It is a bitter sweet thing to come to the end of such a long journey - a long and sometimes arduous journey but one that has brought such joy and hope. Tonight we finished the final two letters of Saint Theophan to Anastasia. They are perhaps the two finest letters of the collection. Saint Theophan speaks with a great directness and honesty about the anxieties that Anastasia experiences and how she has to deal with him. He sees how clearly they can be temptations from the Evil One to pull her aw...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 321
Tonight we continued our reading of hypothesis 18 which focuses upon the importance of seeking the counsel of those who have an experiential knowledge of the spiritual life. We do not live out our Christian life as individuals. Even the monk living in the greatest solitude understands the radical solidarity that he has with others in the life of the Church. The stories that we are presented with here this evening show us that the desire of monks to seek out the counsel of elders; and not only th...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 51
Tonight we had the opportunity to discuss asceticism as a preparation for the holy season of Lent. We find in the spiritual tradition a clear call to enter into a struggle to live the life of faith to its fullest. We are to strive to enter by the narrow gate. When we look to the Scriptures and the writings of the Saints we see very clearly that they took no passive approach to the embrace of the faith. They knew that it must be lived and that their life must undergo a revolution. To live in acco...
Feb 28, 2022•2 hr•Season 100Ep. 11
Tonight we concluded letter 77 and went on to read letter 78. As we have seen in past weeks, Theophan is much more direct with Anastasia now that she has made her decision to enter into the religious life. In multiple ways, she has been tempted either by those who have no faith, by her fear of injustice and false accusation, or her desire to express and pursue her own freedom. Theophan warns her against all these things and the kind of false freedom especially that we cling to that offers no hop...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 318
Tonight we continued with Hypothesis 18 on the importance of seeking the company of virtuous people and questioning so as to learn about the spiritual life. What we find in the writings and the lives of the desert fathers is a stress on the importance of seeking counsel. One never walks spiritual life in isolation. We should foster a zeal within us to talk about the spiritual life with those who have experiential knowledge that is rooted in many years of striving to live the gospel in its fullne...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 6Ep. 50
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 crea...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 316
Tonight we concluded letter 75. This letter and those that follow all focus on particular temptations that Anastasia is facing as she approaches her decision to enter into the religious life. Theophan in Letter 75 focuses on the tricks of the enemy to dissuade her or throw her into despair because of the weaknesses, sins, and poverty that she sees within herself. His counsel to her is to allow these things to humble her but not to throw her into despair. Her endurance of the struggle is for the ...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 50
This evening we began Hypothesis 18 on the importance of seeking the company of virtuous people and the benefits of questioning them with zeal and desiring to learn from them. In many ways this is an important hypothesis for the modern mind; to understand the need to be docile, that is, teachable. We must learn to be humble in our approach to the mystery of God‘s revelation of himself to us and his son. We will always be in the position of learners. Likewise, we will never be beyond needing inst...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 6Ep. 49
Tonight we read Hypothesis 17 on what we build our hope upon in this life. The focus of the hypothesis, on the surface, is avarice and greed; the intensity of this passion and the insatiability of our desire for worldly goods. We are given one story after another revealing to us, however, that the real struggle is found within the heart. There is a kind of tendency within us toward idolatry or better said in the context of our relationship with God adultery. We attach ourselves to the things of ...
Feb 01, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 48
We began this evening with letter 75 entitled “The tricks of the enemy.” Anastasia has fallen into sadness inexplicably. Her heart is overcome with heaviness and darkness. Theophan, therefore, wants her to understand exactly what is going on: she is engaged in spiritual warfare and these are the attacks of the enemy. However, he exhorts her, “the power of the cross is with us! Take heart and stand fast.”She need not fear the enemy that is attacking her and approaching her from every side, creati...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 315
Tonight in our reading of The Evergetinos we concluded Hypothesis 15 and read the entirety of Hypothesis 16. Both have a similar focus: our natural loves and affections for others or the things of this world are to be set aside for the love of God in the kingdom. We must acknowledge that all things begin and end with God and all things come to us from His hand. Simply put - all is grace and our acknowledgment of this truth should give us a kind of freedom to set aside or worldly attachments be t...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Season 6Ep. 47
Thank you to everyone who participated in tonight's group on St. Theophan's Letters on the Spiritual Life to Anastasia. Great conversation as always. Synopsis: Tonight we read letter 74 entitled “Yearning for the monastic life”. Anastasia has made a decision to enter the monastery; she has decided to give herself over completely to God in mind and body. And yet, Theophan senses within her a kind of urgency that is pressing her forward and making her want to rush the moment of her entrance. He wa...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 313
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in tonight's group on The Evergetinos. Your deep reading of the text always inspires me and fills me with a greater thirst and desire for Christ and a more radical embrace of the Gospel. Synopsis: We continued our reading of Hypothesis 15, reflecting upon the kind of exile that the monks embraced; an exile that was not rooted in a hatred of the world but rather in an absolute response to Christ’s call “follow me”. In this the monks become living ...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 6Ep. 46
Tonight we concluded letter 73 to Anastasia. Once again St. Theophan is seeking to help prepare her for the path that God has called her to take. Even though she is still living at home she is not to remove her hand, as it were, from the plow or look back. She must keep her focus intently upon Christ and not lose that gaze even for a moment. Walk circumspectly, he tells her. Guard your heart in all the ways that you have been shown - for God is a jealous God and would have your heart completely....
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 311
Picking up once again with Hypothesis 15, we find ourselves considering the nature of detachment from the things of the world; a detachment that is rooted first and foremost in our response to the love that God has shown and given us and his only begotten son. What does our embrace of this divine love means for our lives in this world? To take hold of this godly love what is there of the self and our attachment to the things of this world that we must be let go? So often there are subtle ways th...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 45
This evening we picked up with the letter 72 where is Saint Theophan begins to engage Anastasia about the decision that she has made to become a religious. More than ever it is necessary to become closer to God, he tells her. She must fix her mind on the remembrance of God in every circumstance. Likewise she is to hold onto the remembrance of death in order that she might lose fear of everything within this world and also to order everything to its ultimate end and the final judgment. In other w...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 309
Tonight we picked up with Hypothesis 15. The focus has been on detachment from the things of this world and the state of exile in which the monks lived. The temptation after leaving all for God is always to be drawn back to the things of the world. These things that draw us are not necessarily evil or sinful but can be quite benign or even very good. Yet even that which is good can be contrary to the will of God. Our responsibility is to embrace His will and to walk the path of salvation that He...
Jan 04, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Season 6Ep. 44
After a brief hiatus we picked up with our reading of St. Theophan’s letters to Anastasia. We concluded Letter 71 with Theophan’s discussion with Anastasia about the struggle with coldness and prayer. Once again he reminds her of the value of memorizing prayers - in particular the psalms. Yet what is essential is not simply the memorization but rather that she would embrace each word and pray it with a depth of feeling. It is essential that she approach the prayer life not as a task oriented beh...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 307
Tonight we began Hypothesis 15 in The Evergetinos. I think it is safe to say that on the surface it is perhaps one of the most difficult to listen to so deeply is it tied to the monastic commitment and detachment from the world. The fathers speak to us about the abandonment of the world and not communicating even with one’s relatives. However, upon closer reading we see that this Hypothesis is about much more than than this. The exile the fathers speak of really has to do with what goes on deep ...
Dec 21, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 43
Tonight we continued with Letter 71 to Anastasia on “Coldness in Prayer”. St. Theophan is very direct with Anastasia about the causes of this coldness. Typically, it is because we are carrying out our prayer rule hurriedly and haphazardly. Therefore, he tells Anastasia that she must never carry out any spiritual activity as if it were perfectly established, especially prayer. She must to go about her prayer as if she is doing it for the first time; with the zeal of someone who has come to see th...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 305
We began this evening by discussing solitude and silence as a means to coming to the truth. One does not have to leave the world or live in the desert to experience this. The true desert exists within the heart and so the experience of the solitude more often than not means stilling the heart and avoiding the noise of the world to such an extent that we can listen to God. Outside of doing this we have a truncated experience of life itself and we become the deaf to the voice of love and truth. If...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 6Ep. 42
Tonight we concluded Letter 70 of Saint Theophan to Anastasia. He speaks to her about the kind of books that she can read, both religious and secular. As with everything, she must be discriminating and cautious about the things to which she exposes herself; acknowledging that not everything is of equal value and some things can be destructive. She is to be discerning and keep her emphasis on the spiritual life. If she reads other things they should reveal to her the wisdom of God as seen in the ...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 303
Tonight we continued with Hypothesis 13 - considering once again living a remote life; removing oneself from the things of this world and anything that could arouse the passions. So often we find ourselves walking along the edge of a pit, giving no attention to the nature of our thoughts and where they are leading us. It is only by developing that awareness and drawing closer to God through stillness and simplicity of thought that we become further removed from danger. Once again we are given st...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 41
How I cherish these opportunities to read St. Theophan and to share in the rich of the discussion and joy of the members of the group. St. Theophan clearly loves his directee, Anastasia, and this transmits to her and all of us what it is to be in love with Christ and to subordinate all things to Him. Theophan is a true elder if there ever was one! Synopsis: Tonight we concluded Letter 69 with St. Theophan‘s discussion of an evangelical preacher that Anastasia had encountered. Again, he warns her...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 301
Tonight we continued our discussion of hypothesis 13. The fundamental focus is a turning away from the things of this world; not because they are evil in and of themselves but rather because of our capacity to make them ends in themselves. We can be seduced, as it were, by our own desires or by the evil one into seeking our identity in the things of this world. This can be obvious or ever so subtle, but it has the same effect; we get caught up in what is false and delusional. To combat this we m...
Nov 23, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 40
Wow! What a wonderful and spirited discussion tonight! We certainly approached some topics - both personal and cultural - that were weighty and deserving of extra time and attention. Thank you all for you great questions and comments as always! Synopsis: Tonight we continued with Letter 69 on depression and fear. Theophan‘s focus, however, shifts to speaking about things that could possibly draw Anastasia away from the fullness of the faith, make her question her practice of the faith, or the pa...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 299
Tonight‘s discussion drew the group into what was more and more beautiful. Hypothesis 13 is focused upon remoteness; but not simply a physical remoteness - the removing of ourselves from our external realities and circumstances. Rather, it is removing ourselves from our attachment to the things of this world. The Scriptures tell us that he who loves the world is at enmity with God. As we strive to draw close to God we are led to let go of our attachment not only to the things of this world but t...
Nov 16, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 39
Tonight we began by reading the last few paragraphs of Letter 68 to Anastasia. Here Saint Theophan tells her that she is to avoid secretiveness in the spiritual life. While privacy is certainly to be valued, in the spiritual life the revelation of one’s thoughts to one’s Confessor or Spiritual Director becomes essential. The evil one through illusory qualities leads us into deception and confuses our affairs. He watches and examines all that we think and do and, at times, even seeks to use sugge...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 297
Amazing group tonight folks. Thank you all for your comments and questions. Wonderful as always! Synopsis: We continued our reading of Hypothesis 13 which puts before us the idea of moving to a remote place, of embracing exile - as it were - for the sake of living for Christ alone. The lives of the desert Fathers call us to let go of our attachment to the things of this world and all that gives us a false sense of security and stability. We are to cling to God alone. We are strangers and exiles ...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 38
Tonight we began letter 68, entitled “The Need for a Good Counselor. However, as we noted, this is something of a misnomer. The bulk of the letter is actually about idle talk and the discussions of men and women. Anastasia mentions that “a rumor went around”. St. Theophan is deeply worried about this. He is worried that Anastasia might see this is a small thing or that she might get caught up in the mindset of those around her that make use of words and their meaning in a hurtful or sinful fashi...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 295
