PHILOKALIA MINISTRIES

A Dialogue with St. Arsenius on Silence, Hiddenness, and the Soul That Grows Weary of Noise “The soul was not created for many things, but for One.” — St. Arsenius the Great A brother came to the cell of St. Arsenius the Great in the evening, and after making a prostration, he remained kneeling with his face to the ground. And the old man said to him: “Why do you remain there, child? Has grief overtaken you?” The brother answered: “Father, I do not know what has become of me.

Life against the current of distraction “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” — Romans 12:2 ⸻ Many want to surrender to God, but few understand what must be surrendered. They imagine surrender means accepting a tragedy, enduring a burden, or trusting God when plans fail. These things may be included. But the deeper surrender is more terrible. It is the surrender of the self that has been shaped by the world. The self that must be s