top of page
_edited.jpg)
Search
When Christianity Becomes a Pressure Point
The Difference Between Faith and Religious Moralism There is a phenomenon that has become increasingly common in public discourse, particularly around political and social issues, even issues of genuine importance. Someone will say, “If we were true Christians…” and then proceed to advocate for a particular position. Sometimes the position itself may be correct. Sometimes it may not. That is not the point. What interests me is something deeper. The statement often has little
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jun 63 min read
Unarmed Before the Kingdom
A Geography of the Heart According to St. Isaac the Syrian Synopsis of Tonight's Group on The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian Homily 6 paragraphs 7 and 8: Here St. Isaac does not define virtues as behaviors but as states of being before God . He strips away external markers and leaves the soul alone with truth. What he offers is not a ladder of accomplishments but a geography of the heart. A stranger, he says, is not one who has left a place, but one whose mind has
Father Charbel Abernethy
Dec 313 min read
Drawn by the Beloved
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
Father Charbel Abernethy
Dec 29, 20254 min read
Tags
bottom of page