PHILOKALIA MINISTRIES

The warfare of the heart and the simplicity of devotion to Christ “We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5 When St. Paul speaks of warfare, he is not teaching us how to conquer another person. He is teaching us how to become free. The Desert Fathers would have heard these words and immediately turned inward. They would not have searched first for enemies outside themselves but

Why the World Hears So Little of Christ Even When We Speak So Much About Him “During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 2:2 There is something in this passage that should make every Christian uncomfortable. Especially clergy. Especially theologians. Especially those of us who spend much of our lives speaking about God. Paul says he came to Corinth without brilliance. Without impr

The End of the Life You Cannot Save “I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20 There are passages in Scripture that we admire from a safe distance because we dare not let them come too close. This is one of them. We quote it. We embroider it on prayer cards. We place it on retreat flyers. Yet if we truly heard what Saint Paul is saying, we would tremble. “I have been crucified with Chr

The poverty required to receive the love already given “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 The Apostle speaks of something already given. The love of God has been poured out into our hearts. Not promised for the future. Not reserved for the worthy. Not waiting for the strong. Poured out. The tragedy of the Christian life is not that God withholds love. It is that

A meditation on living and praying in the Breath of God “If you will, you can become all flame.” Abba Joseph of Panephysis The Christian life is not sustained by effort alone. It is sustained by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Without Him the Gospel becomes a moral code, the Church a human institution, and prayer a hollow discipline. With Him even weakness becomes a place of divine action, and even silence becomes full of God. From the beginning, Scripture presents the Spi