Strength, Wonder, and the Desire Born of Divine Love “He is my love, my fortress; he is my stronghold, my saviour.” — Psalm 143 (144):2 There is a way of hearing this psalm that can leave us almost entirely with the language of warfare. The Lord trains the hands for battle. He is fortress, stronghold, shield and refuge. Enemies surround us; mighty waters threaten to overwhelm us; falsehood rises against us. We cry out for God to descend, to scatter what assails us and to draw

Watchfulness, Divine Mercy, and the Love That Never Fails “As long as you are in the body, do not leave your heart unguarded.” — Abba Isaiah Synopsis of Tonight’s Group on The Evergetinos Volume III Hypothesis IX Section B 8-12 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 when vigilance is no longer necessary. Age does not free us from it. Knowledge does

Abiding in God When Everything in Us Wants to Secure the Way “Charity never faileth but beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” — The Evergetinos, citing 1 Corinthians 13:7 There comes a point in the spiritual life when even our desire to be faithful must be purified. At first we imagine that fidelity means finding the right path and then walking it courageously. We seek clarity. We discern. We make decisions. We try to arrange our l

The Desire That Already Belongs to Eternity “The soul from love of the Lord has lost her wits, as it were.” — St. Silouan the Athonite Where do we live our lives? The question seems simple until we allow it to expose us. We can live in the world without the world being the place where our heart dwells. We can inhabit a house, fulfill our responsibilities, care for those entrusted to us, endure uncertainty, carry grief, answer the demands of each day, and yet inwardly live som

Taking Hold of Grace and the Stronger Attraction of Divine Love “My soul thirsted for Thee, the mighty, the living God! When shall I come and appear before Thy face, O Lord?” — St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 19 Synopsis of Tonight’s Group on The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian Homily 19 paragraphs 2-7 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