Thank you everyone who participated in the study of The Ladder of Divine Ascent tonight. Your questions were both beautiful and challenging.
Synopsis:
As we continued our reflection upon Step One “On Renunciation” St. John makes it very clear that we must enter into the spiritual battle with a zeal and desire for God; we must leap into the fire if we really expect the celestial fire to dwell within us. None of our ascetical practices, or the renunciation of the world that John speaks of in this step, can be abstracted from our relationship with God and what he desires to give us. The firm foundation upon which the spiritual life is laid is innocence, fasting, and temperance. Like a child, a babe, we are to have a simple trust in the care of our heavenly father, we must allow him to nourish us upon that which we need. Our love can know nothing of calculation or sly deceit. This is essential John tells us. We must begin the spiritual life with clarity about who we are before God and what it is that we seek.
Likewise, we must enter into the spiritual life not lagging in the fight. A firm beginning, John tells us, is useful when we later grow slack. We will all face trials and turmoil in the spiritual life and it is our first love, our first desire and zeal for the Lord, we must remember in order to set our hearts aflame once again.
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Text of chat during the group:
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXV, Part II
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part XI
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXIII, Part IV and Hypothesis XXIV
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part X
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXIII, Part III
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part IX
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part VIII
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXIII, Part II
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part VII
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXII, Part V and Hypothesis XXIII, Part I
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part VI
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXII, Part IV
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part V
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXII, Part III
The Ladder of Divine Ascent- Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part IV
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXII, Part II
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part III
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXI, Part VI and Hypothesis XXII, Part I
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter IV: On Obedience, Part II
The Evergetinos - Hypothesis XXI, Part V
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