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

2025-08-15

St. Isaac’s counsel confronts the modern temptation toward self-promotion, verbal dominance, and the illusion of expertise. In a time when our culture prizes quick answers, visible influence, and a polished public persona, his words cut against the grain. He reminds us that the deepest authority is not rooted in rhetoric or clever disputation, but in the quiet radiance of a virtuous life. Humility, expressed in meek speech, modest bearing, restraint in judgment, and continual learning, guards the soul from the injury of familiarity and the snares of pride. For t...

For those in the spiritual life today, this means resisting the lure of proving ourselves in debates, curating our image for approval, or speaking beyond what we have truly lived. It is an invitation to clothe our knowledge in tears and fasting, to let the wisdom of the Church shape our vision, and to guard our minds from curiosities that puff up rather than purify. Such a way seems “small” in the eyes of the world, yet it opens the heart to the grace of God, the only true teacher.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:10:58 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 145. Paragraph 20

00:12:39 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 145, mid-page # 20 2nd paragraph on page

00:13:11 Zack Morgan: no

00:24:51 Anthony: This goes so much against the grain of the Classical Greek world: being a public person and a public corrector after the manner of Socrates

00:40:14 Anthony: I found the spirit of blasphemy is contagious from people who proclaim they are righteous but take delight in showing the faults of others. I wish I could shake it off.

00:40:25 Una: Any practical suggestions for those of us whose knees are shot and can't do prostrations anymore?

00:45:55 Ben: I think St. Seraphim of Sarov said something about continual prayer supplying for the inability to fast. Could one hope that the same could be said about an inability to perform other ascetical works, like prostrations?

00:54:02 Ren Witter: How does one discern when one’s conscience differs from widely held beliefs in the Church because it is malformed, and when it differs but is in fact formed well? I am thinking of immediate, small things obviously, but also St. John Chrysostom, who experienced exile from the institutional Church, and who had such confidence in his own conscience that he could say “they have the churches, but we have the truth” ?

00:55:18 Anthony: Replying to "Any practical sugges..."

There's something about prayer being the highest ascetical work. Maybe in Evergetinos.

00:59:28 Mary 🕊️: The Truth stands invioable whether any human being gives voice to it or not.

00:59:32 Anthony: The sort us "me against the church" and delighting in it, cavorting in it, seems to me a spirit of blasphemy.

01:01:16 Rick Visser: I may be wrong but I think it was Saint Thomas Aquinas who said that even if our conscience is wrong we must follow it.

01:01:20 Ren Witter: If I may ask a potentially fraught question: as someone who reads a lot of Orthodox writers, and who considers the Orthodox Church a kind of estranged twin to the Catholic Church, I have come across a couple of teachings on morals in which my mind and heart agree with the Orthodox teaching more than the Catholic teaching. What do I do with this? Humbly follow the Catholic teaching against my conscience, or follow the more Orthodox way and trust that the Lord will be pleased with that?

01:01:45 Catherine Opie: "The truth is like a lion, let it loose- it will defend itself"

01:05:56 Maureen Cunningham: I see the beauty in all Christian church

01:07:19 Una: Is the Watchful Mind the book where it talks about spitting blood? Oh, yes. What do you make of that?

01:07:58 Una: Is it literal?

01:08:41 Joseph Lamb: I’ve heard that demons prey on your emotions and can make you think God wants you to do something, when really they’re trying to push you outside of His will. If that’s true, how can you tell the difference?

01:12:13 Anthony: Replying to "The sort us "me agai..."

We who bear the effect of hearing of the scandals can "offer it up", accepting this as penalty for listening to it, and suffering as a kind of expiation.

01:12:29 Maureen Cunningham: He was like a Rabbi Father Groshel

01:12:55 Zack Morgan: To address Ren:
But when evaluating many of the Eastern Catholic Traditions, you find that many teachings one thinks is uniquely Orthodox is held by many Eastern Catholics. Even the Philioque - our Melkite brothers and sisters omit "and the Son" from the Creed, and after Florence this became less of an "issue" than what it is still being made to appear.

01:13:41 Mary 🕊️: The Catachumen process into the Orthodox Church can take several years. Much patience is required.

01:14:53 James Crichton: It took me a full year before deciding to write my letter to the Metropolitan to change Sui Iuris. Made too many rash decisions in my life. This wasn't going to be one of them.

01:14:57 Una: I became Orthodox but came back after three or four years.

01:15:55 Tracey Fredman: Replying to "The Catachumen proce..."

The OCIA in the Catholic Church is now (as of the start of the current liturgical year) at least a full year - and for many nearly two now. It's been interesting how patient everyone has been with the updates to the RCIA. They want to follow Christ and they are not deterred by the long process.

01:16:38 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "I became Orthodox bu..." with 👍

01:16:51 Maureen Cunningham: Yay REN

01:17:46 Mary 🕊️: Replying to "The Catachumen proce..."

👍

01:17:53 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you

01:17:56 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂

01:18:00 John Burmeister: thanks

01:18:10 Janine: Thank you Father

01:18:33 Catherine Opie: Thank you Fr. God Bless

01:18:52 Bob Čihák, AZ: Thank you, Father, esp. for using Substack.

01:18:58 Maureen Cunningham: Amen Father it all beautiful and thank you for all you r time

01:18:58 Lee Graham: Love your prayers on substack, thank you