PHILOKALIA MINISTRIES

Courage is born when the heart ceases to demand that the world make God trustworthy “The essence of Christ’s peace lies in his perfect knowledge of the Father.” — St. Sophrony of Essex, His Life Is Mine There comes a point in the spiritual life when peace can no longer mean that things have been resolved. Perhaps this is one of the most difficult truths we ever learn. For much of our lives, we imagine peace as the fruit of circumstances finally coming into order. A door opens

The Freedom of the Heart That Belongs to God “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” — Matthew 10:28 The Desert Fathers often spoke of fear as one of the hidden tyrants of the human heart. We imagine that we are driven by love, zeal, or duty, but much of our life is shaped by fear. We fear rejection. We fear suffering. We fear losing our place, our identity, our health, our reputation, and even our usefulness. We fear becoming hidden, forgotten