The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVI: On Discernment, Part XI

We continued with St. John’s summary of discernment and its particular fruit in the spiritual life. However, it does not read like a summary. Each saying opens us up to a divine reality and a participation in the life of Christ that comes to us by grace and the ascetic life. One cannot help but be captivated by the beauty of what St. John describes. It becomes evident that what we are being drawn into is the very beauty of Christ and that of the kingdom. Grace has the capacity to transform even the darkest of things within us and to illuminate the mind and the heart to see clearly what has eternal value. With the reading of each saying one begins to experience a holy desire growing within the heart. Thanks be to God!

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Text of chat during the group:

00:06:34 FrDavid Abernethy: page 217 page 14

 

00:25:57 Anthony: He says this while I'm making dinner....

 

00:31:19 David: Despair is suffering without meaning- Victor Frankl

 

00:49:34 Eric Ewanco: Reacted to "Κλίμαξ αγίου Ιωάννου.LadderClimatuspdf" with ❤️

 

00:49:43 Eric Ewanco: Reacted to "TheLadderofDivineAscent.pdf" with 👍

 

00:50:29 Lisa Smith: Reacted to "TheLadderofDivineAscent.pdf" with 🙏

 

00:57:24 David: The gate also opens like Grace and one needs to be drawn to the opening in the fence.

 

01:02:59 Anthony: If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts....

 

01:20:11 David: They are finding so much in neuroplasticity that the fathers described ages ago. One the pathways are established it becomes a cycle. Lots of talk about "rewiring the mind". I think fasting might actually help with rewiring because you are not rewarding a undesired behavior.

 

01:20:36 Rachel: That was in relation to the other discussion

 

01:21:56 David: No money in fasting

 

01:22:10 Rebecca Thérèse: Fasting literally rewires the brain because the body starts to generate new neurons after 48 hours of fasting.

 

01:22:24 Vanessa: Reacted to "Fasting literally re..." with 👍

 

01:22:30 David: Autophagy as well

 

01:23:28 Rebecca Thérèse: Reacted to "Autophagy as well" with 👍

 

01:25:14 Rebecca Thérèse: Autophagy is where the cells start to digest damaged parts of the body and damage interior to cells

 

01:26:04 Bob Cihak: Autophagy is also known as apoptosis. I call it cellular recycling.

 

01:26:32 Rebecca Thérèse: Fasting stimulates growth hormone which os useful in repairing damage and is also useful if you're a body builder

 

01:26:49 Susanna Joy: Love this clas🙏🏻💖

 

01:26:59 Lisa Smith: Too Fast. Thank you Fr

 

01:27:41 Sophia: God bless you fr.Abernethy!

 

01:27:42 Susanna Joy: Thank you, Father.

 

01:27:42 Art: Thank you Father!

 

01:27:43 Jeff O.: Thank you!

 

01:27:43 Cindy Moran: Thank you Father

 

01:27:43 David: Thank you father !

 

01:27:51 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂