Cassian's discussion with Abba Piamun about the various kinds of monks stands more as a backdrop to a greater reflection on the necessary virtues of the Christian life; virtues not requiring a retreat to the desert but rather a willingness to retreat into the heart and there do battle to free oneself from the grip of the ego. Tonight we were presented with a most beauty portrait of humility - the virtue that becomes like the oil used by wrestlers and which allows the rebukes, insults and detract...
Dec 31, 2015•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 69
We continue to listen with Cassian and Germanus to Abba Piamun discuss the kind of monks - Cenobites, Anchorites, Sarbaites and a fourth category of monk who briefly enters the cenobitic life only to rapidly leaves the confines of communal discipline and obedience to an elder for a premature embrace of the life of seclusion. The distinctions made by Abba Piamun, however, merely serve as a backdrop to a greater discussion the necessary progress and formation that one must embrace before seeking a...
Dec 17, 2015•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 68
Cassian and Germanus move deeper into the Egyptian desert in search of a larger and more perfect group of holy men. The meet Abba Piamun, the elder and priest of all the anchorites living a more solitary life there under his guidance. Before speaking to them about the various kinds of monastic life, Piamun discusses the necessary dispositions that would make a journey such as their's fruitful. There had been many before Cassian and Germanus who simply came to Egypt to satisfy their curiosity but...
Dec 10, 2015•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 67
We come to the conclusion of Germanus' and Cassian's discussion with Abba Joseph on Making Promises and the rare dispensation that would allow one to break them. The considerations laid out in this conference must be seen in light of a life lived in pursuit of holiness and specifically in seeking purity of heart. Cassian and Germanus are well aware of the implications of going back on their promise to return from Egypt to their home monastery. In fact, they are in anguish about the prospect. Yet...
Dec 03, 2015•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 66
Cassian and Germanus find themselves struggling, as it were, with a seemingly no win situation. No matter what decision they make they will experience loss on a spiritual level. They had made a rash promise when coming to Egypt. They had promised their superiors that they would return quickly. However, they have found that simply hearing the teachings of the elders was insufficient; they must live the discipline of the desert for a much longer period of time in order to have their hearts formed ...
Oct 08, 2015•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 65
This is probably the most challenging Conference to read, to read patiently, and with a sense of generosity when interpreting its teachings. Cassian and Germanus made a promise to their superiors in Palestine that when visiting Egypt they would return as quickly as possible. Once there, however, they discover that it was a promise rashly made and without discernment. The way of desert wisdom is not learned quickly or communicated to others after only a brief stay. Cassian and Germanus are then f...
Sep 10, 2015•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 64
Cassian and Germanus conclude there discussion with Abba Joseph by discussing the various kinds of feigned patience that mask the anger and bitterness that we can hold in our hearts towards others. Our words may be smoother than oil but become darts meant to wound. One can relish gaining the position of emotional advantage over the other while maintaining the perception of virtue; fasting or embracing greater silence in a diabolical fashion that only increases pride rather than fostering humilit...
Sep 03, 2015•1 hr 25 min•Season 3Ep. 63
Cassian continues to "take us where we do not want to go" in this Conference on Friendship. Divine Love and purity of heart must become the lens through which we see every interaction with another person. A willingness to set aside our will and judgment for the sake of charity is paramount. We must not make our perception of the truth or need to speak the truth our god, but rather we must be willing to set aside all in humility so as not to be the source of discord and contention. These are trul...
Aug 27, 2015•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 62
You could feel the tension rise in the room as we began to make our way through Cassian's Conference on Friendship. It was startling, jarring and challenging while being absolutely beautiful and psychologically insightful at the same time. He gradually reveals to us what we value the most and what are hearts are truly set upon both for ourselves and others. He is, one might say, mercilessly realistic. I doubt any of us will view friendship or any other relationship in the same way! Some prelimin...
Aug 20, 2015•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 61
Abba Nesteros's second conference, which deals with the charism of healing, is the shortest of all twenty-four conferences. Nesteros begins by distinguishing among three kinds of healing that differ by reason not of their object or their effect but by reason of the character and disposition of the healer. Thus there are healings performed by holy persons; by sinners and by other unworthy persons to whom, nonetheless, power has been given by God; and by demons who work through public sinners and ...
Aug 13, 2015•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 60
Once worldly cares have been stilled and virtue acquired, Abba Nesteros tells Cassian and Germanus that an assiduous program of reading the Bible must be undertaken. Reading though brings with it the danger of pride and consequently Abba Nesteros tells them that humble discretion must be exercised. He suggest the memorization of Scripture - in fact, perhaps, surprising to modern ears, the memorization of the entire Bible. Scripture is put forward here as the subject of continual mediation. Spiri...
Jul 30, 2015•1 hr 25 min•Season 3Ep. 59
We labored through a few pages of the conference where Abba Nesteros lays out the types of Spiritual Knowledge that exist - tropology, allegory and analogy. Of these various types of knowledge the tropological is most necessary early in the spiritual life - that which pertains to correction of life and to practical instruction in the conquering of vice and growth in virtue. One cannot find perfection in the words of others but rather in the virtuousness of their own acts. Our hearts must become ...
Jul 23, 2015•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 58
Knowledge and the Desire for God Cassian and Germanus' discussion with elder Nesteros on Spiritual Knowledge to all appearances is one of the most analytic of all the conferences. The distinction is made between Practical knowledge, which both understands the working of the vices and forms the mind according to the virtues, and Contemplative Knowledge or Theoretical knowledge, which consists of the contemplation of divine things and the understanding of most sacred meanings. Yet, despite its ana...
Jul 02, 2015•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 57
Dance of Love: Synergy of Grace and Free Will We come to the conclusion of Cassian's beautiful conference on the interplay of grace and free will and once again we discover one who sees with profound clarity that there is no conflict between the two but rather a synergy that is necessary for a relationship of love. God gives everything and does everything to enliven that love within us but His desire must meet our own. Anyone fully immersed in the spiritual life comes to understand this; not thr...
Jun 25, 2015•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 56
Living in the Tension: The Language of Desire The most controversial conference of Cassian's work turns out to be the most beautiful and awe-inspiring. We picked up tonight with section IX of Conference 13 where Cassian's approach to and understanding of the interplay of Grace and Free Will comes into clear view. Both must be affirmed in our understanding of and living out of the Christian life. Cassian is writing not to express theological clarity (as we often understand it) but rather to encou...
Jun 18, 2015•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 55
Living in the Tension: The Language of Desire The most controversial conference of Cassian's work turns out to be the most beautiful and awe-inspiring. We picked up tonight with section IX of Conference 13 where Cassian's approach to and understanding of the interplay of Grace and Free Will comes into clear view. Both must be affirmed in our understanding of and living out of the Christian life. Cassian is writing not to express theological clarity (as we often understand it) but rather to encou...
Jun 18, 2015•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 54
Taking up Cassian's Conference 13 ON GOD'S PROTECTION again, we prefaced our conversation with a closer look at the criticism lodged against Cassian's thought by Prosper of Aquitaine. Considering the study of Casiday in his book, Tradition and Theology in St. John Cassian, it becomes clear through a thorough analysis of both Cassian and Prosper that Prosper in his zeal to defend the Church against the heresy of Pelagianism misrepresents Cassian's teaching and even alters or excludes portions del...
Jun 04, 2015•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 53
Last night the group took up Cassian's Thirteenth Conference "On God's Protection" which discusses the essential interplay between Grace and Free will. Part of our close reading of the text allows for a "redeeming" of Cassian's understanding of this delicate subject from what has been, I believe, gross misrepresentation of this thought. When read in light of and in the context of the Eastern Christian spiritual tradition and its understanding of SYNERGY, Cassian's Conference is revealed as being...
May 28, 2015•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 52
Chaeremon concludes his conference on Chastity by presenting us with images of perfect chastity; yet, he acknowledges that such descriptions fall short and can only be understood not through words but through the experience of those who have sought the virtue and tasted its sweetness. Once again, he emphasizes that while the pursuit of this virtue requires nothing less than a complete response on the part of those seeking it, It is only through the grace of God that it is ultimately obtained and...
May 21, 2015•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 51
Cassian and Germanus continue their discussion with Chaeremon on Chastity. The old man tells them that if a person does not believe such purity is possible then he must first enter into the disciplines and the struggle to make it his own. It is only through experience that one can come to see and taste the beauty of this virtue. Furthermore, he tells them that chastity subsist no thanks to a rigorous defense but rather by love of the virtue and by delight in purity. Asceticism, in other words, m...
May 14, 2015•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 49
As we sat at the feet of Abba Chaeremon with Cassian and Germanus, we continued this most important conference on Chastity. We began by considering the presence or absence of the other passions, especially anger, as a barometer of the depth of a person's chastity. The Lord must destroy all inner wars between the flesh and the spirit and no one will enjoy this virtue enduringly in whose flesh there still rages these battles. When the Lord has freed the person from every seething emotion and impul...
Apr 30, 2015•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 48
Last evening we sat with Cassian and Germanus at the feet of Abba Chaeremon for a conference on Chastity - one of the most important of Cassian's entire work and discussing the virtue that is at the heart of the spiritual life and through which we grow in our capacity to love God and others. Chaeremon begins by reminding us that lust and impurity can be completely extinguished from the heart. We must let go of our tendency to cast it as something completely out of reach and rather understand tha...
Apr 23, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Cassian and Germanus came to the end of their conference with Abba Chaeremon on Perfection discussing the various ranks of perfection that depend on an individual's virtue, will and ardor. We are challenged by God to go from the heights to sill higher places, driven by love. The greatest perfection is to share in the sonship of Christ; to be motivated by love in all things. The only fear we are to have is the fear that is a part of the nature and disposition of love itself - a fear of not doing ...
Apr 16, 2015•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 46
Cassian describes his initial travels to Egypt with Germanus and their first encounter with Abba Chaeremon, and man of great age and holiness and seek a word from him regarding the path to perfection. Acknowledging their desire for God, the old man agrees and settles down to speak of the three things that forestall vicious behavior, namely, fear of punishment, hope of reward, and love. To the three checks on evil there correspond three virtues - faith, hope and love. The virtues in question are ...
Apr 09, 2015•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 45
Our discussion of Cassian's magnificent conference on prayer came to a close with Germanus asking how, now that they have learned of this formula for unceasing prayer, they can hold fast to the verse that Abba Isaac had given them. How were they to keep their thoughts from flitting between scripture passage to scripture passage and remaining mere touchers and tasters of spiritual meanings and not possessors and begettors of them? Abba Isaac's response is brief and to the point: they must simply ...
Mar 19, 2015•42 min•Season 3Ep. 44
After having considered the formula that the mind is to hold to ceaselessly, "O God, incline unto my aid, O Lord, make haste to help me", the group listened to Abba Issac describe the fruits that such a practice produces in the soul. Chief among them is poverty of spirit: nothing can be holier than that of one who realizes that he has no protection and no strength and who seeks daily help from God's bounty and who understands that his life and property are sustained at each and every moment by d...
Mar 12, 2015•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 43
We found ourselves quite suddenly at the denouement of Cassian's Conferences - Abba Isaac's beautiful description of how to engage in unceasing prayer and the formula to be used. However, this seemed less like a spiritual discourse and more like a privileged view of the heart and experience of the old man seasoned in the practice of prayer. The very reading of it was a prayer - which Abba Isaac acknowledges that Germanus and Cassian were only able to receive because the ground of their hearts ha...
Mar 05, 2015•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 42
The group began Conference Ten, the high point of Cassian teaching on imageless and unceasing prayer. Cassian sets the stage by seeking to put the notion of imageless prayer in highest possible relief through giving an account of the monk Serapion's fall into the anthropromorphite heresy. Serapion's mind becomes cluttered with the erroneous and deadly image of a God with human contours; unable to let go of the confines of what the imagination and intellect can construct to be drawn by faith into...
Feb 26, 2015•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 41
Along with Cassian and Germanus, we came to the end of the first conference on prayer with Abba Issac, where discussion focussed on the different origins of tears (consciousness of one's own sins, fear of Gehenna, the sins of others, and the hardships of this life in the face of a deep longing for heaven). Tears are to be fostered as a part of compunction, but never forced once one has reached deeper level of prayer, so as not to focus on things of lesser importance. Prayers are heard or not hea...
Feb 19, 2015•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 40
Continuing our discussion of Conference Nine, we picked up with Abba Isaac's exposition of the final petitions of the Our Father: "And subject us not to the trial . . . but deliver us from evil." Trial is an inevitable part of the human condition and the spiritual life, but we seek in such trials the protection of God and the grace of perseverance and long-suffering so as not to succumb to the evil of the loss of our faith or to act in a way contrary to God's will. We ask not to be tried beyond ...
Feb 12, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 39
