:08 Edward Kleinguetl: The Jesus Prayer is the foundation of the spiritual life, but removing it from fasting, ascetical practices, etc. is problematic.  It is a way of life.
 
01:09:23 Edward Kleinguetl: Eastern Christian spirituality is not just the prayer, but a whole rhythm and the prayer cannot be simply isolated if one wants to gain the fruits
.
01:10:30 Anthony: Huh.  Good point, Father.  A good pipe or red wine can bring emotional peace.  Exert consumer choice on that, but find some traditional prayer in which to root.
 
01:11:52 Edward Kleinguetl: And not just fasting and ascetical practices, but also a practice of repentance (daily examination, regular Sacramental Confession, Eucharist, and sobriety--attentiveness to thoughts)
 
01:12:57 Lyle: Quoted from:  https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/prayingintherain/2021/11/on-discernment/ “I want to be with people who genuinely feel the struggle for holiness, and want to be helped by each other, under a Priest with a similar imagination.”
 
01:12:57 Edward Kleinguetl: Bingo!  Some see it as an emotional high and not a rigorous practice.
 
01:15:24 Rachel: No..not at all
 
01:18:21 Rachel: Yes!! It was the image of God in the other and staying with Him, in this moment.
 
01:19:19 Rachel: Stop looking for signs, setting up false idols as you said, ideas of what holiness looks like, Saint Paul said he does not even judge himself.
 
01:20:07 Anthony: Or. St Thomas Aquinas.  At Liberty University, I just knew him as a great philosopher.  Now, I see him as a friar and the man who wrote Pange Lingua.
 
01:21:20 Rachel: Yes! Reading the Fathers can be like signposts along the way and you know it when you get there. Oh that is what that sign meant. But not until you get there.
 
01:22:28 Lyle: Amen, Father.  What a revelation when I was first introduced to "The Fathers".
 
01:23:02 Edward Kleinguetl: It is not harsh.  It is true.  American is predominantly rooted in the Protestant tradition.
 
01:24:08 Edward Kleinguetl: It is worth reading John Tracy Ellis's book, "American Catholicism."  Catholics were originally outlawed in the colonies and then went through four major persecutions in US history.
 
01:25:42 Edward Kleinguetl: "Do not let your hearts be troubled."
 
01:30:01 Lyle: Never too late!  Foreign?  Perhaps, but beautiful!
 
01:31:28 Edward Kleinguetl: Vlachos, "Orthodox Psychotherapy"
 
01:31:50 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: Great Book!
 
01:36:12 Rachel: So sorry, I did not mean to imply there is not a place for psychology.🙏🏼
 
01:37:11 Rachel: LOL I am going to tell my priests Fr, Abernathy said to lower my expectations.
 
01:37:18 Rachel: Thank you everyone and Father!
 
01:37:42 carolediclaudio: lol
 
01:37:43 Cathy: Another wonderful Wednesday! Thank you Father!!!
 
01:37:50 Mark Cummings: Thank you!
 
01:38:15 Rachel: I heard Ren makes prayer ropes!? Last meeting.
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part V

Tonight we continued with Hypothesis 13 -  considering once again living a remote life; removing oneself from the things of this world and anything that could arouse the passions. So often we find ourselves walking along the edge of a pit, giving no attention to the nature of our thoughts and where they are leading us. It is only by developing that awareness and drawing closer to God through stillness and simplicity of thought that we become further removed from danger. 
Once again we are given stories of those who choose different paths in their lives. What comes through clearly in these stories is that all that is done without clarity about what is within one’s own heart and one’s need for God, all that is done outside of the grace of God is fruitless. We are impotent to change the world much less to change ourselves outside of this relationship. We are all called to enter into the desert.  We are all called to allow the stormy waters to be stilled by Christ in order that we might see not only the truth about our sin but also see the depths of God’s love and mercy. All is Grace and in this alone do we find true comfort and peace.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:20:27 carolnypaver: Page??
 
00:20:39 carolnypaver: Thank you!
 
00:22:13 Daniel Allen: What page are we on.
 
00:22:21 carolnypaver: 112
 
00:22:29 Daniel Allen: Thank you
 
00:32:09 Anthony: In the Rule of St. Basil, Basil seems to say "we monks have chosen the easier path to single mindedness, but except to marriage, all of us are called to the same standard of going out of the world"  And he specifically names going out from apostates.
 
00:39:39 Lyle: What a blessing to hear that.
 
00:39:49 Anthony: Is sitting before an icon truly like or equivalent to sitting before the Blessed Sacrament?
 
00:53:02 Justin Massengill : If everyone wouldn't mind, there is a young girl in my neighborhood who was just diagnosed with leukemia. In your charity please pray for her and her family. Her name is Ila. 
 
00:54:08 Lyle: Will add her to my prayer list.  Thanks for sharing.
 
01:05:21 Justin Massengill : Do the Eastern Fathers and later Byzantine writers ever touch on the phenomena of scrupulosity?
 
01:11:30 Rachel Pineda: I think Bishop Sheen talks about how one can become very holy, even and perhaps especially, in occupations like a janitor.
 
01:21:10 Rachel Pineda: Wow!! St. John Climacus, pray for us!
 
01:23:13 Daniel Allen: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Nine, Part III and Letter Seventy, Part I

How I cherish these opportunities to read St. Theophan and to share in the rich of the discussion and joy of the members of the group.  St. Theophan clearly loves his directee, Anastasia, and this transmits  to her and all of us what it is to be in love with Christ and to subordinate all things to Him. Theophan is a true elder if there ever was one!
Synopsis:
Tonight we concluded Letter 69 with St. Theophan‘s discussion of an evangelical preacher that Anastasia had encountered. Again, he warns her to be discriminating in giving this individual any attention. Despite his stressing the importance of the Holy Spirit, which is indeed true, everything else this man says reveals that he knows absolutely nothing about the Spirit or how the Spirit is received. He lacks a sense of the importance of the experience of God, especially in and through the sacramental life. It is through the holy mysteries that God draws us into his life and enlivens us with his Spirit. To lack these realities, failing to participate in them, is to lack that which is essential.  
In letter 70, Theophan continues to discuss with Anastasia the importance of discrimination in regards to reading spiritual books and secular books. He begins with two examples - Saint Anthony the Great and  Saint Seraphim of Sarov. Neither man was well educated in worldly terms but each had a deep experiential knowledge of God. Pursuing only worldly knowledge, Theophan warns Anastasia, can be detrimental. If it pushes out the life of faith and the primacy of the spiritual life, then it is to be removed for it as a threat to our very salvation. If we are “backwards” in the ways of the world what does that matter to us so long as we have Christ?  If we lack many things in this world, including worldly knowledge, but have Christ - we lack nothing!
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Text of chat during the group:
00:09:25 Ashley Kaschl: I have to go 😭 please let me in if I can come back 😂🙏
 
00:09:34 FrDavid Abernethy, CO: will do!
 
00:11:10 Anthony: You could make an Old Believer oil lamp.
 
00:45:07 Anthony: Be backwards.  This is like the great satisfaction craftsmen feel, like in my Blacksmith Guild.  There is something both backwards and deeply fulfilling in the tradition.
 
00:46:22 renwitter: You can find the first installment in the series here: https://youtu.be/17NVp4h_aJs
 
00:47:42 Lilly (Canada): Thank you @Ren :)
 
00:53:41 Anthony: Seeing no sense in religious life was part of the heresy of "Josephism" in the 1700s/1800s. and I think in Jansenism.
 
00:55:50 Rachel Pineda: That's a much kinder take on .. "but what do you do?' than I had..lol
 
01:01:36 Anthony: St Francis Xavier
 
01:04:07 renwitter: Thats just the tuition for a year, not room and board
 
01:04:31 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: 😱
 
01:11:11 Anthony: Talk show host Michael Savage embodied this struggle with Cynicism, and reality.
 
01:11:38 Eric Williams: An ironic quote from an atheist: 
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
 
01:19:33 Eric Williams: Church as NGO. Ugh.
 
01:20:28 George: God bless. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.✌️
 
01:20:37 Lilly (Canada): Thank you Father
 
01:20:43 Rachel Pineda: lol
 
01:20:58 Rachel Pineda: Thank you Father and everyone!
 
01:21:08 Rachel Pineda: God bless and Happy Thanksgiving.
 
01:21:09 Ann Grimak: Thank you 🙏 Father
 
01:21:13 Eric Williams: We're all gluttons! Get thee to confession! ;)
 
01:22:21 Anthony: Thank you!
 
01:23:01 sue and mark: God bless you Father.  Will pray for all
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part IV

Tonight we continued our discussion of hypothesis 13. The fundamental focus is a turning away from the things of this world; not because they are evil in and of themselves but rather because of our capacity to make them ends in themselves. We can be seduced, as it were, by our own desires or by the evil one into seeking our identity in the things of this world. This can be obvious or ever so subtle, but it has the same effect; we get caught up in what is false and delusional. 
To combat this we must avoid certain comforts and avoid the softness to which we tend. The habits that we fall into are only overcome by asceticism - by striving to exercise our faith in such away that it orders our desires and keeps us away from diversions. Asceticism is not simply about self-restraint. It is about removing every impediment to loving God and giving ourselves in love. Thus, Christ himself becomes the standard for us - from his struggle in the desert with the devil to his embrace of the Cross on Mount Calvary. 
We must cling to our identity in Christ. We must set aside the false self and live for God who alone satisfies the deepest desires of the human heart.
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Text of chat during the group: 
00:01:34 D Fraley: Hello everyone.
 
00:01:49 FrDavid Abernethy, CO: Navy Dave!
 
00:17:15 Lilly (Canada): What page are we on?
 
00:17:38 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: 110
 
00:27:46 Anthony: How hard it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
 
00:29:39 Justin Massengill : Iv'e heard St Francis described as a western fool-for-Christ.
 
00:36:26 Anthony: Then it seems to me that a mortal sin happens when the will is fully drawn after errant senses.
 
00:45:24 Anthony: False truth, false goodness, false beauty
 
00:46:41 Anthony: Erick, E. Michael Jones has a decent overview of how modern science was partly driven by the drive to pursue magic
 
01:04:43 Eric Williams: Some monasteries sell coffee beans. ;)
 
01:05:05 Erick Chastain: Mount athos offers coffee to guests
 
01:05:28 Eric Williams: There is no field! 😛
 
01:06:05 Justin Massengill : I heard they don't bathe on Mt Athos 
 
01:13:27 Rachel: Yay! St Gregory!
 
01:14:21 D Fraley: Thank you Father!
 
01:14:31 Rachel: Thanks everyone. Good questions and comments!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Nine, Part II

Wow!  What a wonderful and spirited discussion tonight!  We certainly approached some topics - both personal and cultural - that were weighty and deserving of extra time and attention.  Thank you all for you great questions and comments as always!
Synopsis:
Tonight we continued with Letter 69 on depression and fear. Theophan‘s focus, however, shifts to speaking about things that could possibly draw Anastasia away from the fullness of the faith, make her question her practice of the faith, or the path that she has been set upon. 
An old friendship had been broken off. Yet Theophan would not have her try to preserve the relationship at the cost of something greater. Certain relationships falter over time or become toxic. Anastasia should simply be at peace and act charitably towards this past friend, but not seek to immerse herself once again in a relationship that could not bear good fruit. 
Likewise, Theophan then began to express his concerns about someone who saw himself as an apostle; one who was evangelical in spirit and who had inserted himself into the Russian culture proclaiming a gospel and a faith of his own; creating something that was disconnected from the lived reality of the Church. For similar reasons, then, Theophan would have her avoid this man at all costs. She had the fullness of the faith as well as the participation in the Holy Mysteries. She should not substitute this for the particular charisms of a single man. Throughout the centuries the church has been attacked by various heresies and she must see her personal spiritual struggle in light of that broader context.
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00:07:29 FrDavid Abernethy, CO: Starting on page 270 with “That you broke off”
 
00:11:29 Lyle: Hope everyone had a good week.  I'll be right back.  A stray dog showed up.
 
00:54:28 Eric Williams: Regarding Christians of separated and deficient sects, perhaps these lines from St John’s gospel apply: “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.”
 
01:03:13 Ann Grimak: I am very agree Father
 
01:15:24 Wayne Mackenzie: gotta go
 
01:17:46 Ann Grimak: Love is not emotional,love is very deep
 
01:20:20 renwitter: Also, just want to put out there, for anyone who has not heard of him or read him: If there is interest in reading something that witnesses to, as Father says, a great integration of life in the spirit, as understood in recent times, and faithfulness to the Church, check out Raniero Cantalamessa. He is quite extraordinary, and has been the Preacher to the Papal Household chosen personally by Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. My favorites of his are St. Francis and the Cross, Virginity (not really about virginity, per se, but rather the celibate vocations), and, most relevant to this discussion, Sober Intoxication of the Spirit.
 
01:21:50 Lyle: Thanks, Ren.
 
01:23:06 Rachel: Wonderful class! Thank you, God bless everyone. 🙏
 
01:23:11 Eric Williams: I’ll second that recommendation. I haven’t read those particular books, but the ones I have read have been superb - and short!
 
01:24:43 Anthony: Msgr. Knox has a good criticism on Enthusiastic movements.  The podcast "Paleocrat Diaries" recently conducted a survey of the book.
 
01:27:13 renwitter: The full text of the verse:
 
Though with a scornful wonder 
Men see her sore oppressed, 
By schisms rent asunder, 
By heresies distressed, 
Yet saints their watch are keeping; 
Their cry goes up, "How long?" 
And soon the night of weeping 
Shall be the morn of song.
 
01:28:10 Anthony: Protestantism by nature lacks the standpoint to determine with authority what is heresy; by nature, then, it must, to be consistent, tolerate heresy among itself.
 
01:44:39 George: a lot of the problems of sectarianism, charismatics, etc which have been discussed tonight could be easily resolved with a greater exercise of the incensive power. far too many profane thoughts, preliminary judgements, ecstatic emotions. it's like a shipwrecked body being dragged down a craggy ravine. the notion of the incensive power is one of the Eastern Church's greatest gifts.
 
01:45:49 Anthony: St. Theophan's concern regarding the English sectarian reminds me of the great damage to persons' faith done by "Family Radio" for years. That kind of potential damage must be cut off.
 
01:45:55 Andreea and Anthony: The book from which I read the quotes of the Second Vatican Council, Blessed Pope Paul VI, Pope St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI is “Lord Renew Your Wonders: Spiritual Gifts for Today” by Damian Stayne, the founder of the Catholic community Cor et Lumen Christi recognized by the Vatican.
 
01:46:38 Ann Grimak: Thank you 🙏 Father
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part III

Tonight‘s discussion drew the group into what was more and  more beautiful. Hypothesis 13 is focused upon remoteness; but not simply a physical remoteness - the removing of ourselves from our external realities and circumstances. Rather, it is removing ourselves from our attachment to the things of this world. The Scriptures tell us that he who loves the world is at enmity  with God. As we strive to draw close to God we are led to let go of our attachment not only to the things of this world but to the internal identity that has often been shaped by them. More and more we are to put on the mind of Christ and this means not only dying to sin but to self. Throughout the course of our life we often fashion a false identity. We succumb to the illusion, even in the most subtle of ways, that our lives can be understood outside of the context of our relationship with God as our Creator and Redeemer. The more that we embrace that illusion the more isolated we become from God and one another. We lose a true sense of who we are and our inherent value.  However, God does not abandon us in the state of spiritual sadness but rather enters into it and by His grace draws us to Himself in the most beautiful way. He reveals Himself in our deepest weakness and vulnerability and it is there that we see the depths of His love. Suddenly all that is dark and ugly, all that seems most empty within our hearts, becomes filled with His light and the hope that He alone offers.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:04:53 Rachel Pineda: Hello to the group...cant hear anything as I put it on mute because my Mom showed up for a bit. God bless to all.
 
00:09:19 Rachel Pineda: Some of my kids want to say hello to the group...we have been listening to the podcasts in the car
 
00:09:50 D Fraley: I was told there would be snacks.
 
00:10:13 Rachel Pineda: lol
 
00:10:58 D Fraley: I have stale pretzels but not enough for everyone.
 
00:11:11 Rachel Pineda: Prayers!
 
00:18:19 Anthony: Dante: I found myself in the midday of my life, alone in the dark woods....
 
00:19:22 Ashley Kaschl: Would this demon of sadness be the noonday devil (Acedia)?
 
00:20:42 Anthony: Ashley, acedia the closest I can think of to this "feeling," but it sounds a bit different?
 
00:23:58 Mark J. Kelly: Yes. Acedie is the Noon Day Demon
 
00:28:17 Anthony: huh.  And on the natural level, don't drink when you are sad.
 
00:33:23 Mark J. Kelly: Excellent book on Acedia or Spiritual Depression: The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times. https://www.amazon.com/Noonday-Devil-Acedia-Unnamed-Times/dp/158617939X/
 
00:43:40 Anthony: If we had Dom Lorenzo Scupoli's attitude, that God is a fire (of love?) and we submit our own fires of atraction and of sin to that fire "of" God, to be taken over by God, we can pass through and from this life more easily.
 
00:55:23 Ashley Kaschl: Reminds me of a quote by Michael D O’Brien "...This silence before God and man is the presence of being. Such silence speaks! Then when one's spoken words flow, they come from the true heart of one's unique identity. An identity that only the Father in Heaven knows, for it is hidden even from our own eyes." (Island of the World)
 
00:59:44 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Great books written by JPII about that topic “Man and Woman He Created Them” and “Love and Responsibility” :)
 
01:01:05 Carol Nypaver: Both are excellent books, Lilly!
 
01:10:50 Justin Massengill : Gotta go early, see you all on Wednesday, God bless!
 
01:15:06 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Great question @Rachel and excellent response @Fr David !!
 
01:21:04 Wayne Mackenzie: gota go
 
01:24:48 Carol Nypaver: Blessings to you, Father.
 
01:25:43 Rachel: The group and readings are a blessing. Thank you. Prayers!
 
01:25:46 D Fraley: Thank you, Father David!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Eight, Part II and Letter Sixty-Nine, Part I

Tonight we began by reading the last few paragraphs of Letter 68 to Anastasia. Here Saint Theophan tells her that she is to avoid secretiveness in the spiritual life. While privacy is certainly to be valued, in the spiritual life the revelation of one’s thoughts to one’s Confessor or Spiritual Director becomes essential. The evil one through illusory qualities leads us into deception and confuses our affairs. He watches and examines all that we think and do and, at times, even seeks to use suggestions that are good to disguise his provocations. Theophan tells Anastasia that reason alone will ultimately fail her and the evil one will seek to insert his own advice to muddy the waters and to lead her down a path that is not from God. Mistakes, he tells her, will surely come; but they will also show her how to act correctly the next time. 
Moving forward to Letter 69, we find Theophan addressing a ubiquitous reality for us as human beings; the struggle with depression and fear. Surprised that Anastasia is experiencing such things, Theophan asks her to examine her life. Is she living close to God, is she seeking to please him in every way?  It is in doing so that she will root herself in enduring peace. 
He goes on to discuss some of the causes of depression. Amusements, while they may be a gift from God and innocent can be destructive if they are not embraced in moderation. Furthermore, if they are too pleasant they will be unable to content the heart or we will be tempted to seek fulfillment within them. We must be very clear about the goal of life that we have chosen for ourselves and that it always remains in force. God is asking for our hearts and the heart desires God. We are made for Him and can only find true peace by living within Him. Without God our hearts are never satisfied; they are always bored and so we must examine ourselves from this aspect. When we do so, perhaps then we will find the door to peace.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:17:17 Rachel: 😬
 
00:31:55 Anthony: "Let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole lives to Christ our God." "To You O Lord." ~Liturgy of St John Chrysostom
 
00:37:45 Rachel: I love how he doesn't seem to spell it out for her...he proposes a question, for her to ponder.
 
00:49:17 Ashley Kaschl: This is especially why we shouldn’t flirt to convert 😂
 
00:50:20 renwitter: Is that advice from experience, Ashley? 😉😂
 
00:51:38 Ashley Kaschl: Second hand 😂 I ain’t got time for that
 
00:53:47 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Lol Ashley. Same girl, same. God totally fills that void. :)
 
00:57:09 renwitter: The flirting void? 🧐 Hey! He’s never flirted with me 😉. Or are you flirting with Him? Batting your eyelashes at Him in Adoration, eh?
 
00:57:34 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Lol Ren.
 
00:58:40 Wayne Mackenzie: no sense of sacrice
 
01:00:29 Joseph Muir: A lot of younger people come from such broken family backgrounds that they don’t know what a healthy relationship is or what it should look like, and thus don’t know how to pursue or maintain a healthy relationship.
 
I’m not making excuses, per se, as some of it does stem from narcissism and/or bankrupt worldviews; but, many are truly aching for love in an authentic sense, yet haven’t a clue as to how seek it out
 
01:00:39 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Totes jealous of all that time you spend with Him at Adoration ;)
 
01:04:36 Anthony: I've studies the Stoics and am studying their predecessors, the Cynics.  The Fathers, in their humility, in their cosmology, are definitely not either; they do incorporate some sense of virtue and of being the fool, but they purify those themes.
 
01:05:13 Lilly (Toronto, CA): 100% agree with you Joseph. Next generation is even more broken, being taught such sad ideas of what love is
 
01:06:54 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Thankful for Everyone’s prayers, by the way. Blessed to be back. :)
 
01:08:20 Wayne Mackenzie: Well their sense of love is not grounded in anything.
 
01:11:44 Wayne Mackenzie: Further to Joseph's comments...want the pleasure without responsibility
 
01:17:01 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Wayne…exactly :(
 
01:18:33 iPhone: ideally, we would have the log removed from our eye before we enter marriage.
 
01:19:10 Joseph Muir: While I don’t entirely disagree, in regards to being empathetic, with divorce rates being firmly north of 50%, with many people being divorced multiple times, how can children from these parents learn or know what an authentic, healthy relationship is?
 
Again, I don’t say any of this to excuse things that are outright wrong, and there certainly are promiscuous people who “want the pleasure without responsibility” (I was once one of these people)
 
01:20:31 iPhone: truly understanding it as a blessed sacrament and living that way is beautiful but the sacramental truth has been lost on most.
 
01:20:41 Amber Hackiewicz: Glory to God for All Things is a wonderful akathist written by a priest when in a prison camp. It is a wonderful meditation to do and a wonderful thing to pray to put ourselves back into perspective to where we fit in the world. It brings humility back to the soul in a prideful world.
 
http://www.saintjonah.org/services/thanksgiving.htm
 
01:21:57 renwitter: “Bless you prison, bless you for being in my life. For there, lying upon the rotting prison straw, I came to realize that the object of life is not prosperity as we are made to believe, but the maturity of the human soul.”
 
01:22:07 renwitter: - Solzhenitsyn
 
01:22:58 iPhone: beautiful - thank you
 
01:23:38 Lyle: Thanks to the Canadians (at least 30,000) who volunteered to serve in the American armed forces during the Vietnam war. At least 134 Canadians died or were reported missing in Vietnam.  
 
Don’t forget to “Hug” a Marine today – their 246st Birthday.
 
01:23:40 Ann Grimak: Thank you so much Father
 
01:23:49 Amber Hackiewicz: Thank you Father!
 
01:24:27 Lilly (Toronto, CA): Thanks Lyle. Happy Remembrance Day!
 
01:25:03 Anthony: An Italo-Greek!
 
01:25:06 Rachel: I don't really want to talk about depression and anxiety though... 😄
 
01:25:18 Rachel: Thank you!! God bless :)
 
01:25:43 Eric Williams: Now we just need Fr David to make the Pittsburgh Oratory bi-ritual .:)
 
01:26:22 Amber Hackiewicz: As an (almost) Greek Catholic, this makes me happy (:
 
01:26:29 Rachel: Our Greek Melkite priest here is from Italo Greek heritage.. such an intense and wonderful personality.
 
01:26:58 Rachel: My kids are scandalized by the group wondering why I didn't get my turn if you all are still talking lol
 
01:27:01 George: Thanks Father.
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part II

Amazing group tonight folks. Thank you all for your comments and questions. Wonderful as always!
Synopsis:
We continued our reading of Hypothesis 13 which puts before us the idea of moving to a remote place, of embracing exile - as it were - for the sake of living for Christ alone. The lives of the desert Fathers call us to let go of our attachment to the things of this world and all that gives us a false sense of security and stability. We are to cling to God alone. We are strangers and exiles in this world and we will be hated by it as Christ himself was hated. 
None of this calls to imitate the Fathers by going to the deserts of Egypt but rather to enter into the desert of the human heart. We are to draw back and retreat to Christ in order that we might more clearly see the depths of his love and his promise of life; as well as see the things that are an impediment to it. In our retreat into silence and prayer, and subordinating all things to our relationship with God, we prepare ourselves to fight against the enemies, the demons, until we are made free and reach the rest of the kingdom.  
Such a life is not rooted in hard work. We seek our identity not even in the performance of religious activities or driving ourselves relentlessly in the ascetical life. Rather, our worth and identity come to us from what God gives us. All is grace and it is only when we let go of the illusion that this world can provide for and fill the void within our hearts that we will come to know that love in its fullness.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:18:00 Anthony: Clinging to God alone, nothing is secure....well, 2020 ans 2021 have offered us opportunity to ease into that kind of virtue.
 
00:23:28 Anthony: From historian Charles Coulombe I learned that our valuing of excessive work is a Puritan deformity.
 
00:33:56 Joseph Muir: Of course there is value in being diligent and having a good work ethic, of being responsible and goal oriented, and of planning for the future. With that said, this tendency of finding one’s identity in their work is, I think, where one veers off course
 
01:08:49 Justin Massengill : No, Justin is my Christian name which I tend to use since my conversion. 
 
01:14:37 Ambrose Little: It’s hard to put much value in “hard work” without ending up serving it and having it become a significant measure against which we judge ourselves. We cannot serve both God and mammon. Where our treasure is, there is our heart. It seems so very easy to get sucked in, ever so incrementally so that we don’t even realize it’s happening, until one day what started as a tame regard for our how hard we work has become our identity and our master.  If on the other hand, we prize above all else pleasing and loving God and making that our only goal, we can guard against that danger. 
 
At some point in our lives, this may mean working hard. At another, perhaps when we are sick, it may mean simply offering our suffering to God and offering the simplest of prayers. In health, in sickness, in work, in play—all in God and to God and for God, with gratitude and trust.
 
01:16:51 Lyle: Like St. Peter, I must "Step Out".
 
01:18:28 Anthony: Working in the garage late at night can be crazy - irrational with a job to wake up to - but also be a "mystical" moment.
 
01:22:51 Lyle: They are such great counselors!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Eight, Part I

Tonight we began letter 68, entitled “The Need for a Good Counselor. However, as we noted, this is something of a misnomer. The bulk of the letter is actually about idle talk and the discussions of men and women. Anastasia mentions that “a rumor went around”. St. Theophan is deeply worried about this. He is worried that Anastasia might see this is a small thing or that she might get caught up in the mindset of those around her that make use of words and their meaning in a hurtful or sinful fashion. Anastasia must allow conscience to guide and direct her and give her the courage that she needs to avoid such conversations. She is always to be prudent in her use of words and never provoke others by her speech or by her demeanor. And even if she becomes the focal point of others’ gossip about the way that she lives her life, again conscience should be her source of comfort and courage. She must not allow herself to be baited into responding by what people say or think about her. Rather she had to be patient until the moment passes and seek to respond equably to everyone that she encounters. 
Not surprisingly, much discussion ensued about this matter. Sins of speech are often taken lightly. We are all too willing to judge people by what they do or what they say and to be driven by emotion. Our ego must have no place in our response. Rather, we must put on the mind of Christ and seek to engage all with a humble and loving heart. Meekness is perhaps one of the greatest of virtues. It allows anger in the face of injustice to be shaped by love and by grace. We must withhold judgment when it comes to the other person. Our greatest desire must be to understand, to show loving concern, or to help bring healing and comfort. This is something our world desperately needs and should be a distinctive quality of Christian behavior.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:31:29 Anthony: I think there is a difference between the mode of interpersonal relations and political relations.  For prudence, I think we need to modify "charity never judges," for sometimes we need to be ware to protect ourselves.  The danger may never come, but maybe it's better to prepare for a possible danger than to be caught flatfooted because you always try to give benefit of doubt.
 
00:38:28 Wayne Mackenzie: guilty
 
00:39:13 Cathy: I do this - I think its
 
00:39:33 Cathy: I think it's impatience
 
00:43:27 Anthony: Gadfly: Socrates and Kierkegaard
 
01:01:23 Anthony: In a way, what St. Theophan is encouraging is a spiritual chivalry.  The tales of chivalry do include knights with sharp words, but in the best form, chivalry is self control and at the service of love.
 
01:06:40 renwitter: It is always a powerful thing to hear Jesus describe his own heart with only two virtues: humility and meakness.
 
01:07:48 renwitter: Maybe as an illumination of the world views meakness…every time I type it, my computer autocorrects it to weakness 😂😂😂
 
01:28:59 renwitter: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out”
 
01:34:43 Lyle: Imagine how many of “US” there are out here who want to CONVERT from something, BUT we have NEVER found a Confessor, whom we believe is TRULY “standing in the place of Christ”?
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XIII, Part I

Thank you once again to all who attended The Evergetinos group tonight. The wisdom of the Fathers is breathtaking to say the least!
Tonight we began Hypothesis 13. The focus is on renouncing the world to go to a remote place, what constitutes a remote place, and the specific benefits that we are seeking. 
We are all too familiar in this world with isolation. We may be surrounded by many people and our lives filled with so many different things and activities and yet we can feel completely alone and empty. 
The Desert Fathers, however, seek the solitude of the desert not to escape the world but rather to seek out Love itself. Their setting aside of country, of material goods, creates within them a need - a need that only God can fulfill. They experience what true desire is - a sense of incompleteness that only God can address. 
Solitude and silence are disciplines that we must foster. They are not something simply to be endured and they are not rooted in a contempt for the world. In the silence and in our poverty we begin to experience the development of true humility; a humility that allows us to see the truth about ourselves and the goodness, the mercy, and love of God. 
Thus, gradually we come to see through them that the experience of exile, poverty and solitude hold within themselves a priceless treasure that we must be willing to do everything to possess.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:08:36 D Fraley: I had hair when I first come to the Oratory too.
 
00:08:48 Ed Kleinguetl: Must be a trend
 
00:33:45 Eric Williams: Certainly no (or limited and hushed) chit-chat in my childhood Lutheran church nave.
 
00:34:43 renwitter: What is the name of the place Mark?
 
00:36:00 mark: I will send a link…
 
00:36:13 Ed Kleinguetl: Thank you!
 
00:36:54 maureencunningham: Holy Presence Monastery inToms Brook  and The Holy Abbey in Berryville VA.  silent retreats
 
00:37:03 maureencunningham: Both VA
 
00:37:15 Eric Williams: I have noticed a paradox as someone with ADHD. Long periods of silence and stillness are very difficult for me, but the cure seems to be more silence. It’s very challenging. Modern technology seems to be making most people struggle with quiet inactivity in a similar way.
 
00:37:51 mark: Our Lady in Beatitude.  The Monastic Family of Bethlehem.  https://www.monasteryofbethlehemnewyork.com/
 
00:40:25 Eric Williams: As a convert, I really don’t miss marathon sermons. ;)
 
00:42:03 Ambrose Little: Agree, Eric.
 
00:45:37 Wayne Mackenzie: what page?
 
00:45:50 Tyler Woloshyn: 106
 
00:46:37 Eric Williams: I’ve noticed that at low Latin masses, the processions are from and to the sacristy. I’ve also seen high masses in which the opening procession starts at the sacristy, continues to the back, and finishes going up the middle aisle. Perhaps that would be a good corrective model for the whole Western Church.
 
00:49:40 Ambrose Little: Cultivating interior silence in the midst of external noise and busy-ness is a good ascetic practice. Maybe we focus there, even if others around us aren’t doing the same.
 
01:18:07 Ambrose Little: Sorry. I gotta run. I will say having six boys helps one find quietude in noise. :D Have a blessed week, y'all.
 
01:18:14 Wayne Mackenzie: got to go
 
01:18:39 Tyler Woloshyn: Have a good night. God bless! :)
 
01:23:25 D Fraley: Thank you Father David. Good night, everyone!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Seven, Part II

Tonight we concluded Letter 67. As we have seen in previous letters and as Theophan progresses in his teaching of Anastasia, he draws her ever deeper into the wisdom of the fathers. He picks up this evening speaking with her again about the importance of confessing all of one’s sins; not judging those that seem small or great but rather confessing everything that is contrary to the will and the love of God. No sin is ever to be deliberately omitted. If omitted - in essence it is unresolved. If ignored it will not be fully uprooted. 
Theophan then moves on  to address the importance of unceasing prayer. This little prayer that he taught her, the Jesus Prayer, he tells Anastasia, is a great treasure. In fact, it has no equal among spiritual activities. This is an extraordinary statement. He is telling Anastasia that the constant remembrance of God is not simply a spiritual practice or a discipline; it is seeking to “become” prayer. It is to live and move and breathe as one who seeks to and truly lives in constant communion with God. It is so important, he tells her, that she must exclude herself from any of the group who may be inattentive. She must never forget to turn the mind’s eye to the Lord or at least maintain the feeling that He is near. Turning mentally to God with reverence in the heart is already prayer. Whatever our struggles might be, whatever temptations we might experience against this practice, we must understand that God sees the desire and love within the heart. 
Furthermore, we must start the morning in the right way for it will set the tone for the entire day. We must read the gospel and other spiritual books the confirm ideas within us about what is truly worthwhile. Above all we must hear the voice of conscience; the voice of the omnipresent God in the soul. Theophan writes: “He who is in the world with the conscience is also in the world with God.”
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:08:21 Ashley Kaschl: I’m not on video right now cause I’m jump-starting my car 😂 but hey everybody!
 
00:23:23 sue and mark: pg 155 speaks of thoedoras toll-houses.
 
00:26:01 carolnypaver: Page #?
 
00:33:52 Joseph Muir: For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
 
2 Corinthians 5:2-5
00:35:13 Joseph Muir: On this subject, here is a beautiful prayer that is part of my morning offering, and which I try to pray at least once more throughout the day:
 
O Lord, I know not what to ask of You. You alone know what are my true needs. You love me more than I myself know how to love. Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me. I dare not ask either cross or consolation. I can only wait on You. My heart is open to You. Visit and help me for Your great mercy’s sake. Strike me and heal me. Cast me down and raise me up. I worship in silence Your holy will and Your unsearchable ways. I offer myself as a sacrifice to You. I have no desire other than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray. Do You Yourself pray in me. Amen.
 
00:44:25 Lyle: No one practicing the “Jesus Prayer” succeeds immediately.  It must be “practiced”.  The demons are constantly vying for EVERY thought.
 
00:45:45 carolnypaver: Very true, Lyle.
 
01:06:21 Lyle: Some critics of the "Jesus Prayer" say that it is no more than a mantra - (a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation, such as within Buddhism or Hinduism.)  Hundreds of years and THOUSANDS of testimonies prove the Prayer to be helpful.
 
01:07:21 sue and mark: what about the rosary and divine mercy
 
01:12:06 Joseph Muir: That is a common criticism from many Protestants, accusing it of being “vain repetition”.
 
Growing up in the Bible Belt, I had to learn how to explain the faith in a way that spoke to where a common evangelical mindset may be. With that said, I was quick to tell them that Christ didn’t condemn repetition itself, but specifically VAIN repetition, with Christ even further describing it as being “like the heathens do”.
 
For “the heathens” of their day, the more one repeated a prayer, the better chance there was of God hearing it.
 
When it comes to something like the Jesus Prayer, the point of the repetition is transform ones entire mind and heart into prayer itself, teaching oneself to pray it with each breath, even, for some of the monastics, with each heartbeat (hence it’s commonly being called “the prayer of the heart”)
 
01:12:06 sue and mark: as aides to continual prayer
 
01:19:19 Lyle: The Omnipresent Voice worked for THEM and it will work for US.  (There is nothing new under the sun.)
 
01:20:37 Ashley Kaschl: Thank you, Father!
 
01:20:48 Rachel: Thank you!
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part IV

Tonight we concluded Hypothesis 12, again considering the importance of parents raising their children not only to love virtue but also to be willing to sacrifice all for it and for Christ. We considered three stories where mothers had to set aside their natural sensibilities and desire to protect their children from harm. In each case, the mothers act out of their faith to encourage their sons to remain steadfast. We see in and through the stories that they are not only bound by blood but, in a deeper way, by faith. The mothers seek to protect the eternal life of their sons and are willing to sacrifice themselves and their own needs for that end. In doing so they become inheritors of the glory that belongs to the martyrs. Their sons will intercede on their behalf because of the virtue and support that they showed. 
These are not easy stories to consider and one is compelled to set aside one’s judgment and to listen to them with faith. We are to see these martyrs and those who support them as living icons of the gospel. In this they will be the most compelling witnesses - those who counted all in this world as refuse compared to the surpassing worth of knowing and gaining Christ.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:30:55 Eric Williams: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” - GK Chesterton
 
00:39:05 Anthony: I am friends with several Copts in Hampton VA.  Beautiful people, understand suffering.  Same with my Iraqi Syriac Catholic friends.
 
00:42:30 Anthony: Sometimes I wonder what is the dividing line between rigorous ascetic practice ans insanity.  Is love the difference?
 
00:54:33 Ambrose Little: Discernment of the will of God. Union of the will with God, so that the actions flow out of that union. So yes, love in that sense, in that God is love and union with His will is union with Love. There is some danger, it seems, in that persons may seek out the actions for themselves, as a kind of emulation of holiness, when what makes such acts holy is the heart in tune with God’s.
 
00:55:22 Anthony: Thank you, Ambrose
 
01:12:45 Carol Nypaver: What is that song called?
 
01:12:54 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: billy joel lullabye
 
01:13:06 Carol Nypaver: Thank you!
 
01:13:12 renwitter: Its the one that begins “Goodnight my Angel"
 
01:15:23 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjSix58CXQQ
 
01:16:54 renwitter: The book is actually remarkably well adapted in the film. Very accurate.
 
01:26:32 Ann Grimak: Thank you so much Father
 
01:27:14 Rachel: Thank you
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Seven, Part I

I love St. Theophan. The reason I say this is because one can see so clearly how deep his love is for the young Anastasia. He is a true spiritual father. 
At this point in their correspondence, Anastasia has come to a deeper understanding of the spiritual life and Theophan has shared with her the great riches of the spiritual tradition. Yet, his love for her makes him at times speak the truth to her with a kind of sternness. Not anger, but rather with a clarity about the weightiness of the matter they are discussing and its importance for her spiritual life and future. 
Tonight we began Letter 67 on “Diligent Confession”. Theophan rejoices with Anastasia over the fruits of her pilgrimage to the monastery of Saint Sergius. However, he rebukes her for something that she told him about the nature of her confession. Despite having made the pilgrimage with its physical and emotional rigors and having embraced the practice of unceasing prayer throughout the journey, when the moment came for her to experience the full fruit of the spiritual practice she held back. She did not confess all of her sins; she did not open her mind and her heart fully to God in order that she might also reap the benefits and all the grace that the sacrament offers. Theophan tells her that the essence of the mystery of repentance consists in the resolution of the sin one has confessed. Her preparation should have illuminated her heart fully enough that she would leave no sin unconfessed because she would see no sin is “small”.  Every sin has the capacity of growing and taking hold of one’s life and leading one away from God. She must avoid the craftiness of the worldly mind that seeks to rationalize certain behaviors and to minimize their effects.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:12:29 Eric Williams: I would very much be interested in a desert father society or similar. The Catholic men's groups I've seen are either mostly social or have an Evangelical vibe.
 
00:24:09 Art: I’m in!
 
00:31:00 Joseph Muir: What page number?
 
00:31:09 Carol Nypaver: 265
 
00:31:19 Joseph Muir: Spacibo
 
00:38:34 Rachel: The quote from St. Climacus, about striking the final blow and still having hope...which chapter is that from?
 
00:49:41 Rachel: lol yep
 
00:50:32 Rachel: @ the quirkiness...yet there is hope
 
00:54:57 Erick Chastain: the horologion and the pre-Vatican II breviary pray the entirety of that psalm, but it was deemed too difficult for moderns to include in the new breviary
 
00:55:19 Erick Chastain: (as far as I know, the horologion does, but I'm not sure)
 
00:56:08 Erick Chastain: that is, I think it does, since the byzantine psalters all include it in ther prayer rule
 
01:02:29 Joseph Muir: Speaking to Sue’s last point, one very real issue is how little time the average parish assigns each week for confession. In my hometown, most of the Roman Catholic churches had an hour each week; in the various places where I’ve lived, I’ve never seen a Byzantine church that has actual confession times, always seeking to leave it up to penitents to ask the priest. While a penitent must obviously take initiative, I assure you that there are far fewer Byzantine Catholics who make a regular confession than would if there were set times throughout any given week (on the latter point, the nearly total absence of daily vespers or matins at these Byzantine churches is also a shame)
 
01:04:03 Eric Williams: Confession has become juridical - we go to seek removal of criminal guilt at the price of some symbolic atonement in penance. It should be medicinal, though, such that we seek healing from skilled physicians, who work methodically, patiently, and compassionately. Too few priests were taught or bother to use good bedside manners.
 
01:05:37 Joseph Muir: This is also why there is value in having a regular confessor, particularly one who knows one well enough so as to call them out on their BS😂
 
01:19:57 Ann Grimak: Thank you Father
 
01:20:18 Cathy: Goodnight Father
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part III

Thank you everyone who participated tonight and for all of your great comments!  God bless
Synopsis:
Continuing along with Hypothesis 12, we are given another extraordinary story of the relationship between a mother and her son. Saint Alypios makes the decision to live a life solely dedicated to God and to silence. His plan is to go to live among the monks of the East and to leave home and family in the pursuit of the will of God. 
His mother, setting aside all natural sensibilities even though she’s a widow, supports this desire and seeks to deepen it through her own prayer.  Her desire is that her son’s desire would be fulfilled and that he would come to know the fullness of the love of God. When the Alypios’ bishop persuades him to return to his homeland in response to a Divine voice, his mother does not cease in her support of Alypios’ holy desire but rather helps him to pursue it with a singular focus. As he grows in virtue and prayer, she helps him to construct a shelter on top of a pillar on which to live in greater solitude. Very much like Mary the Mother of our Lord, she participates and her son’s pursuit of God‘s will. She’s not a passive observer but rather intimately united in faith with her son; a unity that far surpasses what any earthly love could produce. 
This example of living for God in the moment, even to the point of letting go of all sense of security, is foreign to us and, frankly, frightening. How is it that we are to live in the moment in our lives and in our vocations in such a way that we do not become calculating?  How can we walk the path of faith with purity and perfection - holding nothing back from God out of fear or anxiety or self-love? It is these greater and more personal questions that these stories put forward for us to contemplate!
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Text of chat during the group:
00:33:13 Ed Kleinguetl: Same as Mother Teresa of Calcutta
 
00:33:52 Rachel: Yes, I noticed that in my interactions with others. Something helped me very much, I heard a priest say, what people think of you is none of your business...
 
00:35:08 Rachel: then I realized, I don't even know what God thinks of me, I cannot store up virtues and line them up like trinkets. That yes, in the moment He is here. To love Him here and now.
 
00:36:16 Joseph Muir: The Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s nuns) in the Bronx have me on speed dial, and I sometimes get the most random phone calls from a small handful of the nuns in that particular convent, sometimes just to talk, but normally leading to their asking for a favor. They have such faith in their “associates”, the extended family of their community, to always be able to step up and help them out.
 
00:37:55 Rachel: Abandonment in this moment. It doesn't feel comfortable like some imply.
 
00:39:11 Eric Williams: My wife often mutters “You have a heck of a sense of humor, God!” ;)
 
00:39:16 Tyler Woloshyn: There is great joy in abandoning cares to the Lord no matter the overwhelming day when you find joy in setting aside that time to pray and do it joyfully.
 
00:41:09 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: "We will conquer only through the cross." Elder Arsenie
 
00:49:04 renwitter: I think @carol roper should perfect her shelter-building skills for when Luke climbs up a pillar to live 😊
 
00:51:58 Rachel: wow
 
00:53:31 Rachel: that is so beautiful! It reminds me of when a soul or if a soul would tear down all of the comforts/consolations that prevent one from fully clinging to God alone
 
00:57:33 Ambrose Little: Who knew that facepalm gesture was so venerable and ancient.
 
00:57:47 Joseph Muir: 🤣
 
00:58:05 renwitter: I was literally just writing the same thing!!!
 
00:58:11 renwitter: 🤣🤣
 
01:16:52 Rachel: thank you!
 
01:17:02 maureencunningham: Thank You  Lords Blessing
 
01:17:16 Ashley Kaschl: Thanks, Father!! And welcome Joanne! 😁
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Six, Part II

Thank you again to all who participated in the group tonight. It was a great blessing as always and joyful. 
Tonight we concluded Letter 66 of Saint Theophan to the young Anastasia. Anastasia had decided to make a pilgrimage to the monastery of Saint Sergius. Theophan offers her counsel as to how not to turn this into an act of curiosity or to reduce it to a mere stroll. 
Pilgrimages involve the full self; specific sacrifices and hardships - all of which form and shape the heart. It is a reflection of our journey toward God. 
She can count upon the blessings and the prayers of Sergius in this journey. However, she must continue to embrace the practices Theophan has taught her. She must pray unceasingly along the journey; the short prayers that he taught her. Above all he encourages her to memorize the Psalms or those that speak to her heart in order that she might be reciting them along the way and meditating upon them. 
This journey is to be spent reflecting upon her relationship with God and the state of her heart. When she reaches her destination, she is to make a good confession and receive holy communion. The labor of her travel is meant to help sensitize her conscience in order that she might not overlook the most important thing, tears of contrition. It is such tears, rooted in the spirit of repentance, that will open the gates of heaven to her and the flood of God‘s mercy. One tear is like the renewal of baptism, cleansing the heart and restoring one’s relationship with God. 
She must remind herself that the most trustworthy path in this life is one of repentance and that all of heaven rejoices over someone who weeps and is contrite, feeling his sinfulness.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:23:48 Mark Cummings: I am not sure if I should feel bad that I have far less than 50,000 thoughts a day or if I should feel good that I potentially have less bad thoughts to fend off. I wonder when I lose my train of thought if those would be included in the total count for the day.
 
00:44:38 Ann Grimak: Thank you Father great explanation
 
00:44:40 Ashley Kaschl: We’ve kinda moved on but as a sidenote to what Father was talking about earlier...I was told, once, that BUSY is really just an acronym for “Bound Under Satan’s Yolk” when it comes to daily Mass, prayer, and the spiritual life, which was definitely a gut check for me 😅
 
00:47:20 Mark J. Kelly: Ashley makes a great point.  While most see Acedia or Sloth displayed by a spiritual depression or withdrawal many ancient and modern writers see Acedia or Sloth in “over-BUSYness”.
 
00:55:29 Eric Williams: I look forward to Fr Miron bringing back *all* the prostrations to Good Friday at our church. ;)
 
01:07:00 Rachel: In Divine Intimacy there are 2 readings that help with preparing for a good holy confession called, Simplicity and Sincerity. Two of my top 10 readings from that book. Yes, both traditions can compliment each other beautifully when one understands the language of the desert fathers.
 
01:11:31 Rachel: wow. yes
 
01:15:16 Rachel: That was such a good point. Infantilizing under the guise of obedience.
 
01:21:40 Mark Cummings: thank you, Rachel...I will look over Simplicity and sincerity before my next reconciliation
 
01:27:28 St. Stanislaus Kostka Religious Education: is that a meaning of integrity?  that we allow God to integrate our lives totally
 
01:29:37 Rachel: Thank you Father and all!
 
01:29:48 Ann Grimak: Thank you so much Father
 
01:29:52 maureencunningham: Thank You
 
01:30:10 Mark Cummings: thank you, father!
 
01:30:59 Rachel: Thank you, I am in California
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XII, Part II

Thank you to all who participated in the group tonight!
To say that this was the most beautiful reading that we have considered in the Evergetinos would be an understatement. We continued our reflection on Hypothesis 12 on the importance of parents instilling in their children the love of virtue and the willingness to risk all for it. 
Tonight we read one single story: from the life of Saint Clement of Ancyra, martyr. The story centers on Clement’s mother who is a widow and so became for her son - father, teacher, and mother. Above all things she sought to teach her son the inestimable value of giving his life over to Christ. She taught him from the earliest age that, despite the fact that his earthly father had died before he knew him, Clement had gained God as his true Father. “Christ reared you in the strength of the Spirit”, she taught him. Above all, she did not want her son to lose sight of the fact that the love of Christ alone has true value and endures. He is our salvation - the One who has come to raise us up and to make us children of God. 
With the most beautiful exhortation she encourages Clement to ready himself for the trials to come. The depth of her faith gave her prophetic vision; she saw not only her own impending death but also the trial and martyrdom her son was to endure. Therefore, she would prepare him in every way throughout his tender years to seek “the one thing necessary”. 
In the story we also catch a glimpse of what parenthood looks like when transformed by faith and understood in light of the communion of saints. This mother understood that despite leaving her son in this world they are bound together. His heroic faith and coming martyrdom is something that she would share in intimately; the rewards and joy that will belong to Clement will be hers as well and together they will boldly worship before the throne of Christ. 
Clement, so nourished by his mother, endured the greatest tortures for Christ and then made the ultimate gift of his life to his Savior.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:31:42 John Clark: Everyone is Catholic in the Strip on Friday’s during lent..
 
00:51:47 Rachel (30): This is perfect
 
01:07:35 Rachel (30): Identity in Christ, teaching them that their true identity and union will be in Christ.
 
01:07:48 Rachel (30): Actually, that would be great marriage prep
 
01:09:24 Rachel (30): Thank you Fr. Abernathy and all
 
01:09:33 Rachel (30): lol
 
01:09:35 D Fraley: This was good. Thank you Father.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Five, Part III and Letter Sixty-Six, Part I

Tonight we concluded Letter 65 wherein St. Theophan quotes St. Poemen on the nature of the God-pleasing life. Theophan emphasize here the importance of being unyielding in dealing with our thoughts. We must give them no room for growth and not nourish thoughts that are contrary to God‘s will and to the life of virtue. Closely tied to this struggle with the thoughts is the cultivation of virtue. He tells us that one must at the same time do good and cultivate every sort of virtue within oneself in order that both of these things will bring about the purification of the heart. Theophan concludes the letter with multiple quotes from Saint Poemen on the fundamental virtues to be cultivated. We find in the Fathers a surprising consistency in their thought. What we must desire above all is to foster an enthusiasm for the Spirit of God. The hotter that this flame burns the less sinful thoughts have any access to the human heart. 
In turning to Letter 66, we find Theophan speaking with Anastasia about making a pilgrimage to the monastery of Saint Sergius. Theophan is obviously very pleased with this decision. However, he wants Anastasia to understand that this will not simply be a pleasant stroll or satisfy her curiosity. It is a spiritual pilgrimage and she will find in it great labor of mind and body. This is part of what she offers to God and to the particular saint whose intercession she seeks. There will be great fruit, he tells her, that comes from this - both perceptible and imperceptible. God gives the Saints the ability to see what believers do for them and hear what they ask of them.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:06:13 renwitter: https://www.ctosonline.org/patristic/EvCT.html
 
00:23:00 Carole DiClaudio: What page are we on?
 
00:23:13 Carol Nypaver: 259
 
00:23:22 Carole DiClaudio: Thank you :)
 
01:00:59 renwitter: Probably a boyfriend - taking her on one of those monastery road trips you are always suggesting to couples ;-) He came along to impress Elder Theophan :-D
 
01:02:24 Carol Nypaver: About 33 miles
 
01:02:56 renwitter: hahahaahahahha
 
01:03:13 Carol Nypaver: lol
 
01:21:58 Carol Nypaver: Thank you!  It was a wonderful interview.  Good job, Father!
 
01:22:54 renwitter: https://www.ctosonline.org/patristic/EvCT.html
 
01:23:17 Ashley Kaschl: Thanks, Father!
 
01:24:10 Carole DiClaudio: Thanks Father!!
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis XI, Part II and Hypothesis XII, Part I

Thank you everyone who participated in the Evergetinos study group:
Such beautiful readings tonight!  I know this is an oft repeated observation that I make, but there was something in the readings this evening that struck deep to the heart. The conclusion of Hypothesis 11 spoke to us about the deep union enjoyed by individuals who shared a common love of the kingdom and pursuit of love and faith in this world. The deeper our purity of heart, we were told, the more clearly will we see the brightness of God’s glory and participate in it. All of this should spur us on to seek God above all things.
In beginning hypothesis 12, we discussed the formation of children in the life of faith. There is a deep need, from the earliest of years of life, to form a child in their desire to please God and in their love for virtue. Parents should rejoice in those trials of their children that are endured for the sake of Christ. This in turn calls parents to pursue the saintly life themselves. How can they encourage their children to long for the kingdom unless they have a similar yearning within their own hearts?  We were given the most beautiful story of the tender love of a mother for a son who was martyred. Her joy over her son’s participation in the glory of her Lord and her solidarity in the sufferings of her son was nothing short of extraordinary. She was no passive participant in the formation of her child; nor was she apassive participant in his suffering and thus deserving a share in the promised of glory.  Such stories reshape our understanding of existence and what it is that we value and cherish the most.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:33:44 Eric Williams: Nerdy Thomist? Is there any other kind? ;)
 
00:34:04 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂
 
01:07:19 Daniel Allen: Wow
 
01:22:12 Carol Nypaver: Thank you, Father!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Five, Part II

Tonight we continued with Letter 65 on Saint Poemen‘s thoughts on the God-pleasing life. Once again St. Theophan is drawing Anastasia into a deeper understanding of what takes place within the mind and the heart. We constantly have to strive to maintain sobriety; that is, a steady attentiveness and attitude of mind where we simplify the thoughts and keep them focused upon Christ. We do not allow or want to allow ourselves to be formed simply by the world around us and in an indiscriminate fashion. At the earliest age, parents should begin to introduce their children into the things that heighten one’s awareness of God; to teach them the love of silence, to show them what commitment to prayer looks like, to help them see how the beauty of the world around them allows them to transcend the self and turn the mind and the heart to God. 
Beyond this, Theophan encourages Anastasia to tie the struggle with the thoughts to the development of virtue. Forming and shaping the mind and the heart by that which is good strengthens us in order that we can engage in the battle with the thoughts more effectively and eventually overcome them. In this sense, we must take personal responsibility for what goes on in our minds and hearts. We may get to a point where they have put down deep roots within us and our thoughts and actions have become habitual and seem to be out of our control. In reality, however, the responsibility lies with us who at one time or another willed to be negligent or lazy or simply inattentive to God and the spiritual warfare that He calls us to at every moment of our lives.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:13:09 Wayne Mackenzie: page # again?
 
00:13:23 Ashley Kaschl: 257
 
00:13:46 Wayne Mackenzie: thnz
 
00:13:48 Ashley Kaschl: 3rd paragraph, I think 😁
 
00:13:55 Ashley Kaschl: No prob
 
00:57:50 Eric Williams: If only folks were as fanatical about daily prayer and worship as they are for sports…
 
00:59:35 Art: Amen to that Eric
 
01:15:46 Miron Kerul Kmec: Thank you
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis X, Part II and Hypothesis XI, Part I

Tonight we continued with Hypothesis 10 and began Hypothesis 11. Both speak with us about the deepest realities of human existence. The weight and the significance of our choices, the things we love, the realities that we give our hearts to, are all placed before us for our consideration. Quite naturally this creates tension and uneasiness within the mind. The reflections are sobering to say the least. They speak to us about a malicious evil who furiously seeks to undermine our faith in the mercy of God; that puts before us every sin that we have ever committed from the moment of our birth to the end of our lives.  At the moment when we are about to come before the Righteous Judge, they attack us with the greatest fury, seeking what actions of ours belong to them. While unsettling, such truths compel us to examine our lives with honesty. To whom or to what have we given our hearts?  Hypothesis 11 addresses how, after death, souls are assigned to the same place as those souls which lived in a similar way on earth. There is a radical solidarity, a bond that exists between those who share a common love. Those who love God and who have given themselves over to Him fully will experience a radical unity with others of a similar mind and heart; seeing with an unobstructed  gaze all that others have in their hearts. Similarly those who share a common love of a particular sin will be bound together and know similar consequences.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:12:29 Eric Williams: Would “The Way of a Pilgrim” be suitable for Schola Christi?
 
00:24:13 renwitter: If I was as holy as St. Gemma, maybe I could say with her: “If I saw the gates of hell open and I stood on the brink of the abyss, I would not despair; I would not lose hope of mercy, because I would trust in you, my God.”
 
00:33:04 Tyler Woloshyn: Great book for Lent as well.
 
00:49:26 renwitter: **Such a beautiful line from Scripture** One of my favorites
 
00:51:27 Ashley Kaschl: Something about this is reminding me of a quote from CS Lewis’s “The Weight of Glory”: 
 
“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward … promised in the Gospels, 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 sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
 
00:53:03 renwitter: These Hypothesis’ are scaring me to death. I’m never going to sleep tonight :-( Sigh
 
00:54:29 Rachel (30): Yes! Start now, and every moment from now on! Our limited capabilities will never be enough, but our intentions and giving the whole of our selves, everything emptied out for Love. The thief on the Cross, the disposition of his heart, by the grace of God, must've been such a deep and true repentance that if he could live a thousand years, he would live in repentance. He had encountered Life, Love itself. But our Lord, in His mercy, took the thief to Himself right then, in that moment in time. Whatever time we have left, give everything.
 
00:57:35 renwitter: The second one!
 
01:14:19 Rachel (30): Thank you
 
01:14:34 Carol Nypaver: Blessings to all!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Four and Letter Sixty-Five, Part I

This evening we began Letter 64 where St. Theophan discusses with Anastasia solitude as well as how to avoid boredom and idleness. Theophan is very direct and one might even say stern about this subject. The feeling of loneliness or boredom should be out of place for us if we understand our true identity. We are in reality never alone. The Lord is always close by as well as our Guardian Angel. Therefore, each time we find ourselves alone we must renew as quickly as possible the conviction that the Lord and our Guardian Angel are with us and, in fact, we must rush to take advantage of these moments. Solitude, Theophan tells her, in this spirit is sweet and he prays that she will one day desire it as Paradise on earth. He goes on to tell her that she should avoid idleness at all costs. She should keep the mind focused when her tasks of the day are complete. There are many things that we can do to help us in this regard. Best of all, however, is reading spiritual books. This is the sphere of the most serious subject of all. In it everything is new and never becomes obsolete. The more you learn, the more you will discover subjects that are yet unfamiliar. 
Moving on to Letter 65, Theophan begins to share with Anastasia the writings of Saint Poemen that relate to what he has been explaining to her for a long time. Repentance and grieving over one’s sins is the beginning of the divine path. “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” A person who repents and grieves over his sins will naturally shun evil and do good. Just as a woman who grieves over the loss of her husband and weeps bitterly can think of nothing else, so a soul that weeps over the loss brought by its sin can’t think of anything else but restoring their relationship with God and weeping over their fall.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:01:58 Sheila Applegate: Hi! I can't unmute.
 
00:04:07 Carol Nypaver: Also, my son’d birthday (on Padre Pio’s Feast).
 
00:19:27 Mark Cummings: a rent, typically a small one, paid by a freeholder or copyholder in lieu of services which might be required of them.
 
00:20:06 Mark Cummings: Idle hands are the devil's workshop
 
00:20:17 Eric Williams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quit-rent
 
00:41:30 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: St. Basil - "Do not submit your souls to corrupt melodies that come to us through the ears. Many passions that enslave us have been caused to grow in our natures by this sort of music."
 
00:42:01 Cathy: i agree
 
00:43:15 renwitter: I’m guessing this person he “knows” is himself :-D
 
01:21:01 renwitter: “For while all things were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course, 15Thine Almighty word leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne.” One of my favorite passages. The Father communicating His Word to us in the depth of silence.
 
01:21:43 Carol Nypaver: 😇
 
01:22:05 Cathy: Thank you. Beautiful
 
01:23:07 renwitter: We also love Miron Theophan!
 
01:23:37 Ann Grimak: Thank you so much,
 
01:23:52 Mark Cummings: Thank you!!!
 
01:24:00 Cathy: Good night.  Thank you Father!
 
01:24:20 Ashley Kaschl: Solitude is more of a trusting that we are deeply known by GOD and by seeking to know ourselves through a relationship with Christ, we become more aware of just how close God and our Guardian Angel is to us.
 
01:25:14 Carol Nypaver: Thank you, Ashley! Very insightful.
 
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis IX, Part III and Hypothesis X, Part I

Tonight we concluded a brief section from Hypothesis Nine and began reading Hypothesis Ten. The subject matter of these readings is rather fierce; presenting us over and over again with the experience of death. What is the experience of the soul at the moment of death bearing within it  its vices and virtues alone.? 
We are presented with images and visions of the Saints who describe a malignant evil set upon the demise of those seeking to follow the narrow path that leads to the kingdom. Even at the moment of death the evil one is there to accuse and weigh in the balance individual’s vices and virtues. If anything these images stress for us the reality of evil and hostile powers set upon our demise and that the spiritual life and struggle has cosmological scope. 
Such truths remind us of the necessity of constant vigilance in the spiritual warfare. We must desire to the kingdom above all things and seek it with purity of heart and intention. It is this alone that sets us upon the path to the kingdom with a holy boldness even when faced with these hostile powers in their most fearful form.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:16:50 Ed Kleinguetl: Orthodox theory of the toll houses
 
00:22:57 Carol Nypaver: Page?
 
00:23:12 Ashley Kaschl: 84
 
00:46:37 Rachel (30): Yes, exactly! What a sobering reflection.
 
01:06:46 Eric Williams: When being chased by a wild beast, one needn’t run fastest - just faster than one’s companions. ;)
 
01:07:22 Rachel (30): lol
 
01:14:21 Tyler Woloshyn: Have a blessed evening folks. I am off to my Ukrainian class. Please pray for Canada during our federal election tonight. God bless! :)
 
01:15:06 Erick Chastain: will do!
 
01:15:49 renwitter: “Do we all flap” 😂😂😂😂😂😂
 
01:16:06 renwitter: Made. My. Night
 
01:21:48 Rachel (30): thank you
 
01:21:51 D Fraley: Thanks Father David
 
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Three Part II

Tonight we concluded Letters 63. St. Theophan began to speak with Anastasia about something that was near and dear to her heart - singing and playing the piano. Theophan does not demonize music; but he does understand the impact that it has upon the soul, either to elevate it or to drag it down. Its beauty can make us transcend ourselves, while its coarseness can make us insensitive to that which is beautiful. Therefore, Theophan counsels Anastasia to acknowledge the fact that her abilities are a gift from God. Part of her gratitude for these gifts is to use them in the way that He would intend them to be used and that she would turn them to the praise of God. At this moment, Theophan sees that she had only used them to amuse herself and others and has made no mention of God whatsoever. His words are rather sober and stern, but he wants her to understand that her music can speak to the human heart and do the same thing that a good preacher does in church. The fruit of her gift is to edify others as well as herself. However, sensitive to the fact that her taste in music has developed over the course of years, he counsels her to take things slowly and not to make sudden changes. 
In closing, Theophan warns Anastasia not to make herself eccentric in the eyes of others and to avoid idiosyncrasies. Rather she has to focus on being good humored and cheerful. Even her laughter must be such that it is not done at the expense of the others but rather is sensitive to the tenderness of the human heart. Likewise she is not to be gloomy in anyway. Her focus upon Christ and his presence in others should foster a joyfulness in her heart. She must never lose sight of the good things the God has created and the good things that exists in others.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:28:38 renwitter: My alarm is Agni Parthene!
 
00:54:13 Eric Williams: Striving to be a saintly parent for our kids is HARD.
 
00:56:09 Eric Williams: Imagine what love and holiness could be brought to the world if it were full of living saints!
 
00:59:16 Eric Williams: Even better than battleships: arks to rescue humanity from the floods of sin and evil in the world!
Catholic coast guard!
 
01:01:42 Eric Williams: Could you share a PDF of “The Ascetic Heart”, Father?
 
01:02:21 renwitter: It is on the website, Eric! At www.thepittsburghoratory.org/philokalia-ministries, scroll down to “documents.” You can download it right from there.
 
01:04:09 Carol Nypaver: Thanks, Ren!  I was trying to find it too!
 
01:04:44 renwitter: Oh! Its not there! I will add it tomorrow :-) Check back around noon.
 
01:05:01 Carol Nypaver: Will do!
 
01:05:13 Art: On Dancing, St. John Vianney
 
Is it not there, my dear brethren, that the boys and the girls drink at
the fountain of crime, which very soon, like a torrent or a river
bursting its banks, will inundate, ruin, and poison all its
surroundings? Go on, shameless fathers and mothers, go on into
Hell, where the fury of God awaits you, you and all the good actions
you have done in letting your children run such risks. Go on, they
will not be long in joining you, for you have outlined the road
plainly for them. Go and count the number of years that your boys
and girls have lost, go before your Judge to give an account of your
lives, and you will see that your pastor had reason to forbid these
kinds of diabolical pleasures! . . .Ah, you say, you are making more 
of it than there really is!
 
01:06:24 Carol Nypaver: Wow, Art!  Thank you.
 
01:06:24 Eric Williams: We’re drowning in data, but there’s precious little information, even less knowledge, and wisdom is rarer than hens’ teeth!
 
01:08:32 Eric Williams: news motto: “If it bleeds, it leads.”
 
01:11:16 Cathy: i agree Ren!
 
01:20:14 Eric Williams: I teach my kids that a good joke is one that all parties enjoy, not one that makes us laugh at the expense of someone else.
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis IX, Part II

We continued this evening with our reading of Hypothesis IX. As always the stories that we are given from the Fathers are both comforting and fiercely challenging. 
We heard first about how saintly souls are able to see divine things. Because of their purity of heart and by the grace of God they are able to have a vision of things beyond the limits of the human mind and our capacity for perceiving the hidden realities around us. 
We also heard about the reality of Hell itself through the experience of these holy Fathers. Hell is presented very much as the opposite of the complete intimacy and communion the faithful soul shares with the eternal Trinity. If that life is lacking in nothing and knows the fullness of love, Hell is the experience of complete isolation from God and one another. Those who were blessed to receive the fullness of revelation in Christ, those who know His teaching and yet turned away from it, come to experience the deeper loss. For the judgment that comes upon them is not only due to their sinful actions and deeds, it also due to the fact that they have lead others to blaspheme the name of God and to insult God. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:13:20 D Fraley: Would you go back?
 
00:14:35 Rachel (30): FR. John McGuckin has a good talk on St. Cyril
 
00:14:47 Rachel (30): Do you have pictures of the Sinai icons?
 
00:16:30 Ashley Kaschl: I’m with you, Ren. It’s WAY easier to warm up than cool off.
 
00:38:18 Rachel (30): Yes! Exactly what I was hoping to be addressed today. The renewal of the Church through the Fathers..
 
00:39:51 Rachel (30): I have encountered suspicion at times, in the West, of the Fathers, the writings of the Philokalia, Cassian, Climacus, Maximos,,I think it our blessing, priviledge and patrimony..to be able to have access to these teachings and writings.
 
00:42:30 Ambrose Little: “I agree with all that you have said.”
 
00:42:50 Carol Nypaver: 😆
 
00:56:45 Carol Nypaver: Why are they being punished for not knowing God?  Why wouldn’t they be in Purgatory?
 
01:04:36 Erick Chastain: This is called limbo, a section of hell for virtuous pagans
 
01:06:47 Carol Nypaver: So “limbo” is part of Hell?
 
01:12:16 renwitter: There is a document put forward by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 that marks a firm turn away from any idea of limbo in the Catholic faith. Pope Benedict said that the idea of limbo should be abandoned because it had always been always “only a theological hypothesis” and “never a defined truth of faith.” It would seem that the main motivation for this clarification on the part of the Church was that limbo was seen as unjustly limiting the mercy of God.
 
01:16:58 Carol Nypaver: Someone who never knew God being condemned to Hell seems like a limit to God’s Mercy. (Not trying to be argumentative, just genuinely confused)
 
01:21:57 renwitter: I was just speaking to the idea of limbo. All I can think about this story is something we have spoken about in the past - that in these writings there is not a distinction made between hell and purgatory as we think of them, and that hell is often used in a way that we would use purgatory. The very fact that they can receive any consolation at all seems to be a clue into the nature of the place - not hopeless. Again, I don’t actually know, but this is something we have spoken about in the past.
 
01:22:25 renwitter: Of course, hell is often spoken of also in the way we would think about it.
 
01:24:43 Ambrose Little: I think we can focus too much on figuring out the circles of hell. :) The underlying point in this passage seems to be that it is a greater sin to know God and turn away from him than to never have known him but not believe. This is supported in Scripture, too.
 
01:25:28 renwitter: Great point, Ambrose. And one that always makes me feel so doomed. :-(
 
01:26:17 Rachel (30): the distortion is in the understanding
 
01:27:06 Ambrose Little: Throw yourself on the mercy of God! Be that “valiant struggler” and repent immediately every time you sin.
 
01:28:42 Ambrose Little: Those whom the Lord loves, He chastises. People don’t recognize that the “hardness” of God is for our own good.
 
01:30:06 Carol Nypaver: “It is through suffering that the soul is purified.”
 
01:30:42 Eric Williams: Blame my cat ;)
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Three Part I

We began Letter 63 this evening entitled “Singing and Music.”However, St. Theophan begins first by discussing with Anastasia how she engages in the tasks of the day and fulfilling her duties. His counsel to her speaks directly to us as well in our own day. The work that we engage in is to be free from trouble and cares. Otherwise the heart becomes agitated. We must strive to work calmly; for if we do not everyday life becomes a hindrance to the spiritual life and our activity and occupations are done in vain. A hubbub always results in the spiritual life getting nowhere at all. Thus, we must distinguish proper zeal from improper care and worries. 
Theophan then moves on to address some specific concerns of Anastasia about what is near and dear to her heart; singing and playing the piano. As with everything else, Theophan warns Anastasia that she must be discriminating. We are in a constant state of receptivity and music more than most things has an incredible power over the soul; either in elevating it or dragging it down. Theophan does not demonize music for he sees its true value.  He tells her that it is impossible for her to change everything at once. However, she must give due attention to the content of the music that she sings and plays. She must become more discerning and so choosing songs that have a more tolerable content; gradually setting aside and forgetting others that become a mere distraction. Admittedly, this may be very difficult for the modern mind to accept. The norm is to be completely immersed in the noise of the world and to surround ourselves with music in almost every setting. Yet, for the person who desires to please God in all things, nothing must escape the scrutiny of love and the desire for intimacy. Music may be enticing and stimulating but it may also be an obstacle to our relationship with God.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:09:27 renwitter: pghco.org/evergetinos
 
00:09:30 renwitter: pghco.org/theophan
 
00:54:46 Samuel + Christina: Harmonium is a reed organ
 
00:55:01 D Fraley: A harmonium is like an accordion.
 
01:10:19 Karl MacMillan: I still will argue that Appetite for Destruction by Guns n Roses is just about the perfect rock album - even if I can't really listen to it anymore.
 
01:11:28 renwitter: What about Valaam chant?
 
01:11:41 Erick Chastain: I love valaam chant!
 
01:12:32 Alexander Pearson: Valaam?
 
01:12:56 Carol Nypaver: They have the most beautiful YouTube videos.
 
01:13:12 Karl MacMillan: I think everyting has been downhill since the introduction of polyphony :)
 
01:13:31 Rachel (30): Thank you
 
01:14:34 renwitter: PSA. These are the links for the Monday and Wednesdays:
 
01:14:35 renwitter: pghco.org/evergetinos
pghco.org/theophan
 
01:14:56 Rachel (30): Thank you a thousand times. God bless.
 
01:15:38 Cathy: What a wonderful way to end mt day.  Blessings!
 
01:15:51 D Fraley: Thank you Fr David.
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis IX, Part I

Tonight we began Hypothesis IX on “where the souls of the dying go and how they exist after the separation from the body.”  We are presented both with the experience of the Saints as they witness the death of others their ascent to heaven and also the experience of those who witness, through the action of God and his Angels,  both Hell and the joys of Heaven. 
Our contemplation of these stories is meant to foster kind of urgency within us. We are not to lose ourselves in empty speculation but rather allow the stories to stir within us the desire for God and a spirit of repentance. We are taught that we must have no illusions about our capacity to choose darkness, to dull the conscience, to such an extent that we choose freely the path that leads away from God. It is a frightening prospect but it is also a saving truth.
---
Text of chat during the group: 
00:28:47 renwitter: PSA: From now on, the link for this group will always be pghco.org/evergetinos
 
00:29:00 renwitter: The one for Wednesday will be pghco.org/theophan
 
00:35:24 Ambrose: Now we know why the father spoke so little. He could never get a word in edgewise. :)
 
00:50:20 Mark J. Kelly: Erick’s point reminds me of a great quote by Blaise Pascal, “To those who seek God, He gives sufficient light.  To those who do not seek Him, He gives sufficient darkness.”
 
00:50:52 Ashley Kaschl: Gotta go! See ya Wednesday. 😁
 
01:12:51 renwitter: The Church of the Quivering Brethren
 
01:13:22 Rachel (30): Referring to hidden things from ourselves and not living fully in Christ, I think St. Climacus speaks about this in the beginning of The Ladder. He relates a story of a monk who was living an unspeakably sinful life until he confessed his sins and not only to the priest alone but the whole community.
 
01:17:11 renwitter: For those who joined the group a little later tonight. PSA: From now on, the link for this group will always be pghco.org/evergetinos
The one for Wednesday will be pghco.org/theophan
 
01:20:10 Miron Kerul Kmec: will we get e-mail tooo?
 
01:22:09 renwitter: Yes! For each group
 
01:26:15 Ambrose: “There but for the grace of God go I.”
 
01:30:32 Rachel (30): Thank you.
 
01:31:26 D Fraley: Thank you

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Two Part II

Tonight we concluded Letter 62 on Active Warfare with the passions. Increasingly, Theophan offers more and more practical counsel to Anastasia. Active warfare against the passions includes specific ascetical practices such as fasting, the ordering of sleep and other appetites, avoiding certain forms of entertainment; basically anything that is formative and helps one to be more attentive to God and is conducive to cleansing the passions from the heart. This requires arranging our life and the course of the events in such a way that make us responsive to the action of God‘s grace and providence. God will often bring things together in such a way that events coalesce in order for Him to cleanse us of the passions and grind to dust the squalid and selfishness and stubborn egoism which maintain the passions and destroy the person. Theophan is very much part of a tradition that tells us to kill the passions both inwardly and externally, while cultivating good behavior and giving for range and exercise to the disciplines that cleanse the heart. Theophan reminds her of all the things that she must be attentive to; such as, engaging in spiritual reading, daily scripture readings, self-mortification, and renouncing oneself when necessary. All of these things he has taught Anastasia and simply leaves her with the thought - “May God speed.” Indeed, may God swiftly cleanse our hearts and draws us to His own.

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VIII Part III

Continuing with Hypothesis VIII and considering the experience of those who die and come back to life, we are brought to a place of self-reflection that we often resist. The only thing that we take out of this world is either our virtue or our vice. Saint Ephraim tells us tonight that it is the it voice of these sins that will bear witness to the truth about our lives before God. 
Again we must strive to think about this in the full context of our faith and what God has revealed to us. God, we are told, wills that all be saved and does everything in his power to bring us to salvation. In His Son He has revealed to us his love and his mercy and he has given us the fullness of his grace in order to elevate us to the very life and the love of the Trinity. We must see our lives in light of this ultimate reality and our engagement with the world around us must be given shaped by this distinctive identity. There is no in-between state for us as Christian men and women. Life has been given to us for repentance; that is, in order to turn toward God and to receive his grace and mercy. We must not through heedlessness or sloth elevate other things above God and make them our idols. The stories that we are presented with tonight call out to us: “Now is the time, now is the moment of salvation.” Let us pray that we would have ears to hear.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:11:56 John Clark: The 3 key ingredients in French cooking..Butter..butter..and butter!
 
00:34:11 Ambrose: gaudium et spes
 
00:37:39 Lilly: in the wise words of an old man ... ‘god meets us where we are’
 
00:40:06 Tyler Woloshyn: Like the Old Testament Brazen Snake was made for good, it did get corrupted when misused for the wrong reasons.  It can be the same when people worship liturgy above God.
 
00:40:15 Joseph Muir: Thank God that He does, Lily!
 
00:57:11 Tyler Woloshyn: A priest once said, he would rather encounter people who are "theologically stupid" rather than the  career theologian who runs people over to put them down to reach the next theology book."
 
00:58:56 Joseph Muir: Which reminds me all the more, Tyler, that the greatest theologians are those who pray the most❤
 
00:59:41 Ambrose: GS 44-45 touch on this engagement as well as the priority of the Gospel and the person and work of Christ.
 
01:02:20 Eric Williams: At least you didn’t quote Only The Good Die Young. ;)
 
01:02:28 Tyler Woloshyn: Praying without ceasing makes great theologians. Good input their Joseph about prayerful theologians.
 
01:02:58 Joseph Muir: Hahahaha, wait, what Billy Joel song was he referencing?
 
01:06:24 Ambrose: Fr. A shared this recently. Thought it was great. If you are an eye-witness of your brother falling [into sin], say without hesitation: “A curse on you, Satan! My brother is not to blame”, and strengthen your heart against judging your brother, or the Holy Spirit will withdraw from you.
Anonymous Sayings of the Desert Fathers
 
01:06:30 Eric Williams: Even vice is sort of a product now (maybe always was?). “Collect them all! Don’t be left out!”
 
01:09:40 Eric Williams: Billy Joel lyric:
 
01:09:45 Eric Williams: “You can get just so much
From a good thing
You can linger too long
In your dreams
Say goodbye to the
Oldies but goodies
‘Cause the good ole days weren’t
Always good
And tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems”
 
01:10:10 Eric Williams: Keeping the Faith, from the album An Innocent Man
 
01:10:40 Francesca pineda (30): Oh no! I missed what Paul of Thebes said because my phone died!
 
01:15:06 Francesca pineda (30): Thank you
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-One Part II, Letter Sixty-Two Part I

St. Theophan continues to nourish the young Anastasia with solid food. He guides her deeper and deeper into the spiritual life and warfare. 
We began this evening with Letter 61 where Theophan teaches Anastasia about guarding the senses of hearing and sight. Often the present generation neglects the constant state of receptivity that we find ourselves in as human beings; the intense amount stimuli that the mind and the heart have to engage. We must learn to discriminate between those things that are destructive to our relationship with God or those things that help to elevate it. 
In Letter 62 Theophan begins to make a distinction between active warfare with the passions and spiritual warfare. The spiritual warfare is everything that he has been speaking to her about; guarding the thoughts, feelings, and the desires that give rise to the Passions.  To progress in this arena is the larger part of the spiritual life and leads to holiness. However, active warfare with the passions consist in the deliberate undertaking and carrying out of actions that are directly opposed to the Passions. This, to combat pride a person might embrace a humble occupation or to combat carousing one might stay at home more frequently. When the inner spiritual warfare is tied to this active combat, the passions will soon be defeated. This makes Theophan‘s counsel priceless.
---
Text of chat during the group:
01:08:33 Eric Williams: Tiny homes would be wonderful blessings for the homeless, if only so many cities didn’t ban them for violating building codes (for minimum square footage). :(
 
01:17:48 Natalia Wohar: Watch the movie “1917”
 
01:17:57 Eric Williams: You’re a Theophan…fan ;)
 
01:18:40 Rachel: Thank you.
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VIII Part II

There are times when reading the Fathers or the gospel when one walks away feeling as if the earth is shifting beneath one’s feet; or one begins to question their perception of who they are, their identity as a Christian, and whether or not they are living it fully or if it is an illusion. As difficult as it is to consider such things, and as hard as they strike at the heart, they are often the most important things for us to reflect upon. To consider the truth about death and judgment as in Hypothesis VIII in an unvarnished fashion and to let it create tension within the mind and the heart, is something that perhaps relatively few people are willing to do. We grow comfortable in our illusions. To understand that we are being invited into the very mystery of God, the mystery of our redemption and the life that it is made possible, requires a willingness to make an ascent of faith. It means to allow ourselves to let go of all limitations and to allow God to draw us through the darkness of our faith to comprehend what he desires to reveal to us and as he desires to reveal to us. It is always love that is behind this but our experience of it and our resistance to it in our sin or our fear can make us turn away. Like Saint Peter it is our love and trust in Christ at those moments, when our sensibilities rebel or recoil, that allows us to say, “Lord where are we to go? You have the words of everlasting life.“
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:54:00 Lilly Crystal: The last sentence “Now, at the setting of the sun, you remember God?” reminds me of the Hymn sung at Vespers- O Joyful Light
 
01:07:43 Ambrose: That always gives me tingles.
 
01:22:33 D Fraley: Thank you Fr David.
 
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-one Part I

Tonight we began Letter 61. St. Theophan begins to teach Anastasia about the necessity of guarding the senses, in particular hearing and sight. This is especially challenging in modern times when there are so many sources of stimuli. Nonetheless, Theophan tells her they all hold their influence on the person and guide them either toward the good or toward the evil. Therefore, one must not give free reign to the senses.
Do not allow yourself to see everything and hear everything but rather be extremely discriminating. A person who opens up a window and lets in bad air is doing wrong and likewise the person who fills a cup of dirty water from a puddle and pours it over himself is stupid. We do the same when opening ourselves to evil feelings and desires. We act without prudence and responsibility and we subject ourselves to stimuli through the things that we see in hear throughout the course of the day. It is necessary instead for us to rush immediately to blot out the stimulus and to suppress the thoughts by taking them captive through turning the mind and the heart to God in prayer.
By leaving evil within ourselves for a long time we give it the opportunity to become more deeply implanted and opposed to expulsion and cleansing. It can take possession of the mind. Theophan, in a very stark way, tells Anastasia that a person who has experienced harm from a stimulus and willingly allows himself to encounter the objects again shows that in reality he delights in the evil; and so is impure to the bottom of the heart. Again, to modern sensibilities this seems harsh or unyielding. But we hold something precious within us - the very love and grace of God and we are to protect it. And so as Jesus says: if your hand causes you to sin cut it off or if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out. There will be certain things that we have to do without in the course of our life in order to protect that which has greater value. In the struggle with temptations the coward is the victor - he who flees or rather runs toward God.
---
Text of chat during group:
00:17:09 Joseph Muir: My wife is pretty spotty, so we’ll see if I make it through the whole group
00:17:15 Joseph Muir: WIFI*🤣
00:17:42 renwitter: hahahahahahaha
00:18:31 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂😂
00:33:39 Edward Kleinguetl: "When a thought arises, cut it off at once with the Prayer of Jesus. If you start examining it, it will stick to you and you will get interested in it. It will chain you and you will have agreement with it and will start thinking how to fulfill it. And then you will perform it in deed, and this is how sin arises."  (Elder Michael the Recluse of Valaam)
00:44:51 Joseph Muir: All of this is why I stopped watching Black Mirror. As much of a fan as I am of dystopian literature and stories, I found that, as the seasons progressed, it more consistently went down paths that I, in good conscience, couldn’t justify in watching it anymore.
01:03:58 Lilly Crystal: Theology of the Body by St. P. John Paul II has been an amazing resource for my personal struggles regarding topics as such :
01:11:57 Ashley Kaschl: Well shoot 😂
01:13:30 Sheila Applegate: I had to stop Black Mirror too and keep far away from Games of Thrones which as a fantasy lover and reader of the first book (and appauled) I know I would be addicted too.
01:17:19 carolnypaver: “Renew the I Do” is an excellent pre-marriage prep program.
01:18:16 Lilly Crystal: @carolyn where can I find that?
01:18:37 Art: The Catholic Guide Friendship and Chastity for young adults and older teens (but great for all ages with great chapters on True Friendship and Choice of a Marriage Partner)
www.AngelusPress.org
01:20:37 carolnypaver: Contact Dolores Shipe and ask if there is a program in Canada.  412-760-3177 She is in the Pittsburgh Diocese.
01:21:36 Lilly Crystal: @carolyn thank you so much :)
01:21:47 Mark Cummings: Love will keep us together- Captain and Tennile
01:24:10 Lilly Crystal: Same here lol
01:24:55 renwitter: Father David has been known to honk at Newman Center couples when he drives by them holding hands and walking down the sidewalk :-D
01:25:08 Mark Cummings: Date night is the best night to shine up my shotgun
01:25:12 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂😂
01:25:34 Callie Eisenbrandt: Lol
 
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VIII Part I

In Hypothesis VIII, we found ourselves considering something that is rather jarring to our sensibilities. We began listening to Saint Gregory the Great on the experience of those who die and come to life again and how this can happen by Divine Providence. We are presented with stories of those who are brought to deep repentance when they began to see that fearful state of Hell. We are also shown that such experiences may take place by God‘s providence perhaps not for the conversion of the one who is dying but for those who witness the the terror of the death of one outside of the grace of God and lacking a repentant heart. There is a fierce love at work bringing about our redemption and that fierceness shows itself by stripping us of any illusions about our lives; illusions either about our own mortality or the immortality of the soul. We see our great dignity and destiny in Christ. We are offered life eternal and an experience of union with the Triune God. However, this immortality of the soul outside of the context of our relationship with Christ presents us with a fearful reality; life without God and eternal death. God and his providence will scourge us in order to correct us and draw us back to the path that leads to life. He will allow us to taste the consequence and the bitterness of our own sin in order that we might turn away from it and hate it. This may not be easy to listen to and our inclination may be to turn away from it or to sanitize it. But if we strip the gospel of its teachings on the last things, if we remove the challenging thoughts of Christ in regards to the unbridgeable chasm that exist between heaven and hell, we lose sight of both our dignity and the weight and significance of our choices in this world. If the stories lead us to repentance they will ultimately lead us to joy; for they will lead us back to the bosom of God. Therefore we must not fear them and we must not avoid them - but allow them to shine their fearsome light upon us.
---
Text of chat during the group:
00:16:07 Eric Williams: Father forgot to mute everyone, so everyone check your mics! :)
00:16:23 Edward Kleinguetl: Thanks!
00:21:36 Tyler Woloshyn: He was also the author of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the Byzantine church.
00:33:46 Ambrose: The staff is for beating off the wolves. :)
00:39:19 Eric Williams: Like what I was saying about young married priests in the East not having older priest families to learn from.
00:48:32 Edward Kleinguetl: Heb. 12:6.
00:49:58 Edward Kleinguetl: "For whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;  he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
00:51:59 Eric Williams: “My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline    or be weary of his reproof,for the Lord reproves the one he loves,    as a father the son in whom he delights.” - Proverbs 3:11-12
00:52:02 renwitter: We do not always want to draw that connection between suffering and sin though, right? Christ himself addressed that, and I think of job’s friends trying to convince him that all he is suffering is a result of sin, which it wasn’t. Isn’t suffering also something given to us as a means of drawing us closer to Christ in His passion?
00:52:22 Erick Chastain: oh yeah for sure, not always
00:53:55 Eric Williams: ““How happy is the one whom God reproves;    therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.[d]For he wounds, but he binds up;    he strikes, but his hands heal.” - Job 5:17-18
00:54:31 Edward Kleinguetl: Abba Dorotheos of Gaza: “In God’s providence everything is absolutely right and whatever happens is for the assistance of the soul. For whatever God does with us, he does out of love and consideration for us because it is adapted to our needs.”
01:17:01 Edward Kleinguetl: I met him, April 2, 2019, on Mt. Kolzam.
01:29:30 Nicole: Thank you!!!
01:29:59 D Fraley: Thank you Father David
 
 
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty Part II

Sometimes a great question can lead a group in exactly the right direction!  That was true this evening in our discussion of Letter 60 of Saint Theophan‘s correspondence with Anastasia.
So often the spiritual life can seem amorphous. Yet, how is it lived practically? How is it that we direct anger at the passions and what does that look like? Sometimes the spiritual life and the warfare that Theophan describes can seem frightening - let alone confusing. Understanding this leads us right where we need to be. The Fathers of the Church understood that our faith is not simply a set of beliefs or an ideology. It is essentially ascetical; that is, a response to God‘s revelation of Himself to us and His revelation of what the Paschal Mystery has made possible for us.
Our destiny in Christ is to share in the life of the most Holy Trinity. But this involves a response to the grace that God has given to us. That response is repentance; a constant turning toward God and away from the passions.
The nature of the passions make this a Warfare. We must invest ourselves with a kind of aggression to kill the passions. They are like serpents seeking to reach the surface from within a pit. The Saints tell us we must strike each one of them down until we have killed them. We must not nourish them through a kind of sympathy towards their presence in our lives. In fact, we must poison them with a holy anger that would strike down anything within the human heart that becomes an impediment to our sharing in the love of God.
This is, Theophan tells us, the “shortest path” to purifying the heart and there is no other. We may develop our natural virtues to a high extent but without engaging in this battle we will remain passionate and we will become like the foolish virgins described in the gospel who run out of oil.  We cannot borrow virtue, faith, or love from another. Our hearts must burn with desire for the Heavenly Bridegroom.
--
Text of chat during the group:
00:20:16 Ashley Kaschl: Don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay/have service but hopefully I’ll get to stay the whole time.
00:44:28 Ashley Kaschl: I think the problem, at least that I’ve confronted, is that people are afraid to start in earnest in any spiritual warfare in their lives because they have a preconceived notion or image from the culture that they’re scared off.
00:56:14 Ashley Kaschl: Gotta go, everyone. Taking off again 😁 great to see you all!
01:02:13 Carole: Safe travels!!
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VII Part IV

This evening we concluded Hypothesis VII of the first volume of The Evergetinos. Once again we considered the experience of death of two saintly figures, St. Daniel the Stylite and Abba Sisoes. We begin to see in these two men how their constant repentance and the embrace of God’s grace brought forth, in anticipation, the life of the kingdom. The presence of the saints and angels, the light of Christ and the transformation of their countenance, all speak of the glory that lies on the other side of death. The stories are meant to awaken within us the desire for God and the life of virtue and to give us a lively sense of hope as we approach our own deaths. We are to allow these examples to spur us on in the spiritual life and to do so we must not read them simply in a notional way. Rather we must gaze upon them and listen to them with the eyes and ears of faith; such that we begin to comprehend the mystery of the Kingdom itself. Indeed this should be the posture of every man and woman of faith. We must look at all things in the light of what has been revealed to us in Christ; for only then will we begin to understand our true dignity and destiny as the redeemed Sons and Daughters of God.
--
Text of chat during the group:
00:27:55 Eric Williams: Probably a lounge lizard. ;)
00:31:15 renwitter: Honestly, I feel super awkward when the priest begins confession by saying “Welcome!” Instead of making the sign of the cross. Its like….ummmm…thank you?
00:32:11 Michael Liccione: I'm just relieved to get a priest who doesn't need convincing that my sins are sins!
00:32:20 renwitter: Wow Joe. Ditto to everything you’ve said so far.
00:32:41 Erick Chastain: my secret is my own y'all
00:33:09 carolnypaver: You mean, “yinz.”
00:33:26 renwitter: Ooo….the Saint Philip influence is rubbing off on Erick :D
00:33:49 Daniel Allen: Erick Chastain for the win!
00:33:50 Erick Chastain: am I allowed to use yinz as a non-Pittsburgher?
00:34:02 carolnypaver: Absolutely!
00:34:25 carolnypaver: ; )
00:35:33 Joseph Muir: I maybe lived in Pittsburgh for 11 years, but it was prefaced  with 25 years in Georgia, so my vote will always be for “y’all” over “yinz”
00:35:56 carolnypaver: Snob!  ; )
00:36:44 Joseph Muir: Having now been in the NYC area for 2 years, we’ll see if “you’s guys” eventually enters my lexicon🤣
00:37:25 carolnypaver: NYC——so sorry to hear.   : (
00:38:04 Joseph Muir: Not a fan, I take it, eh, Carolyn?😆
00:38:50 carolnypaver: Visited once…not impressed.  One-and-done for me. Thank you very much.
00:39:48 carolnypaver: The ‘Burgh is the place for me.  People are friendlier, I have found.
00:40:48 Joseph Muir: Half of my family is originally from here, so a part of it has always felt like home. I also get to hang out a lot with the Missionaries of Charity, Sisters of Life, and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal a lot, which is a blessing (I went to the profession of final vows Mass for the Franciscans yesterday afternoon, actually ❤)
00:41:39 carolnypaver: Awesome!  You’re in a good part of NYC!  ; )
00:42:34 Ambrose: Who is “the Church”? We is the Church. :)
00:44:56 Jonathan Rodriguez: Great point Eric
00:45:00 Daniel Allen: Facebook and Twitter... the “anti-church”? The depth of a puddle, I like that a lot.
00:45:08 Joseph Muir: That’s a very theologically astute observation, Fr Ambrose!😀
00:47:31 Ambrose: Just a mister Ambrose. There is a Fr. Ambrose Little, O.P. in the St. Joseph province (Eastern USA), who I have occasionally been mixed up with. I don’t mind, but poor Fr. Ambrose! lol
00:48:32 sue and mark: understood that the confessional was sacrosanct and can not be hears by the demons.  Isn't that true?
00:50:58 Eric Williams: “Who is the Church?” That’s a great thought and something that should convict us. I was thinking more of the institutional Church, though. We’ve had so many generations of poorly catechized members of the Church that we’re a chaotic mess of well-intentioned klutzes. It seems to me - and I’m frequently wrong - that our leaders have let us down and left us hanging. Too many of us are wandering sheep without reliable shepherds. To mix metaphors, we’re the blind leading the blind.
00:52:34 Ambrose: I dare say that is the perennial reality of the Church—always something of a mess; always in need of reform.
00:53:21 Joseph Muir: On that point, Eric, I’ve been listening to the Bible In A Year podcast from Fr Mike Schmitz ever since the start of this year, and looking at the Facebook group, the comments and questions are so all over the place, in a way that demonstrates the poor catechesis
00:53:45 Joseph Muir: I should probably leave the group, for the sake of my own soul🤣
01:02:27 sue and mark: who would not want to die that way?
01:05:12 Joseph Muir: “Noble simplicity”🙄
01:05:26 Lilly: Agree 100% Fr David
01:13:10 Eric Williams: In other words, we don’t overcome sin, per se, so much as we acknowledge that we are always sinning. So, we must be in perpetual repentence.
01:13:41 Joseph Muir: Found the article😀: https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2008/06/the-incredible-hulk-the-philokalia-and-anger-management
01:13:56 Lilly: @Eric well said.
01:14:47 Ambrose: The “art” of repentance. A good term for it. Always room to improve and further our art.
01:14:51 Eric Williams: The secret to the Hulk controlling his rage was acknowledging that he’s always angry, rather than blaming his outbursts on particular outrages. He stopped treating his anger as someone else’s fault. He’s always angry, so he is always dangerous.
01:16:32 Joseph Muir: Amen, Eric. This is also why it’s healthier to not simply see sin as the bad things that we do and say and think, but it is the state of our broken selves due to our inheriting this brokenness by virtue of original sin. We aren’t simply sinners due to our commiting individual acts of sin; we are sinners due to inheriting a sinful nature, a disease which only the God can cure us of in in the church, via the sacraments and prayer
01:17:12 Jonathan Rodriguez: Thank you!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty Part I

When reading the Fathers, one has to be prepared to be challenged; and at in times in ways that are discomfiting. Letter 60 of Theophan’s  correspondence with Anastasia presents us with such a challenge. The title of the Letter is “Cleansing the Heart.”  Theophan focuses on the eruption of passions that come with great force; feelings, desires, thoughts come upon us like a wave or erupt like a volcano. Our response to such circumstances is to be consistent with all that he has taught her. We are to turn these thoughts and feelings out again and to do so repeatedly until they cease. However, Theophan warns Anastasia that despite how these thoughts and feelings come upon us, that is, seemingly unintended, they are in reality a reflection of impurity still present within our hearts. Although at the moment we may not have given an assent to such thoughts, feelings, and desires, the presence of such passions bear witness to the fact that there is still impurity within our heart; that is, at some point, we were guilty through negligence, a lack of prayer, or laziness in the ascetical life. And in  all of this we must not conceal ourselves or cover our nakedness, as it were. Rather, we are to humbly blame ourselves and acknowledge our sin and our participation in the sin and its emergence. To do so is to fail to embrace the truth in the sight of God and to ignore the voice of our conscience. It is to hold on falsely to our self-esteem and vainglory. Humility means “truthful living” and acknowledging the truth in an unvarnished way before God.  In this and in this alone will we find healing.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:28:30 renwitter: As Mother Mectilde de Bar would tell us, our practice of virtue is not just for the sake of securing our salvation and moving on. We ought always to be seeking to bring greater and greater glory to God.
00:33:16 renwitter: Ya’ll are gonna think I’m crazy, but the image that just came to mind is me telling myself that I can watch a certain tv show, or engage in idle conversation without being in danger, and suddenly Miracle Max’s wife from The Princess Bride runs in shouting “Liar, Liar!!”
00:33:37 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂😂
00:33:41 Lilly: lol
00:34:47 Joseph Muir: 🤣
00:35:00 Cathy: The Holy Spirit saved you Ren
00:45:22 renwitter: Forgiveness Sunday is coming to mind
00:54:25 Sheila Applegate: 👍
00:57:22 Cathy: I need to get a maid, therefore I can practice this method!
00:58:04 renwitter: 😂
01:04:28 Ashley Kaschl: CS Lewis said something similar to what Father is saying, something to the effect of “I find that when I think I am asking God to forgive me I am often in reality (unless I watch myself very carefully) asking Him to do something quite different. I am asking Him not to forgive me but to excuse me.”
01:09:25 Mark Cummings: I think Ren just apologized to Father for something but I am not sure
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VII Part III

Tonight we picked up with Hypothesis VII, continuing our reflection upon the experience of death by those righteous souls who sought to draw close to God in their life. God in His great mercy will often come to them to console and prepare them for their own passover; their passing over from death to eternal life.
The unknown of this reality can be a fearful thing, and so in the stories we often hear of the dying soul being surrounded by his fellow monks praying for his soul. This moment, often feared and avoided by modern men and women, is something we are encouraged to meditate upon in the deepest way. It is not simply facing our fears, but facing them in light of what God has revealed to us and his only begotten Son. We are in the End Times; salvation is now and so every moment is freighted  with destiny because every moment is an opportunity to love and give ourselves in love. The stories magnify that reality for us so that we would take our life seriously; but more importantly, that we would take God at his word. We must foster a kind of stability in life and mind; a clarity about what we pursue as our ultimate goal. Otherwise we may not prepare ourselves for that most intimate of moments when we will stand before God in the full light of His Truth.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:39:34 Eric Williams: Nope, not ready. Thanatophobia is rough. ;)
00:41:30 Ambrose Little: I think it’s the attraction of gnosticism, too.
00:45:21 Eric Williams: Erick must be fun at parties. ;)
00:47:18 Erick Chastain: :)
00:56:59 Tyler Woloshyn: An example of semantron https://youtu.be/iXj7DLHH9-E
01:02:52 Eric Williams: Every parent willing to be honest will say they’ve wanted to flee. ;)
01:03:34 renwitter: Personally, I favor “One day I’ll fly away” from Mulan Rouge :-D My personal favorite “run-away song.”
01:07:45 Eric Williams: *innocent whistling*
01:09:13 Ambrose Little: Eric, rather this: https://youtu.be/3br0tDqW3r8 :)
01:13:21 D Fraley: Thank you, Father David.
01:14:02 Lilly: Thank you!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-nine Part III

“Know that in this is the entire essence of the labor over the attainment of salvation.“ These are bold words from Saint Theophan at the end of Letter 59.  However, they do not arise simply from his own experience but from the entire spiritual tradition. Part of the problem in modern times is that we have lost the clarity that is necessary for those in the spiritual battle and the weapons that we have been provided in abundance. Purity of heart, the struggle with a Passions, unceasing prayer, the invocation of the name of Christ; all of these things are part of the arsenal of the Christian and allow him to enter into the spiritual battle without fear. This lack of fear is not a natural virtue but rather comes from our awareness that we are not on the battlefield alone. We have been given access to an inexhaustible source of grace; the Holy Spirit dwells within us and not only elevates our prayer but raises us up to a radical intimacy with the Triune God. What is it that we could possibly lose in this life that is not regained immeasurably in Christ?  Perfect love cast out all fear. We dare not tolerate a worldly wisdom that would convince us that the spiritual battle presented before us is for monks alone. All who desire Christ, all who desire the love of the heavenly bridegroom, will be willing to engage in this battle regardless of the costs.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:11:22 Andrea Boring: hi!
00:11:35 Andrea Boring: it says the video was disabled by host!
00:11:47 Edward Kleinguetl: Hi!
00:14:13 The Pittsburgh Oratory: Welcome Andrea
00:14:57 Mark Cummings: Father has a lot of power
00:15:37 Andrea Boring: no :( no worries. it's ok.
00:47:20 renwitter: To this day he will suddenly appear from around a corner in his Judo pose with Judo hands :-D
00:47:41 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂😂
00:48:30 renwitter: I was a Kempo Patate Kid, so our sparring sessions don’t work so well…and I don’t stand a chance anyway 😂😂😂
00:48:37 renwitter: Karate*
01:08:40 Eric Williams: Attend Pitt for your BS and go to the Newman Center for your MR or MRS. ;)
01:17:10 Mark Cummings: Thank you!
01:18:57 Lilly ليلي: Thank you
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VII Part II

Tonight we continued our reading of Hypothesis VII on the experience of death for those who have sought to live a virtuous life; how God often offers consolation or aids them by accompanying them through the experience of death. We are presented with one beautiful story after another. But, what becomes evident is that these are not simply to be read as pious stories, but rather something that speaks to how we view life as a whole including our preparation for death. We are reminded how important it is to be present to those who are dying; not just as an obligation but as a privilege to accompany a loved one in this most important moment. The stories also speak to us about the importance of forming our own hearts and those of our children from the earliest ages to understand how present God is to us at every moment of our lives. We need to shape the religious imagination in such a way that it creates within us an urgent longing for what God alone promises.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:30:16 Joseph Muir: What page are we on?
00:30:28 Eric Williams: 56
00:31:07 Tyler Woloshyn: First saint that comes to mind is St. Rafka, the Maronite nun-Saint, the Lily of Lebanon.
00:43:15 sue and mark: Holy death is a life long process.
00:54:25 Eric Williams: The East has a tradition of reciting the entire psalter over the recently deceased, continuously throughout day and night, if possible. It fell into disuse, but I'm told it's slowly returning. Also returning are families washing and dressing the body, as well as forgoing embalming.
00:59:00 Eric Williams: My wife's family stopped working on their grape farm in the middle of picking when they got news her grandfather was dying. In the midst of that very busy and very important period of time, they dropped everything and showed up at the nursing home in grungy clothes and covered in mud. They were able to be their for his last moments.
00:59:36 Eric Williams: *there (I hate typos :P)
01:03:08 Tyler Woloshyn: It is also chanted on Good Friday  night into Holy Saturday Vigil in front of the Tomb of the Lord. Seminarians would take turns in Kathismatas.
01:04:54 renwitter: My funeral is planned and the program is printed :-D
01:06:41 Joseph Muir: My godfather became an alcoholic, so bad that, when I was a young child, younger than 10,  my parents pulled away. My mom’s dad was an alcoholic, and some of the family wounds (some that are still felt today) were deep enough that they wanted to ensure my not being needlessly exposed to toxicity. Eventually, now in my 20s, he was on his deathbed, dying of sclerosis of his liver, due to decades of hard drinking. We hadn’t seen each other in probably 10+ years, and he was hooked up to a million tubes, and, while “awake”, wasn’t communicative. Even fo this day, I am convinced that our hearts spoke to each other that day, that he apologized for his addiction, since it kept us from having more of a relationship; and, in my heart, I was able to tell him that I forgave him, that I loved him, and that he could be assured of my prayers❤
01:14:47 Lisa Weidner: An important prayer to pray as someone is dying is the Divine Mercy Chaplet , and after their passing
01:22:17 Eric Williams: I'm always amazed and impressed when I see or hear about children playing "mass", whereas most would play "house, or as knights, or as policemen, firemen, or doctors.
01:25:09 renwitter: There is nothing like the sound of little voices humming “pray for us” (from the litany of our patron saints that we do) as they walk to their cars **heart eyes**
01:28:31 Sharon: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a beautiful catechetical model which is a fruit of Maria Montessori’s philosophy of teaching.
01:31:25 carolnypaver: Armata Bianca (White Army) was PadrePio’s vision.
01:37:49 sue and mark: catechesis of the Good Shepherd is excellent!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-nine Part II

Tonight, in Letter 59, St. Theophan continued to guide Anastasia through the writings of Saint Hesychius of Jerusalem. Again we see how deeply connected Theophan is to the spiritual tradition as a whole. The spiritual battle is very simple, albeit not easy. We must show great attentiveness to what is going on internally and with our thoughts. When we see the enemy advance a thought, we must strike it down with anger in the heart and do so swiftly. Most of all we must pray against it, calling upon the name of Jesus Christ in the heart. The fruit of such an exercise is that we begin to walk upon that path of holy contemplation belong to the Saints, immersing ourselves more more deeply into the mysteries of Christ.  It is His Spirit that dwells within us and guides us most of all and that should free us from fear in the battle. When we call upon Christ in that Spirit we lack no power to overcome the attacks of the demons.
Theophan also warns Anastasia not to ignore the secret thoughts that can approach the heart. The evil one often begins with what the fathers called “provocation”; thoughts immediately rush in and, if they are met with our thoughts willingly, the passions are stirred. Rather we must seek unceasing silence of any thought in the heart and allow that Spirit to breathe so deeply within us that we are constantly calling upon the Lord. A certain sobriety must guide our actions; we must situate ourselves at the doors of the heart in order that we might see the thoughts creeping up and understand what form the demons are attempting to inscribe and how they are seeking to entice the imagination.
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00:11:14 Lilly: Hi Nick and Natalia! Happy to see you guys made it!
00:11:28 Nicholas Koeppel: Thank you for the invite Lilly!
01:02:32 renwitter: "Stand at the brink of the abyss of despair, and when you see that you cannot bear it anymore, draw back a little and have a cup of tea" ~Elder Sophrony of Essex
01:02:39 renwitter: Or in Fr. David’s case, an espresso
01:02:42 renwitter: Or five
01:03:15 Ashley Kaschl: 😂😂
01:03:37 Joseph Muir: How about some whiskey?😂
01:04:05 Erick Chastain: why not both? Irish coffee
01:04:21 renwitter: Thats a dangerous path away from despair, but works in a pinch ;-)
01:04:25 Joseph Muir: But not five of them😆
01:04:48 Erick Chastain: some ascetic reading group this is LOL
01:05:27 renwitter: Rough day, so I had two beers with dinner tonight, which I thought was pretty indulgent. But there are four left in the fridge if I end up needing five :-D
01:16:46 Katharine M: ^‿^
01:20:18 Joseph Muir: I got my copy of The Ladder in the mail earlier this week!
01:20:43 Nicholas Koeppel: Thank you

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VI Part III and Hypothesis VII Part I

Tonight we began our discussion of Hypothesis VII on the many times that the souls of virtuous people are made cheerful at the time of death by some divine overshadowing.
What we find in these paragraphs and the stories that they tell of the experience of those dying being consoled by God, by a vision of angels, or by saints is a portrait of how God has transformed for us the experience of death. For those who draw close to Him in faith and have embraced his grace, the moment is transformed from one of fear or terror to a moment of deep consolation and the experience of the presence of God and of his love.
On another level, this speaks to us about the nature of the Incarnation itself. All that has been assumed has been redeemed. This includes the experience of suffering and death. For those who have faith, entering into these realities -  whether our own or others - should be something that we do freely.
This is how a Christian is to love. We do not live in isolation from each other; we do not suffer alone or allow others to suffer and die alone. If God comes to the aid of his faithful in these stories, it is to show us what we are to do and be for others at the moment of their death. We are to love as He loves.  We are to enter into the most fearful of experiences and grasp the hand of the person that God has put before us as He will one day take hold of our own.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:13:27 Daniel Allen: What page are we on?
00:13:36 carolnypaver: 51
00:13:56 Daniel Allen: Thank you
00:33:28 carolnypaver: Some of us have no choice…
00:43:32 Jim Milholland: We are always looking to take another bite out of the proverbial apple of knowledge.
00:43:51 Eric Williams: Great way to put it!
00:45:05 Eric Williams: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
00:49:32 Ambrose Little: It’s a memorable anecdote that can make the deeper reflection stick more, though.
00:53:18 Eric Williams: This sort of reminds me of when Jesus told people to not touch Him or hold on to Him because He had yet to ascend. Perhaps we shouldn't see these dying words as treating the wife's touch as sinful or tempting the husband to sin. Rather, he desired to depart this world and join his Lord, and his wife mustn't cling to him, preventing his departure.
00:53:39 Ambrose Little: It’s a backhanded compliment for her. Lolz
01:09:11 Eric Williams: I've read or heard countless stories of Eastern saints from whom fragrant, often miraculously healing, myrrh flowed at death. Are there similar stories from the deaths of Western saints? Is it less common in the West, and if so, why? (This might be too much of a digression, which is why I opted to type rather than raise my hand to speak.)
01:21:06 carolnypaver: “The Fourth Wiseman” (movie)has a good depiction of the leper colony.
01:24:53 Jim Milholland: A pandemic of fear and complacency
01:25:12 Ambrose Little: I could yawn a lot more. :D
01:25:19 Edward Kleinguetl: "The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread" (Mother Teresa of Calcutta).
01:29:37 Eric Williams: The Evergetinos: Sponsored by Clorox(TM)
01:31:58 Ashley Kaschl: I think, too, the technology we have (while able to be used for good) gives the illusion of action and participation so it’s easy for people to grow complacent because they think they’re acting by watching, posting, etc.
01:32:06 iPad (32) jeane kish: Outstanding teaching by the Master, Fr. David, thank you!
01:32:34 Jim Milholland: Has the pandemic been a kind of asceticism too?

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-eight Part III and Letter Fifty-nine Part I

Tonight we concluded Letter 58 with another wonderful story from Abba John the Dwarf. We are reminded through it that no matter how far we distance ourselves from the passions, they will always seek us out. They will try to lure us back to a position where we will welcome them into our hearts. At that moment, it is most important to run to the inner chamber, the depths of the heart, and embrace the “Ruler“, that is Christ and allow him to restore peace and calm. When we do this, we are told, it will be as if those passions never existed. 
In Letter 59, Saint Theophan tells Anastasia that he has told her almost everything about spiritual warfare. There are many passions that approach us in many different ways. But the general method for combating them is the same. What he has set before her is nothing novel. St. Theophan is not an innovator. To show Anastasia this, he begins to quote at length St. Hesychius the priest.  In his writings we see the essence of everything that Theophan has taught. There are four fundamental things that we must have in the spiritual battle: humility, extreme attentiveness, refutation of the thoughts, and prayer. Through these, the ascetic will see the enemy bound or chased away by the honorable name of Jesus like dust in the wind.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:29:44 renwitter: Ashley is going to catch on fire pretty soon :-D
00:52:28 renwitter: Same Anthony. Same.
00:53:39 Ashley Kaschl: Just saw this lol definitely had to blow one out 😂
00:53:46 Eric Williams: Sarcasm? *innocent whistling*
00:59:00 renwitter: They make you just too darn tired to speak unless absolutely necessary :-D
01:00:58 Eric Williams: Before you speak, THINK: Is it TRUE? Is it HELPFUL? Is it INTELLIGENT? Is it NECESSARY? Is it KIND? :)
01:02:45 Eric Williams: or exorcized ;)
01:02:56 Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: ^^^^
01:03:06 renwitter: Yep. Little demon child.
01:03:31 Daniel Allen: Oh that’s just a day in the life haha
01:03:33 Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: I can dunk it in the baptismal font! porblem solved!
01:03:43 Eric Williams: "St. Theophan would not approve of your behavior, child!"
01:03:51 Erick Chastain: can we have another session on Fridays that just consist of Fr David telling stories?
01:04:06 renwitter: I think they need a proper Byzantine exorcism.
01:04:28 Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: haha yep!

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VI Part II

We read the Fathers in the way that we read the Scriptures; with a profound humility and knowledge that we lack perfect understanding. There are no experts in the desert Fathers any more than there are experts in the Faith or the Scriptures. When confronted with eternal realities, whether that reality be the eternal love of God or that of Hell one is compelled to sit in silence. When reading the Evergetinos this silence must be that of one who has a docile heart, a heart that is teachable. The heart that is teachable understands that it must suspend judgment and gradually allow God to pull back the veil that limits its vision. It is the pure of heart who come to see God. This we must acknowledge - that in the face of our sin we are not going to see and understand things clearly, much less eternal realities. We must humbly gaze upon our God with the eyes of love and through the ascetical life we must set aside the self that we so often make the idol that we worship.
Tonight we reflected in Hypothesis VI upon the glory of the Saints and the joys of heaven. Yet, we do so knowing that we see so little. We hold on to these things with hope. We hope in the One who has promised us life. We hope in the One who has died for our sins. 
Most often this experience expresses the full measure and limit of our faith. We cling to the God who has revealed himself in His only begotten Son.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:01:46 The Pittsburgh Oratory: https://marginalia.lareviewofbooks.org/ammoun-sisoes-path-evergetinos-michael-centore/?fbclid=IwAR2KR3EEARnefZjqAky5KEwWYcBCUqKRs9VyX6s0RUC_fkKjILHI8GmeM14
00:01:56 The Pittsburgh Oratory: A must read!!
00:01:56 Robyn: Hi Father, hi everyone
00:04:09 The Pittsburgh Oratory: https://marginalia.lareviewofbooks.org/ammoun-sisoes-path-evergetinos-michael-centore/?fbclid=IwAR2KR3EEARnefZjqAky5KEwWYcBCUqKRs9VyX6s0RUC_fkKjILHI8GmeM14
00:11:52 The Pittsburgh Oratory: https://marginalia.lareviewofbooks.org/ammoun-sisoes-path-evergetinos-michael-centore/?fbclid=IwAR2KR3EEARnefZjqAky5KEwWYcBCUqKRs9VyX6s0RUC_fkKjILHI8GmeM14
00:20:35 Tyler Woloshyn: Newly baptized and newly illuminated infants, are new temples of the Holy Spirit. In a certain sense bowing to the Holy Spirit. Just a quick thought.
00:35:36 Lilly Crystal: 1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man, The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” There IS joy in suffering, though few know how to embrace it with love. We must take up our cross, no matter how heavy, and follow Him! :)
01:07:42 Eric Williams: St Ephraim wouldn't think highly of universal salvation theologies, it seems.
01:31:01 Erick Chastain: yep
01:32:03 Lilly Crystal: Thank you Father!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-eight Part II

Our thoughts this evening and discussion revolved around a mere two paragraphs of Letter 58.  Yet it is here that Saint Theophan draws Anastasia into the heart of the spiritual life; he teaches her about spiritual warfare and the prayer that is needed to engage in the battle. Through the attention of the mind moving into the heart through unceasing prayer one is not only united to God but protected from passionate thoughts, feelings, or desires as they arise. This is an unending battle while we are on this earth.  Theophan would have Anastasia understand that she cannot enter into this half-heartedly. One is all whole Saint or no saint at all. One cannot live with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom or with a heart divided.  We must give our hearts to Christ alone.
Anastasia, therefore, must not let her thoughts wander indiscriminately. For if one does it will often trigger memories, the imagination and the recollection of past sins and so trigger new ones or make us more vulnerable. When she sees such things arise she must rush to seek shelter once again in the heart before the Lord.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:06:43 Lilly: Welcome Kevin, another Canadian! :)
00:22:06 Lilly: I was told the prayer rope's tassel is meant for wiping tears, so I think emotion is good during prayer? Just a thought
00:57:40 renwitter: Talk them over with your guardian angel every night :-D
00:59:55 Lilly: @ren yes!! :)
01:01:29 Mary McLeod: Padre Pio had all his spiritual children go at least once a week
01:01:29 John Clark: The Way Of The Pilgrim can be found on kindle for $3.99.
01:07:28 Jim Milholland: Great stuff! So grateful!
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis V Part VII & Hypothesis VI Part I

“What will become of me?“ Such a simple question but one that clarifies the importance of the moment for us as men and women of faith. Where do we live our lives? What do we seek, what do we love and desire? These simple questions turn out to be the most important for us because in the end they shape our identity and the path that we take.
Moving on to Hypothesis VI, we began to consider the end of that path which is the glory of Heaven and of the Saints. We must foster a longing and develop an appetite now for the Divine. We must have a “nostalgia” for our homeland, remembering in hope the promises of God and understanding that while we are in this world we are also in exile. We are to seek to allow ourselves to be nourished more and more upon the things that foster not only strength of virtue but depth of desire for God.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:03:46 carolnypaver: Does the baby Miron have a Confirmation name?
00:29:39 Joseph Muir: Put the book title here in the chat, Daniel!!!!!!!
00:30:28 Erick Chastain: Lauris?
00:31:28 Daniel Allen: Laurus. The only thing I have ever read that is similar to it are the works of Dostoyevsky.
00:32:30 Erick Chastain: I have a copy but I haven't read it!
00:37:52 Joseph Muir: I’m a huge Russian literature fan,  Dostoyevsky in particular (I’ve probably read the Brothers Karamazov 3 times)
00:40:14 renwitter: I am as well Joe! I read Laurus a while back, and have always loved Dostoyevsky, but I have to say that Solzhenitsyn is #1 for me.
00:42:08 Joseph Muir: I’ve never read anything from Solzhenitsyn, but am more than open to recommendations!
01:02:34 renwitter: Wow. That is amazing Ambrose. Thank you.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-eight

Tonight we began Letter 58.  St. Theophan begins to teach Anastasia about importance of prayer in the spiritual battle. He has already shown her the various stages of temptation that lead to the development of a passion. However, he acknowledges that such understanding serves little use when one is in the midst of warfare. What is most important is rejecting the thoughts, feelings, and desires that lead to a passion and to do so with extreme prejudice. This is the one instance where wrath is allowed. We must strike down a sinful thought immediately. However, in the face of the relentless activity of the demons this may not be fully effective. In fact, most often it is not. Rather, what is most important in the spiritual life is the constant turning of the mind and the heart toward God through brief aspirations; especially the Jesus Prayer. We must not let our thoughts wander. Nor, must we simply seek to expose the obscenity of the passion. We must not enter a verbal altercation. It is only in turning the mind and the heart to God swiftly that prevent the temptations from penetrating. When the eye of the heart is fixed upon God we rest upon the everlasting rock. We find our security in the spiritual battle in God alone. Thus, we must flee to Him.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:05:26 Art: Fr.  David I’ll be listening online.  With things going back to normal I’m back doing the “soccer mom” thing but in my case it’s the Jiu Jitsu dad.
00:05:55 Art: glad to be here
00:06:09 Art: nope sitting in the dojo
00:17:42 renwitter: Reservations for The Ladder of Divine Ascent books are now open! If you would like a book, please text me (Ren) at 603-341-4974 or email me at info@pittsburghoratory.org. Books can be picked up at the Oratory, or shipped (at cost) to any of the States or Canada. Please use the following link to pay for your copy once your reservation is confirmed: www.pghco.org/books . There are three price points: $26 for the book, $34ish for the book + shipping in the US, and $46 for the book and shipping to Canada. We have 46 copies, so we should be able to accommodate everyone who would like one, at least at first. God bless!
00:18:22 renwitter: pghco.org/books
00:18:41 Lisa Weidner: Thank you, Ren
00:20:44 renwitter: Also, for anyone wondering. The edition Father David will be using will be the blue, hardcover edition currently being published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery Press
00:55:19 Andrew Ewell: Thanks Ren that's great
00:57:08 sue and mark: yes, thank you ren
00:58:24 renwitter: Jesus Prayers all the time!!
01:04:29 Andrew Ewell: Beautiful story
01:05:32 Andrew Ewell: Yes!!
01:15:42 Art: Welcome Ashley.  Glad to see someone else from The Valley (Phx)

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis V Part VI

Such power in a few words. Perhaps this is what makes the writings of the Fathers so compelling. In a few brief sentences or in the short story they capture for us the very essence of the life of faith. We begin to see with a kind of radical simplicity, a simplicity perhaps with which we are uncomfortable, the clear focus that we are to have in our pursuit of God. We must allow nothing to prevent our movement towards Him. We have been promised a share in life eternal; where the joy of life will have no end, where intimacy will have no limitations, where there will be no fear or anxiety. This is what our hearts are to be set upon; this is what spurs us on to travel the narrow path in the pursuit of God and the things of the kingdom.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:19:00 Lisa Weidner: Hello,
00:19:17 Lisa Weidner: What page are we reading?  thank you
00:19:24 carolnypaver: 44
00:20:00 Lisa Weidner: thanks!
00:25:25 Joseph Muir: This passage reminds me of a common Byzantine prayer for the dead:
“O Christ our God, with the saints grant rest to the soul of your departed servant, in a place where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing, but everlasting life.”
00:25:52 carolnypaver: Lovely.
00:53:51 Tyler Woloshyn: Once again it connects to me liturgically with this excerpt.  Sixth Ode for Preparation of Holy Communion: "Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I appeal to the unfathomable abyss of Your Compassion: Raise me, O God, from corruption."   "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."  "O Savior, sanctify my mind and soul, my heart and body, and deem me worthy to approach Your awesome Mysteries without condemnation." "Cast me not from Your presence, nor deprive me of Your Holy Spirit." "O Christ, grant that I may be ride of my passions and grow in Your grace. May I be strengthened and confirmed in life by communion of Your holy Mysteries."
00:54:53 carolnypaver: Wow!
01:01:36 Eric Williams: I remember when watching Brother Sun, Sister Moon was a traditional experience at Oratory retreats. ;)
01:02:26 Tyler Woloshyn: It has been a movie that a vocations director recommended people watch. On my to watch list.
01:02:54 Carole DiClaudio: Good to know; I’ve never watched it.
01:03:36 carolnypaver: Very 1970’s but the message is there.
01:06:24 Wayne Mackenzie: Brother Sun, Brother Moon..
01:07:20 carolnypaver: Yep.
01:08:19 Carole DiClaudio: ??
01:09:16 Wayne Mackenzie: It's the name of the movie about St.Fancis
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-seven Part III

Tonight St. Theophan continues to take Anastasia through the various stages where one gradually gives  oneself over to the passion. There is no obligation to commit a sin; there is only a kind of inner self-delusion taking place. We might not commit a sin but nonetheless we are giving ourselves over to the inclination and by considering the thoughts that lead to the passion they become written upon our hearts. This being so, we inevitably become more vulnerable to future attacks. It is for this reason that we must prevent ourselves from getting to the point where we begin to pre-meditate on how to commit an act of sin. Theophan warns Anastasia that the fear of God as easily set aside as is our conscience. Both are dismissed and we move swiftly away from them in order to feel uninhibited in the committing of a sin. Having reached this stage we are unable to strike it out of our hearts easily simply through a kind of verbal denial. The inclination to the sin attaches itself to us and we begin to taste its unpleasant fruits. Grace then deserts us and we feel the weight of the sin crush us. We expect paradise from the satisfaction of the passion. We mimic Adam and Eve who gave themselves over to the delusion - “For ye shall be as gods.” However, when the delusion fails, we find ourselves simply diminished and our hearts filled with anguish and emptiness. And so, Theophan tells Anastasia that she must act quickly to banish such thoughts, desires, and feelings as soon as they manifest themselves. Procrastination is our enemy. Drive away the thought, the feeling, the desire, and the inclination toward the passion disappears.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:23:06 Mark Cummings: This book should be required reading in Catholic high schools
00:23:53 Joseph Muir: Sadly, I imagine that it wouldn’t readily be considered, due to the author be a saint of the Orthodox Church, and not Catholic
00:24:57 Mark Cummings: sadly, probably true
00:32:46 Joseph Muir: To be fair, I do think that, in a very real sense, Eastern Christianity (including Catholicism) is Christianity’s best kept secret. Point being, many simply never come in contact with some of these great writers, and some even know the Greek fathers of the church do the degree that they’re commemorated on the western calendar. The difference with an Eastern Christian is that the theology of these saints is lived and breathed in the daily Byzantine prayers
00:33:50 Joseph Muir: One is far more likely to come in contact with non-Catholic luminaries like CS Lewis than St Theophane the Recluse
00:37:56 Mark Cummings: It took me 55 years to find Saint Theophan. I read 7 or so CS Lewis books by the time I was 18
00:37:58 John Clark: I think the nuns that taught at my school missed the memo on the anger passion..We were criminally assaulted numerous times....personally 20 times ....mostly beat with boards.....the last time for me was a round house sucker punch closed fist by a beefy nun in the 7th grade..
00:39:02 Wayne Mackenzie: Agreed, including the Divine Liturgy, the hours and other prayers have the theme of repentance and purity of heart.
00:39:03 Andrew Ewell: Would Cassian’s list of passions be a straightforward list across the board of the passions which the Father’s have in mind?
00:40:24 Andrew Ewell: Ok
00:45:07 Joseph Muir: I’m sorry that you had to go through that, John Clark😞
00:46:57 Mark Cummings: John, that is horrible. Robin might say "Holy PTSD, Batman" I am sorry to hear that you went through that
00:47:18 Wayne Mackenzie: John, Corporal punishment was very common in schools at one time..
00:53:10 St. Elias: “I became as a deaf man…” Psalm 37 (Matins)
00:54:34 Erick Chastain: The difference between theophany/climacus and Aquinas is the difference between the stoics and Aristotle basically
00:56:14 Edward Kleinguetl: Abba Isaiah of Scetis believes that the passions were distorted:  The person, then, who wishes to attain this natural state removes all his carnal desires in order that God may establish him in the state according to nature. Desire is the natural state of intellect because without desire for God there is no love … but the enemy twisted this into shameful desire, a desire for every impurity. Ambition, also, is the natural state of the intellect for without ambition there is no progress toward God, as it is written in the epistle, be ambitious of the higher gifts [1 Cor. 12:31]. However, our godly ambition has been turned into an ambition that is contrary to nature, so we are jealous, envious, and deceitful toward each other.
00:56:28 Erick Chastain: Aquinas harmonizes the two as follows: the passions according to the eastern fathers (influenced by the stoics through evagrius) are inordinate passions in the Aquinas sense. For Aquinas, the passions themselves if they are according to nature/reason are without sin
00:57:12 Andrew Ewell: Thanks Eric
00:57:33 Joseph Muir: I stumbled upon this last night, but found it to be a fascinating read (it’s a long discussion/debate between Catholics and Orthodox regarding various aspects of Greek vs Latin theology; I found the arguments on both sides to generally be very cogent and respectful, with my hot take being that our differences are far less vast than some of our more polemical apologists may make it seem): http://forums.orthodoxchristianity.net/threads/body-blood-soul-and-divinity-of-the-eucharist.77167/?fbclid=IwAR28KWJBA2fR0i27SiTkzOea19PjCWN9lfmkwGduGK8OuEqFtiJT8-JcvTs
00:59:46 Andrew Ewell: Thanks Joe
01:03:47 sue and mark: exodus 90 is great!
01:04:38 Mark Cummings: Exodus 90 is great...I would not tie it directly to the desert fathers though

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis V Part V

We continue this evening with our study of Hypothesis V - on the remembrance of death and final judgment. While this might fill the minds and the hearts of many with trepidation, many of the fathers see the remembrance of death as the essential work in the spiritual life. The reason for this and the intention behind it is not to fill the heart with anxiety but rather to turn the heart toward God Who alone promises us forgiveness and the fullness of life and love in Him. The Scriptures tell us that God is set upon our salvation and so hope is always to be found in Him. His love for us is unquenchable. As we have heard, the mere turning of the mind and the heart toward him brings upon us a flood of mercy and grace. The remembrance of death and judgment are simply an aid to remind us not to take this gift lightly. God has given us everything and has nothing greater to give – the perfect love of His only begotten Son. It is that love that is eternal and we will either respond to that love or we don’t. Now is the moment of salvation and how we respond perpetuates itself both in this world and in the world come unless we turn toward God in repentance. Once our eyes close for the last time that opportunity - to turn toward the embrace that is ever reaching out towards us - passes.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:02:09 carolnypaver: Wow! Sounds exhausting!
00:44:55 Joseph Muir: Here are two prayers from Byzantine  vespers, according to the Gregorian calendar, from earlier today, in a similar vein to the one that I read earlier:
O Christ, You are the only sinless One, the only patient One, the only Source of goodness! Look upon my misery and affliction. Wipe away all the scars of my wounds. In your mercy, save your servant; that having driven away all clouds of despair, O Savior, I may glorify Your supreme goodness!
Ponder your deeds, O my wretched soul! Behold how they are all defiled with filth! Behold your nakedness and your isolation. For you are in danger of being separated from God and His holy angels and of being delivered to eternal torments. Be vigilant, then, and make haste to cry aloud: “O Savior, I have sinned! Grant me Your forgiveness and save me!”
00:48:21 Joseph Muir: ¡De nada!
00:53:35 Wayne Mackenzie: Don't we send ourselves to Hell, rather than God?
00:54:35 Eric Williams: "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'" C. S. Lewis
01:05:39 Lilly: I’ve never seen that Icon before. I will have to look it up. What is it called?
01:06:54 Erick Chastain: except judas
01:07:14 Erick Chastain: the patristic witness to judas being in hell is pretty clear
01:07:23 Erick Chastain: /consistent
01:07:28 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: icon of fearful or awesome judgement, aka last judgement, sometimes might also be called icon of or for Meatfare Sunday.
01:09:09 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: in the Coptic orthodox tradition there is a point of view that Judas Iscariot repented between the time when he jumped and when the rope broke his neck, but I cannot find the exact quote.
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-seven Part II

Tonight we picked up with Letter 57 where St. Theophan is discussing with Anastasia the various stages of the development of the passions; the movement from feelings, the provocation of desire, aided by a multitude of thoughts, that then gives over to concrete resolution to commit to sin. There is a kind of premeditation that is fostered by giving ourselves over to these realities and stages that Theophan describes. If unchecked we begin to plot even in a half-conscious way how we are going to act and complete the sin. It is then that the conscience is violated and the commands of God are disregarded. In this struggle we are ever so capable of rationalizing sin and the path to sin. Yet, what we are called to is to put on the mind of Christ. It cannot be our own ego or our reason that becomes the standard of judgment. Rather, we must allow ourselves to be drawn into the Paschal mystery; we must put on the mind of Christ in such a profound way that it is Christ acting within us. Only then will we begin to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives; willing to be obedient to the Father and to His commands even when cannot see things clearly. Our love for Christ must be so great that our asceticism takes on the shape described by Theophan and the fathers; that is, we  become willing to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ - bringing every thought before Him for His blessing or judgment.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:18:21 Gilmar Siqueira: And Brazil. :)
00:18:34 carolnypaver: Awesome!
00:18:47 Mark Cummings: Thank you for doing this remotely!
00:28:12 Gilmar Siqueira: Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: the Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
00:28:33 Jim Milholland: Thank you!
00:45:37 Eric Williams: Turn the other cheek, love your enemy, do not resist an evil man - but in parking lot after mass, all bets are off. ;) #roadrage
00:56:04 Wayne Mackenzie: When you get this point it can be to late.. and the sin is committed
01:08:04 Eric Williams: Categories of sins too often allow us to find the minimum we must do or how much can get away with. Instead, they should be used to help us better see what to avoid and how to seek after the will of God. We should seek maximal holiness, rather than just minimal sinfulness.
01:09:03 iPhone: Venial or mortal. Sin is sin. It separates us from God. 100% agree with Father.
01:10:07 Erick Chastain: Ambroise de Lombez says that the pride to have an "orderly mind" in one's thoughts leads to scrupulosity
01:10:58 iPhone: ^ Exactly. OCD (me lol)
01:12:49 Eric Williams: Despairing that all sin damns us because God is just is the Christless cross, and rationalizing all sin as acceptable because God is merciful is the crossless Christ.
01:23:49 Eric Williams: This discussion of aggression and retaliation is very timely as I struggle to respond in a Christlike way to a very difficult and infuriating neighbor. Deo gratias!
01:24:00 Erick Chastain: anger according to st Thomas Aquinas is any kind of desire to take action to set something right
01:24:34 Erick Chastain: ...it's not necessarily the emotion which leads to violent action
01:24:52 Erick Chastain: ...for example, just calling the cops is already an act of anger
01:24:53 iPhone: Amen!

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis V Part IV

We continued tonight our study of Hypothesis V where the Fathers speak to us of the importance of the remembrance of death and the remembrance of judgment.
We began with the thoughts of Abba Isaiah the seeks to teach us about the three things that preserve virtue; sorrow for sin, tears for our sins, and the ceaseless recollection of death. These three hold before our minds the significance of the present moment.  Every moment for us is freighted with destiny because every moment is an opportunity for us to embrace the love and the grace of God or to neglect it. We have to let go of the illusion not only that we will have time enough for repentance but also the illusion that simply living a good or a moral life is in fact living a Christian life. We may pursue virtue as a commodity; something that is gathered and stored and that builds up our self-image and self-esteem. Such things have their own value but they are not necessarily reflective of the fact that we have embraced Christ and the life that he has made possible for us through the cross. We are called to the divine life and all of our words, thoughts and actions are to be reflective of Christ. We are to be living icons of the gospel. We can approach our lives with a kind of indifference when it comes to their spiritual significance. We can expend a lot of energy and be willing struggle to pursue our own ends in this world but we will accept willingly being wounded and bitten over and over again by the spiritual dragon and bearing his stings of distraction.  We can allow ourselves to be swallowed up by sin or evil daily and pay it no mind. It is for this reason that the remembrance of death and judgment is important. It speaks to us of what God has given us but also the weight and the significance of our response.
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-six Part II and Letter Fifty-seven

We began this evening with Letter 56.  St. Theophan again takes up the subject of the passions. If we can capture in one word what he is trying to foster within Anastasia it is this: “fierceness”. The spiritual battle is something that takes place at every single moment and we have to learn to act swiftly in acknowledging who the enemy is and where he is seeking to lead us. We cannot ignore the fact there is a kind of duplicity that exists within us. We can hate sin and love it at the same time. We can be engaged in the spiritual battle but in the deeper recesses of our hearts we can be attracted and delighted by the approach of thoughts that would later lead us into sin. We must lose our sympathy for such things. We are to become angry with sin and drive it out from the human heart as Christ drove out the money-changers from the temple. What has been entrusted to us is precious. It is the very life and love of God and we have been made sons and daughters of God. We must not be willing to sacrifice that identity. This means that we approach the passions with unrestrained and antagonistic action. There is no room for self-indulgence.
In letter 57, St. Theophan tells her that guilt begins at the point when we favorably incline ourselves toward a passion. The passion itself is at enmity with God. Therefore, we must interrogate and examine it very quickly and then treat it in a hostile manner. We must treat it as we would treat anything that is an enemy of God - with scornful rejection.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:35:06 Joseph Muir: “[E]ach person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.”
James 1:14-15
00:43:31 renwitter: Anyone else having an amazing flash back to Aragorn cutting off the head of the Lord of the Black Gate? Best. Moment. Ever.
00:44:39 carolnypaver: ; )
00:49:13 Eric Ash: I like from that image it also demonstrates to us that there's times we have to trust in others instead of taking on every battle we are offered. To be aware of where were called to be, and also where we aren't called to be.
00:55:03 Lilly Crystal: What quote is that from?
01:09:58 Eric Ash: It's sounds like in discerning guilt from shame here is that guilt motivates us to reaffirm ourselves to back to God, and shame tells us fall away and quit trying. And that anger towards passion versus anger towards self is similar.

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis V Part III

We continued this evening with our study of Hypothesis V and the writings of Saint Ephraim on the subject of the importance of remembering death and judgment. Like so many of the Fathers, Ephraim stresses the need to prepare ourselves for that final journey that inevitably comes to us all – the moment of death. He also speaks to us about how the enemy will try to make us delay or put aside our attention to this reality. When it comes to life in this world death, in a sense, is the ultimate master. Death, of course, does not have the last the last word. God has spoken His Word of Life and through it has opened up a path for us to experience the fullness of the life of the Holy Trinity. The enemy, however, will try to convince us that we are young and have a great amount of time; that we can put off repentance until after we lived life in this world to its fullest. However, Ephraim tells us that the one who is truly blessed is the one who has carried the yoke of Christ from his earliest days. In fact, this is the greatest gift that a parent can give to their child. From the moment of their baptism they enter into this profound relationship with God. To be taught to embrace the gift of being a child of God is the greatest thing that a parent can offer their son or daughter. The Fathers, like Christ in the gospel, want us have no illusions about the fact that how we respond to the love perpetuates itself unto eternity. What is offered to us is Love; and that Love can be embraced or it can be scorned and neglected. The Fathers pleas with us as Christ did to embrace life, to embrace love. This is what Christ thirsts for – that His love would be requited.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:59:50 renwitter: That parable always sounds a bit catty if it is not explained well :-D
01:05:11 Erick Chastain: that was in one of the psalms
01:14:28 Eric Williams: Fortunately, when I joined the Church in 2000, Fr David was still preaching fire and brimstone, so my catechesis was not warm, fuzzy, or weak. ;)
01:24:18 Nicole: Sorry! Did you want our microphones on so we are hearing each other pray?
01:24:43 Nicole: I forgot LOL
Have a great week everyone, thank you Father :)

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-five and Letter Fifty-six

We began with Letter 55 about Warfare with the Passions. Once again Theophan shows himself to be a magnificent teacher. He knows Anastasia well; her strengths, her background, her desire for God and - - her weaknesses, which are few, namely inexperience. She desires above all to embrace the full dignity of the Christian.  And it is this goal that Theophan wants to help her achieve. He begins to reveal to her the nature of the warfare with the passions. Often they are very attractive and so we can suddenly be drawn into them and linger in conversation with them. It is for this reason that Theophan gradually begins to teach her that she must not act with pity when it comes to dealing with her own thoughts. No matter how trivial or insignificant they appear, she must immediately call upon God and drive them out of her mind. If she inadvertently falls or is overtaken by one of the passions, she should not be anxious. Rather Anastasia should humbly repent at the passion that has slipped in and then adopt measures for the future in order that she might be more guarded. One method that she must embrace is to avoid self-indulgence. It is the Traitor. Self-indulgence is to blame for all the troubles in the spiritual life. It leads us into the kind of self-pity that inclines us to give sway to our thoughts without examining them and bringing them before God for his blessing or judgment.
In Letter 56 he begins to show Anastasia the slightest movements of the passions. He tells her that she has made great strides in her life and can see good and evil. But in reality she has not been tested. Again, one of her weaknesses is that she could regard stronger passions with indifference; thinking that they are no great thing or that they are not dangerous. When this happens they go from being small things to becoming large things. She will no longer be able to drive them away with a single unfavorable glance. If she wants to maintain Christian dignity, he tells her, she must become a more fierce warrior.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:12:46 Joseph Muir: I got to see Queen + Adam Lambert in Central Park, in September 2019, Eric😀
00:20:22 Joseph Muir: I can tell that Fr David is big fan of country music😆
00:20:37 Eric Williams: despondency, the demon at noon!
00:36:32 Eric Williams: except when people mistakenly refer to the deceased as angels - that is all that seems to be left :(
00:37:30 renwitter: At the Oratory’s Children’s Holy Hour of Adoration we always say a prayer to our guardian angels. We can bring it back!
00:39:49 Wayne Mackenzie: At our parish we recite the prayer to St Michael at the end of the Liturgy.
00:41:18 Eric Williams: It's rampant on social media
00:43:39 Joseph Muir: It’s almost like a new form of the ancient gnostic heresy, where people presume to have  some “secret knowledge” about how the world works, all of the scandals and happenings throughout our own society and the world
00:48:35 Mark Cummings: Cubs are up 3 - 0
00:48:48 Mark Cummings: thought pirates fans might want to know
00:50:49 Lilly Crystal: Self reflection is super important. If we just confess sins and don’t plan to change in our actions, we will not mature spiritually
00:51:48 Wayne Mackenzie: For me need to quit watching the news or get absorbed in what is happening.
00:52:05 Larry Barlow: So true.  Gotta have a plan!
00:52:39 Wayne Mackenzie: limiting my time to it or not agitation sets in
00:54:33 Joseph Muir: So many have such a politicized faith, and/or faithisized politics that they’ve convinced themselves that they’re doing “the work of the Lord”
00:58:37 Lilly Crystal: Eastern penance is so new to me. It was awesome to experience my first Byzantine confession last month :)
01:03:00 Joseph Muir: A common Byzantine prayer before receiving communion: receive me now, O Son of God, as a participant in Your Mystical Supper. For I will not betray Your mysteries to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss like Judas. But, like the thief, I confess to You: remember me, O Lord, when You come into Your kingdom!
01:03:51 carolnypaver: I LOVE that prayer!  It is so beautiful.
01:04:34 Lilly Crystal: It is one of my fav too! Such beautiful prayer chanted as well
01:05:01 renwitter: Well shoot - no advantage for me :-D
01:06:42 Eric Williams: Theophan is following the Pauline sequence: praise, chastise, encourage
01:07:00 Joseph Muir: ❤
01:09:42 Mark Cummings: Psalm 137?
01:11:26 carolnypaver: Happy Feast Day, Father!
01:11:46 Michael Murton: Thanks Father David...looking forward to next week!
01:12:34 renwitter: A good Philip Neri quote for this group: “Heaven is not for poltroons!”

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis V Part II

We continued with our reading of Hypothesis Five where the Fathers discuss with us the importance of remembering death as well as judgment. Such thoughts are not to elicit fear within the heart but rather magnify the significance of the moment and help us live in the moment as opposed to the past or the future. Every moment is freighted with destiny because every moment is an opportunity to love or not to love. The remembrance of death teaches us not to put off repentance and not to doubt the mercy of God when we find ourselves caught up in our sin. It also teaches us to listen keenly to the voice of our conscience as it calls us back to God. This is a fundamental and permanent element of the spiritual life and so should be cultivated with great discipline and care.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:31:03 Erick Chastain: "sin makes you stupid"
00:48:19 Michael Liccione: Negative anthropology becomes very attractive if you spend much time on social media.
00:51:09 sue and mark: now it makes sense.
00:58:26 renwitter: First he coughs at me, then he yawns at Ambrose. . . geez. I think the next time Erick starts talking we should all start quacking or something.
00:58:45 Michael Liccione: LOL
00:58:49 Carole DiClaudio: hahaha
00:58:59 Lilly Crystal: Lol @ren
00:59:00 Erick Chastain: Yeah sorry everyone for that.
00:59:16 Joseph Muir: 🤣
00:59:49 Erick Chastain: It's the live experience I guess
01:00:05 Michael Liccione: Your lived experience :)
01:01:04 renwitter: I love that our chat transcript is published along with the podcast 😂😂😂
01:01:09 Daniel Allen: Only adds to the group it’s hilarious.
01:02:01 Erick Chastain: Yeah who needs TV?
01:08:39 Sharon: Otherwise, would that be the sin of presumption?
01:08:59 renwitter: And terrifying
01:11:34 Ambrose Little: Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil 2:12)
01:11:39 Sharon: … and ought we not canonize people when they die?
01:12:55 Sharon: I don’t mean canonized saints, but just anyone at the time of death.
01:13:18 Michael Liccione: No
01:14:56 Sharon: I agree. It just seems like no matter whose funeral, people talk as though they absolutely know the deceased is in heaven.
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-four

It was an extremely powerful group this evening; as one might expect in a discussion about the passions. In letter 54, Saint Theophan begins to instruct Anastasia about the nature of the passions and where they spring from in our lives. Theophan tells her that they are not part of who we are as human beings. They can be removed without destroying the soul.  In fact, he instructs her that unless we drive them out they will leave a person in ruins. When they control a human being - in many respects they become more like an animal. Their will and their consciousness are driven and controlled by what is not in accord with nature and with how God has created us. The passions, according to Theophan, arise out of the desire to please one’s self, selfishness and pride. The passions are sustained by these. When we give ourselves over to them we are dragged along like a young ass on a cord behind its owner. Therefore, the Saint tells Anastasia that she must not be sparing with herself. She has been controlled by these passions even though that they have not dominated her life. He would have her understand our capacity for self-pity and so also our capacity for self-deceit. The passions can seem and make themselves seem attractive. Thus, we must, in accordance with the Scriptures, be sober and vigilant. We must watch and pray. It is this radical alertness the keeps us from falling victim to the relentless attack of the evil one which can be direct or very subtle. When you look inside of yourself you will see all the many subtle attachments that keep you from embracing the will of the Lord. This is the first thing in the struggle with the passions and she must learn this lesson well.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:17:12 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: the best modern day book on the passions is:   Therapy of Spiritual Illness: An Introduction to the Ascetic Tradition of the Orthodox Church (Therapy of Spiritual Illness, I,II,III boxed set) Paperback – January 1, 2012 by Dr Jean-Claude Larchet
00:17:23 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: you can get it in paperback
00:17:44 Erick Chastain: I love those books!
00:38:03 Eric Williams: How, then, do we avoid the heresy of quietism?
00:45:18 Eric Williams: Sorry for being generic. ;)
00:54:23 Eric Williams: Fair point :)
00:57:10 Erick Chastain: LOL I really didn't intend to sidetrack us big time like this
00:57:29 Lilly Crystal: All amazing points :)
00:59:31 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: It is to be remembered that there is a secular definition of “passion”, for example: “Passion is a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for someone or something. Passion can range from eager interest in or admiration for an idea, proposal, or cause; to enthusiastic enjoyment of an interest or activity; to strong attraction, excitement, or emotion towards a person” (Wikipedia).  Thus, we have the Western Christian definition in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 1767, 1773, where a “passion” is a morally neutral concept.
00:59:50 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: In the Eastern Christian definition, used here, and in the official catechism of the UGCC: Christ Our Pascha § 795, “passion” is always a vice, one of the eight capital sins.  In the East, a “passion” (from pathos in Greek) is any deadly obsession that seems to be beyond our ability to control, let alone to recognize, in ourselves.  “Passions” arise from “logismoi”, literally “thoughts”, that act on and overcome people, becoming habits of thinking, feeling-willing, and desiring over which we have little or no control.  Thus, a passion is any spiritual “cancer”, poetically described as a “death-bearing” or “soul-corrupting” sin.
01:00:09 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Those Eastern Church Fathers, whose works were written between the 4th and 15th centuries and collected and published in the Philokalia-Добротолюбіє, list “by name a total of 248 passions and 228 virtues” (see English language edition, page 205, Volume 3).  The Greek word “pathos” can also mean and be translated as “sufferings, desires, energies, zealous activities, cravings” depending on its context.
01:01:33 Lisa Weidner: Thank you, Fr John
01:02:19 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: In 375 AD, Archdeacon Evagrius of Pontus (c. 346-399) developed a com¬pre¬hen¬sive list of eight evil assaulting “thoughts” (Greek: logismoi, Ukrain¬ian: помисли).  Through the centuries this was systematized in the East by various saints, mostly St. Maximos the Confessor (590-662).  The assaulting  “thoughts” act on and over¬come people, becoming habits or compulsions of thinking, feeling-willing, and desiring over which we end up having little or no control.  At this point, the “thoughts” are said to have become “passions” (Greek: pathеа, Ukrainian: пристрасті).
01:02:49 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: In the East, the passions are a distortion, deprivation or misdirection of the intellective, appetitive and incensive powers of the soul.  See Tables at: http://ocampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/the-christian-ascetic-tradition-on-dejection-and-despondency-david-holden-2004.pdf.  The “passions” enslave us and thereby are the chief cause of our sufferings.  In liberating us from sin and the effects of sin, our Lord delivers us from our passions as well as the pain which they cause.  St. Gregory the Dialogist (Pope of Rome from 590-604) would revise Evagrius’ list to form what, in the West, is today more commonly known as “the Seven Deadly Vices”, or Sins.
01:03:14 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: St. John “of the Ladder” (Climacus, 579-649) was of the opinion that although the passions (пристрасті) were not directly created by God, they are still naturally good, except for akedia-listlessness, despondency.  In Step 26, 156, of his Ladder of Divine Ascent, he writes: “Nature gives us the seed for childbearing, but we have perverted this into fornication.  Nature provides us with the means of showing anger against the serpent, but we have used this against our neighbour.  Na¬ture inspires us with zeal to make us compete for the virtues, but we compete in evil.  It is natural for the soul to desire glory, but the glory on high.  It is natural to be over¬bearing, but against the demons.  Joy is also natural to us, but a joy on account of the Lord and the welfare of our neighbour.  Nature has also given us resentment, but to be used against the enemies of the soul.  We have received a desire for food, but not for profligacy.”
01:03:29 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: It is when we use our free will to misdirect the passions from the good towards the evil, that we allow the passions to gain control over us.  This, in turn, is how the thieves, or demons, are empowered by us to rob us of eternal life.  A helpful passage on this latter point regarding what demons do, is to be found in the homily at: https://www.holycross-hermitage.com/blogs/articles-sermons/sermon-for-the-sunday-of-st-john-climacus-2017
01:13:51 Mark Cummings: I hope he was talking to a do
01:13:53 Mark Cummings: dog
01:15:22 renwitter: Mark! :-D Hahhaha. LOL
01:19:19 Lilly Crystal: Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry! -Padre Pio
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis IV and Hypothesis V

Tonight we picked up with Hypothesis IV.  Its focus is that those afflicted by the passions should be guided slowly in the works of repentance. To help us understand this we are given a wonderful story of a young man who is sent into the fields to clear them. However upon seeing them filled with thorns and weeds he very quickly becomes depressed at the thought of the work that was ahead of him. He lays down in the grass and goes to sleep. His father on approaching him ask him why he has been so negligent. The young man states that he was overwhelmed.  Wisely and with compassion the father simply tells him to sleep in a different place every night so as to flatten out the grass and the weeds simply where he chooses to lay down. This is the son did and over time he was able to clear the entire field. This is a wonderful parable because it shows us how difficult the spiritual life can be at the beginning. The bar is set very low by the father so as not to discourage. We must invest ourselves and create a rule to follow. That is a given. However, we must have patience and an awareness of our poverty. We must work within our limits until God adds grace to grace and we are able to complete the task. The spiritual life is not simply about our will but rather our embrace of the grace of God in the moment.
In Hypothesis Five, the fathers begin to describe the importance of keeping the thought of death and future judgment in mind in order that one might struggle constantly against the passions. Remembering death daily will begin to free us from unduly attaching ourselves to worldly things or losing ourselves in the work of our own hands. The remembrance of death dispels the illusion of pleasures and lifts up the soul when it is inclined to sin.  All the stories in this section seek to remind us not to be prideful about our spiritual pursuits or to see them as arising from our own efforts. They also remind us not to put off our conversion from day to day for we are not guaranteed a long life. We know neither the day nor the hour when God will call us to himself and when we will stand in the fullness of his light. This is the very nature of God. To come into His presence is to be penetrated by the light of truth. Nothing shall be hidden and so nothing in this life should be taken for granted or taken lightly.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:15:11 Lilly Crystal: Welcome Kyle and Andrew! Happy you guys could make it :)
00:15:35 Kyle Davidson: thanks for the invite, Lily
00:35:26 Tyler Woloshyn: Spiritual directors mention that God's work is clearest in the hidden.  The liminal space, or that threshold a person crosses is where God is working the most in the soul of the Christian. Not focusing on the past or worrying about the future. It is like a furnace and forge at work simultaneously.
00:38:54 Lilly Crystal: @Diana welcome hermana so happy you could make it :)
00:53:01 Lilly Crystal: “4 Last Things” by Father Isaac Mary Relyea is an amazing 4-part sermon… New Yorker by the way ;)
00:57:04 Tyler Woloshyn: "As I arise from sleep, I thank You O Most Holy Trinity, for Your great goodness and patience with me, an idler and a sinner. You have not become indignant towards me, nor have You allowed me to die in my sins.  Instead, You have shown me the love that You have for all mankind.  You raised me from sleep, that I may greet this new day in prayer and glorify Your sovereign power.  And now enlighten my eyes of understanding, open my understanding, open my ears to receive Your words, and teach me Your commandments.  Help me to do Your will, to sing to You, to profess You from all my heart, and to praise Your all-holy name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen."  (Morning prayer of St. Basil the Great)
01:00:58 Joseph Muir: Prayer of Saint John of Damascus, to be prayed before going to sleep:
O Lord, Lover of Mankind, is this bed to be the coffin, or will You enlighten my wretched soul with another day? Here the coffin lies before me, and here death confronts me. I fear, O Lord, Your Judgment and the endless torments; yet I cease not to do evil. My Lord and God, I continually anger You, and Your Immaculate Mother, and all the Heavenly Powers, and my Holy Guardian Angel. I know, O Lord that I am unworthy of Your love, but deserve condemnation and every torment. But, whether I want it or not, save me, O Lord. For to save a good man is no great thing, and to have mercy on the pure is nothing wonderful, for they are worthy of Your mercy. But show the wonder of Your mercy to me, a sinner. In this, reveal Your love for Man, lest my wickedness prevail over your unutterable goodness and mercy. And order my life as you will. Amen.
01:01:45 Tyler Woloshyn: In ancient Rome, whenever a Roman General or Emperor returned from a victory in battle. During the Triumphant parade, there would be a man hired to whisper into his ear, "Thou art mortal."
01:11:19 Tyler Woloshyn: Thank you for the wonderful lesson tonight Father. I am off to a Moleben to the Mother of God. Have a blessed evening everyone.
01:11:36 Kyle Davidson: thanks for the talk. I have to join a new call.
01:11:52 renwitter: We should have shirts made that say YODO - You Only Die Once. Get Ready.
01:12:17 carolnypaver: Oh yeah!
01:12:17 Joseph Muir: I’d buy one, Ren!
01:12:18 Lilly Crystal: @Ren omg lol
01:12:52 renwitter: I’ll design it. With a nice little skull. Maybe a prayer rope.
01:13:06 Eric Williams: Life is Short: Pray Hard
01:13:07 Lilly Crystal: Yesss girl
01:14:18 Joseph Muir: You could collaborate with https://instagram.com/pursuedbytruth?utm_medium=copy_link
01:16:13 Lilly Crystal: @Joseph coolest nun ever
01:17:18 Eric Williams: The second law of thermodynamics tells that nothing left alone stays the same. Anything we don't put energy into will degrade into chaos.
01:17:44 renwitter: Ooo. I love that. Lessons in the spiritual life straight from the natural world **heart**
01:20:06 carolnypaver: Are there any books left to purchase?
01:20:12 renwitter: No, not at the Oratory
01:20:18 renwitter: But direct from the Publisher
01:20:55 sue and mark: retreat!!!!!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-two Part II and Letter Fifty-three

We began this evening with letter 52. St. Theophan continues to discuss with Anastasia the importance of warming the heart.  Our passions have so dampened the wood that it can no longer be enkindled. We must go out in search of dry wood. We must protect that part of ourselves that have perhaps not been permeated by the passions.  More importantly we must draw close to God that it might inflame our hearts and free our spirit.
All of this is a preparation for letter 53. St. Theophan begins to discuss with Anastasia the passions and how they are an obstacle to the spirit that burns with the love for God. They must be expelled. The passions are not a part of us as human beings. They arise out of our fallen state and our sin and they permeate every aspect of who we are as human beings. The are alien to us and parasitic. These passions, then, acting in collusion with the demons take control of the person even if he thinks that he is in control of himself. It is the spirit that must first escape their grip. And this only comes when the grace of God pulls it free. The spirit, then, filled with the fear of God and the action of grace develops a resoluteness. However, the emergence of this resoluteness in the pursuit of God must be accompanied by the willingness to labor for many years. We are to engage in a spiritual warfare against the passions. Theophan describes thrashing them; driving them out of the temple of our hearts as Christ drove out the money-changers from the temple in Jerusalem. The remembrance of God is the foothold for life in the spirit. It is for this reason the Theophan has spent so much time speaking with Anastasia about it. She has only come to acknowledge and recognize the passions within her. She has of yet, and perhaps we have as yet, not entered fully into the spiritual battle. She must not, he tells her, be bashful but prepare herself to enter fully and vigorously into the battle and to expose her passions and sins to the light.
 
Text of chat during the group:
00:19:04 Joseph Muir: What’s the name of the biography on St Philip Neri?
00:42:33 Lilly Crystal: Hi Father, Sorry for being late! ❤️🙏
00:45:34 Lilly Crystal: I love your rants, Father😂
00:48:37 Eric Williams: So when are you founding a seminary, Father? ;)
00:53:11 Eric Williams: It’s a shame so many in the West rejected and opposed hesychasm (or at least what they believed it to be).
00:54:36 Wayne Mackenzie: And the prayer life forgotten.
00:57:09 Eric Williams: Vitamin G[od] ;)
00:58:03 renwitter: Robert Bellarmine was the Theology teacher of the first Oratorians :-D Can you imagine?
01:02:07 Sharon: Beautifully said…Amen!
01:06:58 Mark Cummings: Ren- If you have not read the Art of Dying Well then I recommend that you do. I recently read it and it really resonates with me.
01:07:17 renwitter: Thrashing demons away from myself and others is what I imagine when I am praying Jesus Prayers with my prayer rope - it makes a good whip ;-)
01:12:44 renwitter: My real name is Anastasia :-D
01:20:28 Lilly Crystal: Always a joy to listen❤️

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis III, Part II

This evening we concluded Hypothesis III on “how a person should repent”.  The elders begin by emphasizing sorrow in the spiritual life. This is not a sorrow that leads a person into depression or despondency. It is not rooted in shame but rather in the acknowledgment of the impact of our sin on the relationship that we have with God and also how we have treated the grace and mercy that he has shown us. Sorrow, therefore, is to be carried along in the spiritual life as a bridle for the soul which will keep us from falling into sin once again. Granted, this is a very difficult thing for us to understand and embrace. We do everything in our power to alleviate the sorrow tied to sin or to escape it. But in regards to anything that afflicts or affects us on a spiritual level, it becomes the most powerful remedy. Each story this night tells us that we are to care for our passions with medicines that are at odds with them. We must consciously struggle to blot out recollections of the sins we have enjoyed with the corresponding hardships that they have brought.
Yet, in all of this the elders emphasize a kind of freedom in the embrace of a specific practice of penance. Each person is unique and God Who alone searches the depths of the mind and the heart can guide the individual along the path of true healing. There are many paths to this healing and as many remedies as there are human beings. Each person is a mystery, a mystery that only God can grasp. Therefore, our wounds can only be healed by more radically open the mind and the heart to His grace. The ascetical life simply serves as an aid in doing this.
Until next week dear friends . . .
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Text of chat during the group:
00:23:19 Daniel Allen: What page and number are we on?
00:23:28 renwitter: PAge 32
00:23:31 renwitter: #4
00:23:37 Daniel Allen: Thank you
00:46:19 Lilly Crystal: Very well said, Father :)
00:56:28 Lilly Crystal: What prayer was that?
00:57:17 Tyler Woloshyn: 6th Prayer Before Holy Communion by St Symeon the New Theologian
01:13:18 Tyler Woloshyn: Have a blessed time folks. Off to Moleben (prayer service) to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
01:15:59 Eric Williams: Their repentance had equal merit, but one of them was a lot happier. I’m a fan of the happy one. ;)
01:19:10 Lilly Crystal: Please keep my Canadian friend, Bill, in your prayers. He’s in the hospital attached to oxygen as of 2 days
01:30:05 Lilly Crystal: There’s never too many books, Father. Just not enough time :)
01:35:00 Nicole’s iPhone: Thank you!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Fifty-one and Letter Fifty-two

Tonight we picked up with Letter 51, entitled “Turning the burdens of life to spiritual profit”. Saint Theophan gives Anastasia some of the best and most practical advice and counsel here. He begins to teach her a method of reinterpreting everything that comes before her eyes in a spiritual sense. She had been struggling, as we often do, with distractions in her day-to-day work and so finding it very difficult to maintain the constant remembrance of God. Therefore, gradually, Theophan teaches her how reinterpret every day activities, extraordinary and ordinary, into a means of actually drawing the mind and the heart to God. Far from being an obstacle, when spiritually reinterpreted they become the most beneficial means of moving the thoughts and imagination toward God.  Theophan tells Anastasia to begin with home and the people that she knows in her every day activities; and then to do it with everything that she sees within the world and every circumstance she encounters. Gradually it will become very natural for her. At the close of the letter, however, he warns her not to spare herself. There’s a certain wrongful activity that is afflicts everyone. We spare no labor on any matter except when it comes to that of salvation. This she must remove from her heart. The most important matter is our salvation and consequently it will be the most difficult labor of our life. But it is worth it. 
In Letter 52, Theophan brings Anastasia back once again to the remembrance of God. He knows that he is repeating himself and that she is probably becoming fatigued. Yet he tells her that his repetition is rooted in the fact that this remembrance of God is the most important thing of all and all power is in it. What he explains to her in this letter is that she must do all in her power to warm her heart with ever deeper devotion and reverence for God. It cannot simply be a barren remembrance but that which is guided by the deepest feelings of love and urgency. She must pray and read until she begins to notice this warmth developing within the heart. Only when she sees this happening can she be confident that it will continue to influence her throughout the course of the day. This is what the Lord himself desires: “I came to set fire on the earth of human hearts, and I could not wish for more other than that it inflame everyone as soon as possible!” 
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:29:07 Lilly Crystal: Gracias hermana @Ren
00:30:37 Eric Williams: I am still disappointed and saddened that the Church did not use closed churches as an opportunity to promote the Divine Office. :(
00:30:54 renwitter: De nada mija @Lilly!
00:33:35 Eric Ash: Mother Theresa once said, "the most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved." And she is someone who saw the ravages of what we traditionally call poverty.
00:35:00 Lilly Crystal: Toronto is back under severe lockdowns. 10 people max at Church. I was turned away from confession yesterday. Please keep us Canadians in your prayers
00:35:42 carolnypaver: Heartbreaking…..We’ll keep praying for an end…
00:36:12 Wayne Mackenzie: in Edmonton back in major lockdown 15 people  allowed in church
00:37:12 carolnypaver: *gasp*. And I complained that AAA made me put on a mask today to get some documents notarized.  :(
00:37:24 Lilly Crystal: It's truly heart breaking @Wayne
00:37:55 Eric Williams: Better to pray in the bathroom than to doomscroll through Facebook, right? ;)
00:38:07 Joseph Muir: We have it good here in the States, Carolyn
00:38:16 Joseph Muir: PREACH, Eric!!!!!!
00:38:37 Erick Chastain: it is a canticle
00:39:02 Lilly Crystal: @Eric Me and my chotcki😂 #sorry lol
00:42:37 Nicole’s iPhone: Great idea! I’m good at editing :)
00:44:24 Nicole’s iPhone: Lilly, I have a priest friend in Marmora and churches are closed, no sacraments at all thereHe’s on a farm and last year would put the monstrance in the window for people to come visit Our Lord00:48:00 renwitter: @deacon Miron is practicing rocking for when Baby comes :-)
00:48:54 Miron: practice makes perfect! only five more days till due date! :)
00:49:07 renwitter: Wow! Five days?!? Amazing!
00:49:50 carolnypaver: Awwww——Happy delivery!  God bless Mom, baby, and you, Deacon!
00:50:50 Eric Williams: I like the phrases "spiritual exercises" and "training", because we intuitively understand how necessary training and exercise are for physical health and pursuit of excellence. Sometimes - perhaps often - we must force ourselves to do it. Likewise for spiritual health.
00:51:37 Lilly Crystal: Praying for health and safe delivery @Miron
00:53:37 Miron: Thank you Thank you!!!
00:59:00 Deacon Robert Cripps: Praying for a safe and healthy delivery!
01:05:23 renwitter: All that time in Adoration has @Father David burnin’ up
01:06:15 Lilly Crystal: @ren lol
01:14:27 Nicole’s iPhone: Thank you!
01:14:38 Lilly Crystal: Gracias Padre

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis III, Part I

There are times that it becomes perfectly clear that one is being fed on solid food. Tonight was such a moment. We picked up with Hypothesis Three on “how we should repent”. We heard from St. Isaac the Syrian with whom we are familiar. St.  Isaac begins by teaching us that for every illness, whether of the soul or body the appropriate medicine must be applied. Only then will one be cured. We must apply the appropriate remedy to the passion that afflicts us the most.
St. Isaac gives us two examples this evening of men pierced to the heart with contrition. Both impose upon themselves penances that seem disturbingly severe to modern sensibilities. But it is precisely here that we must suspend judgment and allow ourselves to consider the deeper action at work in the hearts of these men. We must ask the question: Could they ever know the joy of the hand of mercy reaching out to them and lifting them up out of their sin and offering them forgiveness if they first did not experience the depth of sorrow for their sin against love? Having been so cut off from the spiritual tradition and developing such a truncated view of the human person that is often either overly intellectual or psychological, we tend not grasp the wound of sin and the effect that it has upon our relationship with God. We do not see what we have become in Christ; that we are God-bearers and that we have been imbued with His own Spirit that searches the depths of our souls. We have become so isolated from one another that we no longer see the radical solidarity that exists between ourselves and each other in our sin. How can we know anything about either the depth of compunction that arises from a heart that mourns the loss of love and will do anything to regain it or of the beauty and tenderness of the mercy of God that reaches out to touch us and raise us up?
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Text of chat during the group:
00:22:16 Tyler Woloshyn: This reminds me in many way of the many saints of the east who bore the title, "Fools for Christ" who took on those self-imposed penance to maximize their humility as a witness to those who are indifferent otherwise to the gospel.
00:23:12 carolnypaver: Why does he say “the rule” put him in chains?
00:24:42 Joseph Muir: What page are we on?😀
00:24:58 carolnypaver: 31
00:25:02 Tyler Woloshyn: 30
00:25:04 Tyler Woloshyn: 31
00:25:05 Joseph Muir: Much thanks!
00:30:10 Tyler Woloshyn: When I think of red hot piercing contrition it reminds me of The Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete during Great Lent.  Prayerful and very catechetical.
00:53:43 renwitter: Most. Beautiful. Story. Yet. *heart*
01:03:08 Lilly Crystal: Amen!
01:14:34 Lilly Crystal: Yes! It’s so sad here in Toronto!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-nine Part II and Letter Fifty

The simplicity and the clarity of St. Theophan‘s thought often keeps us perhaps from seeing the holy genius and the beauty that is expressed in these letters. This was particularly evident tonight as we concluded letter 49 and began letter 50. St. Theophan begins by talking to Anastasia about a particular infirmity that we all struggle with as human beings - worry. Anxiety is a disease that is rooted in our separation from God. We experience within our very depths a kind of disintegration; sometimes a very specific form of anxiety and sometimes a very diffuse kind of uneasiness about life, love, and work. Theophan’s simple advice is that she should not to let it take root in her heart. She must engage in her work with enthusiasm and clarity and her focus must be upon God and remembrance of him. 
In letter 50 he returns to this very subject with Anastasia. The remembrance of God is necessary. Indeed, it is to be the labor of our life. If we do not achieve it we will come to nothing. We will have no success in the spiritual life and in fact we will have no spiritual life at all. The remembrance of God is the very essence of the spiritual life. It is vitally important!  In this sense he tells her that the remembrance of God cannot even be treated as ordinary thought. Every concept of God, every attribute of God, everything that he has revealed of himself to us, all of his redemptive work is to be caught up in and permeate our remembrance of him. It is this that energizes the heart and the spirit. Furthermore she must remember the mercies of God and thank Him for them. All the good things that God has given her - her family, her piety, her recent conversion and desire for God - all of these things she must hold in her mind. Above all she must remember all of the secret mercies the God has shown her, all the many ways that he has protected her in unseen and hidden ways.
Love ignites love he tells her. She must hold to her heart the knowledge of God‘s love for her at every single moment. This must be the source of her resolve. Soon the flame of that love will burn so hotly that she will not have to labor to pray or to remember God - her heart will take her there with the urgent longings.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:34:16 Lilly Crystal: I am totally anxious if I don't have a daily prayer routine! “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”Mark 2:17
00:37:57 Eric Ash: The psalms weren't written by someone who was a stranger to anxiety and feelings of hopelessness.
00:42:29 Lilly Crystal: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you”Peter 5:7
00:45:47 Eric Williams: Scientist solidarity, Erick. Balancing intellect and faith is very challenging.
00:46:04 Erick Chastain: yeah for sure
00:47:37 Eric Ash: Must be an Eric/k thing
00:48:29 Eric Williams: Yeah, we're a bunch of troublemakers. ;)
00:48:52 Erick Chastain: LOL
01:03:25 Eric Williams: Already sent it to my oldest godchild. :)
01:10:59 Art: No mind
01:24:35 Lilly Crystal: Thank you Father. God bless
01:24:38 Nicole’s iPhone: Thank you!
01:26:51 Lilly Crystal: I would come all the way from Canada 🙂
01:26:56 Nicole’s iPhone: Love the idea of conferences!
01:28:26 Lilly Crystal: 'philokalia familia' 😂
01:30:53 Erick Chastain: Dr jean-claude larchet "Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses"
01:31:08 Wayne Mackenzie: thanks

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis II, Part II

This evening we concluded the Hypothesis II of the Evergetinos. The focus is on the remembrance of death. Our mortality is a very powerful lens through which to view our life, our actions and most importantly our relationship with God. God and His love alone endures and it is to this love alone that we must cling. If we sin and turn away from that love then repentance must be our constant companion. In fact, we are told that even our virtue can lead us into sin without repentance. We can begin to imagine that such a virtue has its origin in our asceticism. Such a view of life will not lead us to love God above all things and so hate sin.  It is not enough simply for us to avoid certain behaviors we must develop an aversion to anything that is not God and that does not lead to Him.
In Hypothesis II, the Fathers begin to speak to us about how we should repent. We should grieve in measure with the wrong which we have committed. Otherwise, we will usually fall again into the same net. There is a kind of guile that exist in the human heart when there is an expectation of being able to repent later after having committed a sin a second time.
Finally, discussion ensued about how we are to understand sin. We must be very careful in the distinctions that we make and by which we judge our lives and our behavior. It must not be simply in accord with our own reason and intellect but rather in accord with a standard that has been revealed to us that this judgment is made - the cross of Christ and the self-emptying love that we witnessed there.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:24:42 renwitter: Hi Eric’s baby! (The wave just killed me)
00:25:48 Eric Williams: His name is Peter Damian. :)
00:31:02 Joseph Muir: Hello, Godson Peter😀❤
00:59:55 Lilly Crystal: You're fine Erick! I'm just as confused lol
01:02:26 Tyler Woloshyn: That whole part of self-emptying brings the term kenosis to mind, where it is always at work with Christ always pouring out His love and graces to us.
01:04:52 renwitter: Maybe the first Eastern Canadian voice ;-) You are not forgotten Wayne :-)
01:07:08 Wayne Mackenzie: Thanks
01:08:43 renwitter: The form the Fathers of the Oratory use is: “God, the Father of mercies,through the death and resurrection of his Sonhas reconciled the world to himselfand sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins;through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace,and I absolve you from your sinsin the name of the Father, + and of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit.”
01:09:11 Joseph Muir: ❤
01:14:05 Lilly Crystal: Amen! Thank you all so much❤️
01:15:09 carolnypaver: God bless you, Lilly! So glad you’re here!
01:17:39 Tyler Woloshyn: God bless you Father! Have a blessed evening everyone!
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-nine

Tonight we began letter 49 on facing the burdens and responsibilities of life.  These realities, St. Theophan tells Anastasia, are not to be seen as obstacles to a holy life or doing God’s will.  In fact, it is by God’s providence that we are presented with the work and station in life that we have embraced.  It is the disposition of the mind and heart that is most important.  The meanest and smallest of tasks of life or the most demanding of duties must be done as if received from God’s hand and with the constant remembrance of Him.  We cannot allow what we do become abstracted from that relationship as if it could exists independently from God and outside of the action of His grace.  God is everywhere and in every occupation.  It is He that we should be looking for in ever set of circumstances and we must receive every person as if we were receiving Him. Worldly standards must not direct our actions.  Rather we must put on the mind of Christ in order that we might approach all things with a selfless love and absolute desire to do the Father’s will.  Any occupation that makes that impossible or threatens it in some fashion should be avoided.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:16:29 carolnypaver: Different translation from the one we did before?
00:16:38 renwitter: Yes
00:17:11 carolnypaver: Will you let us know when we can pick up?
00:17:26 renwitter: Yep! Absolutely
00:17:53 carolnypaver: Awesome!
00:42:31 Miron: “Be careful that when you say ‘I’m too busy’ that you don’t really mean that ‘I don’t believe in the possibility of my own transformation’ (in Christ)” Archimandrite Maximos
00:54:13 Eric Williams: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
00:55:21 Erick Chastain: I think the mic should work now if there's time
01:06:16 renwitter: The beautiful thing about accepting our work as something given to us by the Lord, and done for his sake, is that that reality is not dependent on the nature of the work, right? The Politician’s job is as much God-given as that of the Father in the home.
01:15:20 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: It is also liberating to realize that the Lord is the one who will appreciate, thank or reward us; and this, in a way that ia always perfectly sinless and just.
01:15:53 Eric Williams: I found the proper attribution for what I said earlier. Greek lyric poet Archilocus (c. 680–645 BC) wrote, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” It seems to have gained modern attention after being partially misquoted by a Navy SEAL.
01:28:47 renwitter: Down with cell phones!! (But seriously, can texting be obliterated from the face of the earth. Those little dings. . . . its like audio water torture)
01:29:18 Daniel Allen: agreed haha
01:29:22 Joseph Muir: Turn off the sound-effects😂
01:32:02 Daniel Allen: what’s the next book?

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part X and Hypothesis II, Part I

Tonight we concluded Hypothesis I with a story of a bishop who fell into grave sin and scandal. Broken in spirit, he embraces a life of repentance in a monastery, while also seeking to hide his the dignity of his office. However, God reveals to the Abbot of the monastery that the bishop is coming to him. The  abbot recognizes him and tells him that he will follow him wherever he goes to reveal that he is a bishop. The abbot does this not with a morbid delight but rather that the bishop might be fully healed. The very scandal of having fallen from such a lofty position as bishop into grave sin must not be something that he hides.  The fullness of healing can only take place when the fullness of the sin is exposed. He who humbles himself will be exalted. Humbling himself completely, the bishop will not regain the dignity of his office but rather regain something greater - his dignity as a son of God. Again, we see that such repentance is not embraced in isolation from others. The fruit of the bishop’s repentance and its perfection is passed on to others after he dies. Many miracles surrounded his death demonstrating to all the genuineness and the sincerity of us repentance.
Turning then to Hypothesis II, we began considering the importance of keeping before our minds the reality of death. We must do good here and now and not delay until the future. This is not meant to instill fear in the hearts of men but rather to liberate them from the illusion that our life in this world is endless or that we are guaranteed a tomorrow. Grace is to be embraced in the moment. God is to be embraced in the moment. To do so is to experience freedom from the fear and anxiety that so often holds the human heart and in its grip.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:11:53 Tyler JVW: Holy Transfiguration Monastery has a wonderful Psalter
00:39:02 Eric Williams: I never felt invincible. I was a very odd child. ;)
00:40:14 Joseph Muir: You’re a very odd adult, Eric😉😂
00:42:27 Lilly Vasconcelos: Be nice to Eric, Mr. Muir😂
00:43:40 Lilly Vasconcelos: Yes I feel the same Father🙂
00:45:52 Lilly Vasconcelos: Humans were not made for long periods of solitude, there is so many negative pschological effects if one doesn't have God as the centre of their lives
00:48:52 Tyler JVW: The definite spiritual high after any retreat or catechetical talk in some experiences.
00:52:59 Lilly Vasconcelos: Praying the Divine Office throughout the day helps me feel like Jesus shares my day with me, so that at night it's kinda exciting if we might depart to him❤️ I don't know if that helps, Ren💕
00:55:55 Tyler JVW: The whole Passion Week Troparia, "Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night" comes to mind.
00:57:57 Eric Williams: Sort of like showing up for the heavenly banquet without the proper garment?
00:58:00 renwitter: Don’t forget your unblemished white wedding garment bathing suit ;-)
00:58:06 renwitter: Ha! Eric get there before me
01:00:28 Joseph Muir: Behold, the Bridegroom is coming in the middle of the night. Blessed is the servant that He shall find awake. But, the one that He shall find neglectful will not be worthy of Him. Beware, therefore, O my soul! Do not fall into a deep slumber, lest you be delivered to death, and the door of the Kingdom be closed on you. Watch, instead, and cry out: Holy, holy, Holy are You, O our God! Through the Theotokos, have mercy on us!
—from bridegroom matins during Holy Week in the Byzantine churches, both Catholic and Orthodox; and also in the mesonyktikon, the liturgical midnight hour
01:01:20 Joseph Muir: Or they get a passing grade, but only after needlessly inducing a panic attack🤣
01:03:31 Lisa Weidner: In response to Ren’s comment on what to do
01:03:36 Joseph Muir: At the risk of spamming these comments, I once broke up with a girl after she told me that she was a diehard fan of the Saw movie franchise
01:03:37 Lilly Vasconcelos: Theotokion from Orthros:You are truly most blessed, O Virgin Mother of God: through the One who was incarnated of You, Hades was chained, Adam revived, the curse wiped out, Eve set free, Death put to death, and we ourselves were brought back to life...
01:03:50 Tyler JVW: It also reminds me of the Byzantine Prayer before bed time:  O Eternal God, King of every creature, Who hast enabled me to attain to this hour, forgive me the sins which I have committed this day by thought, word and deed. Cleanse my humble soul, O Lord, from every defilement of flesh and spirit. Grant me, O Lord, to pass through the sleep of this night in peace, that I may rise from my humble bed and please Thy most Holy Name all the days of my life, vanquishing the enemies both fleshly and bodiless that contend against me. Deliver me from vain thoughts that defile me, O Lord, and from evil desires. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
01:05:39 Lisa Weidner: prior to going to bed, Sister Theresa Althea Noble speaks of a practice of Memento More- remembering one’s death as part of one’s examination conscience prior to bed- with the gratitude of the day that Fr David mentioned with a review of the day in reference to our judgement with God- how the day would be reflected in that judgement- so living with an awareness of one’s death/ judgement prior to God.
01:08:43 Tyler JVW: Prayer before retiring before bed by St, John of Damascus:  Upon retiring, say this prayer: O Master, Lover of mankind, is this bed to be my coffin, or wilt Thou enlighten my wretched soul with another day? Behold, the coffin lieth before me; behold, death confronteth me. I fear, O Lord, Thy judgment and the endless torments, yet I cease not to do evil. My Lord God, I continually anger Thee, and Thy most pure Mother, and all the Heavenly Hosts, and my Holy Guardian Angel. I know, O Lord, that I am unworthy of Thy love for mankind, but am worthy of every condemnation and torment. But, O Lord, whether I will it or not, save me. For to save a righteous man is no great thing, and to have mercy on the pure is nothing wonderful, for they are worthy of Thy mercy. But on me a sinner, show the wonder of Thy mercy; in this reveal Thy love for mankind, lest my wickedness prevail over Thine ineffable goodness and merciful kindness; and order my life as Thou wilt.
01:10:21 Lilly Vasconcelos: Thanks Father! God bless and good night
01:11:21 Nicole: THANK YOU!!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-eight

Tonight we picked up with Letter 48. St. Theophan begins to instruct Anastasia about how to attain Undistracted Prayer. One of the most difficult labors in the spiritual life is to settle one’s thoughts. As we seek to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ we are confronted with the multiplicity of our thoughts and their unruliness. Theophan tells Anastasia that she must have firm resolve and hold on to her anxiety about this and intensify her efforts in correcting the fault of allowing her mind to wander. To pacify one’s thoughts is a gift of God but nonetheless we must labor with our whole being. We must force ourselves in every good thing but especially in prayer. Theophan is very stark in his language. He does not hesitate to tell Anastasia that prayer is the most important thing in our life as human beings. In fact our whole being must become Prayer; we must be directed toward God in all that we do say and especially in how we pray. Therefore we cannot enter into prayer as a by-the-way activity or in a haphazard fashion. To do so, Theophan tells Anastasia, is a criminal offense. This language seems harsh but what he’s trying to communicate to her is that prayer is fundamentally an act of justice toward God, giving Him what is His do. We have been created for Him and to share in the fullness of eternal life. There is nothing more important in this world than to live for God.
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Text of chat during the group
00:37:24 Eric Williams: Sometimes maintaining a prayer rule feels more like a sysyphean task than herculean. ;)
00:39:28 Sheila Applegate: Add Cerbwrys
00:39:35 Sheila Applegate: Adce
00:39:57 Sheila Applegate: Cereberus spitting fire from the base.
00:40:24 Sheila Applegate: My phone is glitchy, sorry.
00:42:15 Miron: metropolitan
00:47:38 Mark Cummings: It is my dream to live next door to church
00:48:10 Eric Williams: Often it’s not just a matter of how close a church is, but more whether/when it’s open for prayer. :(
00:49:11 Wayne Mackenzie: There was a time when the churches were open all day
00:50:56 Mark Cummings: Not long ago I could go to adoration any time 24/7
00:51:02 Mark Cummings: pre-covid
00:51:15 Mark Cummings: I miss that
00:51:41 Wayne Mackenzie: I am talking about the 60s
00:52:26 Mark Cummings: lol- it is not often that I get to say that was before my time
00:53:07 Wayne Mackenzie: yes I am giving my age away
00:58:15 Eric Williams: “Grasp” is an interesting choice of word. The origin of the modern “comprehend”, meaning “understand”, is from Latin for “grasp”. It’s as though we wrap our minds around an idea, enveloping and seizing it. It’s very material, “earthy”.
01:13:45 Eric Williams: Isn’t hyperbole a prominent part of ancient rabbinic teaching styles?
01:28:06 Nicole: Thank you!
01:28:12 Scott: What if we end with the Sienfeld bass instead?  More positive!
01:28:59 Eric Williams: Instead of the Law and Order “bong”, just say “Pray, criminal!” for an appropriate level of jarring. ;)

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part IX

We picked up this evening with Hypothesis I which we have been considering over the past month or so. Again the theme is repentance and the avoidance of despair. We have been presented with stories from the Gerontikon which is a collection of the saying of the elders. The focus of the first story we considered tonight was a monk who fell in love with an Egyptian woman. Her father went to a pagan priest and was instructed by a demon through that priest to tell the monk that if he denied God, denied his holy baptism, and rejected his monastic vows then he could marry his daughter.  Yet despite doing all of these things, God did not abandon him. The demon acting through the pagan priest understood this and so told the father to refuse the monk’s request to give his daughter in marriage. At that moment, the monk came to the realization of what he had done and repented with deep sorrow. Turning back to his elder, he was instructed to engage rigorously in a fast for weeks and to ask God for his mercy. Eventually the monk was given a vision of a dove entering into his mouth. At this the elder understood that God had received the monk’s penance and restored him to the life of grace. This tells us something very important about the nature of repentance and far reaching it must be. Our penance cannot be something that has no meaning or value but must be a remedy that heals the wound hat led to the fall in the fall in the first place. We must also seek out the guidance of an elder, like this young monk, who not only can instruct us but also intercede on our behalf before God.
Following this, an elder teaches us that when a person is experienced in asceticism and has built his life on the very things to draw him closer to God, falls from grace, he can return more quickly along the path to holiness because even though his house, as it were, may have been demolished he still has readily available all the materials from which constructed it. A person newly initiated into the spiritual life, however, will not only have to build the house but search for the materials. Both suffered the demolition and distraction brought about by their sin, but the one whose life had long been directed toward God can return with a greater swiftness.
Discussion then ensued about how we understand affliction in light of all the things that we have been talking about in regards to repentance. How does one not fall into despair when afflicted again and again?  It is only when our knowledge of God is no carried tale and no abstract notion but rather the fruit of a relationship of love that we are able to see through the tears in the darkness and find our way into the embrace of the loving God. This is what we must seek to possess ourselves and to which we must guide others.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:37:59 Tyler Woloshyn: This reminds me of St. Mary of Egypt's retreat into the wilderness to overcome the passions that surrounded her, yet in that long suffering she overcame it with the greatest ascetism and prayer.
00:38:13 Lilly Vasconcelos: Sin is sin. I dislike the idea of venial vs mortal, just my opinion. We should strive for holiness :)
00:39:33 Tyler Woloshyn: Very Byzantine focus there Lilly.  Categorizations can sometimes complicate the examination of conscience.
00:45:36 Tyler Woloshyn: St. Pachomius of Egypt?
00:46:25 Erick Chastain: Modern-day Egypt, back then it was Thebes
00:47:47 Wayne Mackenzie: It's the rule of Pachomis
00:49:51 Tyler Woloshyn: The Prayer of St. Pachomius at least for the Jesus Prayer sure sets a wonderful template for building a crescendo for praying the Jesus Prayer.
00:50:12 Wayne Mackenzie: yes
00:50:50 Eric Williams: Rule of St. Pachomius: http://www.saintjonah.org/services/stpachomius.htm
00:51:04 Joseph Muir: Thank you, Eric!
00:56:56 carolediclaudio: I’m late- what page are we on? :)
00:58:18 carolnypaver: 25
00:58:26 Wayne Mackenzie: p 25
00:58:28 Tyler Woloshyn: Acedia, which Evagarios of Pontus talks about those 8 passions. Despair being grave.
00:58:28 carolnypaver: bottom
00:58:39 carolediclaudio: Thank you!
01:09:45 Lilly Vasconcelos: Thank you Father David :)
01:10:20 Tyler Woloshyn: Christ is Risen! Thank you for the wonderful explanations and being very welcoming Fr. David.
01:10:24 carolediclaudio: Yes, very beautiful. So sorry was late.
01:11:38 Lilly Vasconcelos: I brought 2 more Canadians
01:11:43 Lilly Vasconcelos: Hahaha
01:11:49 Katharine M: :D
01:11:59 carolediclaudio: Good :)
01:13:45 Sue and  Mark: YES!!!!!!
01:13:58 Erick Chastain: That would be great!
01:14:16 Eric Williams: Maybe “The Way of a Pilgrim”?
01:14:17 Daniel Allen: perfect i won’t have to buy another copy
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-seven Part II

Tonight we came to the conclusion of Letter 47 on developing a prayer rule. St. Theophan begins by warning Anastasia that she must be even more diligent and concentrated in the evening. It is then that we often become sluggish and inattentive as we become more and more fatigued or after we have had the evening meal.  It is at times like this that we can be subject to particular temptations. Therefore, Theophan tells Anastasia that she should increase her prostrations and petitions to God and that she should even seek to fall asleep with the Jesus prayer on her lips or reciting some psalm.
Along these lines Theophan encourages her to memorize a certain number of the psalms; in particular those that speak to her heart. She should allow herself to read through the Psalter and then select those that mean the most to her. And this way she will be fully armed for the spiritual battle. Most important of all, however, is that Anastasia sees herself standing before God with her “mind in the heart with devotion and heartfelt prostration to him.”  All of his other suggestions are mere aids in the practice. What is going on in the heart is most important.
He then tells her that in her prayer rule she should set a distinct number of short prayers that she says as well as a set number of prostrations that are done. This will keep her from falling into laziness and help her to stretch herself in the development of her prayer. She should not speed through these and if she does she should add additional prostrations to her practice. Thus, she must have a certain spiritual maturity; not trying to cheat God. 
As a brief conclusion Theophan tells her that he is sending her a prayer rope that he wants her to use. This is not a monastic thing, he emphasizes. In fact, Theophan received and heard about the prayer rope from a lay person. It is simply an aid to allow one’s love and devotion to be directed to God; one that adds a bodily element to that effort. For this reason it is invaluable.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:28:58 Eric Ash: I'm reminded of a study that showed artist renditions of the last supper have been showing an increased portion size over the centuries as society's view of what a modest portion is has grown.
00:37:14 Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Psalms-New-Translation-Singing-Version/dp/0809116693/ref=sr_1_5
This Psalter is the same translation as the breviary commonly used in the US, which is a pleasant translation.
01:00:50 renwitter: Hey folks! Sorry this is off topic, but since you are here :-) If you are not already, but would like to be on the mailing list for Philokalia Ministries, please fill out this form! Thank you! https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.etapestry.com%2Fonlineforms%2FThePittsburghOratory%2Fphilokaliacontact.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0_S8CqCO7SYILbW8mLPQfACza8728Y7UDGDMFZopqoZ-ytgi0GumyQoRA&h=AT0XPibbprPPvay0ZxKcKhkPmFtot0lrrjJjmurma0VgE9HNjqGO9WQ5tD-pVT2rRAEZiQF-1Nvf03RY3uXkfVIIFbB8OlI_WFtjktNqJ_-zQFRX6DyT8QLToXEV9qquNMQfnG7e6w&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT3qqUcjHbbsDV6cRbNPgatZ405PY07aOV1kg-XwstnyFNKsYKofNczkMTzIAH5VjlLdTDbZHPu75Rani-bux_zi0Nm6eOSUhEw5e1CmF1nQFyuHskX2YVkRjsdulqrZ5WtJ4N8b1s4F-oVpMEWATX-FSxCWDmVvjvPHjtqECCOCA1bsALdKdM-yeDfeJJq1du-jI4Ne
 

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part VIII

We continued with our reading of Hypothesis I on “repentance in the avoidance of despair.” After giving us a foundation of many stories of God‘s infinite and boundless mercy, the focus of attention this evening is on the human response to this mercy.  Repentance is not a static reality. Rather, it is a source of protection, a cloak that one wears. We are not meant to simply remain in the sadness of having committed sins, but rather we are to rise and engage in the spiritual warfare that God’s mercy and grace gives us the strength to enter. We are to be combatants. Our weapons are not worldly nor are they rooted in ourselves but rather arise first from the grace of God and manifest themselves in our hearts as humility, obedience, self-sacrificing love, contrition. We are also shown that the impact of repentance is not limited to one person. Repentance when it is deep and true brings about miracles not only in one’s own life but in the lives of those around us. God’s grace and mercy overflows in response to the abundance of tears that an individual sheds on behalf of his sins and the sins of the world. The presence of penitents in the Church strengthens it and gives others who have fallen into sin hope of salvation and conversion of life.
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Text of chat during the group
00:31:48 Eric Williams: PEWSLAG
00:56:07 Eric Williams: The ass saved the ass from himself!
00:58:25 Eric Williams: “Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” - Ephesians 6:10-17
01:03:47 The Pittsburgh Oratory: Erick we lost you.
01:16:38 Eric Williams: “Say: woe is me, alas, O soul, and weep; for thou hast been left and orphan so young by the blameless fathers and righteous ascetics. Where are our fathers? Where are the saints? Where are the vigilant? Where are the sober? Where are the humble? Where are the meek? Where are those who vow silence? Where are the abstinent? Where are those who with a contrite heart stood before the Lord in perfect prayer, like angels of God? They have left here to join our holy God with their lamps brightly burning. Woe is us! What times are these in which we live? Into what sea of evil have we sailed? Our fathers have entered the harbor of life, that they might not see the sorrows and seductions that overcome us because of our sins. They are crowned, yet we slumber; we sleep and indulge in selfish pleasures.” - St Ephraim the Syrian

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-six Part II and Letter Forty-seven Part I

Tonight we picked up with Letter 46 to Anastasia including general rules about staying on the spiritual path. St. Theophan’s guidance is very sensible. He begins by encouraging her to pray, read and meditate in order to engage her mind, body and memory in every aspect of her prayer. He does not want it simply to be a discipline for her but rather a relationship. She must labor with all of her strength trusting in God and that He will provide things in His own time and in accord with His Providence.
In Letter 47 St. Theophan begins to lay out for her the foundations of a prayer rule. He begins by telling her that this has been the practice of great practitioners of prayer from the beginning. It helps us to avoid laziness but it also helps us to restrain our enthusiasm so that it is always measured. She must not be overly concerned about the number of prayers she is doing but rather the manner in which she is engaging God. One of the great pieces of advice that he offers her goes back to the earliest of the Fathers. He wants her to begin to memorize her prayers and not always be reading from a book. He wants her to have access from her own heart the longings and desires expressed in the prayers that she has memorized. In particular, he encourages her to memorize the Psalms that speak to her soul in a particular way. We will pick up there next time.

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part VII

Such beauty! Not only were tonight‘s passages from the Evergetinos memorable - one is compelled to memorize them due to their profundity. They speak to us of the sweetness and the joy that comes to us through repentance and that God desires to give to us. At every turn we are encouraged to be confident and not to be duped by the temptations of the Evil One to ruminate on past sins or to doubt for a moment the God desire to forgive.
We are to be fearless in the face of our own sins and the thoughts from which they arise. To acknowledge them openly is to make them powerless and without weight. To bring them before God and the light of His love is to bring ourselves healing and hope. Immediately, like the father in the story of the prodigal son, God desires to robe us with innocence and restore to us the promise of adoption which the Holy Spirit bestows upon us. God desires to make us partakers of eternal life. In fact, repentance is to be seen as a rebirth from holy mother church who will supply us with nourishment and bring us to a mature faith. With tenderness we are embraced by God who draws us to the maternal breast. As Father he does not desire to punish but rather understands our weakness and likewise seeks to carries us and support us until we are capable of understanding the Evil One’s ways and fighting against them fully.
If we know sorrow because of our sin it should always be paired with the joy; the joy that comes from turning toward God and being restored to that relationship. Despair is the great enemy and we should not wait a moment to return to God.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:48:42 Eric Williams: We’re shy about sharing all our thoughts with a wide elder or confessor, but we broadcast them loudly and proudly on social media.
00:49:37 Mary Schott: Lol, true that.
01:05:11 Eric Williams: Just go up to the pulpit and stare ominously in silence. After an uncomfortable period, announce, “Thus ends the lesson” and step down. ;)
01:23:02 D Fraley: Thank you Father.
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-six Part I

Tonight we began Letter 46 wherein Saint Theophan gives Anastasia general rules for staying on the true path. He begins by praising her for her great love of the Lord and her zeal in the spiritual life. Yet, he wants to give her a number of rules to help her persevere. The first is to fear doubt and to see it as the primary enemy. The demons will instill in us a false sense of security or a prideful view of our spiritual gains. When we fall into sin they then drag us down into doubt and make us question our commitment. Secondly, Theophan tells her that fear and apprehension will not abandon her. In fact, she must hold onto them because they will make her vigilant in avoiding the snares of the evil one. No matter how proficient she becomes in the spiritual life she must remain ever vigilant. Thirdly, she must always hold on to the fear of death and judgment. This is not meant to lead Anastasia into anxiety but rather to open her eyes to the brevity of her life and to see that every action and deed is freighted with destiny. It is meant simply to make her take her life seriously. Fourthly, she is to avoid undesirable company. While not distancing herself completely from the world she must understand that as human beings we are in a constant state of receptivity. Because of our sin we must then guard our hearts and be discerning about what we receive into them. Finally, Theophan tells Anastasia not to avoid people or become gloomy. In her spiritual struggles she must not make herself an oddity in the eyes of others nor should she put on a gloomy appearance which betrays a lack of hope and trust in the grace of God. She must rather practice the asceticism of joy and always bear witness to her hope in Christ.
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Text of chat during group
00:18:05 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: In case anyone needs it, to understand St Theophan better, my brother wrote a three page summary:  A Brief Primer on Patristic Greek Anthropology with an Emphasis on the Process of Contemplation and Obstacles to It   
Very Rev. Andriy Chirovsky, SThD      
September, 2003
http://tho3306.sheptytskyinstitute.ca/2013/11/27/a-chirovsky-brief-primer-in-theological-anthropology/
00:36:40 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Great Vespers in UGCC       http://archeparchy.ca/wcm-docs/docs/order_of_great_vespers_pdf.pdf                   
Daily Vespers            
http://archeparchy.ca/wcm-docs/docs/order_of_dailyt_vespers_pdf.pdf            
Propers for Saturday and Feastday evenings  https://lit.royaldoors.net/            
I also email texts for Matins and Divine Liturgy to anyone who ask for it.
00:59:42 Eric Williams: “Acquire a peaceful spirit and then thousands of others around you will be saved.” - St. Seraphim of Sarov
01:04:56 Eric Williams: It seems to me that data are plentiful, actual information is uncommmon, edifying information that increases knowledge is rare, and finding knowledge that leads to wisdom is like being struck by lightning or winning the lottery.
01:05:42 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Amen, Eric.
01:16:01 Eric Williams: I was thinking that, Father, so I’m glad you said it! ;)
01:23:02 Mark Cummings: Thank you!

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part VI

Another beautiful group tonight!  We picked up with Hypothesis I, page 13. Again we are given multiple stories of individuals repenting from sin and turning back to God from states of depravity. The very movement of the mind and the heart brings down upon them a flood of God’s grace and mercy.
What is different in the stories we read tonight is the radical solidarity and empathy that we see in the minds and the hearts of the elders. They approach those in their charge not as masters but as servants; not condescending to them but rather seeing themselves sharing intimately in the sorrows and the woundedness of their sin. The responsibility was theirs’ to weep over these sins and seek to help others overcome them if possible. There is no such thing as an individual Christian; that is, a Christian separated from the body of Christ and from one another. Our own repentance should help to elevate and lift up the Church and the repentance of others can also help raise us up and strengthen us as well. God‘s desire is to heal us, not to punish us. We have lost this sense of the need for healing and understanding that the Church is a hospital and have instead turned the acknowledgment of one sins into a legalistic practice or rather a psychological and emotional release. Consciences can be so hardened - not only among individuals but among whole groups of people - that we can completely lose our way unless God and his great mercy and Providence does something to up-end the illusion. He will do anything to help us overcome what affects and afflicts us. Blessed be God forever.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:17:02 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: in case anyone needs it my brother wrote A Brief Primer on Patristic Greek Anthropology with an Emphasis on the Process of Contemplation and Obstacles to It Very Rev. Andriy Chirovsky, SThD September, 2003     http://tho3306.sheptytskyinstitute.ca/2013/11/27/a-chirovsky-brief-primer-in-theological-anthropology/
00:17:36 carolnypaver: Thank you, Fr. Ivan!
00:18:11 Wayne Mackenzie: I have a copy of this. A good read.
00:51:30 Katharine M: Sorry I forgot to raise my hand, :)
01:07:00 Eric Williams: “Each generation is converted by the saint who contradicts it most.” - GK Chesterton
01:08:53 Lilly Vasconcelos: Russia is definitely spreading Her errors across the world, as Our Blessed Theotokos warned us in Fatima, Portugal

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-five Part II

It is often a few paragraphs that turn into a beautiful blessing; suddenly one’s vision is cleared and our understanding of the spiritual life opens up. This is exactly what St. Theophan does for Anastasia in letter 45. He speaks to her once again about not allowing her thoughts to wander. In fact he speaks very sternly with her here not out of anger but rather as a matter of emphasis. This is at the very heart of the spiritual life - the remembrance of God. And so, he offers her a number of conditions for success. 1). uninterrupted continuity and persistence. Anastasia must not let off of the prayer rule that he will provide her or in this exercise of taking her thoughts captive. 2). To practice patience and self-discipline. Anastasia will inevitably experience doubt and a weakening of her desire and will. All of these she must drive away and continue in her labors. 3). To be inspired with hope in the Lord.  When God sees her labor and her commitment he will add grace to grace until she begins to experience the fruitfulness of her labors. One of these fruits is calmness of heart. The more one lives within the depths, even when the waters on the surface are choppy and life seems chaotic, one can still experience the peace of the kingdom.
Theophan‘s final reminder to Anastasia is that this work of the spirit within her is what she set out to embrace. If she follows it faithfully, she will become a real person; a daughter of God created in His image and likeness and living in constant communion with Him.
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00:27:30 Eric Williams: *idle* curiosity
00:28:18 Eric Williams: clickbait!
00:43:38 Eric Williams: We got distracted and our thoughts wandered. ;) *rimshot*
00:47:41 Eric Williams: Getting up at 3 AM to pray was even harder than the silence!
01:00:26 renwitter: I am quitting tomorrow!!!
01:00:41 Erick Chastain: lol yeah me too
01:02:47 renwitter: Yay!! No work, no work. You guys want to form a commune? Saint Theophan’s Skete?
01:10:01 carolnypaver: My husband has a computer-intensive job.  He sets an alarm on his computer to go off every hour to redirect/consecrate his work to God.

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part V

Tonight we continued our study of Hypothesis I on repentance and the avoidance of despair. Again, we are presented with a number of stories that emphasize the importance of the simple movement of the mind and heart toward God through acknowledging one’s sin. This immediately brings down upon the individual the mercy and the grace of God - no matter when or where it takes place. God who sees the mind and the heart knows the person’s motivation and the depth of the repentance.
One of the things we are warned about is the kind of sorrow that the demons often will place within the human heart to cast us into despair and make us call into question the mercy of God. Again and again the demons put forward the doubt that one has lived too long in sin in order to receive the mercy of God, that they belong to the demons and hell due to the amount of time they spent in their sin.  Yet, repeatedly we hear the angels say that God is the true master of heaven and earth and in his omniscience sees to the depths of a person’s soul. He alone has the right and the capacity to judge. 
We may find ourselves particularly challenged by the fathers’ emphasis upon how our conscience should immediately cease to be troubled the moment that we acknowledge and confess our sins to God. So often it is fear and doubt that allows our sin to cling to us; that it gradually undermines the unconditional love and mercy that God wants to fill us with in order that we might engage others with that same perfect love. It is often one of the great stumbling blocks for us even as men and women of faith to enter into this profound mystery, to let ourselves to be guided by the grace of God to imagine the unimaginable – that His love could so transform us and so free us from the shackles of sin. The darkness that sin brings to the mind and the heart often clouds our vision just enough to throw that all into doubt; making us want to qualify it in one way or another. All the “reasonable” objections immediately come to our hearts and minds and we stumble. The mercy that we are given is meant to free us in every way, from our sin and from every limitation on our capacity to love and give ourselves in love.
 

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-four Part II and Letter Forty-five

St. Theophan continued to talk with Anastasia about the dangers that arise as one draws to the end of Lent and the beginning of Spring. Both have particular and subtle dangers tied to them. The first is seeing Lent as an end in itself. Rather, Lent is a springboard into greater intimacy with the Lord and commitment to him in the life of prayer. If we see it as a period of endurance for 40 days then we are gradually going to slide back into past behaviors and ways of thought. Similarly springtime brings new life and birth and the excitement of all that is going on around us and stimulating the senses. There is nothing, of course, that is evil about this; but if we do not see it within the context of God who is our creator and who has made all these things, our attention can be directed in a disordered way toward them and away from God and from the spiritual life. That which is good, then, can be used as a temptation to pull us away from our discipline.  Theophan warns her about suspicious thoughts that seek to interject themselves into the mind; in particular, the thought “why did I begin“. We will often question ourselves as to why we started along the path that we were on and in the process we question God and the movement of His grace. This Anastasia must fight against and pray that God would preserve her from its effects. 
In letter 45, St. Theophan emphasizes for her again the importance of undistracted prayer. It is the barometer of the spiritual life and reveals to her how high or low or spirit has gone in seeking God. He reminds her that in essence prayer is the remembrance of God and the raising of the heart and mind to Him in love. This she already sees and understands and must simply hold onto it as the greatest truth of life.
 
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00:17:47 Mary McLeod: we’re both here :)
00:31:25 Mark Cummings: Hello- several weeks ago someone referenced a good youtube video of the Jesus Prayer chant. Do you happen to know what the youtube video was?
00:37:26 Sheila Applegate: Well said, Andreea.
00:56:16 Mark Cummings: Doing vs Being, lol
00:56:20 Eric Williams: Telling people I’m a stay-at-home dad has led to a lot of awkward conversations. According to some, I’m perverting God’s created order! To others, a man is somehow worth less if he does not materially provide for his family.
01:02:27 Mark Cummings: Sorry to hear that Eric.
01:18:41 Mark Cummings: Thank you!

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part IV

We continued our study tonight by reflecting upon the Fathers’ encouragement to reach out to God in the spirit of repentance. More than anything, the examples that are given, the stories that are told, are meant to help us to avoid despair. We have a God who is set upon our salvation. The mere movement of the mind and the heart towards Him with contrition brings with it a flood of mercy and grace. We are meant to be valiant strugglers; taking hold of the grace that God has given us and the mercy and the forgiveness He has bestowed upon us in order that we might come to experience the full freedom of those have been made sons and daughters of God. The Ascetical life is not simply about self- discipline: it is about love and the fullness of life. Christ is the most beautiful person. In Him we see the fullness of God and the depth of His love.  It is to this beauty that we are called and it is this beauty that we cultivate through the Ascetical life. It is better for us to struggle with our own poverty and sin and experience it truly than to remain in the fearful enslavement of Egypt; that is, bound to the emptiness of sin.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:23:38 renwitter: Everything he writes is amazing. 100% recommend “Woman and the Salvation of the World.”
00:24:46 Joseph Muir: Is that by the “more contemporary elder” whom Fr David mentioned, Ren?
00:25:10 renwitter: Yep! Evdokimov
00:25:23 Sue mcmillen: was the name?
00:25:41 renwitter: Paul Evdokimov
00:30:48 Joseph Muir: Fr Jeremiah Shyrock, CFR, is his name, if anyone wants to look him up
00:43:05 Anthony Gallagher: my raise hand button is not working :-( trying to raise hand.
00:56:28 Eric Williams: Kids fought over something sharp and the 6yo’s finger got cut badly enough that she’s off to the ER to maybe get stitches (hence my sudden disappearance). What page are we on now?
00:56:54 renwitter: Same one Eric :-D
00:57:09 Eric Williams: 11?!
00:57:16 renwitter: Yepperz
00:57:25 carolnypaver: 11
00:57:49 Michael Liccione: Prayers for your daughter
00:58:30 Eric Williams: Thank you :)
01:14:12 Eric Williams: “All your life you live so close to truth, it becomes a permanent blur in the corner of your eye, and when something nudges it into outline it is like being ambushed by a grotesque.”
― Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
01:15:49 James Ellis: Thank you Father!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-three Part II and Letter Forty-four

Once again St. Theophan expresses a kind of a holy genius as he speaks to Anastasia. We began the evening by discussing his final simple rule to follow in order to progress in the spiritual life. Patience, he tells Anastasia, will help her to endure and see through the trials and tribulations of life. It will allow her to remain steadfast her discipline. She is not always going to see the fruit of her labor and perhaps not for many years. So she must hold on to the wisdom of the fathers and of the Church; trusting that God will make all things work for the good of those who seek Him.
In Letter 44, St. Theophan offers Anastasia three precautions to take  so that she might avoid some of the pitfalls involved in walking along the spiritual path. The first is never to think that you’ve already succeeded in doing something. The  thought that “I’ve done it!” easily slips into our mind in such a way that we lose our energy in the pursuit of the spiritual life.
Secondly we must not allow ourselves to relax under any condition. By this, he does not mean that we do not allow ourselves time to rest and to be restored physically. What is warning against is that the Evil One can tell us that we’ve been working very hard and that we should ease up on self-constraint and self-observation. When this happens we begin to indulge ourselves indiscriminately. It is like a hole in a dam; it eventually wears away the earth until the water floods through. The evil enemy will speak these words of sweetness to us to give us false encouragement.
And finally, Theophan begins to offer a word a special caution that is tied to the celebration of Easter as well as the coming of spring. As we come to the end of the penitential season and as we see new life emerge in our world and its beauty, we can find ourselves overcome by the senses. Simply put, the new life that emerges in spring time can be enough to arouse all the senses and unless we are vigilant as to what’s going on within we can be led astray even by what is good. The devil often takes the form of an angel of light or uses that which is good in order to distract us - ultimately leading to our fall.

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part III

We continued our reading of Hypothesis I of the Evergetinos regarding “Repentance and the Avoidance of Despair.”  We are presented with one story after another of someone who finds himself or herself in grave sin; sometimes struggling year after year and yet returning to God with a repentant heart.
Monk Paul, who compiled the text, begins by giving us stories that at first are a reflection upon the nature of repentance itself; from the perspective of those who receive mercy in order to foster confidence in God.  But there’s a gradual and extraordinary progression that takes place in the stories themselves. They take us deeper and deeper into the very heart of God who is set upon the salvation of all and who looks for the smallest movement of repentance in the human heart in order to draw a person back to Him. 
We tend to look upon ourselves and our own sin and the sins of others through the lens of our own intellect and judgment or our malformed consciences. Ultimately the fathers tell us it is only when we begin to look at the mercy of God in light of the Cross and  the precious blood of Christ that was shed on our behalf that we begin to understand. God’s generosity cannot be called into question. Rather, we must humbly allow ourselves to be drawn into the mystery. We must allow God to show us the nature of love and receive it ourselves before we can truly show it to others. May God bless it and make it so!
 
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Text of chat during group:
00:15:41 Joseph Muir: please pray for my friend Lilly in Toronto, who joined us for the past two meetings. She is dealing with some pretty severe health issue (not Covid-related), and isn’t able to join us tonight, unfortunately
00:16:33 Katharine M: Prayers for Lilly
00:19:01 Eric Williams: I was taught “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without”
00:57:27 Eric Williams: The penitent who sins every day and repents every day reminds me of St. Mark Ji Tianxiang, who was an opium addict who didn’t receive the Eucharist for the last 30 years of his life and died a martyr.
01:17:08 Erick Chastain: strangely enough it was a favorite feast day of Pope John XXIII who convened the 2nd Vatican council
01:28:25 Sharon: I realize we need to wrap up, but the themes of toleration and boundaries keep coming up within my circle. The devil uses the word “tolerate” instead of “love.” And more and more people are encouraged to create boundaries. I just wonder how we can be truly seeking conversion of heart and unity with God if we are spending our time and energy just tolerating people and building boundaries.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-three

This evening we moved on to letter 43. St. Theophan had been teaching Anastasia about reining in the thoughts; in particular, through the use of the Jesus prayer. We are not simply to allow our thoughts to draw us where they will but rather redirect them toward God. Here Theophan becomes more specific in his teaching and gives Anastasia three rules to follow. However, before this he begins by describing for her the inner movements of the thoughts, the heart, and the desires. Thoughts multiply and they hang within the mind like fog. But more than that - they swarm like mosquitoes. Thus, there is a constant movement among the thoughts. Beneath this is the heart and within the heart the thoughts constantly strike the heart and afflicted it. The passions are stirred and there is no order to be found. Emotions shake the heart like a leaf blowing in the wind. Emotion always engenders desire. And with this comes inner confusion and uncertainty. We can have contradictory desires at the same time. Out of this confusion grows kind of gloom and in the gloom the demons will enter to afflict us and whip up things even more. Anastasia then must recommit herself to work for the Lord and belong to Him alone. She must seek with all of her strength to destroy this inner disorder. The first rule is to engender that unceasing remembrance of God. The constant thought of God decreases the confusion and embracing this habit conscientiously within a few months time will help still things in great measure. The second rule is always to obey the conscience which must be well formed. When obedient to it we will seek the things of God and seek to please Him.
As one would expect much discussion ensued about the spiritual life. Theophan draws Anastasia forward and in doing so he takes us with her and shows us the path into the depths of the heart where God dwells - and where peace alone is found.

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part II

What an extraordinary reading!  We’ve been considering Hypothesis I about repentance and not falling into despair. Tonight we began with the writing from the life of St. Synkletike. She’s one of the Desert Mothers and considered by many as equal to Saint Anthony the Great. The counsel she offers is psychologically subtle and spiritually beautiful. She encourages us always to support others, especially neophytes, and encourage them in the struggle for the good. No matter how small their virtues deeds might seem we must lift them up and praise them in order to encourage them in the spiritual battle. Likewise, no matter how great a fault may be we must, in front of them, treat it as though it is the least an on worthy of note. The evil one wishes to destroy their efforts and so we must in every way lift them up and encourage them to continue. God‘s compassion and mercy is unlimited and she gives us multiple examples from the Scriptures to remind us: Saint Paul Rahab the prostitute from the Old Testament, and St. Matthew the tax collector. In all of these we see the worth of repentance and the compassion of God towards the repentant man.
Those who struggle with pride God himself will prune so they do not begin to attribute their growth and virtue to themselves. He will humble them in order that they might continue to cling to Him and to His grace.
Next, the holy Palladios recounts for us the story of Saint Moses the Ethiopian. We see in him how the passion of anger unchecked and murderous in its nature and conduct can be transformed by the gift of repentance. After a violent existence, Moses was moved to contrition and the incensive faculty within him redirected the anger towards sin and drove him in the ascetical life to war against the demons. He became so virtuous that he rivaled even those elders of Skete. By the time he died, there were 70 disciples who joined him, many of whom were his fellow former criminals.
All of this is meant to lead us to set aside the judgments of our own reason when it comes to love, compassion, and mercy. We are called to imitate God who, while we were still enemies, had mercy upon us and gave us His only begotten Son.
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00:21:02 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2017/01/05/100099-venerable-syncletica-of-alexandria
00:22:25 Eric Williams: sin-kle-ti-kee (not sure which syllable gets emphasis; Fr Ivan?)
00:23:00 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: St Nikolai Velimirovich's Prologue of Ohrid: Syncletica was of Macedonian descent. She was educated in Alexandria. As a wealthy and distinguished maiden she had many suitors, but she rejected them all and fled from her parents' home to a convent. In great self-restraint, vigil and prayer, Syncletica lived to her eightieth year. Her counsels to the nuns have always been considered true spiritual pearls, for this righteous one did not attain the heights of wisdom through books but through sufferings, pains, daily and nightly contemplation, and spiritual communication with the higher world of the Divine. Her soul took up its habitation in that higher world in the year 350 A.D. Among other things, St. Syncletica was known to say: "If it is the season for fasting, do not dismiss fasting, claiming illness, for behold, even those who do not fast succumb to the same illness." She further said: "As a treasure, when uncovered, is quickly seized, ….
00:23:03 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: so it is with virtue: when it is made public it becomes eclipsed and is lost."
00:23:55 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: her feast is Jan 5 in the Byzantine calendar
00:26:16 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: The Life and Conduct of the HOLY AND BLESSED TEACHER SYNKLETIKE by St. Athanasios the Great was published in English in 2015.
00:29:29 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Σύγκλητος means “senate” or “assembly”; hence, the name Συγκλητική denotes what is “senatorial” or “noble”; in this instance, a noble in the “heavenly assembly” of Saints.  The accent is on the last syllable in Greek: syn-klee-ti-KEE.  In English it is "Syncletica".
00:43:21 Joseph Muir: tax collectors are still hated today😂
00:49:23 Ren Witter: I would stay on video and be social, but I am eating dinner and I’m a slob :-D
00:49:29 Katharine: :D
00:50:01 carolediclaudio: :):)
00:58:51 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: skete or sketis is defined on pg. 425 in glossary
01:09:10 Andres Mason: he is pretty cool 
01:09:14 Andres Mason: straightforward 
01:14:28 Joseph Muir: I emphatically recommend backpacking, particularly of a long-distance variety😀
01:21:31 Eric Williams: “Therefore it is the paradox of history that each generation is converted by the saint who contradicts it most.” - GK Chesterton
01:21:48 Joseph Muir: ❤
01:24:16 Lilly Vasconcelos: @Joseph When the US/CA border opens, sign me up for hiking retreat with Franciscans 🙏
01:29:57 Lilly Vasconcelos: Bon nuit, merci
01:30:11 Micah Valine: Thank you

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-two

Now that Anastasia has gone to confession and received holy communion, St. Theophan begins to guide her along the path of salvation in order that her joy might be complete. He begins by clarifying for her that our hope for life and for love and for salvation is to be found in Christ alone. No earthly power or reality can save us. Her confidence should come from the fact that it is this God who dwells within the very depths of her being. It is He who lifts her up and allows her to say, “Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.“
At this point he introduces Anastasia to what is at heart of the spiritual life- prayer. He describes it as the unknown “unceasing remembrance of God.”  We are never to allow God to slip out to the margins of our minds and hearts, never allow him to be overshadowed by anxieties and fears. Rather, we are to call upon him and bring Him to mind habitually, until we begin to experience this as God looking at us and we looking at Him. It is the gaze of Divine Love.  To this purpose he begins to teach her the Jesus prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner” or “Lord have mercy.”  To cry out these two or three words with devotion and reverence allows us to take hold of the Spirit of Love that groans within us - love that is eternal and beyond words.  Therefore, if she has never heard of this then she must listen and if she has never done it, he tells her, she must begin doing it from this moment on. Whether she is walking or working or eating or going to bed these words must be repeated within the mind and the heart. With reverence and love one must be constantly reaching out toward God. This is her genuine service to the Lord - giving Him the love, praise and worship He deserves.

The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis I, Part I

With great joy we began our study of the Evergetinos after years of waiting and preparation. This collection of the writings and the lives of the desert monks has been a rich source of spiritual nourishment for Eastern Christians for centuries - and is meant for all who pursue the life of Orthodoxy - who pursue “right glory”.  Providentially, we live in a time when this work has become available to us in English and so accessible as never before. In an age that knows very few spiritual elders it offers great comfort to be able to sit at the feet of those who were icons and remain icons of Christ and the life of the gospel in its fullness. We began with Hypothesis number 1.  Our study begins with Repentance, as does the spiritual life. We are presented with the image of a young man who had lived a dissolute life. When he comes to recognize the horror of it in the light of truth, his heart is filled with compunction and he groans from his depths. He leaves the world and begins to live in the tombs where he can embrace the life of repentance unceasingly. As he embraces this movement of grace within him, he is immediately attacked by demons who seek to dissuade him from taking this path. When unable to do so, they physically assault him and encourage his family members to come and to try to take him home. He will not be moved and so the demons eventually acknowledge that they have been conquered and that his repentance and heart are true. We are told that he remains in the tomb and makes it his hermitage for the rest of his life. Repentance is an unending reality for us and the greater our sin the greater our desire for it and protection of it must become. As we enter into the holy season of Lent we are called to imitate this young man by being single-hearted in our purpose. Lent is not simply for 40 days but rather the beginning of greater conversion and abandoning our life to Christ.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:16:41 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: LOL
00:40:30 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: John 17:24     24 Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world. In biblical Greek the meaning of the word "doxa" was "glory".  Only quite a few centuries later did the word acquire additional meaning of "doctrine/faith" or "worship". That meaning did not exist when the holy apostle and evangelist John wrote his Gospel.
00:41:43 Eric Williams: Someone created a filter for Facebook, so you can virtually put an ash cross on your profile picture’s forehead. #AshTag2021 *sigh*
00:41:48 Ren Witter: I’m actually anticipating that the lines will be a lot shorter since the ashes will not be visible.
00:42:14 Ren Witter: Why do something if you can’t post about it? ;-)
00:42:19 Joseph Muir: #ashwednesdayselfie🙄    a trend amongst many in the western church that I would love to see fizzle out and die
00:46:05 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: The wages of repentance are mercy and forgiveness unto everlasting life and so Byzantines (on the Gregorian calendar) "distributed" forgiveness upon one another, on the eve of beginning the Great Fast of Lent (yesterday evening).
00:54:20 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Jesus: "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). Holy chief apostle Paul: to the Romans:  "we rejoice in our  sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured  into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us"  (Rom. 5: 3-5). Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of  witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1-2)
00:55:03 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: "This is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath." … "Whoever has not experienced temptation cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven," adding the words often quoted in the Christian spiritual tradition, "without temptations no one can be saved.“  (St. Antony the Great in a letter to St. Peomen)
00:55:13 Lilly: Matthew 16:24-26
00:55:29 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: As often as you find your way to be peaceful, without variations, be suspicious. For you are deviating from the divine ways trodden by the weary footsteps of the saints.  The more you proceed on the way towards the city of the kingdom and approach its neighborhood, this will be the sign: you will meet hard temptations. And the nearer you approach, the more difficulties you will find. The hard temptations into which God brings the soul are in accordance with the greatness of His gifts. If there is a weak soul which is not able to bear a very hard temptation and God deals meekly with it, then know that it is not capable of bearing a hard temptation and so is not worthy either of a great gift.   (St. Isaac the Syrian)
00:56:58 Lilly: Amen
00:59:10 Ren Witter: My favorite response to the demon’s questions comes from Saint Ephraim: “Do not lose heart, O soul, do not grieve; pronounce not over thyself a final judgement for the multitude of thy sins; do not commit thyself to fire; do not say: the Lord has cast me from His face. Such words are not pleasing to God. Can it be that he who has fallen cannot get up? Can it be that he who has turned away cannot turn back again? Dost thou not hear how kind the Father is to a prodigal? Do not be ashamed to turn back and say boldly: I will arise and go to my Father. Arise and go!. . .
00:59:19 Ren Witter: . . .  He will accept thee and will not reproach thee, but rather rejoice at thy return. He awaits thee; just do not be ashamed and do not hide from the face of God as did Adam. It was for thy sake that Christ was crucified; so will He cast thee aside? He knows who oppresses us. He knows that we have no other help but Him alone. Christ knows that man is miserable. Do not give thyself up to despair and apathy, assuming that thou hast been prepared fro the fire. Christ derives no consolation from thrusting us into the fire; He gains nothing if He sends us into the abyss to be tormented. Imitate the prodigal son: heave the city that starves thee. Come and beseech Him and thou shalt behold the glory of God. Thy face shall be enlightened and thou wilt rejoice in the sweetness of paradise. Glory to the Lord and Lover of mankind Who saves us! “
01:06:24 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: sorry, I forgot to finish the St Isaac quote.  here is the rest....      “God never gives a large gift and small temptations. So temptations are to be classed in accordance with gifts.  Thus from the hardships you are called to endure you may understand the measure of the greatness which your soul has reached. And your comfort will be in proportion to your endurance. .” “In accordance with your humility you will be given endurance in your distress. And in accordance with your endurance its weight will be lifted from your soul and you will be comforted in your troubles. And in accordance with your comfort, your love of God will increase. And in accordance with your love, your spiritual joy will increase.”  “When our compassionate Father is of the will to relieve those who are real children in their temptations, He does  not take their temptations away from them, but He imparts to them endurance under temptations, and all that good which they receive through it, to the perfection of their souls.
01:06:28 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: May Christ in His grace make us worthy of bearing evils for the sake of His love, with thanksgivings in the heart. Amen.”
01:15:50 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Recently Ukrainian biblical scholar Taras Tymo has been posting videos on youtube explaining the psalms.  in his commentary on Ps. 50 he reminds his viewers that In Ps 50, "blot out" is the same Greek word as the one used for cleaning old text off of lambskin to make it ready for new text to be written on it, a somewhat brutal process; and, "wash me" means to clean by beating with or against stones.  So repentance is not "ouchless".
01:18:28 Andres Mason: I thought more of a "never left the state of repentance"
01:18:43 Lilly: Does the tomb represent the Sacrament of Confession?
01:20:21 Andres Mason: eventually he will come out of the tomb our resurrection is just delayed 
01:21:48 Ren Witter: It actually reminds me of Saint Isaac: “In this life there is no Sabbath.” No rest from repentance.
01:22:28 Andres Mason: The tomb is not negative 
01:22:34 Andres Mason: anymore*
01:26:28 Lilly: Gracias hermanos
01:27:30 Micah Valine: Thank you
01:27:55 carolnypaver: Thank you, Father!
01:28:14 Joseph Muir: shookran, Abouna!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty-one Part II

Tonight we concluded letter 41 where St. Theophan is discussing with Anastasia the practice of confession. First and foremost she must let go of all childish fear and anxiety and remember that it is God himself who provides the grace of repentance and like the father in the story of the prodigal son, God draws close to her with arms outstretched in order to embrace her. The more her conscience is sensitized and the more frequently she practices Confession the anguish of heart that she will experience will be transformed into compunction - a mourning over love lost and the desire to see it restored.  She will become more cognizant of the ways that she is incorrigible and so will begin to struggle more fully with the sins that often remain hidden. The most important thing that he would have her remember is that she establish a true intention and the decide to be diligent about everything before God. She must not complicate things but rather allow her approach to God be simple and humble.
It is best to confess the evening before communion in order that the next morning should be filled only with the thought of receiving her Lord. And when she prepares herself to receive that day she should come with a simple desire that the Lord provide her through the his grace with the strength that she needs for every kind of good so that her life will be acceptable to him. That is all!
 
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Text of the chat during the group:
00:30:16 Anthony Joyce: similarly we’d never tell our spouses to only say sorry for non-venial sins against us
00:42:17 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: One must remember that the distinction (philosophically speaking) between venial and mortal sins belongs to western spirituality which is not used in the Christian East.  The East is more sensitive to Semitic ways of thinking about sin as "missing the mark" in the way that a marksman would miss the bull's eye of a target.  This is what St Paul means when he says in Romans that all have sinned.  From this flow the idea that our Lord is the New Adam or the perfect Adam because he does not miss the mark of what it means to be human.  Discussions about mortal and venial are superfluous here since it makes no difference whether you miss the mark by a few inches or by many feet.  When we speak of venial and mortal we are talking in the realm of relationship, rather than being human. Here of course one can sin in such a way that the relationship may be disturbed but not destroyed.  to use the spousal example, sometimes "I'm sorry" is enough but other times a card, a box of chocolates, etc.
00:44:11 Sheila Applegate: Great point. I like this way of thinking about sin better.
00:45:46 Eric Williams: I’ve been wondering about this ever since becoming Byzantine. How does the East distinguish sins that *must* be confessed before receiving the Eucharist from those that are not necessary but still helpful to confess?
00:45:49 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: I simply point this out because St Theophan's advice is steeped in Eastern Christian spirituality, so that is how he needs to be read.
00:46:36 carolnypaver: Thank you so much, Fr. Ivan.
00:47:46 Sheila Applegate: Of course. In this context. But it still brings out the point you said of, what does it matter if you miss the mark by an inch or a mile. Interesting.
00:48:13 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: The way you phrase the question is western since it is asking for a system.  In the East, all sins are confessed as soon as they are unmasked... Ephesians 5:8-14
00:50:30 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: so you confess everything even if it mean repeating from the last confession; see also Ephesians 4:13-17
00:52:52 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: in the East, we prefer to confess attitudes and directions of the soul (feelings-willings, thoughts, desires) which underly any particular breakings of the laws....
01:27:33 Sharon: Thank you, Fr. David

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty Part III and Letter Forty-one Part I

Tonight we picked up with Letter 40 - considering again the various causes of spiritual cooling. Theophan begins by discussing a rather chilling thought - the willful falling away from the divine will, in full consciousness and in defiance. We can be overcome by anger, frustration and disappointment in our life to such a degree that we begin to turn away from God; perhaps subtly at first but then in greater measure. If we are not careful we can fall under complete darkness. Therefore, Theophan tells her to avoid this at all cost. She must fear it like fire, like death. He instructs her instead to hold on to her zeal and keep fast to her rule of prayer. She may need to alter it given the circumstances, such as illness. But she is never to let go of her routine even if she receives no consolation.
In letter 41, Theophan begins to discuss with her some final considerations before she goes to confession. He begins by dealing with the most familiar of problems - fear. It is this that she must let go of and trusts above all in the mercy in the gentleness of God who waits for her with open arms. The priest is but the witness and the vehicle for healing and forgiveness. Thus, Theophan tells Anastasia to confess more frequently. With this anxiety will diminish. To aid in this process she should write down every one of her sins in order that she is truly confessing what is in her heart and on her conscience. “Don’t make the priest ask you”, he tells her. He wants her confession to be as genuine as possible - a reflection of what’s going on within her and not prompted by the questions of the priest. Over time she will come to see the deep and grand beauty of the sacrament.
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:22:28 Mark Cummings: Not related but Divine Office 2nd reading today is awesome...from On Spiritual Perfection by Diadochus
00:39:55 Mark Cummings: From today's 2nd reading in office of readings...Therefore, we must maintain great stillness of mind, even in the midst of our struggles. We shall then be able to distinguish between the different types of thoughts that come to us: those that are good, those sent by God, we will treasure in memory; those that are evil and inspired by the devil we will reject...
00:45:05 Eric Ash: I also see a greater emphasis in the east on having a spiritual director. It doesn't just fall on an individual's discernment to decide if they are altering their prayer routine to benefit or delude themselves. They take it to their spiritual father that knows their strengths/weaknesses/problems/potential.
00:49:27 Eric Williams: I think St. Philip Neri and others like him in the West would wish that we all would make such faithful, consistent, and humble use of a spiritual director and regular confessor.
01:07:14 Ren Witter: I find that if I do not write things down I am so anxious about remembering everything that I am not really present. Writing it down also allows for much more extensive reflection.
01:16:39 Eric Williams: Who’s on first?!
01:17:19 Eric Williams: Talk about being slain in the Spirit!
01:31:03 carolnypaver: At certain times (Jubilee Year) there is a plenary indulgence attached to making a general confession.
01:34:13 Eric Williams: Perhaps scrupulosity was more common when Jansenism was a serious problem.
01:36:29 Eric Williams: Sometimes priests imply or suggest scrupulosity by giving overly simplistic penances.
01:41:40 Mark Cummings: Thank you!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Forty Part II

We continued reading Letter 40 on the various causes of spiritual cooling. St. Theophan tells Anastasia that above all she must have an anguished prostration before God acknowledging her weakness of will and her lack of zeal. In fact, she must make this persistent and it will help her walk the straight path in the spiritual life. She should strive never to let her desire for God weaken. Theophan tells her that she must never even let that become an option for her. Rather, Anastasia must hold on to her diligence in the spiritual life and she must come to see prayer as the beating of the heart and breathing keep a person alive. Lacking prayer, the spiritual life ceases to exist. The spirit either dies or it comes to a standstill.  This, she must maintain and kind in every possible way - willingness, zeal and diligence. This is the foundation of the spiritual life and it protects it and is its bulwark. The cooling of the spirit is the most bitter of things!
 
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Text of chat during the group:
00:48:04 Lisa Weidner: Sister Theres Aletheia Noble00:48:44 Lisa Weidner: speaks of the precise of remembering one’s death- Momento Mori - her web site is https://pursuedbytruth.com/01:22:13 Eric Williams: AWESOME book!

The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-six Part II and Homily Seventy-seven

We picked up this evening in our final session of St. Isaac with the last part of homily 76. Isaac makes it very clear that those who are given over fully to God in prayer and solitude begin to live in the perfect love of God and thus also fulfill the commandment to love one’s neighbor. In God, nothing is lacking. Yet, this is a rarity. Few and far between our called to this way of life and only when it is lived fully and withholding nothing of the self is love complete.  In so far as one cultivates solitude and stillness and yet engages with other men and receives their aid - so too is he obligated to tend to the sick and lift up and serve his fallen brothers. One must avoid the illusion of perfect stillness as an escape from one’s obligation to care for one’s neighbor.
In the last of St. Isaacs’s homilies, Homily 77, he presents us with the perfect and most important of virtues – humility. All the other virtues must be perfected in order that a person is capable of receiving this gift of God‘s grace. It is to clothe oneself with the very raiment of God. God revealed Himself to us in His Son – emptying Himself, taking upon our flesh and embracing the form of a servant, becoming obedient even unto death. Isaac tells us that we cannot look upon the spiritual life as if we are progressing up a ladder by her own power to achieve some natural goal constructed by her own minds or spiritual sensibilities. One is clothes in humility by God the more the self is set aside. We are to put on the mind of Christ and imitate his humility.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-nine Part II and Letter Forty Part I

We continued our reading of Letter 39. St. Theophan wants to prepare his beloved Anastasia for the spiritual battle that lies ahead. He begins by telling her that the adversary never sleeps. This thought alone could be the object of our meditation endlessly. The evil one is relentless in his desire to disrupt our relationship with God. Anastasia must not fear this reality but forever hold it in mind and let it help her understand that she must relentlessly call to God and rely upon his grace and his help. The devil will either withdraw and allow for the illusion of spiritual strength to grow and then attack the person all at once to pull them down. Or he will afflict them right from the beginning so as to discourage them. Attack after attack will come until the individual gives up. Thus, she must be steadfast; and as Theophan has told her she must be courageous and a plucky fighter. She must fight as one who has placed all of her hope in God.
In Letter 40, St. Theophan continues along this line of thought. He begins to discuss with Anastasia the various causes of spiritual cooling. Anastasia fears her own lack of diligence. Wisely, Theophan tells her not to let go of that fear but let it kindle within her a greater enthusiasm to drive her forward in the face of her own weaknesses. Eventually hope for salvation will emerge as one comes to experience the depth of God‘s grace and his constant help. Until then, she must cry out to God with an anguished heart; and anxiety that flows more from the urgent longings of the heart for love than it does from fear of punishment. She must strive to enter by the narrow door and so unite her prayers to the Spirit that calls out to God from the very depths of her being.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:48:29 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Oh, I can relate to that.....
00:53:59 Eric Williams: I love that bit. Instead of being annoyed and disappointed that their fellow close disciples are pridefully seeking honors in Christ’s royal court, they get jealous! They make the problem worse!
00:59:18 Anthony Joyce: Vicki beckons..thank you, good sir, for your time for us. Til next time!
01:01:08 Eric Williams: Psalm 39 (38) seems relevant here.
01:20:35 Eric Williams: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”
01:26:57 Ren Witter: Or that weird “Man makes plan and God laughs” one. Does not, as you said, reflect the real, deep love of God.
01:32:55 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Before we end today, a little taste of Byzantine-Ukrainian spirituality:  To the servant of God, Father David, with the upcoming 27th anniversary of his presbyteral ordination on January 15, grant, O Lord, a blessed and peaceful life, health, salvation, success in every endeavor, and preserve him and his loved ones, for many happy and blessed years!  God grant you many years! Many happy years! God grant you many years!  Many happy years!  May you be blessed with health and salvation!  God grant you many happy years!

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-eight Part II and Letter Thirty-nine Part I

*Please note that there were some technical difficulties which caused the audio to drop a few times between the 40-45min mark. 
We began this evening with Letter 38. St. Theophan shows Anastasia where she should take up for her Lenten disciplines. It may be surprising for some of us when we hear it. He tells her that she should begin with the renewal of her baptismal vows; vows that were made on her behalf when she was a child. At the very beginning of Lent she must in a clear and decisive fashion commit herself to Christ and her renunciation of everything that is contrary to His will. How different this is from our day when we typically renew our baptismal vows at Easter.  St. Theophan would have her see them as the lens through which she views all of her disciplines and takes them up. They mean nothing if they do not lead to Christ and they must be shaped and embraced with the fulfillment of these vows in mind.
In Letter 39, St. Theophan becomes more specific: he begins to tell her about the battle that lies ahead. She must be ready and prepared to engage in the fiercest kind of struggle with the most hostile opponent. The evil one will do everything he can to destroy her hope in the Lord or to distort her vision of the discipline she now embraces. Therefore, she must be humble in the battle and remain constant even in the midst of affliction. She must have strong courage and remain steadfast even when she seems to fail repeatedly. Such failure, in fact, will always be present; but it will not be absent the providence of God. Everything is from him and he shapes all things in secret. Anastasia’s prayer must simply be: “Save me by the way Thou knowest” And in the end, through these words she must give herself over entirely and irrevocably to God.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:42:05 Mary McLeod: I read somewhere that fasting without prayer is just dieting :)
01:00:49 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: From the Third Hour:  Prayer of Saint Mardarios O God and Master, Father almighty, Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit, one Godhead, and one power, have mercy on me a sinner; and by the judgements which You know, save me Your unworthy servant; for You are blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
01:01:53 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: General Prayer of the Hours:  In every season and at every hour, in heaven and on earth You are worshipped and glorified, O good God, longsuffering, rich in mercy, loving the just and compassionate to sinners, calling all to salvation by the promise of the blessings to come; now at this very hour, Lord, accept our prayers, and direct our lives in the ways of Your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, and make our knowledge whole and sober. Deliver us from every distress, evil, and pain. Surround us with Your holy angels as with a rampart so that protected and guided by their host we may reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of Your unapproachable glory; for You are blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
01:15:27 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: the Russian or old church Slavonic govenie, with its Ukrainian counterpart, hoveennia, when it is used in the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom petition when we pray for everyone who enters the temple in order to pray in the spirit of “blahohoviynist’”, means more than just reverence or respect, for it is the kind of attitude that creates worship which is “full of the most sincere homage, respect and devotion as an expression of his own underlying measureless surrender to God”.  This aspect of surrender is also the ability to perceive everything as coming from God, and not just perceiving it in any old way but with gratitude.  This is why as he was dying almost literally on the road on the way to his place of exile, St John Chrysostom's last words were "Glory to God for all things!"
01:16:35 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: https://janotec.typepad.com/terrace/2007/10/the-last-words-.html
John remembered all these things, and he knew that his time was ending. He was not afraid. Even as a young monk he was never afraid of the night, because for him it was never dark. In one of his many sermons on the Psalms, he said that “… it is during the night that all the plants respire, and it is then also that the soul of man is more penetrated with the dews falling from Heaven … night heals the wounds of our soul and calms our griefs.” He was exhausted, and his body was broken by exposure to the wind and rain, the rocks and thorns, strong enemies and a weak body. But he wasn’t brokenhearted, and he was not bitter. He was not depressed or hopeless. He remembered all these things: his enemies, his disappointments and defeats, his last long journey into the wild lands, and the beatings and lashings of his two imperial guards. He forgave them, every one, for each and every hurt and trespass. In this world, you can forgive, but you
01:16:53 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: He forgave them, every one, for each and every hurt and trespass. In this world, you can forgive, but you don't forget. But every time you remember is one more instance in the infinite count of seventy times seven. John remembered and forgave them all, just as his own Lord forgave his every sin on the Cross. His body was fading, but he was still on fire for the Lord. His soul was even brighter with the flame of Divine Love, and the glory of God’s grace. On fire and not in darkness, in strength and not weakness, and in the greatest sermon of his lifetime, St. John Chrysostom the Golden-Mouthed, whispered out his last words: “Glory to God for all things!” Only a man who had given his heart solely to the Lord Jesus, who had sacrificed his everything to the Holy Trinity, who had soared to the heights of the Church and earthly power, who had it all taken away and spent his last years on dusty, forgotten roads … only such a man could say such things, giving God all the glory, Who gave this last sermon such
01:17:00 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: golden eternal wings."
01:18:30 Sheila Applegate: That is really beautiful. Thanks. I love his words on the night.
 
 
 

The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-six Part I

Tonight we began Homily 76 which focuses on the virtue of mercy and compassion. Isaac addresses the question of how one who lives in seclusion and stillness can fulfill the command of the gospel to love one’s neighbor. Isaac beautifully describes for us that only the rarest of individuals is called to a life that is completely wrapped in God and in prayer.  And in so far is this is true, they embrace all of creation as God Himself due to the radical communion that they share with Him. Beyond this, their life of radical seclusion from men may prevent them from actively showing mercy and compassion. The mercy and compassion is all embracing but one cannot tangibly reach out to others because of the life they’ve been called to by God.
However, those who live among others, no matter how few, must respond with mercy in the face of tangible needs. One must “leave God for God” as it were. When a neighbor is sick or starving one must attend to their needs without counting the costs. One’s religious life cannot become a form of resistance that blinds a person to the needs of others. We cannot use our religious practices as a bubble to shield us from others or any contact with them. To aid us in our understanding Isaac gives us a number of examples of those holy souls who despite the rigors of their solitude went the extra mile in attending the needs of others.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-seven Part II and Letter Thirty-eight Part I

We picked up this evening with letter 37.  St. Theophan begins by reminding Anastasia that she does not want to belong to the category of one who is neither hot nor cold but lukewarm; having no real desire to please God and no desire for salvation. He doesn’t know if she falls into that category but it is possible that she is simply following along with everyone else in the group; doing what they do. However, she is called to something far greater; She is to do all things in good conscience and it (conscience) is to become for her a kind of new garment. If she seeks to please God and to do his will in all things she will begin to experience something of the peace of the kingdom. Before this happens, however, Anastasia must see and feel the depravity of life outside of God. She must acknowledge the many ways that she has lived her life vainly, letting time simply pass by. Out of this alone will emerge a contrite heart that fosters a deep repentance and desire for the life of God. “Do not let your life pass in vain,” he tells her. “Embrace this path now!” 
St. Theophan begins letter 38 by calling Anastasia to consciously renew the vows that were made at her baptism.  She simply needs to begin gradually and to do what she is able to do, trusting in the grace and love of God. She must do this, however, with a firm resolve and a belief in the depths of God‘s love. If she does this, all will be well.

The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-five Part IV

Tonight we came to the conclusion of homily 75. Saint Isaac continued to explain to us the blessings of Night Vigils. They give light to the thinking; having purified the mind and the heart through limiting sleep, one begins to discern the things of the kingdom through prolonged prayer and watchfulness. The Light shines upon the mind and one begins to perceive that which is Divine. 
To help us understand this Isaac gives us a number of examples of those who are exemplars of holiness and lifetime practitioners of night vigils. In them we see not only the discipline that is needed but also the fruit of the practice; unyielding fortitude to produces transfiguration of the body. The Fathers came to acknowledge this as a sweet labor.
However, Isaac does not want us to have any illusions about the practice or its difficulties. One must ask oneself honestly if there is a desire not only to practice Vigils, but to foster constant stillness and a willingness to endure the afflictions that these practices bring. Are we willing to make the necessary sacrifices to live a holy and undistracted life? Without this desire, the attempt to practice Vigils would be foolhardy.
St. Isaac closes with a comforting word as one who understands the weakness and the fragility of human nature. We may struggle throughout our whole life to engage in the practice of stillness. But we will undoubtedly experience losses and gains, victories and defeats.  In all of this we must never lose patience and, most importantly, we must not lose our joy in the Lord and our trust in His grace.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-seven Part I

In Letter 37, St. Theophan begins to feed Anastasia with solid food. He draws her from simply resolving to amend her life to yearning to act in accord with and in harmony with the will of God. It is this that she must be most diligent in seeking in her life. Anastasia must begin to examine her life in light of this general rule: everything she does should be done in accord with his divine will and for the sake of pleasing God. The person who does this, he tells her, even though they might have no talent, no riches, no special ability, will come to experience the joy of the kingdom and know themselves as seen by God as pleasing in His eyes. There is no greater gift. Most of the world, however, lives carelessly. People’s acts are done haphazardly - they act not because they desire to do the will of God but rather because they are drawn along by the ways of the world. The majority of the people in this world are driven by the spirit of lukewarmness. They have nothing against God but they have no deliberate desire to please him either. They are not egoists but yet they preserve their own self interest at every turn, avoiding every self-sacrifice. They are not blatantly vain, but they have no objection to amusing themselves in worldly matters. They want to be seen as part of the world and sharing in its delights rather than seeking to see God.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:55:37 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Eastern Canon law often legislates the bare minimum, but in the UGCC, spiritually the general goal for everyone is: all Wednesdays and Fridays of the year are fasting days except for when a feast of the Lord or of the Theotokos occurs on that day; Four penitential seasons: the Great Fast (aka Lent), dairyless and meatless at least forty days before Pascha, (abstaining from meat seven days earlier actually), the St Philip's Fast, forty days before Christmas, Sts Peter and Paul Fast (aka Apostles' Fast) from the Second Monday after Pentecost until June 29, and the Savior's Fast (aka Dormition Fast) from August 1-14.  Granted there is no fasting even on Wednesdays and Fridays between Pascha and Ascension Thursday and between Dec. 26 and Jan. 4.  Byzantines also never fast, although we do abstain, on Saturdays and Sundays even during the penitential seasons.
00:56:09 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: UGCC = Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church
01:00:49 Eric Williams: Orthodoxy/Byzantine Catholicism: Hard disciplines, mercifully taught ;)
01:01:19 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: yes....
01:10:02 Eric Williams: “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession...Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
01:19:54 Mary McLeod: Thank you, Merry Christmas!

The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-five Part III

Homily 75 continues to be St. Isaac‘s most exceptional and powerful reflection. He speaks about the oft neglected practice of night vigils. This, he tells us, is the most powerful form of prayer, more powerful than praying during the daytime. Isaac tells us that this is not because there is something magical about praying at night. He is not fostering a kind of superstition here. He is quite simply telling us the praying at night offers a person the opportunity to come before God without any distraction or impediment; humbling the mind and body by disciplining oneself through fasting not only from food but also from sleep. Unencumbered, the soul searches for God with an urgent longing. Having nothing weighing it down, it swiftly runs to the Beloved and seeks to remain in His embrace unceasingly. It is for this reason that the devil envies vigils above other all other forms of prayer. For, Isaac tells us, even when it is practiced poorly and in an undisciplined fashion, God produces great fruit in the soul.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-five Part I

Tonight we began with letter 35. St. Theophan begins to discuss with Anastasia the importance of identifying one’s inner disposition; whether one is focused on God and pursuing the life of virtue or driven by one’s passions or certain kinds depravity. It becomes very important to identify clearly the primary passion and those intertwined with it. It is the strongest one that we must overcome first in order to weaken all the others. Strike it down and one gains a great measure of freedom. We need also to identify that to which we are most dedicated and the one to whom we are most dedicated in this life. Are we driven by the spirit of our own ego and satisfying its needs or have we set aside the ego in order to live for God alone? Theophan like so many of the Fathers before him emphasizes the desire for God. It is this that  drives us on to engage in the spiritual battle and to be willing to make all the necessary sacrifices.

The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-five Part II

We continued our discussion of homily 75. Isaac draws us into the beauty of the practice of vigils. He speaks to us of the freedom from despondency and the onrush of joy the monks who immerse themselves in prayer at night experience. With the mind and heart filled with the things of God and of His word, no foreign thought has room to enter. All they know is God and they speak to him in the secrecy of their heart.
Isaac makes it clear that there is great room for variation, depending upon the monk and the strength of his constitution and will. Adjustments might have to be made, he acknowledges, but one always seeks to keep his mind and heart fixed upon God or upon the example of the saints who lived in this discipline in all of its fullness.
Isaac then begins to lay out for us how it is that these monks were able to sustain themselves in such a life; not only the discipline of it but how they could maintain themselves physically and emotionally in such isolation. As always, Isaac‘s writing is beautiful; no matter what he touches upon, it speaks directly to the heart.

Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-four Part I

What a wonderful discussion and a wonderful group of people!  This one hour makes Wednesday the best day of the week and something that deeply nourishes and gives joy to the soul.
St. Theophan offers Anastasia an exceptional and clear vision of how to prepare oneself for confession. He lays out for her simply how to examine her acts and the circumstances in which they were carried out, her interior disposition, and her general approach to life as a whole. In the few short paragraphs we read and discussed this evening, we began to understand the primacy of conscience in the examination of one’s life. St. Theophan describes it as the “unsleeping guard”.  It lets nothing slip by and lets us justify nothing that is sinful. However, conscience is not infallible. Either age, confusion, or ignorance can distort its vision vision and allow things to go unnoticed about our lives and how they can be touched by sin. The Word of God must become the mirror for us in which we examine ourselves and through which we correct ourselves in light of the Commandments. Beyond this we must look to see if we carry out those commandments fully or if there are subtle ways that we commit sins against charity, against purity of heart, etc. Has our conscience been formed by the world or by the things of God or have we given up responsibility for the formation of that conscience altogether and live faux obedience?
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Text of chat during the group:
00:32:29 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Govenie (pronounced go-vye-knee-eh) is the practice of intense fasting and prayer ranging from one day to a week prior to receiving communion, often for one of the four feasts culminating a fasting period.  it included not only fasting, but also attending Divine Services, reading prayers (including canons, akathists, etc.), doing prostrations and engaging in other spiritual activities, instead of going to work.  For a brief overview of govenie, see Saint Theophan the Recluse, The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation, trans. Seraphim Rose and the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood (Platina, CA: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1996), 269–73. See also Nadieszda Kizenko, “Sacramental Confession in Modern Russia and Ukraine,” in State Secularism and Lived Religion in Soviet Russia and Ukraine, ed. Catherine Wanner (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), 190–217.
00:34:03 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: https://stmaximus.org/files/ConfTong/200517SamaritanCT.pdf
00:53:08 Eric Williams: Didn't the author of The Cloud of Unknowing warn very strongly against speaking too openly about personal spiritual experiences?
01:16:32 Eric Williams: You have an intimidating visage. ;)