Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Seventy-Six, Part II and Letter Seventy-Seven, Part I

Tonight we began with Letter 76 where Theophan again takes up the temptations that are coming to Anastasia from unbelievers. They have begun to call into question the reality of God and the dignity of the human person; making absurd arguments and trying to twist her up within them. With clarity, he tells Anastasia simply to stay focused upon the dignity of the human person. No matter how diminished we are physically, emotionally, or spiritually, we always bear within us the grace of God who created us in His image and likeness. Even if that reality seems to be lost altogether and personhood is called into question, each individual has an inherent value and dignity in Christ. Within the Divine Economy God is always working through the circumstances of our lives in order to bring about our salvation. Life in this world may seem unreasonable or harsh but none of it prevents God from manifesting himself in our lives and bringing us to a share in His Eternal Life. 

In Letter 77, Theophan focuses upon another temptation rooted in domestic unpleasantness. Anastasia is frustrated by having to live in obedience to her parents and postponing her entrance into the monastery. This is the Evil One’s doing,
Theophan tells her, and he has muddled her brain, confusing her mind with uncertainty. It is all deception, Theophan warns her and she must cross herself and drive out the temptation. It is tantamount to making mountains out of mole hills. We tend to do that with so many things in our life. Rather than fighting the good fight of faith against the evil one we will direct our frustration outward on to other people and circumstances. We must embrace those circumstances in a spirit of humility and obedience, always seeking to conform ourselves to Christ and to see our lives in light of the mystery of the Cross.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:04:47 FrDavid Abernethy, CO: No Whining. St. Theophan

 

00:16:14 Eric Williams: If I'm not mistaken, "idiot" formerly had a clinical definition before entering the vernacular.

 

00:17:48 Anthony: Like Dostoevsky's book "The Idiot," which referred to an epileptic.

 

00:19:43 Anthony: Herman the Lame was a hymnist and scholar and had terrible afflictions.

 

00:20:45 Eric Williams: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/idiot

 

00:27:44 Anthony: Sometimes stark contrast helps us understand the point better; sometimes it gets in the way.

 

00:28:58 Rachel: When I was a child, there was a girl my same age who our family knew that was mentally retarded. My Dad told us children, that people that are born this way go straight to Heaven. That they cannot speak or they would tell all of the secrets of Heaven. Every once in a while we were all supposed to volunteer to take Stephanie out and keep her company and give her care givers a break. One Sunday, I jumped on the opportunity to be with her. I already did like to be with her but now that I thought she knew the secrets of Heaven I could not wait for my turn. She never said anything but she just grabbed my face and smile when I asked her. As I child I felt happy but jealous of her being able to go straight to Heaven.

 

00:37:22 Edward Kleinguetl: 21

 

00:38:01 Anthony: He was not even Coptic, but, i think, Ghanian

 

00:38:43 Rachel: Oh my goodness. They are martyrs!

 

00:38:46 Luiz Eduardo Lawall: This is very frustrating

 

00:45:56 carolediclaudio: Hahahaha love it

 

00:51:35 Erick Chastain: sorry my dog unmuted the mic

 

00:52:01 Eric Williams: Did he eat your homework, too? ;)

 

00:52:04 carolediclaudio: :)

 

00:57:16 Rafael Patrignani: very interesting! thank you. I have to leave,

 

00:57:31 Anthony: Evil one said "I will not sevre"

 

00:57:50 carolediclaudio: Bye Rafael!

 

00:59:18 Rachel: Wow

 

00:59:41 Anthony: Dom Scupoli was another who obeyed and apparently was vindicated later.

 

01:00:11 Rachel: Please give me the name of the other holy brother?

 

01:00:52 Anthony: Savonarola in Florence; Dom Scupoli was the other

 

01:00:56 Ben Miralles Jr.: Girolamo Savonarola

 

01:01:22 Rachel: Thank you

 

01:04:39 Rachel: lol

 

01:13:18 Anthony: We have been formed mentally to be like a scholastic....but without the mysticism the scholastics (like St. Thomas!) should have had. (and St. Thomas did have)

 

01:16:41 Jk: so true anthony

 

01:22:37 Eric Williams: "Everyone argues too much!" "No we don't!" ;)

 

01:22:59 carolediclaudio: :):)

 

01:30:31 Erick Chastain: Paisios also says that this age has a rampant spirit of impudence

 

01:30:51 Erick Chastain: Too many rebels everywhere.

 

01:32:04 Kmec: Thank you

 

01:32:17 Eric Williams: Rebels without a clue!