“The demon of avarice…is extraordinarily complex and is baffling in his deceits. He pretends to be a steward and a lover of the poor…he makes us mentally visit prisons in the city and ransom those on sale as slaves. After deceiving the soul…he engulfs it in avaricious thoughts and then hands it over to the [...]
Recall the Eternal Fire
July 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
“Until a man is completely changed by repentance, he will be wise always to remember his sins with sorrow and to recall the eternal fire which they justly deserve.” – Evagrios the Solitary, On Prayer, chapter 144 Eternal fire. Judgment. Hell. Not the most attractive part of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The monks [...]
The Horse of Self-Esteem
July 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
“Of the unclean demons, some tempt man in so far as he is a man, while others disturb him in so far as he is a non-rational animal. The first…suggest to us notions of self-esteem, pride, envy or censoriousness…whereas the second…arouse incensive power and desire in a manner contrary to nature.” -Evagrios the Solitary, “On [...]
Be Angry, and Do Not Sin
June 8, 2010 By 2 Comments
“He who has mastery over his incensive power has mastery also over the demons.” – St. Evagrios the Solitary, On Discrimination (section 12, p. 46 of the Philokalia vol. 1) I do not have mastery over my incensive power. One would normally not expect a pastor to be easily-angered, but I can have a bit [...]
Keeping a Watch on our Senses
June 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
“’Take heed, lest your hearts be overwhelmed with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of this life’ (cf Luke 21:34)…stand guard, then, over your heart and keep a watch on your senses.”- St. Isaiah the Solitary, On Guarding the Intellect: Twenty-Seven Texts (Pg 24, 12th text) When St. Isaiah refers to guarding our hearts and [...]
Be Ruthless in the Living of Call
May 29, 2010 By 1 Comment
For many Christians, following Jesus takes a strong back-seat to other desires, the question for them is “what is the minimum requirement of salvation” and the fruits of such ungodly thinking are quite evident in their lives. For others of us, the question is continually, “how can I follow God more fully?” While this is an [...]
Lose a Little in the Transaction
May 10, 2010 By 1 Comment
“When buying or selling you can hardly avoid sin. So, in either case, be sure you lose a little in the transaction.” – Evagrios the Solitary, On Asceticism and Stillness – My wife and I are in the process of buying a house. We have been blessed with the ability to do so, and are [...]
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