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Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Twenty-four Part II and Letter Twenty-five Part I

Philokalia Ministries

I think most would agree that tonight‘s reading was both beautiful and jarring. St. Theophan makes it very clear to the young Anastasia that to put on the new life that Christ won for us means to engage in a spiritual battle. Our zeal for the Lord and our desire to overcome vanity and the passions will mean that we must be ruthless in cutting those things out of our life that lessen our zeal for God or potentially lead us into sin. From this Anastasia is meant to understand that there is nothing more important than our relationship with God. Theophan emphasizes this further in letter 25 and begins to speak to Anastasia about the dignity of the one who is baptized. The gift that we receive in baptism changes everything about us and the quality of all that we do. Every action, every word, every thought, becomes freighted with destiny because every thing now is a reflection of our unity with God and His Spirit dwelling within us. Nothing we do is insignificant. Even the smallest chore done with love and in union with the Spirit endures unto eternity. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:11:52 Mark Cummings: Hello 00:13:48 Davrey Jore: Hi Fr. David... Hi Everyone 00:33:29 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Matthew 10:36 and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 00:36:55 Fr. John (Ivan) Chirovsky: Luke 14:25 Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.[a] 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple 00:37:37 Eric Williams: When I was confirmed as a Lutheran, there was a lot of emphasis on "down religion" (God coming down to us), which was contrasted with "up religion" (us trying to approach God). Asceticism would probably be regarded by my former fellow Lutherans as "up religion", possibly as a sort of heretical "salvation by works". 00:49:41 carolnypaver: “….that we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your Holy Will which is love and mercy itself.” ~ St. Faustina 00:54:16 Edward Kleinguetl: That and St. John Chrysostom's treatise "On the Priesthood." 01:01:08 Edward Kleinguetl: I thought it was the Rubicon? 01:07:38 Eric Williams: There was mention of prayers before receiving the Eucharist. This one, by St. Thomas Aquinas, is very good: Almighty and Eternal God, behold I come to the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As one sick I come to the Physician of life; unclean, to the Fountain of mercy; blind, to the Light of eternal splendor; poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Therefore, I beg of You, through Your infinite mercy and generosity, heal my weakness, wash my uncleanness, give light to my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I thus receive the Bread of Angels, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, with such reverence and humility, contrition and devotion, purity and faith, purpose and intention, as shall aid my soul’s salvation. 01:07:41 Eric Williams: Grant, I beg of You, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord, but also its full grace and power. Give me the grace, most merciful God, to receive the Body of your only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, in such a manner that I may deserve to be intimately united with His mystical Body and to be numbered among His members. Most loving Father, grant that I may behold for all eternity face to face Your beloved Son, whom now, on my pilgrimage, I am about to receive under the sacramental veil, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world wit