PHILOKALIA MINISTRIES

Desire as the true fire of the spiritual life The spiritual life does not begin with fear. It begins with desire. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mt 5:6). Christ does not say blessed are those who are afraid , or those who never fail , but those who hunger. Hunger is not condemned in the Gospel. It is named, honored, and promised fulfillment. Fear can restrain behavior for a time. Anxiety can produce compliance. Moralism

“This psalm is spoken in the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, both head and members… his voice is ours and our voice is also his.” The psalms have become my breath throughout the day. They come unbidden to the lips and rise from places within the heart that had long remained unnamed. What begins as recitation slowly becomes revelation. Their words, ancient and yet new with every utterance, carry mercy like a tide that cleanses and returns again and again. Augustine was right