I can say this without any caveat - reading the Evergetinos is one of the most important things that we could do for ourselves in the spiritual life. I know that might sound extreme; especially given all of the writings of the Fathers that we have read over the course of the years, including the writings of the Philokalia.
Yet, there’s something exceptional about the Evergetinos. We are not only given specific teachings but we are shown the lived experience of the fathers; how they came to understand things in the way that they did about the human person, the struggle with sin, and the action of God’s grace. This became especially apparent in this evening’s group. Our focus, in particular, was on the virtue of humility. After pondering the sayings of the Fathers - that the truly wise individual is the one who has control over his volition, who seeks in every way to make his will subject to God and understands that the will of God is advantageous to him in a manner surpassing all human understanding.
In and of itself this is beautiful and speaks to the heart. However, we segued into a story from the life of Saint Pachomius describing the birth and development of humility in the soul of one of his monks Simvanos. Suddenly all the truths we read about came to life. We move from the notional to the real very quickly. The human mind and our tendency towards rationalization easily draws us back to a worldly way of perceiving reality. Whereas the lives of the Saints reveal to us the heart of man and God; what it is to be created in the image and likeness of God, what it is to neglect that truth, and the beauty of the soul that emerges when the grace of God brings healing where once there was only sin.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:05:30 FrDavid Abernethy: page 377 Letter B
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-three and Homily Seventy-four Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty-one Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-two Part IV
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Thirty Part II
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-two Part III
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-nine Part II and Letter Thirty Part I
The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian - Homily Seventy-two Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-eight Part II and Letter Twenty-nine Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-seven Part II and Letter Twenty-eight Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-seven Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-six Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-five Part II and Letter Twenty-six Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-four Part II and Letter Twenty-five Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-three Part II and Letter Twenty-four Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-three Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-two Part II
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-two Part I
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-one
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty
Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Nineteen
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