For this month the house of St. Michael has been spending time in the deep reading of Hesychios the Priest. In this writing, Hesychios reflects on the two virtues of watchfulness and stillness. He claims, “that through these two virtues one can develop a life that leads to, as much as possible, a sure knowledge [...]
All of Life Charged with Giving Glory to God
April 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Forget not all His benefits (Ps. 103.2). “Then your heart will readily be moved to the fear and love of God, so that you repay Him…by dedicating your whole self to God.” -From the Letter to Nicholas the Solitary One criticism that has often been leveled at the church fathers (at least in my seminary [...]
The senseless passion of anger
April 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Now let us say something about the senseless passion of anger, which ravages, confuses and darkens every soul and, when it is active, makes those in whom it is easily and quickly aroused behave like beasts. This passion is strengthened particularly by pride, and so as long as it is so strengthened it cannot be [...]
To Scorn All Vanities
April 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“For if with God’s help we make progress daily by means of our watchfulness, we should not behave indiscriminately and damage ourselves through a host of random meetings and conversations. On the contrary, we should scorn all vanities for the sake of the beauty and blessings of holiness.” – St. Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness [...]
Trees
February 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“While the diabolical tree of bitterness, anger and wrath has its roots kept moist by the foul water of pride, it blossoms and thrives and produces quantities of rotten fruit.” –Mark the Ascetic, Letter to Nicolas (p. 154) “Keep the humility of the Lord in your heart and never forget it.” –Mark the Ascetic, Letter [...]
The Baptism of the Lord
January 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Grace has been given mystically to those who have been baptized into Christ; and it becomes active within them to the extend that they actively observe the commandments. – St. Mark the Ascetic, #61 of No Righteousness by Works Everyone baptized in the orthodox manner has received mystically the fulness of grace; but he becomes [...]
My Dec. 2010 post in 2011
January 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
31. The intellect cannot be still unless the body is still also; and the wall between them cannot be demolished without stillness & prayer. 35. Prayer is called a virtue, but in reality it is the mother of the virtues: for it gives birth to them through union with Christ. 97. Undistracted prayer is a [...]
No Righteousness by Works
January 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
This selection by Mark the Monk really seems to pull together the themes that we have been engaging thus far. He mentions the intellect, stillness, the practice of the virtues, and pure motive of the heart. He does, at the same time, caution us against the belief that these works merit salvation, “…the kingdom of [...]
A Broken Heart
November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
There is a breaking of the heart which is gentle and makes it deeply penitent, and there is a breaking which is violent and harmful, shattering it completely. St. Mark the Ascetic, On The Spiritual Law, 18 A self-indulgent heart becomes a prison and chain for the soul when it leaves this life; whereas an [...]
On Dejection and Solitude
September 22, 2010 By 1 Comment
“The soul’s health is achieved not by a man’s separating himself from his fellows, but by his living the ascetic life in the company of holy men. When we abandon our brothers for some apparently good reason, we do not eradicate the motives for dejection but merely exchange them, since the sickness which lies hidden [...]
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