Letters of Spiritual Direction to a Young Soul - Letter Sixty-Two Part II

Philokalia Ministries

Tonight we concluded Letter 62 on Active Warfare with the passions. Increasingly, Theophan offers more and more practical counsel to Anastasia. Active warfare against the passions includes specific ascetical practices such as fasting, the ordering of sleep and other appetites, avoiding certain forms of entertainment; basically anything that is formative and helps one to be more attentive to God and is conducive to cleansing the passions from the heart. This requires arranging our life and the course of the events in such a way that make us responsive to the action of God‘s grace and providence. God will often bring things together in such a way that events coalesce in order for Him to cleanse us of the passions and grind to dust the squalid and selfishness and stubborn egoism which maintain the passions and destroy the person. Theophan is very much part of a tradition that tells us to kill the passions both inwardly and externally, while cultivating good behavior and giving for range and exercise to the disciplines that cleanse the heart. Theophan reminds her of all the things that she must be attentive to; such as, engaging in spiritual reading, daily scripture readings, self-mortification, and renouncing oneself when necessary. All of these things he has taught Anastasia and simply leaves her with the thought - “May God speed.” Indeed, may God swiftly cleanse our hearts and draws us to His own.

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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