PHILOKALIA MINISTRIES

Christ does not promise us a life without disturbance. He gives us Himself in the midst of it. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” — John 14:27 We often imagine peace as the moment when everything finally settles. The conflict ends. The illness passes. The decision becomes clear. The person we love is safe. The future opens before us again. Then, we tell ourselves, we will have peace. But this is not the peace Christ give

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