Episode Details

The deeper that we go into this letter, the more we begin to see the necessary qualities of an elder. In our society, we often value what seems to be productive. Yet what St. John emphasizes is the heart of the elder. One cannot offer care to another soul unless they have struggled long and hard with their own passions and are able to look at those who come to them through the lens of compassion, humility, and the love of Christ. 

Repeatedly, we are shown the care that the elder must exhibit in his approach to those who come to him. He cannot be easily agitated when anger or hostility are directed toward him. Nor can he show disgust at the past or present behavior of another. He does not condescend, but rather makes himself the servant of one like himself – one who knows the deep wounds of sin; often wounds that are self inflicted. 

Therefore, John tells us it is not right for a lion to pasture sheep, and it is not safe for a man who is still subject to the passions to rule over passionate men. One who does not seek to tend to the wounded, but rather to rule - one who does not seek to lead by example, but rather instruct with force - is going to be a gross distortion of the image of Christ.

The elder must have the greatest sensitivity to the needs and the struggles of those who come to him, realizing that there is great variety and difference between individuals. Thus, an elder must be the most obedient and humble of souls; that is, he must have a refined ability to hear the truth, to hear the word of God spoken in his heart, and he must possess discernment that is born of humility. An elder can only see in others what he has contemplated in himself. 

His awareness of the wounds that others bear only help him to understand that they are his responsibility. He approaches others not in a detached fashion, but as one who shares deeply in their sorrow and desires their healing as he desires his own. In this, St. John tells us Christ is the standard. The elder must receive all that is thrust upon him with the same selfless love that we witness on the cross. It is here that we begin to understand that John is not simply speaking about monks. He speaks to all of us and the necessity of taking Christ at his word; to love others as he has loved us, to be willing to lay down our lives for others, including those who treat us like enemies.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:09:11 Anna Lalonde: Pray because I was just anointed. Been not well since late Sept.

00:10:02 Janine: Yes Anna…I will pray for you!

00:10:09 Bob Cihak, AZ: Replying to "Pray because I was j..."

Will do. God bless you.

00:10:50 Rebecca Thérèse: Reacted to "Pray because I was j..." with 🙏

00:11:18 Suzanne Romano: Happy Feast of St
 Paul, Proto Hermit!!!

00:12:50 Anna Lalonde: What's your special day Father?

00:13:09 Tracey Fredman: Reacted to "Pray because I was j..." with 🙏

00:13:53 Anna Lalonde: Yes a BioLab Chemical Fire happened Sept 30. That caused me life threatening health issues in my lungs. So thanks for prayers.

00:14:12 Anna Lalonde: Congratulations!

00:15:16 Suzanne Romano: Maybe St. Paul is responsible for your love of the Desert Fathers! 😇

00:15:18 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 254, # 44

00:16:16 Eric Ewanco: what step are we on, and what's the lede to the