Philokalia Ministries Update: New Study of The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian

UPDATE: I’m very pleased to announce that our study of The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian will begin on Wednesday February 26th at 7:30pm EST via Zoom Thank you for your patience and God bless.

Fr. Charbel

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It is difficult to express the power of this book written for monks and hermits who live alone in a life of silence and prayer. Why would a modern person living in the world read such a book? Because monks have always been a beacon of life for the laity. Prayer and meditation are not only for monks but will permeate the life of every person who seeks them out with a fragrance indescribable. Other monks write of Isaac the Syrian: “ Forsake not Isaac. Every day one page of Abba Isaac. Not more. Isaac is the mirror. There you will behold yourself. The mirror is so that we may see if we have any shortcoming, any smudge on our face, in order to remove it, to cleanse ourselves..... In Abba Isaac you will behold your thoughts, what they are thinking. Your feet, where they are going. Your eyes, if they have light and see. There you will find many sure and unerring ways in order to be helped. One page of Isaac a day. In the morning or at night.” Heronymos the Clairvoyant of Aegina ( 1883 - 1966).

“If all the writings of the desert fathers which teach us concerning watchfulness and prayer were lost and the writings of Abba Isaac the Syrian alone survived, they would suffice to teach one from the beginning to end concerning the life of stillness and prayer. They are the Alpha and Omega of the life of watchfulness andy interior prayer, and alone suffice to guide one from his first steps to perfection.” Joseph the Hesychast of the Holy Mountain (1895-1950)

Sign up for weekly Zoom link here: https://mailchi.mp/b6b0d2d6036c/isaacthesyrian