The Evergetinos - Vol. I, Hypothesis VII Part III

Philokalia Ministries

Tonight we picked up with Hypothesis VII, continuing our reflection upon the experience of death by those righteous souls who sought to draw close to God in their life. God in His great mercy will often come to them to console and prepare them for their own passover; their passing over from death to eternal life. The unknown of this reality can be a fearful thing, and so in the stories we often hear of the dying soul being surrounded by his fellow monks praying for his soul. This moment, often feared and avoided by modern men and women, is something we are encouraged to meditate upon in the deepest way. It is not simply facing our fears, but facing them in light of what God has revealed to us and his only begotten Son. We are in the End Times; salvation is now and so every moment is freighted with destiny because every moment is an opportunity to love and give ourselves in love. The stories magnify that reality for us so that we would take our life seriously; but more importantly, that we would take God at his word. We must foster a kind of stability in life and mind; a clarity about what we pursue as our ultimate goal. Otherwise we may not prepare ourselves for that most intimate of moments when we will stand before God in the full light of His Truth. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:39:34 Eric Williams: Nope, not ready. Thanatophobia is rough. ;) 00:41:30 Ambrose Little: I think it’s the attraction of gnosticism, too. 00:45:21 Eric Williams: Erick must be fun at parties. ;) 00:47:18 Erick Chastain: :) 00:56:59 Tyler Woloshyn: An example of semantron https://youtu.be/iXj7DLHH9-E 01:02:52 Eric Williams: Every parent willing to be honest will say they’ve wanted to flee. ;) 01:03:34 renwitter: Personally, I favor “One day I’ll fly away” from Mulan Rouge :-D My personal favorite “run-away song.” 01:07:45 Eric Williams: *innocent whistling* 01:09:13 Ambrose Little: Eric, rather this: https://youtu.be/3br0tDqW3r8 :) 01:13:21 D Fraley: Thank you, Father David. 01:14:02 Lilly: Thank you!

About Podcast

Philokalia Ministries is the fruit of 30 years spent at the feet of the Fathers of the Church. Led by Father David Abernethy, Philokalia (Philo: Love of the Kalia: Beautiful) Ministries exists to re-form hearts and minds according to the mold of the Desert Fathers through the ascetic life, the example of the early Saints, the way of stillness, prayer, and purity of heart, the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and spiritual reading. Those who are involved in Philokalia Ministries - the podcasts, videos, social media posts, spiritual direction and online groups - are exposed to writings that make up the ancient, shared spiritual heritage of East and West: The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Saint Augustine, the Philokalia, the Conferences of Saint John Cassian, the Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, and the Evergetinos. In addition to these, more recent authors and writings, which draw deeply from the well of the desert, are read and discussed: Lorenzo Scupoli, Saint Theophan the Recluse, anonymous writings from Mount Athos, the Cloud of Unknowing, Saint John of the Cross, Thomas a Kempis, and many more.

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