Philokalia Ministries

The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter XI, Part II

There are passages in the Fathers that can frighten us if we read them too quickly. They speak of perfection. Of keeping the commandments. Of allowing no passion to re

Fall Retreat: To Become All Flame, Conference Three

Reflection Three The Furnace “Give Blood and Receive the Spirit” “Give blood and receive the Spirit.” — The Sayings of the Desert Fathers There is a moment in the spi

The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XXI, Part II

There is something almost frightening in the severity of St. Isaac’s counsel. A brother asks what appears to be a question about charity. He possesses something necessar

The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter X, Part II & XI, Part I

There is a kind of vigilance born of fear, and there is another born of love. The first watches because it is afraid of punishment. The second watches because it has dis

Fall Retreat: To Become All Flame, Conference Two

Reflection Two   The Desert   “One Thing Is Necessary”   “Flee, be silent, pray always.” — Word given to Abba Arsenius   There comes a point when desire begins t

The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XXI, Part II

There is something extraordinarily beautiful in the way the aged elders speak to Isaac. They do not flatter him. Neither do they crush his zeal. They recognize that his

The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IX, Part V and X, Part I

There is an intensity in the Fathers that can sometimes frighten us. They speak of vigilance, struggle, examination, tears, watchfulness, and the danger of negligence. S

Fall Retreat: To Become All Flame, Conference One

Reflection One: The Spark “I Have Come to Cast Fire upon the Earth” “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!” — Luke 12:49 There ar

The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XX, Part II, and XXI, Part I

There is a sentence here from St. Isaac that overturns almost everything we are inclined to think about asceticism: You suppose these things were ordained simply to oblig

The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IX, Part IV

There is something almost frightening about the stories preserved for us in the Evergetinos. They are frightening not because they portray extraordinary wickedness, but b

The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XX

There are passages in St. Isaac that can sound almost impossible to modern ears. His words on vigil are among them. “Do not imagine,” he tells us, “that among all the wo

The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IX, Part III

There is something almost relentless about the teaching of the Fathers on watchfulness. They will not allow us to imagine that there comes a point in the spiritual life w

The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XIX, Part II

There is a danger in reading passages such as this one from St. Isaac and hearing primarily a warning: Do not become negligent. Do not allow yourself to grow lax. Guard y

The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter IX, Part II

There is a great mercy hidden within these unsettling sayings from the Evergetinos. The Desert Fathers do not speak to us about spiritual warfare in order to make us preo

The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVIII, Part II & XIX, Part I

There is a temptation in every generation to believe that the spiritual life consists primarily in learning new methods, acquiring hidden knowledge, or discovering techni

The Evergetinos: Book Three - Chapter VIII, Part II & IX, Part I

The Fathers never speak of the spiritual life as though it were merely the acquisition of virtues or the mastery of disciplines. At its heart, it is the slow awakening of

The Name Above Every Name, Conference Four

The Name Above Every Name Conference Four Becoming Prayer When the Name Becomes Our Life “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20

The Name Above Every Name, Conference Three

The Name Above Every Name Conference Three The Broken Heart and the Descent into the Heart Learning to Stand Before God “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spir

The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily XVIII, Part I

There is a temptation to read St. Isaac’s description of the ascetic life as though he were outlining a ladder by which we ascend to God through effort. Nothing could be

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

There is a temptation when reading the closing section of Homily 17 to see it as little more than a long list of prohibitions. Do not quarrel. Do not lie. Speak little. A