Conferences of St. John Cassian - Conference Twelve on Chastity Part I

Philokalia Ministries

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 that we are called to "Put to death the members of sin" within us (fornication, impurity, wantonness, evil desire and avarice) ; to destroy them as quickly as possible by a zeal for perfect holiness. Yet, even though we are called to all the rigors of abstinence we must not labor under the illusion that our efforts alone can bring us to this freedom. The school of experience teaches us very quickly that incorruption is granted to us only by the bounty of divine grace. Furthermore, we must come to have a love for the virtue of chastity. Abstinence does not bring us to a perpetual integrity but rather an insatiable yearning for this most precious of virtues. Also, it is not by repression that one comes to chastity but rather by filling the heart with a greater desire and love. We must burn for love of Christ and fill our minds, imagination and memories with salutary dispositions. We must fix our who gaze and all our efforts and concerns on the cultivation of our hearts.Discussion then ensued about fostering chastity in modern times and the need for clarity and an heroic response to the grace of God.

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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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