Philokalia Ministries

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. --- 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!!

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. ---- 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. ;)

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. --- 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  

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. ---- 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  

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. ---- 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

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.

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. --- 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.  

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. ---- 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!

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. ---- 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

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. --- 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.