The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian - Homily V, Part II

St. Isaac speaks with a stark honesty that strips away every illusion about the spiritual life. To choose the good is to summon the battle. Every true beginning draws the adversary’s attention. God allows this not to crush the soul but to test its resolve and to purify its love. Without that fire, virtue remains unproven and fragile.

The one who doubts that God is his helper collapses under his own shadow. Fear itself becomes the enemy. Such a person starves amid plenty and drowns in calm waters, undone not by external trials but by the absence of trust. St. Isaac’s words expose this inner poverty: faith without endurance is only sentiment. The steadfast heart, confident in God, is revealed in trial and shines before friend and foe alike.

The commandments are not burdens but treasures. They conceal the presence of the Lord Himself. The one who carries them within finds God as chamberlain, waking and sleeping. Fear of sin becomes illumination, and even darkness turns transparent. The soul that trembles at evil walks with light before and within, guided by mercy that steadies every faltering step.

St. Isaac ends with a fierce precision. There is no substitution in repentance. What is lost must be restored by the same means through which it was forfeited. God will not take a pearl for a penny, nor alms in place of purity. Greed is uprooted only by mercy, not by any other virtue. He will not be deceived by offerings that leave corruption untouched.

This is the hard edge of Isaac’s wisdom: grace demands truth. The path to God is not through sentiment or display but through the narrow way where every false comfort is stripped away, and only the tested heart endures.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:05:26 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Homily 5 paragraph 4 page 155

00:05:41 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Philokaliaministries.blogspot.com

00:07:39 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Homily 5 paragraph 4 page 155

00:13:14 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 155, last paragraph, 4

00:14:30 Una: Nice!

00:17:20 Una: I like the way Anthony puts it: be prepared to be knocked around

00:17:20 Una: I like the way Anthony puts it: be prepared to be knocked around

00:17:33 Anthony: Reacted to I like the way Antho... with "❤️"

00:17:47 Anthony: Replying to "I like the way Antho..." 

 Thanks :)

00:25:07 Rick Visser: My despondency becomes so great that I cannot move. What am I to do?

00:25:38 Maureen Cunningham: how would you explain the difference between Grace  & Mercy.

00:26:27 Maureen Cunningham: When I have despondency . I put on Bach

00:29:24 Jessica McHale: There is a very short but tremendously helpful book called "Trustful surrender to divine providence: the secret of peace and happiness" (it's so short more like a pamphlet) but it helps so greatly with despondency. I read it every time I feel this struggle with trusting in God in every single tiny thing.

00:30:34 Barbara: The Church/grace is the spiritual hospital.

00:32:19 Anthony: It might be that our passion is the pride of scrupulosity that is revealed by falling to another passion and masked by that passion (a red herring).

00:33:48 Eleana: St. Claude La Colombière, Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure

00:34:00 Jessica McHale: yes, by Father Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure (the author of the book I mentioned)

00:35:52 Anthony: This is a remedy for the terror of mortal sin.

00:40:23 Ryan Ngeve: Father to what degree is engaging in thoughts that lead to despondency harmful to someone. And if it is how are we supposed to avoid engaging in such thoughts

00:45:55 David Swiderski, WI: I find this prayer helpful in challenging times. At one point in my life I felt great despondency having lost everything I had, living in a country I did not want to live in and largely being alone barely surviving. After a time I realized I only had belief and needed to work on actual faith.

00:46:41 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Mobile-Litany-of-T..." with ❤️

00:47:10 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 156, first paragraph, #5

00:50:31 Jessica McHale: Psalm 119 -- i love it

00:53:29 Maureen Cunningham: Kind of like bad acting verse when a person capture the character of the person he playing

01:00:12 Myles Davidson: Lead Kindly Light by Cardinal Newman
https://spiritualdirection.com/2012/04/01/lead-kindly-light

01:01:08 Anthony: Here is a Tolkein digression: Frodo is given a gift to light him in the darkness (which I think is Marian "grace,") but it's such a generous gift that even his friend Sam can wield it in need.  The gift of Mary is a kind of kindly light when all is dark.

01:01:29 Ben: Reacted to "Here is a Tolkein di..." with 👍

01:02:53 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Here is a Tolkein ..." with ❤️

01:03:33 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Lead Kindly Light ..." with 👍

01:09:09 Nypaver Clan: My dad used to always tell us, “Give until it hurts.”

01:09:24 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "My dad used to alw..." with ❤️

01:12:23 Myles Davidson: I came across a book years ago (can’t remember the name) filled with stories of people who went through the Great Depression who said they were the best years of their life, due to the strong community spirit and acts of charity that bonded people

01:15:44 Lee Graham: Awesome group. Thank you.

01:15:50 Catherine Opie: Perfect for me as I am a complete beginner 🙏🏻

01:15:55 Jessica McHale: Thank YOU!!!

01:16:34 Jessica McHale: Prayers for you all!!!

01:16:36 Christopher Berry: Thank you, Father!

01:16:38 Art iPhone: Thank you Father! Good night all.

01:16:39 Elizabeth Richards: And with your spirit

01:16:40 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂

01:16:40 Bob Čihák, AZ: Bless you, Father.

01:16:50 Catherine Opie: God bless

01:16:52 David Swiderski, WI: Thank you Father may God bless you and your mother

01:17:00 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you