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When the Night Becomes Desire
Vigil, Wonder, and the Refusal to Leave the Beloved “His mind will be quick to take flight as it were on wings, and rise up toward God with delight.” — St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 20 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 works of monastics there is any practice greater than night vigil.” We hear such words and immediately think of sleep deprivation
Father Charbel Abernethy
4 days ago7 min read
Where Does the Soul Live?
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
Father Charbel Abernethy
Aug 167 min read
When the Heart Has Tasted God
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
Father Charbel Abernethy
Aug 126 min read
The Simplicity That Reveals the Kingdom
Why the Desert Fathers Wrote So Little - and Why Their Few Words Continue to Heal the Heart “The words of the wise are like goads, and like firmly fixed nails are the collected sayings.” — Ecclesiastes 12:11 The first gift the desert fathers offer us is not instruction but vision. Before they teach us how to think, they teach us how to see. One of the most striking characteristics of their writings is not what they explain but what they refuse to explain. A single saying of A
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jul 254 min read
The Undivided Heart
What St. Isaac Is Really Guarding “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” — Psalm 27:4 Few passages in St. Isaac the Syrian can be as easily misunderstood as this one. Read superficially, it can sound severe, even offensive to modern ears. His warnings about women, nuns, relatives, and young companions may appear to reflect suspicion toward persons rather than wisdom about the spiritual
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jul 153 min read
When the Heart Dances Before God
Recovering Holy Wonder Before the Presence of the Lord “David danced before the LORD with all his might.” — 2 Samuel 6:14 The Desert Fathers would tell us that the greatest tragedy of the spiritual life is not simply that we fall into sin, but that we lose our capacity for wonder. The heart grows accustomed to holy things. We handle mysteries as though they were ordinary. We speak the Name of Christ without trembling. We stand before the Holy Mysteries with distracted minds.
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jul 24 min read
The Fire That Must Be Guarded
Humility, Stillness, and the One Thing Necessary “Force yourself, then, to imitate the humility of Christ, so that the fire which He sent down upon you may blaze up all the more.” — St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 16 One of the most striking characteristics of St. Isaac’s writings is that he never asks us to renounce the world because the world is evil. Rather, he continually places before us something infinitely more beautiful. He speaks so often of the sweetness of communion w
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jun 243 min read
The Portion That Cannot Be Taken
On Learning to Desire Nothing but God “O Lord, it is You who are my portion and cup; it is You Yourself who are my prize.” —Psalm 16 (Grail Translation) The fathers of the desert fled to barren places not because they despised the world, but because they had discovered a terrible truth: the human heart never ceases seeking a portion. Every soul longs to possess something that can say to it, “You are safe. You are loved. You will not die.” Some seek this portion in reputation.
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jun 153 min read
The Fire We Protect
On Desire, Companionship, and the Purity of the Heart “Nothing so cools the fire that the Holy Spirit breathes into a monk’s heart for the sanctification of his soul, as familiar intercourse, much speaking, and association.” ⸻ Synopsis of Tonight’s Group on The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian Homily 15 paragraphs 11-13 At first reading, Isaac’s words can sound severe, even shocking. He speaks of idle speech as fornication, unhealthy attachments as adultery, and cer
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jun 103 min read
Consumed by a Greater Desire
When Christ Becomes More Real Than the World “Within me there is no fire, but only water living and speaking in me, and saying to me from within, ‘Come to the Father.’” — St. Ignatius of Antioch There are certain texts that leave us inspired. There are others that leave us exposed. This letter of Ignatius does not comfort me. It judges me. Not because Ignatius condemns anyone. He does not. His words are too full of Christ for that. Rather, his love reveals the poverty of my o
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jun 94 min read
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