Episode Details

In the writings of Saint Isaac the Syrian, we see so beautifully the desert fathers emphasis on praxis; that is, how we concretely live out our faith in our day-to-day life and relationships. They knew that Christ can be lost to the mind and the heart not only through sin but also simply in the warp and wolf of day-to-day life. We surround ourselves with things that provide us with a sense of security and identity. This goes beyond material goods and includes our being driven by busyness and the pursuit of the world‘s respect of our accomplishments. We can lose time through idle chatter, laziness, and sloth. With anxious hearts, we direct our energy toward pursuing the things that we have come to love within the world; education, art, athletics, and entertainment. We are zealous for what we love and willing to invest ourselves without counting the cost to pursue it. 

However, Saint Isaac reminds us of the meaning and the weight of those small moments and affairs in our day-to-day life. Do we hold in mind the brevity of our life and that it has been entrusted to us in such a way that we will have to give an account before God for how we have used the gift? Do we see the “other” and Christ within the poor or those who are suffering and alone? More often than not our minds and hearts are abstracted by the things that titillate the senses and emotions.  Thus, Saint Isaac tells us acquire freedom in your manner of life; in particular freedom from turmoil. Do not find your freedom by what simply gives pleasure and so become a slave of slaves. Surrounded by abundance and conveniences we often have the sense that we are dependent upon them. Yet we do not realize that they will never help us to acquire humble thoughts or a pure minds. St. Isaac, therefore, describes renunciation as weaning ourselves from our attachment to the things of this world as well as from our own ego. Our dignity and destiny is found in Christ Who is our hope, our salvation, and our Love!

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Text of chat during the group:

00:05:37 susan: been away  what page are we on?

00:11:58 Myles Davidson: Page 143 “Love chastity…..”

00:13:11 Una: Trouble with my sound

00:13:11 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 143 paragraph 11

00:13:20 Una: Whose feet are those?

00:14:19 Adam Paige: Technical difficulties, please stand by ! ☺️

00:14:37 Jamie Hickman: jealous!

00:29:05 Maureen Cunningham: How do you know you are killing the ego . How would you be different

00:31:33 Julie: Should I feel bad for liking  or surrounding myself with nice things

00:32:41 Eleana: I agree, the tentation when he have a spiritual life is to feel "good" and dressing to be seen or perceive as humble; it can also be false humility that I believe to be the worst pride.

00:33:07 Una: That false self can manifest in busy busy busy

00:34:15 Thomas: I’ve always thought that remembrance of death was about remembering our sins and that we will be judged and so forth, but Isaac says rejoicing, is this just a different aspect

00:34:44 Rebecca: “I live now. Not I.  But Christ live in me”  St Paul the Apostle

00:41:59 Jamie Hickman: The Mother Teresa story reminds me of paragraph 14: "Conduct yourself with knowledge..." -- this knowledge is intimacy, experience as you've called it, Father. She conducted herself with the love of her Love, He Who Thirsts. She really saw him thirsty there on